Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How are you? Today is the last day of a heatwave (supposedly...). I am so over the hot weather! Anyways how are your projects coming along. As I said on my last post, I was struggling with breaks in the yarn for the baby sweater .I started a new skein and so far it's been absolutely fine.  I also started earlier this week a pair of socks for my husband. I am enjoying immensely a NON baby knitted item!!! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you and what have you been up to since the last time we met (on this blog!). I've been busy these days. I see the grandchildren frequently and am so happy they live near by. I've also been busy working on projects for the new baby that is due near the end of September.  At the beginning of July, I started a watercolor monthly challenge by Emma Jane Lefebve on YouTube which has been quite enjoyable. Of course, I can't do daily when I'm traveling or busy but I have consistently painted when I do have time. The videos are short and sweet. I love that. My paper is not the best so I'm not getting the results that I would like, however, I am showing up and creating a routine that is what I really wanted to achieve. I've also been stitching every single day for at lease an hour and I'm in the 'groove'.  I love this baby sampler design because it's simple and fast.  Now for the sad knitting of the baby sweater .  I'm knitting ...

  Phew! I finished this little blanket yesterday after I spent a few days thinking I would not finish it. I am thrilled with the color and the little size! As you know, it's the same pattern that I always knit because it's the pattern that is memorized.  What are you working on this week? 

  Good morning! How are you doing? I've been helping our daughter and son in law pack up lots and lots of boxes of books. They live near in the Boston area. We made a quick driving trip up late last week and came home yesterday. I must say, I am getting too old to drive long distances. Here is my progress of the small baby blanket , I didn't knit much over the weekend but I did add a repeat.  I hope to catch up with all of you soon! What are you working on?

  Hello! How are you doing? I am starting to feel better again, I'm hoping it lasts for a while now. This year has been 'whack-a-mole' with various symptoms and I'm so ready for a break from it all. Even while having symptoms, I'm still exercising when I can. And as you know I spend time with the grands as much as possible. They make me happy.  I continue to work on the small baby blanket , I think I am half way done. I haven't been doing much knitting on anything else physically. But mentally I'm planning and plotting the next project. I think knitters love to do that. We moved here in 2021 and the flower beds have really taken off this year! I love to walk around and see what's going on. My husband did all of the work. Our neighbor gave us plants and so did my sister. Whenever there is a flower the deer do not eat, I rejoice! I heard the cicadas for the first time last week. Now I know we are into the summer season. They don't seem as loud as they...

  This past week I finished the third and final cowl of the same pattern. I absolutely loved this simple pattern, it was easy and mindless and when you pair it with squishy yarn it's a pleasure to knit up. The only modification I made was to cast on 120 stitches. I had some yarn chicken issues on the second and third cowl but I do love to try to solve the problems that I've created. All three will be gifts for the holidays. Phew! What are you working on this week? 

  Good morning! How are you?  I should make this post title 'non-knitting news'. I haven't done much of anything for a span of days because I haven't been feeling well. However, the medicine I started on Sunday night is finally working and so I am less miserable. I was knitting last night and that is a sign of health for me. Above is the third cowl of the same pattern but I am only making one project page for the three of them. They will be gifts eventually. The knitting is mindless and somewhat comforting when I am watching a tv show or listening to a podcast.  What are you working on?

  Good morning lovely people! How are you? How's the weather?  We are having a crazy heat wave and I am so done with it. I got into my car yesterday early evening after it was parked in the sun for 2 1/2 hours. The car registered 97 degrees. Good gracious!! My knitting have been a lot of fun this week. The top photo is yet again another baby sweater , this time for our grandbaby-to-be. You know I love to knit baby sweaters, they knit up so very fast. Below is the small baby blanket that has seen only a few rows added since the last time I took a photo. What have you been working on this week?

  Hello! How are you doing and how are your projects coming along this week? I am into simple knitting. Above is a simple cowl (the second of three I am making for gifts). It is truly simple knitting and the ultimate comfort knitting project.  Below is yet another baby blanket (same pattern) but it's a smaller size for covering the infant carrier. This blanket is for the grandbaby to be that is due at the end of September.  I have found that since the family moved close by, my knitting time is limited. What a wonderful reason to not be knitting!!

  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...