Pumpkin Sunrise

I took some photos of this beautiful cowl yesterday and my was it a warm wooly cowl.  I'm not a fan of wearing wool in the summer so my photos where fast and furious.  Have you knit this cowl yet?  I know some of you have knit it up.  If you haven't, you should. I loved the simplicity of the stitch pattern yet the striking design of the slipped knit stitch.  I will maybe knit this again.  (I'm thinking a great Christmas gift...). The wool was from my daughter and son in law for Mother's day and the sturdiness of the wool gives excellent stitch definition.  I haven't soaked it yet, but I'm guessing a soak in a wool wash will make the fabric softer. I love cowls that can be wrapped twice.  I wear them the most and yet I own few that I've knit for myself! Ravelry notes are here

What a spectacular weekend!  The weather was perfectly perfect.  Especially Saturday, the high was about 77 degrees with low humidity.  Why can't it stay that way?  I guess those days are golden and special.  We took a walk with Frodo, who hasn't been out on a walk for quite a while because of the high heat and humidity from the previous weeks.  He loved smelling the smells and seeing the neighborhood.  So did we, well seeing the neighborhood.  We walked down the dirt road (it's paved now but the name 'dirt road' still sticks).  The day lilies are abundant and in full bloom. I am --almost-- healed up.  On Friday, I asked the trainer to resume the kick boxing moves that we started a few weeks ago.  If this is what it takes to make my back stronger I am all for it.  Honestly, I hate to admit it but the sitting is what ruins my back.  How sad.  We probably need a new sofa set but I really don't feel like shopping for that at all.  clean!  kitchen!!  

Was the past week hot for you?  Goodness, it was ultra steamy here.  The summer days are a blur with getting outside before the heat of the day, staying inside until right before dinner time.  Then we take a quick swim in the pool so we can head back into the cool air-conditioned house.  How can it be so hot so soon?  Luckily, the powers that be are claiming that we will get a reprieve.  I hope that is true. If you've noticed, I've been spending my Fridays documenting the flowers in the back yard about to bloom.  I love how the camera focuses my attention to these details that ordinarily I would take for granted. Have you noticed that there really aren't that many insects around anymore.  Well, let me rephrase that.  There are plenty of mosquitos and biting flies.  Oh and those lovely carpenter ants have decided to enter my home.  I have taken it personally and it's an all out war on my turf.  I have baits outside the house and inside the house.  I shall win! 

For the past few weeks, I've been craving simplistic knits and so I cast on a cowl and a blanket to satisfy my craving.  Now I am wishing for a complicated knit and have been searching Ravelry for some ideas and inspirations.  So far I haven't found THE knit, but you know I will. I haven't been able to knit as much as I usually do because of my back strain from last Monday, but I'm pleased to report I'm feeling so much better and each day I can knit a little longer than the day before.  I missed knitting! My son's blanket is slowing growing, this is my evening knit while watching TV with my husband. The pattern is super easy! My peace cowl is making steady progress as well. I've been reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine which is captivating.  I continue to read How The Light Gets In by Louise Penny on my Kindle while on the treadmill at the gym.  I'm tempted to read this while not on a treadmill.  My third book that I'm r

Hello!  How was your weekend?  If you live near me, I know it was a hot one.  Crazy!  All you summer lovers out there are probably blissing out.  I'll sound like an old lady but I remember when heat waves only happened at the end of August or early September.  Ah, the good old days... My weekend was great, I finished the top book in the pile and now can read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.   This is a self imposed reading rule that is completely arbitrary.  Honestly, if I started Eleanor I would never finish the ghost gothic murder mystery book any time soon.  Today while doing the weekly laundry, I decided to wash Frodo's bed which fell apart in the washer.  I was excited to do a pet shopping outing to replace the bed and buy some new toys!  I bought Holly some toys to chew on (so she stays away from the yarn).  That sweet little frisbee shaped like a fish is for Frodo, who was thrilled to have a new toy. We started pricing fencing pieces to fix what

As I mentioned in the last post, I have been taking care of a pulled back muscle since Monday.  Yep, same place that I pulled in October 2017 that led me to join the gym.  I can easily fall down the negative thinking spiral of 'why again' or 'gee the gym is supposed to prevent this'.  However, let me tell you a secret.  I did something quite stupid that caused the back strain.  You see, I bent over and lifted a container of cat litter ALL the wrong ways.  I was taught better and yet I fell back to old habits.  This was last Friday, I felt a little something in my back but nothing else happened.  I felt invincible and lucky. Then I moved a piece of paper on Monday morning - wham-o! This is the part of aging that bugs me.  In my youth, I could twist and turn and abuse my body in all sorts of contortions imaginable.  The nuns at my high school would reprimand my sitting habits.  I would sit on a foot with my leg crossed, like a compact pretzel.  I still will

I started a blanket for my son for his chilly apartment.  I dug deep and unearthed some wool-ease skeins that are perfect for machine washing and drying.  I bought these three mega skeins for $2.50 each many years ago making the blanket a total of $7.50!!  (love a bargain) I started the peace cowl with the yarn my daughter and son in law gave me for Mother's day.  I do love the non-thinking process of this four row repeat pattern and I do feel the peace. Lastly a photo of the shawl/scarf in lace weight wool.  This is oh-so-very-soft. I have been nursing a sore back since Monday morning, the good news is that I'm recovering quickly, the bad news is that it's challenging to do any knitting since sitting is the worst.  Each day I feel better so I'm hopeful that I'll be good to go by Friday.  Fingers crossed. What are you knitting or crafting these days?

  I had another stay-at-home-do-nothing weekend and it was wonderful.  I spent all day Saturday finishing my book, A Beautiful Mystery , by Louise Penny.  She is such a fabulous mystery writer in that she hooks me into wanting to read the next book in the series.  It's up and ready on my Kindle. I skillfully snagged up her books on Kindle when they were on sale throughout a one year span.  I frequently check back on certain authors to see if I need  any more at a great price.  Are there any other mystery series you like that you would recommend?  We did attend Saturday evening Mass and did the pizza run like last weekend.  We've been watching The Americans on Amazon Prime.  I like to have my knitting in my lap so I can look down when it gets suspenseful or violent. Did you notice anything different in my photos?  I have put away all the yarn on display - poor Holly doesn't have yarn to steal - but don't despair!  I am planning on knitting her some toys to pl

new peace project Another week has come and gone and I did my very best to stay in vacation mode.  I'm not sure I succeeded.  I didn't knit nearly as much as I would've liked nor did I read as much.  So today after the gym and after a quick tidy of the main floor, I'm scrutinizing my schedule and squeezing out the wasteful habits. My joints have been intermittently bothering me because of the heat and humidity.  I usually declare 'I hate summer' or worse 'I wish summer was nearly over'. I'm working at changing the dialogue that runs in my head.  I want to enjoy summer the best way I can.  For instance, I went to the gym an extra day (usually a babysitting day) to walk on the treadmill in AC and thoroughly enjoyed the comfort of modern technology while reading my Kindle.  A new habit and I was happy. I do not want to wish away an entire season! Changing the dialogue also means I need to be more flexible and accepting while I have a