Yarn Along

I have been jumping back into the stash and using what I have like a good knitter!

Full disclosure - I have been buying yarn and fiber the past couple of weeks like the world's sheep population is disappearing.  But let's get back to the stash at hand for now.

Don't ask what yarn this is.  I bought it at the first New England Fiber Festival years ago.  I cast on Brickless and although I wasn't too sure about the yarn/pattern combination it's looking better as I go along.

It's such an odd assortment of colors, but I envision it with a nice brown winter coat.  Not that I have one of those, so I will probably give it as a Christmas gift.

I needed to cast on a new pair of socks so I wound up my Sock Bunny yarn I got for Christmas.

Kimberly does a great job with colors.  I love how it's knitting up.

Have you guys watched Kimberly?  You really should.  There's a little bit of knitting, a little bit of exercise talk, it's all fun.  

Joining Ginny and the others on this Wednesday!

The Weekend

It was a good blend of
visiting with family
checking out new places
nice lunch out
enjoying some awesome summer weather
finishing another owl
and a couple of other projects
starting some new ones
even managed a pedicure

How was your weekend?

More Baby Knitting

There hasn't been much in the way of baby knitting in years.  Then all of a sudden this past year was an explosion of babies!  And you gotta love knitting for a baby because it goes real fast and it's all so cute!

This is the Baby Sophisticate.  It's a free pattern on Ravelry.  And of course I had to make a matching hat, because I'm all matchy-matchy like that.  It's for my cute little nephew Jet who will hopefully fit into it over the winter.  His mom just loves sock monkeys so I got these great buttons on Etsy.

I loved working on it so much that I bought the adult version of the pattern. I doubt it will look as cute as this but I know it will be comfortable!

And I bought enough yarn to make one for me and one for my hubby.  I think I'll leave the sock monkey buttons off of his.

Yarn Along

Before getting into the knitting portion of the blog, I want to say a huge thank you to all of you who have sent your kind thoughts and words about my mother in law.  Last week was kind of a blur in dealing with it all and I wasn't ready to mention it here.  Now it is all settling in and each time I see a comment or get an email it's more helpful than you know.  All I can say is that knitters are awesome (and if you don't knit, you are cool too).

How about some knitting?

Yeah, how about some knitting????  I have a bit to show here, but my thoughts and ideas were running rampant in my mind the last week.  Let's just say some projects are changing, some new ones were born, and maybe a bit of yarn was bought.

I have had this owl obsession lately and found a cute pattern on Ravelry.

I made it for a friend who was in labor over the weekend to go with the blanket I had finished some time ago.  Once I get it in the mail I'll take post some more pics.  I modified the eyes because it's for a baby.  I didn't want to put real buttons on it so I crocheted some eyes instead.

And  now I'm knitting one for my desk.

So I carry around my owl knitting bag with my owl project inside.

I think I have a problem.

Joining Ginny.

10 On Tuesday

I really do love summertime despite all the complaining I have been doing lately because of the heat.  But seriously, if I have to spend my summer in air conditioning because it's too humid to be outside, I do not expect to be dealing with snow covered roads during the winter.  I could live down south if I wanted a hot hot summer.  I'm complaining again aren't I?

So here are my 10 Favorite Summertime Treats

1.  Snowcones.  I just turn into a big kid during the summer.
2.  The beach.  Specifically dinner at the beach.  I love to go to the ocean when the sun is setting and enjoy dinner, which is usually some fried chicken.
3.  Knitting on the deck.  I wait all year for this.  I love the natural light and watching the birds while I'm creating.
4.  Staying up late.  Nicole is out of school during the summer and we have fun staying up late and watching movies or just catching up on the DVR.  She's working now so we haven't been able to do it much.  Boo.
5. Going fishing.  Or clamming.  I haven't done much fishing the past couple of years but I want to try and rig up the poles before the end of the summer.  Even if we just fish off the dock.  It doesn't look like we will be putting the boat in the water this year.  Hubby has been working non-stop lately.
6.  Hanging around the firepit.  I can't believe we haven't done that much this year either.  I love it even more when marshmallows are involved.
7.  Going out to the Cape.  Our best friends rent a house in Chatham every year and we are lucky enough to get invited.  It's fun to explore different areas out there.  Growing up in NY we spent a lot of time in the Hamptons which is very similar, so the Cape feels like home to me.
8.  Outdoor fairs and carnivals.  Cotton Candy anybody?
9.  Drive in movies.  How can you beat a double feature?  Where else can you find that?
10.  Waterfire.  Click on the link to find out what it is.  If you are a local, you need to do it at least once.

Joining Carole for the fun!

Weekending

We spent the weekend
keeping cool by going to the beach
and laughing at the dog who loves to jump off the rocks more than he likes to swim (so much for the water dog that he is)
digging for clams (well, the guys dug for clams, us girls just kinda watched)
knitting again and being thankful my hands didn't hurt
watching some pretty cool thunderstorms
reflecting on and celebrating the life of my mother in law who passed away this past week
enjoying being together
and getting ready for the week ahead

How did you spend your weekend?

Another Pair

Two days, two posts, two finished pairs of socks.

I can't even remember when I finished these.  I'm pretty sure I didn't post any finished pictures on the blog.

I get so confused with what I post on here and what I put on Instagram these days!

I love the pooling and the colors on these socks.  It's hard to tell but there is even some sparkle in there too.

I tried taking pictures in different lights with different settings but it's tough inside and it's been too darn hot to be outside for too long for a photo shoot.

I'm taking a break from sock knitting for a little while.  My left hand seems to suffer because of it.  My left ring finger and pinkie, to be exact.  Even regular knitting was bothering me last night.  I am going to catch up on some crochet projects and see if that bothers it.  And I will definitely catch up on some reading.

Stay cool everybody.  Today is supposed to be a tough one here in the Northeast.  Looks like there's no relief until Sunday.

Yarn Along

I don't have much to show for Yarn Along today.  There has been progress in all projects but it's hard to see when you are working on so many things!

I do have some finished socks that I never showed you though.

I call them the World's Oldest Socks.

If I dig back through the blog I am sure I can find the post where I had started them.  I believe I got the yarn (Zauerball) at the very first New England Wool Fair (which had to be 3 years ago by now).  I loved the yarn the way the colors shifted.

The size 1 needles were a challenge and the very thought of picking up the stitches for the afterthought heel gave me hives. But I finally settled in and just did it.  And it wasn't that bad.  I am thankful to have them off the needles finally.

I did lots of reading this weekend and am hoping to be able to get the next Hunger Games book downloaded by next weekend.

So what are you doing with fiber lately?

Currents

listening - air conditioner humming (and thankful for it)


eating - dinner, which was a half a hamburger (too hot to eat much)


drinking - that sangria right there


wearing - grey capri shorts and blue sport tank


weather - does the word "sauna" mean anything?


knitting - regularly knitting the carnival socks right now along with my TDF spinning


wanting - to be able to open my windows and breathe some cool air


needing - clean the house.  It needs a good dusting and dog hair is piling up


enjoying - reading my books this weekend.  I want to get the next Hunger Games book but I won't get it until I finish what I have now


looking forward - going to the beach in the evening this week.  


wondering - when I will be able to soak that Socks That Rock fiber I spun last week so that it actually is nice enough outside for it to dry

Spinning Right Along

I ended up taking a few days off from spinning due to the cramps in my hands.  I knew if I didn't I would mess myself up for the rest of Tour de Fleece.  I got back to it yesterday and finished my Sheep to Shoe kit.

It took almost 2 hours to ply, and I ply pretty fast on my Louet.

I put it on the skein winder and was going to soak it.

Then I stopped and thought about how humid it was and how that huge skein would take some time to dry. I figured I would wait till tonight because the weather is supposed to be dry and sunny this weekend.

Until I looked at  the weather forecast again this morning.

Looks like that skein will be sitting on the winder for while.

Have a great weekend - no matter what your weather forecast is.

Babies

I haven't done much baby knitting in the last few years.  Lets face it - most of my friends are my age or a bit older and we are done with that phase of life.  I love the fact that some of my friends are getting to the Grandparent stage of life.  One dear friend who lived near me in NY is about to become a grandma again. Her daughter who is expecting was 6 years old when Nicole was born.  She was so excited to help me and I knew she would be a wonderful mom one day.

Well, the day is almost here and she will be having her own little baby.  So of course I had to knit something. My favorite is baby blankets because you just can't have enough of those.  I have been gravitating towards the crocheted granny square.  Mostly because it works up real quick and my favorite blanket from my childhood was a granny square.

I grabbed some leftovers from another baby blanket I had worked on started crocheting.

I had the teal and the purple but I needed to add something to it to brighten it up.  So I went with orange.  I love how it looked.  The colors above a better representation of how it actually looked.  The sun sorta faded the pics below.

I started it while I was on the cruise and within a few days it was done.  It's not huge.  Just a good size to through in the stroller while going for a walk.

She was thrilled with it!

And we are done with baby knitting.  At least for now.

Yarn Along

Happy Yarn Along Day!  This week has been a real productive week in the fiber department.  With all the quiet time at home I was not only able to knit and spin but I organized a bit too.

These 7 bags all hold projects.  5 are in working mode.  2 have yet to be started.  We will take a peek inside them over the next week or two, but right now it's mostly about Tour de Fleece.  For those who don't know, the Tour de Fleece takes place at the same time of Tour de France.  Instead of pedaling our bikes, we pedal our spinning wheels (or spindle if that is your preferred method of spinning).

I usually join a team (last year was the team for the Knitabulls Podcast) but this year I am kind of free-styling it.  I wasn't sure how much time I would be able to put in due to the cruise and it being a bit hectic lately.  I didn't even set a goal for myself, other than to finish this:

The spinning part, not the knitting part.  Last time I did a Sheep to Shoe kit I got enough yarn for 2 pairs of socks.  I'm not sure I spun it fine enough to get two pairs this time.

I am on the last bobbin.  My plans was to finish it last night and start plying.  I couldn't finish because I had a cramp in  my thumb!  I had it once before and knew the only cure was to stop using my hand completely.  I'll  try again tonight and see how it goes.

So what's going on in your fiber world?

10 On Tuesday

Being alone is something I rather enjoy these days.  It's not that I'm a hermit or anything (well, I guess I kinda am) but it's rare that I am ever totally alone.  On the rare occasion that I am alone here is a list of things I love to do:

1.  Take pictures.  I love to walk around the yard and grab some snapshots.
2.  Be creative.  For me it's knitting and spinning.  Or once in a while weaving.
3.  Listen to LOUD music.  I even dance around the house sometimes.
4.  Watch podcasts.  This usually  happens during the creative process mentioned in #2.
5.  Check my Instagram. I find this more fun than Facebook lately.
6.  Write.  Either on the blog, or just lists of what I need to do.
7.  Organize.  I'm far from a neat freak but I like to organize my "stuff" when I'm alone and can concentrate.
8.  Watch old episodes of the Sopranos.  We won't even discuss the early departure of James Gandolfini last month.  Let's just say that if it hadn't happened while I was on my cruise, I would still be wearing black.  I loved him for years, even before he was on the Sopranos.  RIP James.
9.  Read.  I can't ever do this when anybody else is home.
10.  Cook my favorite things that nobody else likes.  Like meringue cookies.

Joining Carole on this Tuesday.

Weekending

The picture describes it best.
The weekend was spent doing lots of knitting.
Lots of Spinning for Tour de Fleece.
Lots of catching up on knitting podcasts.
Lots of quiet since Nicole is at the Jersey Shore with my parents for the next couple of days.

How was your weekend?

Yarn Along and Along and Along.....

It's Wednesday and you know what that means here.  It's time to discuss the knitting and reading that is currently happening.  The reading - still working on my 50 Shades occasionally.  I got back into it while I was on vacation.  I will probably get to read it a bit this weekend.  I have to admit that my choice when I am knitting these days is catching up on podcasts.  But back to the knitting.

While I was packing up some knitting to take with me on the cruise I perused the project bags.  It seems I have quite a few UFO's hanging about.

I love my bags.  Speaking of bags that is one of my projects for the weekend.  To organize them all.  I am way too scattered these days.  But back on topic...

I started with the project with a size deadline.  If I don't get this sweater done soon the baby will outgrow it so it moved up on the priority list.

I always have a sock going and this is the one and only pair I have on the needles.

I just love those colors.  We went to a baseball game Monday night and I got a lot done while sitting there.  That's why I love socks!

I can't believe I actually have to buy more yarn to finish this project.

I thought this market bag would be a great stash buster.  It busted the stash, but I don't have much else to go with those colors.  I guess I will have to look for a sale on cotton.  Buy more yarn?  Bummer....

I forgot about my Entwined Shoulder Shawl.  I love this pattern.

I'll be picking this up again soon.  I got side tracked with baby knitting.

This shawl....

is in time out.  I am frustrated and I don't have the patience lately to figure out the edging.  It's nobody's fault but my own.  I improvised and it's making it difficult to finish.  I love the yarn though and that will make me finish it.  One day.  Maybe soon.

So that's what's on the needles.  Did I mention that Tour De Fleece started this week?

Joining Ginny.

Oh Canada

So in case you didn't hear we took a little trip.

We cruised on up to Nova Scotia and St. John's New Brunswick.  I had never been north of Maine and this was on my "To Do" list.  It had also been 10 years since we went on a cruise so that made it even more attractive.  The price was unbelievably cheap and that made it "MUST DO NOW".  And I'm glad we did.

We left Boston on Thursday afternoon and the party started.  There was music and dancing and drinking and the pool, and.....  Well, it was a lot of fun.  I can't say enough about the crew on board the ship.  There wasn't one person who wasn't smiling.  Everyone asked if you were having a good time, how your day went, if they could get you anything.  The waitstaff at dinner was incredible.  By the second night they knew all our names and what we wanted to drink.  We looked forward to seeing them at the end of our day.

Plus every night there was some little show they would put on for us.  It was a lot of fun.

First stop was St. John's.  There was lots to see and we took lots of pictures.  To me the most impressive sight was the tidal drops.  We went to check out this cave.  Notice the water level.

Within 20 minutes it looked like this.

We ran out of time to go inside but I was impressed enough at that point.

It was so beautiful there.

Back towards the ship there was a little market where we bought a few souvenirs.  I made Nicole pose with the moose.

The next day was Nova Scotia.  There was a great boardwalk with a lot of little shops and restaurants.  There was more we could have done but it required a cab ride and after the driving we had done the day before in St. John's we just weren't in the mood to do it again.  And it was a beautiful day that made us want to stay near the water.

We headed back towards Boston on day 4.  The weather was foggy and a bit cold for a good part of the day.  By the night you could feel the change in the air as we got closer to land.  We sat outside and enjoyed the last few hours of our vacation.

So we have already started planning our cruise for next year.  It's a bummer that I'll have to wait another year to have these guys waiting for me on my bed each night.