Pumpkin Sunrise

Thankful for: Snowfall  My family Starting new knitting projects Black olives, perfect avocados, pickles (not together) Coffee at the break of dawn The silence you can hear when the day is peaceful Hand written letters Wool Winding wool Knitting wool Writing Outings with my husband And my sister And my kids Friendships Conversations Happiness I hope all of you had a wonderful thanksgiving if you celebrated  What are you thankful for? Have a lovely weekend!

Yes, I've taken the knitting plunge and have started a little bit of ornament knitting.  I'm between projects and I wanted a project that was little and would eat up some bits and ends of my fingering weight yarn.  So I'm knitting my ornament pattern  which is also on Ravelry .  I also have some light blue yarn that I think would make a great stocking color.  Knitting these little stockings puts me into the holiday spirit :) I am nearly finished with Oh My Stars  and can I say "oh my stars" this book has captured my attention.  I must admit there was a bit of dragging going on with the plot then Boom! something happened that I didn't suspect at all.  I tend to guess endings which makes me a sad reader most of the time, but not now.  So now I am happily reading along and devouring the book.  I have a mere chapter to read and that will be done before lunchtime today. My next book is Dear Life  by Alice Monro, you know, she won ...

Remember this hat I knit up? Well the designer, Karina  is kindly offering a pattern to one lucky winner on my blog!  Isn't that exciting??  I know that this hat would be the perfect hat to whip up when there is a time crunch with the approaching holidays.  All you need is some fingering weight wool and a happy knitting spirit. Here is Karina's  project page of the Night Sky Hat .  The pattern will be live within the week I and I will insert the pattern link here as soon as it is available. How do you win?  Just leave a comment on this post WITH your ravelry user name.  You will be contacted by Karina with your ravelry user name only.  Comments will close on December 1st, Sunday night 9 p.m. and I will use a random number generator to choose a lucky winner.  I will announce the winner on Monday's post. Good luck everyone :)

My weekend was a productive weekend.  I've made my list and checked it twice, just like Santa.  I've wrapped and packaged all the gifts for my side of the family and even worked a bit on his side of the family. On Saturday, we squeezed in a walk before the frigid air arrived.  Our walk was still cold and brisk but oh so nice to be out!  I've given up walking after dinner, it's too dark.  At the duck pond it appears to have been visited by wild ducks and the domesticated ducks are all fine about the invasion. Sunday after Mass, I did some laundry and final preparations for both the kids, who will be arriving home today and tomorrow.  In the afternoon,  I met with some knitting friends to knit and chat.  Since I've abandoned the sweater, my knitting has been small and simple-carefree and relaxing. This weekend was quiet and joyful and full of holiday preparations.  How was your weekend? Joining Amanda

How can a sweater that I've invested three weeks of knitting time be undone in 1 1/2 hours?  Yesterday found me in a very merry mood and I was mentally stable to do the "deed".  You know.....frog.  Now all my bundles of wool are safely placed in a wooden basket awaiting for its second fate.  Right now I need a break from thinking about the sweater that is no more. I'm in a random mood so here are some random thoughts from my week: -I'm a fan of tissue paper and gift bags this year, so quick and fast. -my birthday was fantastic, thanks for all your well wishes! -I broke down and ordered four inch interchangeable needle tips and cords in chiaogoo needle brand from this place .  I have the five inch tips and LOVE them but I wanted to be able to use them on hat knitting. (metal of course) -I then notified my husband what he bought me for my birthday ;) -brownies do not replace birthday cake, but it's a close second -the more Frodo snuggles close, th...

I love this test knit  hat !  I love it so very much that I don't want to give it to my daughter for whom it was originally intended.  I loved revisiting quince and co finch yarn  , lucky me to have some in my leftover stash basket.  A whole skein!  The pattern was lovely to knit.  Easy and yet engaging and I think the stitch definition is quite striking! The eyelet detail makes you want to keep knitting to get another one completed. As soon as the pattern goes live I will let you all know.  The friend who designed the hat is karinamaza .  I believe I will be casting on another hat before the weekend arrives :)

My knitting has taken a drastic turn.  I finished the orange sweater and just didn't like it so it's sitting on the counter in time out and when I have time I will frog it.  This post goes into the reasons why.  I am at peace with my decision.  So I've been working on my shawl  and am nearly at the half way point!  I also am decreasing the top of this hat  which is a test knit for a friend on ravelry. I continue to read Oh My Stars  by Lorna Landvik and it's good,  sometimes it goes a little slow but then there is always something that happens in the plot that makes me want to keep reading.  That is a sign of a good book! Apologies for two photos, but I forgot the hat when I took the above photo and I'm sure most of you are having the problem of remembering to take photos during the daylight hours!  The evenings are creeping up into the afternoon :) Oh and Frodo says "hello". What are you knitting and reading this week? ...

For a few days I've been doubting this sweater.  The front panels especially were on my mind and I couldn't decide if my doubts were truly something of relevance.  Well this morning, with a fresh mind and a good night's sleep, I've decided that this sweater is just not for me. My knitting history is decades old and I know if I'm not completely happy while it's being knitted up there is a slim chance I'll love it off the needles. I loved the construction of this sweater and the shoulder fit and length is perfection.  My gauge was spot on-love when that happens.  The front panels have too much fabric and not enough drape and hit in all the wrong places on my body.  No amount of blocking in the world is going to change that.  My doubts started when I knit the ribbing of the panels and then the ribbing of the neck line.  Last night I was going to start ripping but I forced myself to sleep on that drastic decision.  Altering the pattern requi...

My weekend was filled with blue skies one day and gray clouds the next, lucky for me I was out and about in the sunshine to not mind the dreary day.  My weekend included: -watching Wuthering Heights on Netflix, oh I so want to read that book again and again. -eating the best sourdough bread ever -knitting the sweater -dreaming of some new mitts and hats to knit but staying at the dreaming stage because I have to finish the sweater -wishing the cold weather to return -jumping into that rabbit hole of ravelry where I find more than my fingers can knit How was your weekend? Joining Amanda My birthday celebration giveaway winners are: Classic Elite Yarns Silky Alpaca Lace- Anke Photo note cards- Susan, Judy S. and Sprite. I will be in touch with you sometime today :)  (I have messaged all of you through Ravelry!)

I am finding myself randomly humming Christmas songs as I walk about and get my chores done, the giving season has started for me.  Earlier this week, I pulled past purchases from the year out of my closet in my studio room to see who in my family is receiving what gift. Years ago I started to shop for the holidays all year round.  If I see something that I think someone will like, I buy it.  The problem is that sometimes I forget what I have (that comes with age I guess). So I do inventory, I make piles on the carpeted floor and assess the gifts.  This year I also knit gifts throughout the year-that was a wise decision for me.  My shopping burden and knitting burden is light.  When we exchange with my side of the family, we have a money limit that makes the holiday affordable and fun. My sister and I started a holiday tradition for our children years ago that the gift would be money (they love that!) and a Christmas ornament.  When they leav...

Poor Frodo, he's trying to ignore me and the sweater but was too lazy to jump off the sofa.  I am closing in on the last row of the body of the sweater .  Today will be sleeve knitting and this sweater has been such a fun knit.  I love all the miles of stockinette stitch or ribbing.  I'm thinking of doing the sleeves NOT in the round...because my gauge tends to tighten up a bit and it just seems so s l o w.  I'll keep you up to date on that one. I finished  The Violets of March  yesterday and it was a quick easy good read.  I recommend the book and there's a family secret mystery that is solved (gotta love those!).  I am still reading Oh My Stars  and it's coming along.  I read this one at night and I tend to fall asleep while reading. I am having a giveaway over here  for all you lovely readers to celebrate my birthday month. Joining Ginny

This month is my birthday month!  In honor of my fabulous birthday, I thought it would be fun to celebrate with a giveaway to thank all of you lovely readers who leave comments, some I have known for quite a while and some I've just met.  Then there are the many readers who only read.  I appreciate all of you and thank you from the bottom of my heart. So for one lucky winner I will be awarding a skein of silky alpaca lace yarn in a pink colorway, so soft and yes lace weight :) For three other winners, I will send you a packet of six photo note cards.  I have been busy this past weekend making them. So what do you have to do to win?  Well leave a comment on the blog of course-simple as that. Please make sure you have an email address or a ravelry name in the comment so I can get in touch with you. I will use a random number generator to pick the winners. I will close the comments on November 17th in the evening and announce a winner on November 18th...

My weekend was nearly the same as most of my weekends except I had a bad dream on Saturday night that I thought I'd share with you. I was in a favorite yarn shop that was located in a big drafty barn (that doesn't exist in real life).  Yarn was displayed everywhere in many rooms.  I was looking and looking for lace weight yarn and all I found was bulky or worsted weight.  I was sure they carried lace weight and I had my heart set on purchasing some.  I asked an attendant who looked suspiciously at me and avoided answering my question pointing me to some sport weight wool.  So I asked another clerk and another clerk.  Finally the last sales clerk instructed me to ask the manager who was hiding in a room knitting with bulky yarn. Here's where the scary part happens.  I asked the manager where the lace weight yarn was displayed and she stated firmly "If I have my way, we will never ever carry lace weight yarn".  Oh my, my knitting heart was br...

I have been waiting for this photo, wondering when the pile of red maple leaves would appear in front of my house.  This autumn, orange and red were not the colors that usually have been abundant.  I'd have to say yellow and brown grasped center stage this year. I love when I grab the big camera to walk outside, Frodo does twirls and dances about because he loves photography as well.  Ever so patient, when I stop, he stops and waits.  We walk and crunch and notice nature.  He is secretly looking for the squirrels that evade him.  This week, Frodo almost caught a squirrel, but I yelled "Frodo, no!!!!!" and that split second of ignoring me and continuing the hunt gave the squirrel a fighting chance. Here is a leaf bouquet for you :)  I knew you'd like it! This oak tree will keep it's fall dressings until the spring.  I believe he wants to be a trendsetter when it comes to autumn and spring behaviors. I love him :) I received ...

Click clack click clack- That is the sound of me furiously knitting away to make an imaginary deadline of a sweater completed by Thanksgiving.  A knitter can dream and be hopeful, right?  Currently I am finished with the body shaping decreasing.  The pattern is quite nice and I must agree "effortless", there's miles and miles of stockinette to fly threw.  I'm nearly through the second ball of yarn (440 yards knitted!). I started two books this week, Oh My Stars  by Lorna Landvik which so far has been quite sad.  Her character qualities and development remind me of Catherine Cookson's heroines.  You know, not the ideal "perfect" beauty.  I miss Catherine Cookson ...When I was newly married I read all of her books and Agatha Christie's books, just because the library had all of them neatly on the shelves. I also started The Violets of March  by Sarah Jio on my Ipad so I can knit and read at the same time.  My local library has a...

We had dear friends over for dinner and company on Friday night, the first dinner of many without a single child between us!  As much as I was sadden by the lack of children, I embraced the quick and easy clean up and the abundance of desserts on the tray.  We had a good time, with every intention to knit while together but we ended up with knitting in our bags at the ready untouched. Saturday afternoon I resumed walking with my husband and Frodo, gingerly-I'm happy to report that the ankle is doing much much better and as long as I watch where I'm going I should be fine.  Those dastardly shoes have been safely tucked to the side. I feel incredibly lucky to be recovering so quickly. The time change offered me a chance to knit a tiny bit more on the Thanksgiving sweater.  "I think I can, I think I can", is the mantra in my head. Positive thinking and all that stuff.  Besides the conversations with my two kids, I had a lovely chat with my favorite Aunt and ...

This week has found me finding my happy.  You know the stuff that makes you smile on the inside and the outside.  Family, children, and friends are the standards to the list, but I was thinking along the lines of selfish happiness.  What makes me happy deep down inside and it's just for me. Knitting is my number one on the list.  I love to start projects and finish projects, and I do cheat on the current projects by dreaming of projects to be.  Some projects become real just like in the Velveteen Rabbit book (you should read that book, it's a tear jerker).  The hat in the above photo has finally found a recipient in my mind.  But I can't tell you who because it's a Christmas present, but I promise that person is definitely knit worthy. Below are two Zauberballs  that are in my stash that I keep looking lovingly at and dreaming of all the what ifs.  I assure you they will be a shawl, just not sure exactly which one as of yet. Now you ...