Pumpkin Sunrise

Good morning! Oh my goodness, my knitting and my reading is swelling in overload.  I have some personal knitting goal deadlines for Thanksgiving. So I'm knitting once again a couple of mitts using the fetching pattern I adore.  I have this pattern memorized, burned into my brain.  That's the kind of knitting that feels like visiting an old friend.  You know, when you meet up with a buddy and no matter the span of time that has elapsed, your conversations fall into a comfortable rhythm.  So good! Now onto the huge gigantic tome I'm reading.  My son mentioned in a conversation that he was going to start reading Alexander Hamilton.   Without thinking, I said "oh, I'll do a read along with you!".  My sister and my nephew are also on board with this read along.  My daughter is still "thinking" about it.  She is participating in  nanowrimo and has limited time.  My book arrived on Monday and so I started.  Wish me luck on finishing before the yea

I finished this sweet little cardigan last week and am pleased to share with you how I blocked the sweater so that the fronts behaved.  Since the wool is an acrylic blend, I didn't use the traditional wet blocking method.  Instead, I pulled out the can of starch and the iron.  I cannot tell you how pleased I am with how the sweater turned out! The pattern was  a delight to knit up and I loved watching the "dots" appear.  I made the 3-6 month size since the sweater looked huge for the 6-12 month size.  Now let's hope the sweater fits. 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. How was your weekend?  I'm trying to capture and memorize the best fall foliage by far this past week and weekend.  Glorious displays everywhere I turn.  Truly, this is completely energizing for me and my creativity.  I see color combinations for knitting, the chilly air inspires me to knit more and more, faster and faster.  I've made many 'to knit' lists.  Some for me, some for presents that I have in mind. These are a few of the yarns I bought earlier in the week.  All destined for knitting presents.  I could be a knitting elf for Santa!  Yesterday, I worked diligently on a gift hat that will be finished tonight.  Unless I'm side tracked by something else. My husband and I, along with Frodo had our daily walks.  We saw hawks soaring and we listened to t

This time next week I fear that the brilliant colors of fall will be finished.  Yesterday after a rainy morning, Frodo and I walked about capturing the colors, the leaves and the wonderment.  That is what I love most about photography, through the camera lens, I can focus on a beautiful moment, frame it, and make the moment permanent. I love to have a camera on hand to catch those photo-worthy sights.  Then sometimes, I enjoy the freedom of being unharnessed to a camera and it's just me, watching, looking and free to think and feel without stopping and framing a scene. This week the deer have been gathering in my yard daily.  Yesterday, a buck stood and lapped up some water from a puddle while a younger deer looked on.  I've counted up to five in group but I know there are many more.  When I'm outside, I hear rustling in the woods.  The deer are watching me while I watch them.  A mother nature game of hide and seek. I had the pleasure of yarn shopping earl

I started a delightful test knit for Lisa from Happy in Dole Valley .  This knit is a sweet wee bonnet and I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to be knitting with 100% wool!  I was working on an acrylic blend and while my hands felt fine, the texture was off.  There is something about natural fiber (wool!) that is a tactile delight.  In fact, I feel the urge to go out and buy some more wool to start some more quick holiday projects. I finished my cowl and hat and posted yesterday . I'm reading the same book, so far it's going good.  I find the switching back and forth from present to past a bit disjointed, however, I'm getting used to it.  I have no idea where this plot will take me and that is okay for now.  Since I'm knitting more, my reading becomes less.  Oh to find that balance. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

I've been wearing this cowl whenever I can.  That is, when the weather permits.  It seems that Mother Nature cannot decide to be cold or warm, so I in turn have to adjust to the weather demands.  There is nothing worse that feeling hot and flu like from wearing wool. I love this cowl because of the fiber content, there's wool but then there is bamboo and linen.  I love the drape, the "crunch" of the linen and the softness.  I feel a pull towards neutrals and this cream cowl fits my current color desires. Cowl notes are here One of my super secret not so secret holiday knitting projects is finished.  I think the hat turned out swell.  Of course I made a big mistake, strike that, I made a "design element change" of when the decreasing for the crown occurs. All shaping is after the main charts, I kind of like my design element.  I chose the biggest size and the biggest needles called knowing full well my knitting is super tight with fair is

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? My weekend started great!  Our son came home for a weekend visit and I promptly quickly whipped up a pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookies.  We had a nice Friday relaxing and talking.  On Saturday after a family walk, we headed out for a lunch at a favorite bagel shop.  Once home we chilled out reading, occasionally talking and being together. Today was mostly kind of crappy, I had never ending computer problems from a Windows update (I'm shaking my fist and growling at Microsoft!).  So after whining and complaining, my husband fixed the usb ports that were not working while I went to my knitting group. I now have residual anger.  You know the kind where you are simmering and trying to let it go.  My son thinks I should get a Mac....My lapt

The days are creeping closer and closer to the time change, we have been eking out as many walks as possible after dinner knowing that they are numbered.  Yesterday was rainy, damp and cold.  I cannot remember a drizzly all day event for quite a while and I think our area needed that kind of rain.  My house was dark and cozy while I sunk into furiously knitting on my current projects. I have two more hats to make and two sets of mitts.  That is the least amount of holiday knitting, there are more people on my list and I need to come up with some quick knits.  If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I knit lots and lots of projects.  I have a confession to make.  During the spring and summer I knit and finish each project then promptly put them in a knitting box and forget about them. When the weather turns cooler and I approach the holiday gift giving weeks, I dig through that box and decide what I will give as gifts to those awesome people in my life that

I started a new knitting project over the weekend when I remembered that I wanted to knit another sweater for the dog groomer's baby.  I love to knit for babies, the projects are speedy!  I love this pattern so far but I am not thrilled with knitting with Lion Brand Wool Ease.  The acrylic content is unforgiving in my hands.  However, I wanted this project to be machine wash and dry AND from my stash.  Hence the choice. Shamefully, I am not finished with my previous book, The Daughter even though I had high hopes of increasing my reading every single day.  However - today is the day.  I'm less than 10 pages away and I have no excuses. Next up is this book in the photo, which I have to say, I love the cover art.  A pile of books?  Yes please. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and 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. Since last weekend was a traveling out of town weekend, these three days have been a "stay at home" do nothing kind of vacation.  If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know this is my kind of heaven. Friday night was dinner out with friends and a brisk walk around the local town.  The temperature dropped so if was chilly (a good kind of chilly!).  We received good news earlier in the day, so my husband and I were in celebration mode.  We even shared a piece of chocolate cake. Yesterday was the beginning of do nothing.  I rummaged through my deep stash of yarns.  Deep stash is the yarn my mother owned.  I was looking for a washable yarn for another baby sweater.  I found it but also strolled down memory lane while looking at the yarn.  I sho

When I'm outside focused on the changes I see daily in my little world, I feel a sense of peace that is missing in the Spring and Summer seasons.  I love Fall.  I love the massive color changes as the trees turn and drop their leaves.  I love the cool breezes and the tree frogs that become quieter each day.  I capture some nice photos with the light shifting and angling against the woods and on the grass.   After a brief warm up we are facing some cooler days.  I'm ready!  Are you? This week I managed to make up for lost time in my chores from being out of town.  I'm caught up with laundry and I managed to cook dinner every single day to erase the eating out every single day while in Canada.  Returning home and being home is what I love best.  I am a wannabe traveler and I can fake it but deep down inside, I'm craving my home, my simple pleasures. I've been reflecting on how no matter what there is something to fret over in life if you let it in.