Pumpkin Sunrise

  Hello! How are you doing? My knitting progress has been fantastic. I'll admit the cool weather helps motivate me immensely. First off, I finished those socks and am now done with sock holiday knitting. I like the way they turned out and will probably not knit socks until mid December for my husband, but never say never. Below is the progress of my grandson's holiday sweater . I am thoroughly enjoying this project, the yarn is divine and the pattern is easy-peasy. I hope to finish the first sleeve today. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing today? My knitting news is quite thin, but I am knitting every day and I'm so very close to finishing these  socks which are a holiday gift. I'm confident I will finish them tonite. I've been enjoying knitting socks lately and this pair is turning out so nicely. I love the simple seed stitch bands in between the stockinette rows. (four rows seed stitch, six rows stockinette). I love anything repetitive and easy to break up the monotony of endless stockinette stitching. Also it makes it super easy to match the socks exactly without measuring. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? My past week was filled with classes and appointments. I am ready for a super boring weekend! In the above photo are the mums (chrysanthemums) I bought in memory of dear Frodo (who I miss so much!) and they are now blooming. So far the deer are leaving them alone. Sometimes you never know what the deer will eat up.  I love seeing my flowers and remembering our sweet boy! Holly the cat is getting ever so bold and brave now that her nemesis is gone. She still checks the loveseat where he slept which I find quite funny. She is very concerned that he might be there. She now lays in sunbeams in the kitchen and comes visit me briefly while I am knitting. Maybe one day she will snuggle. I had a cardiology appointment last week to discuss shortness of breath while exercising and he decided to discontinue one of my blood pressure meds (yay) thinking that is what was causing my symptoms. As a precaution he ordered an exercise stress test which I did yesterda...

  Good morning! My knitting news is very scant this week. I did not knit over the weekend I was so exhausted each day and even on traveling days I was too nervous to focus on my knitting or even read a book. However, I am home and I am once more knitting in the evenings. The above photo is the last pair of socks for a Christmas present (first sock). I've mentioned this before, but I've scaled back my holiday gift knitting significantly so I wouldn't be 'stressed' out and I wouldn't initiate an arthritis flare. So far this is working out for me! I am in a lot of classes this first half of the fall session. In mid October my schedule will ease up a bit and then I can dive deeply into knitting. What are you working on this week?

  Yesterday was our 37th wedding anniversary, time does fly! We went out for a celebration lunch before my appointment with the ortho doctor to recheck my cracked elbow. I am so excited that I am medically cleared to live my life, return to my exercise routine and I have a clean bill of health. I've found that when I exercise, I feel so much better and the past two weeks of 'just walking' isn't enough. I am grateful. We are adjusting to our quiet house and our cat-only house. I drove to the kennel and the groomer to deliver cookies and thanked them for the way they loved Frodo. At home my husband and I continually are amazed at how much time we have gained without him. Such a weird state of existence. I have also gained a lot of brain space now that I am not worrying about him. He was declining in health since the end of May when he was hospitalized. We balanced hope and reality with each vet visit. My classes start up in two weeks and I will be BUSY. Gah! I am excited ...

  My knitting has been minimal since I traveled to see the kids in Indiana last weekend. I did do some sock knitting on the way there but then the AC in the car went intermittent. The car was too hot for me to knit and I ached so I didn't do anything but grumble. Of course being with wiggly little ones made it impossible to knit!! (I was happy with the wigglers). I pulled out my sweater yesterday and worked on the body edge ribbing. I have two more rows and then I get to do sleeves!!  What are you working on this week?

  Yesterday evening I finished these socks which will be a Christmas gift. I hope the gift recipient will love them. I created a simple design to break up the monotony of the stockinette knitting. I did 4 rows of stockinette, 1 purl row, 4 rows of 1x1 ribbing, 1 purl row. Then I repeated that. It was a nice diversion. Thank you for your well wishes and happy thoughts about Frodo. He was the best dog ever and he is living free and easy in doggie heaven. We have Holly (the cat) to devote all of our love and attention to for now. She is the Queen Bee of the house!! We are adjusting to all the free time we have now that we are not taking care of an elderly dog. Bittersweet! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? I am blissfully knitting the second sock this week and loving the project. I snapped this photo yesterday and I am now at the heel flap.  My knitting has slowed down some (again) because I fell on Sunday in the kitchen doing something un-smart and my left arm and wrist has been aching since. Yesterday after dinner I decided to go to urgent care to make sure everything was okay because I had wrist pain. Luckily for me, my wrist was fine but my elbow has a little fracture in it. Luckily for me, I am in a sling and not a cast and I am allowed to knit. I'm supposed to have a follow up with an ortho doctor in two weeks, scheduling can be a challenge though. What are you working on this week?

  How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good over all. The weather has been beautiful! Low humidity, sunny skies, mid 70's equals a picture-perfect outdoor weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday I walked longer than usual taking advantage of the weather. If summer was like this all the time, I would not wish it away like I usually do. As you can see, I am on the second sock and loving the free and easy knitting. I did some marathon reading of The Princess Bride .   I am quite amused by the book and I recommend it! We didn't do much of anything this weekend - we talked about boring stuff like lawn care (dirt patches from the lack of rain) while sitting on the back patio.  How was your weekend?

  How was your weekend? Both Saturday and Sunday were relaxing and chill. I worked on the above sock each evening while during the day I worked on my sweater. Nothing super exciting happened over the weekend. That makes it the perfect weekend for me!! The weather was so humid and warm that it was challenging for me to feel my very best. This week is going to be hot and I need to accept that summer is here to stay. That doesn't stop me from wishing for fall to arrive though.  Below is a beautiful photo of Holly looking so pretty. She is an elusive cat, but sometimes she sits and poses for a photo. Yesterday was one of those days. How was your weekend?

  Good morning! How are you? How is your crafting coming along? I finally took a decent photo of my gift socks . Oh how I love working on these! I am on the heel flap since taking this photo earlier in the week. I'm zooming along. I have one more pair of socks I'd like to knit and give as a Christmas gift then I am onto knitting some ornaments. I've decided to not marathon knit numerous gnomes to save me from an arthritis flare. I love knitting gnomes but I cannot control myself with pacing the knitting (yet) so I am taking a seasonal year off. My wrists will thank me! What are you working on this week?

  Hello! How are you?  After a week of dry hot weather, we finally had some rain. Our area is still behind in rain accumulation but the bit we had helped a lot. Frodo and I walk early in the mornings before the sun has a chance to be intense. I've flipped my whole morning routine around so I can get some exercise.  I'm enjoying the quiet this week. Nothing going on and oodles of time to read or knit. I started a pair of gift socks only to rip it all out and start over again. They were too big?! I love when I make rookie mistakes, it's humbling.  Frodo had his vet recheck. He is doing much better and clinically has minimal symptoms, but his liver is still wonky, but not alarmingly wonky. I'm grateful his symptoms are under control once more and he acts like his old self (annoying at times, lol). He will see the vet again in October when he is FIFTEEN years old. He hates the vet and lets her know it. I've been exercising more in the house and incorporating more streng...

  Good morning! How are you? There is something so satisfying as to be knitting a wool sweater during an oppressive heat wave. I know it's crazy, but it's true. I feel so defiant! I've been enjoying this knit and the promise of cooler weather in my future. Also if you know me, you know that I love to knit with thin wool, so knitting with worsted weight wool feels fast and furious! I finished the mini leg warmers a few days ago. I did not enjoy knitting these because the yarn kept splitting. They are a gift that I believe will be well received.  What are you working on this week?

  How was your weekend? On Saturday, my local family arrived for a picnic at my house. We sat outside for about an hour then headed indoors because the heat became too much. Most of Saturday morning, I got ready for the picnic. I'm so grateful that family brought dishes to share which made my work in the kitchen manageable. After everyone left, I had the house put back together again before I went to bed. Did I take a photo? Nope. I was in the moment! On Sunday morning, I went to 7:30 am Mass then came home to do one load of laundry since I did much of the laundry the day before my work was easy. I rested the whole afternoon and evening. I read a ton and knitted a little bit.  As you can see, I am knitting the sweater and I still have that last leg warmer to finish up. It will be done today! 

  How are you? What have you been working on this week? My knitting has been slow since the weekend. Above is a photo of the leg warmers for my mother in law. They are coming along nicely. I cannot wait to be finished with this project so I can start a new project. I have yet to decide what the new project is but you will be the first to know. Frodo was unwell again, hence the lack of knitting time. However, we are on the road to solutions for him. I have great difficulty getting an appointment with his regular vet because of their limited hours and the days they are opened. On Monday, I successfully obtained an appointment and he received a thorough examination. He has a history of a wonky liver for the past four years without symptoms (schnauzer thing) and it is flaring up and causing symptoms now. That is why he is having repeated bouts of diarrhea and un-wellness. The vet has a medicine treatment plan for him and is quite confident we can get him back to his regular self. We h...

  Good morning! It's a steamy hot day today and I'm sitting inside loving the AC, also I am grateful I have AC. My knitting update isn't very exciting. We had company over the weekend and yesterday I spent the whole day recovering from a brief (but painful) stomach virus. I'm fine now but all I did was nap on and off the entire day. I also slept great through the night! The leg warmers for my mother in law are coming along nicely. I am nearing the end of the stockinette part of the first leg warmer. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How was your weekend? My weekend was wonderful. I enjoyed having a healthy dog and all the benefits of a healthy dog. Frodo finished his medications on Sunday morning. We are back to walking daily, not as far as in the colder weather but still a nice walk. I walk him a little bit, take him back to the house then I finish my walk on my own. I love having my walking buddy back! Both Saturday and Sunday afternoons, I knit some and read some. I try my best to make my weekends feel like weekends with lots of relaxation. On Sunday morning, I attended 7:30 AM Mass while my husband and brother in law worked on replacing the deck stairs.  Below is a photo of calf (leg?) warmers (?). My mother in law requested socks with no feet to keep her calves warm in the winter. So I'm making a pair of socks with no feet - this should be a speedy knit. How was your weekend?

  Good morning! How are you? How's the crafting been going for you? I am surprised that I finished these pair of socks amidst the stress of Frodo's illness, but when you are sitting with a dog for long periods of time you end up with some knitting time. These socks are the last pair I'm knitting for my husband, but they are not the last pair of socks that I am knitting. I will be making some pairs of socks for holiday gifts this year. While the yarn was nice to work with in my hands, I did not like the super long repeat of colors and I found the colors too muted for my liking.  In other news, Frodo is back to his old annoying self! He is slightly thinner than before and maybe a tiny bit fatigued. He is still on many medicines until the weekend but we are thrilled to see him acting like his usual self. Thank you for all the well wishes! He felt them and I am grateful for them. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning lovely people! How are you today? My knitting has come to a screeching halt this week because after we picked up Frodo from the kennel on Friday evening, he started with unrelenting diarrhea and we were on 24/7 nursing care. We took him to a vet practice on Saturday morning and the medicines they prescribed did not work. Yesterday morning I drove him 50 minutes up north (as opposed to going south towards the city) and he was seen at an emergency vet hospital that has 24/7 nursing care. He was admitted for dehydration and I was so glad!!  He is expected to make a full recovery.  My socks are coming along, I even knit another inch after I snapped the photo above. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? My knitting has been on fantastic. I continue to limit how much time I spend on my knitting so I avoid and prevent a wrist flare coming back. I have been quite successful. Since I'm limiting the amount of time I knit, my progress is slow. The socks are coming along nicely. Today I should be at the heel flap and once I turn a heel the rest is down hill for me. I swore these were the last pair of socks but I will be making more just not for my husband. I a few people I could knit socks for the holidays. I'm still thinking about it. The lace scarf  (which is a holiday gift) is growing! I love to sit and do a few repeats each day mid morning. I cannot do anything else since it's lacework so it's meditative for me. What are you working on this week?