Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! I'm excited to show you my new hat that I've been wearing on my walks with Frodo. It is a warm hat and that is exactly what I needed. I wished the brim was a little longer and maybe the next time around I will pick a plumper DK wool. Otherwise I am thrilled with the way this hat turned out. I thought I was finished with knitting Christmas gifts and then remembered two more that I needed to whip up. Thankfully mitts are a super speedy knit. I've finished one pair and am currently knitting the second pair. What are you working on this week?

  How was your weekend? Mine was a good one. Thanksgiving morning we zoomed with our daughter which was delightful. The day after Thanksgiving at my sister's house with my family, my husband and I drove over to Ohio for the day to see our son, daughter in law and our grandson at the other grandparent's house. Oh the joy!!  Our little grandson wasn't feeling well and was a bit cranky but we did get to hold him as long as he could see his parents. He is growing up so fast! He's nine months old now. Saturday morning was for both of us a recovery day from being in the car most of the Friday. I did decorate the 'big' tree in the living room. The above photo is the 'little' tree in the family room. My house is officially decorated.  Yesterday I dabbled in paints, did the laundry, knitted and wrote that mighty to do list for the week.  How was your weekend?

  Good morning! How are you all doing today and most of all, how are your projects coming along?  Well I thought I'd have this hat done by now. You see, I took this project to my sister's neighborhood stitching group Monday night and every blessed stitch I knitted had to be undone. That's approximately five rows. I had to un-knit each stitch because of the twisted stitches that occur every single row. I've learned my lesson and will take simple socks from now on. I'm thrilled to report I've fixed the mistake and I've knit back those five rows yesterday! What are you working on this week?

  Hello! How was your weekend? Don't you love the look Holly is giving? She is half asleep and half alert to Frodo's rustlings. My weekend was great because I celebrated my birthday over the weekend! I had a lovely time with my family and received some really nice gifts. My husband bought me a new fountain pen (TWSBI ECO medium nib) and it's divine. I received some journaling supplies and of course more books to read. My sister made us dinner and a delicious apple cake for dessert. I'll be visiting a yarn store this week to supplement my knitting stash. I also decided to start decorating the house. Yesterday, I managed to put out all the knick knacks. Today I hope to do the little tree. Each year it takes me longer to do the task, but it's fun!  How was your weekend?

  I've been knitting away gleefully on projects that are for me. To be honest, I did cast on another pair of socks for my husband but I had a really good reason. All of my 'me' knitting needs my full attention and when I'm reading a book on my Kindle I require dead simple knitting. That is why I started a pair of socks. I could have made a pair for myself but my husband is hard on hand-knit socks and blows holes in them within 3-4 years (the best yarn is trekking XXL). I still have socks in my drawer that are 20 years old and do not have a single hole. Go figure!  How are you?  Winter weather has arrived here and it is beautiful! I know I am an oddball with my love of winter but golly, it never gets old for me. I've been a winter lover as long as I can remember. My mother (God rest her soul) loved summer and just could not understand my dedication to a season that chilled her to the bone. She would say 'wait until you have to drive in it' and so on. Even whe...

  I finally finished these pair of socks for my husband. I used a memorized pattern from long ago before ravelry days, for me it's mindless and the ultimate comfort knitting. I'm seriously contemplating knitting another pair for him because he keeps putting holes in previous pairs of socks I've knit for him. In his defense they are many years old... Since Monday I've been knitting exclusively for me and the plan is to continue knit for me the whole week long! What are you working on this week?

  And just like that, it's wintry cold out there. Frodo is sporting his lovely plaid dog coat that keeps him toasty warm on our walks. I'm wearing lots of wool and loving it. The newspaper today indicated that this chilliness will remain well after Thanksgiving. Bundle up! How was your weekend? I did massive amounts of knitting and finishing both Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday I invited myself over to my sister's house for an 'art date'. We think we created something good. I packed up what I some of my supplies and we painted together while listening to Christmas music. Oh and she made biscotti! yum. It was a lot of fun. Last night we had a fire in the fireplace. The room looks cosy and warm! In other news, my dry eyes are feeling a bit better, thanks for all the well wishes. I've got quite the to-to list this Monday morning as I start another week.  

  Isn't Holly just the sweetest? She's been sneaking into the 'Frodo' zones undetected. She has a swing in her step because she is successful. Frodo has got to know she is there and just doesn't care. If only they could talk to us. It's raining today and that makes it a wonderful day to read and knit. Yesterday we drove to the Westmoreland Museum of American Art for the morning to see their exhibit on Gate Crashers (self-made artists). The paintings were excellent and I learned about some interesting facts on the various artists showcased. The rest of the museum was just as informative and inspiring.  After a quick lunch at a local cafe we drove to the south part of Pittsburgh to return a purchased item no longer needed and we avoided 'highways' due to a major traffic jam. Let me tell you, I saw a lot of towns that I probably never have been to in person. It was fun! I hope the museum inspires me to dust off the paints and start exploring with technique...

  Good morning! How are you?  All of my knitting goals that I eagerly set have been minimal.  I am having a flare up from the autoimmune disease I have (Sjogren's syndrome) this time it's my eyes that are very dry. I saw the eye doctor yesterday and have some new meds that will take a while to work. Anyways, my knitting isn't at full speed. Okay, many of you are asking what is a cat blanket. My daughter has an elderly cat and I thought she might like a little blanket to lay on and then my daughter can just wash that instead of a whole quilt that the cat sleeps on. You and I both know that cats are surprising and maybe she won't lay on it at all. I'm definitely making two cat mat blankets or three if I'm adventurous. The bottom photo is a hat for me! Yes I did it, I chose the beeswax hat pattern to pair with this gorgeous green wool. I am in love with this project! What are you working on this week?

  You know it's been a good weekend when there are only knitting photos involved. Sure I was cleaning the house and doing the weekly laundry but doesn't everyone have those tasks? While my husband was taking care of the oak leaves in the back yard I was winding some new wool for a future hat for me.  I also started the second cat blanket for my daughter's cat!  I'm still trying to decide which hat to knit. I'm close to a decision but I'm mulling it over before I cast on sometime this week.  The weather was crazy warm, too warm for me but it was lovely to see people in shorts and flip-flops in November! Next weekend is supposed to be cold. I am so ready for regular November weather. How was your weekend?

  Right before I fell asleep last night I came up with a really good blog post title. I woke up this morning wondering what it was. I think it was 'home stretch' but I'll never know. Home stretch as in I am nearing the end of the gift knitting. I am so close to finishing knitting for the holidays. That gets me giddy! I'll be done earlier than ever before. The above photo is an extra large dishcloth that will be a ' cat mat ' or a cat blanket for my daughter's cat. Her cat loves to cuddle up and sleep in all the unusual places and I thought these little blankets (the plan is to make two) would make it extra cosy for her. I know Holly would lay on it. Frodo is now 13 years old. He is as spunky as ever but has some elevated liver enzymes that the current vet is treating, this isn't a new thing it's been there for a few years. Overall he is doing great.  Our backyard is a sea of oak leaves, one of  my most favorite trees. We had 'tree people' her...

  Yesterday I finished the second Christmas sweater for my grandson. Phew!  This is the second time I've knit this pattern and the knitting was just as much fun as the first time around. I highly recommend the hyphen pattern One more holiday knitting gift completed. I am nearly done with the holiday knitting as a matter of fact. I'm dreaming of what to cast on for myself. What are you working on this week?