Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How are you? This weekend was one of the best weekends ever because we got snow and it was unpredicted which made it all the more special. I even took a walk during the squalls but decided to cut the walk short. Brr. Besides wintry weather, I am proud to announce I am ready for Christmas. We are going over to my sister's house for Christmas Eve dinner and do our exchanging with her family. It will be fun. Christmas day is just the two of us at home, plus lots of phone calls to family far away.  My son and his family arrive on Saturday for a whole week visit. I am excited about that. I am not ready for that, but I will be. (lists are my friend) The above photo is the morning moon winking at me. The very first photo is the odyssey shawl  I started before my car trip. I have ripped this back twice because I keep forgetting the pattern and keep knitting thinking I know the pattern.  I finished my husband's musselburgh hat , this will be in his Christmas S...

  Good morning! How are you? How's your crafting projects coming along? I finished this shawl last week and blocked it a few days later. I am pleased with how it turned out. I've knit this pattern once before and enjoyed knitting it a second time around. Now that this shawl is finished I can start something new!! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning!  My knitting has been progressing nicely. Two days ago though, I had to UNKNIT 385 stitches while working on this shawl because there was a mistake. I decided to change the pattern from 'make one left or right' to a yarn over because I could not see the pattern well and lace-weight yarn is oh so fiddly. I am happy with my decision but the unknitting took forever! (well it felt like forever but maybe it was an hour...) I am on the border and that is so close to a finish! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How was your weekend? My weekend was swell, we celebrated my husband's birthday all weekend long. On Saturday, we did a few errands, stopped at the local library for a look-see, then dropped into Whole Foods for some special cupcakes. Later in the evening we ordered pizza.  On Sunday we continued celebrating and eating those cupcakes but thankfully they are gone today. Phew! We talked to our kids and some family members who called to say 'Happy Birthday'. I haven't been knitting much but I am knitting and enjoying my projects. Below is the colorful shawl, I'm making steady progress and love how each row gets longer and longer. 

  Good morning! How are you on this first day of March? March!, can you believe it? Time just fly by sometimes and sometimes it moves at a snail's pace. I love winter but I have to confess, I'm excited about spring jacket wearing weather.  With a new season so close to arriving, I'm thinking of goals. Personal goals, menu planning goals and what I want to focus on.  Whenever the summer schedule is released at school, I might do more exercise classes, maybe. I enjoy Tai Chi so much, maybe I would like the others and the only way to know is to try one out. What I choose depends on what class it is and when it is offered. I try to bundle my classes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I like Thursdays and Fridays free for my regular life and other commitments. My knitting goals are to not have knitting goals. I am thoroughly enjoying my free and easy knitting time. Below is a shawl I started early in January. After a month long break from it, I have returned to leisurely kn...

  Good morning! How are all of you?  I'm still recovering. I know what a sad sentence to write. Early on Friday morning, 7:40 am, I snagged a doctor's appointment for my sinus infection that is now an ear infection in both ears and my hearing is compromised in one ear. I'm on a different antibiotic and a round of prednisone.  I'm still trying to schedule an ENT appointment, wish me luck! I have been knitting up a STORM people!! I don't know what's got into me. I think it's because the company has left, I'm not in classes at the university at the moment and I am motivated to cast on all the new shiny things. It's a wonderful feeling. The top photo is a shawl with changing colors that is thoroughly addicting. I chose a Helen Stewart pattern that I have knit before so it's like being with a best buddy. I won't tell you how I had to unknit twice four rows of knitting because I wasn't paying attention. Below is a baby blanket for my nephew...

  Good morning! How is your January going so far?  I am getting better but not fast enough for my liking. I need to work on that state of mind, I meditate daily but need to accept my reality. Yesterday,  my iphone alerted me that I am not as active as I usually am. Boy did I get angry at my phone. Doesn't it know I'm ill? (I did change the settings so that the phone doesn't alert me to any 'trends' in exercising and minds its own business). Part of the reason I took it so personally is because I am itching to get back to my exercise routine, I miss it so!! My plan is for Monday morning easing back as long as I feel up to it. We are supposed to get snow, my husband is hoping it's a little bit and I am hoping it's many inches. He had his summer season of glory, I need to have my own season. My physical body might be in recovery mode but my creativity is bursting. I have cast on a new shawl will that color changing yarn in the photo above. Frodo approves of the...

  Well lookie see, I finished the last hitchhiker shawl last night. This is the third hitchhiker shawl from my summer knitting series and it is the last one for quite some time to come. I enjoyed this knit as all the other shawl knits but I am looking forward to not knitting a shawl for quite some time. It's time to start knitting for the grands for Christmas. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How was your weekend?  Mine was relaxing. After we returned home on Thursday from seeing the grandchildren in Indiana, my Friday was a catch up day. Saturday and Sunday were completely relaxing.  Saturday I fiddled about with organizing my online photos for 2020, 2021 and 2022 (yes woefully behind but done!). I still have to save some photos on this computer to save to a flash drive yet. Isn't it silly to be virtually organizing? Remember when we had physical copies of everything and would place the photos in photo albums? Saturday afternoon, I read books and worked on the last hitchhiker shawl (still not done). Sunday after Mass, I did laundry and cleaned the house somewhat. I read some more and knitted some more. That last hitchhiker shawl is taking forever but I am so close to being finished. I'm sure we are still going to have hot weather but honestly it's been refreshing to be cold in the mornings and see the changes in the trees. Fall is rushing in a...

  This week I've been working on this last hitchhiker shawl of the summer. I have been enjoying the ease of this project, so simple for me to pick up and knit a little bit and put down. I have not tested this with talking at the same time, I'm sure I would make mistakes under those test conditions, ha ha. The sock yarn for this shawl was F R E E. Yup! my sister asked me if I would like the yarn that was given to her by someone who didn't want the yarn. Lucky for me I thought it would make a great shawl. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! I finished the second hitchhiker shawl of this summer season and am extremely pleased with the results. That pop of blue trim steals the show. Of course, I cast on a third hitchhiker shawl and this one will be the last hitchhiker shawl for the time being. I will then switch to full force fall knitting!! What are you working on this week?

  I added that pop of blue yarn for the nearly finished hitchhiker shawl . I am so close to being finished! I did not knit in the car on the way to and from Cambridge, MA last weekend. I just didn't feel like it. Sometimes I do knit and sometimes I just talk to my husband and look out the window.  What are you working on this week?

  Did you know this is the summer of 'do I have enough yarn for this project?'. I kind of like it because it gives me something to think about and provides an excellent opportunity to go through my yarn stash to solve the possible problem.  This is the second hitchhiker of the summer and I am 35 ish teeth done (I forget the count). I am going to start another one when this is finished. What have you been working on this week?

  The Happy List: - blue skies - cloudy skies - early morning walks with Frodo - the quietness of the mornings - the no plan plan (doing nothing?) - reading lots - sketching some -inspiration from others - reorganizing art supplies - big salads - lemon poppyseed dressing - green goddess dressing - romaine lettuce - radishes - back patio dining - sour dough bread  - endless reading and gobbling up knowledge - heavy eyes while reading (the best doze ever) - steady stitching on a sampler - phone chats with kids - lunch out with my husband - tv watching at night - daily journaling  What would make your happy list?

  As of last night, I have 22 teeth made and have many many more to go on this hitchhiker shawl . Since July started, I've been slacking off on the daytime knitting and only knitting in the evenings. I've been in a reading mood most afternoons. I do this every year and know that I will be energized to knit more when the autumn season approaches. What are you working on this week?

 Good morning! How are you all doing this fine day? I am so thankful that it's the day after July 4th and I will hopefully have a quiet evening. The past two evenings were noisy with neighbors shooting off fireworks. I am grateful that Frodo is hard of hearing and slept peacefully. I wish I could say the same for me (sleeping peacefully that is)!! I started another hitchhiker shawl as soon as I finished the last one. As you know, I work on this in the evenings while watching TV. It's the perfect project to have in the summer - mindless enough but interesting enough.  What are you working on this week?

 I completed this shawl yesterday afternoon and remembered to photographed it. I enjoyed this knit because of the ease of memorizing the pattern and the repetitiveness of the rows. This kind of knitting is meditative and therapeutic for me, also I can watch a TV show without too many errors. The yarn, Knit Picks Chroma was a bit splitty since it is a single ply yarn but the beautiful color changes make up for that flaw. I have started another hitchhiker and can't wait to see how this one turns out as well. What are you working on this week?

  I continue to work on the hitchhiker shawl , mostly in the evenings while watching some TV shows. I have around 35 teeth already completed. Luckily for me, I have a second skein to get to the 41 teeth goal or maybe beyond? I'm thinking of making yet another one after I did through my yarn stash. This might be the summer of hitchhiker shawls. Something easy and portable.  What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! Phew, all that baby knitting is behind me and I've been focusing on a super simple knit - the Hitchhiker . According to Ravelry, this is my third one but it definitely will not be my last. I usually work on this shawl in the evenings when I'm watching TV. During the day I've been cross stitching a baby birth sampler.  What are you working on this week?

  Last week I finished this lovely shawl that was in my knitting bag for almost a whole year. Yikes! As I suspected the magic is in the blocking. I love the simple design of a ribbing that slowly widens as well as the shawl looking like a seashell. A clever design. I just might knit this pattern again but I would go up a needle size or maybe two needle sizes. Knitting on size 3 needles made the shawl take forever!  Ravelry notes