Shawl cast ON

I’ve started a new shawl. the MESH-enger shawl.  Again.  This will be my second.  I am using the darling yarn from KIM!!!  It is Mrs Crosby yarn and I love it.  This pattern is so easy.  One mesh section, one garter section.  I went with high contrast purple for the mesh.  Mostly because Karen and Al said it was a better choice than the orange I had planned.  They were right.  Also, there is only one needle for the whole project, size 8 circs.

This is perfect knitting for watching the CUBS as they try to win the division again. Breathe, breathe breathe…  

We have been invaded by among other things: turkeys, (eat those tics !) and elder beetles and flies.   The beetles are all over the outside of the house.  This happened last year.

Do you have a seasonal invasion ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snow? What? It is 90 degrees here…

*This is what Yellowstone looks like currently.  My brother in law, just sent this photo.   They are on their anniversary trip.  What?  I did not know the snow could be that deep in September.   

*Makes me think I better get knitting. 

*I’m pretty sure I bailing on my current WIP.  The sweater/poncho.  Why? I don’t like the 4 row repeat …..I’m serious.  

*Zach thanks you all for the concern.  He is going to be bringing more supplies to his friend’s house .  His friend Juany, has an aunt in Juchitan.  The area was hit hard .  If anyone wants to help in a more direct way, let me know. I know you have probably already given in some way to the ongoing disasters.  

I for one am a huge Red Cross fan.  I should go give blood.

*What’s your favorite charity? 

Fall KAL Finish

 

For those of you who follow closely, you’ll see right away that these are not fingerless mitts.  I decided after buying a pattern, that I’d rather a Halloween bag.  So I’m done Dee and Vera~!   I am very glad you started the Fall knit a long.  

Black yarn woes.  Black yarn photo woes.  In person, its much cuter.  

It bears repeating: Thank you for caring that Zach was safe after yesterday’s Earthquake in Mexico.  Thank you thank you thank you.  I will tell you that this past Sunday he and friends loaded a car trunk with water, rice, and beans and drove it to the local red cross distribution center in Chiapas.  (for the earlier earthquake victims)  

As dear Fred Rogers said, “My mom always said to look for the helpers when there is a sad event” (im paraphrasing)
“Because there is hope where there are helpers” 

You all helped me yesterday!

Zach is fine THANKS!!!!

You are all so sweet and thoughtful.  Zach is fine.  WE called him the moment we heard it on the radio at around 1:30 today.  GOt right through to him.  He felt tremors last night but  not during the MExico CIty quake today. 

The last earthquake was nearer him.  Poor Mexico .   Poor Puerto Rico.

I cannot thank you enough for the love and concern.   Means the world to this mother blogger

 

Black yarn Knitting Woes

Okay Fall KAL people.  Who let me decide to knit with black for this event?  Learned my lesson.  I will be finishing the beaded bag for the event.   Only 3 rows of beads adorn this one.  

My bead problem is hard to explain.  So, I won’t.  Suffice to say I do appreciate the advice but it didnt’ work for me.  This bag is far from perfect.  Still, it has a good Halloween vibe.  

 I have to say I believe the hummingbirds are gone for the year.  No activity for 4 days.  I leave the food up.  I hear a straggler can come by. 

The neighbor girls are still bringing fresh raspberries to us.  Oh my.  They are tiny and sweet and just a candy like treat.  !!!  They love the cats.  Oh my they love them.  Joelle, who is in 3rd grade, sewed a little tiny pillow for miss pie.  She is the pie whisperer.  Pie will let her brush her.   

Any garden goodies from your neighbors lately?

 

 

 

Monday Q and A, September 2017

*Did you have troll dolls?  

*When was the last time you said, ‘Oh I can make that for a lot less”

*What has been your most difficult knit or crochet project this year?

*Have you ever broken a toe?

*Name a children’s author or picture book you love-

*Who is the last cousin you have seen or had contact with?  (third cousins twice removed still count) 

*Name a blog you will visit today-

*When was the last time you read a nutrition label?

*What is the last thing you used change (coins)  for?

*Do you have a digital antennae?

 

My answers:

*I did have troll dolls.  Gosh they are ugly.  I think I liked them because they were cheap and I could afford them with my allowance money.  I liked to cut their hair off…..

*Yesterday, at the apple orchard they had a rag rug selling for 31 dollars.  It was the  size of a dinner plate.  I do love rag rugs.  I don’t own one right now.  But I couldnt’ part with 31 dollars for it.

*My most difficult project this year:  believe it or not the teddy bears for charity.  I had lots of ear issues, and face making issues.  By the time I learned all the tricks, I was over them.  But, I did send some for charity.  The best ones.

*I know I had a broken toe ten years ago.  It is still crooked.  I think I broke another this year.  I break them because I am a huge clutz and I rarely wear shoes in the house.

*There is a Halloween book called ROOM ON THE BROOM about a witch and all the little friends that join her on the broom.

*Fireman reunited with his first cousin Laura this weekend.  When you live in a resort town, people do come up and it increases the visits.  They hadn’t seen one another in 15 years since a funeral.

*I will go to Kims blog to vote for Knitter Hunks and Chicks of course .

*I read the nutrition facts on my vanilla one touch Latte for coffee.  So I’m drinking some fluffy sugar apparently.

*If I have enough coins for an instant lottery ticket, I’ll buy one.

*We DO have a digital antennae.  This means we bought a box that is black that we point towards Chicago and it picks up channels we don’t get on from our Cable service.   It means I may dump cable altogether when our contract is up!

Have fun with your Q and A .. Hope it prompts a good memory for you

 

 

I promise you a thousand dollars in Yarn

I didn’t like the beginning on the jet ski.  Suffice to say Fireman had to peel my fingernails out of his chest at first.  He wasn’t even going fast, but he has that Y chromosome that makes me think he’s going to push the machine to it’s limits because…..that’s what that chromosome does to the male species.  

He struck a deal with me: “I promise you a thousand dollars in yarn if I tip this  jet ski over” .  Now we’re talking.  Just speak my language, and he did.  From that moment on, I started to relax.  So that’s how that went.  

I really am sorry for the lousy photo, but here is the first bee I’ve SEEN at the pollinator nursery.  I knew they’d been active but I finally saw one yesterday.  

 My friend Regina, mailed me 4 bottles of flower seeds!  Echinacea, Gray headed coneflowers and Columbine.  (Regina did you know that Columbine is the Holy Spirit flower?)  And, I had just cleared an area for them yesterday.  In they go , today. 

If you came for the knitting, I have to send you to Mason-Dixon’s Saturday letter .. D.G. Strong shows his National Parks knitted ribbon winning blanket and oh boy.  

In the  more knitting category, I am planning the weekend work to be all orange sweater-poncho time.   

(I’m also trying to be a vegetarian this week. just one week.  I need some low fat recipes.  Got any?)

 

 

What’s with My Knitting Universe?

My friend Abby sent me this darling card and refused to write in it.  I love it.  I may break into it and try knitting on those tooth pick needles just for snicks.  Or not. 

Yesterday was a day of upsets. ( The votes went sour for me on my Knitters Hunks and Chicks categories.  Ugh.  I thought my Jesse Spencer was a shoe in for this year.  He’s of Chicago Fire fame.  Not the one who dates lady Gaga.  I love Kim’s contest.)   

In a different kind of upset, friend Kath in from L.A. to care for her mom Mary who is 91, had no good news.  Mary has pneumonia.  Mary is frail.  Another friend and I tried to pour strength into Kath in the form of food and wine.  Kath stayed the night, did her laundry and let us let her cry.  This is all too familiar.  We do what we can, we listen, we tell her she IS an amazing daughter.  

It is so nice to have a guest room and guest bath at this stage in our life.   

Also,

I had my first bit of unfortunate knitting with the beaded bag.  Knit picks black yarn I may be mad at you.  You developed a teeny tiny knot that would not be undone.  Long story short the yarn broke and I will have to rebead the yarn.  

It is in a time out. I’m all about the orange poncho sweater now.   

Today: I may jet ski.  It is all 80s and summery this week.  We have not gotten around to this goal since moving here.  Let me assure you I will not be racing around Geneva Lake with reckless abandon.   My life jacket will be securely on.  

I should go now, and shave my legs…..and there will be no pictures.  

Just Hello

Mrs. Micawber’s blog is full of flower identifications.  She lives n the same Dairy state as me.   She rides her bike often and takes us along wildflower class to learn names.  My friend Regina brought me these flowers to plant here.  I don’t know what the little powder puff white flowers are, but I love them.  A mum? 

Because my knit progress was in the negative yesterday, I’ll give you one of the amazing horses at the barn.  Zach took this photo and you get a sense of how big this boy is.  We have many riders that are not tiny children so we need large horses to be in the program.   Rox is in the ring with him. She is an amazing volunteer.

I don’t know many of the stories of how over a hundred of us ended up in the arena to volunteer, but I trust I’ll hear some stories over time.   We are not in Session for another couple of weeks and I do miss going to the Barn.  

I was in the negative stitch wise because I made a mistake.  Mistakes in worsted are not near as painful as mistakes in fingering, or …..heaven forbid, lace weight.   I’ll get back on the horse today!

 

Oh worsted weight, I’ve forgotten your joys.  I’ve been knitting with fingering for about a month (with the exception of fiddly twiddle mitts).  This is my Viktoria beginning.  Berroco on size 8 circs.   The flash makes it look like a safety patrol orange but it is softer than that, I promise.  I’ve got a LOT of knitting ahead of me.  I shall not whine. 

My Betty’s Pies cup has seen better days.  She’s well loved.  I’ve abandoned the Keurig.  I’ve decided this is cleaner, simpler and frees me of trash guilt.  It does make me WAIT a bit longer for my cuppa, but the coffee tastes great.  I think it is good for me to practice a bit of waiting.  I tap my foot and fingers when I put my chip card in the block at the store.  Sigh, data has to go all the way up to the satellite in the sky and down again.  Really Kathy B?  I shall not whine.

The produce stands now have pumpkins!  Oh fall I love thee so much.  I have no idea what one does with an APPLE gourd and my checkout lady  just shrugged.  She said, “Decoration I think” .

Finally, some of you will not be surprised by this at all.  I was driving down the interstate when a truck merged from the on ramp.  I saw a tail.  Then I saw a full grown Siberian Husky standing ON boxes, in the back bed of a pick up truck.  The truck was going no less than 80mph.  This poor dog was barely keeping its balance. 

I called 911.
“911 what’s your emergency”

“There is a pick up truck on the expressway with a dog in the back of the truck!  I’m an animal lover”  I proceeded to give them all the identifiers for the vehicle.

“Ma’am there is no law that says you have to restrain an animal in a vehicle”

“But, but but”

“Ma’am, I just want you to know the dog won’t jump, Okay?”

Really?  What a bunch of yahoos.  I’m not asking for a carseat for the dog, and I certainly understand crates in the back of a truck for working dogs and hunting dogs.  But loose?  Standing on boxes that were higher than the sides of the truck.  ?  There ought to be a law….