Pumpkin Sunrise

It's the end of the week, again.  The days are flying by for me and I have a list crafted daily for all the tasks I'd like to achieve.  Do I get everything done?  Nope.  But I do what I can and what doesn't get done goes on the next day's list.  I'm sure all of you are doing the same thing. During Advent, I can get lost in being busy and acting frantically.  This year I'm being mindful and practicing being present in whatever activity I'm engaged in.  I'm a work in progress. Speaking of works in progress, I've got two!  Above is yet another hat to give as a gift.  Below is my son in law's sweater.  Just think, once I get to the armhole shaping that sweater is going to fly off the needles.  I'll be past the stockinette and into the juicy part of the pattern. By the way, the mom loved the tiny tea leaves cardigan .  If I get a photo of the toddler girl modeling and I have permission to share the photo, you will see it!  To be hon

Here's a fun tidbit about me, I cannot keep a secret nor could I save this sweet sweater until closer to Christmas.  On Monday, I delivered the sweater because I was too excited and really wanted the mom to have it early.  If you ask me, the buttons make the cardigan! I watch a lot of Disney Jr while babysitting, well not watch, but it's on in the background as I chase and play with the toddler I babysit. I've knit this pattern in adult form for me twice in the past.  It's well written and if you are into cardigans you have to wear buttoned at the top, this is the cardigan for you.  I knit size 2 and hopefully she'll be able to wear it for three seasons.  I will definitely knit this pattern again. Ravelry notes are here

How is your weekend?  Or should I say, how was your weekend?  Well, mine was pretty nice.  I love December and so far this weather is good, I'd like some snow but I can't have everything all at once.  I achieved a lot and marked off the many tasks that needed to be done that accumulated over the week.    Yesterday, I read blogs and became current in your lives.  I also squeezed in some time to do some book reading and relaxing.  I am reading the Hunger Games trilogy to finish off my reading year.  My son thinks I'll love them and he is usually right.  He is a good book recommender for me.  I am not a good book recommender to him.  I wonder why?  I had a lovely evening watching an episode of Dr Who and knitting away on some simple stockinette projects.  It's the only way to get through the boring knitting (except reading while knitting).  After 7:30 a.m. Mass, I went grocery shopping because I cannot figure where I can go during the week.  Even though my

My sister gave me those lovely project bags (that she made!) and the quince yarn and that wee button for my Christmas or birthday gift.  Sadly I cannot recall since we exchange our birthday gifts during the Christmas exchange.  I have been heavily hinting that I wanted some project bags.  This was the hint:  'hey sis, I really want you to sew me a project bag' .  When we were at the fiber festival, I pointed out several that I wanted her to make me.   See?  That's how you get it done.  Anyways, I put some pretty red wool in the red project bag, gearing up for casting on some socks for my daughter. My husband gets his stitches out of his hand tomorrow morning - hallelujah!  These two weeks have been challenging.  I'm ready for him to resume all previous duties that were agreed upon when we married.  I'm sure he is more than ready to take a shower without wrapping up his hand to keep dry. socks to be!  I've been playing my old Ipod nano on a old dockin

Over the Thanksgiving break, I cast on the tiny tea leaves cardigan for the toddler girl I baby sit.  Oh my goodness!  This is a fast sweater to knit up and super fun.  I am already on the second sleeve as of last night.  I forget then remember how fast knitting for a tiny person can go.  Dare I dream of finishing today? Well, maybe... My Ravelry project page and notes are here

We were with my side of the family this weekend.  What a full weekend!  We spent Thanksgiving day at my dad's house and ate too much food and exchanged our gifts since we do not travel during the Christmas break.  We were fortunate to have all of us attending this year.  As our families grow, our schedules are filled with visiting many relatives. my dad's dog Emma  My husband and I stayed at my sister's house for a couple of days and the 'kids' (grown adults now) stayed with my nephew at his house.  My sister and I had a lovely time out shopping on Black Friday at the places that have thinner crowds.  Apparently not everyone crafts.  I had the BEST salad ever when we ate out.  This wave of 'big' salads chopped or un-chopped is my kind of thing.  I'm on the left my sister is on the right  Friday evening was the annual gingerbread house making party with my aunt and cousins.  I like to sit and talk to my relatives and enjoy the company.  All

Giving thanks for: -reading time and knitting time and when they coincide -the patience to rip out and redo a knitting pattern (third time is a charm) -family gathering to celebrate -special diets - lactose free, gluten free, vegan and vegetarian - I don't mind making two gravies. -dreary days where I can knit more -adult children who are not very far at all -chocolate anything -my husband and my children -my sister -pencils, pens and special notebooks -green beans -a clean kitchen Happy Thanksgiving to all of you celebrating!

I cannot believe this shawl is finished - I did over half of the knitting in a ten day period.  My motivation or dangling that proverbial carrot stick was to put a clipping marker every day I worked on it so I could see my daily progress.  I started this in July!  My knitting attention apparently was elsewhere. Being a nerd, I also crunched some estimated numbers once I had four days worth of 'data' to go on.  This gave me the motivation that I needed, that and a deadline looming. I usually knit while watching TV or reading a book with simpler knitting projects.  Because of the eyelet columns, this project was strictly for TV or podcast listening.  The pattern is great for beginner lace knitters if you are looking at branching out in knitting skills. I love how blocking makes every single wool project look finished and polished.  Soaking a lace project in wool wash for 20 minutes makes the wool bloom then blocking evens out uneven stitches and opens up those hard

How was your weekend?  Mine was packed full of 'busy'.  But the good kind, you know?  On Saturday, our son arrived by lunchtime and then we were off to find some red wool for the toddler baby girl.  I found it!  phew - I can mentally cross of that to do.  When I get something in my mind, I am unstoppable!  I can't start her sweater until I finish the last hat.  The last hat will be finished today or tomorrow, I promise.  Last night we started watching Stranger Things on Netflix and I'm hooked.  I love that it is PG 14 (my mental age for scary movies).  The show reminds me a bit of Dr. Who with the amount of suspense.  All good! These photos are showing how messy my studio gets when I am wrapping and in the midst of creating.  Just keeping it real around here.  There is no perfect - even in the blogging world. Today, I attended 7:30 a.m. Mass.  I really enjoy church in the early morning hours and the rest of the day is stretched out in front of me.  Onc

I'm thrilled to report that I'm finished (finished!) with the shawl.  Phew.  I was a little worried last week but then I hunkered down and focused.  It's amazing how much I can get done when I am trying my best.  I listened to a lot of podcasts and during the evening I exclusively knit on the shawl while watching TV.  Sadly, I cannot read a book while knitting this project.  Hopefully I'll be blocking over the weekend. My gym visits are getting more challenging and I'm sore in a good kind of way.  I haven't had any back spasms for a solid week and I haven't taken Tylenol either for the week.   This is serious progress that makes me happy.  My RA is behaving and so I just show up at the gym and try to do what he tells me to do. I love feeling proactive about my health.  Control freaks tend to be like that.  Frodo is extra fluffy and has lots of knots   Call me crazy, but I have an insane idea to knit a sweater for my babysitting toddler girl i

Boom!  Another hat done and I've cast on another one going up a needle size.  This is the project that I work on in the early morning while doing my daily Mass readings and prayers.  I'd like to knit two more of these hats before Thanksgiving.  Ah, the suspense of whether I will succeed or not! The shawl that I mentioned last week gets all my attention in the afternoons and evenings if my schedule permits.  I have high hopes of finishing this shawl by Friday. Placing markers every day before I pick it up to knit really helps me see the daily progress and I can keep measuring and doing my math.  Having concrete numbers takes away my panic and dread that I shamefully embraced last Wednesday.  I can do it! What are you knitting this week?  Making progress?