Pumpkin Sunrise

Today my husband and I attended a work luncheon at one o'clock, which is a weird for me time to eat so right now I'm eating some cheesy toast as a 'dinner' while typing this post and trying my best not to get crumbs on the keyboard (I'm unsuccessful). At the luncheon there was a man who had quite the impressive camera.  I went up to him to ask all about it.  This camera was a professional Nikon and my oh my, I was pea green with envy!  Lovely camera and just like knitters, the photographer loved to talk about his craft.  He was friendly and gave me an idea of what to shop for next. The world is filled with kind people, I like when I meet them. How was your weekend?  I was in yet another bike store - I'm getting good at maximizing my time there, I finished a book, read my prayer book and chatted with a friend.  Phew.  I'm starting to like being in bike stores! This was the last weekend in a while where there is not much going on.  So,...

I have three projects on the needles not counting the never ending blanket, and all three are taking forever.  I know, two are lace weight and the sweater, well it's a sweater.  Sometimes I feel like a broken record (vinyl of course) repeating myself about my progress on each one.  However, isn't that what knitting is all about? Knitters have quick and easy projects that are knit up in a few days - the down and dirty instantly satisfying knits.  I love those for maximum holiday knitting or for that obscure skein of yarn that I wonder why on earth I bought only one! I'm attracted to lightweight knitting projects for many reasons.  Here are a few: Lightweight knitting projects make my hands extremely happy, the more tiny the needles the more ease I feel knitting. In the summer, having a wispy pile of lightweight wool on my lap makes me happy.  Summer is not the time for worsted weight wool in a large project. Sweaters in lightweight wool fit m...

While my sister visited me over the past weekend, my husband was busy conducting a workshop with a colleague in San Francisco and brought me back two lovely gifts.  A shawl (can a knitter ever ever have too many?) and a handmade notebook.  He knows me well. My table is finished!  I love the newness of the surface and I hope that this refinish lasts us another 30 years like the first one.  As always, the table still has personal flaws that make it lovable and unique.  Now if I can only get used to the slightest whiff of polyurethane in the air.  This is even after a week drying. As I mentioned on Sunday, I ripped out my entire shawl on Saturday after finding a mistake near the beginning.  I confess I'm a perfectionist and the deed had to be done.  I dropped down a needle size and love the way the shawl is knitting back up. Oh and hey, a valuable lesson I learned from this shawl that I want to share with all of you:  look and cr...

gifts from my sister What a fabulous weekend!  Before I get into all the fun I had, thank you so much for the support over 'rude' people.  I'm glad I'm not the only one out there feeling sensitive.  I sailed through my weekend without any incidents so I've recovered.  For now. My sister was here!  If you're a regular reader, you already know that.  However maybe you're visiting for the first time.  I love writing my weekend post because I get a chance to share my happenings. the sad sad frogging of a shawl because of a mistake at the beginning She arrived by lunchtime on Friday and we both pretended this was a vacation.  After a quick salad for lunch, we were in the pool talking and relaxing.  Friday was 95 degrees so the pool was wonderful.  In the afternoon, we drove to a neighboring town to an art store to shop around in.  She bought bullet journals and I bought a new set of drawing pencils to try out.  I'm slo...

This week has been a tender week for me.  Twice this week, the rudeness of strangers aimed at me has left me taking their words and behaviors personally.  I wish I wasn't so sensitive!  Today is a new day, I'm gathering my mindfulness and caring kindness.  Let's hope I move through this day with grace.  Also, I am accepting myself as I am - sensitivities and all. My sister is arriving this afternoon for a girls only weekend.  We have been looking forward to this for a few months.  You know very well, we will be knitting and talking.  We have a few brief outings planned for both days.  I'm excited! The new pool liner is in place, the whole process took about 12 hours and everyone worked hard in the heat.  I made lemonade for them hoping that would help.  The exciting part was when the water was delivered, I felt like a kid in a trance by the gushing water.   My son said he was looking forward to fall wh...

I am knee deep in knitting long term projects this summer.  Yesterday, I worked on the body shaping of my top down sweater.  No thinking involved on my part just knitting miles of stockinette with decreasing every eight rows.  I love this part of the sweater knitting. My whiteout shawl is looking lovely.  I'm completely over the doubting phase and wondering should I drop a needle size, or should I switch the yarns.  Now that there is heft to the fabric all is well and I'm extremely pleased with the pattern so far.  I'm about 17 rows away from the lace section. To be honest, I haven't done much on this lace weight shawl .  Instead, I've been working on the never ending sock blanket trying to get to the end.  Maybe I'll accomplish this goal in two weeks?  Maybe. So while I have these long term projects, I'm dreaming of other projects - mitts and socks to be specific.  For now, they'll remain in my imagination.

Before I talk about my weekend, I'd like to thank you for the lovely comments on my last post.  This little blogging community brings all of us closer together and I treasure your visits here.  I'm glad I'm not alone peeking into windows :) Today, I'm trying hard not to hate on summer.  I'm wilting before your eyes!  I took a walk with Frodo at 9:30 a.m. believing the weather was truly 70 degrees.  Well, well, well.....the humidity at the time was 85% (this is why I hate summer).  Once I returned home, I complained to my sister which I'm sure was tiring to hear. Then I cut my bangs and instantly I felt better. My liatris is blooming!  I appreciate when plants grow without any help from humans. This perennial  loves where it blooms.  I love that it attracts lots of bees and butterflies and this hummingbird moth . Yesterday on our daily walk, we saw the blue heron, you'll have to use your imagination of what he looked like beca...

Good morning to you all, how are you?  I'm in the kitchen at the table with my computer and the rain has stopped for now.  Yesterday, the rain arrived shortly after lunch and kept on going.  My walking goals have been set aside because of my 'valid' excuses, it's raining or it's too muggy.  Frodo, my faithful walking buddy doesn't like hot or muggy weather either. I've been thinking about motivation  and inspiration towards writing and blogging consistently since Grace mentioned this in a comment on the last post.  First and foremost, I am a talker.  I talk all the time and if there is no one to listen to me, I talk to myself. Luckily I have Frodo, so my non-stop chatting has ears to capture my string of words. My inspirations ebb and flow like many of you.  I have times when I wonder what will I write about.  Magically, when I sit at the computer and upload my photos I find the words, I find a thought to expand on or I write ...

Yesterday, I was itching to cast on something different.  I have plenty to keep me busy with my sweater and my long term shawl knitting and yet I felt the overwhelming urge to have another project on the needles.  As a knitter, I find that two projects isn't enough.  Three to four projects is my sweet spot.  I love to have choices and I love to pick up each one, knit a bit and then turn to another project. This knit picks lace yarn was gifted to me by a friend a few years ago and I'm thrilled to be using it this week.  Stash diving is rewarding and saves me money (to buy more yarn).   I am pretty in pink! Ravelry notes here

Frodo and I took a walk this afternoon and I heard the cicadas for the first time this summer.  Summer days are in full swing now.  By the end of this month, the tree frogs will be singing too.  So far, I've been enjoying this season.  Check back with me at the end of August and I'll be grumbling away.  For now, I'm enjoying the flowers, watching the nature changes on my walks. After Mass last night, we picked up a pizza for dinner at a local business that is our new "favorite" place.  This restaurant has been here for over 20 years and we only just discovered their delicious menu.  Where have I been? Today I was successful in not consuming news (well a little bit, but not much).  I focused on my menu plan for the week, read some magazines and chatted with both kids at some point during the day.  After I hit the publish button, I'll be knitting. I'm rested and recharged for another week.  I'm counting down the days f...