Pumpkin Sunrise

This week I decided to start a new project for me.  I've been focusing on holiday ornament making and yesterday I hit the wall.  I just had to hold new yarn and start a new project.  This yarn is beautiful, it is Quince and Co's Tern .  This pattern  caught my eye when I was up in Maine.  The yarn shop had a lovely sample on display.  It was an impulse buy that brought me great joy!  Here is my project page . I'm still reading The Tiger's Wife  and I like it!  Phew.  I was worried last week because it's a strange book.  I am enjoying how the story is unfolding and I love when fiction flips from present to past.  It still continues to be a strange story but I'm okay with it, I have a hunch it will continue to be a strange book.  Meanwhile I decided to show you two magazines I've been flipping through while eating lunch.  So far I'm not too thrilled with the Interweave but in the Jane Austin magazine I like.  I know of two shawls that would be lovely

Isn't Frodo cute?  I love how he stares outside and waits sometimes patiently for me to open that door.  If you haven't noticed before, I am a lover of the color purple.  I have been blasting through the odds and ends of my leftover yarns.  This is the last of it.  I created a warm snug hat to go with my many purple scarves.  This yarn is Malabrigo and other scrap purples striped in the body of the hat. The brim is a simple folded edge where I knit the cast on edge onto the knitting.  I like the clean look and of course there is minimal thread burying.  At the crown of the hat I was in the mood for something different.  So I decided to decrease like wheel spokes (that word just doesn't look like it's spelled right).  It was a fun design and it went fairly quickly. Now all we need is some chilly weather.  Oh and would you believe the electricity went off briefly in the middle of the night.  At 2 o'clock in the morning I was resetting the alarm :/  I hear wh

It started with decluttering the pile of magazines, then I thought I'll move these books, then those books and before I knew I was full blown in a job of reorganizing my wooden crate shelves that hold my vintage books, the kids music books and many cookbooks.  It was quite entertaining and I collected quite a bit for the recycling center.  I plan to do some shelves in my bedroom later this week and keep the momentum going. Today I spent time with two friends and knitted away.  I also lined up a few projects that need to be cast on and done for the holidays.  Dinner was ready when I came home (I will never tire of that!!).  We had lentil soup and some kind of Indian pancake (can't remember the name).  Both were delicious. Yesterday I had the pleasure of hanging out at a Barnes and Noble.  I inhaled the scent of coffee while I flitted from the magazine area to the the knitting books and then to fiction.  Shopping at a book store could be a whole day event for me!  Now i

The sun has been shining this past week nearly every day.  After two weeks of clouds from the hurricane, the sun lifted my spirits and made life seem back to normal.  I thrive on boring and normal. As much as I love the time change in the fall, I find it difficult to squeeze in a walk with Frodo before sunset.  We walk after dinner and it feels weird to bundle up and walk before I start cooking. Can I tell you the knits I've been wearing this week since it's been a bundling kind of week? I've finally worn my color affection shawl .  I loved knitting it but when it was off the needles I wondered would I like to wear it.  I'm here to say that I LOVED wearing it, it was very toasty warm and the best part was the wrong side looked just as beautiful as the right side.  I might have to make another one.   I've worn my fetching mitts nearly every walk and my wurm hat.  Also this week I've worn hand knit socks. Two days ago I started knitting some ornament sto

My knitting this week has been all about using up bits and pieces in my basket.  Last week I made a garter stitch cowl and this week I'm nearly done with this lovely hat.  The yarn is Malabrigo which makes it very decadent knitting :)  I have no idea who it will be for, maybe me, maybe a gift.  I finished the top last night while we tried not to watch the election coverage (we were flipping between channels).  I also started to knit some stocking ornaments that are not in the photo. I am reading The Tiger's Wife  and even though I am a few chapters in, I cannot give you thoughts about it because I really don't know what's going on!  I do like her style of writing and I do like how she switches her storytelling from the present to the past.  The reviews on Goodreads were very mixed about the book so I think my experience so far is on target.  I do like the book enough to keep reading, and that is a good sign. So while I'm in my holiday knitting mode I've b

I finished this shawl before the storm but had to wait until power was restored to block it.  I am not a pastel loving person but I think this shawl came out beautifully and I think my aunt will love it. What's nice is that it is a cotton wool blend so maybe just maybe it could be worn year round without being overly hot.  The pattern is Mulnomah  and I think it would be a good intermediate level knit.  Beginners who are adventurous could give it a try, why not? Oh and could someone tell me why with all my holiday music in the mornings I have THIS  song  (be forewarned it is a video) song stuck in my head??? Oh and it might get stuck inside your head too :D

Say hello to my friend, he's been hanging around our yard.  I was thrilled to sneak out the side door and snap three photos.  After the first one, he stared at me (perfectly) while I captured the moment.  I hope he can make it through hunting season. The hurricane came and went, and as quickly as the event occurred, my life is back to a normal routine.  I am still ever so thankful for my electricity and my water.  That is probably going to be a lasting feeling in the coming days.  From what we could see, we do have some downed trees but they are way in our woods so we won't be doing anything about them. Yesterday was quite relaxing. I began the big chore of going through a year's worth of photos to make photo books and a calendar for family members.  Today I'll begin the editing.  It's fun to go through the whole year and notice what I was reading, knitting or seeing through the lens of the camera. This morning I broke down and turned on the Christmas music

Last night our power was restored around 7:30 p.m.  Oh how very happy we were.  My husband and I were checking out and checking into a cheap hotel Tuesday and Wednesday.  I would come over to the house in the afternoon and start the task of throwing away food from the refrigerator.  Here are some thoughts and revelations I discovered: -I love electricity, internet and indoor plumbing that works :) -I do not do well under stress and become some what teary eyed and cranky (who me??) -I found the most kind thoughtful people in unusual places, hotel lobby, restaurants to name a few. -Kind words soothed my nerves and gave me a smile -Neighbors-banding together, commiserating, sharing their stress-meant so much to me -dare I say I see the glass half empty when there is no coffee and shower in the morning? And now to my resolutions after the no power experience: -I am not going to hoard food in the freezer and refrigerator.  As I threw away package and package of good food gone

Hello, I am happy to be blogging because you see, I've lost power on Monday night. Right now we are in a cheap hotel but and this is a most glorious but, I had a hot shower and I'm on the Internet and I have the news on.  My anxiety is through the roof. However my fingers are crossed that the power will be restored and all will be well. I have a tiny confession, I quit reading A Casual Vacancy  over the weekend. It was harsh writing for me. I did like the long list of characters and the nosy  little town. I did not like the excessive offensive language, I do like to sprinkle my sentences with sentence enhancers but this was too much for me.  I thought every character was so sad and it was causing me anxiety to read it, so I quit. I started this book a few days ago and it's too early to opine.  My knitting is two lovely skeins of purple yarn. I'm alternating each row and doing garter stitch. Easy, mindless, and fun. It's going to be a couple of days until I

My weekend was filled with: -listening to every media give predictions of the hurricane -crossing my fingers and HOPING I can keep my electricity -a walk with Frodo and my husband before the time change next week -a little sadness that the after dinner walks will end because of the shorter days -donuts, oh how do I love thee? -a curry dinner for today made by my husband -knitting with friends -knitting projects -list making for Christmas, groceries, errands and email musts. (the yarn in the photo was hand dyed by my sis for me!!  It is 880 yards of laceweight wooly goodness and she said "I thought you could make another citron", oh baby sister, you know me so well.) Joining Amanda

This week has been quiet and serene.  We are heading towards another weekend where there is nothing planned and I think we both are quite happy to have nothing to do.  As you know, something will happen but it will be spontaneous and carefree.  I checked the weather and it seems we will be blessed with a huge storm filled with rain and little sunshine.  Sigh. If only it could contain one little tiny snowflake.  I know that rainy days are very good for knitting and planning on knitting and you will find me doing both. Yesterday I had 4 inches of hair cut off and it feels so swingy and healthy!  I was due a hair cut, you see I cut my bangs every month or so putting off the professional appointment then one day my hair will scream "enough".  So today I am a new person and my hair looks great as long as I don't go outside in the humidity. I've pulled out odds and ends of worsted weight yarn that were left overs from previous projects.  My goal is to create either