Way too Small

I was working away on my first toe up sock and thought I finally had a running start. The last laugh is on me. Although I managed to figure out the toe it is way way too small for my wide foot. I think I will take a break and find a pattern for a toe up that fits a male foot. If I can get that down I can do some adaptations on the pattern for the KAL. Meanwhile, the weather stays beautiful so what I really should do is go outside and work in the yard. This may be my favorite season but it also is the harbinger of winter, not a time to garden in Wisconsin unless you want to make snow carrots. Here is the toe before I make it into a nice mess of crinkled yarn. five starts and then too small. Do you think I ought to be learning something from this?

finished the shawl and on to the sock

I finally managed to finish the shawl I was making my neighbor. Okay, so I didn't block it but she will have that done in a nano second. I have also been working on some socks for the Firestarter KAL but I can't say there are going very well. So far I have pulled them out five times. Maybe it is take a break. Maybe I should just break the knitting needles. I let you know what I decide.

The cool weather makes things go faster

I really needed to have the "shot in the arm" of cool weather. I am a real lazy bones when the weather is warm and especially when it is humid. The cooler evenings have helped me get more done on the shawl for Phyllis. I need to get it done before the October winds bring down the leaves so I am working away. I have also started a KAL with my friend at peaknits so I am under the gun so to speak. I have accepted that I may be starting when everyone else is done but that's okay. I have yarn that is so squishable that it will be fun to work with one I get going. Meanwhile here is a picture of the shawl or I should say 1/2 the shawl. You knit it in halves and then knit it together. I think it is done that day because of the pockets. At least this way I know I reached the half way point.

The Autumn Day

There is one word for today and that is MAGNIFICENT! The breeze is past crisp, the air has the smell of fall and the color of the sky is Indian Summer even though we are only into September. It is time to start doing more blogging. Last night I had Jade over for a Girls night out. She said I could only take the one picture and maybe tomorrow when she had another sleep over I could take another. I think that was a hint but it didn't work. She was happily playing with her friend when I left her house earlier today. I love Autumn. I have juicy Macintosh apples in the refrigerator. I am thinking of stews, soups and meatloaf. Best yet, it is time that I was soon settle down to doing more crafting. I won't be fast at first but I have started on my neighbor's shawl. She picked the pattern and it is certainly easy enough. The problem was the yarn. I would have never guessed it would be so difficult to find a soft pink in an ultra bulky. I finally manged though and have started so hopefully when the winds blow in Wisconsin this winter she will have something to snuggle in like a warm hug. There is a busy couple of weeks coming at work but then I should be back to the computer on a more regular basis as I finish up the work in the garden and hunker down for the cold days to come.

A Large Vest and lots of Grape Jelly

I finally finished that vest I started. Bummer. I shrunk it and it still is way too big. Eureka, I got a great idea. There is a woman at work that it ought to fit. I think I will take it in and give her a surprise gift tomorrow. I know I will never pull it all out and maybe it will be something bright for her day. If not she can give it to the Goodwill and I will never know. Besides finishing the vest we went to the County Fair yesterday. The kids always have to have their share of rides, games and junk food before school starts tomorrow. I came home exhausted and was going to start on the shawl I am making the neighbor when my son called. He said they had a neighbor who had grapes and wasn't going to use them so he told Jared to come and pick them. I wasn't going to turn down washed and stemmed grapes so I went off to their house. They did have lots of them. I brought some home and made grape jelly. The kids are going to do grape juice using my old easy can recipe and make some wine. I love the way the house smells when you are jelly making. Yum, the neighbor with the grapes, the kids and myself will have that wonderful touch of summer this winter when the winds blow. Making memories is always better then doing nothing.

More Lazy days

It's raining outside, not that we don't need it but it does make it a perfect day to curl up with a good book. I have scads of tomaotes in the garden but the big ones don't seem to want to turn red. Even the green zebras are taking their good natured time to ripen. My pepper plants on the other hand are going crazy. They really like the hot dry weather. I was just curling up with a good book today when I had some unexpected company for breakfast. Jared had taken Logan fishing. (He insists that the rain is the best time to go) Logan cast and his fishing pole ended up in the water so after Jared waded in to get it he stopped at my house to use the dryer. It was the perfect time to make some pancakes and give them some of the peppers. I also had the chance to give them a shampoo that came in from Prairie land herbs. If you like herbal products this is a definite must visit site. I haven't tried a link in this newer formant so hopefully if you click here you will find it. If not I will try again later because it is really worth a visit. Now, I am going back to being lazy. Summer will be over one of these days and the projects will be posted but for now I will bake some zucchini and put my nose back in my book

The sights, sounds and smells of summer

The gentle breeze wafts the smell of the sweet flocks in the open patio door and it is hard to believe that summer will soon turn to fall. The spring flowers and early roses around the pond have given way to Black-eyed Susans, lilies, coneflowers and even a few Hollyhocks. It was a wonderful weekend to let the wind play with my hair while indulging myself in the last Harry Potter Book. Okay, so I might have shed just a couple of tears to see it end but I know I can visit him any time by opening a book into his world of magic. I discovered Harry the first year he came out and thought it would be something like my old favorite the Hobbit. It wasn't, but Harry had his own way of gripping your heart. How wonderful to be the author and have those characters live in you mind. Oh, great news! Chew had all the tests and he passed them all with a negative. He is heartworm, Erlickia, bacterial free. He has taken off about 6 pounds since I got him and is, as the woman who brought me Napoleon said, a stunning Shar Pei. He likes to hide where the bittersweet climbs the fence and peer into the neighbors yard looking for their dog, Bear. I threw in a few pictures of the garden around his area. The flowers have almost grown over the witch's ball and have covered the dancing bronze fairies that twirl in the spring flowers. No knitting or at least no yet this weekend but there is cucumber salad and tuna salad melding in the refrigerator. Ah.h.h.h. The lazy days of summer.

The vest is coming along

Things are looking up. I called to tell the company that they forgot to bill me for my Internet service and they told me I had this month free. I can bend my knee enough to sit down and type on the computer and Izzy is happily cleaning my floors while I sit. You would think I would have finished this while I was doing all the sitting but for some reason I seemed to be more hooked on reading. Summer is never my best time. I like crisp breezes and chilly nights. You will most likely see a lot more work from me when fall comes stealing in. I do think the vest will turn out fine and I am prepared to shrink it a bit with a good hot wash. More later

Izzy

I been off the computer for a bit but hopefully am back and ready to go. right now I am obsessed with Izzy my irobet vacuum. I have been under all kinds of bills, mostly vet and dentist and so the money went there and not for fun things. I was at my youngest son's and he had purchased a robot vacuum. Now I figure that I started vacuuming about age 10 and that means I have been doing something that I really don't like to do for 51 years. I had to have one. I found a nice refurbished one on the Internet and decided to give myself a treat. I LOVE IT! The problem is that instead of just letting it go I am busy watching it run. I guess that will wear off soon enough and I will leave it to its own devices. It docks itself on the charger when it's done so there is really no reason not to just come home and have the house vacuumed but I can't leave it alone quite yet. Kind of that dropping off you child the first time at the babysitters. I've started a shawl for my neighbor and will be posting more on that as well as my rather large vest. I didn't think the knee surgery would throw me off as much as it did. So off to check the garden and raspberries and to the pet store for more treats. Chewie really likes his treats.

Oh well, I like my vests big anyway

See what you can get accomplished when you are stuck with an elevated knee. I had my surgery on Thursday. I have read 4 books, did this much on my vest, taken a few "side trips" and am still slow. It wasn't the surgery. considering the Dr. said it was worse then it had looked in the MRI, it really is not much to put up with. Unfortunately, I had a nasty reaction to the non-steroidal anti-inflamatory before I got the the surgery and my stomach is still giving me fits. That leads me to the big vest. No, I haven't lost that much weight, although it would be nice to take some off and not eating is sure to make me drop a few pounds. I did a swatch, well it was kind of a swatch. I wanted the vest size to fall in between the upper two sizes on the pattern. I decided that a size bigger needle would do the trick. I forgot that cotton and linen, the blend in the yarn, sort of stretches. I'm big but not as big as this vest. I like it anyway, I will wear it because I don't have the energy to go yanking and I really might like it that big. There must be something wrong but I just don't have the perfect gene. I will fool around with this and make it work. Meanwhile back to my chair and I will let you know how it comes out.

Unbelievable Gift

I have the most amazingly generous secret pal 10. Well she is not so secret anymore but she is amazing. Here is the package she sent. It isn't impossible for me to get to the shop she co-owns and I have to plan a trip one of these days because it looks like "home" to me. Check it out at prairielandherbs.blogspot.com. Now on to the gift that range from hand spun yarn, that she dyed and spun just for me to special shampoo and doggie treats to make package for Chewie, who by the way is wiggling with delight. (well, maybe not about the bath) She has sent just "tons" of herbal soap that I love and a wonderful package of all kinds of herbal products. I have popcorn from Iowa. A kit to make mittens. Knitting needles, a Cocoa package from Penzi, you name it she has thought of it. Secret Pal you are wonderful and if I were a tad closer I would have to see if Chewie liked that kitten. Take care and do stay in touch. I will be blogging about what I make out of all the wonderful things that you have sent. I am even getting weak on spinning so maybe we can chat about that one of these days. May you be blessed with pals who are half as great as you.

Slip Sliding Away

Time has really gotten away from me. After I banged up my knee everything seems to take so much time that I haven't been blogging like I should. I am doing some knitting and wanted to get this on so my secret pal can see that I have started something with the wonderful pick yarn she sent. It's a vest called Iris. I will be a bit slow but it will get done. Right now I am ruinating because I seem to have come down with a cold and that means they will probably put the surgery off for a week or so until my nose stops running like a sieve. Patience, I need to cultivate patience! Off to get the clothes out of the dryer and wish my sons Happy Father's Day, or in the case of the youngest, Happy Birthday, Happy Father's Day. Have a great day, both of you.

the last package is ready to go

I have put together my last package for secret pal 10. Hope she likes it. I always enjoy secret pal. I have been so very lucky in the people who got my name and I hope the ones I have had the opportunity to spoil feel the same. Now off to the post office tomorrow.

Short and Sweet

I've been a bit under the weather so I will make this short and sweet. the answer to the trivia question is I believe voldemort. I started working with some beautiful yarn my secret pal sent and am getting my final package ready to go to my secret pal. Pictures later.

Hogwarts trivia

Ron and Hermione in the Order of the Phoenix

Finally Finished

I bet you thought I would never finish those anklets. If you didn't think like that I did. Here they are. I managed to mess up my knee so I have been leaving the garden early and sitting down as a result I finally got these done. The yarn is from my wonderful secret pal. It is so soft and wooly. I have to block them and put them away for those crisp fall days. I will be slow at knitting and crafting in general until the garden is up and going but I will be posting as I get things finished. Meanwhile I hope I don't bore you with garden pictures. That is my spring priority.

A special Iris

I put this in and last year when it was just ready to bloom I broke it off dragging the hose. Needless to say I have gone to a sprinkler system. I love the color and wanted to show it off.

My terrific Ravenclaw partner

I am so excited about this wonderful package from Paula. Look, just look at the tiny little socks on the bag. This will be my bag to take the socks I am knitting to work from here on out! It's wonderful. Not only that but she hand dyed the yarn just for me and the color is perfect. I am the book fan. Dare I admit that I have never managed to sit through one of the movies without falling asleep. My kids would understand. They have the movies and I have tried more than once but I guess I am a reader and not a watcher. Anyway, perfect, yes, perfect color in the stitch markers and I certainly never expected birch needles. Add a pattern that I am anxious to try and chocolate to quiet the ranging beast. I could not have asked for better. Thank-you Thank-you. ( I had to put in a picture of the bag full and then with contents. It is just so great!

Hogwarts trivia for quidditch round 2

. Who is the Fat Lady's friend?-
Violet-
When the Fat Lady was attacked by Sirius Black and fled her portrait, who took over for her as guard of Gryffindor Tower?
sir Cadogan
3. Usually when Harry is in Dumbledore's office, what are the portraits of previous headmasters doing?-
Snoozing-
4. Which one of the Triwizard champions did not go to the World Cup?-
Fleur Delacour
5. Who did Harry give his Triwizard winnings to?-
Fred and George Weasley
6.The next two are anagrams. Rearrange the letters to get the correct words.
Minerva Mcgonagal
7. Oliver Wood
8. What author's name appears on the book "Quidditch Through the Ages"?- - Kennilworthy Whisp
9. What does the Keeper do in a game of Quidditch?- Keeps the brooms in good working order-
Guards the goal
10. In the Goblet of Fire why did the Mad Eye Moody imposter put Harry's name in the goblet?
He wanted Harry to win the tournament
Picture Scavenger Hunt sorry but I can't get the pictures to upload and don't know how to make the links so I am in for the trivia only.

What a haul!

Oh I am to be envied. My secret pal sent me another great package. Homemade jam, some of her favorite coffee, enough yarn to make a wonderful summer top, great pasta, a wonderful book and a fabulous vase for my flowers. I got so excited that I ran and got the camera to take a picture and promptly lost it, not the picture, the camera. As I told my Pal, I can be a fruitcake at times. Anyway, the camera was in the broom closet and I am back in business. I can't tank you enough pal and only hope you have a partner who is as good to you as you are to me. Thank-you Thank-you Oh...Oh, Just look at the spectacular color of that yarn.