Pumpkin Sunrise

My knitting this week has kicked of the holiday knitting fever that starts every year around this time.  My list is short so I am confident that I will get the knitting done in time for gift giving.  For the last few days I've been thinking of a shawl for my aunt and I knew I wanted to make the Multnomah  but with what yarn? I unearthed this sock yarn and I cannot remember why I bought in in 2009.  It is not in the colors that I would enjoy.  However, my aunt would love the pastel hues!!  See.  That is why there is a substantial yarn stash in this house.  I feel like I saved some money by not going out (again) and shopping for wool.  You know I would buy something for me as well.  I just cannot resist, but resist I must for now. I am over 100 pages into the new Rowling book and it's very well written and the way she unfolds the story is a lot like Maeve Binchy's writing (RIP).  However, this is not a happy book so far.  She is using many adjectives that make my heart

I have been noticing that each year when the leaves change they are not always the same color and definitely not the same time.  These two photos were taken only a week apart and they are of my back yard.  As you can see the trees are nearly done and the wild bushes are not the golden yellow they were last year.  Red foliage seems to be scarce this fall so far but we still have a few more weeks, my fingers are crossed! I met a friend for lunch yesterday and the drive to and from the neighboring town was just picture perfect.  I wish there was a way to drive and take photographs at the same time safely.  Someone should invent that.  Or maybe I just need to be the passenger :)  I drove through rolling countryside and passed many farms as well as a Christmas Tree Farm.  The journey was just as nice as the lunch visit.  Of course there was knitting involved as well. Would you believe I had ten rows into a cowl that had 264 stitches and then noticed that the cast on was twist

The weekend was mainly a "do nothing" weekend for me.  A restorative weekend was in order.  On my calendar was penned Rhinebeck! and I had every intention of attending for the first time this year, really I did.  But the closer that date loomed the more I questioned whether I really wanted to spend seven hours total in the car to do a day trip. I'm sure I've mentioned that I do not like crowds nor do I like to wait much for anything.  I have the luxury in my life to do my grocery shopping with retired people during the day-that's my speed.  So on Thursday, I canceled the kennel stay for Frodo and looked forward to a quiet uneventful boring weekend.  For some reason the "do nothing" weekend felt like a gift. Once the decision was made, I felt completely at peace and happy. So my weekend contained: -starting a new knitting project, and yes it's another cowl -inhaled and soaked up the sights and smells of fall in my back yard, it is completel

My sister and I went for a hike just the two of us on Saturday afternoon last weekend. For some reason I read the map very wrong.  I thought it was a paved trail, and it was not.  At first it was marked and we were happily following the dirt foot path through the forest.  Chatting and gabbing away the minutes. There was a point in our walk that we were both thinking "are we on the trail still".  The markings were gone!  We would walk and wonder and ignore the slight panic of what if we are lost.  I did have my cell phone but there's isn't any reception (fat good that would do).  So we followed what we thought was a path. Thank goodness for the graffiti artists that love to carve hearts and who they love on the trees.  That was the only way we knew we were heading somewhere where other hikers have ventured.  Still no markings from the state park officials though. Suddenly my sister was thrilled to see a tree that she remembers.  I quickly said there w

I finished this cowl over the weekend while I was roughing it.  Ha ha.  I wanted to knit up my Balancing Act Cowl in a fingering weight.  I cast on 264 stitches and added one extra repeat.   The loop measures 45 1/2 inches which is slightly smaller than the DK version.  But I can still wrap it around my neck.  I might just make a few more for some holiday gifts.

When we were traveling across Pennsylvania and we stopped to see our daughter, I was lucky to borrow the new Rowling book that she had just finished reading.  I am so excited to see how Rowling writes for adults, I started last night and did not fall asleep which is a very good indicator.  I think this is going to be a really good read :) I finished my Buddha Standard Time  book and I did like it over all.  At times the author seemed to repeat many ideas but the little meditation prompts that are scattered through the book are helpful.  I think anyone who wants to be in the moment could benefit from the book. As you can see, I've started another wurm hat.  While I was at the cabin, I wore my green wurm hat every single time we went out.  I wanted another one and another one all in different colors!  For some reason my hair did not get all wonky like it usually does so maybe I am officially a hat lover? What are you knitting and reading? Joining Ginny

Here is the campsite that was in the back of the cabin.  We did not have a campfire because it was too cold during our stay.  We did however cook on the grill both nights. This is the back of our three bedroom cabin.  It had everything:  electricity, kitchen, heat, wi-fi (not very strong).  What more could one possibly need? You just gotta love this tree. And lastly a lovely photo that a complete stranger snapped for me while my sister and I were out for adventures.  Whoever the stranger was did a pretty good job.  My sister is on the left.  I am the squinty one.  I took my glasses off because they are transition lenses and did not want shades. I am the older sister and we are best friends :)

We met up with my sister and brother in law for a weekend in a cabin in the woods.  We did this last year and had so much fun that we made sure to schedule it in this year.  My weekend was -very cold! but I loved it so much -a hat-mitt-shawl wearing weekend -s'mores, they are calorie free when eating them in a cabin, just so you know -eating meals on the grill -taking in the scenery while hiking -discovering flea market finds -knitting with my sister -seeing both my son and my daughter while traveling to and from the cabin -a cozy fireplace sitting and chatting and enjoying everyone's company -once again carrying my camera and capturing nature's beauty How was your weekend? Joining Amanda

Today is quite the fall day when leaves are dropping and the air is crisp.  If you're in the shade your chilled, if you're in the sun with a light jacket well then you might just be in heaven.  Even Frodo knows this is a great time of year.  He is outside more than inside, sunbathing in the grass.  In the newspaper this morning it reported that we are in for a cold winter!  Well I hope it will be colder than last year's winter, that was just too warm. I think I will be finished knitting the cowl over the weekend.  We have more adventures planned and I will have an opportunity to knit with my sister.  Very excited about that!!  I have a sweater that is my "wish to cast on" idea but I am fighting an intense urge to knit another hat for me.  Let me say that I am not nor have I ever been a hat wearer or lover.  From a very young age I would take any head wear off as soon as I knew my mother could not see me when I walked to school.  For some strange mysterious re

I have been a busy knitting beaver this past week.  I finished (finally) my pink cardigan  last week and then had to wait for it to dry.  I guarantee you I will be knitting that pattern again in the very near future, I absolutely loved it!  I also finished my dad's socks for Christmas, here is the Ravelry page.  With each project finished I felt lighter and happier knowing that new projects could be cast on without feeling dread.  Remember four projects at the same time is my maximum.  For some reason I feel like I am cheating on one while working on the other.  I do like to mix it up though with intricate knitting and easy knitting. My current project is another cowl with my pattern only in fingering weight.  I cast on more stitches (can't remember how many but I'll put the number on the project page).  The wool has been in my stash for quite a while.  I'm thrilled to be knitting with it and seeing the colors of autumn in my working hands. I started a new book,

I thoroughly enjoyed knitting this top down cardigan and not once did I get bored.  There was a lot of details to keep track of during the body of the sweater.  Shaping, button hole making and pleating on the side seams kept me eagerly knitting away. Because of all the little construction details, I would say this is not a beginner sweater pattern.  Definitely give it a try if you understand sweater construction and have knit a top down sweater before. I think I will be knitting this sweater pattern again in a darker yarn, I wanted to cast on right away when this was completed but I did not want to burn out.  So I'm waiting a couple of months. I love the ruching detail at the shoulder seams.  The pleating on the side seams adds a lovely touch.  While I was doing all of this self photography, Frodo wanted in on the action.  So I decided to fulfill his wishes.  That is when he wanted down and to run away.  Too bad.  I snapped him in motion :) Oh and do you see