Mary Knits and More

Two FO's and More Cuteness

2012-01-24T13:26:00.000-05:00

Darius has a new hat. I used the same pattern for his earlier hats (Very Basic Baby Beanie), but this time added one inch to the length. This past Friday, I brought the hat to his house and tried it on him. He was less than excited about his new hat, but it will keep his head warm during these cold winter months. Here is Darius modeling the hat. (Seriously, Grandma, we are in the house and I am busy playing in my excersaucer.)

I also finished a scarf for me. Details in an earlier blog post.

Enough knitting. Time to end with a little more cuteness, provided by Darius.

First Post of 2012 - Knitting Content & Cuteness

2012-01-14T14:39:00.000-05:00

As promised, the first post of 2012 has some knitting content. I have several projects on the needles. I enjoy knitting for a Prayer Shawl Ministry so I always have a prayer shawl on the needles. The current one, I'm sorry to say, has not progressed very much. I do enjoy knitting this pattern, Ribbon-Trimmed Shawl, from THE PRAYER SHAWL COMPANION. I make them without the ribbons. If you were to scroll through some of my blog posts in past years, you would see several finished prayer shawls using this pattern. Also, in this photo, is a scarf I am knitting using two strands of Caron's Simply Soft (Autumn Red) and a size 11 needle. The pattern is found here: http://knittingbunny.blogspot.com/2006/02.spring_10.html

I have a hat for Darius on the needles. I hope to finish the hat this week and get it to him. He is still wearing the hats I knitted for him when he was born and they fit his head around, but the ribbing cannot be turned up any more. They still work, but a nice new gray hat is in order. I am still using the Very Basic Baby Beanie pattern found on this website: http://www.twistedknitter.com/

I am also knitting a scarf for myself with some DK weight hand dyed superwash wool by String Theory of Blue Hill, Maine. http://www.stringtheoryyarn.com/ The color is "Ruby Slipper". I bought this yarn a couple of years ago at the Michigan Fiber Fest in Allegan, MI. The pattern I am using is the cover pattern of the Winter 2011 KNIT SIMPLE magazine. The pattern is written for a shawl/wrap. I cast on less stitches to make a scarf. I love how this is working up and am anxious to have it around my neck.

Yesterday, I spent the day with Darius. He is such a happy baby and so much fun to be around. He loves his Jumperoo.

Happy New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T21:02:00.000-05:00

I guess one last post of 2011 is appropriate. This one will not have any knit content, but lots of cuteness. We have Darius ringing in the new year with us, but I anticipate we will all be asleep in our beds when the new year rolls in. Tomorrow is a new day and Darius is full of energy each day. This is Darius' recommended libation for New Year's Eve.

High on the cuteness scale is Darius in his Jump and Go. He loves to jump.

He brought his exersaucer with him because this is another of his favorite activities.

There will be knitting content in the new year. Happy New Year's!

Two Year Socks

2011-12-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

Drum roll, please. If you look back to my November 3, 2009 post, I was reporting that I started knitting a pair of socks. I must be the world's slowest sock knitter because I am just now reporting those socks as finished. Yippee!!!! Actually, I have to be in the mood to knit socks - thin yarn, small needles. The good news is that the socks are finished in time to enjoy them this winter. They are very colorful so will be perfect with jeans.

I have am amazingly cute photo of Darius, but will not be posting that particular one since I think it is being featured on Darius' family Christmas card. Don't want to spoil the surprise of that for those family members that follow my blog.

No blog post is complete without a picture of the little Dumpling. He was about 16 weeks old in the "Daddy's Backseat Driver" photo.

Here is a photo of Darius wearing the Dinosaur vest his Grandma made for him. I believe he liked it.

End of November Update

2011-11-30T19:55:00.002-05:00

I am having a hard time believing this is the last day of November. Yipes! That means December is tomorrow. Where does the time go? We had a quiet, but nice family Thanksgiving. We took lots of pictures, but this is one of my favorites of Darius. Some day he will not be too happy about being the object of what all the adults thought was cute/funny, but for now.... Darius says that next year he is wearing sweat pants on Thanksgiving.

I finished another prayer shawl. This one is knitted with Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn in "pizazz pink". I love this pattern and find it very relaxing to knit. The color was fun to knit, too. I will turn this in tomorrow evening at Prayer Shawl Knitting. This make four for 2011.

I also knitted up 4 pairs of little thumbless mittens for Darius. The first pair was my trial pair and they were perfect so they went home with him before I remembered to take a picture. They were light blue. Then, I made 3 more pairs. I realized that my gauge was little off so went down a needle size for the red ones and the olive green ones, but they all will fit his little hands this winter. I used a Spud and Chloe free pattern.

http://www.spudandchloe.com/blog/2010/05/baby-mitts-free-pattern/

I'll leave this post with another picture of the world's cutest grandson.

One FO and Another Baby Afghan

2011-11-10T15:19:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I finished a little vest for grandson, Darius. Searched through my button stash and found some cute dinosaur buttons to finish it off. The pattern is from Jill Eaton's book, Minnies quick knits for babies and toddlers. I made the Newborn size and it used less than one skein of Bernat Softee Chunky in color "Fern".

Before he was born, I knitted a baby afghan in colors to go with Darius' room at his house. As I was thinking about this, I decided Darius needs an afghan at Grandma's house, too. I started a simple diagonal baby afghan from a Knitting Made Easy leaflet published by Coats and Clark. The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn, but I am using two strands of sport weight. I am using Loops & Threads Snuggly Wuggly Baby Sport in white and pee wee prints. Here is a close up of the Pee Wee Print and also a bit of the afghan.

Every Little Guy Needs a Pumpkin Hat

2011-10-23T19:13:00.000-04:00

My dear son always said that people should not be allowed to put "cutesy" hats on poor defenseless babies and/or children. Apparently, Darius agrees with Uncle Rob. Here was Darius' initial reaction to the precious Pumpkin Hat his Grandma knitted for him.

No, he is not screaming. He was merely trying to figure out how best to get out of the hat.

Darius is 7 Weeks Old

2011-10-05T10:16:00.000-04:00

I am probably starting to sound like a rerun, but this baby just gets cuter by the minute. For those with Facebook, you've seen this photo when Em posted it yesterday evening. I found it too cute to pass up so it is going here on the blog.

I finished a Pumpkin Hat and a Candy Corn Hat for him. I need his darling little head now to try them on. I may need to knit larger or smaller, but that ok since they are quick, little projects. Em says we need to put this kind of stuff on him before he is old enough to protest. These hats will be so much cuter on him than they are in this photo.

Darius is 6 Weeks Old

2011-09-28T20:06:00.000-04:00

What a happy, smiley baby! He is already 6 weeks old and gets cuter by the day.

Prayer Shawl FO

2011-09-16T18:42:00.000-04:00

This Prayer Shawl has been on the needles for longer than I care to admit, but finally today I finished it. This will be ready to turn in to the Prayer Shawl Ministry when we meet in October. I am hoping to finish a rectangular shawl also by that meeting so I will have two shawls to contribute. The triangular shawl above was knitted using Lion Brand Homespun in "Mixed Berries".

Announcing Darius Diesel

2011-09-13T14:24:00.000-04:00

On August 17th a new joy came into our lives - Darius Diesel, our first grandchild. He weighed in at 8 lb, 2 oz and was 20 inches long. He is such a cutie!!!! I had the thrill of catching one of his early smiles on camera while having some Grandma time with him.

Some Scarves

2011-08-15T14:24:00.000-04:00

I finished the scarf I was knitting for Special Olympics. More info on this project at the link below. You get all the information on the guidelines and this year's colors. There is a great deal of freedom to play with various stitch patterns for this scarf project since the only true requirements are size of finished scarf and the two colors. Beyond that, your imagination is your only limitation. I chose to knit a feather and fan, with a 2 stitch garter border.

http://scarvesforspecialolympics.org/

Another scarf I finished is a sample to share with my knitting guild as part of our community service knitting. This is a free pattern online and I love it! It was super simple to knit and makes a nice warm, attractive scarf. You can use worsted weight, chunky, or doubled worsted weight (which is what I did). I was sorting some yarn last week and found two partial skeins of cream color worsted weight. I cast on and knitted till one of the balls of yarn ran out. I cast on the suggested 17 stitches on a #11 needle. The finished scarf is 6.5 inches wide, which is wider than I personally like, but will probably be perfect for someone. I like the drape of the finished knitting using the suggested #11 needle so will do that again. This pattern can be found at:

http://knittingbunny.blogspot.com/2006/02/spring_10.html

Just a Little Knitting

2011-08-02T17:27:00.000-04:00

Not much to show, but I have had fun knitting a couple of little baby hats for Darius. We are still waiting for him to make his arrival. I used Bernat Baby Jacquards for these hats. The one on the left was knit from "Macaroon" and the one on the right from "Boo Berries". They are from a Ravelry pattern, Very Basic Baby Beanie.

Diaper Cake

2011-07-17T18:23:00.000-04:00

I made my first-ever diaper cake for Emily and Steve's BBQ/Baby Shower and I am thrilled with the end result. No rain for the BBQ/baby shower, but it was a hot, hot, hot day. I know the expectant Mom had to be uncomfortable, but she was a trooper. Thought I would share some pictures of the diaper cake, which eventually will be dismantled so that the baby can wear the diapers, the sneakers, use the receiving blankets and baby washcloths, and play with the little toys.

Rambling Rows Baby Afghan

2011-07-11T08:33:00.000-04:00

The Rambling Rows baby afghan is finished! This is the Cottage Creations pattern. It was so much fun to knit. I gave it to the expectant mother (my daughter) on Saturday. The colors match those in her nursery bedding set.

I used Lion Brand Vanna's Choice yarn "Sapphire" and Vanna's Choice Baby in colors "Bluebell", "Aqua", "Sweet Pea", and "Chocolate Cake". Below is a closer photo. The "Sweet Pea" looks a bit washed out in the photos. In person, I am thrilled with the colors and how well they match the purchased bedding.

Since I am so pleased with the finished baby afghan, here is one more photo.

Froggy Baby Sweater & Charity Hats

2011-06-17T09:24:00.001-04:00

I have sewn the buttons on the Froggy baby sweater and it turned out very cute, in my opinion. This is knitted from Cabin Fever #606 - "Buttons Cardigan".

Here is a close-up of the cute little froggy buttons.

Here are the two sample hats I knitted for yesterday evening's knitting guild charity hat KAL. The one on the left is the Swirled Ski Cap found at

http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/jun07_skicap.html

The one on the right is the Helix Striped Cap found at:

http://www.woolworks.org/patterns/helixcap.txt

Please excuse the sorry-looking pompom on the Swirled Ski Cap. Apparently, I was born without the pompom gene.

Strawberry Pie

2011-06-15T14:07:00.000-04:00

Everyone in my family LOVES this strawberry pie. It is a recipe I have been making since the first months of my marriage, which makes it a very old recipe. I have had many requests to share, so thought I'd get it written down here.

Strawberry Pie

1 qt. strawberries, washed and cut up (I generally use more than one quart because I like the pie full.)

1- 9 inch pie shell baked

3/4 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. corn starch

2 Tbsp. corn syrup

1 c. water

3 Tbsp. strawberry jello (Wild Strawberry, if you can get it. Otherwise just Strawberry.)

Mix sugar, corn starch, corn syrup, and water in saucepan. Heat to boiling. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture thickens and becomes clear. Add jello and cool.

Put berries into baked and cooled pie shell. Pour jello mixture over.

Chill for several hours.

We're Having a Baby

2011-06-15T09:06:00.001-04:00

We are going to be first-time grandparents in August. It's a boy! Baby Bump photo below was taken last week as my daughter was outside at school supervising her Kindergarten students at recess.

Of course, there will be knitting. Currently, I am making a Rambling Rows (Cottage Creations) baby afghan, using colors from her nursery bedding set. Can't show you a photo of the afghan in progress because I want my daughter to see it totally finished, rather than part way. But, here is the yarn I am using. I have completed 23 of the 50 blocks in the afghan so still have some knitting to do on this project.

The Big Green Block Took Over My Life

2011-03-30T20:18:00.003-04:00

Anyone who knows that I work as a seasonal tax preparer, will understand that THE BIG GREEN BLOCK has taken over my life since the beginning of January. It has been a good, but very busy tax season for me. Lots of long hours and not much else for these months. I have been knitting, but only mindless knitting. If it needs any brain power, it is out of the question for me. By the time I get home, get dinner on the table and cleaned up, my brain shuts down and I have very little energy. I made some dishcloths.

I made some hats for the homeless.

I hope, with the end of tax season, to do a much better job with this blogging.

Where Do The Weeks Go?

2010-11-03T15:59:00.006-04:00

There have been plenty of times I thought about updating my blog, but I've been bad about it. Then, it would get to the point where I would wonder how I would ever post everything. So, I've decided to just start fresh. Never mind all the things I "could have" posted. For the time being, I'll share a few finished projects that were WIP's in past posts. The photo above shows the finished lap robe/small afghan that was a Guild KAL and will be donated to our local Salvation Army for their nursing home visit ministry. As Community Service Chairperson for our local Guild, I have all the finished afghans here at my house ready for our November donation date. So far, we have 12 finished afghans in a variety of colors. What fun!

The above finished Prayer Shawl has already been donated to my friend's Prayer Shawl Ministry. It was in progress in an earlier post. The color is not perfect in this photo. I used Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Yarn" worsted weight in the color "Mulberry".

Here is the Rambling Rows Toddler Sweater that was in progress in an earlier post. I used Vanna's Choice yarn for this in colors - Pink, Pink Poodle, and Magenta. I especially love the heart buttons.

I have several projects on the needles and another Prayer Shawl finished that I need to photograph. I'll be donating that one Thursday evening.

Family Stuff and Finishing Stuff

2010-09-10T10:12:00.009-04:00

The Prayer Shawl above is close to being finished. In the meantime, I also have a scarf for Michigan Special Olympics on the needles as well as the always-in-progress dishcloth. The colors are not that great on the photo of the scarf. The Michigan Special Olympics folks are trying to collect scarves knitted or crocheted, using Red and Teal by a January deadline so that each participant may have a "team scarf". One of the gals in my knitting guild brought this to our attention and is collecting the scarves. They need to be approximately 6 inches wide by 50-60 inches long. Mine is getting very close to being finished so I can give it to her at our knitting guild meeting next week.

I have been doing lots of sewing, also. I will update the blog with photos of the sewing projects later since blogger is not cooperating with allowing me to move the photos as I wish within this post. I made some curtain panels to cover shelving units in Em's Kindergarten classroom. Next project was to sew a bunch of bean bags. Those are finished. Now, I am sewing drawstring bags for another Kindergarten teacher and Em to use for holding some reading curriculum items. The other teacher provided a stack of fabric in cute prints and I am providing the sewing. So far, I have 10 of those bags sewn.

I am having trouble believing almost a month has gone by since I last updated this blog. Where does the time go? I've been busy with family stuff and finishing stuff. Hubby and I spent a long weekend away canoeing, fishing, and camping. That was a nice break from the daily activities.

Last Sunday, we had a nice family day with our daughter and the grand-doggy visiting for the day. I took this opportunity to bake a delicious peach cobbler for dessert. Dozie likes peach cobbler and she loves her Uncle Rob.

Still on a Wedding High!

2010-08-15T15:45:00.004-04:00

The wedding was FABULOUS! The bride was gorgeous, the groom handsome, and even the weather ended up cooperating for outdoor photos after the ceremony. The venue (McCamly Plaza Hotel in Battle Creek) was wonderful. We had so much fun!

The photographer has an online slideshow preview of wedding photos. Check them out at:

www.djcustomphoto.com/Caldwell

You can guess which of the above photos was from Dan Johnson Photography. The other one is the bride, my sister, and me (taken by wedding guest).

Guild Charity KAL

2010-06-28T10:06:00.008-04:00

Some of the ladies in my knitting guild are participating in a charity KAL to make lap robes/throws for nursing homes that will be distributed by our local Salvation Army. We have targeted our September meeting as the time to have our blankets finished so we can show them off and admire each other's choices of color. One of our members presented a very informative and interesting program on the use and choice of color for our June meeting. I have never been confident in my color combination choices so was especially happy that we had a member willing to share her knowledge with us. I have always admired her use of color in her knitting projects.

For the charity KAL, we are using a free online pattern from Spud and Chloe called "Dream Catcher Baby Blanket". Here is the link to this pattern.

http://www.spudandchloe.com/blog/2010/04/dream-catcher-baby-blanket-free-pattern/

I have chosen my colors and knitted 8 squares so far. I will be posting my progress as I knit along on this blanket. That will help keep me accountable and on target, hopefully. Here is my progress so far.

I have another project on the needles that is pulling me away from the Dream Catcher Blanket. I am making my second Rambling Rows Sweater from the Cottage Creations pattern. Here is my progress so far on this project. The yarn I am using is Vanna's Choice worsted weight in colors Pink, Pink Poodle, and Magenta.

Muffins That Taste Like Donuts

2010-06-09T18:19:00.003-04:00

Yes, that really is what they are called and they really do taste like donuts. This has been a favorite in our house for many years. The original recipe made regular-size muffins, but we actually prefer the mini muffins. I started making the mini muffins when the children were young.

MUFFINS THAT TASTE LIKE DONUTS

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup canola oil

3/4 cup white sugar (first amount)

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

1/2 cup melted butter

3/4 cup white sugar (second amount) mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

In another bowl combine thoroughly oil, sugar, egg, and milk.

Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir only to combine.

Bake in greased muffins tins at 350 F for 20-25 minutes

Or, for mini muffins bake 15 minutes.

Shake muffins out immediately and while hot, dip tops in melted butter, then sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Yield: 12 regular-size muffins or 36 mini muffins

Some Sample Knitting for Community Service

2010-05-14T15:09:00.009-04:00

I have pulled together a few patterns for scarves and hats that I am knitting for our local Salvation Army. Right now I am trying to knit up a sample of as many of these patterns to show at the next knitting guild meeting. I am hoping many of our members will want to knit some of these to donate. The charity knitting endeavors of our guild are focused mainly in support of the local Salvation Army, where they have a great need for hats and scarves to share in their ministries. Below is a sampling of what I have finished so far. First photo is two different neck warmers.
This is not a fancy hat and scarf set, but rather a very serviceable set. Double strand of worsted weight yarn makes it nice and thick to keep out the cold winter winds.

Below, is the current hat, on the needles. Perhaps I'll have a photo of the finished hat tomorrow. These are all quick knits.

Barn in Progress and Some Knitting FO's

2010-05-05T08:22:00.005-04:00

The prayer shawl is finished and ready to turn in on Thursday evening. I have already started the next one in the same pattern. This time the color is Mulberry. I have also finished a scarf and neckwarmer that will be shown at my knitting guild meeting for our community service knitting. They are not fancy, but they are warm, serviceable items.
Here is a photo of the barn in progress. No work crew last weekend as there were other things going on in their lives.

Some Knitting Photos

2010-04-27T10:04:00.005-04:00

Now that tax season is over and I am restoring order to my house and my life, I have a little time to update the blog with some knitting photos. I have a prayer shawl that has been on the needles far too long, but will soon be finished. The true color is not actually as orangey as it appears in this photo. It is called "Terra Cotta" and has more rust than orange.

I have a quick-knit scarf on the needles. This is the Peppermint Special Olympics Scarf. You can find the pattern here: http://suzies-yarnie-stuff.blogspot.com/2010/03/peppermint-special-olympics-scarf.html . I will probably send this one to the person collecting the scarves for Special Olympics after I have a chance to show it at my knitting guild meeting. This would be a good scarf for the Salvation Army's homeless ministry. It is a warm and serviceable item.

More updating to follow. I still have the same pair of socks on the needles and have made no progress on those, but hope to get back knitting on them SOON.

First Day of Spring

2010-03-20T12:27:00.003-04:00

Happy first day of Spring. This past week we had some lovely spring weather. We are headed back to the not-so-nice weather, but that should not last too much longer since today is the official start of spring. My amaryllis is blooming. This was a Christmas gift from my aunts in New Jersey and it has been fun to watch.

Shhhhhhhhhhh, it's a Secret!

2010-03-06T11:03:00.003-05:00

The bride picked up her dress and it is in our house, currently being guarded by two Infantry soldiers. I don't think anyone will get near this dress. This is as much of the dress as anyone will see before the BIG DAY.

From Dozie...

2010-02-21T15:40:00.002-05:00

A Big Green Block Has Taken Over My Life

2010-02-20T20:26:00.004-05:00

A big green block, namely H & R Block, has taken over my life these past few weeks. It has been a crazy, busy tax season for me with many long days. In the end, it will be good, I'm sure. But, here in the midst of it all, it is stressful at times. Not much knitting or reading being done here. Some nights, by the time I get home, get dinner on the table and cleaned up, that's it for me.

I did have a nice break from things today. I worked half a day and then spent the rest with my daughter and her friend who came out this way with her to have taxes prepared and then visit Ikea - a real destination, if one has not been before. We had lunch first and then some shopping. That is always good therapy.

I do have a couple of easy projects on the needles to knit while watching some Olympics in the evenings. I am making a scarf for me using Artyarns Ultramerino4 and a Fiber Trends pattern, "Versatile Scarves". It is pattern number AC-32.

I am also knitting a baby washcloth, using "I Love This Cotton" from Hobby Lobby. It is sooooooo soft. This one is #5, Linked Hearts, from the Leisure Art's leaflet - Dishcloths From The Heart.

That's it from here. Back to my knitting and Olympics watching.

Wedding Plans

2010-01-17T17:13:00.003-05:00

Things are moving along on the wedding plans. We have had the ceremony and reception venue (McCamly Plaza Hotel) for awhile now, but lacked other plans. Last Sunday, I attended the Bridal Expo in Lansing with the Bride and Maid of Honor. We found our photographer!! Actually, a wonderful husband/wife team. They were enthusiastic and delightful to talk to. The examples of their wedding photography was first rate.

On Friday evening, I met the Bride and Maid of Honor at the bridal salon to see THE wedding gown. On the hanger, the dress is lovely, but on the Bride-to-Be, it is amazing!!! What a beautiful bride. They have also selected the dresses for the attendants and they are lovely.

I took the FOB (Father of the Bride) to the tux store for his fitting one evening last week. The Groom took his attendants, also.

Next Sunday we will attend another Bridal Expo, but this time it is in the same city as the wedding will be. We hope to find vendors for a few remaining details that need to be closer to the ceremony/reception site.

Things are moving along nicely toward a July wedding.

Knit content in the next post, hopefully. Tax season has significantly cut into my knitting time.

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-05T19:40:00.003-05:00

Where did 2009 go? Around here, it seemed to fly by me. I had intended to post about Christmas, but did not get to that. We were in CT for Christmas and that afforded me the opportunity to make my annual knitted donations to the Jersey Battered Women's Shelter via my aunt who makes the actual delivery. I may get around to sharing photos of those donations another day.

Awhile back (can't even remember how long ago), I was on a Mason Dixon bib knitting craze. They were kind of addictive as mindless, relaxing knitting and would later serve a useful purpose. I finished twelve bibs and put them away, still in need of a button closure. I have an abundant supply of very cute buttons that are suitable for baby and children's items, but just did not take the time to sew them on. I sat down today, sewed a button on each bib, and now they are ready for donation.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T18:07:00.007-05:00

A day late is better than a month late. Seems I just haven't had time to update the blog. A few weeks ago our over-the-stove microwave quit working after 12 years of service. It let out a big boom while heating some soup one day and then just quit. Our house is over 30 years old so does not have one of those kitchens where everything is high up, but that's just fine for me since I am short in stature. The kitchen fits me just fine. However, it does not fit the new larger over-the-stove microwaves. After much measuring, shopping, measuring and deciding, I picked out a replacement that was as close in size as possible to the dead microwave. That was the easy part. Here is what the kitchen still looked like after DH and DS installed not one, but two microwaves.The first microwave would not do a thing. It appeared to be just as dead as the one we pulled out after the boom. After the second microwave came home and before it was installed, DS plugged it in. This one worked! So far, so good. DS and DH once again tackled the installation (these things are not light weight). This microwave had a problem with the attaching hardware on one side. It just would not hold. Another microwave to repack and return to the store. DH came home with the third microwave. Turns out there is some truth to "the third time is a charm". On Thanksgiving morning, DS and DH installed the new microwave. It was used yesterday evening to heat up some Thanksgiving leftovers.The end of this story has not yet been written. The new microwave will need to be removed to replace the cabinet above the stove with one that is shorter so that the microwave can be higher above the stove. It is a good thing I am short or I wouldn't be able to operate the stove at all with this new larger microwave in place. For the time being, we will work with it this way and in the winter DH and DS will install the replacement cabinet and re-install the microwave. Hope the cabinet installation goes smoother than the microwave process.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with both "kids", the girlfriend, the fiance, and Dozie the dog. What a perfect way to count our many blessings.

Fall, Fishing, and Fiber

2009-11-03T08:34:00.008-05:00

Fall is in the air. While shopping at Kohl's last week, I picked up a fall dishtowel and fingertip towel for my kitchen. Of course, that meant I needed to knit a fall dishcloth to go along with these. When I am at my kitchen sink, I am definitely reminded of fall with the cloth and towels and the view out the window - leaves everywhere.

DH spent a few days fishing with some friends at Cape Hatteras, NC last week. It was a relaxing time for him and he even caught fish. One day they caught enough fish to have a huge fish dinner. This was part of that dinner.

I had plenty to amuse myself while he was gone and that included some knitting. The week prior there were several appointments, which meant sitting around waiting rooms, which meant the need for some mindless knitting. So, I knitted a couple of scarves for the battered women's shelter. I will add these to some already made. I also knitted a couple of washcloths for the little hygiene packets I make for the battered women's shelter.

In an earlier post, I showed off the socks I finished. While in the sock-knitting mood, I pulled some more sock yarn from my stash and cast on for another pair. I made good progress on these while DH was off on his fishing trip.

Finished Socks and New Fall Aprons

2009-10-11T15:09:00.009-04:00

My socks are finished! They fit perfectly and feel wonderful on my feet. I will enjoy wearing these. Not a clue why the picture is sideways. That's not the way I photographed my feet yesterday evening, but is is the way blogger wants to upload the photo.

I have been sewing this weekend, too. I wear an apron when I bake and cook and needed a new fall apron. The two aprons I've been wearing alternately both reminded me of summer - watermelon print on one and blueberries on the other. Yesterday when I finished sewing the apron, I had hubby snap a quick photo. His usual hangout on the weekends is either the garage or the yard, so I settled for being photographed outdoors in the apron.

When I bought the fall fabric last week, I just couldn't decide between two of them. So, today I made another fall apron, but this one will go to my daughter. I know she follows the blog sometimes, but hopefully the apron will arrive in the mail before she sees it here on the internet. Here are the two aprons.

Even Closer

2009-10-10T10:01:00.002-04:00

I am working on the toe decreases on the sock so I am definitely on the home stretch. Several folks have expressed an interest in the yarn used for the socks. It is a merino/nylon blend from Ellen's Half Pint Farm. http://www.ellenshalfpintfarm.com. It feels wonderful and it has been a pleasure to knit with this yarn. I bought the yarn several years ago at the Michigan Fiber Fest. I am not sure which colorway I have and since I bought it so long ago, it may not even be a color still offered. I can say that I had the worst time picking just one color at that time. They were all so gorgeous!

Hopefully, later today I will post a photo of the finished socks!

So Close to Finished

2009-10-09T18:08:00.002-04:00

This has been a good week for finishing things. My previous post showed the finished prayer shawl and 4 pairs of slippers. Today was a raw and rainy day, which I decided was a perfect day to pull out some socks that have been languishing on the needles for too long. One sock is totally finished. The other was at the point where I have turned the heel and decreased back to the original number of stitches so all I need to do is knit along till the foot is long enough. Not too difficult, considering I have small feet. I made great progress today. To make myself accountable, I am posting the "almost finished" photo here. Hopefully, by the end of the weekend, I will be able to post the FINISHED sock photo.

Some FO's, A WIP, and One Less Car

2009-10-08T08:50:00.004-04:00

This week in a frenzy of finishing, I completed several projects that were in the almost-finished status. I finished a prayer shawl that has taken me much longer to knit than it should have. I kept setting it aside to make something else. I also had 4 pairs of children's slippers almost finished for the battered women's shelter. They only needed the sewing up and weaving in ends to transform them to finished. Below is a photo of the finished slippers sitting on the finished shawl.

I recently spent a week at Dad's house and stated a prayer shawl to work on while I was there. I always seem to pack more knitting than I actually get accomplished, so this time I took just one project. Of course, given how long it took me to finish the above prayer shawl, I was not in danger of running out of knitting during that week. The prayer shawl currently on the needles is from the book, A PRAYER SHAWL COMPANION, by Janet Bristow and Victoria Cole-Galo. It is called "Ribbon-Trimmed Shawl", but I am not planning to put the ribbons on mine. I think it is turning out quite nice as it is. Below, is this shawl in progress.

My other accomplishment of the current week, was using Craigslist for the first time and selling our extra car. My car-selling efforts were helped immensely by hubby, who is a detail-oriented kind of guy. He keeps the cars maintained, cleaned, and waxed on a regular basis and really put forth the effort to get this one ready for sale. (Think Q-Tips and toothbrush.) Here is hubby washing the windshield for one last time before the new owner picked up the car.

Burning Out On Baby Knits

2009-09-10T13:00:00.004-04:00

I have been busy working on compiling a pattern booklet of baby knits for our knitting guild's September program. I am working along with a friend/guild member to present this program next week. We have divided up knitting of samples so every pattern in the booklet with have a photo. I have finished with my knitting part, except to complete one other item to show at the program. The booklet is in good shape. This morning I finished typing dividers, printing out most of the pages, and will tweak a few this afternoon. Then, tomorrow afternoon we hopefully will finish so it can go to the printer. Photo below shows some of the baby knits I've been working on. The blue item in the back, is still on the needles. The rest are finished and photographed.

I happen to think this little guy is just adorable.

Labor Day 2009

2009-09-07T19:58:00.007-04:00

It is hard to believe that Labor Day is here already. The summer has flown by me. Today was a productive day. My guys did some tree trimming. I baked several loaves of bread and worked on finishing up some baby knits for a knitting guild program this month. They will be donated to charity following the program.

There are more baby knits, but I'll save them for another post.

She Is So Darn Cute

2009-08-29T14:31:00.002-04:00

Isn't that the cutest little face?

Fishing Photos

2009-08-23T20:11:00.002-04:00

As an update to the last entry (describing our camping trip), I have uploaded fishing photos to my Webshots album. Link to the right of these posts. Check out DH and his fish in the Wakely Lake album.

Now I Am A Camper

2009-08-20T15:53:00.007-04:00

The subject line may be a bit misleading. Perhaps I should just say, "Now I have been camping." Last weekend was my very first camping experience. DH came home on Wednesday evening with the idea that this would be an adventure for the two of us. He has plenty of camping experience and I had NONE. In a weak moment, I agreed. The next few days had me wondering what I was thinking when I said, "YES".

We camped at Wakely Lake, which is not far from Grayling, Michigan. Fishing in this lake is limited to June 15 through August 31, no motors on boats, artificial lures only. It was very serene, peaceful, and quiet. As one fishes, one does not have to worry about the fish being chased off by jet skis and motor boats. There are 4 rustic campsites. We were able to snag one of those and it was a nice, private camping area. Perfect for a first-timer. The weather cooperated and I actually had fun. DH checked the weather forecast prior to suggesting this "adventure", knowing that if it rained all weekend, he would probably never get me camping again.

Here is our campsite:

Proof that I was there:

And, one of the many fish caught by DH:
I will admit that it was a fun weekend. Already, DH is talking about the next time we go camping. Hmmmm, I still like B&B's. But, I would go again.

Toby Keith

2009-07-21T08:56:00.002-04:00

Sunday night was wonderful!!! Thank you to a friend and coworker of DH; we had tickets not only to the Toby Keith concert, but also the meet and greet. Above photo shows us meeting Toby Keith. After that, we enjoyed a fabulous concert. That man puts on a fantastic show. I loved every minute of it. The next morning, we realized just how old we were getting as we both felt like we had cotton stuffed in our ears. I guess it takes these older ears longer to recover from a loud concert. What a great night!

More Cotton Yarn

2009-07-08T18:04:00.005-04:00

The UPS man just dropped off a box of Peaches and Cream yarn in some of their new yummy colors. One of these is called "Trick or Treat" and will be perfect for DD Emily's kitchen. I also ordered a burnt orange solid for that same kitchen. Fortunately, I have an empty plastic bin and have already secured the new yarn. PERFECT!

I finished a cloth using Bernat Handicrafter "Queen Ann's Lace". There are lots of other projects on the needles that I will post another time. For now, I am off to fondle the new cottons.

Meeting Dozie

2009-07-05T15:20:00.003-04:00

Emily and Steve adopted a puppy. She is just adorable as you can see in the family photo above. That's Steve, Emily and Dozer (affectionately called Dozie). Friday Len met Dozie while he was there working on the house with Steve. Yesterday I went along for the work day so I could meet Dozie. What a little cutie!!!

There are lots more photos of Dozie on my Webshots album. She has her very own photo folder there. (Link on the right.)

Dozie had a very busy day with all that entertaining and cuteness. She is full of curiosity and constantly moving.

Books, Books, and More Books

2009-06-26T17:34:00.002-04:00

I should be banned from the library or show more restraint. I love books and I love to read. The photo above is the stack of books I currently have checked out of the library and ready to read. There is no way I'll get all those books read by the time they are due, but I won't go without something good to read. I have finished THE WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga. It is the July selection for my book discussion group. I liked the book a lot and look forward to the discussion.

I also finished (on my Kindle) reading THE 8TH CONFESSION by James Patterson. This is the newest in the Women's Murder Club mystery series. Good, fun reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Now, the dilemma is which book to start reading next. I actually went to the library this morning to pick up ONE book that was being held for me and came home with THREE. Any serious reader knows that if you enter the library to pick up a book, your body just gravitates toward the new book area and your eyes are drawn to those shelves. So, that's how two more books came home with me.

I am leaning toward starting THE WORLD IN HALF.

Double Knock-Out Roses

2009-06-17T10:47:00.003-04:00

Somthing to brighten up a rainy day. My Double Knock-Out Roses are a sight to see. I love admiring them and smelling them, too. This rainy day will be good for catching up on some things inside the house and of course, will help water these lovely roses.

I am listening to THE WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga on my iPod in preparation for my book group's July discussion. Currently reading HOME SAFE by Elizabeth Berg and enjoying that one, too.

I was in a new-recipe mood yesterday and made a big pot of Mexican Vegetable Soup. Yummy! A bit labor-intensive, but delicious and made a good quantity to have some for another meal and some into the freezer.

I should have some knitting photos soon. In last week's sorting and cleaning out frenzy, I rediscovered a bin of yarn from my Mom's stash. This contained lots of single and/or partial balls of bulky-weight acrylic that I am turning into children's hats for my community service knitting endeavors. I would like to stash bust this entire bin of yarn by knitting lots of hats. I've had some fun with color combinations and can't wait to share the results in a photo.

Lighthouses, Travels and More

2009-06-09T13:15:00.003-04:00

We are back from our trip to a family reunion in NC, followed by a couple of days at Nag's Head, followed by a mini-reunion/remembrance ceremony weekend in Arlington, VA. I have a fixation with lighthouses so the time at the beach was spent viewing 4 lighthouses, photographing each of those, and climbing the Cape Hatteras lighthouse (pictured above). The view from the top was spectacular. The climb involves 248 iron spiral stairs, but was worth each and every one of those steps once I was at the top.

We spent some time driving around the area and viewing the other lighthouses. We saw the Roanoke Marshes lighthouse, the Bodie Island lighthouse, Currituck Beach lighthouse, and Cape Hatteras lighthouse. Photos in my Webshots album (link to the right of this post).

On Thursday as we were driving toward Duck and Corolla to view the Currituck Beach lighthouse, I spotted a sign and asked Len to stop for a photo op. Being the good sport that he is, he made the stop and even removed his cap to better emphasize why we were stopping to snap a photo. Emily has been known over the years to affectionately refer to her Dad as "Baldy". So, Emily, this one's for YOU!

Some Family Times

2009-05-26T16:31:00.004-04:00

My Dad has been here for a visit and it has been wonderful having him here. We had some nice family time over the weekend, with all the "kids" here, too. Here is a photo of Grandpa, Emily, and Rob.Here's one of the three "kids".

Cookbooking and Knitting

2009-05-20T21:59:00.004-04:00

Not much knitting going on lately, except for some dishcloths. The big reason for lack of knitting time, is FINISHED and I am pleased with the results. This is the family reunion cookbook I've been working on for the end of May. Here is the finished book, with a sample of the great recipes contained in the cookbook. This is the Buttered German Chocolate Pound Cake, one of the recipes submitted by Cousin Jane. One bite and we knew why it is a family favorite at their house.Just so this post has some knitting content, here are some of the finished and in-progress dishcloths of late.
My Dad is here for a visit and we are enjoying having him. He and hubby are attending the annual Fly Fishing Club Banquet this evening. We went to the nursery today and picked up some tomato plants, which DS has already planted for me. Now, to be patient and wait for those cherry, grape, and pear tomatoes.

Reversible Two Needle Hat

2009-04-24T15:04:00.002-04:00

Quick, little knit. This is the Reversible 2 Needle Hat pattern in the children's size. The yarn I used is called I Love This Yarn! and is from Hobby Lobby. The colorway is #612 - Retro Modern Ombre. The hat pattern is very easy; just a two-row repeat. You can find the pattern at www.cheapknittingpatterns.com/homepage/downloads/NP12.pdf

Stripes

2009-04-19T19:43:00.002-04:00

I have been knitting some washcloths/dishcloths
using some of the Sugar and Cream "Stripes" in my stash. Quick, easy tax season knitting.

Tax Season Is Finished

2009-04-19T14:22:00.006-04:00

Tax season is finished! The granny square afghan is finished in time to beat the deadline. Our knitting guild took up the challenge to provide blankets for the children of a Michigan National Guard unit deploying to Iraq in May. These will be items of comfort to the children whose parents are deploying. Many members of the guild knitted, crocheted, and quilted blankets for this cause. We also came together with others to have a fleece blanket making marathon. What wonderful things can happen when we work together with others who want to share their talents and abilities. Here is the granny square afghan I donated.

There Are Predators in Our Midst

2009-03-30T20:03:00.002-04:00

These are the Predators. They actually look kind of cute; not at all scary. The idea is that fish will go for them. I do not have proof of that since Len tied these for a youth fly fishing event that is sponsored by the Michigan Fly Fishing Club and has not actually tried to catch fish using these little guys. The club was asking some members to donate about 20 of their favorite flies so they can give each of the youth attending the class a selection of flies to start them off right for fly fishing. Len chose the Predator as his contribution. Cute little buggers; aren't they?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEVE!

2009-03-18T16:17:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday, Steve!! Today is Steve's birthday, but we celebrated with him on Sunday. Above photo shows Steve ready to dig into his strawberry pie. Since he is such a wonderful guy, he shared the pie with the rest of us.

Hope the birthday is a special one, Steve.

Ramling Rows Jacket

2009-03-17T21:36:00.002-04:00

I have finished the toddler size Rambling Rows Jacket. This is a Cottage Creations pattern and was so much fun to knit. Here is a close-up photo of the buttons, which I happen to think are perfect for this little sweater.

Finally Some Small FO's

2009-03-09T16:51:00.004-04:00

Last week was a busy one at the tax office, but I did manage a small FO. I finally have finished some dishcloths for Emily's kitchen. They were knitted using Peaches and Cream "Licorice". The round one is the "Crazy Daisy" pattern from Sew Funky. The square diagonal one is "Another Favorite" from Harvest Moon Designs.

The new dishcloths will be at home in Emily's kitchen, pictured below.

More Snow/More Baking

2009-02-17T08:40:00.006-05:00

This has been a winter of snow here in Michigan. When it snows, my thoughts turn to baking. I was working at the tax office on Saturday (Valentine's Day) and we were planning a little celebration for the office so Friday evening I baked cookies. The photo below was taken on Sunday afternoon to show the few remaining cookies from the ones I kept for home. The ones at the office were also enjoyed and devoured.

On Saturday I mixed up a batch of Refrigerator Raisin Bran Muffin batter. On Sunday I baked a batch of muffins. Yummy!! Not much knitting last week or over the weekend, but I need to make a scarf as a little thank you gift for DH to take to Chicago when he returns there next weekend. I am off work today so perhaps some actual knitting photos soon.

Tax Season Has Taken Over My Life

2009-02-07T13:11:00.004-05:00

I was reminded by DD Emily that it has been a long time since I have updated my blog. Who would have thought that she would "complain" since she is prominently featured in my most recent blog post.

Not too much to actually report or show since tax season has officially taken over my life. Things have been busy, which is good for work, but not good for knitting and other activities. I have a few small projects to show. Dishcloths and washcloths are always good mindless knitting and quick gratification during this time of year. Here are three I recently knitted.

Last week I mailed off a small package to Bundles of Love, with 4 knitted baby bibs and one baby washcloth. I have already received a lovely thank you note for these items. I will be knitting more for this organization. Check them out at http://www.bundlesoflove.org/

Belated Family News

2009-01-10T16:59:00.002-05:00

I am a bit belated in sharing our joy at Christmas. Yes, romance is alive and well in the world. DD Emily and boyfriend, Steve, became engaged on Christmas Day in CT. It was a very traditional proposal, complete with asking her Dad the week before and then down on one knee in front of the whole family, Steve proposed to Emily. What a brave man! Here is a photo of the happy couple on Christmas Day.

New Year and Some Finished Projects

2009-01-04T20:24:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year! I have some finished projects to report. I finished the afghan for Emily, using a basic mile-a-minute pattern my Mom taught me years ago. I think Emily is happy with the afghan and it will look nice on the back of her couch as well as be warm and cozy for the winter. I used Vanna's Choice yarn. The center of each strip is "Dusty Green" and they are edged in Black.

While we were in CT for Christmas, I gave my Aunt some items to turn over to the battered women's shelter. I made some sweaters for children, scarves for the ladies, and some ziploc packets with washcloths, small soap and shampoo.

Last, but not least, I finished my Weaver's Wool Mini Shawl. This was knitted in Caron's Simply Soft, "Gray Heather".

More Snowing and Baking

2008-12-23T16:25:00.002-05:00

It is snowing again today so I must be baking. This time it is cookies. The house smells wonderful. I baked a batch of Jam Thumbprint Cookies from an old recipe I've been using for years and also a batch of Peanut Blossom Cookies from a new recipe found here:

http://www.landolakes.com/mealIdeas/ViewRecipePrint.cfm?RecipeID=7946.

Snowy Baking Day

2008-12-20T09:29:00.005-05:00

This was the scene looking up our road yesterday morning. By the end of the storm, which was mid-afternoon, it was a real winter wonderland around here. That was not so for those who needed to be out on the roads, but for me it was a day to look out at the beauty and remain inside baking. Snowy days always make my thoughts turn to filling the house with warmth and the aroma of something baking in my oven. Len ran the snowblower before heading out to work and then late in the afternoon I ran it again to get the newly-fallen snow. The rest of the day, I busied myself in the kitchen baking. I baked 8 crumb-topped coffeecakes to share with our neighbors. Yesterday evening, we delivered them and found all but two of the families at home. Today we will deliver those two coffeecakes. I did save one for my family and Rob tried it yesterday evening. Delicious!

Some Updates Before Tomorrow's Snow Photos

2008-12-18T08:57:00.004-05:00

A few years ago, we had all kinds of dire warnings about impending huge amounts of snowfall, only to have said snow pass by south of us. It turned out to be a winter of many warnings, with little actual snow. It is not officially winter yet, but hubby has shoveled snow at least six times already since November. Dad arrived for a November visit to very pleasant weather only to experience a quick turn for the cold and snow. It stayed so cold during his visit that the snow never melted till well after he returned home.

All that said, I don't know whether to believe the warnings of an impending huge snowstorm or not. In looking at the weather map and the line between snow or ice, we will not truly know what to expect till it gets here. We are that close to the line. Hubby this morning was already predicting no school tomorrow for our teacher daughter. They are scheduled for a half day so he may be right. It is a district serving a rather rural area so two-hour delays are not unusual. However, I believe one would cancel a half day rather than run the buses on a two-hour delay only to practically turn them around to take the children home. We shall see in the morning.

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of spending the day in Emily's classroom for her holiday parties. The children were very excited. When I arrived in the morning, the Young Fives class was in the computer lab. How cute to see all those little five year olds at work on the computers. Gee, when I was in kindergarten, being able to use one of those big fat pencils made me feel important. Now, they are computer literate in preschool.

Monday I did a little baking to bring to school on Tuesday for the faculty room. The staff at the elementary school has been so warm, welcoming, and helpful as Emily settled in as a new classroom teacher part way through the school year. I wanted to do something to thank them, so after consulting with Emily, I baked two crumb-topped coffeecakes and put them in the faculty room with plates and forks. They were enjoyed!! (I love those EZ Foil pans with the clear plastic lids. A couple of holiday stickers made them quite festive.)

The cute little snowman dishcloth above was a little gifty I left in Emily's car on Tuesday along with a holiday dishtowel to add a festive touch to her kitchen. The pattern can be found at http://downcloverlaine.blogspot.com. The designer calls it "Snowbaby Washcloth". Hubby had a little trouble actually seeing it as a snowman or snowbaby, but it seems the photo above turned out fine to view this. It looks like a snowman to me.

An Illusion

2008-12-05T08:47:00.005-05:00

I have been quite busy with lots of things other than knitting, but do have a small finished project to share. Dishcloths are fun, quick-gratification knitting and perfect for this busy time of year. This Christmas tree illusion cloth was a free pattern on Ravelry. Pretty cool.

Some Charity Knitting

2008-11-25T09:16:00.003-05:00

These are the knitted items I turned in on Thursday evening when our knitting guild made their donations to the Salvation Army. The sweaters are from our KAL using Margaret Hubert's pattern for the Very Easy Child's Sweater and Hat. Our guild is featured on Margaret's blog if you would like to take a look. http://margaretshooksandneedles.blogspot.com

The keyhole scarves were a Mystery KAL for the guild. Apparently, they are addictive as I did not stop at just one. This is an online pattern, that I changed slightly. When I made this, I worked the two-row pattern for 27 inches (rather than the 14 inches in the pattern) before I made the keyhole and continued as written. You can find this pattern at http://fireflowerknits.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/quick-no-purl-keyhole-scarf

I also finished a Prayer Shawl that just needs the ends woven in and a photograph taken. I'll post that soon.

Visit to Elementary School

2008-11-20T15:35:00.009-05:00

Today Dad and I had a pleasure of visiting Ms. Dixon's classroom. We met her Young Fives class in the morning and her Kindergarten class in the afternoon. I saw the classroom shortly after Emily moved into it and was TOTALLY amazed today at all the wonderful things she has done with the room. It is so bright and cheerful. The children are so lucky to have such a creative, energetic, and caring teacher. I am so proud to be this teacher's Mom.

Fall Leaves and Knitting

2008-11-07T15:48:00.007-05:00

The leaves are nearing the end of the beautiful Fall show here in SE Michigan. We raked plenty of leaves in the backyard on Tuesday and this is what I saw from the family room window this morning. Yes, our backyard has filled up again with leaves. There are more to come down and soon the trees will be bare and snow will fall. For now we still enjoy the spendor of Fall.

I am nearing the end of another prayer shawl. I knitted on this yesterday evening. I am using Lion Brand Homespun "Tudor" for this shawl.

I am also working on several charity knitting projects for our local Salvation Army. Below is another side-to-side toddler sweater that I will probably embellish with some decorative

buttons. The other photo below is a mystery KAL challenge issued to our Guild to knit some more things for our local Salvation Army. I can't show a picture of the entire finished object because that is part of the mystery. Obviously, I have good intentions since I have two more skeins of yarn for two more mystery items. The mystery items are knitted with Lion Brand Woolease Thick and Quick. The side-to-side sweater is Vanna's Choice "Beige".

Dinner With The New Kindergarten Teacher

2008-10-25T20:41:00.003-04:00

We had a little family dinner this evening to celebrate Emily's new teaching position. Halloween will be her last day as the Toddler Teacher at Tutor Time. November 3rd is her first day at Flora List Elementary School as a Young Fives/Kindergarten teacher. She will be teaching a half-day session of Young Fives and a half-day session of Kindergarten. She is very excited and we are proud of her and excited for this new opportunity.

Continuing With The Beauty of Fall in Michigan

2008-10-24T10:04:00.005-04:00

These shots were so spectacular that they needed their own separate post. This is the North Breakwater Lighthouse in Ludington. I was playing with some of the manual settings on my digital camera after dinner on Saturday evening. We missed the actual sunset since we were lingering over dinner at a local micro brewery in Ludington. After hiking all day, we enjoyed sitting, talking and people watching while sampling some of the offerings at The Jamesport Brewing Company. We finished the meal with a very decadent Bananas Foster that was described as "enough for two". There was MORE than enough for two. This was my first time to have Bananas Foster and it won't be my last.

Sharing the Beauty of Fall in Michigan

2008-10-24T09:46:00.009-04:00

This is a spectacular view from the Ridge Trail at Ludington State Park looking down on Lake Michigan and the Big Sable Point Lighthouse. We spent last weekend traveling on the western side of Michigan and enjoying some beautiful fall colors. We spent the first night in Frankfort, Michigan at a local "up North" type motel. After driving around earlier in the day and taking in all the gorgeous colors and views, we enjoyed walking around the little downtown area and along the water. I have a fascination with lighthouses, so we walked out to take a picture near the Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse (below). We had dinner at a local restaurant and feasted on their Friday night fishfry. Yummy!

Saturday we spent the day at Ludington State Park, hiking about 8-10 miles of trails. The weather was perfect and we hiked four different trails. We climbed to the top of the Big Sable Point Lighthouse and the view was spectacular. Below is a photo of the lighthouse and also one of us at the top, overlooking Lake Michigan.

Another Knitting Update

2008-10-08T09:47:00.004-04:00

I don't think I ever posted a good photo of the Prayer Shawl I knitted and turned in a few weeks ago for the Prayer Shawl group I knit with once a month. This was knitted using the basic K3, P3 prayer shawl pattern and for me seemed endless. But, it is finished, turned in, is very soft and comfy, and hopefully will provide comfort to someone who needs a good, warm hug.

Now, in the interest of remaining accountable and hopefully finishing some more projects, I am sharing a photo of my "on the needles" projects. From left to right, I have a Weaver's Wool Mini Shawl (http://www.knitlist.com/2003/minishawl.htm), a dishcloth, THE sock (you've seen it before), and another Prayer Shawl (diagonal dishcloth design type).

It is pouring rain outside today, but I have baking to do for several Church events this weekend. Len is co-chair of the Missions Cte at Church so several of these are related to a visit from a missionary this weekend. There will be a small dinner at our house on Saturday evening and lots of mini muffins to be served at his presentation on Sunday morning. (I believe this makes me an honorary member of the Missions Cte.) The rainy day makes it perfect for baking.

Guild KAL Sweaters

2008-10-07T09:48:00.005-04:00

Our knitting guild is doing a KAL of a cute, easy child's sweater for donation to the Salvation Army's holiday distribution program. The pattern is available online for the sweater (in child's sizes 2, 4, and 6) and a hat. It calls for worsted weight yarn. You can find the pattern at http://margarethubertoriginals.com/CHILDBLUE.html.

Here is a photo of the green one I showed at the September guild meeting. This one was knitted using Red Heart TLC Essentials, color "Lt Celery".

Here is a photo of another one I knitted, using Red Heart TLC Essentials, color "Lilac" and a touch of fancy for the garter stripes down the front and back (Lana Grossa Caramella Print).
If you are a fellow guild member looking at this blog post, you may want to consider knitting one of these up before the October meeting. Joanne will be teaching a program on Crocheted Flowers. Wouldn't some crocheted flowers be perfect embellishments on this little sweater?

Delivery Day

2008-10-01T08:35:00.005-04:00

The TV table is finished and has been delivered to Emily's apartment. Emily and Len are in the consultation/design phase for the bookcase that will sit on top, with a space for a TV. Emily is saving to replace her old TV so that is being considered in the design of the new piece of furniture. The plan for the finished piece (above) is to have rectangular baskets on the shelves to hold DVD's and magazines, etc.

I have uploaded a photo tour of Emily's apartment to my Webshots album. There is a new folder set up, titled "Emily's Apartment". The link is on the right here on my blog if you care to check out her apartment. I especially LOVE the way she decorated her bathroom. Here is a peak from that album.

Emily decided to have Len bring her elliptical trainer to the apartment and sent home to our house her desk and a large overstuffed chair. Rob was not thrilled with moving the elliptical trainer up the basement stairs yet again since he just moved it down there in the summer when she first moved to the apartment. I think the decision of the two moving guys (Rob and Len) is that the elliptical trainer is now in place till the end of the lease on the apartment. Below is a photo of Len's little truck upon arrival at Emily's apartment.

Bread

2008-09-26T16:29:00.004-04:00

My day has been spent in a tax class and in the kitchen. The 18 mini loaves above are for a bake sale at church. I had a tax class this morning and also an online exam from a class completed yesterday evening. The rest of the day has been spent baking and cleaning up from baking. There are 6 Chocolate Loaves, 6 loaves of Strawberry Bread, and 6 loaves of Squmpkin Bread. The house smells wonderful. I will be taking these over to church soon.

A Flam--- ---hole Fly

2008-09-24T22:08:00.005-04:00

Here is a photo of the fly Len tied at this evening's meeting of the Michigan Fly Fishing Club. The name is too "colorful" to be included in this PG rated, family-oriented blog. It has maribou for a tail, chenille and estaz for the body, and red dumbbell eyes. (I don't make this up, folks.) If you want to know the name of the fly, you'll have to ask Len.

Fuschia Prayer Shawl

2008-09-23T21:25:00.007-04:00

Yesterday evening I finished knitting this Prayer Shawl. The photos do not give you a true sense of the fabulous color. It is Lion Brand Homespun and the color is Fuschia. I have really loved knitting with this color. Tomorrow the Prayer Shawl will begin it's journey through the postal service on the way to a special friend who has a friend/coworker going through a serious illness who is in need of prayers and a hug that hopefully this shawl will provide. I pray it brings comfort to this woman I've never met.

Update From The Workshop

2008-09-18T09:28:00.003-04:00

The parts are coming together nicely. The top is not yet attached and there are some more coats of polyurethane still to apply, but here is the latest photo live from the workshop. Two more photos also from yesterday show the table from a different angle as well as a nice shot of the woodworker himself. (Yes, Emily, that IS the official woodworking shirt.)

Reunion at West Point

2008-09-16T17:55:00.003-04:00

This past weekend was Len's 35th reunion at West Point. What a fun weekend. Friday was spent at West Point, which included a tour of the new library, time in the Cadet Store, a Memorial Service, lunch at Ike Hall, and a briefing by the Superintendent. Friday evening was the dinner dance back at the hotel in New Jersey. Saturday we had a 3-hour luncheon cruise on the Spirit of New York. The above photo was taken as we passed by the Statue of Liberty. The photo below was taken at the dinner dance. Lots more photos are posted in my Webshots album (link on the right).

Crazy Daisy

2008-09-16T08:48:00.003-04:00

Quick post to share a photo of the finished "Crazy Daisy" circular cloth. This was knit using Sugar and Cream "Quilt Colors". This colorway is part of the new Culinary Colors. The pattern is online at http://sew-funky.blogspot.com/2008/06/no-1-dishcloth-crazy-daisy.html.

Later I will post some photos from our weekend at Len's 35th West Point Reunion. A fun time! Shawl knitting was the featured knitting of the trip. I started another Prayer Shawl and worked on that alternately with a Weaver's Wool Mini Shawl.

Some FO's

2008-09-08T17:33:00.005-04:00

The Prayer Shawl is finished. This is the traditional K3, P3 Prayer Shawl pattern, knitted using Lion Brand Homespun "candy apple" color. It is a very rich red and the shawl feels so soft. I hope that it will bring comfort to someone who needs a warm hug.

I have several other small finished items.

This is the September KAL cloth from the Monthly Dishcloth KAL list on yahoogroups.

I also finished several cloths using patterns from Harvest Moon Designs. http://harvestmoondesigns.blogspot.com . In the photo below, the cloth on the left is "Hear My Hearts". The cloth in the center is "My Favorite Dishcloth" and the one on the right is "Another Favorite", which is a diagonal pattern.

Some Knitting and Some Woodworking

2008-09-07T16:03:00.008-04:00

This weekend's post will have some knitting content as well as more progress from the workshop. I am thrilled to report that I have finished the first sock of the pair I've been working on for awhile. It feels absolutely wonderful on my foot and is spurring me on to finish the other sock so I will have this pair of socks to wear when the cold weather hits. Here is the finished sock.

Now, for a few photos from the workshop. Work on Emily's TV stand/bookcase has moved to the finishing stage on the carcass and shelf so it really doesn't look all that different in shape from last weekend. The real woodworking this weekend involves the top of the table. A special jig had to be cut out and assembled in order to cut the tabletop. Next step on the top is to use the router to put a nice edge treatment on this piece.

Here are some photos to show this weekend's work. Don't you just love these action shots with the router?

More Photos From The Workshop

2008-08-31T17:27:00.007-04:00

Len is making progress on the TV stand/bookcase for Emily's apartment. It is actually beginning to look like something rather just lots of wood and clamps. This is going to be an amazing piece of furniture when he finishes. The top is being glued and that involves LOTS of clamps. The main body of the piece is now in the sanding stage. Here are some photos taken just moments ago.

Of course, a busy woodworker needs some freshly baked peanut butter cookies to sustain him for the long hours of gluing and clamping.

Come Visit the Workshop

2008-08-27T12:34:00.003-04:00

Len has been busy in his garage workshop building a TV stand with shelves for Emily's new apartment. This is going to be a fine piece of furniture when it is done and will have that extra dose of love that only a Dad-built piece of furniture can have.

The photo below, shows the project last weekend. Apparently, he is trying to prove his maxim that a woodworker can never have too many clamps.

Some Family Photos to Share

2008-08-23T11:14:00.008-04:00

Blogging to share a couple of family photos taken last Saturday at my Dad's home in CT. My two aunts came from NJ to spend a few hours with us. It was good to see them.

Little Princess

2008-08-12T17:46:00.002-04:00

I sewed on the buttons and the "Little Princess" baby set is finished. This is the Little Lamb baby sweater and bonnet from the Leisure Art's leaflet, Precious Layettes to Knit. I had a single skein of Plymouth Encore so not quite enough to knit the entire bonnet using that. The contrast on the bonnet is Vanna's Choice (color - magenta). I really love the buttons. The top button is a crown that says "Princess". The other two buttons are a castle and a ball gown.

Motorcycle Sunday

2008-08-10T11:50:00.006-04:00

I can't believe I let a week go by without posting the photos from last Sunday. Emily was home for the weekend and her friend, Steve, came out to spend the day on Sunday. It was a beautiful weather day here so he rode his motorcycle. Here is a picture of Emily, Steve, and the bike.

After dinner, Steve took me for a ride. Great fun!

Child's Sweater is Finished

2008-08-03T15:45:00.003-04:00

The child's sweater is finished. I had the perfect buttons in my stash - little brown teddy bears with blue bows around their necks. (Double click the photo to enlarge and see the detail of the buttons.) I folded the sleeves in to photograph the sweater, but you get the idea, I'm sure. It was fun to knit combining a variety of yarns that were given to me by a friend to use for my charity knitting.

Some Landscaping Photos to Share

2008-07-27T17:33:00.014-04:00

After all the weeks of chopping, digging, pulling, tugging, more digging, planting and in general back-breaking work that Len performed, I figure I should do my part and share some photos of our wonderful landscaping project. I also was involved during the actual project and could often be seen out in front of the house with my clipboard offering encouragement and direction to Len. So as not to look like too much of a supervisory shrew, I also brought numerous cold drinks on the hot days.

Here is a BEFORE photo of the front of our house. (Double click on the photos to enlarge.) Underneath, is a similar view as an AFTER photo. In a couple of years, things will fill in and grow to perfection. I love the much cleaner, updated look.

Below on the left is a BEFORE photo of the area along our garage. On the right, is the AFTER photo of this area. Below the garage windows we now have the most beautiful Double Knock-Out Roses

.

The AFTER photo on the right shows the Boxwood and Hostas that replaced a very overgrown hedge. Last weekend all the Hostas were ready to bloom. We returned from one of our trips to help Emily move only to find a rabbit sitting on the front lawn and three of the Hostas were missing their blooms. I was not at all happy with that rabbit. During the week, the two remaining Hostas did bloom and are really pretty.

Happy Birthday to Emily

2008-07-14T20:35:00.003-04:00

Happy 22nd Birthday to Emily!!!!

Yesterday we went to see Emily and take her out to lunch for her birthday. We moved a couple more things into her apartment so the transition from her house to apartment continues. I baked a small birthday cake to take with us and we enjoyed birthday cake in her new apartment. Rob was not with us as he had already been out there the evening before to join Emily and some friends for a birthday celebration on the town.

Of course, both parents wanted to have a picture with the Birthday Girl.

Note which parent wanted to be in the cake picture!

Emily had to work all day today, which is her actual birthday. Welcome to the Big Girl World, Emily!

Love you Sweetie!!!!!!

On The Needles

2008-07-09T10:00:00.007-04:00

I have several things on the needles so I will post an update and perhaps that will keep me accountable for finishing some of these items. The socks have been in the works for awhile now, but actually I will not be wearing them till colder weather so I do have some time to finish them. Several other projects are charity knitting so no real deadline, but I would like to finish some of them. If you have been following my blog, you have already seen both of the above projects in earlier posts. One sock is nearing time for the toe decreases and the other is at least moving along slowly. The sweater above is for a child, being knitted out of a variety of single balls of yarn. This will be for charity.

Meanwhile, I was in the mood to start a baby sweater. This is the Little Lamb sweater from the Precious Layettes leaflet from Leisure Arts. I had a single skein of Plymouth Encore in my stash so cast on for this baby sweater. I always seem to have a dishcloth or washcloth on the needles as a quick, little project. Many of these have been given away over the years or packaged with little hotel-sized soaps, shampoos, and lotions and then donated to a battered women's shelter. The current cloth on the needles is a "scrap" cloth. That means I am using up partial balls of cotton. Generally, these go into my kitchen.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-05T15:44:00.004-04:00

Yesterday morning we went to our town's annual 4th of July parade, which is a great parade. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed the parade, but no photos since I did not bring my camera. However, I do have a photo to share showing how Len spent the rest of the 4th.

The landscaping project continues. Len has been very busy chopping, digging, and pulling up all the old bushes, hedges, and other plant matter. For the past week he has been busy digging and planting all the new landscaping. Things are really starting to take shape. Soon I will be able to post photos of the finished landscaping. He is done planting and now will start digging to install the landscape edging and put down the weed block stuff before getting mulch on Monday.

Not much knitting going on since I've been trying to help with the landscaping project, at least in a supervisory capacity. But, I did finish the Hexagon Cloth. Pattern can be found at http://sew-funky.blogspot.com

Emily's Next Adventure

2008-07-02T10:06:00.007-04:00

Emily has been apartment hunting, selected an apartment, and signed a one-year lease on her new home. Yesterday I was with her as she picked up the keys and moved a few things into her apartment. Exciting times! She has several boxes of kitchen items that were at our house that she will settle into her new kitchen in the next few days. Sometime in July, we will be doing the moving thing again as we help her move the furniture and other belongings from East Lansing to her new apartment. It is a nice one-bedroom apartment with a newly-remodeled kitchen. Perfect for her. The apartment is a reasonable drive from her workplace and near other amentities.

Here are some photos from yesterday's adventure.

Father's Day Weekend

2008-06-16T10:22:00.005-04:00

We had a nice Father's Day dinner with both "kids" here yesterday. In honor of Father's Day it seemed appropriate to make one of my strawberry pies that the whole family enjoys. We DID enjoy the pie as well as the time together yesterday.

Saturday, Len and I spent the day at Michigan International Speedway for the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series race. This day included a tour of the pit area, which was very interesting, as well as a great race. Here are a few photos from the race day.

Knitting In Circles

2008-06-13T09:58:00.004-04:00

I have been in the mood to knit circular shapes lately so have been working on some circular dishcloths/washcloths. Above is the Starfish Cloth knitted in S&C "Playtime" and the Windmill Cloth knitted in S&C "Key Lime Pie".

Both of these patterns can be found at http://sew-funky.blogspot.com/.

I also have a partially finished cloth on the needles. This is the"Hearts Wreath" pattern from the TRENDY KNIT DISHCLOTHS leaftlet (Leisure Arts #3892) by Evelyn Clark.

Squirrel Sex Change

2008-06-05T08:48:00.004-04:00

My eagle-eye hubby informed me that the *&%@# squirrel is NOT a male, but actually is female. Yesterday when I posted the photo and description of the squirrel event, I made my determination of the squirrel's sex based on behavior rather than actual physical examination. I figured with that naughty behavior, it had to be a male. I stand corrected. Thank you to Len for correctly sexing the squirrel. (I'm still not giving any more peanuts.)

Something fun on the needles. These are the first three wedges
completed on the Windmill Dishcloth, using S&C "Key Lime Pie".
The pattern can be found at
http://sew-funky.blogspot.com/2008/05/windmill-dishcloth.html

No More Peanuts for Squirrels

2008-06-04T11:56:00.005-04:00

I have two bird feeders outside my kitchen window and I enjoy the variety of birds that visit every day. There are several squirrels, chipmunks and even a couple of rabbits that clean up the area underneath the bird feeders. I was guilty of thinking the squirrels were cute and might enjoy some peanuts. I've been buying roasted peanuts for the squirrels. Each day as the formerly cute squirrels sat on the patio underneath the bird feeders, I would open the kitchen window and toss them some peanuts.

Those #$%&* squirrels have eaten the last peanut from this house!! The above photo taken this morning tells the story. Yes, that is one of the squirrels and he is climbing the screen of the sliding door in our family room. He also had the nerve to be scratching at the screen as he climbed. This better be the last time he climbs that screen. I am done feeding the squirrels. The rest of the peanuts will be consumed by my human guys.

Knitting Updates

2008-06-03T09:04:00.007-04:00

There has been some progress, albeit slow, on the socks for me. I need to be in the mood to knit socks so have been picking them up every so often and knitting for a bit. Of course, the good news is that this is not the time of year I would be wearing them, so there is no rush to finish.

This selection of single balls of yarn is becoming a child's sweater using a pattern that was a favorite of my Mom. Below is a picture of the sweater in progress. I have the back finished and on stitch holders and am now working on the left front.