Pumpkin Sunrise

Hello!  How are you and how was your weekend? My weekend was jammed packed with Christmas preparations and a visit from my daughter and son in law.  I had a crazy crazy idea to make cut out sugar cookies with icing.  I don't think I will ever make them again any time soon.  The cookies were labor intensive and time consuming.  I have washed down my counters numerous times and I swear I still find 'sticky' sugar spots from the royal icing!  I was lucky to have help over the weekend to decorate them.  I just have to say all that time I was in the kitchen, I could have been knitting.  On Friday morning Miss Holly in her great wisdom decided to lean into the tree.  I never saw her run in fear so quickly when the tree fell over.  The good news is that I purposefully decorated simply.  I righted the fallen tree.  (I might have put branches back in wrong places....) and it looks a bit weather beaten but it's still cheerful. Holly now sits politely under the tree

I ran out of the gradient yarn this week on the shawl and added a dark maroon wool that I had left over from a previous project.  I can't decide if I love it or hate it, so I keep knitting and hope that the blocking makes me love it.  Maybe I'm becoming a crazy knitter.  Now that Christmas is getting closer I am picking what I want to fret about.  Yarn substitutions just doesn't seem like a pressing manner to me.  If I don't like it I'll rip it out and find something else. My lovely cowl has been shelved for this week because of the feverish shawl knitting.  I cannot wait to get back to it. On a whim I decided to knit a few Christmas stocking ornaments .  I wrote this pattern quite a few years ago and they are a nice little gift to give.  I'm planning on giving my trainer at the gym one with some money and candy in it.  He has changed my life and I'm thankful for my ability to move without pain. I thought I was done Christmas shopping a

This is the last gift present of the year! I finished the star shower cowl last week or so.  This cowl is oh so soft with the alpaca yarn that I used.  If you haven't made this cowl yet you might want to consider adding the pattern to your queue.  The cowl starts off like a shawl knitting back and forth.  Later it is joined together and knit in the round. I had fun with this unusual construction and following along with the directions.  I'd recommend this pattern for an intermediate knitter.  If you are a super adventurous beginner, give it a try as well.  I never followed the levels when I was starting out knitting.  If you ask me, if there is interest then you will figure it out eventually. Ravelry notes are here Now for a quick question!  Yesterday we went to an optometry appointment for my husband, as we walked into the medical facility I spied a KNITTER knitting on a bench in full sun in 38 degree weather.  I don't think I could knit in 3

How was your weekend?  I was in the 'moment' and didn't take much photos, however those moments strung together were glorious.  I've been playing Christmas music most mornings while puttering about in the kitchen and singing along.  In the car, I'm listening to a radio station that plays Christmas music.  If I'm not listening to Christmas music, I'm listening to silence.  It's one or the other for me. Yesterday we stayed home, I got a lot done.  Tons!  I had a long list that I just kept reading, checking and doing.  I get manically happy when I'm productive.  The older I get the more I need to write things down or I forget.  I miss those days when I was reliable.  In the afternoon we watched a Christmas movie and I knitted away during it. Today I attended 7:30 Mass (with music).  Next Sunday the church will be decorated, I'm excited! I did not do one bit of cooking over the weekend.  We ate leftovers or made simple meals like soup

After finishing all the gift knitting, I've been enjoying knitting for myself.  Now that imposing deadlines are vanished, I'm easing into peaceful purposeful mindful stitches.  I loved knitting for others but next year I might scale back a wee bit.  Guess what?  I finished babysitting this week and now I have three weeks off..  This Christmas break I want to maximize my free time.  I also want to savor and remember my free time. If you know me well, you know that I've made a list of what I'd like to focus on.  What I don't want is to arrive to January 2nd when I return to babysitting and wonder where did the time go!  I'm documenting my activities in my planner.  Somehow this feels like a staycation. I plan on going to the gym five days a week leading up to Christmas and getting some much needed walking done on the treadmill, lots of knitting and reading and planning future knits as well. I'm lucky that most of my shopping for extended famil

This cowl is the second broken rib cowl that is a gift for Christmas that I finished last week (I think).  All these cowl knitting gifts are becoming a blur.  You know what isn't a blur?  Seeing an end to the gift knitting. I have the last cowl drying as I type this, stay tuned. Yesterday, I cast on this cowl for me.  I have been drooling over the one my friend made and have been looking at yarns, dreaming about yarns.  I'm pretty sure nearly every knitter has created the Three Color Cowl but me.  I definitely want to be in the 'in crowd' when it comes to knitting so casting on was a priority.  I'm in knitting heaven right now. Oh and I'm casting on a sweater on Christmas day.  I'm excited about that as well. Remember this shawl ?  Yeah, me too.  I shelved this project when I started the cowl gift knitting in September.  I quickly found where I left off and have been working on this during TV time.  What are you working on this wee

Holly staring at the ottoman where Frodo is laying down Our weekend over all was nice.  Friday night I watched Dr Who and knitted away, later in the evening I chatted with my mother in law on the phone.  As you can tell by the photos, Holly has been 'active'. I just don't understand, she doesn't like Frodo barking at her yet she sits and stares at his under the ottoman space, mentally willing him to come out (he does eventually).  He seeks her out, she hisses and swipes, he barks and she gets all huffy about it. She is instigating every single time, so I'm guessing this is a strange cat game. All you cat lovers can you tell me if this is true? squishy yarn for me!  Saturday morning after some noisy 'how do you dos' between the animals, I blitzed a task list.  I wrapped some gifts, paid some bills, tidied up the counters.  I even found a summer vacation rental.  In the evening, we attended Saturday night Mass and was asked by the priest to li

I've decorated the main floor of my house on a smaller scale, yet this smaller scale took me just as long because I had to go through all the boxes of Christmas stuff to find 'the best of' items.  I'm pleased with the results.  Each morning, I sit and write in my journal while shooing the cat away from the tree.  She is persistent. Holly at times is quite respectful of the tree and acts like an angel.  Then she will do a dive bomb into the tree.  She loves the tree and frequently risks safety and walks by the sleeping dog to gaze upon its beauty.  She knows a good thing when she sees it. In hopes of curbing her dive bombing skills, I placed a basket next to the tree for some cat napping.  I think she likes it.  Our cat-dog drama has hit a stride of almost harmony.  Almost.  On December 9th she will be here one whole year.  I cannot imagine the house without her (well I can imagine the quietness of the house without her).  She is gentle, shy and oh so sweet.  F

The above cowl is a simple double moss stitch that was delightful to knit.  Surprisingly, I was able to knit and read at the same time and not make (many) mistakes.  Well, I caught them ultra early, like as I was making the mistake.  This cowl is for Frodo's groomer (and who I babysit for!).  I think she'll love matching her daughter's sweater.  If you are wondering, I cast on 200 stitches, knit double moss stitch until I wanted to cast off. Ravelry notes are here . This orange cowl is another gift that came out beautifully.  I chose the broken rib stitch for the pattern and was thrilled at how easy it is, yet elegant to look at.  If you are wondering, I was able to knit and read at the same time.  Phew!  I'm confident that the recipient will love this cowl.  Ravelry notes are here . I have a few more cowls (one or two) and then I'm free to knit for me me me.  I'm getting excited seeing the end of the holiday knitting.  I enjoyed knitting f

How was your weekend?  The kids came home for an extended weekend so we could all celebrate Thanksgiving with my side of the family.  If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that we exchange Christmas gifts while we are together.  So my manic gift knitting in September had a good reason to exist.  I had a great time seeing all of my family, eating fantastic food that I did not cook.  I also shopped with my sister on Friday, braving the crazy crowds.  Yesterday I started decorating the house.  I'm trying to strategically decorate with a one year old inquisitive cat in the house.  I put up the smaller tree this year and picked through the ornaments.  I chose ornaments she can't destroy or get hurt on.  Also I picked some that if she destroyed I'd be okay with it.  I did not put anything my mother made (too much emotional value). She is still a little stinker and loves yarn and ribbons.  Even though I placed some of my holiday decorations ou