Pumpkin Sunrise

My weekend was filled with: -goodbyes-our son is now on campus ready to start a new semester! -riding in the car ALL day.  I managed to knit and ward off a pending nap-it was a close call! -packing up all of his "stuff" which seemed like so much into the car -waiting in the dorm room while the guys hauled the "stuff"  Yep I was spared physical exertion. -chicken salad smeared over top of avocado over top of lightly toasted bread (the avocados were mashed with olive oil and a spritz of lime juice and salt) -an eerie silence upon returning home-the house is so different without the kids -happiness that the visual clutter is with my two children and not in my family room :) -noticing the hints that fall is very near (eep! I am so excited to wear woolens) How was your weekend? joining Amanda

I thought it would be nice to show you Frodo and report on his week as well as mine.  He still is pacing the fence looking for the elusive rabbits.  Thankfully almost all of the rabbits are fully grown and cannot get into the fenced in yard (at least that is what I think?).  However I'm thinking that maybe there is a pesky snake or chipmunk that has his little nose poking in the lattice openings.  Every once in a while I see him laying down and relaxing so hunting season must be over. I cannot wait until fall.  There I said it and I know I am pushing the season but I've had my limit of being hot.  We had cooler temps this past week briefly and it was enough for me to abandon sandals and capris.  It is jean weather now in my mind.  It helps that I have air conditioning and can hibernate while blissfully waiting for a frost. My son has started to pack up his stuff for returning to campus.  I have slowly added to his stuff.  Every time I am in a store I pick up some kind of

There has been an explosion of casting on new projects and it's been so enjoyable.  I finished my brown citron shawl  and quickly started two more projects.  The green yarn in the photo is a pair of socks and I'm using my pattern  lucky for me this will be easy since I've knit it once before. My other project in the photo above is a cowl that I am designing.  It's in the early stages so I haven't a ravelry page as of yet.  I love the yarn!  It's socks that rock in medium weight by Blue Moon Fiber Arts, it was a gift from one of my knitting friends :) My pink cardigan  is making progress and it is not in the photo.  I just separated the sleeves off the needles and have started the body.  Even though it is all stockinette stitch there is no boredom with some pleats to create and a little bit of waist shaping.  Perfect combination. As you can see by where the bookmark is, I am slowing reading The Flight of Gemma Hardy .  It's quite good-I am a night ti

At the beginning of the month Melanie asked me to write a guest post for her blog and today it has been published.  I have known Melanie for a while, she is a fellow knitter and had the best baby ever this past year.  Please head on over to Mad Passions to see why I knit .

I finished my citron shawl last week. I boldly went for the seventh tier and quickly realized that I would not have enough yarn to complete it.  So I did some fudging.  I knit the ruching which is the best part of the shawl and then went straight to the edging.  Unfortunately the edging is skimpy. The yarn is Zitron Filisilk  and in the beginning I loved the sheen.  However after knitting and handling it the wool content took over and there was more halo to the yarn.  It is a single ply yarn and for the look of the shawl I think a multi plied yarn would be better. I am very pleased at how it looks once blocked and as you know I cannot wait until it is fall so to maybe wear it, OR this might be a gift for someone.  I am on the fence and lucky for me I don't have to decide today. It's crazy but I would knit another citron again.  I love the unthinking part of the project :)

My weekend was filled with: -lots of walks and resuming the dirt road which is now "chipped and oiled" so it's not the same. -many hours knitting my pink cardigan -many hours of ripping out row upon row to fix a mistake-I was not in my happy place* -finally fixing the error and knitting back up all those lost rows to return gleefully to my happy place -watching the first Lord of the Rings movie and watching my Frodo wake up every time his name was voiced -cooler temps leading to visions of future knitting projects, so many!!! -starting a count down to when my son leaves next weekend -menu planning his favorite meals *I muttered that I wish someone would fix my mistake for me.  My husband replied "bring me the scissors"-made me laugh and made me realize that I am the most qualified to right the wrong. How was your weekend? Joining Amanda

This past week was the first week without my daughter since she went back to her campus.  I have been lucky to hear from her once a day and it seems like she is still here at home for the moments we are on the phone.  Thank goodness for cell phone plans. My son has one more week at home, we have yet to start gathering his things and packing them up. Even though school does not start until the end of August, I am acting and thinking like the school year has begun.  My husband is a professor and will be back to his academic schedule the same time as my son. Having a schedule encourages me to be more productive.  I do love the summer and the carefree lifestyle we all adopt, but it's time.  It's time for fall and it's time to get stuff done around here. I've resumed walking with Frodo in the early evening and I've realized that maybe I need to take ALL of my medicines for full physical function.  (I have mixed connective tissue disease-a cross between rheumatoid

basil from my garden

At the beginning of the month when I was visiting my dad he said to me "I wear the socks that you made me last Christmas all the time".  As a knitter I heard "Please please please make me another pair!!" So that green yarn up there in the photo is the yarn that I will use and yes you read correctly I am officially starting my Christmas knitting.  I was thrilled to know he wears the socks.  My dad has become "knit worthy", not many people make it to that level for me.  To be knit worthy you have to express your love of the hand knit I made and then wear it.  So simple and yet people fail the criteria. Oh and my citron shawl  is nearly complete.  I started the seventh tier with the best intentions of knitting all of the rows but I had a sinking feeling that I might not have enough yarn. I ended up doing half of the tier and am now on the ruffle edge and it will be done by the end of today.  My pink cardigan  has not been touched in a week so no news on

At my sister's house under her porch swing, this positive thinking sunflower is growing and nothing is stopping it!

my stepmother grew these! My Weekend was filled with: -dinner out with the four of us the last time until a school break -donuts (why oh why are they an evil but necessary food???) -packing packing packing up my daughter -starting my sentences with "do you have this?"  "do you want this?" -shopping the cupboards-to stock up her apartment until she can get to the store -changing all the bedclothes and beginning the laundry -seeing my end table without any clutter! -driving on Saturday to move her stuff in followed by lunch out -seeing my knitting friends today and laughing Live Is Good. How was your weekend? Joining Amanda