Pumpkin Sunrise

fall goodness  I'm slowly getting used to having my own space.  I spend time in my room and it feels weird-in a good way.  It's quiet and Frodo follows me to take a nap while I'm in there. All I need is a comfy chair to knit in and it will be paradise. I couldn't resist buying the burnt orange cascade 220 yarn the other day.  For now I am just admiring the skeins, casting on a new sweater can happen in September or October. this skein has 560 yards!! Early this morning both kids called (I do love that) and lucky for me our son is coming home for an unscheduled get away weekend.  He has a sore knee from overdoing it-rock climbing and biking-so he's requested a little rest and relaxation.  Who can say no to that?  Today we'll leave around lunchtime to pick him up.  Road trip!   my fingering weight yarn sleeve progression  I'm knitting my sleeves on two circular needles quickly making my way down to the cuff.  Some people dislike sleev

Yes, I'm still reading The Sound and the Fury  by William Faulkner, it's a slow read and requires all of my brain cells.  The writing style is challenging and the story is engaging.  I did cheat a bit though, the first chapter out of four was near impossible to comprehend so I investigated the author's meaning and intent.  I needed a reading crutch that did help me appreciate this work. This sweater made it successfully to the bottom of my knitting bag during my shawl and mitt knitting days.  I am binding off the bottom of the body with an icord bind off.  Slow and tedious but such a detailed edge for a hem.  Love that!  Today will be sleeve knitting, fingers crossed.  Yesterday I finished my mitts and posted all about them-they might be my new favorite mitt pattern. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny

I finished these mitts over the weekend and well, I'm quite happy with them.  The strap and the button detail are my favorite part of the mitt design.  There is a quiet joy rummaging through my button collection deciding on flashy or romantic or unassuming.  I went for unassuming this time around. This project used one skein of cascade 220 , a fantastic basic yarn.  I believe these would make a lovely holiday gift (I know, I know I shouldn't speak of holiday knitting) OR a lovely gift for me.  I have options. Ravelry notes are here .

My weekend was full of visiting goodness.  Our daughter was home for the weekend and her request was to have nothing on the schedule.  How easy is that?  We ate a simple dinner of sandwiches on Friday night after driving back and forth from her apartment.   Saturday found us at home for the day, knitting, reading, talking, laughing, sitting on the swing doing most of the same outside as we did inside.  The temperatures started to climb back up into the high eighties as did the humidity.  For dinner, we ate at our favorite local Italian restaurant.  That evening we watched Les Miserables (the movie). Funny after that musical, the song stuck in my head is "the point of no return" from Phantom of the Opera, wonder why??  I'm enjoying the music loop so it really doesn't matter.  Our son called and joined in the family fun, being passed around to each family member-almost as if he was here as well. He's compiling a list of where to apply for grad school.

It's been a few weeks since I've updated you on my decomposing stump.  Who knew that watching a once vibrant tree decompose could be entertaining.  We lost the tree from a storm maybe five years ago?  We (meaning he) never cut the stump off to the ground.  Whenever we arrive home from a walk, we stop to assess the progress. Fungi, insects and what was once thought of as a bear, well.....now we shrunk the culprit down to a pileated wookpecker , makes more sense doesn't it?  Although the bear idea was a fun one.  I hear him in the distance at times during the day and I've seen him fly over our property while he's searching for those tasty bugs.  One day I will catch him (with the camera) and prove his existence. Today I'm off to pick up our daughter for a three day visit.  We have each day wide opened for adventures of any sort.  Maybe we'll just sit around and talk, which is okay as well.  She hasn't been home since May and I'm looking fo

I stumbled upon another obsession with food, first it was avocados and now it's soaked oats  (breakfast will never be the same).  I'm probably one of the few people that like cold breakfasts, so when I came across "soaked overnight oats",  I read "I don't have to cook at the crack of dawn" oats.  To make this delicious dish I measure out 1/2 cup of rolled oats (I use gluten free ones) and 1/2 cup of "milk".  I am currently using light soy milk.  Mix it together, cover it up overnight.  In the morning it looks like the above photo.  The hardest part of this recipe is remembering to mix it the night before.  I am in love with this breakfast so much that I have been diligent in creating my breakfast before bed.  Anyways, in the morning, splash some more milk of choice, add a handful of blueberries and for the sweet tooth some sugar. cold soaked oats with blueberries-check.  juice in my pooh bear glass-check.  morning poetry-check

My mitt pattern changed in one week, I'm now knitting the Optimistic Mitts .  I loved the Jo March Mitts but I wasn't getting gauge and I didn't want to knit with worsted weight on size 3 needles, it would be too rough on my hands.  I've notice that the tighter the gauge the more flare up on my joints.  So I switched and am quite pleased with my choice.  It's easy, fun and quick.  One mitt is done and the other one is almost half way.  I will knit up the March mitts one day with skinnier yarn.  Oh and if you haven't seen it yet, I finished my garden shawl .  I promise you, I'll be knitting that pattern again :) We went to the library the other day and I scooped up a few books that I've leisurely flipped through.  I was in the mood for some poetry and simple cooking.  The word simple had me-I've heard about this cookbook and I might have to own it.  I am still slogging, yes slogging through The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.  So far I&#