Of Projects Not Blogged About

Over the retreat weekend a bunch of us were talking about our favorite apps for our Ipads and Iphones.  One person mentioned Yarma.  It's an app that lets you load pictures from your camera right into your Ravelry project page. This is great for somebody like me who tends to take a lot of pictures from my phone.  So I went through my pictures and started to update my Ravelry page.  I realized that I have a lot of updating to do!  I also realized that there are some finished projects that I never shared on the blog.

Like my Hitchhiker.

I showed a lot of in progress pictures because it took me a while to finish it.  It became my mindless knitting for while.  I like the pattern.  I think I would like it better with different yarn.  The Zauerball almost seems too "flimsy", so to speak.

I still love the colors.  It's so bright and vibrant.

And it helps to cheer me up.  Especially on a rainy windy day like today!

Yarn Along

The past few days have been productive - knitting wise at least.  The only reading I'm doing is reading my pattern for "Crosswords at The Coffee Shop".  It's not real difficult, but it's enough that I need to pay attention.  I'm anxious to get to the garter stitch part of it because I'll be able to count it as some "mindless knitting" time.

It's difficult to really see the pattern.  I love how the gradient looks.  I'm almost up to the raspberry color.  And it is the softest yarn ever!

I plan to finish it this week so I can start working on my sweater.  I swatched already so it's ready to go!

Joining Ginny in Yarn Along.

10 On Tuesday

This weeks 10 on Tuesday is something we can all relate to.  And I'm sure we can all benefit from.  "10 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs."

1.  Go to the movies.  I rarely go to the movies during the summer because I like to spent that time outside in the fresh air.  Winter is a great time to catch up on all of that.

2.  Knit.  Nothing inspires the wearing of wool like a frosty 20 degree day.

3.  Spin.  For the same reason as #2.

4.  Plan a vacation.  Especially to someplace warm.

5.  Indulge in a little retail therapy.  I really like online shopping because I can stay by the fire and keep warm while I'm doing it.

6.  Plan the Sheep and Wool Festivals.  I already have them written on the calendar and started planning which ones I will be attending.

7.  Go for a walk.  When the weather gets tolerable (meaning frostbite is not an option) get out there and take a nice walk.  The fresh air is invigorating.

8.  Take some winter pictures while you are on that walk.  The scenery at this time of year can be beautiful.

9.  Make some tropical drinks.  Nothing says "beach day" like a pina colada.

10.  Enjoy the cozy indoor time.  In a few months we will be complaining about how hot it is!

Weekend in Pictures - and a Few Words

A very relaxed weekend was enjoyed by all.  There was fancy breakfast

I can take credit for the actual making of the pancakes.  The fancy part was done by the kids.

I did make a nice dessert for my parents on Saturday night.

What is it you ask?  Well - I baked a vanilla cake.  When it was finished I poked holes in it and poured Buttershot Liquor in it.  Then I made a parfait sort of thing with pieces of the cake, cool whip, chocolate bars, and some ricotta cheese & a bit of sugar.  It was yummy.  And the longer it sits, the better it tastes.

Hubby got some oysters from one of the vendors at work.

Oysters are not my thing.  But my parents enjoyed it.  They did a taste test comparing the West Coast oysters, Massachusetts oysters, and RI oysters. That is the reason for the tags near each kind.   Surprisingly the RI variety won.  I thought the West Coast would have had it all over them.  This family can make a game out of anything.

And of course there was knitting.  I sat on the couch yesterday around 1:00.  The sun was shining so the light was perfect and I knit and watched the Celtics vs the Heat.

So how was  your weekend?

Kitty Thursday

One of the cat's favorite places to hang out is the bottom of the clothes hamper.  She especially loves it when you run your fingers on the outside of it and she chases them on the inside.  I happened to catch her in a mischievous mood.

And we have a 1000th comment!  The winner is......    Karen at Pumpkin Sunrise.  I will email you about your special prize :-)

Yarn Along

You would think I would have so much to show this week for Yarn Along!  Most of my weekend was spent spinning.  I did finish My Hope but it is still blocking and is waiting for a proper photo shoot.  And let me tell ya blog friends - I really need to go outside to do it justice, and with the wind chills being below zero, it may be a while until I get to do that.  I did get working on my next pair of socks (because with all this cold weather, you realize you can NEVER have too many knitted socks).

 And that's about as far as I got.  Tonight is scheduled to be quiet, so I am sure they will get some love then.

How are things in your knitting world?

10 On Tuesday

What a fun 10 On Tuesday this week! It's 10 Things You Always Have In Your Car.


1. My current knitting project. You never know when knitting opportunities will arise.
2. Baby wipes. My baby days are long over but I have an issue with sticky hands (we will get into how I wouldn't let Nicole have a lollipop until she was around 5 years old at another time).
3. Phone charger. I use my phone for everything and am subject a dead battery at any time.
4. Change. I always keep extra money in my glove box for Dunkin Donuts.
5. Medical kit with band aids, gauze, alcohol wipes, etc...
6. Blanket. The kids usually use it to snuggle with but I just like to have it if we go to the beach or if I need to sit on something.
7. Mittens. I got into the habit of keeping them in the car when Nicole was playing hockey and lacrosse
8. One of my hand knit shawls. To keep warm in case of emergency.
9. My sunglasses. My eyes are so sensitive as I get older. Crazy huh?
10. Ice scraper. Look outside. Need I say more?

Weekending In Pictures

It's That Time of Year Again

I'm almost all packed and ready to go.  It's time for the Bayberry Spinners Retreat.  And yes, I did indulge in a little online shopping for the occasion.  I'll take better pictures of it all out of the wrappers.  I have to kinda keep it all together for now.  But I assure you it's all gorgeous!!!  Have a wonderful weekend everyone.   

iPhone To The Rescue Again

Yeah - it's another Internet free morning. But we carry on....

One of my 2013 Goals was to do more volunteering/charity work. When Nicole was younger and I worked far less hours I did a lot more volunteering. Especially at church and at her school. I enjoyed it and it was a good feeling to know that I made a difference, even if it was a small one.

Nicole's boyfriend will be deployed on a submarine in a few months. We aren't sure how long he will be gone. She is getting used to the idea and at that point she will be graduating high school, starting her summer college work and working. She will be busy and time will pass quickly.

We got to thinking about all the military wives who are left behind, especially those who are technically single parents for that period of time. We found an organization online - Support Military Spouses (and if I were posting from my computer I would give you the link). One of the things they do is ask for you to fill a shoebox with items that a wife might like to receive. Most of them are busy tending to the needs of their children and rarely pamper themselves. So we packed up a box and its almost ready to go. I want to knit a couple of dish cloths to add to it over the weekend.

We included some nail files, some pretty wind chimes (not pictured), hand lotion, room spray, candles and some other fun goodies. The only problem is that we are running out of shoebox room!

Yarn Along

What a morning! My Internet at home is down. My computer at work is down. So here I go relying on my good old iPhone to post. Did I mention how much I love my iPhone?

Onto knitting content...

I cast on Crosswords at the Coffee Shop. I plan on being done with My Hope in the next day or so and wanted to have something interesting to knit over the weekend. I used my new Chiagoo interchangeable needles and they are awesome so far!

10 On Tuesday

I have found that the key to making progress with goals is looking back at the list and keeping yourself in check.  With that in mind, today's 10 on Tuesday is "10 Ways to Stick to Your Fitness Routine".

1.  Mix it up a bit.  Boredom can set in easily. Change it up if necessary.
2.  Get the right equipment.  I realized that if I wanted to keep up with my walking routine that I would have to get new sneakers.  I think mine were about 4 years old - and they looked it.
3.  Treat yourself.  For a while I had been wanting really good earbuds.  So I indulged myself with some of my Christmas bonus.  They are awesome!
4.  Find a buddy who will keep you accountable.  It's tough to not show up if somebody else is counting on you.
5.   Be realistic.  I would love to go for a run.  If I do that I probably won't last much more than a few minutes and end up injuring myself.  Set small goals and build on that.  I'll get there.  Baby steps....
6.  Join a group.  Whether it's a class or just meeting up with others.  It makes it more fun.  And it's a great way to make friends.
7.  Have an alternate plan.  If you plan on running outside but it's raining don't stay inside and do nothing.  Come up with a Plan B.
8.  Journal your progress.  You can do that online or just in a simple journal.  It's tough to see where you going if you don't remember where you have  been.
9.  Do what you love.  If you hate the treadmill you will probably not do it.  Try the elliptical,  go for a bike ride, take a class.
10.  Make it convenient.  If you decide to join a gym that is so far out of the way you will never go.  Find what works for you.

What ideas do you have?

Weekending

Such a nice relaxing weekend
Watching football
Listening to teenagers laugh
Putting Christmas 2012 to rest
Much needed cleaning
And a good start to organizing
Discovering and making decisions about my hand spun stash
Deciding on the projects that are going on the needles soon
Some long overdue spinning wheel maintenance
Making more lists for next weekends getaway
Loving the warmer weather but wishing the sun would come out

How was your weekend?

Winter Walk and a Contest

Besides having a massive office all to myself, one of the other benefits to my new location is that I am less than a minute away from Mt. Hope Farm.  And it is a beautiful spot.  There are all kinds of walking trails along the water.  I plan to discover all of them.  I have been going there for lunch and taking a walk and playing with my camera.

There is so much history there.  I really need to do some research on it.

I happened to see a sign today saying that they still have the Farmers Market going on.  I know where I am going on Saturday.

On another note - my little blog is approaching 1000 comments.  I can't believe how many people I have met through here.  I especially love that I have gotten to meet a lot of them in person and formed great friendships.  So to celebrate, the lucky person who leaves comment number 1000 will be getting a little surprise from me.  So go ahead and comment away!  Good luck.

Back To Christmas....

Back at Christmas time I was still in my flu-induced stupor and didn't get to post much about my holiday.  I got some real nice gifts of the Fibery sort.

Hubby got me a few other books besides the cable dictionary.

This  book has some adorable stories in it.  I plan on taking it with me on my spinning retreat next weekend.

I love my Signature Needles but the price inhibits me from buying a lot of them.  I heard Chiagoo needles are just as good so I wanted to get some of them.  I made a gift registry on Handsome Fibers and my aunt and parents went shopping!

I wanted to try the interchangeables and for the price you can't beat it.  I will be using these on my sweater so I will give you a review shortly.

I also asked for some Karbonz.  So far I love the points but I'm not thrilled with the cable join.(which I think I spoke about once before).

And of course I got some yarn.  I can't wait to try Kimberly's sock yarn!  I don't even want to look at her latest shop update - the colors are calling me....

Kinda makes a person want to knit......  

Yarn Along

It's been a while since I participated in Yarn Along.  It feels good to be back in the routine again.  As for reading - it's a magazine here and there.  I spent an hour at Barnes and Noble yesterday and it felt great.  It saddens me how empty that store is now.  I'm not sure if it's the online allure of Amazon and their cheaper prices or if people are just reading more digital books (I know I am).

As for knitting, I'm still enjoying 'My Hope'.

I have one more repeat of the pattern to go.  I would like to do one more if I have enough yarn.  I'm not sure if I will make it though.

It's easy enough for TV knitting but adds enough fun with the twisted wrap rows.  And that suits me fine these days.

What are you knitting lately?

10 On Tuesday

I sort of already covered this weeks 10 On Tuesday topic - 10 goals for 2013.  So I decided to to a check up on myself and see if I could name 10 things I am doing to try and accomplish those goals.

1.  I have been reading every day.  Even if it's a page or two out of a simple book - like the one pictured above that my hubby got me for Christmas.
2.  I started to swatch for a sweater for myself.  And I'm using hand spun.
3.  I was lucky enough to be gifted a pattern this past weekend and I'm using more of my hand spun to cast that on next.  I was kinda stuck on what pattern to use but it became quite evident when Gail sent me this.  For those who don't know, the designer, Karrie Steinmetz passed away unexpectedly last month.  Many people in the knitting community have been gifting this pattern in order to help support her family, which includes 2 young children.
4.  I spent my Christmas bonus on ME for a change and bought myself some good earbuds.
5.  I have shut the TV off unless I am watching something specific.  This has freaked my family out a bit.
6.  I arranged to take an extra day off for the weekend of my spinning retreat.
7.  We visited a friend who recently got a puppy. We then remembered how much work they are.  We adopted a hamster immediately thereafter.  (Dog is on hold till spring for sure).
8.  I am moving right along with all my knitting projects.  I even stayed in the office today and knit instead of going out to get lunch.
9.  I have found a couple of ways to "pay it forward" which goes along with my volunteer goals.
10. I have been ignoring the "negative" attitudes of others.  Not always easy to do.

So how are your 2013 Goals going?

Weekending

The Weekend.  It was a rather relaxing one.
I caught up on some video podcasts
Did lots of knitting
Ignored the Christmas tree that needs to come down
Enjoyed dinner out with the family
Spoiled myself with a bit of shopping
Started getting a list together of things to bring to the spinning retreat in a couple of weeks
Played with puppies
Realized that I waited too long to buy a calendar on sale after Christmas
Started to get ready for my first full week of work ahead of me in over a month - not sure if I can do it!

How was your weekend?

Holiday Knitting 2012

Knitting Christmas presents has become a tradition in our family.  My daughter Nicole even joins in the fun these days.  2 weeks before Christmas she decided she was going to knit 3 hats and 2 scarves.  Very doable, right?  Well, maybe if she didn't have school during the day, CNA school 2 nights a week, a job and a teenage social life she might have stood a chance.  We'll get back to that another day....

In the meantime I fared quite well.  I knit 3 pairs of socks and 2 cowls in about a month's time.  I took pictures of my works in progress and even shared on here a couple of times.  The last item I was working on was a cowl for my mom.  I used Plymouth Yarns Mushishi.  It's a nice blend of wool and silk and it was super soft.

Can you believe that I did not take a single picture of any finished gifts?  I blame that flu thing on my bad judgement.   I am going to grab that cowl back from my mom and take a picture because the color changes look really cool in my opinion.  I had a ton of yarn left over.  I think I may surprise her and make some hand warmers to match.

I'm still working on one more pair of socks.  With all the knitting time I lost while being sick I just couldn't make it happen.  But I'm working on them now.

Yarn look familiar?  Nicole had started a pair of socks and frogged them.  It was some of my hand dyed that I had in the stash.  And it's giving me the chance to try out one of my Christmas presents - Knitters Pride Karbonz Fixed Circular Needles.  I love the tips.  I'm not thrilled with the cable joins though.  The yarn seems to struggle to get past it on some rounds.  Overall I do like them.

It feels good to be back in the routine again.

2013

Check out the icicles hanging from the roof at my office.  2013 has started out in a cold way!  But getting back to the point of my story....

A new year.  I love the new year.  It's a blank slate in front of you and you can write the story.  Here's some of the chapters I'm going to work on.

1.  Take care of me.  This sounds so simple. As women (especially as moms) we have a tendency to nurture others.  I have no problem doing for others but feel so selfish when I need or want to do something for myself.  Time for a change.

2.  Knit at least one sweater for myself.  I have a few patterns that I like.  I keep putting this off, mainly because my size seems to change all the time - up and down!  If I knit an over-size raglan the size won't be as crucial.

3.  Adopt a dog.  It's been 10 months and I do miss my dog.  We are thinking that Spring would be a great time to look for another one.  While I would love a puppy, I'm not sure if I have the energy to do it again.  Hubby wants a puppy - I am leaning towards a dog.

4.  Knit my hand spun stash.  2012 was the year of knitting the sock stash.  2013 needs to see my hand spun get used.  And I have a bunch.

5.  Get a grip on my craft room.  We have 3 bedrooms in our house.  We only need 2 for our family.  I have basically taken over the third with my yarn.  Nobody seems to mind.  But I need to make it my own, so to speak.  It has a huge closet too!  And it needs a total make-over.

6.  Watch less TV.  We have that darn thing on all the time.  I'm sure if I turn it off I would have more time for.....

7.  Reading.  Every day.  Even if it's only a page in a magazine.  My book stash is almost as bad as my yarn stash.  Hubby is mostly to blame for that.  I pretty much refuse to buy a book unless it's in digital format anymore.  I just don't have the room for more books.

8.  Finish my Evenstar shawl.  I got off to a good start this past summer but got carried away with my spinning and subsequent Olympic knitting.  I don't want it to sit in that basket too long.  I probably won't get to it until the Spring.

9.  Volunteer more.  I am feeling the need to give back more.  I'm not sure which direction is pulling me.  I did a lot of work with single moms for a while and enjoyed it.  I'm kinda feeling a pull towards helping military families right now.  We will see where it takes me.

10. Be happy.  At times I am surrounded by, errr, miserable people.  It's easy to fall in the bucket with their attitudes.  Happiness is an attitude.  And I intend to keep it up.