Unraveled Wednesday 3/13/24

 Good Morning Everyone!

So hard to believe we are just about at the mid-point of March.  How has that happened so quickly?  Time does march on indeed, and it is warming up here.  Fletch and I were able to sit outside on the patio before dinner and we saw our first bluebird this year!!  Fletch gave me a bluebird house last year, so we are hoping that they will find our yard and the accommodations inviting.  Also, more daffodils have opened up.  We have a bunch of these small ones on the North side of the house and yesterday I picked these.

So cheerful!

Here we are back at another Wednesday and it is time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.

Despite my near disaster with my Hitch on the Move (which I have not had a chance to look at yet...perhaps today), some knitting was accomplished.  The first sock using the March yarn from The Farmer's Daughter has been completed:

Hard to tell from this picture (sorry - I did not spread out the sock in a pleasing way), but I put two little pin stripes right before the beginning of the toe decrease.  I love the way these two yarns/colors work together.  The main color (colorway:  Grandma's Hands) almost looks like it is stripes, but really the yarn is just a bit varigated.  Not wanting to drop down into second sock syndrome, March sock #2 has been started.

This one seems to be going a bit slower, primarily because everytime I pick up my needles to knit my eyes tend to close.  (Which also explains why I have not yet gone back to look at my Hitch on the Move!!)

Reading has been good.  Slow and steady.  I finished This Cold Country - a book I pulled off one of our bookshelves in the bedroom.  It was ok - just sort of average.  It is in the pile of books that will be taken to the donation center.  While waiting on a couple of books I'm in queue for at my library, I picked up another book from our shelves - The Women on the Wall - a collection of short stories by Wallace Stegner.  I'm not a huge fan of short stories as I have mentioned previously, but I do love Stegner's writing.  This book is no exception.  The one thing I did notice in the 3 stories I read last night is that there is an undercurrent of cruelty in some of his characters.  Not a fan of that!  But, still, Stegner was a master of writing and it shows in these stories.

Fletch and I are continuing to listen to the Bill Bryson book after dinner (This One).  We find outselves laughing out loud - sometimes so hard that I start crying.  Another reason not as much knitting is getting done!  It's really a very entertaining book.  I'm sorry that we have less than 2 hours left to listen to it.

Be sure to head over to Kat's spot to see what everyone is making and reading.  And have a wonderful mid-week!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 3/12/24

 Good Morning!

How are you?  Has the time change sunk in?  Or have you adjusted to it?  Usually the Spring Forward time change has a larger impact on me than the Fall Back change.  But this year?  Nothing.  It hasn't really seemed to bother me.  I'm thankful.

I think the wind has finally died down.  Thank God.  It is still on the chilly side though (low 30's this a.m.).  We should gradually warm up this week and by Thursday it should be 72 or thereabouts!  That will be nice as we are going over to Colin's for dinner.  Mailing is in Texas for the week (for work) and Colin has been busy working on garden beds, pulling weeds and trimming shrubs, etc.  He is anxious for us to walk around and see what he has done.  With the new time, it should still be light for walking around his yard at 5 p.m.

We got Fletch's car back from the shop yesterday morning.  Turns out he needed brakes.  Holy Moly that was an expensive job!  But, it's done and now the car is safe which is the important point.

This past week I was able once again to make some steady progress on The Hunt Sampler.  I'm so surprised at how this is holding my attention.  Usually I'm bored with just one color, but I'm loving this one.  Here's an overall shot as of last night:

And here is a close up of the parts added this past week:

Only a few more bits and pieces to be added (and the alphabet needs to be finished).  It is going much faster than I expected.  I'll need to start thinking ahead to my next project.

I'll be back tomorrow for Unraveled Wednesday.  Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Weekending

 Good Morning!

It feels as though Winter is back in town.  I ran out early this morning to get some bloodwork done and thought I might get blown away!  And, of course, the winds were fierce ALL night which did not make for a restful time.

How was your weekend?  Mine was nice.  I met up with Dee on Saturday (we had to change our plans from today) for several hours of chatting and sipping and knitting.  Friday night I had thought I was going to need an intervention by Dee!  LOL  I had been knitting on my Hitch on the Move when I realized I had the wrong number of stitches on the needle.  I could not figure out what had happened, but there was a spot that just looked crazy.  I still don't know what I did, but it took me over an hour to fix it.  I have not looked at it since...hopefully all is ok.  I will most likely pull it out later and have a look.

Saturday was rainy all day and we had standing water (again) in the back yard.  Sunday we had a little bit of everything!  It was crazy out there.  Fletch and I dropped off one of the cars at our mechanic's for service on Monday, and right after we got home this happened:

We had rain, we had snow, we had sleet, we had clouds, we had sun and we had MAJOR winds.  The winds are supposed to continue all day which is not a pleasant thought.

Luckily I had taken some homemade soup out of the freezer for dinner, so I didn't have to do much!  Fletch watched the Oscars and I spent the evening knitting and reading.

No plans for today other than to take it easy.  I appreciate the luxury of being able to do that!  Hope your week is off to a great start!

Heading Into The Weekend 3/8/24

 Good Morning!

 

The sun is up and so am I.  A cup of coffee has been poured and a few sips taken.  I may (key word) be falling into a rhythm with my days.  Or not.  The plan is to walk this morning as well as get some wash going.  The kids were over for dinner last night and then we had a fire in the pit.  Everything smells of woodsmoke!

 

 

Dinner was both hot and BBQ wings that Fletch and Colin grilled.  I made some Biscuits and steamed a bunch of broccoli to go with it.  We also had an old fashioned dessert called “Lemon Delight” which is sort of like a lemon pudding with a sponge cake on top.  Tasty and pretty light!  Both my Mom and my Aunt in Vermont used to make this dessert regularly.

 

I did manage to cut two of our first blooming daffodils.  I love a spot of yellow to brighten things up!

 

 

In addition to laundry (since everything smells smoky), I would like to start in on a project or two, but we’ll see how interested I am in doing that later on.  LOL. I may just pick up a needle or two and spend the day working on my knitting and/or stitching.

 

Dee and I are planning to get together again tomorrow – next week is rather busy for both of us and we couldn’t find a day to meet up that works for both of us.  Looking forward to that.

 

Whatever your plans are, have some fun!

 

Unraveled Wednesday 3/6/24

 Good Morning!

Not only is my brain foggy this morning, but it is very foggy outside as well.  Yesterday was rainy pretty much all day and somehow time got away from me (again) and I never even picked up my knitting until after dinner.  I really need to figure out this retirement time thing!  LOL

Anyway, here we are mid-week and it's time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Despite time seeming to get away from me, I do have progress to show on both my March sock (the first) and my Hitch on the Move.

The March sock did prove to be a bit of a problem initially.  I tried two different patterns and had to unravel both before I listened to the yarn and discovered that it just wanted to be a plain sock.  But now I've knit down the leg and will start the heel flap this morning when I meet up with Dee.

Now I just need to figure out if I want a contrasting flap and heel or not.  Decisions, decisions!

My Hitch on the Move did see a bit of love this week with 3 sections being added.  This is a fun knit and so easy to memorize.  

I weighed my main color (Wish You Were Beer - the brown on the left) and I've hardly used any of it, so I'm sure I will have plenty of yarn to make this a BIG shawl.

Reading has been a bit slower.  I keep forgetting to turn on my audible book (Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn Ward) when I sit down to knit or stitch.  My book-book that I'm reading with my eyes is This Cold Country by Annabel Davis-Goff.  This is a book that I bought years (decades??) ago at Barnes & Noble and it has been sitting on a book shelf ever since then.  While waiting on a book from the library I decided I needed to start reading some of the books I already own.  It is ok.  Not great, but it seems to be getting better.  It takes place during the Second World War and there are some strange characters in it.

After dinner, Fletch and I are listening to The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson's memoir of growing up in the 50's in the US.  The author is the narrator and there are parts of it that are laugh out loud funny.  I think Fletch is enjoying it a bit more than I am, but that is fine.

Well, time for me to pour another cup of coffee and get dressed...looking forward to meeting up with Dee is a little over an hour.  Hope your Wednesday is full of fun!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 3/5/24

 Good Morning!

It's a rainy one here.  Just (so far) a soft, gentle rain that sounded so pleasant as I was waking up this morning.  Yesterday was kind of a gloomy day in the morning and it was easy to remain uninspired about getting out for a walk.  But, the sun came out after lunch and I was able to squeeze in a 40 minute/2 mile walk along the Perkiomen Creek.  There were a number of folks out on the trail.  Some with dogs, some with strollers and babies, some on bikes, some just ambling along.  I kept my eyes on the stone wall hoping that I would NOT spot any snakes.  Fortunately it was not that warm.  Anyway, it felt good to move a bit and it was still nice enough later in the afternoon that Fletch and I were able to sit on the patio for a short while, but then the breeze picked up and it got a bit chilly for sitting.

Now it's Tuesday morning and time for a Tiny Needle update.  The Hunt Sampler continues to be a joy to stitch.  The additional silk thread I ordered last week arrived on Saturday and it looks to be a perfect match.  I'm still not sure I will need it, but better safe than sorry.  Here is where things stand as of this morning:

Sorry for the wrinkles and the darkness of it - lack of good light this rainy morning.  Still a bit more to stitch on this, but it is coming along nicely.

No plans for today other than doing a bit of grocery shopping this morning.  Hopefully the afternoon will find me with some kind of needle or needles in my hands!  Have a great day!

Weekending 3/4/24

 Hello and Good Morning!

How are you?  And, how was your weekend?

I am so happy to say that Retirement does agree with me!  The biggest problem is trying to find the time for EVERYTHING I want to do!  LOL  Patience is not a virtue of mine, but I will learn.

My weekend was good.  I spotted the first redwinged blackbirds in our yard.  I love seeing them.

Chowing down on sunflower seeds.

Saturday, as usual, I met up with Dee for some quality time together.  It was pouring rain.  This week we are mixing things up and meeting on Wednesday!  Because we can!!

Sunday was an absolutely glorious day.  I was, however, feeling lazy so did not go out for a walk.  Now I'm kicking myself because today is grey and dampish out - hard to get inspired to go out.  But, there was lots of time for making - I did some knitting, then some stitching and then some more knitting.  Wonderful.  And, Fletch and I were able to sit comfortably on the patio before dinner for the first time since the Fall!  I noticed that some of our daffodils are just about to open.

Last night we finally watched Maestro - we both liked it and Bradley Cooper was amazing.

Today is open.  I may get a walk in - or I may do an indoor workout.  I do need to run to the store for some mushrooms (stroganoff is on the menu for dinner tonight).  I'll also pick up wings to get them marinating in some hot sauce and some in BBQ sauce - Fletch wants to grill tomorrow.  I should do some cleaning...and I'm sure I'll get back to knitting and stitching.  

Have a great Monday!