Pumpkin Sunrise

I finished a shawl over the weekend and was down to one project-the featherweight cardigan (blue project on the left, hee hee I mean on your right!).  I love that giddy feeling of starting a top down cardigan and I knit full steam ahead until I divide for the sleeves......then because of all the stockinette I get a little bored.  That is why I like to have more than a couple of projects on the needles.  Then I can switch around. So I casted on a pair of socks for my husband in gray.  He loves hand knit socks!  I will make up a stitch pattern when I get the cuff done.  I always cast on a multiple of four (68 stitches for him).  I have a generic vanilla sock pattern that is memorized.  So since I'm on the cuff, I don't know what the sock's future holds yet. The Story Sisters -oh!  It was such a good book and if you have been reading this blog, I read it "fast".  It's not a very happy book but I loved her character description through life's events.

I finished my shawl on the way up to London, Ontario.  It was fun blitzing through the ruffle while riding in the car.  I felt so accomplished.  The yarn is by Twist and Twine  and it was wonderful to knit.  I enjoyed the tiny bit of sparkle that was incorporated in the spinning.  Just enough to hint at some glitz. The pattern  is a must knit.  It was easy and I loved how it used just one skein of fingering weight yarn.  You also can repeat the ruffle until you are nearly done with the skein.  I did not do the picot edge bind off.  I felt that the ruffle pattern was enough for me. Now.......when will I be able to wear this?  You guessed it.  In the fall.  My favorite time of the year and it cannot come soon enough.

Yesterday's post  did not say where the photo was.......oops!  So I thought I would share the rest of the photos.  We stopped at this PA welcome center  on the way home and took photos of the scenic overlook!  We have driven past this center countless of times, never stopping.  I am so glad that we did because the view was amazing. One thing I love about Pennsylvania is the mountains (or hills), trees, and many rivers and streams.  This view would be even better in the fall. I am sure you are wondering who the winner is of the stitch markers..well I am happy to announce that the winner through a random number generator is: Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow who said: "Oh, drats... I was so hoping for those bananas!! hee hee. The stitch markers your sister made are beautiful!! And I LOVE your new header!!! That shawl is simply drool-worthy. beautiful!!! blessings ~ tanna" Congratulations Tanna, please email me your address and I'll ship them out

My weekend was filled with: -8 hour car ride to and from my husband's family in London, Ontario, Canada. -leisurely hanging out at the bookstore, frantically using the wifi, and inhaling the smell of coffee and book print, two of my favorite scents!  (someone should make a candle scent!) -being very hot!  (I keep my AC colder than they do--boo hoo) -seeing nieces and a nephew and just being amazed at how old they look -being amazed at how old that makes me -lots of car knitting on the way up -no car knitting coming home-it was too hot -my husband running into a high school friend and his wife-an instant friendship was forged in 20 minutes and I'm sure that we will be seeing them again in the future, how cool is that? how was your weekend? Joining Amanda

Joining Amanda

Aren't these the cutest ever?  I am a rooster collector, I have no idea why.  I'm going to guess I like the red in the rooster.  Anyways, these two little guys were my mom's and I inherited them fourteen years ago.  She either found them at garage sales or they were my in my grandmother's collection.  I wish I knew.  Does it matter though?  They are mine and I love them :) Joining Lady Cordelia

After all of the heat waves we have had in the early spring, it is cold now.  I even wore one of my wool sweaters two days ago because it was chilly.  I am not complaining, just reporting.  The chill in the air has renewed my interest in knitting this soft sparkly shawl .  Today I am on the ruffle!  I was powering through the pattern just to get to the ruffle which is the best part.  I am going to knit the ruffle until the yarn runs out.  That's the plan.  Yesterday I posted about my featherweight cardigan which has been getting equal knitting time.  I usually have three projects going on at the same time so maybe a pair of socks for my husband will make it on the needles this weekend! He is in desperate need of wool socks.  I don't know how he manages to work holes in the bottom of the socks but he does.  I still have my original pair of wool socks from over 12 years ago-not a hole to be seen! The book The Story Sisters  by Alice Hoffman is GOOD!  I am about half way thr

I have been working on this super scrumptious sweater  off and on for weeks.  Every time I pick it up and work a few rows, I wonder why I have not worked on it more.  I will blame it on the miles and miles of mind-numbingly (spell check does NOT like that word and I'm too lazy to google) boring stockinette stitch.  However, all that stockinette lets me talk, watch tv and best of all--not count stitches and look for mistakes.  I just pick up and go! It's perfect for summer time knitting around my house these days.  Soon enough I will have time to focus on charts and counting and intricate patterns to knit up.  Casting on this sweater with slippery silk yarn was not fun.  But now that I have some fabric to grasp--oh my I love to knit with silk!  I might have to save my pennies and indulge in another skein of this Claudia's hand painted silk , the yardage is quite generous (1100 yds) And really can there be too many featherweight cardigans?  Nope. Did you know that I

It's been a while since I did a giveaway, so why not?  Let's do one!  If you would like a chance to win five stitch markers made by my sister, please leave a comment by Sunday June 10th.  I will select a winner using a random number generator and announce the winner in a blog post next Monday. Good luck!  (over ripe bananas not included)

This was a glorious weekend.  Bright beautiful sunny skies but chilly!  I ran around the house and opened windows to move the air about.  Then ran around again to shut the whole house up again.  Today promises to be an opened window day as well. I decided to update my little blog with a new banner.  On my "about me" page is a photo of me while at the beach---I KNOW!  I do not look like Frodo as some of you might believe.  This photo is one of my famous "I'll take it myself" shots.  I am really really getting good at those :)  I find that my blog shyness is slowly ebbing away, hence the photo. Friday, my daughter and I picked up my dear elderly friend who was our old religious director many years ago and we headed off to the "religious" store.  (Roman Catholic supply store)  I had a great time browsing around and managed to make a couple of items.  My dear friend only goes to this store when I do since it is a 45 minute drive one way.  I loved be

Son's birthday cake, YUM Joining Amanda