Pumpkin Sunrise

I've been easing into a new schedule during these January days.  The sun shines brightly and I enjoy the extra daylight that occurs with each passing day.  January has never been a favorite month for me in the past but there is something magical about it.  The snow crunching and squeaking underfoot.  The sun angles and shimmering snow.  The walks are brisk, cold and invigorating. As my husband and I walk, I ask "would you rather be freezing cold or super hot with bugs biting your arms and flying into your eyes?".  A tough choice, but I know without a doubt, that freezing cold wins.  Our walks are shortened, poor Frodo is cold as well.  However, we all love the fresh air and the reentering of a warm and toasty home. Since the start of the New Year, I've focused on reading more.  I now read a mere half hour before cooking dinner.  That half hour sometimes turns into an hour and I love that I have carved a slice of my day dedicated to a resolution.  Pre-dinner rea

The knitting has been prolific these January days.  I hop from my socks , to the scrap blanket , to the shawl and this sweater .  I love having many projects on the needles and choices when I sit to knit. This sweater has a lovely top down construction, a must when I knit a sweater. I finished my book from last week, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.  It was good, really really good!  I think many of us have read it, but if you haven't maybe you should put it on your list.  My daughter finished this book,  The Maid's Version over the holiday break, she wasn't thrilled with it but she thought I'd like it.  So I started last night and of course, I cannot opine as of yet. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Each day I knit one to two hours on this delicate shawl.  The pattern is interesting but my oh my am I having trouble seeing this dark blue yarn!  So I knit only during the day.  Slow and steady wins the race, even if there isn't a race. Some time has lapsed since I've knit a "meaty" chart filled shawl and the first repeat of each chart had me brushing up on some rusty thinking skills.  Yesterday was the first day I felt a little relaxed while knitting. Ravelry notes are here

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.  And just like that we are down to two humans and one little dog with spunk.  This weekend started off with our first Saturday in a while of being just us.  We drank lots of coffee in the morning without a second carafe brewed, read the paper, knit (well that was me) and read books.  I'm starting off strong with my "read more books" for 2015. When I sit and knit, I am staring directly at my beloved rabbit that my sister created for me and a lovely painting from my daughter for my birthday in November.  I love to create focal points and take great pleasure in soaking up the beauty.  I do not miss the Christmas decorations a single bit. Today was Mass, the Epiphany.  However that cute baby was sitting in right in front of us and I heard "the three wise men (gurg

a jade plant that I'm trying to nurture back from over/under watering Happy New Year!  One day late but still my wish for all of you is the same, may your 2015 be a happy and healthy one. Yesterday, I spent the day packing away the decorations, moving furniture back to their designated corners, welcomed wide open spaces and said goodbye to our daughter.  Today, my son left early this morning to catch his train back to his home.  The family visit was fun, full and busy.  Oh the cooking that I did and the baking.  I am eager to return to preparing meals for two! Do you do resolutions?  I guess I do in a way, but I'm not hard core.  I like to think of what I'd like to change or accomplish and if I do, great!  If not, I tack those missed neglected goals onto the following year.  I write them down and refer to them often, sometimes a goal takes many tries to become a habit.  I like that resolutions require effort, thought and change. So I welcome the new year, I want

This week I've been working on my husband's second pair of socks .  Slow and easy knitting, and nice to pick up and put down since the pattern is memorized. I have other projects on the needles that I posted about yesterday . My house will be empty by the second of January and that is when I can resume some projects that are challenging. I started a new book this week, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. So far it is captivating and I'm knee deep in the plot. I looked over all the books I read in 2014 and was surprised at how many I thought were just "okay".  I'm hoping 2015 brings me better book choices and riveting story lines. I wish I could show you all the gifts I knit for Christmas this year, but all of my recipients are out of town and I didn't get a photo of them.  I made many cowls and a few shawls that were given to knit worthy people. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

I thought I'd share a finished project and some new projects in the works today Noble Cowl Joining Girls in sheep clothing....and a few boys too blog  for a fun knit along starting the new year.  I've picked the pattern Stonecrop from the Brooklyn Tweed choices.  I've had this hank of cashmere in my stash waiting for the perfect knit.  So hopefully I will have enough yarn, if not I'll switch out to something else from my stash.  If all goes well, this might be the shawl for me for the wedding! I started this sweater before the kids came home and I have no idea where I am, but once the weekend arrives, I'll be figuring all that nifty stuff out and resume my project. Frodo wanted in on the action so he is displaying my scrap blanket in all of its glory.  Gosh, I do love knitting it.  I have no idea how big I will make it and I really don't think about that, I just enjoy the stitching and the warmth.

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.   This weekend there was abundant sunshine, so much so that I wore sunglasses on our walk.  Since we've had quite the streak of cloudy days, I had to document the weather.  Are your days blurring and swirling together?  Yesterday I thought it was Friday but it was Saturday.  Part of the problem I think is that we went to church on Tuesday night for Mass and that felt like a Sunday.  Anyways, onto the weekend: -Friday our daughter found a wedding dress!  Cross that off the list of things to do :) The whole process was less that two hours and I for one loved each moment.  And we were home in time for lunch! -lots of walking with Frodo and enjoying the mild weather, wishing for a bit of snow of course -eating left overs (which translates to no cooking) -dinner with friends and

Good morning!  Did you have a good Christmas?  I hope so.  As always is my tradition, I like to take a photo of my coffee table in all of its messy glory.  This year the mess seems less but that doesn't change how I feel when I look at it.  I want to tidy it up, straighten the piles, move the piles.  This morning I did move a few items.  But then, they get moved back to where they were. Books galore are scattered about, some left opened to a page, some have a bookmark.  After every package was opened, each of us had our noses in a book.  I love that my family is a reading family, I could not imagine not having that!! My knitting has been hit or miss since a dinner had to be made,  helping hands made the preparation faster and the clean up speedy but still, I'm the one in charge. Last night we watched "It's a Wonderful Life".  I love George Bailey and his ordinary yet extraordinary life.  I wonder how each of us un-seemingly touches the destiny of

Merry Christmas Eve!  I am the only one up this morning as of yet, I'm playing Christmas music and thought I'd do a quick post.  The past few days I've finished the preparations and the plannings, and while I sat during breaks, I cast on many projects. The socks in the photo below and a cowl and a sweater and there is more in my head floating around.... There is nothing like new projects on the needles to make your heart sing.  I'm soaking up a full house, yes, it is very messy.  Baking is happening once a day, which leads to sampling throughout the day as well.  Oh well, soon enough January 1st will be here, the sweets will be gone and so will the kids.  My husband and I will return to "healthy eating" (non sweets except a bite of chocolate and lots of salads!). If you are celebrating, I hope your holiday season is merry and bright, filled with family and friends!! Joining Frontier Dreams

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.   The weekend before Christmas has been a filled one. Friday night, we traveled to our daughter's town to her swearing in ceremony to the County Bar Association and then we were off to dinner that included some french fries (yum).  Once home, I snuggled under my scrap sock blanket and added a few more rows. Yesterday, I waited and waited while our son traveled by train for the first time.  Nothing ever changes.  First day of kindergarten, first day of high school, first day of leaving them at a university and now using trains for the first time, I never change with the worrying.  Anyways, he arrived at the station where my husband picked him up.  I stayed with Frodo and knit some more. This morning, I wrote the menu for the week and the grocery list.  I made some gingersnap c