Pumpkin Sunrise

  The last day of September! This month went fast for me and with the fastness came lovely cooler weather that seems to be endless in the forecast every morning when I check on it. My husband is sad that summer is over and keeps hoping for a mini heat wave, not me at all. Being cold is where I want to be! I've been furiously knitting Christmas presents that I will share next week with you in detail. On a whim I cast on something for myself but now I'm rethinking the yarn and the colors I chose for the project. So until I figure out exactly what I am doing that little project is on a temporary hold. I've been sketching daily, well I'm trying to sketch daily. I feel rusty and the only way to 'unrust' my skills is to practice every single day. I have all the pencils right by my side along with my sketchbook so there's no excuse for me. Frodo and I have been thoroughly enjoying our daily walks in the neighborhood. Each time I'm outside I make a mental note o...

  Finally!  I finished this sweater that felt like it was on the needles forever. My sister gave me the yarn from someone who gave it to her from someone's stash. As you can see from the three skeins, one skein had less color variation and wasn't it lucky that I started the sweater with the odd skein first? (The universe was smiling upon me!). I've made this sweater before , and decided to drop down one size because I was a little short on yardage. Also the first sweater was roomy enough to make that decision on the second sweater. I did not run out of yarn and even had several yards left over. Now all I need is some freezing cold weather to wear it! What are you working on this week?

  Maybe, just maybe I have regained my energy levels after the trip to Cambridge MA last weekend. I've been knitting furiously both Saturday and Sunday thoroughly enjoying a burst of creative energy from the cold weather we are having and will continue to have this week. Saturday morning I wore wool on my walk, first time of the season!  Holly have been a little devil over the weekend. She keeps sneaking up on Frodo. Most of the time he is asleep but she thinks it's great fun! She is living her best life. Frodo is too.  I started knitting Christmas gifts for my grandson and my grand nephew. Almost done!! My weekend contained: -homemade chicken noodle soup - lunch out with my dad and step mom - daily walks with Frodo in the chilly air - lots of reading - lots of knitting - a phone call from our son - watching PBS.org 'the US and the Holocaust' documentary by Ken Burns (highly recommend!) - four loads of laundry - a squeaky clean kitchen floor - apple cake -  How was y...

  Good morning! I hope you've had a fabulous week. My week was perfection, I spent each day catching up on all those tasks that were set aside for traveling. I'm currently sitting in my kitchen drinking my last cup of morning coffee before the day officially begins. The weather is deliciously cold (gah!). Yesterday was windy which turned warm air into autumnal breezes. The week's forecast is going to be cold, finally. We had lunch outside on the patio probably for the last time earlier this week. Well, at least I had my last lunch, my husband might just sit out there in the cold clinging onto the dregs of summer living. He is so sad that autumn has arrived. I am not, I've been daydreaming of sweater wearing weather for about six weeks.  Yesterday I focused on knitting and finishing the sweater , all day long and as you can see by the above photo it is drying after a little bit of soaking and mild blocking. My husband thinks Holly will sit on it, I do not. Who would wan...

  I am so excited that I'm on my second sleeve and over half way on that second sleeve. I had grand plans to finish this sweater on my weekend trip to Cambridge MA but that was lofty and impractical. I've been asked if I knit in the car, the answer is YES but I frequently zone out and daydream or take in the scenery. More often than not, I tell my husband how to drive which annoys him to no end. I have lofty goals of having this sweater finished by next Wednesday but I know that I am sporadic in my knitting attention these days. Please send all the good finishing vibes if you can. Below is a photo of the two skeins of yarn I purchased at Mind's Eye Yarns  in Cambridge MA and so close to our hotel that we stayed at. I'm thinking his and her matching pair of socks. What a sweet little store that was jammed packed with yarn. I was in heaven. What are you working on this week?

  Grab a cup of coffee or tea, this is the extended weekends version of my life. On Friday we drove to Cambridge MA to visit our daughter and son in law. We were in the car for eleven hours because of a highway road closure and the GPS snaking us through the countryside of Pennsylvania. I was so tired of being a car! We arrived safely at our hotel and checked in, quickly dropping off our bags. We had pizza and homemade apple cake at their house. Delicious!! Saturday we walked over 20,000 steps and my arthritis symptoms acted up. Flares are just awful and they sneak up on me. Each time I think there's something wrong but cannot quite figure it out. We were all over the greater Boston Area doing some shopping and sight-seeing. I didn't take many photos, I was living in the moment. We toured three churches (cannot recall any of their names...).  Sunday after attending Mass we had some donuts for second breakfast then did more sight-seeing. Our son in law drove us around which hel...

  I keep forgetting to show my progress on a cross stitch project I started last week or so. This is for our grandson and it might be an ornament to hang or a framed picture depending on which is easier for me. I am loving that the fabric is 14 Aida count and I can see it. Honestly, having older eyes is challenging. While I do enjoy the cross stitching and it reminds me of all the cross stitching in the past, knitting is my comfort zone. I don't really use my eyes for knitting like I do for cross stitching.  This week has been glorious weather. I walk daily early in the morning when the elementary school bus does its rounds and I eagerly wave to the bus driver and the kids. Actually I wave to just about everyone that passes. The air is crisp and fresh. So so beautiful.  On my walks, I try my best to be present. I go through my five senses to notice what is happening at the moment. For instance, I look for five different things, then listen for four different sounds, then...

  Just look at that glorious sleeve, so so close to the end. By this evening, I will be picking up the next sleeve and carrying on with getting this sweater finished and blocked in time for the crisp fall season. Speaking of cooler air, yesterday was gorgeous, I wore a long sleeve shirt for the first time since the spring and felt cold.  The first sock is almost done! I love this color and after nearly a week of knitting these socks in front of my husband (which are for my husband) he asked if they were for him. So now the surprise socks are not some much a surprise anymore. What are you working on this week?

  How was your weekend? My weekend was blessedly calm and somewhat productive. I've been working on the grandson's first Christmas cross stitch ornament a little bit each day. I can see it so that makes the stitching all the more enjoyable. (14 count!) I also did the laundry and cleaning for the week. Fall is creeping in slowly, the leaves are changing, the days are shorter. I had my first cup of hot green tea in the afternoon yesterday. I'll be surprised if it gets super hot again, but then you never know with the weather. Frodo and Holly have been at it after weeks of keeping their distance from each other. Holly found a new snuggly sleeping place in the family room and Frodo found her. There was a ton of hissing and barking. I thought after that encounter Holly would be tired of Frodo and just stay out of the family room. No such luck!! The next two photos are Holly slinking in and staring at a sleeping Frodo! Then she decided to perch on the window sill and watch the ch...

  Good morning! Well, it's another Friday and here we are checking in with each other. I've quickly jumped back into my ordinary days enjoying my creative projects and it's been wonderful! Traveling does that to me, I am renewed in being grateful for the simplest of things: my favorite mug, sitting with Frodo, oh the list could go on. On my daily walks with Frodo, I am paying attention to the slightest changes of fall showing up. The mornings are chilly (yay) and I am all for it!  Besides knitting daily, I've been doing a small drawing challenge - The Inchie Challenge . My sister alerted me to the challenge and asked me to join her. We share our daily sketches via texting and compare our interpretations of the prompts. I've been using my graphitints by derwent . These pencils are water-soluble colored graphite and are fun to play with. I only have seven colors so I have to be creative with what I have. Yesterday, my husband with the help of a neighbor removed the fa...

  Hello!  Once again, here we are sharing our projects. This week I've been working on the first sleeve of my blue sweater and loving the speed of a sleeve compared to the body shaping. I might be half way done.  I am half way done on the first sock for my husband who doesn't know these are for him and yet I knit in front of him. He will be super excited to receive them since green is his favorite color. The pattern is memorized and I added four rows of knit two purl two and then four rows of stockinette stitch just so I can easily make the socks matching without measuring. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! I'm hoping you have this day off like we do here in the states. It's Labor Day! How was your weekend? Well... because we saw our son, daughter in law and grandson earlier than planned, we decided to drive up to see my mother in law in London, Ontario this weekend since we had a kennel stay already booked and pre-paid.  It was a super quick trip leaving on Friday and coming home on Sunday. We had a lovely time seeing her and some other family members. Now we are home sweet blessed home.  Holly loves when Frodo is not here, so sad but true. I did a ton of knitting in the car and while sitting and talking on our trip, I finished the sweater body and am now on the first sleeve! I'm enjoying being home (a home body deep down inside) How was your weekend?

  Ah. September, how I enjoy you and welcome you in. I'm not a fan of summer but I try my best to enjoy what I do like about it. One of the best things about summer is that it leads to fall. And I am ready! My super early morning walks with Frodo are chilly most of the time. School is back in session and I wave to the school kids as they drive by in the yellow school bus. This weekend will be in the high 80s and I just don't care, I know it's the last hurrah even if it takes until October. This week has been so nice. I am thrilled that so far (fingers crossed) my husband  and I continue to remain healthy. May it continue. After the massive catch up from being out of town unexpectedly, I've settled into a comforting knitting routine. I've got some ideas for holiday knitting but I'm still sticking with my selfish 'for me' knitting this month. I will ponder the gift giving knitting only. September inspires me to reflect on the remaining tasks around the hou...