Pumpkin Sunrise

I finished the second of three cowls that I placed in project bags before the summer started.  This time around the pop color is a pale pink.  I took some photos for you all to show the finished cowl but I need to re-soak the cowl because after it dried I saw some minor bleeding from the dark colors to the pale pink wool. Ravelry notes I am reading on my Kindle a psychological thriller, The Woman in the Window.  I know it's over done at times in novels, but I love an unreliable narrator.  While the plot is a slow buildup I am reading this book any moment I get a chance just to see what happens next. What are you working on? Joining Ginny

a highly stressed out schnuazer due to thunderstorms Hello!  Another weekend and we are in August - I would throw a ticker tape parade if I had ticker tape because we are inching closer to the fall season.  Who cares how hot it is, in my mind I'm seeking out the hints of things to come.  How was your weekend?  My husband and I had a work luncheon to attend yesterday, smack dab in the middle of the day.  I took a photo of the floral arrangement at our table, so pretty!  The lunch was nice, but since it isn't my work I really have nothing much to say unless I'm talking about my creative pursuits.  How does one sneak in a segue into knitting?  I tried twice and no one blinked.  I felt like a fisherman casting out my line hoping for a bite... After the lunch we stopped at the hardware store for a few things, then off to the pool store for more super shock.  Once our errands were finished we went to Saturday night Mass.  We were asked to take up the gifts (I'm gue

This past week was my eighth week off of babysitting.  Can you believe it?  Eight weeks have flown by.  I've eked out the goodness of each day, I plotted what I would do with the precious 16+ hours I gained in my week.  The weeks have been glorious. I remember when I had my first week off and I sat on my loveseat just basking in the luxury of an unscheduled day.  I loved that sense of boredom and the freedom of an entire afternoon just begging for all sorts of activities. Yesterday I realized that all that free time is good when I have balance. I don't like change of any sorts especially in my life but it seems there are potential changes on the horizon that I am not in control of and I spend way too much time plotting out the 'what ifs' and 'oh my' moments.  Nothing has changed .... except I have time on my hands to think about it. My personal epiphany this week was realizing that summer break has been wonderful but I'm ready to go back to

  The baby blanket is coming along nicely, ideally I'd like the final measurements to be 36 inches by 36 inches.  However, I'm also gauging (guessing!) on my yarn amounts and definitely do not want to run out of any given color so I keep squeezing my blue and purple skeins that I'm alternating in the middle to decide when to start decreasing.  I do love a challenge. My banana leaf shawl is a delight to knit and pairs well with audio podcasts.  I cannot read and knit with this project.  If I wasn't working on the baby blanket at night during tv time, I'd be working on this project instead. I had high hopes of finishing this cowl over the weekend and that didn't happen due to living life.  Yesterday I added the next section and see the finish line! What are you working on this week?

The famous Miss Holly Hello!  How was your weekend?  Mine was boring.   If you know me well, you know that boring is the very best kind of weekend for me.  I stayed home, I slept in the best bed ever, and drank the best coffee ever made in the best coffeemaker ever.  I know, I know, you're saying 'but Karen, didn't you do anything exciting?' Nope.  Glorious, isn't it? I wasted most of yesterday looking on line for a chair that matches our kitchen set.  We have a chair stretcher that keeps breaking so I thought I'll buy another chair.  Well, when your set is 20+ years old the internet does not have an exact match. So I switched to looking for a chair stretcher part - and found it in Maine.  So now I'm waiting for my husband to do the official measurements to make sure we buy the right size (I've discerned the right style) and put the order in.  Phew! years and years of yarn tags sorted and still kept Today I delightfully cleaned out my kn

Right now:  I'm noticing the beauty of summer.  Butterflies flitting, cicadas singing, abundant birdsong and a lull in the heat.  I'm focusing on the colors of flowers, the warmth of the sun and pushing back that tiny feeling when I wish for the next season.  Right now:  I'm finishing up week seven of my summer break.  How can that be?  No matter whether I'm busy or bored, time flies by quickly.  Right now:  I'm grateful for seeing the butterflies AND having the camera in my hand.  I went outside believing I'll be photographing the same old same old.  How lucky that butterflies graced my garden and I was able to capture their beauty. Right now:  Our major garden overhaul has been successful.  Out of three butterfly bushes, one has died (heat wave with no water due to the beach vacation).  We will swap it out with another this week.  Right now:  I'm grateful for the endodontist my husband saw who was fantastic, kind and efficient.  Appa

This week has been a knitterly week for me. I've been spending lots of time in the afternoons knitting away while reading a book.  This cowl has me captivated by the simplicity of the pattern and the ease to multitask while knitting.  After last week of having the 'blahs' regarding creativity, I'm thrilled to be inspired and enthusiastic in my knitting.  I've decided the super secret project isn't so much of a super secret.  I'm spending a ton of time on it so I might as well share with you what I'm working on.  Otherwise you will think I'm not knitting much at all!  (Also the truth is I hate keeping knitting secrets). I'm making a baby blanket for my niece who is due in November.  I dug deep into my yarn stash and started a dishcloth pattern (start at corner and increase).  My goal is to have the blanket measure 36 inches by 36 inches, however, this is dependent on how much yarn I have.  I've been having fun striping in new col

How was your weekend? My weekend was fabulous, we went to see my dad and his wife and celebrated his birthday.  I had some fantastic food while enjoying the visit.  My sister and her husband were also there as well.  Whenever I'm at my dad's place or my sister's place, I take the big camera for some photos. After celebrating and eating too much lemon poppyseed cake and raspberry pie, I went with my sister to the bookstore and did some shopping.  I took a chance on two books outside my usual reading genre.  I was in the mood for something new and different.  I need to finish my current reads before starting these books but I'm excited to begin reading them. On Friday evening my aunt came over to my sister's house and we socialized some more. Saturday morning I watercolored and chatted with my sister.  We had a lazy morning creating and exploring some new techniques. By the way, thank you all for the comments you shared with me (us) regarding cr

Imagine me with a look of despair, I'm wilting from the heatwave that hasn't really even started.  My hair has gone wild with the humidity.  Truly I strive to not wish a season away but what I dislike most about summer is the heat and humidity.  We've only started summer!  Oh look, me grumbling away.  While I talk about my creativity challenges I'll be sharing with you some new garden photos.  I find them very pretty to look at inside a cool AC house. My watercoloring has been challenging.  I've been frustrated with so many aspects and my knee gut response is to not paint.  How sad.  Every stroke, every wrong color choice is a learning opportunity.  I know that and yet every single thing I paint I want to look perfect.  Being a perfectionist is not much fun.  At the end of a painting session I sit and think about what have I learned.  Sometimes this helps me center or balance my thoughts, my internal dialogue and yes the harsh criticisms.  This simple ha

Good morning! My knitting projects have been slowly coming along.  I started another cowl with the same pattern continuing my deep stash busting of partial fingering weight skeins.  These cowls are a perfect summer project, it's like sock knitting only no heel shaping and you wear it around your neck. My son is visiting for the week.  By the way his lasik surgery went swimmingly well!!  The electricity was on and stayed on ha, ha.  We were there for the morning and everyone was commenting on the bizarre event.  He had an appointment 24 hours after the procedure and he has normal vision (already!).  Ah, the resilience of youth! Back to the knitting, because my son is here, the knitting is seldom.  I did manage to give this banana leaf shawl some rows, when he leaves I'll have more time to focus on this project.  Also I have a super secret knitting project that one day I will reveal.  I have a hard time keeping secrets so maybe I'll spill the beans soon.  My m