Pumpkin Sunrise

This week I've mainly focused on my husband's socks .  I'm still on the first one but today I'll be shaping the toe and casting on the second sock.  When I'm not knitting on the socks, I'm knitting on the cowl enjoying the color progressions. I finished my book from two weeks ago, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.  Some of the essays were laugh out loud, some were amusing and some I didn't find so funny.  I'm glad I read the book though.  This week, I'm delving into some short stories by Alice Munro- Too Much Happiness .  So far so good, I love her writing style and her main characters. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Yesterday once I was home from errands, I whisked Frodo out the door for a walk.  The air felt still and quiet.  Dampness mixed with frosty air and I felt, knew that a storm was coming.  As you know, I'm hoping for snow but the predictors are indicating rain, sleet, freezing rain, and snow.  Each newscast was altered and changed.  So I wait and see exactly what will be arriving. I wait for so many events.  I wait for my husband to come home for dinner, I wait for the kids to call, I wait for news of family health issues.  Waiting is a time to focus and be present, to perfect the mindset of enjoying that single moment before it scatters away never to be felt again. Advent is a waiting and preparing season.  I'm preparing for our family celebrations and menu plans, but also planning my personal goals to be present in the every day.  I struggle with this goal.  However, each day is a new day to be present.  Frodo and I walk and during my time outside, I let go of

Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments    in the comment section with a link to your blog.   I've got the Christmas spirit pulsing through my veins.  The tree is up and the lights are on when I wake up in the wee hours of the morning when I journal, with coffee of course.  This weekend was good.  Really good.  I spent time with my husband toodling about the town shopping on Friday afternoon then picking up Chinese food for dinner. On Saturday we watched the rain that lasted all day.  Frodo would look lovingly out the window but when you opened the door, he hung his head in sadness -  he prefers to be a dry dog.  I prefer to be a dry human. Today was Mass, then chats with both kids at different times. We are plotting out when they come home for the holidays.   I've written and addressed some cards that will go into the mail tomorrow.  This afternoon, I met with so

Potato Leek Kale Soup 1-2 tbs olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 leeks, chopped 4 cups of broth 6 small potatoes, peeled and cubed 3-4 cups of chopped kale 1 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp nutritional yeast lightly saute the onion and the leeks until slightly translucent, add the broth and the potatoes, bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes, add the kale and the seasonings and boil another five minutes. enjoy! I had this soup yesterday and my oh my did it taste good!  My husband is battling a sinus infection and an asthma cough, I thought some soup would make him feel better and the vitamins from all the greens would be an extra boost.  Also, I am trying not to catch this little bug. The house is decorated and daily I sit in the evening knitting and enjoying the view. I've been busy with knitting and reading, somewhat recovering from all the busy that happened last week.  Before you know it, Christmas will be here so I'm slowing down and savoring the m

My reading this week continues to be the David Sedaris book that I photoed last Wednesday.  I am overall enjoying the read, some chapters (essays) are funnier than others.  I am amused most of the time.  While visiting my family, my sister and I shopped in Barnes and Nobles and to my delight I saw this magazine displayed.  I've seen this new publication on instagram feeds and once I did a quick flip through, the magazine had to be mine.   Bella Grace  is filled with poetry, essays and lovely photography that evokes personal reflections. My knitting is the same as last week as well.  I am knitting the cowl , the blanket , and my husband's socks .  So why not start something else?  Yep, I cast on these little holiday stockings that are my own pattern.  I am into the holiday spirit! What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Guess what my sister gave me for my birthday and for Christmas?  Yep..... A SWIFT-Can you believe it?  Apparently, she grew weary of my posts lamenting the absence of a swift.  How cool is that?  I am beyond thrilled and today I will be setting the swift up in my studio. Also she stitched me up a rabbit from Posie Gets Cozy .  I love her so and her name is Stella in case you were wondering, she just looks like a Stella to me.  I'll be whipping up a little sweater once the holidays are over. Thank you sister!! Among other stuff, my dad and step mom gave us a basket stuffed with food and I saw a knitting basket!  I spent most of Sunday rearranging yarns upstairs and downstairs, fussing about.  I came to the realization that I have a lot of yarn.  That is a very good problem. Lastly, here is the yarn that I bought while visiting family.  I've added the skeins to my ravelry stash.  I have plans for more socks and shawls, and cowls, and who knows what else!

Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments  in the comment section with a link to your blog. How was your weekend?  Good, I hope.  Mine was a slurry of busy and fun.  I had Thanksgiving with my family, during the entire day snow fell silently and the inside felt all cozy and warm.  I spent time with my dad and step mom, my sister and her family. These photos were taken at my dad's house.  I loved walking about and snapping the photos.  My sister and I had our outing on Friday.  We tend to shop at places that do not have lines, like yarn stores and fabric stores.  Oh believe me they are busy but as you well may know, knitters are nice! Later that evening, more food was gobbled up along with sweets.  My aunt and my cousins joined in the meal along with their children.  The house was bursting, LOUD and we even had a Frozen singalong with my daughter playing the piano.  L

I am thankful for: -my husband, who is supportive and knows just what to say to soothe me -my daughter, who has lots to say about books, life and grand plans -my son, always happy and not a care in the world -my sister, my best friend -for my family whom I love deeply -for car rides, trips and outings far and near -coffee in the morning, decaf green tea at night -endless music that is played, hummed and imagined -sweets (especially chocolate) -the knitting, oh the knitting! -the shiny brightness of a brand new morning -books and stories and imaginations, losing myself in another place -Frodo and our walks, his funny ways and his love of life -childhood memories -traditions- old and new -my faith -the kindness of others Thank you for visiting and commenting, for long time readers and new readers. To all the shy readers who never comment but visit.  You are all appreciated :) Have a wonderful weekend!

I started a new project over the weekend with some Zauberball yarn.  I can't wait to see how this cowl turns out once more of the color progression shows.  I am inventing a cowl with a the feather and fan stitch.  My mother made many blankets with this stitch pattern so I think of her as I stitch away-I think she would have loved Zauberball yarn. I finished my Anne Lamott book last week and thoroughly enjoyed her writing.  She has a wonderful talent of weaving heartache and humor with spirituality.  This week I'm reading Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.  So far so good, I do like his sarcastic sense of humor. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Ta da!  Another project off the needles and what makes this knit exciting is that I had a head for the photo shoot.  Oh my, you should have seen the photos I snapped of me in the hat while blindly aiming.  I do love the challenge.  My son graciously modeled and so far the hat is still mine! As a reference, I relied on Traditional Fair Isle Knitting by Sheila McGregor .  I flipped through the book and chose some easy eight stitch patterns and made sure that I wasn't carrying the floats on the back more than three stitches most of the time.  Over all, I'm pleased with the hat! I loved the yarn Jaggerspun Heather  soft just enough to wear against the skin. I have plenty of wool to make another one, and maybe I will after the holidays.  Ravelry notes are here . The most beautiful part is the wrong side, I do believe!

Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments  in the comment section with a link to your blog. my aunt stitched me this years ago Well, hello there!  I thought I'd share with you the CLEAN counter and coffee table, because it "ain't" gonna to look like that shortly.  My son is arriving later today and my daughter Tuesday night. My weekend was: quiet and slow ::  I added rows to the scrap blanket::  ate many left overs and created room in the refrigerator :: enjoyed daily walks :: went to Mass :: gearing up with the Christmas music at full volume :: started a knit for me :: finished a knit :: made chocolate chip cookies with nuts :: dinner out  ::  finished a book and started a new one :: enjoying a subscription to Magnificat  (recommended by Jen , thank you!) :: How was your weekend?