Weekending 5/9/22

 Good Morning,

Finally!  The sun is out and it looks like the winds may have died down some.  Whew!  It was a very soggy, damp, chilly, windy weekend.  Overall we received around 2.5" of rain - thankfully spread over Friday and Saturday with a few drops on Sunday.  It had stopped raining by yesterday afternoon, but it was in the 40's with gusty winds, so not pleasant for sitting out at 4 p.m. with a beverage.  Oh well, another day.

My Friday sans conference calls was quite nice.  I got a little busy work-wise in the afternoon, but not too much.  Nice enough that I (finally) finished up the Hiking Trail socks!!

Here is another picture closer up so that the flecks of color in the yarn are more visible.  But, the angle is weird and the feet of the socks look enormous (well, they are sort of - 75 rows before the toe decreases to accommodate Colin's foot!).

I'm beyond thrilled to have these finished.  Though I enjoyed knitting them they did take forever - just about a month for each sock!  The pattern on the leg is just a simple K6 P2 across.  The feet are plain.  I used #2 needles and the yarn is some I purchased at one of the NJ Wool festivals (I think last year).  It is by Kim Dyes Yarn and is an 80/20 blend.  The colorway is "Hiking Trail."

Saturday morning as it poured rain, I met up with Dee for our usual Saturday morning therapy session - knitting, sipping coffee, chatting, laughing.  It is always a great time.  Since the socks were just finished, I spent my knitting time on the Guernsey Wrap and managed to get a number of rows knit.  Of course, I wasn't paying attention fully and had to tink back one row not once, but twice.  All is good now.

Mother's Day was a quiet one.  I came downstairs to a gorgeous flower arrangement from Fletch (I need to take a picture) and I made a German pancake (Dutch Baby) for breakfast using strawberries and blueberries - YUM.  Mailing texted me and Colin called, so I felt the love!

Today it is back to the grind.  However, I was able to book a massage for this afternoon, so I'm looking forward to that!  A massage should make a great start to the week!  

I hope everyone's weekend was a good one and here's to the week ahead.

Unraveled Wednesday April 6, 2022

 Good Morning!

I was happy to make it to the office without getting washed away!  LOL  I woke in the night to heavy rain and it was still coming down when I left my house at 6:40 this morning.  And now at 8:30, it is STILL coming down.  I stopped at the grocery store to pick up fruit, muffins, scones, etc. for the meeting going on and, as the cashier said, better rain than a drought.  Also, better rain than snow.  My drive to the office goes through Valley Forge Park and the creek (I think it's Valley Creek) was roaring and overflowing its banks.  Ponding on the roads.  Looking at my phone, I believe the rain should pretty much be over by 11 a.m.

My PT Evaluation yesterday was ok.  Once again, I am finding that people do not really listen to what you say.  The therapist kept referencing "my pain" even though I said multiple times that I have NO pain.  But, I came away with some exercises I can do twice a day to build my core muscles back up which, in turn, will support my back.  I also got the "go ahead" to schedule a massage.  YAY!!!  I have another PT session this afternoon...I think with a different therapist this time.

All of this brings us to right here, right now.  Unraveled Wednesday!  A round of applause for no unraveling this week.  Of course, I have not done a whole lot of knitting, but I've done some.  First up the Hiking Trail sock for Colin (this is sock #1...still...):

This shot shows 40 rows complete on the foot.  For Colin I usually do 75 rows, so a little ways to go before the toe decreases.  I was able to knit another 5 rows this morning while waking up with my coffee.

Next up is the Guernsey Wrap.

Quite a way to go on this one!  There are 3 charts for this wrap.  Chart A and C are both 78 rows.  Chart B is (I think) 24 rows.  You knit Chart A twice (all 78 rows) and then rows 1-58.  Then you move on and knit chart B - once.  Chart C is also knit twice (all 78 rows) and then rows 1-58 again.  Then you (finally) bind off.  The picture above shows where I am as of last night.  The first 78 rows of Chart A are complete and I am about 5 or 8 rows into the second 78.  This is still a relaxed and easy knit.  And, with only 58 stitches to a row, it goes fairly quickly.  My issue is just finding time to knit!

On the reading front, I am still enjoying Still Life by Sarah Winman.  This is not a quick read for me, but I am enjoying it.  Fletch and I finished Stanley Tucci's "Taste" and we are glad to be done with it!  I started out loving it and then enjoying it and by the last third to quarter of the book I was sick and tired of all the name dropping.  I would have liked more recipes and less about how wonderful he is!  LOL  Our new book for reading after dinner is Teaching a Stone to Talk by Annie Dillard.  I bought this book back in the early 90's, but never read it.  We started the other night, and so far so good - really enjoying.

As usual on Unraveled Wednesday, I'm linking up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Do head over there to see what everyone is up to - lots of inspiration always.

Unraveled Wednesday 3/30/22

 Good Morning!

Still a bit chilly here - in the 20's this morning.  Yesterday was such a pretty day.  Although it was still on the cold side, we had abundant sunshine and I think more of that is forecast for today.  I'm heading to the office a little later.  Just need to check the mail, print out something for moi, and then stop at JoAnn's for DMC thread and Trader Joe's for a couple of things (including more flowers).  But first it is Unraveled Wednesday.  The last one in March.  As usual, I am linking up with Kat and her Merry Unravelers to talk making and reading.

There has been a little progress on both knitting projects.  First up, the first of the Hiking Trail socks has reached the end of the heel flap and is patiently waiting for the magic of turning the heel.

I'm enjoying knitting with this yarn and I love the purple flecks that run throughout it.  These will be for Colin, so there is still a way to go (large feet).  But, no rush.

The Guernsey Wrap is also progressing nicely.

I have roughly 10 or 12 rows to complete the first 78 rows of Chart A.  Once that is done, I go back and knit again rows 1-58.  Then I can move on to Chart B.  I figured out last year when knitting this that there are 465 rows total...so still a bit of a way to go!  It's a relaxing knit, and with just 58 stitches in a row (I'm knitting the worsted version), the rows go quickly.

On the reading side of things, I did finish The Island of Missing Trees which is just such a good, good book.  I wanted it to go on and on.  Now I'm about 75 pages into Still Life - yet another beautiful book.  Fletch and I continue to enjoy reading Taste together after dinner.  We are nearing the end of that book, but I already have our next "read together" book picked out.

Time for me to pour another cup of coffee and get moving.  Head over to Kat's to see what everyone is making and reading - you will find inspiration!