Stash-N-Stitch

Some Progress Being Made

2012-02-05T12:23:00.000-05:00

Since I am in the progress of creating a few more items, but have nothing yet finished to share, I thought I would just give you a report on how things are going. Don't want to stay away too long, or I'll forget to come back one day. LOL And don't laugh, at my age, these things do happen. :)

First, my socks....

I am doing cables every 7th row, on this pair. This is the "Very Berry" colorway from KnitPicks that I acquired through their clearance sale. It is superwash merino wool (75%) and nylon (25%). I'll have more details when they are finished.

Second, the "Cat's Paw" scarf.....

I started this scarf once before, got about 6" done, and decided it wasn't exactly as I wanted it. So I frogged what I'd done, and started over, and decided I wanted to add beads this time. I have quite a few crystal beads left over from a shawl I made early last year, and decided to see how they would look. So I cast on again, and began to add the beads. After adding a bead into the center of each paw in the first pattern section and third section, I decided that was too many beads. I don't want them weighing the scarf down, and this yarn is a silk/wool blend in lace weight, so very light, and doesn't need a lot of beads stretching it out either.

If you look closely, as you go up the scarf, in the 5th pattern section, I placed a bead in the center of each of the two central paws, and then on the 7th pattern section, I placed a bead in the center of each of the two outer paws. And I am continuing in this manner, 2 center paws, then 2 outter paws, throughout. I think this is going to be enough beads to make it interesting, without weighing down the yarn, and I will do the beading on the finished end to match the beading that was done in the first 3 pattern sections, to even it all out.

And last, but not least, the shawl......

I haven't gotten too far into it yet, but it is going very well. I love working lace work, but it does not like me, because I have a terrible problem remembering yarn over's. I have done very well with this shawl, so far. Knock on wood. It is a fairly basic feather and fan styled pattern, so maybe I'll manage quite well through this one. I sure hope so. I love the yarn, and it's working up very nicely.

On the spinning front, I have completed half of my roving, and have moved on to the second bobbin with the second half, and about half way done spinning that. So hopefully, I'll have some new homespun yarn to share too.

Our Winter has continued to please and surprise us, and it will definitely be one to go down into the record books. And even with all the great weather we've had to this point, I am still amazed at how lovely it has been, now into the month of February. Just amazing! I hope everyone is having a Winter to remember, as I am.

Take care and keep well. And most of all.........keep smiling. :)

Projects Finished - On To The Next

2012-01-29T13:04:00.000-05:00

It's been a very busy couple weeks, working on several projects all at once, but it sure prevented any chance of getting bored. I finished the homespun scarf, my son's hat and scarf, and the teddy bear. Today I am here to say I've now finished the 5 pc baby set, the "make-up" pair of socks for my daughter, and then a little hat I threw in there, just for the fun of it. LOL

Using Opal Grafitti yarn, and size 2.5 mm circular needles, I cast on 64 stitches, and knit up a pair of ribbed, slightly cabled socks. Basically, they are 2 x 2 ribbed socks, but every 7 rows I passed the left knit stitch over the right knit stitch, to make tiny little cables. It was more to make the knitting of them a little more interesting than anything, but I rather like the look of it too. As soon as I finished knitting the socks, I took this photo, and then handed them to my daughter. I was taking no chances on losing these babies, like I did the last pair.

Then on to the 5 pc. baby set. The last I posted, I had finished the jacket and begun work on the dress. Progress was steady and I have now completed the set.

The yarn is Bernat Baby Coordinates in the "Sweet n Sunny" colorway. Needles used, size 2.25mm circular needle and 2.75 circular needle. The pattern called for cotton yarn, but on the day I was shopping for the yarn, I couldn't find any that I liked for this outfit, so I used the Bernat instead. It finished up nicely, but I was often annoyed by the splitting of the white strand running all through it, so I would definitely go with something different if I ever knit this up again.

The pattern is by Patsy Leatherbury, and I have looked high and low to share it with you, but I simply could not find it. I acquired the pattern when I was subscribed to "Annie's Attic FREE Pattern of the Day." The site is no longer offering this service, but even when they did, you had to get the pattern that very day as it would be another pattern featured the next day. So I do apologize that I cannot share with you the details of the pattern or where to get it.

This basically concludes the projects that I started about a month back, but I guess it was not all quite enough, because in between working these and the last few projects, I suddenly threw in another one. Something quick, that caught my eye, and I just "had to make it."

I found this crocheted hat pattern on Ravelry. It's the Ridged Hat w/Brim by Kool Stitch. I did not make the flower for it, because I was so excited about finishing the hat, I totally forgot about it until now, looking at the pattern again. LOL I love the design, and the fit is good, but the yarn I used is not suitable. Too flimsy for the hat. I am definitely going to make this again, but I will use a firmer yarn the next time, and I'll try and remember to make the flower to trim it with too.

I also found a knit hat, similar to this, but it was much too floppy (again, wrong choice of yarn) and too big as well. I plan to try that one again too, using a firmer yarn and a smaller needle.

Now I have moved on to new projects, but still working on a couple of unfinished ones as well. The "Cat's Paw" scarf was frogged, and I've started over again with smaller needles, and so far I'm liking it better now, so I will continue on this and see how that goes. I've also begun the Mohair shawl from the kit I purchased early this month, and posted here at the time. And I have cast on and begun to knit a pair of socks for myself, with the "Very Berry" merino yarn I bought from KnitPicks. On the spinning front, I'm working with pink Icelandic roving right now. Mixed feelings about how it's spinning for me, but I will stick with it. Right now I'm not overly impressed by this roving, and that could be the fault of the person that made the roving, and not Icelandic wool in general. I'll have to wait and try other fleeces before I make a final judgement on that.

For now, that's it for me. Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend, and that the coming week will be a good one for you and yours.

Take care, keep well, and keep smiling ............ :)

Mid-January Update

2012-01-17T12:49:00.000-05:00

There has been a little progress as I continue to press on with this and that, or whatever. First, there is some new homespun.

According to my calculations, I have 150 yards of this "Fairy Batt" wool. It weighs 2 3/4 oz. and I'm guessing it is sport weight in thickness. Forgot to measure that. I purchased this wool at the Endless Mtns. Fiber Festival last September. I loved the color of it. What you can't see is the very fine gold fibers that are woven all through it, and which catch the light as you move and turn it. It is a very soft green. I don't even know what kind of wool it is. It was pretty, so I bought it. My heart took over because my head was certainly not thinking straight. LOL Have no idea what I'll make of it, but most likely a little scarf as an accessory item. Not enough yarn for much of anything else, really.

On the knitting front, as part of a baby set which includes a dress, small jacket and booties, I have finished the jacket and have begun work on the dress.

The yarn is Bernat Baby Coordinates, the colorway is "Sweet 'N Sunny." in shades of peach, yellow and white with a strand of shimmer. Another time when I went for something that caught my eye, and really didn't think about how I was going to be using it. In my defense I will add that when I purchased the yarn I also had not picked out what baby set I was going to make. Again, not very smart I suppose. I should have settled on what to make first and then bought the yarn, but I seldom think that way, I'm afraid. Although I think it's very pretty, and I know it's very soft, the strand of shimmer is a pain if you have to frog any of it, and it splits easily. But I am making do, as I always do.

For some reason, even after working the lace work on the body and sleeves of the jacket, when I started the bottom of the dress back last night, I kept screwing up over and over. It's only 6 rows of lace work, but I've knit it 4 times now, having frogged it 3 times before finally getting it right. I was beginning to get worried, but I think I started work on it when I was over tired, and should have waited until today. After tearing out all the stitches for the third time, I picked it up this morning, and knit the lace work without a single hitch. I guess a good night's rest was all I really needed. :)

We are having some very nasty and very Wintry weather here today. Freezing rain and sleet which is supposed to turn to all rain, before turning back to snow by the end of the day. I'm glad that I have no need to be leaving the house, and I hope all those that must are kept safe from harm.

Take care, keep well, and keep smiling............ :)

FO #3 and Half of FO#4

2012-01-15T15:30:00.001-05:00

Moving right along here, I now have another project I can put aside as finished. The scarf, to match one of the hats I knit up for my son. This was the hat he liked best, and the only one that had enough yarn left over to make a scarf with.

The last time I saw my son, he was on his way out with a friend, and wearing this hat and scarf. I guess that says "I like it Mom." :) The scarf is not quite as long as I wanted it to be, but he can fold it in half, put it around his neck, and pull the two ends through the loop and it stays put, so as far as he is concerned, it is long enough. I'm not going to argue. The yarn is Red Heart, using the Yarn Harlot's "One Row Scarf" pattern, and US #9 needles. This project is officially finished.

The next project, I can show good progress on, is one sock (of a pair) I'm now making for my daughter, to replace the pair I lost.

Thank goodness, my dear sister Ruthie, sent me 2 skeins of Opal Graffiti yarn. I still feel just horrid over losing the first pair I made for my daughter. She was waiting patiently for them, and then Xmas day arrives, and there were no socks under the tree for her. She had seen them, even tried them on to make sure they fit, but they were gone. So I really want to get these done quickly, because I promised her a pair for Xmas, and then did not honor my word of promise to her. I am still not able to find the missing pair. But these will do just fine. Opal is a very fine fingering yarn, and I used 2.50 mm (US#1) circular needles, with a cast on of 64 stitches. It felt great on my foot, so I know it will fit her too. Now on to finish this pair and put them behind me too.

I have made good progress with my spinning the last couple days, and should have a hank of homespun to share with you soon, as well.

We are enjoying a gorgeous sunny day, although bitterly cold. It was all of 7º this morning, and even now, in the late afternoon, it is only 15º. But we are not buried under a mountain of snow, nor covered in inches of ice, so I am not complaining. I hope the sun is shining upon you today as well.

Off to do a bit more knitting. Take care, keep well, and remember..............
keep smiling. :)

FO #2

2012-01-12T19:28:00.000-05:00

Since I had a head start with this one, it's not something I have only been working on since the start of 2012. This one I started back around September, maybe even before that, but it kept getting pushed to the side for other things. Then I would take it out, make 1 or 2 more pieces, and then lay aside again, because something else would catch my eye. Very unlike me, most of the time. But on occasion it does happen.

My Teddy Bear ....................

Taken from Simply Baby by Debby Bliss, I found it here, a free download. The pink scarf is my own addition.

This little bear is very easy to make, and can be made any size, depending on the needle size and yarn weight you choose to use. I used the recommended baby yarn and US# 1 needles. The bear is about 10" or so standing.

The pattern uses cut pieces of felt for the eyes and nose. I didn't have any felt laying around, so I crocheted the eyes and sewed on the nose. A bit crooked, but it gives the little guy character, right?

After I posted all the new projects I have started, and showed you a glimpse of some the new ones I will be making later, I found a couple more I had ALREADY started before the new year and forgotten about.

A wool/silk lace scarf being done in the "Cat's Paw" lace pattern.

Another green lace kitchen curtain that has about 4" done on it so far, to match the first one I finished early last year.

And an "Easy Peolo Purse" bye Cari Clement. A cute little crocheted purse, about the size of a clutch bag. Nice for storing your crochet hooks in, if you wished. :)

There has been progress on the baby dress and sweater set. I have the sweater nearly finished now, just needing one sleeve. On the pair of socks for my daughter, I am now decreasing the gusset stitches, and will be on to the foot of the sock soon, and it will be smooth sailing after that, then on to the second sock. I have not yet cast on for my own socks, and there has not been a lot of progress on Barry's scarf, but there was some. But I have managed to get in a good amount of time spinning, so I might have some new yarn to share with everyone in the near future.

Guess that's it for this time. I hope to have another FO for you soon. I must press on because there is much to be done and time is always short.

Have a great weekend and keep smiling..................... :)

Multiple Projects = No Boredom Here

2012-01-09T09:18:00.000-05:00

Normally, I am a one-project-at-a-time type of person, but at the start of 2012, I began several projects, going in all different directions. And I actually finished something too!

So I will begin with the finished project - a scarf I knitted from the homespun yarn I created with the "art batts" given to me by Heather Woolove back in September of last year, at our little Fiber Festival.

This is the "One Row Homepsun Scarf" designed by The Yarn Harlot. I also want to add, this pattern works great with any yarn, not just homespun. It's quick, easy, and makse a very attractive scarf, in my opinion anyway. :) Thank you Heather, for the gift of your batts. This is my first completed spinning AND knitted project for 2012.

Other projects I have begun are a pair of socks for my daughter, to replace the ones I made for her as a Xmas gift, and then lost somewhere. Yes, they have to be here somewhere, but I still have not found them, so I am going to replace them for now. If and when I do find them, that will be wonderful, as then she will have 2 pair of new handmade socks to keep her feet warm. I know that with her, they won't be worn out any too quickly. She runs barefoot 90% of the time, but she probably will wear them to bed. :)

I have begun a little knit set for my BFF Kate's new granddaughter, due in April. The set includes a dress with a little sweater, and booties, which I will most likely change the pattern to make socks instead. The socks stay on the feet better, especially if you make the cuff long enough.

I'm still working on the Teddy Bear for the same upcoming birth. I have but one limb to finish now, and then that can be stitched together and stuffed. So maybe by my next posting, I'll have that finished to share with you.

I'm making another "One Row Scarf" for my son, to match one of the new hats I just gave him. There were 3 hats from left-over yarns I found laying around, and the one he liked best had enough yarn, I hope, to make him a scarf. I doubt it's going to be a very long one, but it should be long enough.

Then there are the projects I am definitely going to make sometime in the near future, and have begun preparing for them even now.

A pair of socks for myself, a new shawl, and a pair of boot style slippers.

I have been looking at these patterns in the Mary Maxim catalog, for well over a year, and especially the shawl, I've actually drooled over all these many months. I finally took the plunge and purchased both, which came in kits. I love the boot-style slippers with their big buttons on the cuff. And the shawl, a feather and fan type of pattern, appealed to me in it's simplicity, plus the choice of gorgeous yarns. I can see myself getting more of this yarn, in other colorways, and making more than one of these shawls.

So for now, as you can see, I have no excuse to cry "I'm bored." I have more than enough to keep my hands busy and my mind active. I've also been spinning more as well. And I hope to have some new yarn to show off at some time in the near future as well. When I'll get to knit with it, and what I decide to make, will be a mystery for a while yet. But that's OK. It does have to be spun first before I can begin thinking about those things. At least, for me that's how it works.

I hope everyone has been enjoying the wonderful unseasonably warm Winter as I have. Half way through the season now, and still no real bad snowfalls to complain about, and so far only two that were measurable. Knock on wood, I don't want to jinx us now. This has just been too much fun so far. But even if it all came to an end tomorrow, I have enjoyed it while it lasted, and that can not be taken from me now.

Have a wonderful week, and keep smiling :)

2011 Coming To A Close

2011-12-30T17:46:00.000-05:00

Now that Xmas has come and gone, I am finally able to share with you the entrelac style hat and scarf that I knit for my sister, Ruth (Jessica's Mother).

There is also a pair of "peek-a-boo" mittens to match, and a knit hat for my Brother-in-law, Jeff. Jessica knit her Dad a dark blue scarf, using Lion Brand yarn, so I did my best to match it with this hat. I believe she used "Homespun" yarn, and I used a heavy worsted, so they are not identical, but close enough, I hope.

Santa was very good to me this year. My son purchased a gift certificate for me, from KnitPicks. I could not have been more pleased. I love their yarns, needles, notions, so I will definitely put it to good use. He wants me to buy yarn to knit myself something, because I had made a comment earlier about a person my size needing a LOT of yarn to make even a simple top with. My son told me now I should have no excuse paying for it. LOL We'll see. I might do just that. :)

My sister Ruth sent me some Opal "Graffiti" sock yarn in the partie color, along with a lovely gold hummingbird tree ornament, some German coffee (it was very tasty too) and this adorable little pig, made from a single strand of cleverly coiled silver wire. I now have 3 of these figurines. A very large spider, a gorgeous dragon, and now this little pig. I like rather strange creatures. Pigs, dragons, spiders, bats, to name a few. They are placed close by so I can see them on a regular basis.

And my niece Jessica sent along a few more soft squishy friends to keep me company. Remember the large red Angry Bird Cardinal she sent me earlier? Well, as you can see, I now have a piglet and an Angry Canary. The Canary, when you squeeze his head just under the comb on top, it giggles, just like they do in the game when you finally destroy all the pigs. There are 3 giggles. The first is very short, the second a little longer, and the third one is very long, and very sinister sounding toward the end, and it cracks me up every time I hear it. I think I've squeezed poor Canary about 20 times, so far, today alone. LOL Just for the fun of it. There in front is a lovely little TY Tarantula, with a soft furry back, and bright red eyes. I think they call them "beanie babies." I love them, every one.

All this time I have been busy knitting too. This time on a baby blanket for my BFF's new granddaughter coming in April. I have been working on a little teddy bear too, but got so caught up with the blanket, the teddy was put aside for a bit, but since it's nearly finished, I should have that done very soon too. But for now, the Mitered Square Baby Blanket.

Still using up my stash of baby yarn, it came in handy when looking for yarns for this little blanket. It's about 3' x 3', roughly speaking. I knit each square separately, and then stitched them together, and then added a row of single crochet along the outer edge and finished it with a row of scallops, all done on Size US#10 needles. I used double strands of baby yarn throughout, to give it body. Using single strand it would have simply been much too flimsy.

Next, I am still working on a scarf using the green homespun yarn I made from my friend Heather's "art batts." That too is close to being finished. And while sorting through some of my stash, I also found some camouflage colored yarn, and I'm going to use that to make a hat and scarf for my son.

Oh yes, I nearly forgot. Remember the blue/greenish/purplish hat that I spun and knit as a gift for my son? Well, it seems he never gave a second thought as to whether it looked "feminine" or not. He was overjoyed with it, and with his blond hair, it looks very good on him too. He also loved the socks I knit for him, and had them on his feet right away. :)

I have yet to find the socks that I knit for my daughter, but she was tickled to have the entrelac hat, scarf and mittens I had knit for her too. Xmas morning, the 3 of us went out to breakfast at a local Inn. The food was excellent, and it was a very pleasant way to begin the day.

I guess, depending on where you live, you are having whatever type of Winter is coming your way. Winter seems to have forgotten how to get here this year. It is still somewhat delayed, it seems. It was all of 41º today, very unusual for this time of year. Yes, we've had a tiny bit of snow, and yes, we've had some cooler weather. But nothing like what we normally have for November or December. So our Winter is already only half in size, even if January and February become much more normal weather-wise. The days are already beginning to lengthen, and if I think about it hard enough, I will soon begin to smell Spring in the air. It all depends on how you look at it. :)

Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR and best wishes for a wonderful 2012!

Keep smiling.................... :) :) :)

A Few Things To Share

2011-12-23T14:13:00.001-05:00

Although I don't "celebrate" Xmas as many do, I love the sights, sounds, music, and the spirit of the Holiday Season..........the spirit of giving.

At one time, when my children were young, we did have a big tree. Now it's just a little 2 ft. tall, fiber optic tree, but I love how the colors fade in and out and change all the time. It's small and I put no ornaments on it, but I think it's pretty just the same.

Last week, I put in an order with KnitPicks for a few small things I needed, stitch markers, extra cables for my Harmony wood needle set, and since I was on the website, I thought "why not check out whatever might be on clearance?" So that's what I did. And what I found was gorgeous, IMO at least.

This is KnitPicks stroll fingering sock yarn, Hand Painted, 75% Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon. 462 yards/100 grams. The colorway is Berry Patch. The color is so deep and rich, and the yarn is so soft. I can't wait to have it on my feet! I have a feeling it won't be too long in the future either. A gift to myself I guess. :)

A few weeks back I showed you how the local deer were enjoying our apple tree. Well, right before deer season opened, we has one very special visitor, and I have to tell you, when I took this photo, he was no more than 30 feet away from me. If this had been during deer season, and someone with a gun rather than a camera, he would be on the dinner table right now.

An 8 point buck in rut, standing broadside and making a perfect target of himself, as he tries sniffing out does in heat. And there he stood, right in front of me, just a little left of the apple tree. I just had to take the photo, if for no other reason but to prove he was actually there. LOL Gorgeous, isn't he? And no, to my knowledge he was not caught during deer season. So hopefully, he will be out there to breed again next year.

And on the gardening front.............last Summer, friends (Matthew & Wendy) gave me a Mandevilla vine (Alice DuPont). It grew beautifully and bloomed all Summer, and actually reached it's peak in blossoms just as temperatures were getting cool enough to worry about a hard frost killing it off. But before that happened I cut it back a little and brought it inside, and it continued blooming for several weeks. But after a while, the leaves started dying off, because the days were just too short, and it wasn't getting enough light. At that time I cut it all the way back, and then crossed my fingers. Well, here it is, and since I took this photo, it has grown even more. It's looking great, and I'm hoping I can contain it without doing too much damage, until I can once again place it outside, in the full light of day, and then it can grow all it wants again. I am hoping to do just that, but not sure if I can. The last time I tried that with another Mandevilla, several years ago, it didn't work. Maybe I'll have better luck this time.

As for myself, I seem to be falling apart. The socks that I knit for my daughter, to give her for a Xmas gift, have disappeared. While wrapping her gifts yesterday I discovered them missing, and I have looked everywhere I can possibly think of that they might be, and they are just not. I had set up a box in my bedroom, and as each knitted gift was finished, I took a photo of it, and then placed it in that box. All of the gifts were there..............but her socks. I am hoping, at this point, that I just might have mistakenly mailed them off to my sister, living in Germany, with her gifts. And so I have spoken to her via Skype, and explained the situation. She will be on the lookout and will let me know Xmas day. If she does not have them, then I am truly befuddled. And I will then have to knit my daughter another pair, as she was really looking forward to receiving them.

Also, last evening I awoke around 1 AM, needing a bathroom break, and rather than slip into my bedroom slippers AS I ALWAYS DO, I grabbed my cane, and rushed to the bathroom, being very groggy and off balance, and smashed my foot right into my METAL cane! OMG did that hurt. When I climbed back into bed I realized that it still hurt quite a bit, but I was just so tired, I ignored it, lay back and was out like a light in no time. Then this morning, as I was getting up for the day, I slipped into my slippers, and it was quickly evident it was not just a minor bumping. My toe was still extremely sore. As I pulled my foot out of the slipper to look, I found my poor toe (the one next to the pinky toe) was purple, blue and black. OUCH! Guess I won't be running into the bathroom WITHOUT slippers again! :)

Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope everyone gets all he wished for.

Happy Holidays to one and all......................... :)

Last of the Xmas FO's & Other Things

2011-12-17T17:45:00.000-05:00

I finally managed to finish the last of my Xmas gifts. One a planned gift, the other, just something that I felt the urge to do at the last minute, just for the fun of it.

I finally finished my son, Barry's, socks. As he wears a size 12 shoe, they are not that tiny, and compared to the other pair I just finished, you will definitely see what I am talking about. I didn't weave in the end of the yarn on the toes, because I want to see them on his feet before I do that. Just in case they need a little more toe, or even if they might need a bit less. It will be easy to frog out the end stitches and make whatever adjustments I might need to make, but I am hoping they will fit just fine, as they are, and then I can just finish them up. I know he is going to be thrilled with them. He has the one pair I made for him last year, and he wears them all the time.

These were made with Patons Kroy Socks yarn, a fingering yarn, 75% superwash wool, 25% nylon, using US #2 needles. The color is #55012, and it's been a long time since the last time I knit with Kroy Socks yarn, and I was really pleased by how soft it was in the hand. It was a joy to work with because it seemed to be massaging my hand as I knit them up. Can't complain about that. :)

The other pair of socks that I just finished were a last minute idea, but I think they will be enjoyed and appreciated. These are a pair of Granddaughter socks, for my BFF Kate, who is expecting a new granddaughter in April of 2012.

As you recall, about a week ago, maybe a bit longer, I finished a pair of socks for my BFF Kate. There was a nice sized ball of yarn left over, so after I finished my son's socks, with plenty of time left, I just thought, wouldn't that be cute if Kate and her new Granddaughter had a pair of matching socks. So I sat down and got to work on them. I finished them up last night, and I am going to wrap them with the socks I made for her, so she can put them on her new granddaughter herself. I think she will get a chuckle out of it. I know I do, just thinking about it. Guess it doesn't take much to make me smile, eh?

Over the last couple of years, since my husband passed away, I have occasionally mentioned a group of ladies that I have "fallen in" with. They make up the "Little Ladies Sewing Club" here in Lakewood, PA. It may have begun as a sewing only group, but today it is a hodge-podge of needlecrafting. Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, counted cross stitch, needlepoint, whatever. If you use needles to do it, we have members to represent the craft. The large majority of our members are now widows, (and several members over 80 years of age) but we do have several long-married members that still enjoy the company of their spouses, but also enjoy the company of our fellow members twice a month. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month, and this past Wednesday we held a covered dish luncheon. At this luncheon any husbands that wish to come were invited to join us, and we also invited a few of the elderly widowers in the community too. Each of the ladies brought a covered dish to pass around, and it's amazing how we manage to pull this off without duplicate dishes, but we do, and we did. There was more than enough food to feed everyone, with plenty to spare.

As you can see, there are plenty of smiles to go around, so I think everyone there had a fun time, not just myself. Our meeting place is the Northern Wayne Library in Lakewood, PA, Wayne County. A few faces were accidentally cut off, or covered by another head, and I do apologize for that. I tried my best to get everyone into the photos, but I guess I am thinking now I should have stood on a chair, above them, to get a better view. Alas, I didn't think of that until after I got home, and uploaded these photos into my computer, and saw that some of the faces were missing or covered. Oh well, I tried. :)

So, now I am all ready for Xmas. I even set up my little 2 foot pre-lit tree today, so that this evening I can enjoy the pretty lights as they fade in and out and change colors. I'm not one for a lot of decorations, but I do enjoy my little tree.

The weather has continued to be exceptional for this time of year, in our area at least. Unseasonably warm for the most part, and totally open, with barely a speck of snow to be found, except on the ski slopes where they are pumping it out continuously with their snow making machines. And so far, from what I've been hearing, if we do have snow for Xmas, it won't be anything to brag about. For me, we have already made it through nearly half of Winter without Winter really showing it's face. That's fine with me. When it does come, it will definitely be over with sooner than usual, and there will be far less of it than in other years. It is saving me money with my fuel oil bill, and I am thankful for that.

I hope the Holiday season is a joyful time for all of you. May all your wishes come true. Have a joyous and loving Holiday Season, and remember, keep smiling........... :)

Moving Right Along- A Few More FO's To Share

2011-12-02T11:01:00.001-05:00

Before I get to the knitted items, I wanted to show you how well my Million Blossoms plant is coming along. Back in the October 30th post, I showed you that I brought the plant inside, cut it back to nothing, and it was just beginning to send out new shoots all over the plants. Well, today it is looking really great. Whether it will bloom before Spring, is another matter. But the foliage, at the moment, is very healthy looking.

I apologize for Lizette. She is much in need of a clipping, but I've been much too busy. Soon I'll have more time for that too. :)

It's been really busy, getting gifts finished, one by one. I have been making progress, thank goodness. Working on a pair of socks for my son right now, and about half way done the first one. Still plenty of time, so I should be safe if all goes according to plan. After the socks, I really have nothing else that MUST be done for Xmas.

But for right now, a few things that I've finished this week and want to share. I doubt the recipient will ever see them on my blog, but just to be safe, I am not mentioning their name. LOL

A pair of socks, just basic in style, but in fun playful colors. The yarn is Filzfrei Max "StrickSpaB", made in Germany, 75% superwash wool, 25% Nylon. No name is given for the colorway. I used US#2 - 32" circular needles, and it took me just about a week to make them. When I really put my mind to it, I can do a pair fairly quickly. Most of the time I am busy with other things as well, and it can then take months to do a single pair of socks. But this time I had to get busy, so I did.

The other item is a "Treasured Neckerchief" from Kerin Dimeler-Laurence, a free pattern on KnitPicks.com.

The yarn is Patons Angora Bamboo, color way is Everglade, and I used US#8 needles. This pattern is worked from the point to the center of the little scarf, and then woven together in the center back. I want to mention just one thing. After completing the pattern as directed, the scarf was much too tight to my way of thinking, and it would not lay right on the neck. So I took it apart, frogged back one row for the decreases to make it consistent with the previous section, and then knit one more pattern repeat for that section, on both halves, and then wove them together again, using the Kitchener for the center part to keep the stockinette stitch seamless. Just those few more extra rows made all the difference, and it then lay very nicely around the neck and felt comfortable too.

This pattern might seem just a little confusing at first, but it really was easy to do, and once you get into it, almost mindless in it's simplicity. It would be a small challenge for a beginning knitter, but something anyone with some experience could manage quite easily.

So that's it for now. I have a few other things "in the works" but nothing near to being finished quite yet. A baby blanket for a friend who is due in April, and a little Teddy Bear I started a while back, so I am now working to complete it. I've promised to knit a poncho for my sister Ruth, and since it's not for a child, as I thought it was going to be, that will keep me busy for some time, I'm sure. It's loaded with cables, but very pretty. And once Xmas is done I will get back to my spinning too. There has not been much of that going on over the last 2 months. Once I finished my son's homespun hat, and the red roving, everything else was put on hold for the time being. But I am itching to get back to it, and soon.

We are enjoying more wonderful sunny weather here. November ended up being the nicest month in all of 2011, for this area. It was the driest and the sunniest month of the year, and it is continuing into December, at least for now it is. Gorgeous bright sunshine today, a little on the cool side, but I'm not complaining. They are predicting 58º again for Saturday, and this time of year, you just can't beat that if you live in Northeast PA. I am loving it.

So, now that Turkey Day is over, and everyone is rushing headlong into Xmas, I hope you keep safe on the roads, and in the stores. LOL And remember, always to keep smiling................ :)

November - ANOTHER Month of Surprises

2011-11-25T12:41:00.001-05:00

November has been a month of surprises. Unusually and very unseasonably warm. More sunny days than cloudy ones. Little to no snow, or frigid cold temperatures either. Now, don't get me wrong. I am NOT complaining. November has been our best month yet, this year! Better weather now than we had all through Spring, Summer, AND early Fall. So I have been delighted with the sunshine and mild temperatures, and come what may over the next couple months, having this month has guaranteed that our Winter will be one month shorter this season, weather wise.

There have been other surprises too. Such as another early Xmas gift from my loving niece, Jessica. She knows that I enjoy playing "Angry Birds," so with that in mind, she created one of them for me, as a keepsake.

She did a really good job, don't you think? The ball is a very large red Xmas ball, which she painted the cardinal's face upon. Then she added a little tag that reads, "Made for You, by Me, Enjoy!" I love it! :) He is hanging beside me as I write this. A little something to make me smile every day.

Over the weekend, as I put the dogs out to go potty before heading to bed, they surprised two little kittens that had sought shelter on my porch. The one kitten was chased by the dogs, the other was smarter, and after it's mate and the dogs took off, it sneaked off the porch too, but ran in the other direction. We saw no more of them until Tuesday afternoon, when suddenly there began this yowling in my basement that just would not end. I was watching a movie on the TV, and when I first heard it, I wondered aloud "what is that?" My daughter declared it was on the TV, nothing to worry about. It was too loud, and too close, so I muted the volume on the TV, and listened. It didn't take long, and the yowling began again. It was in the basement, and not on the TV.

We both went downstairs, there in the back of the crawl space, was this little yellow kitten, crying it's head off. My daughter coaxed it to come to her, and I put down water and food. The poor starving oaf dived into the bowl of food so hard, I thought he was going to smash his little face in. Since there was little else I could do, he was not going away and he would never survive on his own, I brought him upstairs and hoped that before the next day, we might be able to find it's little brother or sister that was on the porch the other day.

When we first saw them, I believed it was possible they were feral kittens. We do have a feral female in the area, and she did have kittens a while back. But this kitten was just way too friendly, and nothing feral about it. We set a "have a heart" trap to try and catch the second kitten, but it never showed up. So on Wednesday I drove the little kitty down to the Dessin Animal Shelter in Honesdale. It was such a sweet and loving kitten, I do hope it finds a good and loving home. If I were younger and still working, I would not have hesitated to keep it for myself. But one thing I worry about is passing on and leaving a pet behind, so I won't take in any new ones from now on. Plus, I really can't manage the added expense either, as I already have 1 cat and 2 dogs already.

Today, there were more surprises. One caused by Mother Nature, the other delivered by the US Mail carrier.

A little booklet, "Celia's Blankie" by Cottage Creations, sent to me, from my friend Corinne Schillinger. Thank you so very much Corinne. I have changed my plans on the blanket I started, and I am going to make it from one of these patterns instead. I love the little book, and it will get plenty of use, I'm sure. The book is several baby blanket designs using mitered squares. A lot of fun to be had, I'm sure. :)

The next surprise came from my friend Wendy Studner, also delivered by the US Mail carrier. This is "The Little Box of Sweaters" by Melissa Matthay and Sherl Thies. The little box contains 20 cards, each with the pattern of a sweater on it. There are several choices of pullovers, tunics, shells, tees, and cardigans to choose from. What a nice little idea, putting them on cards, for easy traveling. Thank you Wendy, I already found one I want to make. :)

And the last surprises, this time from Mother Nature. The continued blossoms of the Johnny Jump-Up plants, that have popped up hither and yon, in the lawn, in the flower beds, wherever.

This one is growing beneath one of my rose bushes.

This one is growing beneath the fence, in the middle of nothing but grass.
I also found some wild Geranium plants blooming as well, but the flowers were so small, and the sun so bright, they didn't show up in the photo. But to have anything blooming, outside, on the 25th of November, is amazing in these parts. So I just had to share it as further proof of what an exceptional month this has been.

I hope everyone enjoyed a happy and joyous Thanksgiving.
Maybe next time I will finally have some knitting to share, that I am not hiding from anyone. But until then, take care, keep well,................keep smiling. :)

Xmas Gifts and Special Olympics 2012

2011-11-16T12:56:00.001-05:00

I apologize for being so lax in my posting, but I have been so busy trying to get some things done, there was nothing to show off to begin with. But I've finally finished some projects, and have something to share.

First, I now have all of my daughter's gifts finished. I have made for her a hat, scarf and mittens set like the one I made for my niece, but this time in greens, which is what she wanted. And I also made her a pair of nice wool socks.

The entrelac scarf and hat is made using Lion Brand Woolease, color- Cilantro, and Amazing yarn, color- rainforest. I used the same two yarns for the mittens as well. The socks were made using Opal yarn. My sister sent me 2 skeins last year, of the same colorway, thinking I would need one for each sock. But Opal skeins are large enough to get one pair from one skein. My daughter is thankful for them, and loves the colors as much as I do. And I now know she favors green, as I do as well. Gee, I wonder if it's in the genes? LOL

Several weeks ago, I learned about the Special Olympics 2012 scarf project, and I brought it up to the ladies in my crafting group. I printed out the requirements and even patterns for the ladies that needed them, and several of them have joined me to make scarves for this project. You can read all about it, and get all of the information you need here: http://scarvesforspecialolympics.org/

As Red Heart yarns is sponsoring the scarf project, the yarns required are Soft Navy and Cherry Red. There was enough yarn for me to make two scarves. I knit the one on the right, called "Heroic Stripes" scarf. And I crocheted the scarf on the left, called "Be Proud" scarf. It worked out because the knit scarf used a lot more blue than red yarn, and the crocheted scarf was just the opposite. I did run out of blue a bit early, but the scarf was already wide enough by then, so I just finished it off with the row of single crochet on that edge, and that was it.

I was very happy too, to accept a scarf similar to my crocheted one, from my friend Corinne Schillinger, who lives up near Rochester, NY. When she learned of what I was doing with my ladies crafting group, she chose to contribute too, and I thank you so much Corinne, for your generosity of time, skill and spirit. The children that receive all of these scarves are going to be very happy with them, I am sure.

Right before Halloween I showed everyone that my Xmas cactus was starting to bloom again, and it has not stopped since then. Right now they are a riot of color, and still going strong. I have a few other Xmas cactus plants, but in different colors. They are budding out right now, but none of them are sporting such a mass of blossoms as the pink and whites ones do.

This was originally one plant, but overcrowding in the pot made it necessary to divide it. As you can see, the division did not slow it down in the least. And to think I have months more of these gorgeous blossoms to look at, Winter will mean little to nothing in comparison.

Our weather was amazing, for about 2 weeks. Then we did get a bit of rain, but I am still not going to complain. This is a very rare November, where we enjoy temperatures so mild, and for so long. Those 2 weeks of sunshine and mild weather were the best 2 weeks we had all Summer long. And I have been led to believe that once this rain is out of the way, with maybe 2 days of rather cold weather in it's wake, it is going to be sunny and mild again, at least through the first half of next week. I could not wish for more.

Have a great day, and remember, keep smiling. :)

We Have Yarn, Flowers, And SNOW!

2011-10-30T10:47:00.002-04:00

Over the last couple weeks, I've been spinning some red Merino that my friend Heather gave me. I didn't have anything in particular I wanted to make, but I did want to learn Navajo ply, and since all of the roving I purchased is intended for something specific, I needed some fiber that I could practice with and not feel I had totally ruined and would not be able to use. As it turned out, I didn't do half bad, so now I just need to find the right project to make with my 3 ply yarn.

For the most part, it is of worsted weight, but there are thinner and thicker bits to this yarn, where I was not totally even in my spinning, and so the plying shows it well. Still, it's a gorgeous red, and there is 100 yards of it. I'm sure it will make at the least, a scarf or neck warmer. Or maybe I will spin up a complimentary colored fiber, and combine them to make a better scarf. It will not go to waste. Of that I'm certain.

I know it's not Xmas yet, and we do still have 2 months to go, but my Xmas Cacti have a mind of their own, and maybe it was that they sensed the cold weather and snowfall in the air, because they have begun blooming earlier than ever this year. They usually don't bloom until Halloween, but this year they started just about a week earlier. That's fine with me. I love their cheerful blossoms inside when outside is looking so cold, dreary and bleak.

I have about 8 or 9 Xmas Cacti, and every one of them are growing fat little buds that will be blossoming soon. Then they will rest a few weeks, and should bloom again in time for Thanksgiving, or about once every 6 weeks until May or later. Of course, their habit of blooming for such a long time is why I have so many of them too. :)

If you went back to my early Spring posts, you would see a gorgeous hanging plant that was given to me by my friend Wendy's husband. The plant is commonly known as the "Million Blossoms" plant. I read that the best way to propagate the plant is to take cuttings, as it is in the potato family, and it roots quickly that way. So when Fall was cooling things down, and the tender plants outdoors were beginning to dye off, I took several cuttings of that plant, thinking it might be possible for me to keep it alive. Good news, the cuttings did root and they are now planted in soil, and I'll see if it works, as I read.

But just in case the cuttings didn't work, I knew I already had a very healthy plant, and even though it was looking very poorly due to the colder weather, it had not yet been killed by frost. So I cut it all the way back to the base, and discovered there were three individual plants in my hanging basket. I suspected as much, as there were yellow blossoms, pink blossoms and red/purple blossoms when it was lush with leaves and blooming profusely. After I cut it all the way back, I brought it inside and then sat it in the South-West window and waited. How well it will grow through the Winter months, is yet to be discovered. But now I do know that it will grow.

As you can see, it is covered with new growth, and all three of the plants are progressing in the same way. I am so excited, and looking forward to seeing how it continues to thrive, or if it will.

In my neck of the woods, we generally see a little snow right before or around Halloween. And that happened this year too. On Thursday, the 27th, we had about an inch or so. Enough to cover the ground. I took this shot late in the day, as our local deer came to grab a snack of fresh apples from my tree, which is still hanging heavy with them. That big guy on the right is definitely a buck too.

It seems that Thursdays snowfall was just a "teaser" because yesterday the real deal arrived, and this time it was not just a light dusting.

The snow was very wet, very heavy, and crushing to any trees that still retained their leaves. But it is also very lovely in the bright morning sunlight.

These are columnar apple trees, still very heavy with leaves. I'm rather glad they are of this variety, because the weight of the snow on them is not so damaging as they don't really spread out as regular trees do.

We received 5½" of snow during yesterday and last night's storm, (my son informs me, that out behind the house, in the pasture lands, the snow measures 9" deep) and we never lost power during it. We were very lucky, as there are many thousands in north and eastern PA right now that are without power and will be for a while. I heard the Governor has requested help from other states in getting the lines back up and working again. It really is pretty though, isn't it?

Not very much in knitting news. There is progress being made, but I just can't share it right now. That time of year, you know?

Have a good day, enjoy the week ahead, and remember, keep smiling. :)

And The Surprises Continued - #3

2011-10-20T16:55:00.000-04:00

Can you believe this??? When I went to the mailbox today, to pick up my mail, THIS was waiting for me. Of course it was properly packaged, but is it amazing, is it not?

My dear friend, Heather Woolove sent this delicious goodness to me. If you follow the link by clicking on her name, you will see that she is a "felter." She used some of this roving to make a purse, and found it difficult to felt with. She is actually an amazing woman with a wonderful imagination. You should see how she turned this fiber into a very fashionable handbag. It was no small feat, believe me. I would never have been nearly as successful, having little to no imagination myself. If it were not for the skills and talents of all the wonderful designers and writers that provide me with patterns to follow, I would not achieve anything on my own.

So rather than tossing it out, or spinning it herself, what does she do but send it to me...........am I not one of the luckiest people ever?? I have no idea what this roving was called, but I am calling it "Jolé." All of those colors remind me of a party down in Mexico! LOL

Since I'm already here, and I have the photos to share, I thought I would share with all of you one of my more recent "guests" to my apple tree, looking for dropped goodies.

He is a yearling button buck. He was about 15 yards away when my son, the HUNTER, shot this photo. Barry says he may be "next year's" dinner entree if he's still hanging around then. So I do hope he moves on by then. It is very common to have deer visit us under the apple tree. I've had up to 8 at a time stop by for stolen treats. They don't seem to fear us. They just stand there and stare back as we take their photos. Sure are pretty little things. I prefer shooting with a camera any day.

Have a good day, and keep smiling :)

Fall Surprises #2

2011-10-18T13:01:00.000-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Mailman brought me new surprises to enjoy, and I just have to share them with everyone.

Quite a while ago, I mentioned in passing, to my BFF, that I wanted to get a soup mug, because I eat a LOT of soup during the Winter months, and mostly home-made soups. She surprised me with a huge soup mug a week or so later, and I have enjoyed using it for a long time. After my daughter came to live with me, she more or less "confiscated" my mug for herself. I mentioned this to my niece one day, so yesterday, guess what I found in a big box she had mailed to me?

You got it! A nice big soup mug, but this one is a gorgeous GREEN one. Yesterday I used it to enjoy a small salad. This morning I made a "pot" of tea in it, and drank every drop!

There was another surprise that came with my soup/whatever mug. A hand-knitted moebius. Knitted, no less, by none other than my beloved niece, Jessica Lynne.

The yarn is LionBrand Homepsun, and I believe the colorway is "Fiesta." She used a double strand of yarn, and I think US#13 needles. She wanted to make sure it would be plenty warm enough for me. What amazes me is how perfectly it fits!! The Winter's can get very cold here in the mountains, so I will have plenty of chances to wear this gift. As a matter of fact, I'm wearing it right now. And yes, it is toasty warm too.

THANK YOU JESSICA LYNNE! I love my gifts so very much, and I love you even more!!! :)

Have a great day everyone. I sure am! And remember................

Keep Smiling

Fall's Surprises

2011-10-16T12:11:00.000-04:00

Fall usually arrives adorned in beauty, but on occasion the beauty is only where you can find it if you seek it out. It's not always right there in front of your face. This Fall has been like that. Right now it is our "normal" peak of the season for Fall foliage, and the tourist's arrive in droves to see all the beauty of Fall in the foliage of the trees. In some areas, south of here, I guess some people are enjoying some of that beauty. But here, where I live, it never arrived.

This is what our trees look like. Not very pretty, are they? This picture is of the trees directly across the road from my home. They are totally naked, and they never did really show off any brightly colored foliage. All the rain and wind we've had over the last 2 months totally robbed us of that possibility. I can't think of any other reason for such a bleak landscape at this time of year. And yet my apple tree is still looking great!

I have been picking apples, and cooking with them, because they are not yet ripe. Another surprise this Fall has brought. Last year, at this time, the apples were not nearly as red, from this very tree, but they were fully ripe by now and we were pigging out on fresh apples for snacking with. This year they are near to ripe, but still a bit bitter. Great for cooking and baking with, but just not quite right for snacking of fresh fruit with. I am waiting patiently for that day to come. One thing is certain. We will not lack for a shortage at all. But what an odd contrast to the trees behind this apple tree. It stands in full foliage, bright and green, while all the trees in the background are bare.

As I was taking the picture of the apple tree, I suddenly noticed the pine tree at the end of the driveway. I was stunned to see the top of the tree totally covered like this with pine cones. They seem to have appeared over night, they have come on so quickly. Obviously the wet weather has been good for the pine tree in it's seed production. :)

My pear tree still has most of it's leaves, but I went looking on-line for information on when to pick my pears, as I've never had them before this year. So what you are seeing here is my very first crop of pears, from our young pear tree. My one regret is that my late husband never lived to see the tree he planted bear fruit this first time. As you can see, our tree produces Bosc pears. And according to the information I read, if I waited for them to ripen before picking them, here in northeast PA, I would never get to enjoy a pear. They would have rotted from the cold weather before ripening, if left on the tree. So here, we have to pick them early, and store them in a cool, dry place, until they ripen. So right now they are sitting on the stairs in my basement, ripening up, and I can't wait to sink my teeth into them. Most of them were on the smaller size, but as you can see, a few are quite impressive, and will make for a very hearty but healthy snack.

A few more delightful surprises, considering the time of year, and the fact that we have seen a good heavy frost twice now, are these blossoms of Dwarf Gaillardia (top) and the Apple Blossom spreading Rose (bottom). Among all the dullness of the naked trees, having these beautiful flowers still blooming is truly delightful.

And inside the house, are surprises come early too. My Xmas cactus plants have begun showing flower buds of varying size, and will be in blossom soon. Normally I do not see this until Halloween at the earliest. This year they are in a bit of a hurry, it seems. Right now I have 3 different Cacti that are beginning to bloom, but I'm sure the rest of them will follow very soon. I have several Xmas Cacti plants. When I thin one out or they drop a branch, I can't stand to throw them out, so I root and plant them. It makes for a wonderful display during the Winter months, as these plants, for one reason or another, continue to bloom through May and sometimes June. Why, I have no idea, they just do. And I am not going to complain. They make getting through the cold of Winter so much easier to do, just seeing their lovely blossoms.

On the knitting side, there is some progress too. I have been knitting Xmas gifts, and because they might be seen here, I can't show some of them to you right now, but I am nearly finished with two of them. The following gift I can show because my son never uses the computer, so he will never see this post.

I have been working on making a hat for my son, Barry. Easy to do as I did the knitting while he was at work. The yarn is 100% wool from Steam Valley Fiber Farms. I purchased the wool in roving form at our little fiber festival last month. Since then I've spun the wool, and then knit this ribbed knit hat for my son. At first I was a bit concerned because a few people who saw the roving, before it was even spun, noticing the purple in it, told me no man would ever wear this color, it was "too feminine." I was a little worried at first, but I know that spinning always deepens the colors and knitting the hat would only deepen them even more. Now the hat is finished, and to be honest with you, it is even deeper in color than what you are seeing here. Personally, I can see no reason why a man could not or would not wear this hat. I see nothing feminine in it at all. I hope my son will not be concerned with fashion anyway, but more concerned with keeping his head warm. If nothing else, it should definitely do that much for him. :)

A short time ago, through a newsletter from Red Heart Yarns, I learned about the 2012 Special Olympics Scarf Project. This project is being sponsored by Red Heart Yarns, and Walmart, making it very easy for anyone to find the yarns needed to participate in the project if they wished. I printed out the information and presented it to my "Little Ladies Sewing Circle," which is my local small crafting group that I attend. It was originally a "sewing circle," but little sewing is done these days, but for a few quilters in the group. Most of us either knit or crochet or both. Several of the ladies have agreed to make scarves with me, and then we are going to send them out in one big box in time for the event. All of the specifics about what yarns, measurements, free patterns, and where to send them and how, can be found on their web site (see link), should anyone be interested.

I guess that is all for today. We are enjoying some mild weather so far today, and some bright sunshine. I never get too much of that. Remember..........Smile at someone today. You never know, but your smile just might be that one bright spot in their entire day. :)

That "Questionable" Yarn Is Now Finished

2011-09-29T15:07:00.001-04:00

OK, here it is, spun and plied, and wound into a ball. It is not really purple, not really blue, and in the center it looks more green, but it is definitely darker when spun and plied than when I started out.

This is from the bottom of the ball. In the very center it is more blue than anything, then it goes through this greenish blue phase, into the purple blue phase. Anyway, finished I have 136 yards in worsted weight yarn. I just hope that will be enough to make the hat, even a very basic one, at least. I guess I'll find out when I actually knit it up.

I had a a bit of extra single strand on the one bobbin, after plying the majority of the yarn, so I went to YouTube and found a tutorial on Navajo plying. Now, this is my very first attempt at doing it, and I admit, I was all thumbs. I think I would greatly benefit from having someone beside me to guide me, but since I don't, YouTube will have to do. When I was finished I had about 56 feet of 3 ply.

This is not the best picture possible, but I tried to get a close-up shot so you could see how nicely it plied. Personally I like this 3 ply better than the 2 ply, but it's too late for that now. It is not as smooth as I would like it to be, and there are some kinks here and there, as well. But practice makes perfect, so I'll just have to practice until I get it right. For a first attempt, I am fairly satisfied.

I also got the green "Art" yarn wound into a ball, and although it still doesn't show very well the bits and pieces of other "stuff" that is included, you can see tufts of heavier bits and a bit of red stuck in there wherever it wished to be.

I'm definitely going to make a scarf with this because I think that will be the best way to bring out the bits of color that are blended in here and there. Well, I hope it will.

Since I was busy taking photos, before the rain came AGAIN, or yet, I ran out a took a photo of my apple tree. I thought it did great last year, but this year it has outdone even last year's crop.

And these are only half the apples that WERE on it. During the winds of Hurricane Irene, I lost half of what was originally there. But they are redder this year, and most of them are bigger too. They are not quite ripe yet, as they are just a bit tart right now. That's OK, I'm using them for pies and such while they are not too sweet. Then I'll enjoy them for fresh apple eating once they are fully ripened. A dual purpose fruit tree. :)

Just before I came in to begin this post, this was what my sky looked like.

If you think that is ominous, you are right. Just after I sat down to type out this post, the clouds burst open and it's another down pouring. Just what we DON"T need in this neck of the woods.

We had a downpour yesterday, and rescue teams were out pulling people from their homes, yet again ( I believe the 3rd time in as many weeks) because of flash flooding. I can't begin to know how those poor families are feeling. Every time they make some headway in getting the mud and water from their homes, the rain starts again, and they are back at it, cleaning up over and over again. I wouldn't blame them if they pulled up, walked out, and never looked back. But I'm sure that would be impossible for most of them. They simply couldn't afford to do that, even if they wanted to.

It is amazing the amount of rain that has poured down on this region all Summer long, and it hasn't quit yet. My heart goes out to all the people that are suffering through this disastrous series of storms. And it's about time Mother Nature took some pity on them and stopped being so nasty! I have a feeling we've already had 40 days and 40 nights of rain, even more than that. The only thing that keeps me safe is that there were tiny little breaks in between. Just enough to keep the rain going downhill, and away from me. But not so good for everyone in the valleys.

Time now for me to get out some new roving and start spinning again. I am still undecided which color I am in the mood for. Oh well, maybe I'll leave it for tomorrow. It's late in the day now, and with the rain, the light isn't really very good either.

I hope everyone will have a fun and enjoyable weekend.

Take care, be well, and keep smiling.

Your Thoughts Please?

2011-09-27T09:21:00.000-04:00

When at the PA Fiber Fest a few weeks back, I bought some roving with my son in mind. When I saw this blue/purple blend, I thought it would look really good on him. He is blonde with very blue eyes, and I thought these colors would go very well with his coloring and bring out the blue in his eyes as well. So I bought 4 oz. of roving, planning to use it to knit him a hat.

So after I finished spinning the batts that my friend had made for me, I started on spinning this blue/purple roving, so I could have it done and ready for me when I am ready to begin knitting this hat.

As you can see, the bottom spool is from the first half of the roving, and there is a lot of greenish blue in that too, or maybe there is some green in there too, that I had not noticed at first. The second spool, that I am filling now, is exactly what I was expecting. When finished with the second spool, I will be plying them to make a 2 ply yarn, which should be close to worsted weight.

Now, for my dilemma. My daughter said it first, then my best friend Kate................that's too feminine. MEN DON'T WEAR PURPLE!

Now I am really just a bit upset over this. I thought I was choosing a good color for a man, especially a blonde man with very blue eyes. And now I am second guessing myself, thinking I made a huge mistake. But I will be honest. I could have purchased plain old boring brown or black roving, and been safe. But I wanted something different, and yet not so different that no man would be caught dead in it.

Besides, I thought Kings wore blue and purple, so what's wrong with modern man wearing it?

Now, it's up to you..........what do you think. I would really like to know. If I made a huge blunder, I guess I'll have to pick up some boring ugly yarn so my poor son doesn't look "too girly." Like that could ever happen! LOL At 6' 2", and about 260 lbs. I hardly think so!

As a follow up to my last post, my niece, Jessica, has been so kind as to send me this photo of herself wearing the hat and scarf I knit for her. Since it's a lovely photo of her, I want to share it.

The hat and scarf do look lovely on her, do they not?? :)

Here on the home front, we were given 2 days free of rain, so it's time for it to begin again. Luckily I managed to get the lawn mowed, and before it grew a foot high too! But now we are in for 4 more days of showers, and I hope they are right about the showers, and there are no surprising downpours in there. There has been more than enough flooding here in the northeast, and the people affected are struggling to get out from under the first mess when the rain late last week put them under water again. They certainly don't need a third turn at it in such quick succession.

Have a good week, and keep smiling.

Homespun Yarn, and a Finished Project

2011-09-23T12:05:00.000-04:00

If you recall, a few weeks ago, my friend Heather, made some special batts for me to spin. Well, I was so tickled pink by the gift, I just couldn't wait to get started, so the very next day, I began spinning her lovely batts. This was a new experience for me. #1. I had never spun from batts before, so this was a first. #2. She had added little surprises all through the batts. Little dots of many colors, bits of colored threads, and strands of silk here and there, all blended together. No need for me to "work" at making a bit of funky yarn. It was already blended into the batts. All I had to do was spin it. I have finished the spinning, and the little gems of color and thread and silk are there, but they are not that easy to see in skein form. I am hoping they will stand out better once I begin knitting with the yarn. But for now, this is my finished skein of yarn.

It finished up in worsted weight ( 9 wpi) equaling to 154 yards (3 7/8 oz) of homespun. I am going to make a little scarf with it, and hope the bits of colors and nubs and what-all will show up better that way.

Now, a finished project, that I had to wait until my niece received it, before I could post it. I told her I was making her a hat and scarf, but she didn't see it before now. It should have been delivered to her by now, so I am finally free to share it with the rest of you. And don't you just love my model? He is so well behaved too. :) If you look closely, right in front of him are 2 tiny balls of yarn. This is what I had left. It was a close call, but I made it just fine.

Last year I printed out a simple little tutorial on Entrelac knitting, from Knitty.com. I followed the instructions, and discovered it was not beyond me at all, and actually quite fun and easy to do. So when I saw the pattern for this beautiful hat on LionBrand.com, I printed out the pattern, ordered the yarn, and I was off and running.

The pattern is free at LionBrand.com, called "Lion Brand Wool-Ease - Amazing Entrelac Beret (pattern #L10502) It calls for 1 ball Wool Ease (Indigo), and 1 ball "Amazing" (Glacier Bay).
Using #9 circular needles. I bought 2 balls of each color to make the hat, scarf (60" long) and the "peek-a-boo" mittens (free download on Ravelry) to complete the set.

The hat pattern mentions a gauge of 18 sts = 4", but for me to get that gauge with this yarn, I had to drop down to a size #6 needle. So my first effort ended up being a waste of my time, trying to work in gauge. The hat came out so small, it would have fit a 10 yr. old, not an adult at all. So I had to frog the entire hat, and the second time I threw the gauge out the window, used the #9 needles, as called for, and it came out perfect. I was lucky that the yarn was carried throughout the hat, rather than having to cut it and pick it up later. It made frogging so much easier that way.

The scarf is just a long strip of entrelac knitting as I learned from the tutorial, but I knit about 5 rows on either end in the Wool Ease, to give it a more finished look. The long sides really didn't need anything, as they were nice and straight and it was quite wide enough as it was. I cast on 15 stitches for the scarf, and then made 5- stitch entrelac squares for 60" in length. The color changes in the Amazing yarn are really set off by the entrelac style of knitting.

I was very happy with the end results. Now I await to hear what my beloved Jessica thinks of it. I am hoping she will like the set enough to wear it out, and then I will get to make her another. :)

Misty and overcast today, I hope everyone else is having better weather. The last thing we need is more rain. If I could send it to Texas or Florida, I would do so. But Mother Nature has a mind all her own, and I must accept her decisions as final, just like the rest of you. :)

Take care, keep well, have a wonderful week end and .....................keep smiling

A Note of Interest Re: Amazon and Kindle

2011-09-17T12:11:00.000-04:00

In the Good Housekeeping magazine, that arrived just yesterday, there was a tidbit of information I thought some of you might find interesting.

The article reads:

Introducing the Internet equivalent of a library:

If you own a Kindle or have a Kindle account, go to
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_200127470_ksupport_lending?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200549320

There you will find all the information about lending and borrowing books using the Kindle or Kindle for PC software. You must have a Kindle account.

Learn how to borrow an e-book for 14 days. - and pay ZILCH!
Titles that are "Lending Enabled" can be lent to you by another
Kindle reader, and you can borrow as many as you like.

I don't know what is available, but I'm sure the Library will grow over time, so if you have a Kindle reader, and are interested, it would be useful to keep checking back for the books you might be interested in.

Anyway, it's all free, and free is always good.
I have no idea if this kind of thing is available for the Nook Color, or not, but it can't hurt to check it out and see if there might be a similar program available from them, on their web site too.

I don't have either a Kindle or a Nook Color, but I know some of you may have one or the other, because so many of you are readers.

Hope you found this information useful and helpful.

A FALL Update

2011-09-16T13:16:00.000-04:00

And yes, I did say Fall. The roads are quickly being lost under a blanket of leaves, and the trees have begun changing colors very quickly. Last night, there were some folk around here that were flirting with frost, so it won't be long now. We missed it, but not by a whole lot, and this colder weather is not over with yet. We have at least another night and day before it begins to turner warmer again. But we all know, at this time of year, we are fulling involved in the transition from Summer into Fall. Our high for today may reach 60º F but I'm not counting on it. It is already past noon, with clear sunny skies, and it is only 54º F at the moment.

Yesterday, in fear of a frost striking last night or around daybreak, I went to gather up all that was left of the garden for this year, except for the cabbage. That will be safe for a while yet. I pulled all of the beets and the onions, and gathered the cucumbers and zucchini that were still coming. Actually, I had quite a haul of fresh produce. Early this morning I cleaned, cooked and skinned the beets. I have 4 pints of sliced beets and 2 pints of whole beets, for the freezer, minus the few I couldn't stop from popping into my mouth. Oh boy, were they tasty too. And while I was at it, I made up a dozen "rosy" pickled eggs, using the beet juice. Love those things!

I trimmed and washed off the onions, and have two onion bags (about 6 lbs.) full now, sitting in the sun to dry. The cucumbers really surprised me. I picked a full dozen of those, and every one was a good size, nice and full. Several of them are going into a cucumber salad for snacking on later. And I gathered up 3 very nice sized zucchini, perfect for frying, zucchini pancakes or zucchini fritters. The plants are loaded with flowers too, so if we manage to escape a frost this first cold snap, I could very well be picking more zucchini, even more cucumbers, this time next week. I would not mind that at all. :)

Most of the flowers are nearly done, but my Mums are blooming, though not very well, and the Gaillardia are still a bright spot in the flower bed too. Along with those, the very pretty Mandevilla plant that was given to me by Matthew and Wendy, is still blooming full steam ahead, and putting on quite a lovely showing right now.

As you can see, it grew to a nice height in just one Summer, at least 6-7 feet tall by now. I am hoping to be able to save it in the house through the Winter, so that I can set it out again next Summer, and watch it blossom again. Not sure if it will get enough light to survive our Winters, even inside the house, but I think it's worth the try.

Fall and Winter are great times for spinning because you are not quite as busy with all of the "outdoor" things, like grilling, mowing lawns, planting, weeding and growing gardens, either vegetable or floral. It's also another reason why this is such a convenient time for buying all that nice new roving for spinning with.

As I showed all of you in my last post, a dear blog friend had brought me a gift of her "art batts" that she created on her drum carder, for me to spin. This was a real surprise for me, and once I opened it up and saw all the other little "surprises" she had added to the wool, I just couldn't wait to get started. She has blended with the wool, bits of silk roving, threads of every color, and these little fabric bits and pieces of bright colors that I feared would fall out as I started spinning it, but they clung to the wool fiber, and soon became part of the yarn I was spinning up. I am not the bumpy, lumpy, "art" yarn type, as a rule. But I have really enjoyed myself spinning this up. This may be because I don't have to try and work the bits and pieces, lumps and bumps in, while I'm spinning. They are already there and I have nothing to do but draft and spin it, and out comes this "funky" style yarn. You can't see all of the little colors and bumps in the photos yet, but once it's finished being spun and plied, I am hoping it will show up better.

This is what I have been working with to start out. Notice the light spot on the left? That is silk roving carded into the wool. Above it is a red dot of felt or something, and to the right are strands of purple threads.

Next is a photo of what it looks like right now, in the bobbin. Looking pretty good, IMHO. :)

I have allowed a small piece of it to twist back on it's self, so you can see how it will look as a 2 ply yarn. I'm sorry you can't see the colors or bumps in this small section, but you will have to take my word for it, they are there. I am thinking I will most likely be making myself a scarf or cowl with this. It should be warm, for sure, and I love the color. Where I am concerned, you can never go wrong with green! :)

I guess that's about it for now. Time to move on to my knitting now. So much to do, so little time.......... :)

Have a great weekend and remember...................keep smiling :)

2011 PA Endless Mountains Fiber Festival

2011-09-11T18:41:00.010-04:00

It was that time again, the time of year that I wait for with so much excitement and anticipation, because I'm going to have the fun of feeling and finding some of the most beautiful yarns and spinning fibers that any heart could desire. And I did that, and so much more. This year I also got to meet a lovely lady and friend that I have, until yesterday, only known through the Internet. First, through my blog, and then through our e-mails and her blog.

My friend's name is Heather, and she is a Felter. I have had the enjoyable pleasure of watching her learn and grow in her field of fiber fun, over the last couple years, and she has made some of the most beautiful creations with her own two hands and wonderful imagination. She is just as warm, friendly, and wonderful in person as she appeared to be through her e-mails. I am so glad we had the chance to meet, and I look forward to seeing her again in the future.

Heather brought me some delicious looking fibers for me to spin, and I can't wait to get started. Below are 3 bats she made just for me, using a gorgeous green wool fiber, and it has tiny bits of other colors blended through it. I can't wait to see how it's going to spin up, and I am sure it will be the first fiber I spin. The color is gorgeous, and I love the specks of red and orange and other colors scattered throughout. It is very hard to see the true color here. In the shade it was too dark, and in the sun, much too pale. You will just have to take my word for it, it's gorgeous, and GREEN!

Heather also brought me this mix of gorgeous colors. A very bright, cherry red roving, some of pure brilliant black, some amazing silver grey roving, and some white. I have a feeling she would have made something utterly amazing with this yarn, but not being very imaginative myself, I will probably just spin it up and make beautiful little lace scarves or some such thing. :)

Because of the horrible flooding that occurred here in Northeast PA just prior to the Fiber Festival, there were many vendors that were unable to attend, due to blocked, flooded, or damaged roadways, and possibly due to suffering flood damage themselves. Because of this, there were only about half the number of vendors there, but even so, there was a lot to see and touch and enjoy. So you will have to bear with me, or Blogger will, because I have so many pictures, and I want you to see all the goodness that I had the luxury of enjoying myself.

First ... an adorable face, a young Alpaca

Next, some Alpaca goodness

Here some lovely baskets. See that gorgeous basket in the lower left corner, I would love to have it, but when forced to choose between the fiber and the basket, the fibers won. :)

And more baskets..........

Some hand made buttons, and there were also Nostespindles and other hand carved wooden items.
Hand Felted Scarves....... My friend Heather did not create any of these, but she has made several lovelies herself.
Hand Felted Sculptures.......adorable!
Hand made pottery and cups...
Hand made felt hats and other fibery goodness
There were spinning wheels, of course........
And spinners too.......
Someone was selling hand crafted earrings...
And there was LOTS OF YARN to be purchased. Hand dyed, hand painted, even hand spun yarns. Whatever your little heart desired. Lace weight, DK weight, fingering yarn, sock yarn, even worsted and chunky yarn.
Silk scarves and hand felted purses.....
Alpaca... and more Alpaca

And this is one of my most favorite vendors. Steam Valley Fiber Farm. This lady has everything. Gorgeous roving, hand dyed yarns of all kinds, knitted garments for sale, books, and she also sells spinning wheels and parts and/or accessories.
And now to show off my purchases. You are going to be jealous, I just know you will. But I'm going to have such a fun-filled Winter, playing with all this wonderful roving.

From Steam Valley, I purchased this..
The orange is "Copper Pennies," and it has fine gold fibers blended into it to make it sparkle. It is 75% wool/20% Mohair/5% Glitz. I bought 8 oz. of this roving, to make sure I had plenty. I can see a lace shawl and some scarves coming from this. Really looking forward to spinning it.

That gorgeous purple is called "Hyacinth." 4 oz. - 80% Border Leicester/15% Mohair/5% Silk. I absolutely love spinning Leicester wool, so this should be a lot of fun. Maybe something for my sister Ruth will come from this as purple is her favorite color.

In the upper, left corner is "Bodega Bay." I bought 4 oz. , 50% wool/50% yearling Mohair. I was thinking a hat and scarf for my son, Barry? And to the right of that is "Speckled Egg III," 4 oz., 100% Border Leicester cross wool. I'm going to be in heaven spinning this stuff... :)

Next, some Icelandic wool, and some lace yarn. The Icelandic Wool is hand dyed, "Raspberry" and I bought 4 oz. of that. I've never spun Icelandic wool, but the vendor told me that if I enjoyed spinning Border Leicester, I would also enjoy the Icelandic, as both have longer fibers. So I will give it a try and see how it goes. It sure is yummy looking. It looks to me like sherbert, or possibly cotton candy? :)
The yarn in the photo above is from Unplanned Peacock Studio. It is Whisper Lace yarn, 1300 yards of amazing softness. Made of 70% Baby Alpaca/20% Silk/10% Cashmere, I can guarantee this yarn will be a shawl or stole. Definitely something lacy and lovely. The label says "Lavender" but I will have to see how much of that it turns out to be when knitted up. If so, it must be the palest of lavenders. No problem, I could not describe the color anyway. I just know I loved it the minute I saw it, and once I held it in my hand, I was doomed! LOL It just had to be mine.

Next, not sure what breed of sheep this roving came from, but it was too lovely for me to ignore. I purchased 3 leaves of "Fairy Bat." It is the palest mint green, with a light sprinkle of glitz. And almost 3 oz. of very pale lavender roving.
Last, but not least, as it was the first purchase I made. I saw it, I loved it, and I bought it immediately, 8 oz. of it. Last year, the same vendor had some amazing roving for sale, a huge pile of roving in a gorgeous color, that I really wanted, but it was at the very front, and I had not seen anything else yet. I thought I would have plenty of time to come back, and I wanted to make a quick look at everything offered first. Well, it proved to be my undoing, because when I returned, and not that much later, every ounce of the roving that caught my eye, was completely gone. I guess several others liked it as much as I did, but they didn't wait. Well, a lesson learned is a lesson remembered. I did not make the same mistake this time. I bought my roving, and then checked out what else was to be had.
I don't know how to explain the color of this roving. The base color is a deep green, but there are subtle shades of other colors running through it. It reminded me of the "Pistachio Pudding" yarn that I spun up 2 years back. And it might be a very close cousin, for all I know. I just really wanted it.........so here it is.

Later, after I had spent all my money, loaded all my goodies in the car, had met and visited with my friend Heather, I was getting ready to leave when I happened to see my dear friend, and spinning mentor, Freda. I had been on the look-out for her all day, hoping that she would be well enough and able to attend. Before I learned to spin, it was Freda that I would sit and watch spinning at earlier Fiber Festivals. She would be one of the spinning demonstrators. She was always very friendly, and welcomed any and all questions, and she was so patient with everyone, answering all the questions with a smile on her face. Freda has been seriously ill, with Lymphoma, but with treatment and time, she is doing great, and looking even better. I had not seen her in several months, and I wanted to see her badly, if I could find her. So you can imagine my delight at seeing her when I did. A few minutes later, and it would have been too late. We sat and visited for a while, and caught up on things. It was just such a good feeling to see her and know that she is actually doing so well. I love you Freda, and have really missed you.

I've probably used up all my allotted photo space, if not too much of it, by now, so I'm finally going to close. I have enjoyed sharing our little Fiber Festival with all of you, and I hope you enjoyed seeing it. Take care, keep well...............and keep smiling! :)

Finally - BACK IN BUSINESS

2011-09-07T14:55:00.000-04:00

My new graphics card arrived, and it has been installed and everything is working great. Now I feel safe in uploading photos to my computer and editing them for posting. I may have been able to do it before, but since I really didn't know what my capabilities were with the integrated card, I was not taking any chances. I just don't know enough about such things to be so bold. I do know that some of my simple games were not able to be played, because the display requirements were beyond what I had. I am happy to say my game is running fine now, so we are a happy camper again.

A little over a week ago, Hurricane Irene struck my area. Many, many homes were without phones, or power, for many days. Some were still without power yesterday. But we were luckier than most, as our power was restored in 24 hours. And even when it was out, I own a generator, so I was still able to watch TV and keep my cold foods safe. Still, we did suffer some damage, but none to our personal selves. We lost one very large Willow Tree, and the bigger Willow suffered a good bit of limb damage, but remained upright. I was able to get a few photos later.

We also lost what little corn we had planted, but since it was not doing very well, we gave that to our neighbor's horses, and they had a grand time gobbling it all up.

On the knitting front, I also finished the larger afghan I had been working on. It came out really nice, IMHO, and I hope someone will be happy with it, if they should win it at the Firehouse fund raiser, held every October at our local Fire Hall, at their Afghan Bingo event.

I really disliked that gold yarn, but used in this way, it actually looks good. And I have enough of it left that I could make at least one, possibly two more afghans. I am out of the grey though, so I would have to find another dark color to go with the gold, but I'm sure I have some somewhere in my huge stash.

I am working on a hat and scarf for my niece Jessica, at the moment. I have finished the hat, but I want to surprise her with it, and since she reads my blog, I am not able to share it at this time. After she receives it, I will post pictures for everyone. It is done in entrelac, my very first actual entrelac project, and it came out perfect. I was so pleased, and I hope she will be too. Working on a scarf to match right now, and it is not moving quite as fast, but it is moving along.

This coming weekend, the 10th and 11th, the Endless Mountains Fiber Festival will be held in Harford, PA, at the fair grounds. I and my friend Wendy will be attending, and a friend whom I met through my blog will be attending, and it will be the first time we actually meet face to face. I am SO looking forward to that, and very excited about it. I am certain to have photos to share with everyone. Not only is the festival a wonderful chance to purchase some gorgeous roving and yarns and any manner of beautiful fiber things, it's just a fun experience in many ways. I have never been disappointed, and I promise to share lots of photos with you when next I post.

Until then, take care, keep well, and keep smiling.. :)

An Overdue Update

2011-09-05T08:17:00.000-04:00

Hello friends,

And please forgive my absence. It's not that I've forgotten, but that I am not sure exactly what I can do and not do on my computer right now.

My graphics card went, leaving me with a blank monitor. I learned there is an integrated card, but it is very low end, so I am able to use the computer, and some simple tasks, but whether it will handle high resolution photos and such, I just don't know and I'm afraid to take a chance and try, with the result being I'd loose what little I have left.

So I have not been uploading any photos to update my blog with. I have been busy though. I've finished the afghan I began last month, and it came out really nice. I fully intend to share it with everyone as soon as I get the new graphics card installed. And I've been working on other things as well.

Hurricane Irene took out one of my big old Willow Trees, and it came crashing down over two young trees, a pine and a spruce tree. I also lost at least half of the apples and pears on my fruit trees, from the high winds. We lost power here for 24 hours, but we were the lucky ones. Friends were without power for several days, and some are still without even now, but should be hooked up very soon. It turned out that Wayne County, where I live, was one of the hardest hit by the storm, as far as wind and rain go. So there were a huge number of downed trees over power lines, and thousands homes left without power, water, or even telephone service. The utility companies have been working around the clock to get everyone up and running again, but it has taken a lot of hard work and time to do it.

Over the last 2 weeks the changing foliage on the trees has become very evident, sounding the warning that Fall is very close on Summer's heels. Time to begin putting away the shorts and sleeveless tops and hauling out the long pants and at least sleeved blouses, and a few cardigans for the weeks ahead. I hope everyone is ready for it since Mother Nature waits for no one.

Hope you have all enjoyed a wonderful Summer, and looking forward to a lovely Fall.

Keep smiling........ :)

In A Mood For Crochet

2011-08-17T09:27:00.007-04:00

After I finished the baby blanket, I was still in the mood for a bit of crocheting. Just at the right time, I received a newsletter from Caron yarns, showing a really pretty crocheted afghan, and the pattern was free. I down-loaded the pattern, went through my stash and found some compatible colors, and started crocheting. Very easy to do, a simple pattern that is quickly remembered, so once you get working on it, you don't really need to constantly refer to the pattern any longer. Below the "Summer Mist Throw," from Caron yarns.

A close up of the stitch detail below. Very quick and easy pattern to make up. All of the yarns used probably cannot even be purchased any longer. They have been in my stash, in plastic bins, for decades, so listing them would be useless. The throw is to be donated to the afghan bingo, a fund raiser for our local fire house, held once a year. If you win the bingo, you get to choose an afghan. The baby blankets and throws are for second and third prizes if that should happen.

One of the ladies was crocheting a diagonally striped afghan, which absolutely fascinated me. She was making it from memory, but I wanted a printed pattern, because doing it for the first time, I knew there was no chance I could simply memorize it with just an hour or two working on it. So I went in search for a pattern that would show the basic stitch instructions, even if it was not crocheted using the same color pattern or yarns. Finally I did find it, at Talking Crochet, and you can find this pattern here: Diagonal Hues.

Again, using long stashed yarns, I chose gold, off-white and dark grey for this afghan. And this time I am going to attempt to make a full sized afghan too. Not sure if I'll succeed or not, but I'm willing to try.

Over the years, I've made maybe 3 full sized afghans, and all of them were made about 20 years ago, or longer. I found them very difficult because of the weight of them, having very arthritic hands and wrists. I don't know if I can do one now, but usually, after all the crocheting I've done of late, my wrists and hands would have been throbbing, but so far they are not bothering me at all. I am taking that as a sign that it might be safe to forge ahead and see if I can put together at least one more full sized afghan for the bingo fund raiser. This too is another very pretty, but extremely easy pattern to do, and quickly memorized. Until I get to where it's time to reverse and start making the opposite corner, I will not need the pattern. But when it's time to work toward the end square, I will have to refer to it until it becomes familiar again.

If you recall, I made a blanket for my cat a short time back. It was this same pattern I used for that. Below, a close up of the stitch detail.

A note about the garden:
I finally have my first fully ripe tomatoes, but I picked them a few days early, to finish ripening inside. Over the years, I have learned through experience, that the mice know a ripe tomato when they smell one too, and having the advantage of seeking them out while I'm sound asleep, they often got to them before I did. I would see a beautiful tomato, pick it, only to find they had been eating it from beneath. What a disappointment it would be. Now, I don't give them the chance. When I see a tomato that is close to being ripe and ready for picking, I bring it inside and keep the treat for myself. The mice can find something else to munch on.

This is very late for tomatoes even where I live, and I can't help but think all the rain we've had this year must have contributed a good deal. Not only are the crops ripening later, some of them, including the tomatoes, are not really doing very well at all. My tomato vines are very thinly leafed out, and not very many flowers at all. The potato plants have not done well at all, and I am not expecting to find much below the ground when we do harvest them. The corn is stunted and yellow, and I have a feeling we may get nothing from that planting either.

On the other hand, the cucumbers and zucchini have done very well, but they are 98% water anyway, and maybe that is why. The onions and beets are coming along, but not as I had expected them to. So all in all, it has been a very poor year for gardening.

The fruit trees seem to be thriving though. My apple tree, that was so abundant last year, for the first time, is going to be as much so, if not more, this year. I won't be trying to store them in the cellar this time either. That did not work very well, so I am going to have to make applesauce, cider, or slices for pie and can them up, or leave them to the deer.

The pear tree is doing very well, but the pears need to grow a good bit more before they will be big enough for picking. My late husband always told me it was a 3 variety pear tree, and I don't know about 3 varieties, but it does appear to have at least 2 varieties. From the look of it, I have Bartlett and Anjou pears growing on the tree. Some of them are definitely yellow-green in color and have the perfect pear shape. The others are a rusty brownish/tan color, and rough skinned. I don't care, I love both varieties, so if they manage to reach a decent size and ripen fully, I am going to enjoy every one I can get. There are not really all that many, but this is the first year the tree has born fruit. I am hoping it will produce better as the tree gets older, and bigger.

We have continued to get above average rainfall, and may even break a record this year. So far we are (according to the weather man) at least 21" above normal rainfall for this year, and that is a LOT of rain. No wonder crops are hurting. Here the rain, in other areas the sun. Many are on the losing end this year.

Have a wonderful week, and as always, remember to keep smiling. :)

Silent Storms & Blankets

2011-08-03T09:57:00.002-04:00

On Monday night (Aug. 1), we experienced a very strange phenomenon. I had never seen it happen before, but I'm sure it has, many times. I've just never been witness to it before. A "silent" thunder storm.

Above our barn, for some time, hung this amazing cloud. It was moving, but because it was so far off, and so high in the sky, it appeared to be suspended right there for hours. This is just one photo I managed. In the center of this cloud, bolts of lightning were flashing every few seconds, and yet you could not hear a sound. Later, after it become quite dark, we witnessed a "natural" light show that I will remember for a long time to come. I tried to get it on film, and I did get some of it fairly well. I would have loved to share it with you too, but my son and daughter refused to keep their mouths quiet, and in the background was a conversation I would NOT like to share. Not being a professional film maker, I have no clue as to how to remove the sound from the film. You will just have to take my word for it, the show was stupendous, and it lasted for hours, not just mere minutes.

The next morning, on our local news broadcast, they informed us that they had been bombarded with phone calls from our area, wanting to know what was happening. It seems there was a very lively thunder storm over Poughkeepsie, NY at the time, and this is what we were seeing. The storm was probably a good 100 miles away, maybe more, but so high in the sky it was visible for very long distances, and obviously too far away for the sound of the thunder to carry. Amazing!!

Using left-over baby yarn from my stash, I threw together this little ripple crochet receiving blanket. I have crocheted for a good 40+ years, and yet in all that time I've never made a ripple afghan. A few of the ladies in my craft group have been working on ripple afghans for our local Afghan Bingo, a fund raiser for the local volunteer fire company, held every Fall. So learning from them, I started working on this scaled down model. Very easy to do, using baby yarn, size C crochet hook. I did 4 rows of each color, beginning and ending with the blue. I was more or less forced to end the blanket when I did as I had run out of the lavender completely, and I was near to being totally done with the blue too. I finished it with a row of single crochet around the entire outer edge, and then a row of reverse single crochet. It makes a great finished edge.
Another "learning" project, also using up left over baby yarn, is this diagonal shell stitch crocheted afghan, for my cat, Rosie. Obviously, when I began the project, I hoped to have enough of both yarns to finish such a small project, and yet, as you can see, I ran out of the fuchsia yarn, and had to substitute another pinkish yarn. I had nothing that came remotely close to the fuchsia, so it stands out quite a bit, but I have little doubt that Rosie is going to complain. She will be delighted to have a nice soft blankie to lay on, and call her very own.

On the garden front:
We continue to receive a nice steady supply of cucumbers and zucchini. The romaine lettuce is coming in now too. The cabbage have begun to head up, the beets are looking good, as are the onions. But the corn is doing poorly, and growth is very strange from one end of the row to the next, some being tall, as they should be, and the other end being very stunted and off color.

The tomato plants are heavy with fruit, but still green, and the foliage is sparse and not nearly what I am used to seeing. The plants remain a good color, but they are spindly and just not what they should be. I have a feeling my garden is in much need of fertilizer. When Lew was alive, he would pile on a truck load of horse manure every year, in the fall, and till it in deeply. I am simply not able to do that, and this year, I was not able to purchase fertilizer either. So I guess we will suffer with diminished crops, and hope that a friendly neighbor will provide us with some good "fertilizer" for next year's crops.

The weather here has cooled down and humidity is quite nice too. We are experiencing some beautiful weather all this week, with the occasional rain storm. But rain is always appreciated, in moderation, when crops are growing. So I will not complain.

Have a great week and keep smiling..... :)

Socks And Other Things

2011-07-13T16:44:00.003-04:00

I started these socks, back in early May, and it has taken me this long to finish them. I can't remember the last time it took me so long to complete one pair of socks, but I was working on other things at the same time, and this pattern required a bit of concentration too. I am not sorry I did them, considing the time involved, as they fit perfectly.

The pattern is called "Flaming Cables" by Candace Eisner Strick, and it is to be found in her newest book on socks, called "Strick-ly Socks." In the book, the socks are made with a deep red and orangy yarn. So my socks might not be "flaming" but they are just as lovely.
I purchase the book to learn her new method for making heels, but so far, it has not worked out well for me. I just don't seem to "get it" right. But I loved the cable design, and borrowed that part, and did the heels my normal way. The standard flap heel. I used 2.25 mm - 40" Harmony circular needles, and the yarn is "Pink Lemonade", a hand painted 100% Merino Wool, fingering weight, by Serendipity. This shop hosts a booth at the PA. Endless Mts. Fiber Festival every year, and for the last 3 years I have purchased either hand-painted yarn, or hand-painted roving from them. They have gorgeous yarns and roving for sale, and it's always so soft and wonderful to work with. A young couple, they are friendly and helpful in every way. I look forward to seeing them again in September of this year, when the Festival is held again.

Now, for a little gardening update, from the vegetable garden this time.

Above is the first cucumber from our garden. I have not picked it just yet. I think it still needs another day or two, to finish filling out. But it is very close to being ready. I can hardly wait. And Corinne, if you are reading this, I just want you to know, I will be thinking of you, and sending good wishes to your plants, that they too begin producing for you soon! :)

Below, probably the second cuke to be picked. There are many more, as you can see in the photo, other tiny baby inchlings that have started, and will grow quickly now, with the heat and sun of July. Pretty soon, we should have plenty to go round. I have noticed that our Zucchini are beginning to show now too, and counted 7 this morning, that are from 2" to about 5" long, and I'll be keeping a close eye on those. Otherwise, they will be taking over the garden in no time. LOL

Below, the first of the tomatoes, and after posting the photo, I noticed there are two tomatoes showing. I have a dozen tomato plants, and every one has baby tomatoes growing on them, and many more flowers blooming. This is the crop I wait for, with baited breath, every year. It is a race to see who has the first fully ripe tomatoes. And now with 2 of my children living at home with me, it will be a race getting to the garden to grab that first tomato too. Believe me, either one of them would snatch it in a heart beat, if they find it before I do, and woe is me for being so careless as to allow them to do it. Last year I had 4 tomato plants, and ate up the fruits nearly as fast as they ripened. So now you know why I have 12 plants this year. To keep everyone happy at the same time, and so NO fighting breaks out over who gets the next tomato! LOL
For now, this is all that I have to share with you. I have started working on the second kitchen curtain panel again. And I am playing with a crocheted baby blanket too. Maybe I'll have enough of that finished to share the next time I post, as well.

Until then, I hope everyone is having a great Summer. Take care, keep well, and above all.........
KEEP SMILING!! :)

Flower Update

2011-07-12T19:32:00.005-04:00

A lot of flowers have begun blooming recently, most notably, my Hybrid Day Lilies.

These Lilies were all hybridized by a person friend with an itch for playing with nature. At one time he cross bred tropical fish, to develop unique color combinations and designs, and was very successful at it. He shipped his rare tropical fish to aquariums all around the world. Then as he got older, and that work was a bit too demanding, he turned to plants, and Day Lilies in particular. His name is Richard Lambertson and he lives here in northeast PA too. The following Day Lily flowers are all of his making.
This lily is the darkest one I have. Almost like dried blood, it is so dark.

This is a deep dark yellow. Several blossoms have opened on this one at once.

This is one of the lovliest, in my opinion. A soft Salmon colored lily, and I really look forward to this one every year.

This is my second most favorite lily, a very soft pink. It looks like a cloud of soft pink to me. Just gorgeous!

This pale yellow lily is the last of the group that have begun blooming. I have 12 plants, all slightly different in color, so there will be more to share with you later.
Besides the lilies, there are a few other blossoms that are showing off right now.

In the front is my Apple Blossom spreading rose shrub. I swear it's getting bigger every year. Behind that, Hosta in bloom, and the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds are having a banquet. All the way in the back, you can see my Million Blossoms hanging plant continues to thrive well too.

I don't really know exactly what these flowers are, but a dear friend, Corinne, sent me a packet of mixed flower seeds for a Butterfly garden, I believe it was 3 years ago. Every year, something from that group of flowers manages to survive our Winters, and sprouts, grows, and blossoms again. This year, I had quite a lot of these gorgeous little flowers blooming. And every year I think "Thank you Corinne, for the gift that keeps giving." And I do thank you Corinne, every time I see them too.

Last, but not at all the least, is my Clematis vine. In the past I've tried to grow several varieties of this plant, and none of them thrived. Then I stuck this one out in the flower bed, behind a bird feeder ( for support) and it has gotten nicer and a bit bigger every year. I believe it is of the Jackmani variety.

For the flowers, this is it today. Keep smiling. :)

Of Gardens and Fruit Trees

2011-07-02T17:11:00.007-04:00

It has not been a very successful couple weeks, where knitting is concerned. I am trying to finish a pair of socks, and I am still far from done. One sock is finished, the other I am nearly finished the gusset, but will then have the foot and toe to complete. After that, I really don't know for sure, what I might start working on.

I've been reading a lot, and working in my little vegetable garden. It gets harder and harder to do as I get older, but I keep trying. I manage an hour or two in the evenings, but it's slow going. Now that I've finished weeding out all of the rows, it's time to go back to the first row, and begin over again. :) Still, things are growing fairly well, IMHO.
This is looking from the corn back to the tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and onions.

This is looking from the other end, where the onions and potatoes are, down toward the corn. It looks like I caught Lizette snacking on some grass again. :P
This is one of the cucumber plants. They are doing really good.

I have planted 4 rows of Sugar n Honey corn, radishes, beets, Romaine lettuce (doing great), tomatoes, also doing very good, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage, banana peppers, potatoes and onions. Most of the produce will be consumed fresh, right from the garden. But that's the way I like it best anyway.

This is one of the pears that are growing on my pear tree. A couple weeks back, it was no bigger than a pea, but now it's bigger than a fat juicy grape, and coming right along. I am so excited, as these are the first pears ever, from this tree. The cherries are coming very well too, but they are still too small for me to get a good photo of them. And like last year, my apple tree is producing abundantly too. We will have a lot of fresh fruit come this fall, and I probably will have to put up some applesauce or sliced apples for pies. Otherwise, the local deer will end up getting what I don't gather and process.

This Mandevilla was a gift from a neighbor, Matthew & Wendy Studner. I love these in the Summer, and I'm just sorry they do not Winter over here at all. But I'm going to cut it back in late Summer, and bring it inside, and see if I can't keep it alive, at the least, so I can put it out again next Spring, and enjoy it next year too. At least I can try.

Another thing I have gotten myself involved in is a computer game. It's called "Amnesia: The Dark Descent." It's sort of a little horror story, and you have to find your way around an ancient run down old castle, and there are "things" after you. I have loved horror stories and thrillers all my life. This game was right down my ally, and now I find myself lost in the game, as I try to find my way around. Talk about a time thief. Never has a game captured my attention as this one has. Much to my embarrassment, but it sure is fun too. :)

For the time being, this is all I have to share. My two "children" have settled in, and so far, we are doing pretty good. There have been a few outbursts of temper, but an effort is being made by everyone to adjust and make the most of the situation, for my sake, and hopefully to benefit all of us in the end.

I hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful 4th of July weekend. And since both of my children have served well in the Military, I thank them, and all of those that went before them, and have served since, a hearty Thank You for serving and fighting to uphold the freedoms we enjoy today, and will continue to enjoy for decades to come. Happy 4th of July.

Keep smiling............ :)

Soap Bags and Old Roses

2011-06-13T20:10:00.003-04:00

I spent some more time this past week, knitting little soap bags for my friend to sell with her goat's milk soaps. Now I am going to take a break from them, and when she is ready for me to make a few more, she will let me know. I'm not getting rich, by a long shot. But every little bit helps. I also bought 2 knitting books (with gift certificates to Amazon.com) on stitch patterns. Knit and Purl, and eyelet and lace. I have been having fun trying some of the new stitch patterns on my little soap bags. It keeps the knitting interesting, and it's fun to see how they each come out.
About 5 years ago, a neighbor brought in some heavy equipment, to take out an old broken up foundation from a part of his land. At one time, a small farm house has sat on that spot, but the house has been gone as long as I've lived here (25 years) and just the foundation was left, and it was crumbling. After removing most of it, it left the ground all torn up and a jumbled mess.

The following Spring, my late husband and I were one our way home, and this lot is not far from our home. As we passed I suddenly noticed a flash of red, out of the side window. We stopped the car, backed up and took a better look. There, in that jumbled mess of rocks and soil and all kinds of weeds, were these gorgeous red roses blooming. I walked over and the fragrance was amazing. I drove the rest of the way home, maybe 1/4 mile further, grabbed a shovel, and headed back to that lot. I dug up all I could of those roses, and shared them with a friend. One of the ones I had kept has since expired, but I have two left. This is the biggest of them this year. The rabbits went after the other one, during the Winter, big time. But it is doing well, and also thriving. But the bigger one is really beautiful this year. It has just begun to blossom, and as always, the fragrance is really lovely.

Considering how cold our Winter's can get, and how neglected this rose had been treated for decades, I can only guess it must be one of the old world roses that was planted many generations ago. I was one lucky person to have spotted it that day, and rescued it. I know without a doubt that the land owner does not miss it, and I'm glad I did not miss it on that fateful day, either. :)

My 43 yr. old daughter has come home to stay for a while. She is now disabled from a serious back injury she suffered while serving in the US Military many years ago. Having both a middle aged son AND daughter moving back in, after living alone, and coming to really enjoy my solitude and privacy, is taking a lot of adjusting to. It has been very rocky to say the least, but I am hanging in there so far. Only time will tell how it will all come out, but I am hoping we can make the most of this situation. Wish me luck.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. Keep smiling..... :)

Seven Little Soap Bags, All In A Row

2011-06-02T17:29:00.005-04:00

A friend and neighbor of mine raises Pygmy and Dwarf dairy goats. She has quite a nice little herd of them now, and she is making goat's milk soap from their milk. She was invited to set up a booth at the Farmer's Market in the county seat of Honesdale, PA. She asked me if I would consider knitting up some little bags to go with the soaps, so I agreed to give it a try.

These are my first seven little bags. I'm just using Peaches N Cream cotton, and US#7 circular needles. I've actually been having fun coming up with different stitch designs for each bag. There are so many that I can use, and they make nice little gifts too. So I'm hoping, that for both of us, it is successful. I can certainly use a little extra income right now. :)

At this very moment, my little Rhododendron bush is blooming nicely. It has lost a good deal of branches over the last couple years, and last year I finally managed to remove all of the dead branches, so that the energy of the plant would go into the healthy parts. It seems to have worked, because it is blooming much nicer this year. I hope it will recover, over time, and become thicker and fuller. But for the time being, I am very happy with the progress it's made.

And my Lupine have begun blooming too. Lucky for me, the flowers manage to stand higher than the weeds, so I can see them. I have started weeding out the flower bed, but there is a long way to go before it will be completely finished. Still, even with the weeds there, the Lupine are just as lovely as ever.

We have been enjoying some really hot, sunny weather. Well, that was until today. A "cold front" came through late yesterday, and boy, has it cooled down. We never got out of the 60's today, it's that much cooler. And just 2 days ago it was in the upper 80's. But, that's life in the mountains. From one extreme to the other, at least this early in the season anyway. But the best part is, the rain seems to have let up some. Finally, we can mow the lawn without needing waders to walk through the knee high grass that looks more like a hay field than a lawn. I have yet to mow a completely dry lawn though. There are still some areas that are laying in water. But most of it has dried out, thank goodness.

Have a good day, and I wish you all a great, fun weekend to come. Keep smiling. :)

A Little Bit of This, And A Little Bit of That

2011-05-20T13:23:00.000-04:00

See, there really is some knitting going on. Recently I bought a sock knitting book, "Strick-ly Socks" by Candace Eisner Strick. I bought it to learn her "new" method for knitting heels, but I have not been successful, so far, in doing it correctly, or to my satisfaction. Still, I saw this pattern, and fell in love with the cabled design. In this pattern, the cables are only on the front of the leg and down the instep. The back side is 2 x 2 ribbing only.

The yarn is "Pink Lemonade" by Serendipity yarns, 100% superwash merino wool, fingering weight. I am using US#1 (2.25 mm) needles, with a 64 stitch cast-on. My socks might not be "flaming," but they sure are bright just the same.

Last fall, I noticed a large number of Gillardia seedlings that had sprang up. Curious to see how they would fare if kept indoors through the Winter, I dug one of them up and potted it, and brought it inside. My hope was that during those long Winter months, it might bloom, and make a bright spot in my Winter day. Well, it didn't bloom then, but it did survive, and quite well. Then, to my surprise, I found this gorgeous blossom standing up so nice and tall, when I came out this morning. So, it didn't bloom in the dead of Winter, but it is well ahead of any of it's siblings, that were left in the ground to endure the long cold Winter freezing. Those plants are leafing out nicely now, but nowhere near ready for blooming quite yet. So this little guy gets to strut his stuff a good several weeks earlier than the others. I will plant him out, in the ground, with the rest of them, soon. But for now, I'm just going to keep him right here beside me, and enjoy it.

My Bleeding Heart shrubs have begun to bloom though, even with all the rain we've been getting. Not in full bloom yet, but well on the way. Now, if only the rain would stop long enough for us to get outside to enjoy our flowering plants. That sure would be nice. The iris and day lilies are growing very well, and the Lupine have continued to thrive as well. But no blossoms yet. Of course, with all the rain, it doesn't get very warm either. The only good thing about the rain is, that it prevents frost from coming. That means that my pear and cherry blossoms came and went, safely, and the apple blossoms are in full bloom right now, and they too should be safe from frost this year.

As I mentioned before, there is also some crocheting being done. I'm trying to use up some of the baby yarn I have laying around here, and try something different at the same time. I've been crocheting for over 40 years, and yet I've never yet made a "Rippled" afghan or blanket. So I am giving it a go, finally, and using up some stash at the same time. It will be donated to the Afghan Bingo that is held in my community every Fall, to earn funds for the local fire company and rescue squad. With all the baby yarn stash I have, I should be able to make more than one. :)

Saving the best for last, I was really lucky to catch this shot of a male Baltimore Oriole as it was feeding in my apple tree. And if every one of those blossoms do become apples, it looks like this year will be another bumper crop, like we had last year. But isn't he gorgeous? He has been serenading me for several days now, through all the rain and lightning and everything else Mother Nature has been throwing at us, and believe me, it has been welcomed and much appreciated.

I am most thankful we do not live in the Mississippi valley or anywhere near the path of that raging river, but if this rain keeps coming, I'm sure there is going to be flooding even here in the mountain areas. It has been raining, every day, since last Saturday, and our weather forecast is for rain to continue for the next 6-7 days as well, with a little break tomorrow, at least for most of the day, but still a chance for showers in the evening. We had a few hours of sunshine yesterday, but it poured in the morning hours, and through most of the evening as well. It was pouring when I awoke this morning, and there are watches for lightning and possible severe storms to spring up today as well, but at this very moment the sun is peeking through, and very welcome. Now, if you remember, we only had 6 dry days in all of April, and so far, only 5 dry days in May as well. So we are talking about a lot of rain, and with no end in site ..... YET! I am not a frog, or I wasn't last time I looked. So I am not "thriving" too well in all this wet and damp weather.

I had my yearly physical earlier this week. My Doc is a great guy, and a really good Doc too. But he has it in his head that I must have sleep apnea. (I am tired, and exhausted way too much of the time.) I do not agree with him, but he has been trying to get me into a sleep study for almost 3 years now. He set up an appointment for me about 3 years back, but at the time my late husband was going for radiation treatments every day, and it was just impossible for me to fit it in. I have no "excuses" now, and Doc won't be put off any longer. So tonight I am finally going for the sleep study. I will be very surprised if they find anything wrong, but very embarrassed if they do, too, because I have been arguing this with that poor man for all this time. Oh well, time to bite the bullet, get it done, and find out the truth, one way or the other. Otherwise, I am doing pretty good. My physical went well, and it looks like I'll live. :)

I hope everyone has a very pleasant and DRY weekend, even if I do not.
Take care, keep yourself well, and keep smiling........... :)

Spring Has Finally Arrived In Northeastern PA

2011-05-14T21:35:00.000-04:00

During the month of April, according to our local Weatherman, we enjoyed 6 days of sunshine. The rest of the time it was raining, misting, snowing, whatever, but it sure wasn't sunny OR warm! But the past week was lovely, more often than not, and Spring has been popping out all over. I've even managed to mow my lawn twice before the rains started yet again. So here are some of the wonderful things that I am enjoying for the time being.

First come the Daffodils. In the topmost photo is a pair of miniature double blossoms. I don't remember what variety they are any longer. I planted them 25 years ago. I just know that they never disappoint. None of the Daffodils do. Every year they stand out and smile for me, right on cue. I had planted a large number of Tulips as well, but they never did much of anything. Only one or two showed up the second year, and then didn't even bother to bloom. But the Daffodils are always there.

Next come the white and purple Pasque flowers. You can see one of the white ones above, with the Daffodils. Pasque flowers are a very common "weed" in the prairie states, or so I've read. But around here, they are treasured perennial plants for my flower bed, and a very welcome sight during the early weeks of Spring.

Another early bloomer, the undying Johnny Jump-Up. Whereas the Daffodil and Pasque flower blossom, and fade in a few weeks, the Johnny Jump-Up begins early, and lasts all Spring, Summer, and Fall, and are not done until a good hard frost kills them off for the Winter. I love them. Happy little faces smiling up at the sun every day. I've never knowingly planted them, but discarded seeds from the bird feeders did, and I have never been sorry for it.

Another early perennial, and another case where I bit off more than I could chew, unknowingly. One year, many moons ago, I ordered 9 viola plants. Three each of three different varieties. The second year, two of the varieties were not to be seen again, but the "Freckles" Viola was back, and in a big way. Like the Johnny Jump-Up, they spread all by themselves with no help from anyone but Mother Nature. They are now growing in the lawn and about anywhere they can. I have dug up clumps of them from the flower beds, to reclaim space for other perennial plants I wanted to survive, and given many clumps of them away. Still, they are adorable with their little violet head, covered in a pale lavender freckle splash. They too bloom early, and then do not flower again, but they are lovely while in bloom.

Purple Lupine, and Mountain Pink. About 2 years before the passing of my husband, he brought me a packet of Lupine seed and asked me to please plant them, because his Mother always grew them, and he was very fond of them. So of course I did. Every year, there are more of them, and I have come to love them as much as he did, even to the point of taking up tiny little seedlings, and replanting them where they will look best. Over the past 4 years, I now have quite a few very strong plants that are coming up every year in the same spot, and there is still room for more. Fine with me. Lupine have not bloomed yet, but as you can see, the plants are strong and growing very well. They should begin blooming soon.

Maybe someone out there will recognize this beautiful yellow flower. I bought it last year, because it resembles a daisy, but all yellow. I lost the tag that was with it, so I can't remember now what it is, but it bloomed most of the Summer long, and I am looking forward to it blooming throughout this Summer too.

This is not a perennial, but a beautiful gift from a friend (Matthew-thanks). I will have to find out exactly what the name of the plant is, but they look exactly like tiny miniature Petunias, in a large variety of colors, and I LOVE THEM! I had a small basket of them last year, and they just never stopped blooming, just like a Petunia. So I was thrilled when Matt brought these to me with a "Happy Mother's Day" wish, and I will enjoy them all Summer long this year too.

My late husband and I both loved fresh fruit, and when you live way out in the countryside, as we do, it seems almost a crime NOT to have a variety of fruit trees. So over the years we have planted apple trees and other fruit trees, but not had a huge success with them. We do occasionally get apples, but not usually a lot of them, until last year, that is.

Anyway, several years ago Lew bought several more fruit trees. Cherry, pear, and plum trees. The plum trees have disappeared, so I guess they didn't survive very long. Then there were several other trees that continued to struggle, but finally died off. And there were two that grew, and continued to grow, and that was all they did. One was the tree above. The other, the tree below.

!

These flowers from this tree
above.

I know this lower tree is a pear tree. Lew told me that more than once, and according to him it is supposed to carry at least 3 varieties of pears. For me, I will be tickled pink if there is just one variety, and I don't care which one either. I love pears, and I am just worried sick we will have a frost come and take away my hopes of a fresh pear from my own tree, for the very first time.

The other tree, above, I am fairly certain is a cherry tree. We both loved fresh cherries, and when we moved here, there were two cherry trees in the back yard, but neither of them ever produced any cherries. Finally, they took "ill" and Lew had them removed. In looking at the flowers on the upper tree, I see they are growing in stemmed groupings, with a flower at the end of each stem, and the entire group coming from a center area, just as a clump of cherries would grow. So I am guessing it is a cherry tree, although what variety of cherry, I have no idea. They do not have pink flowers, but white ones, as you can see. And both trees have blossomed well before any apple blossoms have formed. I am still waiting for the apple trees to bloom. Wish me luck. I am really hoping that we see edible fruit from these trees this year. It sure would be nice. :)

No knitting to report about this time, although there is knitting and spinning being done, as well as some crochet. But just not enough of any one thing to show it off yet. Instead I am going to brag about a gift that was sent to me, a total surprise from a very dear friend.

This BEAUTIFUL tote bag was hand made for me by my dear and good friend, Corinne Schillinger, from upstate NY. Her son is married to the daughter of my oldest and dearest friend, Kate. I have met her but once, on the day of their wedding, but we have been corresponding almost daily for the last few years. She also knits and crochets, and has many other talents, but she also makes the most beautiful quilts. And this time she made me a gorgeous quilted tote. Two big pockets, one on front and back, and it is very cushiony and soft, and it holds a LOT of stuff! The straps are great, because you can carry it on the shoulder, and the color is just perfect. She sure knows what I like - the color green, and food. Veggies and fruits are all over this bag. I was totally surprised by this gift, but oh so appreciative! Thank you Corinne, it's a super bag, and I'm going to wear it out, if that is possible. LOL

Sorry everyone, for the huge posting today, but for days I've tried to post and kept getting messages that Blogger was down for repairs. By the time I get here and actually get to post, my fingers just couldn't stop typing, I had so much to share.

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful weekend. My best wishes to all of those that are being affected by the mighty Mississippi flooding, as well as all those whose lives were torn asunder by the tornadoes. My thoughts are with you, hoping that you all come through this with as little damage as possible, and that you are able to get back to your lives quickly, and in good health.

Try to keep smiling. It can help, even if just a little. :)

Back On Line And A New Pair of Socks

2011-05-09T18:53:00.003-04:00

Finally, after 11 long days without the Internet, I am finally up and running today. During that last week in April, we were hit with really strong lightning, high winds and driving rains for 3 nights in a row. So I was lucky that the only damage done, was my phone line and modem were fried.

I had shut down the computer, but hat done disconnected it. Next time, you can be sure I will do just that.

My phone was repaired on May 4th, but it was not until today that the new modem arrived to replace the "broken" one. And then I had to go through Verizon technical support to get up and running correctly again, but we did get it done. I am now inundated with a very FULL email box, and will be very busy for a few days catching up.

While I was down, I did get some knitting done. A pair of socks.

Around Xmas time, my sister Ruthie, sent me some Opal yarn from Germany. This one is called Chameleon. I had plenty of time to work on them, so that is what I did.

The pattern is just a basic 2 x 2 ribbed leg and down the instep, using US#1 (2.50 mm) , 32" circular needle in the "magic loop" method. The socks are a perfect fit, and Opal is one of my most favorite yarns for socks, so I am one happy camper with these. Thanks Seester!!

I have begun another pair of socks, and I'm working the gusset on the first sock, plus I am working on another lace curtain for my kitchen windows as well, and also working knit squares with stash baby yarn for a baby blanket as a charity knit.

On the spinning front, I attempted to spin some silk/baby camel roving, but had a very difficult time with it. I gave it up for the time being. I am hoping that soon I can get together with my spinning mentor, Freda, soon, and she can give me some guidelines. But since that didn't work very well, I have chosen some auburn baby alpaca roving to spin. I have at least 2 lbs or more, so I might as well get busy on it now. Maybe I can get enough of it spun and plied to knit with by Xmas. LOL

Hope all are doing well, and I hope none of my blogging friends are suffering from all the rain and tornadoes that have hit our country of late. My heart really hurts for all of those poor people, and I hope they are getting all the help they need, now and follow up help as well.

Tomorrow I go for my colonoscopy, so today was "prep" day. I have to say, since I've been through this before about 4 years ago, I knew what to expect this time, and I was fully prepared. I mixed my Miralax with some sugar free iced tea mix, and it went down nice and smooth. I downed that 64 oz. in 90 minutes, and all the hard work is over now and I am feeling fine, albeit rather hungry. Tomorrow morning, at 6:30 AM the procedure will be done, and I should be home and back to a normal diet by 10 AM. There are worse things to deal with, right?

Take care and keep smiling. And believe me, that has been difficult for me over the past 11 days, but I did try hard. :)

Phone Outage

2011-04-28T12:04:00.002-04:00

Due to all the storms in the area recently, at present I am without telephone or Internet access. I am writing this from a friend's home.

Just wanted to let everyone know why I have "disappeared."
According to the telephone company, they can not come to repair the damage until May 4th (next Wednesday). Think of me while I'm away. I'll be lost without my computer and phone, but am well and no other damage has been done so far. :)

Keep smiling, and I'm trying very hard to do that right now. :)

Trellis Lace Café Curtain

2011-04-19T14:46:00.003-04:00

You don't really see the true color of the curtain, or even the proper hanging of it. My stupid door is metal, and I had forgotten that the rod I used for the swags that were there previously were on split magnetic rods. I took them off, but left the rod up there, and then ran an old regular kitchen curtain rod through the top of the curtain, and laid it over the magnetic one, to show off my new curtain. It's not quite this dark in color, but it is a dark green.

For now, this is where my finished curtain will hang. At some time in the future, I may choose to hang it elsewhere, and knit a pair of curtains for the door window that will work better with the magnetic rods I have. The pattern is very easy to adjust to width and length, and it wouldn't take much of anything to manage doing that, other than the time it takes to knit them.

It has been raining here all week, and will continue to rain the rest of the week, or so I'm told. I hope some of you are enjoying nice weather.

Thank you for visiting, and keep smiling. :)

Dappled Lace Café Curtains

2011-04-13T08:55:00.003-04:00

I found this pattern on KnitPicks.com, in their "free" pattern section, and simply loved it. I ordered 6 balls of their "shine sport" in the "Jalapeno" colorway. Just enough to make one panel, so I could see if I wanted to be bothered making enough for my entire kitchen. I am still loving it even though I keep making minor errors, like forgetting yarn overs, and have to back track over and over to fix things. I've done 3 pattern sections now, and I think I want to make a full set. That means making 7 full sized panels. I think I have my work cut out for me.

As you can see, the lace is in the form of a lattice, and I think they will look really nice in my "white" kitchen. Below is a close up showing the pattern detail a little better.

This cotton yarn is also very soft, so they will drape beautifully. I'm sure it would work great for a little shawl, accessory scarf, or a long wrap, such as a stole. I know it would work great for a sweater or shell. I guess that KnitPicks can be sure I'll be back for more as time goes on. :)

A Spring Update:
We've had some cloudy days, a bit of rain, but Monday was amazing. Bright sunshine and it reached 75º here, breaking records for an all time high on that date. I made good use of this wonderful day, getting out early to clean up my flower beds. It took me nearly all day to get the work done, that at one time I would have finished in a few hours. But done it is.

Because of all my work, I have been justly rewarded. Not only with a sore body, but with the sight of my Pasque flower plants sprouting through and beginning to grow. They often will bloom even before my Daffodils do. I have Daffodils coming up everywhere, and the Stars of Bethlehem are coming along nicely too. The first shoots from Mums are showing, and I also found a nice stand of Lupine popping out, and showing off one little umbrella, all of 1" tall. :) The day-lilies are looking great, and so are the Iris, after I pulled out all of the dead debris that had them well hidden. The Robins are thankful for all my raking and cleaning up too. I've made lose soil for them to find their worms a bit easier in.

Looking out front, the buds on my Lilac bushes have popped, and I should see nice green leaves sprouting any day. Also, the flowers on the Forsythia have started to pop as well.

Happy Spring everyone, and remember, keep smiling.......... :)

Modeling The Elektra

2011-04-07T08:41:00.003-04:00

I had to be up and out very early this morning for an Endoscopy procedure, and as you can see, we awoke to new snow falling. We got maybe 1-2" this morning, and by the time I left the facility, the snow had stopped. In the background, you can see my Forsythia bush, covered in snow.

Since it was bright enough, and to prove we had snow this late in the year, I had my son take my picture, wearing the shawlette. You can even see the beads.
This is a back view, and the beads show quite nicely now. I love the way the colors flow into and blend with the next color. And I think the black on the edge and around the neck worked out just fine.
I personally, look miserable. Please forgive me, but I've been up since 2:30 AM, and I think I'll be heading for a nap. But before I do anything else, I'm going to sit back, relax and enjoy my morning cup of coffee (decaffeinated) before I do anything else at all. I'm dying of thirst about now. LOL

Hope everyone else is having much better weather than we had this morning.
Keep smiling................ :)

2011-03-30T15:04:00.002-04:00

I have finally finished my Elektra Shawlette (from 7 Small Shawls, by Rosemary (Romi) Hill. Knit from my own homespun yarn, in the "Sand Art" colorway, using US#6 circular needle. I had spun and plied approximately 1000 yards of yarn, but I did not have quite enough to finish it with. Lucky for me, a friend had given me a huge spool of lace weight black yarn. I double-stranded that, and finished the last 6 rows of the shawlette pattern, and then, hopefully, to tie it all together, I slipped stitch (crocheted) one row of trim around the entire inside edge. Personally, I think it worked just fine, and my son thinks the black edging actually makes the colors of the yarn pop even better. I hope so. This was my very first effort at knitting with beads, which I found to be rather easy to do, and I'm sorry it took me so long to try it out. I am very happy with it, so I guess that is what matters most.

As you can see, right now it is being blocked, and if you look closely enough, you will see that I made an error in the beading, twice. One on the left lace section, and once again on the right lace section. Oh well, I guess I'm not perfect, after all. :) After it is dried, I'll have to try and get my son to get a photo of me wearing it. It probably looks best though, right now on the blocking board. LOL

Considering that I only had 1 lb. of that beautiful Leicester roving, I'd say I did pretty well with it. I managed a very nice hand bag, a pair of warm socks for my son, AND this lovely shawlette. I'd say I made good use of every ounce of that wool.

We are still waiting for real Spring weather to arrive here in the mountains of northeast PA. The Robins and Red Wing Blackbirds have been here now for about 2 weeks, and other song birds are arriving all the time, and I'm sure they would sure enjoy a nice tasty bug dinner, for a change. Today the weather is lovely, bright sunshine, and it has reached about 47ºF this afternoon. But that is all about to change, as snow is forecast for tonight, and more over the weekend. I guess Old man Winter is being very stubborn this year.

Have a good day, and remember, keep smiling.......... :)

New Yarn - New Snow - WHERE'S SPRING?

2011-03-24T15:29:00.000-04:00

I finished spinning and plying the first half of the mohair/wool blend roving that my friend Wendy gave me. So right now I have 165 yards of 2 ply, approx DK thick yarn. Right now it is natural color, and I may just leave it that way. At first I planned on dying it, but if I use it to make a shawl or stole, leaving it natural, it will go with everything. Colored, it's uses would be limited some. It was rather easy to spin, but messy to work with. I had to wear an apron at all times, or I seemed to end up wearing almost as much hair as I had spun. LOL So far, I'm very happy with it.

This was taken yesterday morning, Wednesday, March 23rd. Sure doesn't look like Spring to me. We got about 6" of the new stuff, and I'm not thrilled about it, but I can still see, enjoy, and appreciate the beauty of it all.

This was a heavy, wet snow, but most of it was very fine. So every little branch and twig was covered. I love it when it's like that. Everything looks like pure white lace work, dainty and delicate.

The dogs had a blast, running and frolicking all around the yard. Pretty easy for Lizette to shake off the snow, her coat is clipped and rather short. Not so easy for Dudley. See those huge "dingle" on his rump? Well, they accompany him when he comes into the house. AGGGHHH!! The snow clumps up on his long hair, like tight little snowballs, and if you try to pull it off, he yelps. So it melts as he is running from me, through the house. Puddles everywhere. Oh well, that's nothing new either. Dudley leaves his own puddles often enough.

This is a young Spruce tree my husband planted in the yard a few years ago. For some reason, it doesn't grow very fast, and maybe that is because the snow weights it down every Winter? It was big enough for a sparrow family last Summer though. They had a nest in it, and raised their young there. Poor little tree, couldn't hold another snowflake if it wanted to. LOL

I found another quote to share with everyone, that I particularly liked.

"A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks" by Charles Gordy
So remember everyone...............KEEP SMILING!! :)

Daffodils & Gifts

2011-03-19T14:06:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I went out grocery shopping. It was a gorgeous day, we managed to reach 64º here, and I was able to throw off my jacket and enjoy the drive in just indoor clothing. When I returned home, it was the first I noticed this little clump of Daffodils that has sprung up as the days warmed. The area had been totally covered with deep snow just days ago, but there has been major melting over the last week, so now the snow is only to be found in scattered patches, or under the trees in the wooded areas. The open areas are mostly bare now, and just waiting for life to spring forth.

A while back, an old friend from my school days, found me on Facebook. I've not seen her in over 50 years, as I graduated in 1960, so it was a real surprise to discover she was doing well, and actually living not too very far away. She recently told me that she really liked the hat I had made for myself, and wondered if I might be willing to make one for her. She would be happy to pay me for making it, and she also asked if I would knit her a pair of socks, and she wanted to pay for those too. Over the past week, I got busy crocheting the hat for her, and knitting her a pair of socks. I have very fond memories of this woman, when we were just girls in school, and we had many fun times together. So I made a gift of the hat and the socks, and I hope she wears them both in good health. It's nice chatting with her now and then on Facebook.
The hat is from some acrylic yarn I've had for a long time. The socks were knit using KnitPicks "Simple Stripes" yarn, using a US #1 - 40" circular needle. Just basic 2 x 2 ribbed socks. My friend has contacted me that they arrived safely, and both fit her very well. Thank goodness for that. :) I hope she wears them in good health for many years to come.

It is much cooler today, around 37º right now (2:20 pm) and I don't expect it to get too much warmer before the end of the day. That's OK, I had Thursday and Friday to enjoy, so March can do it's thing for a couple days. I know the warmer weather will be back soon. Time goes on, and nothing can stop it, so Winter's back is broken right now, but he likes to put up a little fuss. Spring is here, and will gain more and more control as the days pass. We were told we may see some snow showers on Wednesday. No problem, the sun will melt that quickly enough.

Hope you are all having a great Saturday. Keep smiling...... :)

Shawl Update etc.

2011-03-17T13:06:00.005-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone. We are enjoying some drop-dead GORGEOUS weather, here in northeast PA today. It is, at the time of this posting, 51º and the sun is blinding bright and beautiful. The snow is not totally gone yet, but well on it's way. By the end of this week, I think there will be very little of it left.

This morning I "heard" my first Red Wing Blackbird, but I have not seen it yet. Still, they are here and I'm sure I'll be seeing lots of them very soon. There has been a steady stream of Canada Geese for the last two weeks. Obviously the message has gotten out that Spring has arrived, and not a moment too soon! :)
Over the weekend of the 5th and 6th, my niece came to visit for a few days. She was out on Spring Break from Kutztown University. While she was here, we had a bit of an ice storm. The day she left, the sun was blazing and the beauty of the ice could be appreciated, as it had melted the ice and snow from the roads, along with the plow trucks doing a good job too, but the trees, grasses and shrubbery were covered in crystal.

Now, some news about my shawl.

If you remember, I mentioned I was going to try knitting the "Elektra" shawl, (Rosemary Hill - 7 Small Shawls) with beads, using the last of my "Sand Art" homespun yarn. It's not finished, but I have finished the first section (charts A & B), and have just moved on to chart C and a little more detail. So far, so good.
At first, I had a horrible time getting my little crochet hook into the beads, to transfer them to the stitch, and then learned (the hard way, of course) I needed a finer hook. It's a little tricky trying to hang on to the yarn, while pulling the bead on, since I'm using a #12 hook, and it's so small, it isn't easy for it to catch and hold the yarn, which is a fine fingering, rather than lace weight. So yes, it has been a challenge, and I've lost a few beads, but I am progressing along nicely, I think. Of course, I can't wait to see it finished, but not being the fastest of knitter's, it's going to take me time. Knitting is a wonderful exercise in patience, especially for someone like myself who wants everything yesterday! LOL

Now, just a little note to my followers. I have added a new widget, so you can subscribe to my posts. I had noticed it on a few other blogs I follow, and I love it. Now I know when the blogs I enjoy have new postings, and can respond to them faster. I don't always get to my dashboard to see what updates have been recently added, so I really like getting the e-mail notification, and I am hoping that at least some of you will enjoy that feature too.

Have a great day, and remember, keep smiling. :)

Odds And Ends - Homespun Socks

2011-03-02T17:34:00.003-05:00

Since I had some yarn left over from my homespun "Pistachio Pudding" AND the homespun "Sand Art," I thought, rather than toss it, I could make a pair of nice heavy socks from it, and so that is exactly what I did.
You can see the light and dark stripes. The lighter being "Pistachio Pudding" and the darker is from the "Sand Art," as is the reddish/orange on the heels and toes. I used a 40" circular needle, size US#5, and a basic 2 x 2 ribbed pattern for the leg and down the instep. They are not a tight fabric, but nice and soft. I doubt they would fit inside any of my shoes very well, but in the deep cold of Winter, I know they will keep my tootsies very warm. :)

As I said the other day, Spring is one the way, and Winter is being blown out the back door. Well, I had more proof of that today. All morning long we were serenaded with the call of the Canadian Geese as they flew over, on flock after another. And on the evening news, a viewer had sent in a photo of a Robin they noticed on their lawn. We might get a few more little snow falls, maybe even see a few inches of the white stuff. But not for long. The climbing sun is burning nice and hot these days, and melting the snow quickly. Every day it goes down just a bit more. Hooray for Spring! I think all of us are more than ready for it this year.

Have a great weekend, and remember, bring some sunshine into someone's life... Smile!! :)

Homespun Handbag

2011-03-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

I found a cute pattern, called Mighty Mitered Handbag. I wasn't interested in making the bag exactly as written in the pattern, but it looked like it would be a great little pattern for my worsted weight homespun yarn in "Sand Art" colorway. So that's what I made with it. I am most happy with the end result, and I hope you like it too.

As you can easily see, I made a few alterations. I used darker homespun on the top, for the mitered pieces, and for the bottom of the bag. I also chose to make an I-cord strap rather than the knitted one. I added a closure to the top of the bag with a little I-cord button loop, and a nice wooden button on the front of the bag. It knitted up very quickly, using a US#6 circular needle.

I was worried about finding the right lining for the bag. After all, I've never done anything like this before, and I've been told that my color coordinating skills leave a lot to be desired, so I am always feeling inadequate trying to match clothing, or anything. I didn't want my first lined bag to be a failure. I drove down to Jo-Anne's fabric's this morning, asked for fabric suggestions to line a bag, and they pointed me to the section of cotton bolts. Odd, but the moment my eyes laid on this fabric, I felt it connect strongly with the bag, and just couldn't believe anything else would look better. So I went with my gut feeling, and I am happy with it. I guess that is all that really matters.
Here is the lining.

I wrote to a friend that has been making felted bags for a while now, and she lines all of them, and she does a great job of it too. I told her that I was knitting a handbag, and it would need to be lined. She wrote back, asking if I was planning to put a pocket inside the bag. Well, I never had thought of that at all, so I was so glad she suggested it. Don't know where my mind was. She makes little pockets in her handbags all of the time, and yet I had totally forgotten about it. Of course I wanted a little pocket in my bag too. So I thank her for reminding me of that. After all, what would a handbag be without a little pocket?? :) So here is how my pocket came out.

Actually, as this is not an area where I am really comfortable and used to, I made a little error with the pocket, but no one will know, unless I tell them. I had cut two pieces of cloth for the pocket. Put the right sides together and hemmed down the top, then stitched the two pieces around three sides, then turned it right side out. It looked perfect, until I lay it on the liner, to add it before stitching the liner into the bag. When I did that, I discovered I had a double pocket, because when I stitched it to the liner, the liner it's self became part of the pocket. DUH Sandie!!! Nothing serious, I just blanket- stitched across the top, to close the two pieces together, and now I have a stronger, sturdier pocket, but one pocket instead of two. LOL I am sure this will not be my last knit handbag. So mistakes I make this time, will be the success in my later projects.

While I was stitching up the lining to my handbag, Rosie found the remainder of the new cloth laying on the kitchen table, and guess what? There was a lovely warm ray of sunshine coming in through the window, and landing right there on that new piece of cloth. Perfect for an afternoon cat nap, and so nap she did.

My next challenge, using the fingering weight homespun of "Sand Art" is to knit a beaded shawl. I have chosen "Elektra" from Rosemary {Romi} Hill's "Seven Small Shawls." At first I was just going to knit the shawl plain. I gathered my needles, yarn, and stitch markers and began knitting. After 5 rows, I decided I wanted to make the shawl as designed and written, with the beads. I've never knit with beads before, and there is no time like the present to learn. I looked up a tutorial on-line, and it doesn't look like rocket science, so I'm giving it a go. I purchased the beads this morning, and as soon as I finish my odd-bits homespun socks, I will begin the new shawl. Wish me luck.

Right now I am using the left over homespun yarn from the "Pistachio Pudding," and the left over "Sand Art," and knitting a pair of heavier comfy socks. They are working out really well, and I'll have them to share with you soon.

Until then, I hope everyone is enjoying the changing weather patterns as Old Man Winter is washed, blown, and chased away, and Spring begins. Every day brings it closer and closer, and the sun is very warm and welcome right now.
Enjoy your week, and remember to keep smiling....... :)

Homespun Footies

2011-02-20T16:22:00.003-05:00

We were very fortunate during the last week in that we did get a little taste of how wonderful Spring will be, once it gets here. We had two beautiful sunny days, where the temperatures actually got into the upper 50's. Then a cold front came through, brought 3" of new snow and temperatures fell through the floor, down to as low as 7º Saturday night. Now they are telling us that another storm is on it's way, and should begin to arrive sometime late this evening. By the time it is done with us, we may see 8" to 10" of new snow here in the elevations, where I live. And we may even see some sleet and freezing rain. Fun times ahead!

I choose to keep a positive attitude about this. I believe that this is Winter's last hoorah before Spring comes marching through. I'm sure there are millions of song birds that just can't wait to get back here, to begin their nesting season. But Winter never leaves like a gentleman. He has to complain and show us he is not happy to be unwanted. So we have to put up with his little temper tantrums for the time being. His days are numbered, and I am counting them down! :)

But since we are still having some very cold nights, I decided to make myself a pair of footies for sleeping in.

Using my "Sherbet" homespun, I cast on 44 stitches, which means that it came out more worsted weight than DK, but for footies, I'm fine with that. They fit great, and they are going to be very warm and toasty on my feet tonight.

One thing you can't see in the photo is that the bottom sock had to be altered to some degree. When I knit that first sock, I knit a 1" cuff, thinking that would be enough, and then continued with the heel, then on with the foot. Once it was finished, and I tried it on, I realized that I did not like such a short cuff. I preferred that it be at least up to my ankle. So I simply attached the yarn at the top where the stitches were cast on, and proceeded to pick up stitches, in 2 x 2 rib, around the top, and then knit another inch of cuff. You have to look very closely to see the difference between the two, so I was very pleased with that.

With the yarn being heavier, these socks knit up very quickly, in just a couple days. My next project is going to be a hand bag, using the worsted homepsun "Sand Art" that I finished just 2 weeks back. I just finished winding the yarn, and I hope I will have enough. I have a total of 330 yards, weighing about 6 oz. I am planning to make the handle first, and the top of the bag next, since they are mitered squares. And then make the rest of the bag. That way I can adjust the bottom of the bag depending on how much yarn is available. I don't really need a big bag. Most of the time I just grab my wallet and stick it in my coat pocket, and I'm good to go. But I found a pattern for a cute little bag, and wanted to try it.

If you want to see the pattern, you can find it here at Creative Knitting.

So until next time, I want to leave you with a little quote I have discovered, from a friend.

"Smiling is infectious
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And then I started smiling too."

I love it! Have a great week, and remember to keep smiling. :)

Lizette - Lost In Comfort

2011-02-12T19:09:00.002-05:00

I walked into the living room, and this is what I found. My miniature poodle had snuggled herself down between the back of the couch, and the cushion that rests against it. That green blanket is a fleece throw, and most of it is under her. She loves that throw, and is forever pulling it here, there, ruffling it up, to make a comfy bed for herself. Tough luck if Mommy needs to use it herself. :)

Just had to share. :)

Homespun Leicester

2011-02-12T12:19:00.007-05:00

I finally finished spinng the remainder of the Leicester wool I had bought at the 2009 Endless Mountain Fiber Festival. As I mentioned before, this came from Steam Valley Farms. The colorway is "Sand Art," and that is easy to see from the soft muted colors, that changed as I went along.

I won't know the yardage until it's wound into balls, but I have 5½ oz. of 2 ply yarn, and after using my wpi tool, I got 20 wraps to the inch, so this is Fingering weight. This is the finest, and most consistent yarn I have spun so far. I am very pleased with this.

I have been working very hard to spin at least for an hour every day. I don't always manage that, but most days I have, and if I miss a day, the next day I usually spin for a while longer. By doing this every day, I am learning that it is easier to reach a rythym and a consistancy in my spinning. Heck, it works for me, and that's all I'm aiming for right now. Greatness can come later.............. LOL As for working with Leicester, as a relatively new spinner, I can't say enough good things about it. This fall I will definitely be looking to purchase more. It was wonderful to work with.

My friend Wendy gave me some Mohair/wool blend roving that came from her ewe, Emma, and her two angora goats, Harold and Maude. All of the fiber is off-white, so I will be dying this after it is spun. Not sure how it's going to work out, having never spun Mohair before, but therein lies the challenge. A spinner needs to try many fibers, before they find the few that they work best with. I'm looking forward to the change of pace, and hoping it works out well. Wish me luck? :)

For many, this Winter has been a record breaking Winter, with more snow and/or ice than ever before in recorded history. For us, it has been a rather mild Winter, in comparison to many past Winters of my memory. But as the days grow longer (thank goodness), thoughts of Spring will not stay buried. So even though we are not buried under the beautiful white fluffy stuff, even I am ready to see it go by now. Here are just a couple shots. Not too bad, but enough.

When the snow starts getting near the top of the fence, I'm more than ready for it to begin melting. I always worry that my dogs will end up walking over the fence, and could possibly end up in the road, in harm's way. And because there has been so much drifting, there are several areas where they could easily hop over the top, if they really had a mind to. The weatherman is promising us that a heat wave is on it's way. It could not be arriving at a better time. It will be nice to see bare ground again, even if it's just patches, for the time being. I'm sure we are not completely done with the snow yet, but we need to make room for it when it does come.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Keep smiling. :)

The Newsboy Cap

2011-01-29T11:59:00.011-05:00

For a long time now, I've been looking at photos of different styles of the Newsboy Cap. I like all of them, and have been wanting to make one for myself, for about as long as I knew the patterns were out there. I finally found a free pattern, on RedHeart.com. The pattern was written by Linda Cyr, for Red Heart Yarns, and it's really very easy to make. The only thing you need besides your yarn and crochet hook is a bit of plastic canvas for the brim of the hat, but I had lots of that laying around from past attempts to learn that craft, and I failed miserably. :) So here is my Newsboy Cap.

Another view:

And from the side:

Now, it was a treat to find this pattern as a free one, but what was even more exciting is that while watching Good Morning America this week, they did a Winter Fashion segment, on tips for keeping warm out of doors, and right there on the screen, this model is wearing a nearly exact replica of my hat, but her hat is a Tommy Hilfiger cap, and cost $29.00. I guarantee you that my hat was MUCH less expensive, and took very little time to make. What a thrill to see a cap almost identical to my own, being featured on National TV. :)

I have not managed to get too much spinning done this week. This nasty cold has hung on, and deprived me of much of my energy. By the time I got things done that needed doing, I had no energy left for my spinning. But one or two days I did get some spinning done. I'm continuing with the "Sand Art" Leicester wool, but spinning this much thinner. I've been spinning this at about 28 wraps per inch, for a finished 2-ply yarn that will be 14 wraps per inch, which is definitely a finer yarn. I am finding the Leicester much easier to spin this fine as opposed to spinning alpaca wool. And since I also have some mohair to play with, as well as some camel, it will be fun discovering the differences in the ease or not, spinning each of them.

The last storm that went through proved to be a bust for us here. We got about an inch of new snow, and then over the next 3 days, with fine dustings daily, maybe another inch. Nothing to be concerned with. It seems the coastal cities got the brunt of that storm. Better them than me. :)

Wishing everyone a fun and relaxing weekend. Keep smiling! :)

Spinning & Being Sick

2011-01-23T11:12:00.000-05:00

The past two weeks have been a challenge, to say the least. I came down with a very nasty cold, and I believe that tomorrow I will be calling my Doctor. It is possible this has turned into bronchitis. The congestion in my chest and sinuses just will not go away, and 14 days of coughing has left me with a very sore pair of lungs. The only good thing about it all was that my son Barry was a very attentive "nurse" and took as good care of his Momma as she was willing to allow him to do. The poor boy would go out of his way to try and make something special and yummy for dinner, and I was unable to taste it! That was frustrating, and still is.

Still, I did manage to get in some spinning on the days when I was not totally laid out. I have managed to spin and ply about 400 yards of Border Leicester cross wool roving. The color is "Sand Art," and I purchased the roving at the Endless Mountains Fiber Festival in 2009. The seller was Steam Valley Fiber Farm in Trout Run, PA. I purchased a pound of this roving, so there is a lot more left for spinning. : )

The roving looked like this:

The spun and 2-ply yarn looks like this:

I spun this yarn a little thicker than what I normally do, and I'm hoping I have worsted weight yarn. I'm not really sure yet because I have not checked wraps per inch to know for certain, but it looks very close to worsted weight. I am thinking it might make a nice purse. I'm just not sure if I want a plain knitted purse, or a felted one. No rush on that, just tossing ideas around in my head for the time being.

As to other things, Winter continues to cover us in fresh blankets of white every week or so. This last snowfall was very fine. Every twig and branch was covered, but what was even more beautiful was that the next day, as the sun beamed down on everything, the snow turned to ice, and the world glistened in the sun. I'm afraid I am not very good at catching that with a camera, as I wish I could. I may have to ask my niece, Jessica, for some tips on how to do that, as she is a very accomplished photographer. But I did take a few photos to share. My world in white:

This morning, as the day began, the thermometer read all of 8ºF. The sun is bright though, and very warm coming through the windows. It is now 11 AM, and it has reached 11ºF. It's not going to be very warm today, and I hear tomorrow will be colder still. I guess that is to be expected in January when you live in the North East area of the country. Enjoy the beauty of it while it's here. Even now there are signs the days are numbered. Each one the daylight hours get a little longer. Spring is really not that far away.

Have a great week, and remember to smile. :)

It's Been A Busy Week

2011-01-08T17:04:00.001-05:00

Finally, I am able to share some photos of a few things that I made for my sister Ruth, and sent to her with Jessica, when she joined her parents, in Germany, for the Winter Holiday season.

My sister told me that she needed a scarf because it was COLD in Germany. So I made a scarf, hat and convertible mittens for her. Why just keep her neck warm? Right? I was in such a rush to get them to my niece before she left, I forgot to take a photo, so I asked Ruth to send me a photo of her wearing them, for my blog. This is what she sent me. Get that grin.........."How's this Sis?"

You have seen the market bags. Sis sent me this photo too. Do you get the idea that someone was having a really good time, or maybe a little too much wine? She tells me that the market bags were so happy to be unpacked, they jumped on their heads, delighted to be free. Yeah, right! :P My niece, Jessica, is on the left.

On Wednesday, I received a surprise package in the mail. Inside, I found these 2 skeins of Opal sock yarn, and a gorgeous little silver spider. The spider is made using a single, very long piece of silver wire, and then shaped, starting at the head, and finishing at the tail, all in one piece. It's an amazing bit of art work, and it is common knowledge in my family, that silly Sandie has a fondness for spiders. I am delighted with my spider, and he hangs over my computer, for me to enjoy daily.

On to some recent finished objects.

I posted my Easy Lace Wimple last time, but it had not been blocked yet. Since then I have washed and blocked it, and wanted to show it off, because now you can see the pattern detail much better. Made from my homespun wool/silk yarn, and I can now attest to just how warm and soft it is too. The bottom is folded a little, because when I laid it against the back of the bench, it slipped down a bit. Sorry about that, it's just a simple garter stitch border on both edges.

This is the finished homespun "Sherbert." The roving purchased from Serendipty hand painted roving and yarns. It is 100% superwash merino wool. It came to 247 yards of 2 ply, DK wt. yarn,

I just finished this 2 days ago. A 5" wide scarf, using "waves of grain" pattern stitch with a garter stitch edging. The yarn, again, is my "Pistachio Pudding" homespun of merino wool and silk blend. A gift for a dear friend, and I hope they get a lot of use from it.

There has been some other news too. I've told you all that back in September, Labor Day weekend, to be exact, my son, Barry, moved back home. After a back injury he had been unable to work for a while, and then due to the bad economy, unable to find work. He needed to recoup and recover himself. It has been good for both of us in some ways, but he is obviously making the most of this situation. He has lost a considerable amount of weight. I have no idea what the numbers are, but the proof is in the seeing, and it is obvious.

On the left is when Barry came to see me right after Lew passed away. I had never seen him so heavy, and he was nearing 400 lbs. Today, I have a feeling his probably below 300 lbs. The middle photo was in September, and the photo on the right was just taken on Monday of this week. Those jeans he is wearing, he has not been able to get into for about 6 years. Every day he is finding "new" clothing in his closet that he has not been able to wear for a long time. I sure am glad he brought them with him, because it would be very expensive if he had to buy all new clothing today. LOL I am very proud of my son. Now I just have to do something to start achieving similar goals. :)

We've had some snow over the last couple days, officially 5" has fallen in our area. This morning I was driving over to the recycling center (I had 3 weeks worth to haul in). The sun was blinding bright, but it was just a bit after 9 AM, so still pretty high, and at the end of my road, where the trees are rather thick, I came across some gorgeous scenery where the very super-fine snow had gathered on every twig and branch of the trees and bushes in the area, and catching the light from the sun, glistened in such an amazing way. The trees were breathtakingly beautiful, and I raced back to the house to get my camera. I hope you enjoy these couple shots from my little corner of the world.

I wish all of you could have been there to see it, up close and personal. It just doesn't begin to show how delicate and lovely it was right there in front of me.

Have a wonderful weekend, and remember to keep smiling. :)

Some Catching Up & Some New Items

2010-12-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

First, I can now show you a few things that I made as gifts, since the surprise is now over.

My Sister, who is now living in Germany, as her hubby is working there for the US Air force, asked me for another market bag because in Europe they don't automatically package up your purchases into plastic bags, like they do here in the States. So I made her two market bags.

I found the pattern for this little bag on-line, and had already made one for my Sister, and she said it was being worn out, and needed another. Oddly enough, for some reason, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get this bag to come out looking exactly like the first bag. There must have been something in the instructions that I seemed to understand the first time I made it, but did not comprehend correctly this second time around. It is close enough and it will do the trick, just the same, but I found it frustrating that I could not seem to follow the instructions as they were intended.

My Sister also mentioned that small items fell out of the bag, so I thought I would attempt to come up with a market bag that she could use for small items without fear of losing them, so I started on a second market bag, and just made it up as I went along. No pattern, but using what I knew about crochet and shaping and came up with something that I actually ended up liking better. LOL

This time, using rose colored cotton, I made something with a more solid bottom, and carried that about 2" up the lower side of the bag, then added the mesh, but with smaller openings, and finished it off with a more closed in top as well. One thing about crochet, it goes a bit faster than knitting, so I was able to crank these bags out in just 2 days. :)

My friend Wendy had given me a skein of Kidsilk Haze in a lovely lavender color, which is a color my Sister favors very much. And since I already had a pattern for a lovely cowl using 1 skein of Kidsilk Haze, I also knitted that up as a surprise gift for her too. I don't have any photos of her wearing it, but to share it with my readers I did snap off a few wearing it myself, using my web cam.

I used the "Ice Queen" pattern from Knitty.com. A very easy and quick pattern to knit up, with lovely results.

Next, I knit up a pair of "Flip Top Mitts" from Y2Knit.com. I purchased my pattern through Annie's Attic catalog, but I gather you can purchase it from the designer on her web site as well.

What I loved the most about these mitts is the rib design used. It is a knit 3, purl 1 rib throughout, and it makes the mitts fit very snugly and they are really warm. Also, without fingers, they are much quicker to knit up, and yet they serve exactly the same purpose as fingerless gloves do, but if your hands should start getting really cold, you have the option of putting the top up, and that solves that problem fast enough. I did add tiny plastic snaps on the back of the hand and tip of the mitt to snap them down and keep them out of the way. I personally find it annoying to have the end of the mitt flopping about when I'm busy. The snap ends that annoyance easily enough. I hope Jessica likes them as much as I do. And I do like them enough that I am going to have to knit a pair for myself. These are just too nice not to.

I also did a bit of knitting for myself. This time another cowl, but a different design.

This is unblocked, but good enough to show you the basic design. The yarn is my own homespun "Pistachio Pudding," and it was great to work with. Very soft, and very warm.

After knitting with this yarn, it has encouraged me to devote more time to my spinning. I have so much roving waiting for me to get to it, so now I am devoting at least an hour a day to spinning. If I don't I may never get it all spun up, and then I would miss out on so much wonderful fiber goodness.

That leads me to what is on the bobbin today. Some lovely sweetness that is 100% super-wash Merino wool, from Serendipity Hand dyed & Hand painted Fibers. I purchased this roving at the Endless Mountains Fiber Festival in 2009, so it's been waiting a long time for me to get busy spinning it.

She calls this yummy looking fluff "Sherbert," and it's easy to see why. It sure looks good enough to eat. And after spinning a bit of it, it is now looking like this:

I am attempting to spin this for a DK weight yarn, and plan to use it for a pair of socks in the near future. It seems to be working out pretty good, so far.

For the time being, this is all I have to share. I am waiting on some photos from my niece, of my Sister wearing the scarf, hat and mitts that I made for her, and was in such a rush to mail out so they would reach her for Xmas, that I forgot to take a photo of. Hopefully my niece will have photos for me soon, and when I have them, I promise to share them with all of you.

Finally - Some Homespun For Knitting With

2010-12-24T13:46:00.000-05:00

I have continued with my knitting of gifts, but having so much fun doing it. I'm making a pair of convertible type mittens for my niece. One is finished and the other is 3/4 finished. I am hoping they will be done, and waiting for her at her mailbox when she returns from the Xmas Holidays in Germany, with her parents. When they are done I will show more about them.

I managed to spin up enough of my merino wool and silk roving to make 3 balls of lovely yarn. I'm calling it "Pistachio Pudding" and I now have a little over 8 oz. in 2 ply fingering weight yarn, 574 yards. Plenty for what I have in mind.

I have decided to knit a nice little lace cowl for myself. After all of my work, I want to be "wrapped" in the luxury of this goodness, and nothing does that quite like a cowl. I am getting 14 wpi, and I worked very hard to get that too. I am still not 100% consistent, but about 90%. Not bad for a relative beginner. After all, I've been spinning for less than 2 years, so I'm rather pleased with how I've done so far.

In my continued playing around for the perfect head cover (for me) I think I've found a little headband that I really like. It's the same as the small tied one in the last post, but this time I increased the stitches to make it just a bit wider. And I used a larger crochet hook to make it a bit softer too. And for the yarn, I blended a strand of KnitPicks superwash merino ("Frog Prince") that I had left over from a pair of favorite socks, and used that with the European acrylic, which is a sport wgt. yarn. The result was exactly what I was looking for.

A very easy and simple little headband, and I like the color combination too. Just enough green to make me happy, and it covers more of my head than the small one did, but not too much. When I need something to keep my ear warm, and don't want to worry about it falling off, this will be the perfect little cover to be wearing. Maybe not 21st Century fashionable, but anyone that knows me already knows there is NOTHING fashionable about me at all..................... Ha Ha Ha If it fits, if it's comfortable, and I like the color, that's me.

More to follow.......after Xmas day.

Have a wonderful Holiday everyone, and remember to keep smiling... :)

A Little Of This and A Little Of That

2010-12-20T16:11:00.000-05:00

It has been a very busy couple of weeks. My poor hands have been knitting and knitting, crocheting, and even a little spinning was done, and boy am I feeling it. The old fingers are stiff, swollen, and not happy about bending at all these days, but we all know the old adage............."use it or lose it." I just keep going, no matter what. I am almost afraid to stop knitting, for fear the fingers will lock up, and then I won't be able to knit. That would be disastrous!

I have some things I can share with you now, and some things I dare not share with you now, because they are surprises, and I don't want to leak it out, and ruin all the fun I'm planning to have. I will share them with everyone later on.

First, there has been another gift received.

My dear friend Wendy, gifted me with this wonderful roving. What makes it an especially special gift is that this roving is made from the wool of Miss Emma, Wendy's little ewe, blended with the hair of Harold and Maude, who are a lovely little pair of Angora goats also owned by my friend Wendy. It is very soft, and it can be any color, or colors I want one day. But first, I need to spin it. I weighed it, and it is a full pound of roving, plus a bit more. So there should be plenty for a few lovely little items I might want to treat myself to eventually. Thank you Wendy. I will think of you as I spin, and again as I knit. :)

OK, I'll make hats the next topic of discussion. I have two to show off.
One made for the "Hats for the Homeless" box.

This was knit in the garter rib stitch, using left over Caron Simply Soft. I hope that soon it will be keeping some homeless person a little warmer than they were before receiving it.

And this little hat, I made for myself. I've been knitting hats and scarves and mittens for others, and never bothered to put one together for myself. I went rummaging through my stash, and found 2 small balls of Moda-Dea Caché, in the "Gypsy" colorway. It is 75% wool, with some acrylic and polyester blended through. It has a strand of glistening gold thread running through it too, so it sparkles considerably, but the colors go with about anything. I knit this in a 1x1 rib pattern. It's a good fit, it feels nice and soft and warm, and I'm liking my new hat very much.

Between these two hats, I had some fun working up some Winter headbands. I'm not big on hats, as a rule. But in the cold of Winter, when I'm out there sweeping off the car, and scraping windows, I need a hat. I thought maybe a Winter headband would work just as well. It would keep my ears warm, and maybe stay on my head easier. So I went searching on-line for patterns, and found a few that appealed to me. Here I have two of them, the third one I have yet to knit up.

The little headband on the left is crocheted. This called the Quick Winter Headband, I found the pattern at Crochet Patterns Central. This is a fun little pattern, and it worked up very quickly. It's just a little narrow for my liking, but I have a feeling it will be finding a new home with a little girl I know. It should be just right for her little head.

The one on the right is a knitted headband, done with cables (I love cables), and I found this through Knitting Patterns Central. The pattern is by Hanane.
This is plenty big enough, and should also work very well too. My preference would be for it to be just a little narrower, but it would do the job quite well, I'm sure. I do know that with a little tweaking, both of these patterns could be made to suit my particular wishes just fine. They were both very easy to make and quick to work up.

A few weeks back, my new catalog arrived from Annie's Attic. There were a couple of patterns that popped out and caught my eye right away. One of them was a pattern for a lovely little "Neck Cozy" with an accent button. I just loved the stitch design used, and ordered it right away. Earlier this week, I threw this together too, using more of my left over Caron's Simply Soft yarn. Forgive Peter Rabbit, but he's the best model I have available to me.

This was a real easy pattern to knit up, consisting of 2 pattern rows, total! It went quick, and it's really a nice little neck warmer! The accent button I found at A. C. Moore. It's just a dark wooden button. I favor wooden buttons. They seem to go with everything, and look dressy, but they are not going to break my bank to pay for them. LOL

So, as you can see, I've not been sitting about, twiddling my thumbs at all. But I have been rather too busy to get to my blog sooner. And then there is the fact that there is still much that I cannot share quite yet. But I will, eventually. That's a promise.

I hope all of my friends and readers have a wonderful Holiday Season, and for all of us I am hoping a much better 2011.

Take care, keep well, and keep smiling. It makes the entire world a happier place to be when everyone is wearing a smile. :)

Hats, Buttons, And Other Things

2010-11-28T15:40:00.003-05:00

I've been working on some hats to donate to Hats for the Homeless, again, this year.

Here I have one that is a 2 x 2 rib hat, all the way up, and folded. The other had has the ribbing on the folded part, and knit in stockinette the rest of
the way.

This hat is done in a Garter Rib design. I have to tell you, it's wonderful that we are able to keep learning even as we get older, because I've been knitting for over 60 years, and in all that time I have never knit a garter rib pattern before. I have no idea why not, because now that I have, I LOVE THIS STITCH DESIGN! It was easy, and it looks amazing. I will be making more hats using this pattern, for certain. So easy to do too. All of the above hats have been made using acrylic yarns, most of it is Caron's Simply Soft. I love the feel of that yarn, and it's very nice to work with.

My niece honored me by coming to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday with me and my son. The day before she baked an apple pie (and it was perfect!), and on Thanksgiving day she helped me prepare the stuffing. I hope she enjoyed herself as much as I did, having her here. I do know I will cherish the memory of these few days with her, for the rest of my life.

I had made her a couple of hats and a scarf, and sent them to her. And then I saw a new hat design on Lion Brand and just had to make that for her too. The hat is called "Plum Perfect" Hat, and like all the designs on Lion Brand, it is free if you join the site (also free to join). The pattern called for Vanna's Choice yarn, which I had never used before, so I made a drive to the store and bought my yarn. I bought 2 extra skeins because I wanted to make a scarf to match. I have to say, this yarn feels great, and it was wonderful to work with. It didn't split at all and moved very freely across the needles. The pattern for the hat was very easy to follow, and I had it finished in a short time. This is my niece, Jessica Lynne, wearing her hat and scarf.

Since the hat was knit in the round, I had to work on how to knit the same design into a scarf, as that is knit flat. The stitch is a cluster stitch, so that took several notes, and trial swatches before I was able to figure it out, but eventually I did. I used 2 rows of garter stitch to separate the rows of clusters, but the clusters are exactly the same as in the hat. Since I worked hard to figure this out, I wrote it down and will share it here, for anyone that might want to try it. You will have to get the hat pattern on Lion Brand, but the scarf is here.

Plum Perfect Scarf
by Sandie Knapp

This pattern was designed to go with the Plum Perfect Hat.

Yarn - Vanna's Choice 4 ply. worsted or any 4 ply worsted yarn
Needles - 6.00 mm or US 10

Approx. 6" wide and 60" long (or whatever length you choose)

Cast on 19 stitches
(This will create a 2 stitch border on either side, in garter stitch)

Stitch explanation:
ssk (slip, slip, knit) - Slip next 2 sts as if to knit, one at a time, to right needle; insert left needle into fronts of these 2 sts and knit them tog. - 1 st. decreased

sk2p - Slip 1 as if to knit, knit 2tog, pass slipped stitch over - 2 sts decreased

First 4 rows - Knit

Pattern:
note: beginning on Rnd2, you will be working yarn overs.
Stitch count will increase on Rnds 2 and 4, then decrease on Rnds 6 and 8 to correct count.

1. (WS) k5, (p1, k3) - 3 x's; k2

2. k2, (p3, yo, k1, yo) - 3 x's; p3, k2

3. k5, (p3, k3) - 3x's; k2

4. k2, (p3, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1) - 3x's; p3, k2

5. k5, (p5, k3) - 3x's; k2

6. k2, (p3, ssk, k1, k2tog) - 3x's; p3, k2

7. k5 (p3, k3) - 3x's; k2

8. k2, (p3, sk2p) - 3 x's; p3, k2

9. Knit across

10. Knit across

Rows 9 and 10 give a garter stitch divide between each row of clusters. If you do not
want to separate the rows of cluster stitches, just leave rows 9 and 10 out.

Finish by knitting 4 rows, then bind off.

When my niece arrived, she too came bearing gifts. One was a scarf that she had knit for me, using Lion Brand Homespun. I am very proud of my scarf, and I can only hope that one day she may find that time spent knitting as a relaxing and rewarding experience as well.

And, as well as the scarf, she brought me a little figurine, Spike, from the animated film "Land Before Time." (which we both loved watching many times when she was younger). And she created a very unique and lovely bouquet of button flowers for me because I admired her button sculpture so much. She has a wonderful imagination, and I will treasure my bouquet always.

Jessica is returning to Kutztown University today, and life goes back to normal for most of us, at least until Xmas Holiday. I hope all of you had as wonderful a Thanksgiving celebration as I had.

Take care, keep well, and smile often. :)

The Stacy Shawl

2010-11-16T11:57:00.000-05:00

Many moons ago, as I was reading Wendy Johnson's blog and she was working on a new shawl design, I fell in love with this shawl and couldn't wait for her to finish it, and test drive the pattern instructions, making it available for purchase. Luckily, this time I was able to get the pattern in a kit, and with the yarn in the color I love best. But after it arrived, because of one commitment or another, something kept getting in the way of my starting the shawl and getting it done. There was Wendy's sweater; a hat, scarf and mitts set for my niece; and making hats for the homeless. Whatever, my shawl was put off, time and time again. Last week that all changed. I put anything and everything aside and sat down with just one goal in mind. To knit the Stacy Shawl, and that is exactly what I did. I started on Sunday, and I finished on Thursday, the 11th. I've taken so long getting around to posting because I needed to block it first, and that was not as easy as it once was. :)

So now, with no further ado...............THE STACY SHAWL

In the past I would block out my shawls and things on the bed in the guest room. Now that my son is living with me, I no longer have a guest room or spare bed. So this time it had to be blocked on the floor, and then covered to protect it from 2 little dogs and a curious cat. Just getting down on the floor to pin it out was difficult enough. Getting up was even harder. Still, I got it done.

From the front........

From the back.................

I love the length and the way it curves around the front, laying so nicely over the shoulder. I could not be more pleased with the finished product. This is now my "everyday" shawl and I'm wearing it as I type this. It provides just enough "layering" to keep off the bit of chill, sitting here beside a window, can cause.

The yarn is "Tempted" hand-painted, colorway is Luxe Grrl, composition is 80% superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, and 10% nylon. It can be machine or hand washed. I will hand wash, of course. :) It's extremely soft, and it was very nice to work with too.

So now I am back knitting more Hats for the Homeless, and I've found another pattern for another hat I want to try to knit for my niece. If nothing else, she will have no shortage of Winter hats this year. LOL Also, I'm working on a pair of Nordic Style mittens to match the hat that I posted about last. At some point, after they are done, I'm going to look for another hat pattern using Fair Isle technique. Now that I've gotten my tootsies wet, I'm ready to jump in to something a little more challenging.

Make it a great day everyone, and remember to smile! It brightens everyone's world who sees it. :)

Nordic Hat

2010-11-06T11:52:00.000-04:00

A few years back I knit a pair of socks in purple, and at the top of the cuff, there were little yellow ducks. That was my first attempt at stranded knitting. I pulled the strands too tightly because I thought they were so untidy looking, and it became almost impossible to wear them, they are so tight. After that, I gave up on stranded knitting altogether.

Now I felt ready to try it again, and since this hat was only 2 colors, I thought it would be a good choice for my re-introduction to this style of knitting. I had so much fun making it, it was hard to put it down once I got started. It went quickly and I had few problems with mistakes. A few minor ones, that were quickly and easily corrected. I think it looks pretty good for a first effort on something this size. The only problem, it is a BIG hat.

The pattern is from a Patons booklet, (710 CC) "Hats, Scarves, Mitts, Gloves. It called for DK yarn. What I had available was white acrylic fingering, and dark green alpaca fingering. I used two strands throughout.

I accomplished my goal, of knitting something using more than one color, and I am happy with the end result. Now I feel confident enough to try something more complicated. I will probably do another hat, or something like that. I prefer to work on smaller things until I and perfectly certain it's not beyond my abilities. Better to take baby steps than to run, jump and then fall hard. :)

On another subject - snow................we had some this morning!

As you can see, it wasn't much, but it was enough to tell me, in no uncertain terms, that Winter is here, and I had better be ready for it. I got the message and I'm prepared. :)

Have a wonderful weekend, and remember, always smile! :)

A Bragging Post

2010-11-05T13:32:00.000-04:00

Since I am in the middle of something, and really don't have anything ready to show off with, I thought I would give you all a little treat, and a break from my "stuff" and share something that my amazing niece, Jessica Lynne Hanson, has created.

Jessica attends Kutztown University and her major is Art. Eventually, she hope to teach art, but at the moment, she is a student. When you see her work there is no doubt in your mind that this is exactly what she was meant to be. An Artist. Her photography is wonderful. Are paintings are truly lovely. Today I am bragging about something different.

Jessica was given an assignment to sculpt a work of art using all of one item, and I believe it could not be the traditional mediums, such as clay or stone, or wood. Luckily for my niece, she had sort of "inherited" a massive amount of buttons, and that is what she has chosen to sculpt her art piece with.

I now present to you Button Art by Jessica Lynne Hanson.

First, from the side ..............

From the front.......

From behind..........

It reminds me of a parade float, and the buttons look like large, open flowers. She told me that someone told her it reminded them or sea coral. I can see that too. Either or, it sure was an ingenious way of putting those hundreds of buttons together and making something so different and yet so very lovely. Needless to say, I am very proud of my niece, as are all of her family.

As for me, I am working on a pattern from Paton's, a hat done in green and white, called Nordic. It is me learning to do stranded knitting, and doing it right. And after this, I hope to be able to move on to something a little more challenging, such a richly colored Fair Isle hat or whatever. But baby steps come first. So far my hat is coming out really well, and I do hope to have it finished in the next couple days.

Until then, I wish sunshine for everyone. Keep smiling!! :)

A Warm Winter For Jessica

2010-10-26T15:10:00.001-04:00

A short while back, my friend Wendy spun up some beautiful wool from her ewe, Emma, and knitted the wool into the prettiest little hat for my niece. I was so thrilled with the hat, and couldn't wait to give it to Jessica. I mailed it off quickly and a few days later Jessica calls me, and asks me to please not be angry. She loved the hat, thought it was so pretty, but she was itching all over and it was driving her nuts. Alas, my poor niece is allergic to wool.

I was upset she could not wear the hat, only because I know it was made with love, and made with her in mind, but I certainly didn't want her to suffer trying to please me, so I told her to find a good home for the hat, such as with a good friend. It seems she had no problems finding someone who was not allergic and delighted to receive it, so the hat will be keeping some young ladie's head very nice and warm this Winter. Just not my Jessica's head.

Since the wool hat was not acceptable, I promised her I would make her a replacement, and I have. I also made a pair of fingerless gloves to match and a nice warm scarf to go with them.

As you can see, it is fairly clear my niece should have no reason to be cold this Winter. And, she also has the set I made for her last year to change into when the mood should strike.

The yarn is Caron's Simply Soft. Jessica has a strong preference for this yarn, and it is nice to work with. The hat and scarf were made using double strands of yarn, to make them thicker, the fingerless gloves I did with single strand.

The fingerless gloves were unusual for me. I found the pattern here, at Knitty.com. In this pattern, each of the partial fingers are made individually and placed on a piece of waste yarn, and when you have them all finished, you take your dpn's or circular needle, pick up the four fingers and begin to knit the hand, gradually you shape it to accept the thumb piece, and then continue to the wrist. They were very easy to do, and a lot of fun. I chose this pattern because it made it so easy for me to knit each of the fingers with one of the colors that were in the hat and scarf.

The hat is a basic knit cap, knit from the rim to the top. After it was finished, I turned it upside down and picked up stitches along the edge for the ear flaps. I used 2 strands of each color as I knit the stripes. I had knit the hat using one strand, and it was so floppy, I didn't like it at all. So I re-did the hat using the two strands of yarn and it will be far warmer this way, and it has a lot more shape to it.

The scarf I knit using the green yarn throughout, and every four inches I changed the color of the accompanying yarn, also to match up all of the colors that went into the hat and fingerless gloves.

My niece will be joining me this year for Thanksgiving. I am so excited about that and really looking forward to having her here. I have not bothered doing anything for Thanksgiving since Lew passed away. It just didn't seem to be worth the effort. But this year I will have my son Barry, and my niece Jessica. Her Father got a very good job in Germany for three years, at an American Air Force Base, and since she is still attending College, she is here all alone. She will be joining her parents for the Xmas holiday, but she couldn't be there for Thanksgiving too. So coming here was the perfect solution, and I'm really happy about it.

I went through a rough spell almost 2 weeks ago when I was struck down with Gastroenteritis, the bacterial kind. It was horrible, and I hope to never go through that again. It totally whipped me out and recovery was very slow. I am fine now, but I was very tired for a long time after the symptoms had passed, and just recently beginning to get back my "get up and go." I guess as we get older, it takes a bit longer to recover. I don't like it, but not much I can do about it either. One day at a time, one foot in front of the other, we pick up and move forward, right? :)

Have a great day and keep a smile on your face. :)

Being "Glad" And Other Things

2010-10-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

Since some of my readers have been waiting quite a while, to see a sweater/shrug that I started about a month ago, or maybe more, I will lead off with that now.

My friend Wendy asked me to make another sweater for her. It's "Glad" by Sarah Hatton. The yarn used for this sweater is KidSilk Haze, a lace weight yarn. I will be completely honest with you. The pattern is very easy to do, and there is never a problem of having the pieces being too heavy for arthritic hands. I think that would be impossible, working with this yarn. But making a sweater out of lace weight yarn is very fiddly and time consuming. It was definitely a challenge for me and I hope she will be very happy with the end result.

Here, I had finally sewn the shoulder seams, and pinned the underarm and side so Wendy could try on what was done to this point. It showed me that the sweater was going to be a good fit, again. I can't tell you how much I fret over this. Always worried it won't fit, even if I am knitting to gauge. :)

This is the completed sweater/shrug. Wendy is expected to be up for a visit this weekend, and I promise I will take a photo of her wearing the completed sweater, to share for later. I'm glad it's finished, and I will be happy to hand it over to her. Now I can move on and play around with a few other things.

I have a baby blanket in the works, a cat napping mat almost finished. A pair of socks that ended up being far too big, have been frogged, and I want to knit them back up again, but I will be using smaller needles this time. And I have a gorgeous Wendy Johnson shawl pattern/kit w/yarn included, that I am itching to get started on. On top of these, my most beloved niece is waiting for a promised hat, scarf, mitts set to be sent her way before the snow flies. So I have plenty to keep my hands busy with.

Yesterday a huge package arrived from my friend Wendy and her husband, with some gifts for two little girls that are local friends here. Along with the boxes of items for the girls, was an envelope marked "For Sandie." That's me. :)
I opened the envelope and found the cutest little surprise inside.

This little book, "Knitting." I have set it up with an apple to show you just how small it is. Of course I read every page right away. It really has some interesting information in side, besides being just too cute for words.

Other happenings.
On Labor Day weekend, my son Barry (middle child) returned home to live. He had been living in Georgia for the last 15 years or so, but over the past 2 years, he was unable to get any substantial work, and he had sunken into depression and despair because of it. He had called a few weeks earlier and asked if I would mind having him living at home, and of course I did not mind. I am happy to report that since arriving home he has found work, at least for the time being, and his entire outlook has turned around. He is happy and active and just completely turned around since he first arrived home. He is also a very caring and attentive son, and if I don't fight for myself, I would never have to get up to do anything again. I have to keep reminding him that if he doesn't leave me do things on my own, I'll not be able to function at all, and that would not be good for me. I appreciate everything he does, but I have to draw the line somewhere. :) Still, it's nice having someone around that you know is watching my back and doing it willingly.

Also, the following weekend, my only nephew (Nick), his girlfriend (Deb) and my only niece (Jessica) drove up for a visit too. Barry and Nick had never met each other, although they are cousins, the age gap is huge, a good 18-20 years. They had talked on the computer through messenger, but never face to face. Barry had met Jessica, but not seen her since she was about 8 yrs. old. She is now 21 yrs. old. So it was a fun reunion for the "cousins" and a wonderful day for all of us.

Luckily, we had a friend here to take a photo. In the front, left to right, myself, Jessica, and Nick's girlfriend, Deb. In the back, behind me is my son, Barry, and next to him my nephew, Nick. We had such a fun day together, I'm sure the "kids" will be back for more visits. At least I hope so. I would love to see them again whenever they are able to come.

Now, a few odds and ends............ like flowers in Fall

Fanfare Gaillardia...............I have several Dwarf Gaillardia, but only one Fanfare. Each petal on the flower is an individual flower opening up like a little trumpet. If this plant throws any seedlings, I hope they come back up next year, so I can replant them to their best advantage. The Dwarf Gaillardia has already grown so many seedlings, it's not funny. I even brought one of them inside to see how it might hold up indoors. If I'm lucky, maybe it will bloom before Winter is over. That would be a wonderful sight to see. If any of you are not aware of this, Gaillardia is a perennial plant even in zone 4, and begins to blossom late April or early May. And as you can easily see, still blooming in October. Frost will kill off the foliage, but not the plant.

I guess that's it for today. With Summer at an end and Fall passing quickly, I will hopefully have more time to give to my blogging. I will try anyway. Until next time, take care, keep safe, and smile every day. :)

Endless Mountains Fiber Fest - Harford, PA 9/11 - 12/ 2010

2010-09-15T23:34:00.000-04:00

I was able to attend the 7th Annual Endless Mountains Fiber Festival this year. This is an annual event that I look forward to every September. I love the smaller size, smaller crowds, but not small on quality wares. Two or three years back, we only had 40 vendors. Last year it was close to 50 vendors, and this year it reached 60 vendors. They had to put some of them in another building, so our little event is growing, but still small enough to see everything easily and have personal service as well.

As you can see I didn't break the bank this year, but I found some delightful goodies to bring home. I was definitely on a strict budget this year, so I had to watch my purchases carefully. One must buy is a hand made coffee mug from Gail. I have been buying a new one yearly, but this year I came home with 2 of them. One was a gift from my friend Wendy. And I just could not pass up this lovely superwash merino fingering weight yarn. It is hand painted yarn from Serendipity. I had purchased yarn from them in the past, and loved it. I went looking for them specifically, for more this time and I was not disappointed. Now for some more highlights from the Festival.
Some felted hats, anyone?

A selection of spinning wheels maybe?

Angora goats. Don't they have sweet faces?

Beautiful fibers for your knitting and crocheting pleasure.

My friend Wendy, and her son, Jackson. Wendy is wearing a crocheted poncho and hat that she purchased at the festival.

Hand dyed lace yarns. Super fine!!

Nostespindles, Home made Maple syrup, one of the several spinners demonstrating their spinning skills.

Hand painted yarns for the knitter and crochert person.
Gorgeous roving for the spinner.

Whatever your heart desired, when it came to fiber goodness it was there, plus so much more. Anyone that lives close enough to attend, I highly recommend this Fiber Festival. You will not be disappointed.

I hope you all have a wonderful week and are enjoying the cooler weather. There is no doubt that Fall is coming fast. The trees are changing fast here in Northeastern Pa. Apple picking is about to begin as well.

Keep smiling and make it a great day. :)

Homespun - Pistachio Pudding

2010-09-15T23:00:00.000-04:00

Finally, I have at least one skein of 2 ply homespun to share. This is the merino wool/Tussah silk blend that I purchased at the fiber festival last year. I loved the shadings of the muted green and the pinks running through it. It looked good enough to eat as roving, it feels scrumptious to the hand too. I look forward to spinning the rest of it, and then knitting it into something lovely. Maybe a scarf this time.

I have also made some progress on the very soft shrug "Glad" for my friend Wendy. The back and now left front piece is finished, and I have about 6" of the right front piece done too. It is coming along, maybe slow, but steadily at least. Knitting a sweater with lace weight yarn is very fiddly, but definitely doable.

A Little Of This and A Little Of That

2010-09-05T16:21:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess it's about time I showed my face again, as I've been gone once more, for far longer than I had intended, but as normal life goes, things just keep coming up and getting in the way of my blogging life, and they have to be taken care of first. Sorry it took so long, but I never forgot any of you. I promise!

I've had some health issues to deal with. Nothing major or horrible, but painful and very annoying. A bad back and a wasted knee, and things were not working right. Sitting on the computer for more than a few minutes was a nightmare. Trying to shop for groceries now require an electric cart to get around the store. I shop as seldom as possible now. Finally I'm getting Physical Therapy, and it actually seems to be helping a lot. So little by little, day by day, I am getting a bit more mobility and less pain. I know better than to expect total use and total lack of pain, but if I can just get things more normal, I'll be happy with that for the time being.

Summer has been amazing this year, being so much warmer than usual. The apple trees are so heavy with fruit, more so than every before in the 23 years I've been here. My tomato plants are working overtime and I am now falling behind trying to keep up with them. The cucumber plants were fodder for the local rabbits, and they they stopped eating them and I am now picking cucumbers and enjoying every one of them.

Earlier this year I told you about a subscription to "Yarn Forward" magazine that I won through a fellow blogger. With the first magazine, there was a lovely pattern for a shawl,scarf,stole by Liz Lovick, designed just for "Yarn Forward." And they even sent me a skein of lace weight merino wool to knit with. It is the palest pink ever, and soft as anything could be. Finally, as of this morning, I have finished my little shawl. The was the easiest lace pattern I have ever knit up, and should be mandatory for beginning lace knitters. I was able to remember the pattern without looking at it, and I actually took it with me to my craft club meetings, and sat chatting with all the other members while I knitted on my shawl. It is that easy to do. Any knitter doing this pattern as their first bit of lace knitting, would never be afraid of doing another piece of lace work. I can't wait for an excuse to wear it.

I had one little problem with the edging. I was not careful enough when I bound off the edge stitches, so they were too tight and I was unable to block it out straight. I didn't know whether to ignore it, or to go back, tear it out, and repair it. Obviously I went back, but first I went looking for a loose bind off, and found it easily enough on UTube. It worked great, the edges are stretching and straight now. :)

There was a bit of a problem at the beginning of last week when the ceiling of my new kitchen came crashing down. Lucky for me I was not under the ceiling where the damage was the worst, so I was not injured. Startled, yes. Angry, a little. But not hurt. The ceiling is now up and all new again and I am really glad it was repaired so quickly.

My friend Wendy, of the green cabled sweater I made a while back, asked if I would please knit for her another sweater. This time she chose the "Glad" shrug by Sarah Hatton. The yarn is Kidsilk Haze in the "Tangled Web" colorway. A very pretty light lime green. You see, I've been knitting with lace yarn on 2 projects lately. That is a first for me. This pattern too is very simple and easy to follow. Above is the back of the sweater, and I am about half finished the left front piece now. Simple stockinette stitch, so it is moving along fairly well considering how fine the yarn is. It is being knit on US#6 needles.

I also continue working on a little blanket for Rosie's cardboard box bed, and another little blanket in pink and white, for a baby. Not sure if it will be a Linus project blanket or not yet, but it will be for charity of some kind when it's finished.

I am showing these two flowers because they have been a bit of an amusement to me, but slightly confusing to me as well. The photo on the left, of the blue Morning Glories, is what I see in the mornings. But look closely and in front of one of the flowers you will see one that is folded up, finished. That is bright ping. On the right is a photo of a bright pink Morning Glory. If you go out and look at my plants in the morning to early afternoon, they are ALL BLUE. But later in the day, early evening, they are ALL PINK. Does anyone know what is going on here??? I am not talking about different flowers are blue and some are pink. But the same flowers. These photos were taken at different times of the day to show you what is happening. I had no idea that Morning Glories changed color through the day, but obviously they do, because mine are doing just that. Does anyone know what these are called? They can't possibly be just plain Morning Glories to pull off that trick, can they???

My son Barry arrived very early Saturday morning. He had driven straight through from Georgia to north east PA, and I knew he would do exactly that, so I was not surprised to hear him knocking at 2:45 AM. The truck is unloaded and it will be a couple days getting things situated and put in place, but I'm sure that this can be beneficial for both of us in many ways. For the time being I am no longer living alone, but I fully intend to keep my freedom and independence. Since I am sure he will want the same for himself, I doubt there will be problems over it. Whatever happens I had a very strong "gut" feeling it was meant to be for many reasons, so I gave over to Fate and we'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

I hope everyone is enjoying a fun and memorable Labor Day Weekend. Take care and make it a great day, always. Keep Smiling ................ :)

A Mix Of Goodies

2010-08-08T20:19:00.000-04:00

It has been interesting around here lately. The tomatoes and cucumbers are finally giving me delicious treats. And it will just keep getting better over the next several weeks. More flowers have begun blooming, but the lilies were destroyed by the deer, so I'm already cutting them back now. And there was a real surprise when a Great Blue Heron was injured just feet from the house, and found refuge on the pond and in the fields around it. And there has been some progress on the lace shawl too. A collage of things to share today.

First, the beautiful Great Blue Heron.

When I first saw the bird (they are very common around here) it was standing in the middle of the road, with a lot of feathers missing from the chest area, and some of the wing feathers were hanging at an awkward angle. You can see that in the first picture, on the right. The bird was probably hit by a car, or flew into one, because it was definitely dazed and not reacting normally. I was able to drive right up to it, and when it finally did move, it took flight, but only coasted about 10 feet further down the road. I drove around it and went on my way, but on the way home, it had flowing into the field where the pond is, and it remained there for a few days. The next day I even noticed another Heron flying in, and perching very high in a tree, as though it were watching over the wounded one. It may have been a mate, but I am not certain. It's gone now, so I hope it recovered from it's injuries and continues to live a good life. It was wonderful getting so close to one though.

Next, progress on the shawl.

I am really loving this shawl. So far it is very easy to do. I even took it with me to our bi-monthly craft group meeting, and managed to knit through an entire set of pattern rows while chatting with the group and visiting. This is not a really complicated pattern to follow. The only thing that does have me somewhat concerned is that the edging is knitted on separately, not added as you knit the rest of the shawl. I am a bit concerned I might have a problem getting that right, but I'll worry about that when the time comes. I am hoping that all of the instruction for the shawl will be easy, not just the main part.

Next, the foolishness of cats.

There are many places in this home that are softer, fluffier, and more comfortable than this silly cardboard box. But like very young children having a blast with pots and pans, a lot of cats just love a cardboard box or an empty bag laying around for them to get into and fight imaginary foes with. With it being so hot and extremely dry in our area, I am holding off burning paper and cardboard trash for the time being. So when a package arrived, and I emptied the box, I sat it in the room to be taking out later. Rosie claimed it for her own, ripping through the papers that were in it, playing with imaginary whoever that she pretended were passing by, swatting at them, and then just stretching out or curling up and taking a nap. It has become routine now. Every evening, after the sun goes down, she visits her box/toy/bed. At least it was not an expensive purchase that just sits around being ignored.

Now, a few flowers.

About 3 years ago, my BFF Kate bought two of these plants, and gave one of them to me. It is a Zavina Princess Lily. A annual in these parts. It was so lovely that when Summer ended I dug it up and took it inside for the Winter, so I could enjoy it again the following Summer. During the Winter months it got smaller and smaller due to the lack of sufficient sunshine to keep it full and healthy, but it did not die. So last Spring I took it back outside and planted what was left of it in the ground. It did survive, but it took all Summer long to gain enough nutrition to actually begin growing and then when it finally did blossom, just a few flowers, we had frost a couple days later, and it had to come inside quickly. Trying to keep as much of it as possible, I put it in a large planter with lots of soil for the roots, and brought it in the house. It did die back a good bit, but not as badly as the year before.

When Spring arrived, rather than taking it out of the very large pot, I just sat it out in the sun, right in the pot, and left it that way, and kept it watered. It was the right thing to do. I didn't have to adjust to the shock of being re-planted, it just grew and now I am enjoying it's gorgeous blossoms. It should continue blooming until I bring it back inside the house, before frost can kill it off. This is working out perfect, and I'm so glad I tried this. Kate ended up losing her plant altogether. If mine will continue to thrive and grow, when it is filling the pot, I will divide it and give her half of it and repay the gift she was so generous to give me 3 Summers back.

Morning glories. Several years ago I planted a package of mixed seeds, but most of the time I have blue ones. Occasionally I'll get pink ones, and very rarely I will have a few white blossoms, but they are very rare. Anyway, this annual has seeded it's self every year for the last 10 years or so.

When frost kills the vines, I pull them down and leave them in a heap along the base. They are left there all Winter. In Spring, I shake them out really hard and then throw away the dead vines. In about a month, the seeds that shook out begin to germinate and I put the trellis back up and wait for them to start climbing. They start growing in June, but it takes them till August before they are developed well enough to begin blossoming. I love them. I'm thinking next year I might even shake out some of the seeds along the yard fence. Might as well have them climbing there too. Then I'll have even more of them to enjoy.

For now, that is all I have to share. I hope you have enjoyed it.
Make it a great day, and keep smiling. :)

Socks, Shawls, & Fresh Tomatoes

2010-07-27T17:57:00.000-04:00

I finally finished my cabled socks using the Wildfoote "Brown Sugar" yarn.

Not to be worn during this time of year, for certain. We have been breaking records for being the 2nd hottest July on record to date. But in December they sure will be soft and toasty warm. :)

My next project is a lace shawl:

Back in early Spring, I won a subscription to the UK's "Yarn Forward" magazine. With the subscription, as a new subscriber, I also received this lovely skein of lace weight yarn. 800 yards of Supersoft Merino lace weight (2/30 NM) by ColourMart, made for Yarn Forward. And with it came a pattern for a lace shawl, stole, and scarf, written by Liz Lovick just for "Yarn Forward."

The yarn is so lovely and the palest shade of pink. Very soft and it's like knitting a cobweb. It takes some getting used to, but the pattern is not really difficult, and it has written directions as well as charts. I CAN use charts, but for some reason I seem to do best with written directions, so I'm happy they are included. I've just started, and what you see here is 38 completed rows. Hard to believe, but true. LOL This will be slow going, but it will be well worth the time and effort, I'm sure.

From my garden:

It just made it, but I did get my FIRST TOMATO before the 1st of August. For me, where I live, that is very, very unusual. And remember, last year I didn't get tomatoes until nearly frost, and the bulk of my crop were green tomatoes picked just before the first frost, and ripened slowly in the house. This tomato ripened right on my vines, out in the garden. Our unusually hot summer, combined with the perfect timing for a good rainfall, is responsible for this little beauty.

The tomato measures 2" across, and it came from the one and only plant that I managed to start myself, inside the house. They are called Miracle Sweet tomatoes, and I honestly don't know where to tell anyone where to get them. I got my seeds from a catalog ad for a tomato plant that supposedly grew year round, inside the house. Of course that was pure rubbish unless you want 6 foot vines with only 5 leaves on them. They do grow very well in the right conditions outside. And they usually reach about 3" across, and they are very sweet indeed. But the rest of my tomatoes, called "Celebrity," are doing very well too, and I should be picking ripe tomatoes from them soon enough. They are all very heavy with fruit, and it's just having the patience to wait for them to ripen. This year is a total success.

My cucumber plants gave me a lot of concern. The "critters" seemed to love their leaves. Whether it was rabbits or ground hog, I don't know, but as the new leaves would form, they would be eaten off the vines, so they are going to be a bit delayed, I believe. But now, for some reason, the "critters" are leaving them alone, so they are finally making vine, lots of flowers AND leaves, inch long cukes, and one has begun to fill out. So all is not lost yet, and I hope to begin picking those soon too.

To all of you out there that enjoy growing fresh veggies as I do, I wish you great success in your efforts too.

Make it a great day, and always smile. :)

Family and New Socks

2010-07-16T10:52:00.000-04:00

My baby sister, Ruth, who is 20 years my junior, and her hubby Jeff, moved off to Southwest Germany to work for a company that works with and for the U.S. Airforce. My niece, Jessica, attends college at Kutztown University, here in PA. Ruth and Jessica drove up for a weekend visit just days before she and Jeff flew off to Germany, to take up their position there and make a new life for themselves for the next 3 years.

This is me and Ruthie.

This is Jessica Lynne and myself. Jessica will be 21 on August 24th. She is now "legal." Rather scary to both my sister and myself. We still see the bouncing baby girl, and yet are forced to accept the young woman she is today. It's not always easy.

And this is the sock. The yarn is Wildfoote, fingering weight. Colorway is "Brown Sugar." A basic cable pattern done on 2.50 mm (US#1) circular needles. A very good, snug fit. Nothing sloppy about this sock in the least. This lovely bright yarn was a gift from my friend Wendy. Thank you Wendy!!

We finally managed to see some rain, so after a 2 week respite, I finally broke down and mowed the lawn yesterday. It was starting to look just a bit shabby. But since the heat is still with us, I put the blades at the highest setting, in hopes that will help prevent any more burning of the grass. Most of it is good and green, but there are places where it was rather pathetic.

My tomatoes must have been enjoying the heat. They have grown quite a bit over the last 2 weeks. I can't wait for the first one to ripen, but I really have no choice but to wait. Oh well, I will survive, after all.

Make it a great day, and remember to always smile! :)

Knit Bib with Ties

2010-07-08T11:07:00.000-04:00

The heat has been horrible of late, so I have holed up inside, on my recliner, and in front of the fan. No A/C here, since we rarely need one. To make matters worse, I had an arthritic flare-up and my hands swelled so much, my lovely Mother's Ring was cutting into my sausage finger so bad, it was causing severe pain, so I was forced to have my beautiful ring cut off my finger before the ring cut off my circulation. The ring can be repaired, but my finger can't be replaced.

I am so glad for the cooler weather we had before this heat wave. It would be impossible for me to have done any yard work in this heat unless I wanted to end up in a hospital! And that I do not want. :)

I have continued knitting on my socks, but I also knitted up a little bib, with ties rather than a button closure. I like ties better. The bib can adjust to the size of the baby much easier with ties than with a button. So I took the free pattern from Bernat.com, and altered it to suit my needs. And I am going to share it here for any that might be interested. Knitted cotton bibs make very nice shower gifts for any expecting Mom, don't you think?

Knit Bib with Ties

SIZE: to fit baby: Newborn to 6 mos.

MATERIALS
Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Baby - 1 ball

Size 4.5 mm (US #7) knitting needles or size needed to obtain gauge.
Size 4.25 mm (US #G or 6) crochet hook for ties

GAUGE: 20 sts. and 26 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stocking st.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cast on 17 sts.
1st row: (RS) Knit.
Beg with a purl row, proceed in stocking st and cast on 5 sts at beg
of next 4 rows. 37 sts.

Continue even in stocking st. for 6" (15 cm) ending with a purl row.

Shape neck: 1st row: K10, k2tog. Turn Leave remaining sts on a
spare needle.
Decrease 1 st at neck edge on next 3 rows. 8 sts.

Work 13 rows even
Decrease 1 st. each side until 1 st remains.
Bind off

With RS of work facing, slip next 13 sts onto a st. holder.
Slip 1, K1, psso. Knit to end of row.
Work to correspond to first side, reversing all shapings.

Neck edging: With RS of work facing, pick up stitches on inside of neckline,
knitting 13 sts. from st holder, decreasing 1 st. at center, then continue to
pick up and knit opposite inside edge. Turn and knit over picked up stitches,
decreasing 1 st on each side of center 12 sts, and dec 1 st in center, then
knit to end. Turn (RS) and bind off all neckline stitches.

Outer edging: With RS of work facing, pick up and knit around outer edge
of bib, adding 1 or 2 sts at corners on each side of bottom, so it doesn't
buckle, and lays flat. Turn and knit back (WS) adding sts at bottom corners.
When you get to the end of this row, take your #6 crochet hook, pull up a
loop at center of strap end, chain 45, turn, making a sl st. in 2nd ch. from
hook, and sl st back to end of chain. Lock into center of strap.

Turn, (RS) knitting back, and binding off as you go. When you reach the end, pull up a loop at center end of opposite strap. Ch 45, turn, sl st in 2nd
chain from hook. Sl st to end of ch, lock into center of strap, and bind
off. Weave in all ends.

If you wish you can make I-cord ties. I preferred the crocheted ties
because it was easier and much quicker. LOL

Make it a great day. Keep cool and keep smiling. :)

Garden Stories & Dog Tales

2010-07-02T20:33:00.001-04:00

Over the past few days we have been enjoying much cooler weather, and no humidity at all. It was weather made for baling hay and working in the gardens, so you had better believe I got down and dirty, and got after my weeds. Now I can honestly tell you that all of the gardens are weeded and clean. The big bed, the long bed and the little vegetable patch of tomatoes and cucumbers. All weeded, and the weeds cleared away and gone. It was a lot of work, but I really enjoyed it, and the cooler weather made it even more pleasurable than it normally is.

So, here is the long bed, after being weeded out.

Quite a difference, eh? Now I can at least see my lilies, even if the deer are bent on eating them. I ended up having to pull up about 100 daisy plants, but I did leave a couple there where the fence has broken out. I love daisies, but not when they smother my lilies.

This is one of those lovely lilies that were being hidden. There are several in full bloom on this plant, but this was the best photo.

This is one of the Salmon colored lilies. This also has several blossoms that are open, but most of them were so far apart, it didn't make for a good shot. Now, don't you agree, it would be unforgivable to keep these lovely flowers hidden behind an overgrown plot of wild daisies??

This is an ivy geranium my step daughter gave me about 4 years or so back. It has always blossomed with hot pink flowers only. Every year, it will burst open with cluster after cluster of hot pink flowers. This time it has begun to blossom just yesterday, but there are pale pink clusters as well as the hot pink flowers. If anyone can explain this to me, I really would appreciate hearing what you have to say. I have no idea what is happening. I'm not complaining. I love the light flowers as well as the dark ones. I'm just not used to a plant suddenly blooming 2 different colored flower clusters. LOL

Now, about my tomato plants. They are growing very well so far.

Not only are they growing very well, and looking good and healthy, but there are TOMATOES!!!!

Can you see them? There are FOUR tomatoes in this cluster, and that is just one plant. I have 10 plants, and most of them have baby tomatoes on them now, and the others are flowering nicely. Now, if I can only be lucky enough to escape any blight that might be out there, I should have a very nice crop of fresh home grown tomatoes in a few weeks and until the end of Summer. I am hoping to have enough for canning too.

Now to share a Dog Tale:

I have lived on this little farm (now minus the critters) for over 23 years now, and for most of those years we did not have rabbits in our area. But about 4-5 years back, they started showing up, and by now they are everywhere. So when I look out the window and see rabbits up in the garden, I open the door and let the dogs out and tell them to "git em." Since it's quite a bit of ground to cover from the porch to the garden, the rabbits have always skedaddled through the fence, and to freedom, before the dogs got anywhere near to them. Well, that was until this morning.

I was up in the garden, taking photos for this posting, and I had two hills of cucumbers that needed to be weeded around and the weeding would be done. So after taking the photos, I got down to finish the little bit of weeding left. While I was busy, I suddenly heard a terrible squealing. I looked up, and there was Lizette, and she had actually CAUGHT a young rabbit. Well, Dudley saw her with the rabbit, and he suddenly went into pack mode, and he joined her in the kill. All 8 lbs. of him, and there he was, being a ferocious beast. I could not believe my eyes, to be honest with you.

As soon as I finished up with my weeding, I was going to pick up the dead rabbit and toss it into the field, but I couldn't find it anywhere. I'm looking all over, and there was no rabbit. I gathered up my tools and headed for the house, and then Lizette came running up to me from the front of the house. I walked down and around the front, and there was Dudley, finishing up his surprise "dinner." So not only did they kill the rabbit, they actually ate it as well. And they have never had raw meat at any time in their lives before this. Further more, I have never allowed them to have a bone of any kind either. So here are two little dogs, that are very fussy about what dog food they eat, and yet neither one of them gave a second thought to killing a rabbit and eating every bit of it, raw! Fur and all! I am flabbergasted, to say the least. But the rabbits around here had better stay out of our yard from now on, or they are going to end up as doggie dinner.

Have a wonderful July 4th weekend, and keep smiling. :)