Pumpkin Sunrise

Autumn keeps taking twists and turns with its fickle weather.  Yesterday it was nearly 80 degrees (boo).  I'm taking it all in stride - I know that the cold weather will be back soon.  We drove to Newark DE on Tuesday and took the scenic route that was lovely, serene and oh so fallish beautiful.  The scenic route is always better. Yesterday, we attended the Covered Bridges Arts Festival at Knoebels .  I ate food more than I shopped the craft displays and I wish that it was the other way around.  Walking through the pavilions, I'm inspired to craft more.  Having company here for the last few weeks has curtailed my creative pursuits and I'm itching to get back to my groove. Speaking of twists and turns, my back is acting up and I've been in some pain.  I haven't been able to sit comfortably for two days so my knitting has been set aside temporarily.  However, today I am feeling pretty good overall so maybe I'll knit a stitch or two at the kitchen table.

The sweater is off the needles and currently soaking in the sink.  I'll have the finished photos to show you next week.  I'm still in the midst of family in my house and the smallest tasks take me forever to get to because I'm doing something else. Looks like they will be moving into their new home sometime early next week?  No one's sure if their belongings will be there though! I was excited to capture the light of October a day or two ago - I love this part best when autumn rolls around.  The shifting light and the shadows that are cast during the day.  Bring it on!!

As you can guess, I'm going to tell you again about how busy I am.  I thought I'd be used to this but I guess I'm getting older and my energy levels aren't what they used to be.  No matter how busy I am, I am having fun.  Fall is once again back in business.  The maple trees are doing their thing - one of my favorite trees (the other is the mighty oak). Saturday we drove to Lewisburg PA to toodle about-shopping and walking around the town.  We had a great time!  I bought a few more drawing pencils that I will use once our daughter and son in law leave for their new home tentatively planned next weekend.  Lucky for us, there was a fall arts festival in the park that we wandered about. the cowl I knit for him! Yesterday, was relaxing (as in I knit A LOT) and we had dinner with friends.  All in all, a wonderful weekend with perfect fall like weather. How was your weekend?

We had the opportunity to attend the fair this past week.  Ah, nothing like the sights and sounds of excitement.  I grew up without a fair since I grew up in the city.  I love the rural life I live and never tire of the blue ribbons awarded to gardeners and crafters.  I did not enter any of my knits, I never do. Truth is I'm too lazy to drive them there and pick them up!  However, I can appreciate other people's talents and I can get some nifty ideas. The downsize of attending the fair is the after effects of eating non-healthy food.  Sigh.  I need a salad, I crave a salad!  Thank goodness this event only happens once a year.  My body requires a year to recover from the decadence. If you know me at all, you know I gravitate to the barns to see the animals.  Sheep and goats are my absolute favorites.  My husband would love to own some farm animals - I just like the daydreaming portion but I doubt the reality of tending farm animals would be easy and carefree.  I belie

my mom made the pumpkins years ago and I have no idea where she obtained the pattern :) Good morning!  I am in the midst of stage two of family visiting.  My brother in law and sister in law who arrived on Friday left yesterday morning.  I did the usual cleaning blitz of the house.  Last night we picked up our son in law (yay) and so now we wait for the movers to notify them when their belongings will be delivered.  They are excited about their new opportunity! Even though we've had lots of busy happenings, I've had oodles of time to work on the sweater .  I finished one sleeve and I'm half way through the second sleeve.  I threw the hat in the photo but to be honest, I might have knit a solitary row. Every row counts, right? My knitting list grows by the day but first we have to settle these newly transplanted east coast dwellers into their new home, the specific date to be determined.  Thank goodness knitting is portable :)

How was your weekend? Mine is still going strong.  I still have company here until Tuesday morning, then on Tuesday evening our son in law arrives in town.  Maybe every day will be feeling like a weekend around her.  We are in some kind of weird heat wave - it's not pretty my friends.  So a day or so ago, I documented the fall sightings.  They uplift my soul to see Mother Nature doing her thing in spite of hot weather. My weekend:  daughter home and healing - carrot cake! - dinner with the table full of family - laughter - endless busy days - lots of talking - lots of knitting too - late nights and early mornings - loving my family. I'd love for you to share your weekend in the comments if you're up to it.  Anything fun? or new?

See all that knitting up there?  I bet you a shiny new penny that will be my progress when I next blog.  Why you ask?  Well......she's here!  Our daughter arrived late Tuesday night after my husband drove to the philadelphia airport to pick her up.  She is here for two-ish weeks and my son in law arrives next Tuesday after finalizing the moving arrangements in California.  We will help them move to Delaware some time in the beginning of October (no definite dates...). My brother in law and sister in law from Ottawa are arriving today, as well as our son.  I will have a FULL house!  I am writing my lists and checking them twice.  A carrot cake is in the oven as I type this post, and once the timer buzzes, I'm off to run some last minute grocery store buys.  I might be ready then.   Maybe.  We'll see.  not in the mood for a photo but she was happy for this one!  The house is clean (sort of) and I have a menu plan (sort of).  See, I'm ready. I babysat twice th

Ah, the joys of self photoing.  I thought you'd enjoy the creative process of me taking photos by myself.  I kind of had fun in a way though.  Trial and error but not too bad overall, thankfully a DSLR camera has a delete button. I finished a hat !  The first holiday knit of the season- I feel on top of the world with my to do list that is mounting with what I'd like to knit for presents this year.  I'm coining this season 'the year of the hats'. This pattern is from Quince & Co , a fantastic online store.  I've bought many of their wools - their costumer service is impeccable and I highly recommend you try out a skein or two.  I loved this hat when it was first released. I knew I had various yarns in my stash to knit from so I refrained from buying their suggest wool, but boy oh, that was a difficult resistance.  I'm still toying with buying a skein but not right now. The wool I chose was dromedary by juniper moon yarns .  This wool

How was your weekend?  Mine was productive and relaxing.  Yesterday we stayed home and I knit my little heart out while watching episodes of Dr. Who.  I don't know what it is about the show, but I love it.  The quippy talking back and forth, the silliness and yes even the sinister evil opponents.  Escapism is glorious. I finished a book!  I read Fatal Grace by Louise Penny.  I adore her simplistic writing and the quietness of her stories.  Maybe the way she describes a Quebec winter?  Love it - and the mysteries are not graphic if you are sensitive like I am.  Also, I do love the tiny plot twists, sometimes I see them and sometimes I do not. I finished a hat!  However, that is for later on in the week for me to tell you all about it. Our son was visiting this weekend and we had a great time together.  He'll be back again next weekend to see his sister.  Our daughter is arriving on this Tuesday night and our son in law arrives next Tuesday.  My house will be full for

I have been spoiled with fall like weather all week long, crisp cool mornings are now replaced with late summer humidity and yes, even some warmth.  On my daily walks, I'm mentally tallying all the changes I see in nature and memorizing them.  With the seasons changing, my knitting progress is renewed.  I eagerly sit and knit speeding through my hat on the needles so I can cast on another hat. In defiance of the warm weather,  I'm wearing jeans every single day. My daughter (who continues to make great strides in recovery) will be here on Tuesday after searching for a place to live in Delaware with her husband.  She will stay with us while my son in law flies back to the west coast and takes care of the rest of the relocation tasks.  He will return here at the end of the month and both of them will stay here for a few weeks holiday before starting his new job. We also have family visiting next weekend and of course my son will be visiting the next few weeke

My knitting progress has been minimal this week, I'll blame the crazy events from last week .  Sounds good?  Yep.  While my babysitting toddler was napping, I picked up the hat on the needles, eager to get to the fun part of the pattern and realized I was on the wrong needle size.  So I ripped that out and started all over again (with the right needles...).  So today, I will be getting to the pattern portion of that hat! I am so close to casting off the body of my cardigan .  Only two rows to go!  The sleeves will be a breeze after knitting the body.  I love sleeve knitting and I know I am in the minority.  Did I tell you I'll be making this sweater for my sister for her birthday? In a few weeks, I'll be swatching for my son-in-law's sweater.  That will be exciting, I just need to confirm which pattern he likes best.  I've been sending lots of links and getting his feedback.  His sweater will be in worsted weight - the chunkiest yarn I will knit up and super