Pumpkin Sunrise

  How was your weekend? Ours was quite cold, even Frodo has had enough of the frigid temperatures. Lucky for us today just might be above freezing! Yesterday around 3 pm, Frodo and I took a walk because it was warm -- 23 degrees -- what a weird mindset to think that that temperature is balmy. We bundled up and layered up. Frodo hates to wear sweaters and coats but I think he is coming around to the benefits of some cozy warmth. How do I know? Well he doesn't run away from me when I pull it off the hook. The coat he's wearing now I ordered from amazon and I think it keeps him toasty warm. Yesterday afternoon we attended our grand-nephew's first birthday party. How nice to be with a small family gathering to celebrate one year old. And I did not cook dinner since we at a big lunch - double bonus for me. My weekend mainly was reading and knitting but I didn't snap a photo of either of those activities so you are left with an early morning photo of my morning reads. 

  This week has been bitterly cold and yet Frodo and I keep trying to take a walk in spite of the weather adversity. He loves his walks but he doesn't remember his limitations (almost like me!). He is a glass half full kind of dog (unlike me, I'm trying to be more like him). On one walk we were approached by a loose dog then another loose dog by the same owner. I'm lucky I can pick Frodo up and wait for the mayhem to settle. This owner like many loose dog owners before him thinks Frodo is afraid and that is why I pick him up.  Sadly I pick Frodo up because he can get nasty with other dogs...I still love him and his 'spunky' attitude.  Since the weather is frigid, I am doing all the indoor activities. Lots of reading, knitting and I started a new cross stitch project. It's been fun circulating my brain amongst all of my hobbies, I'm lucky that my hobbies are vast and I rarely get bored.  I have a routine eye doctor visit early this morning, I'm hoping she...

  I haven't shared this cowl in a while now. Isn't it just fantastic? I love the colors that I put together on a whim when I bought the yarn over the summer months right after the BIG move. I can't stop loving it. What are you working on this week?

  How are you? I spent the weekend huddling inside my house during either bitter cold temperatures or during a snowfall. I loved it! I finished all the stitching I can possibly do on the baby sampler. Now I need the name and date - due date is February 9th. We are getting closer and closer.  I struggled getting those pesky little buttons on the fabric. I had to use a sewing needle that was quite difficult to thread (old eyes). Even the needle threader could not get in that wee little needle eye. However, I kept trying and guessing and succeeded! What a challenge! I cannot sing enough praises for my bird feeder that brings me endless joy. Whenever I'm in the kitchen I'm watching them. The birds are quite greedy in a snow storm. Nothing new over the weekend, just snow, stitching, knitting, reading and those super boring weekly household chores.  How was your weekend?

  Right now I'm sitting in my family room with Frodo writing this post. The weather is freezing cold out there, brr. I like winter and snow - now I have to remember to bundle up and bundle Frodo up. I don't think there'll be a daily walk today. How are you? How are your wintry days going along?  My husband and I have been huddled up in the house. I am a homebody and loving it! Right now, I've been squeezing in more reading during the day which squeezes out other creative pursuits. My long list of what I want to do can never be accomplished in a given day and I'm okay with that. I'm being realistic.  I came across an interesting saying that I thought I'd share with you: You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building nests in your hair - Chinese Proverb I've been mulling this one over and over again. I plan to do a creative art journal spread with this quote in my big notebook sometime today or tomorr...

  I finished two hats early in January. The first one is the huskadoo hat  which turned out lovely when it comes to stitch definition. If I made this one again I would go up a needle size since my knitting gets tighter whenever I work with cable patterns. A lovely pattern and a lovely knit for a quick project! Oh and this hat is for ME. As I mentioned before I wanted to make a backup hat for the replacement hat for my son in law. I chose a muted pumpkin color for the backup to the backup hat. I hand delivered this hat while we were visiting them in Cambridge earlier this month and he loved it. What are you working on this week?

  Well would you look at that! Snow! I'd say it's about six inches or so and we are still getting some more. Luckily for me I have a warm house and all the knitting. How was your weekend? I enjoyed lots of reading and knitting and cross stitching. My sister and brother in law came over for dinner Friday night and we played a few rounds of a board game. Saturday morning I was out with my sister doing some shopping (nothing exciting was bought). I'm enjoying being a homebody as I do whenever I travel and come home.  How was your weekend?

  There is something about January days that are delightful. The Christmas gift giving, planning, knitting and wrapping is completed. The house is undecorated from the holidays and clean spaces are everywhere where I look. The days are getting a little more daylight each day, do you notice that?  I continue to love watching the birds at my back yard feeder. Winter is glorious. After nearly a week, I am recovered from our trip to Cambridge MA. We have another winter storm brewing this weekend but I do not have to be anywhere important through most of it. While up in Cambridge I started a pair of socks for my husband who was the only knit-worthy person who did not receive a Christmas hand knit. Better late than never, right? I am just making a plain pair that requires no thinking on my part. I am knitting on auto pilot. I have been reading the Sister of Auschwitz during the day when my mind is fresh, it's really good. The other book Amaryllis in Blueberry is a really weird book...

  I finished my sister's birthday sweater last week before we headed up to visit our daughter and son in law in Cambridge MA. I have to admit I was so eager and glad to cast off the second sleeve, soak and block this project. My sister asked me if I was going to start a sweater for myself and I just need a bit of time to recover from this project. I want a sweater for me but I need to mull over my stash collection and which pattern to pair with the yarns. For now, I'm working on short simple projects until I decide. I will be giving her sweater tomorrow and I hope it fits perfectly :)  I've knit this pattern three times and honestly this one I could knit again and again. The yoke is fun to knit and by the time I'm doing the body of the sweater it's mostly done. The sleeves are speedy too.  What are you working on this week?

  Hello! This weekend has been GLORIOUS! Unbeknownst to you all, my husband and I drove up to Cambridge MA to visit our daughter and son in law on Tuesday morning and we were supposed to stay until Friday morning and return home. We were watching the weather closely the whole time. On Thursday morning I saw what was once a meager prediction of 1-3 inches of snow in Cambridge being switched to 6-10 inches of snow starting at 1 a.m. on Friday. When the weatherperson said 'pack a blanket' when traveling, that's when I woke my husband up and discussed leaving Thursday afternoon. I wanted to spend the night in Eastern PA breaking up the 9+ hour drive. He wanted to drive straight home arriving close to midnight. Needless to say, we did what he wished and our drive was decent until we hit State College when the snow started to fall in PA. We made it safely home at 1:30 a.m. Friday morning... Our nerves were shot and we are still recovering from that rotten drive home. The intersta...

  Hello! How is your first week of January? Mine has been delightful. I thought I'd share with you some of the new books and journalling stuff I received over the holidays. The above book pile is what I'll be reading in the next few weeks. My kindle has a ton of books and I like to have one of those always going so it's light in my purse when I'm out - I can guarantee you if I don't take a book with me I am waiting somewhere for a very long time so I try to keep it with me. (Emergency reading?) Last March, I switched to a Hobonichi Weeks planner and loved it so much. So I bought one for 2022. I use this for personal planning and keeping appointments. I also track my health, exercise, knitting ideas or projects, and all sorts of thoughts. This planner is a thought catcher. For my birthday, my daughter gave me the above pencil pouch that is delightful! She purchased it from JetPens   and along with the pouch,  there were lavender pens and markers and washi tape. Swoon...

  I started a new cowl for me to celebrate the ending of knitting for others. It feels weird that there's no dead line or pressure to knit this project. I like that a lot. Maybe that's why I like January so much, it's all about me, ha ha! What are you working on this week?

  How was your New Year? How was your weekend? I had a long time off from this space and it was relaxing and fun but then again I miss my regular posting three times a week. For New Year's Eve, we went to my sister and brother in law's house for dinner and board games. We had great great fun! I'm sharing with you the progress on the baby sampler but I haven't worked on it for a few days now. I am nearly finished with what I can stitch, once the baby arrives in early February I can stitch his or her name and the date. It's been a fun stitching project (no backstitching!!). I have been knitting like a demon to finish my sister's sweater and hopefully I will have some photos to share with you soon. It's drying right now as I type this post. The weekend was relaxing and calm. I knit a lot, read a lot, and I put away all the holiday decorations because clean spaces is what I crave when the new year begins. What have you been up to this past weekend?