Pumpkin Sunrise

  I finished it! After my last post about how to end the shawl and where to end the shawl, I decided to just cast off after doing many rows of the texture stitch. I didn't even do a fancy edging - I didn't have the energy left to choose one and I still had the problem of running out of the second skein of yarn. I used yarn from my stash and made do with what I already owned. I loved knitting this christening blanket . Do you remember me wondering about the blanket size after blocking? Well, after casting off I think the unblocked width was 35 inches. After blocking the width was 51 inches. I was pretty excited about that. I also wonder how big would the blanket be if I continued with the rest of the charts??? How are your projects coming along?

  Good morning! How are you and how is your crafting coming along? I continue to work feverishly on the christening blanket and am now mulling over how to finish it off without doing all of the remaining charts. I do not have much yarn left with the second skein. I do have a third optional color (similar to the first one) but I'm not sure if I want that and most of all I don't know if 500 yards will give me an additional inch of pattern based on how many inches I obtained with the second skein.  If I could get the blanket to be 36 inches wide and long (it's a square!) I feel that would be enough of a blanket. So my wonderings are: how many add inches in blocking will I get? Definitely one inch per quadrant but would I get two inches? Three inches might be right out! Also, how do I finish it off? I am going to flip through some of my other knitting books for some ideas. Overall, I have loved knitting this and I'm excited to get it off the needles and give it a blocking....

  Good morning to you! How are you and how are your projects coming along? I continue to work on the christening blanket but barely did one row in the past seven days because I was traveling and after getting back into town, I've been babysitting the grandchildren while my son and his wife set up their new home. There are over 800 stitches on the needles and it's only going to get bigger. However I know I am over half way through based on yardage and where I am on the charts. Even though this is lace weight wool and slow going, I am thoroughly enjoying the process. I cannot wait for this to be off the needles so I can see it all blocked out. What are you working on this week?

  I finished the baby blanket for our grandbaby to be! As you know, I've knit this pattern so many times. I have it memorized and just love the comfort of knitting what I know while watching a tv show. It truly is mindless and fun. It is like comfort food. I did not have the six skeins to do the required repeats of the large blanket, so I did one repeat less with the five skeins that I did have on hand.  I have some red yarn to make a small blanket for covering the baby carrier - I will start that one in a few days or so. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing?  Oh my, I've been busy. I saw the eye doctor on Friday and I see her again today. She is getting close to the final fittings of the custom made contact lenses to protect my severe dry eye due to Sjogren's Syndrome. I am getting used to putting them in and taking out, better than I thought I would! We went to the art museum a few days ago and then went out to lunch for our 'first' outdoor patio eating of the season. It was wonderful to be outside and to look at the pond. I wish I could photograph the frogs singing, but I guess you'll have to imagine that. They were delightful. I've been spending all my free time working on the christening blanket and have added the second skein yesterday. I've quit timing myself because the rows get longer and longer. I have 90 rows to go! If I run out of this yarn I have yet another 500 yards of a third back up yarn for the edging. I love the not knowing. I also love to knit with small siz...

  Good morning! How are you doing? How are your projects coming along? I continue to work on the christening blanket and have moved up another needle length. I'm on the third chart (of five) and am doing the second repeat of the third chart. I then have to go back to the second chart and repeat that one another four times.  I am focusing on yardage instead of chart completion because of the repeating charts and returning to charts I've finished. Each row now takes over 20 minutes! I am enjoying the knitting process and watching the patterns emerge. The grand baby is due at the end of September and I have high hopes that this will be done by then. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing? How are your projects coming along this week? I have made steady progress on two projects. First up is the christening blanket , I am on the second chart out of five charts (some are repeated...). Yay! As you can see in the photo I found another lace weight yarn in my basket that I completely forgot that I had and I believe when I run out of my first yarn I can use this second skein of wool and it will look nice. I am hoping it will be the edging, but I won't know until I run out.  Next up is the green baby blanket , I am over half way and it's very very exciting to know that. I keep working on this at night while watching tv shows.  I will see you all on Monday morning, I am going to relax and enjoy some days off from my space here.  So what are you working on this week?

  Hello! How are you?  I'm doing pretty good. I spent the weekend absorbing all the electricity and internet after having neither for 48 hours last week. I am so dependent on both and I am okay with that. The weather was all over the place with sun then rain but thankfully no big storms.  I received my first temporary pair of scleral lenses (medically necessary for severe dry eye) and I can get them in and out of my eyes, so yay. However the fit will be continually changed since they are custom made for my eyes. It is a long process, I guess. I finally am finish with chart TWO on the christening blanket! I need a parade or something because the last 5-6 rows took forever and it's only going to get worse. Each row is longer and longer. I can do it! As you can see, Holly decided to give me some love. She does that every once in awhile. I love it and she loves me.  How was your weekend?

  Good morning! How are you doing? We lost our electricity on Tuesday at around 5:15 pm from a mighty thunderstorm with winds up to 80 mph and it came on yesterday in the afternoon.  Our whole entire area was without power and it took the electric company a long time to plug everyone back in. There are some people who still have no power and have to wait until Sunday. So nearly 48 hours of me being ultra SAD but grateful this morning. We have some trees down but they are in our wooded area and luckily they're not near the house, thank goodness. I was fortunate that I could move some of our food from the refrigerator to my sister's house and only lost one large bag of food. We are in the process of tidying up the house and putting everything back to where it's supposed to go. I really didn't knit much so the photo is one I took a few days ago of a cowl I am working on. I am planning to cut back on posting here three times a week. I hope to be posting 1-2 times a week fro...

  Hello, how are you doing? Our temperatures took a tumble and we were back to being cold and running the furnace. Today though is going to be in the 70s. I've been avoiding being outside due to the high tree pollen count and really miss walking daily outside but those trees will be done hopefully by the end of May. My weekend was really nice. I mostly read books and spent time knitting on the FOREVER lace christening blanket. I am almost done with chart two (out of five??).  On Saturday, my sister and I visited the local yarn store and of course I bought some fingering weight yarn this time in blue. I don't knit with blue very often so I thought that would be a nice addition to my stash. I love to support local businesses and I'm grateful I am able to do that. Sunday was Mass and doing our laundry. I had a very restful Sunday and I'm ready for the week! How was your weekend?

  In a month (!) our son, daughter in law and grandchildren will be moving here from Indiana. We have the countdown and I have 'things' I need to get done before that time. They will live 12 minutes from us and we are looking forward to our lives changing for the better.  I have some permanent baby proofing to do. Once their house is packed up, they will live in our house until the moving van arrives at their new home. They will frequently be here so I want to put away the items I do not want them to play with - they love to gravitate to that which is forbidden. I am trying to squeeze in all the things I want to get done before they move. I have knitting goals and reading goals. Currently I'm reading Homecoming and White Nights, both are good and entertaining.  It's okay if I do not achieve these goals, but I like to have something to work towards. My classes have mostly ended for the spring semester. Our summer classes (non-credit older adult classes at a local univers...

  Good morning! How are you doing and how are your projects coming along? I've been consistently knitting this Christening blanket every day and I wonder what have I gotten myself into because it's going to take a long time to finish! Also, as I previously stated, I do not think I have enough wool and have to figure out a way to ease into another similar color seamlessly when I do run out of wool.  How are your projects coming along?

  How are you doing today? I'm doing pretty good. It's been a busy week and today is a day where I don't have to be anywhere pressing. Of course I might go out but it will be because I want to go out. Before I forget, Happy Easter if you are celebrating! My sister's hosting Easter this year so I get to kick back and relax and enjoy the food. I will see family too! Around here, it will be getting warm and the tree pollen will be at an all time high. I have quit walking outside because of allergies since I can't take anything because of my health issues. I am enjoying doing you-tube exercise videos in my office. They are more challenging than my daily walks! I'm enjoying my lace knitting project that I talked about on Wednesday. It is a fun knit. Also, I had my first contact lens fitting for my 'medically necessary' contacts that will help protect and heal my extremely dry eyes. Once the lenses are made and in their office, I go back and get another fittin...

  Good morning! How are you doing and how are your projects coming along? I started two projects recently. First off, I started a lace Christening blanket and hope I have enough yarn, I have another skein that is close to this color and hope if I run out it will be when I start the edging...We will see! I started yet another baby blanket this one in a darker green and I like it. Babies do not mind the color as much as the like the softness! What are you working on this week?

  How was your weekend? My weekend was spent casting on new projects. I'm happy to share that our daughter and son in law are expecting their first child at the end of September. So of course I started a baby blanket and a lace Christening blanket over the weekend.  The Christening Blanket is challenging because the chart symbols are not the universal symbols that I am used to knitting. I am frequently flipping back and forth to the symbol chart to make sure I am doing the right stitches. I have already unknit 3 rows because I didn't even follow the chart correctly. I started another baby blanket (same pattern, forest green yarn). That is my TV knitting at the end of the day, I don't need to think about much when I am knitting that pattern. I hope to have updated project pages on Ravelry soon.  The weather is getting nicer, but the seasonal allergies are absolutely awful. So I've been doing indoor exercising hoping for some rain to tamp down the tree pollen. How as your...

  How are you?  I am enjoying the spring flowers outside but not the cold temperatures, I guess it could be much much colder and I shouldn't complain. Our patio awning was installed for the summer season and I wondered about those people working in 30 degree weather! I cannot wait to be able to sit out there and it will be soon. I had a knitting project that I started ages ago, a shawl, and recently pulled it out. I remember that I found multiple errors in the pattern (or I made a mistake which I highly doubt). So I fixed the mistakes as I knitted then set the shawl project aside for some baby knitting. Anyways, I returned to knitting this shawl yesterday morning and decided that I didn't like it and ripped out about 300 yards of knitting. I loved it! I loved letting go of a project that just wasn't sparking joy. I'm now knitting simple cowls instead with the yarn. In the past, I have ripped out entire sweaters because I didn't like the fit or style. I usually put a...

  How are you? How is your knitting or crafting coming along? I finished this sweet sweater over the weekend and love it! I enjoyed knitting this little cardigan for a family member's baby to be in July. As I have mentioned before this is the 17th time and there will be an 18th time as well and so on. I find comfort in knitting the same patterns over and over again.  What are you working on this week?

  Hello! How are you doing and how was your weekend?  Mine was quiet but productive over all. I worked on many knitting projects and then on a whim decided to knit some dish clothes for Easter gifts. I have left-over skeins from all the baby blankets I've knitted over the years and thought they'd make cute washcloths.  I also on another whim, decided to paint some Easter cards. Surprisingly, my creativity was overflowing. I wrote Happy Easter on each card but didn't photograph that part. Our weather is back to cold and rainy (although the rainy never left us). It's hard to decide how to dress. I don't mind the cold as much as I mind the cloudiness. I'm sure the weather will be warmer after a week or so. Besides finishing a knitting project I also started another baby blanket.  How was your weekend?

  Good morning! I finished my sweater !! I had a fantastic time knitting this pattern which was easy to follow. I wish the neckline dipped a little lower in the front though. The original pattern was a cropped version with 3/4 sleeves. As you can see I lengthened the body and the sleeves to perfection. I also like the size I made super cosy! I will knit this pattern again, I am sure but not right away. Right now I have some serious baby gifts to knit. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning to you! How are you doing? I have recovered from having family visiting last week and am right back to my ordinary quiet days. Spring is arriving again after being here for a few days then leaving for some frigid weather. Today will be over 60 degrees.  I've been having severe dry eye from my autoimmune disease (Sjogren's syndrome) and it's quite annoying. I did see the eye doctor and have a treatment plan but golly, I want it resolved yesterday. Over a month ago, I started doing some HIIT exercising a few times a week at home to improve my stamina. So I  lined up a bunch of videos that were low-impact, all standing routines ranging 10 minutes to 30 minutes. I expected that I would not enjoy this type of exercising but I have to confess, I love it. I feel empowered when I complete a video and am able keep up with them most of the time. Who knew? I continue to walk daily but the windy days make my dry eye symptoms unbearable. I am considering joining a gym w...