TGIF 01/29/21

 Good Morning!

Whew!  It is SO windy out there.  It was howling all night and woke me up with windows rattling.  This has been going on for days now and it needs to STOP!!  Looks like we could be in for some snow starting on Sunday going into (possibly) Tuesday.  Of course, snow forecasts have not been accurate for some time, so who knows?  We will just have to wait and see.

Meanwhile I finished the Lace and Cable section of my Heart Warmer cowl.

Next up is the Interrupted Rib section which should go faster than the Lace and Cable section.  For some reason that one caused me to have some fits!  LOL  I'm glad that section is finished.

On the reading front I finished "The Falcon Thief" and enjoyed it quite a bit.  Some of it was a little long winded, but interesting too.  And I'm almost finished "Some Writer!" which is about E. B. White.  Really enjoying that book a lot.

I wanted to show you one of my Christmas gifts.  Zhongren (Mailing's Dad) has been making these little wooden houses/buildings over the past year.  Very detailed with thatched roofs, windows, etc.  Every time we've gone over to their house, I've admired what he has made and, well, Christmas found one under the tree for me!

His creations are all numbered and signed.  So cool, huh?  Here's another shot from a little further away:

I love the way it looks on our buffet with our little fairy light tree.

Well, time for another cup of coffee.  I'm thankful that I only have two conference calls this morning - the third one has been cancelled.  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Unraveled Wednesday January 27, 2021

 Good Morning!

Our storm never materialized yesterday and this morning it is actually above freezing!  I'm getting a bit of a late start.  After waking at 3 a.m. and staying awake for a couple of hours, I managed to fall back asleep and did not wake up till 7 a.m.  Thankfully work is quiet and I have no where I HAVE to go today.  We may actually get the Christmas tree out of the house today!  This is the longest it has ever been up, but it has remained fresh and we haven't been too motivated to take it down.  We only put lights on it and the red cardinal we always put on the top - no other ornaments, so it will be a fast job.  I need/want to clear the Christmas stuff off the buffet too.  So hard to believe that January is just about over!

The past week saw a bit of progress on my knitting projects.  First up the Heart Warmer Cowl - I'm about halfway through the cable & lace section.  

Not sure why the picture turned around sideways, but whatever.  I'm loving the varigated yarn with the solid ribbing.

Next up I managed to get through the color work on the Yule Wave Sock - I did that last night and have not tried it yet to see if it is loose enough.  I did switch to a size 3 needle for the color work and I believe that helped.  

I definitely need practice with this.  I need to find the best way to keep the color work loose, but not get ladders where the needles meet up.  If anyone has suggestions, tips, etc. please share!

I've also been a bit like a crow or raven - distracted by shiny objects.  Specifically, the pattern Guernsey Wrap by Jared Flood.  I have wanted to make this for years!  Finally I bought the pattern.  And then the yarn.  But, I did not go with Brooklyn Tweed yarn (I've heard some very mixed reviews on that and it would have cost over $100 for the yarn to make this).  Instead I went with Wool of the Andes from KnitPicks (around $21 for the yarn) in the colorway Mink Heather.

I wanted a nice neutral shade and I think the various patterns will show well.  So, I'm excited to cast on!  Naturally, while perusing that wool some sock yarn just happened to jump into my cart:

Aren't these fun?  All are 75% superwash and 25% nylon.  The top skein is Stroll in the colorway "Northern Lights."  The middle skein is Muse (I think this is a new line KnitPicks is offering?) in the colorway "Enthusiasm Speckle." And the bottom skein is Static in the colorway "Beekeeper."  Just for the record, I have socks planned and people in mind who will receive them!

On the reading front, I am still reading The Falcon Thief and enjoying it.  But again, shiny objects have caught my eye.  Yesterday I stopped at the library and picked up Some Writer! and read several chapters last night.  I'm so glad this was not available on Overdrive as the pictures are wonderful and just the entire set up of the book is better to read as a *real* book than a digital one.  Last night I received an email that Monsieur Mediocre is ready for me to pick up.  I think this will be a bit like Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence" which was so enjoyable and laugh-out-loud funny.

You can see that I really don't have time to work!

As always on a Wednesday, linking up with Kat for Unraveled Wednesday.  Be sure to check out her blog (beautiful knitting) to see what she and others are making and reading.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 01/26/21

 Hello!

No snow or rain or sleet or anything yet.  When I let Tyg out at 4:45 a.m. (ggrrrrr) I looked at radar on my phone and it showed some wintry mix should happen a little later.  Hopefully it won't be too bad and will be easy to get out.  I need a couple of things at the grocery store that I forgot and another book is waiting for me at the library.

Last night's dinner of falafel (courtesy of Colin) was tasty.  The baba ghanoush I made was just ok.  I had intended to find out from C&M how they make it but instead used a recipe I found on the internet.  Plus I only had one eggplant, so it didn't make a lot.  Anyway, we had the falafel, baba ghanoush, some cucumber and radishes and a piece of bread toasted (I did not have any naan or pita bread).

The little bowl in the middle is the baba ghanoush (paprika on top).  Actually there was a little left which surprised me.  The falafel are very filling.  Tonight I plan to make a beef stew using my new Dutch oven!!

This past week saw me add a bit to the border on my Quaker Autumn sampler.  The right side border is now complete and hopefully the right and left will meet on the same line in the middle!  (And if they don't?  I will definitely fudge it...nothing will be ripped out!  LOL)  Here is an overall shot of where the sampler is today and then a close up of the two motifs I stitched this week.

There are still so many creatures to be stitched along with more leaves and a whole lot of letters.  Of course another (PITA) fir tree to stitch - so pretty to look at but quite a pain to stitch.  There's enough going on that I have not gotten bored with this one (thank God).  I already know in my mind what I want to stitch next (and it's another BIG one), so I'd best step up the pace on this one!

There is some work stuff going on today, but as usual I'm hoping to carve out a bit of time to knit and stitch and maybe read a chapter or two.  Hope your week is going well!

Weekending

 Good Morning!

It is still January and, therefore, is still dark outside.  We are receiving more daylight every day - a minute or more!  But, at 6:15 a.m. it is still quite dark out there.  And cold.  A winter storm is forecast for tonight (late - like 1 a.m.) into tomorrow.  It could change over to rain so it could just be a big fat mess.  Yet to be determined.  Colin has been walking early every morning, so tomorrow if it is snowing could be a very pretty walk.

Anyway, how was your weekend?  Mine was filled with a bunch of things, all very nice and enjoyable.  I knit some, I read some and I cooked some.  On the knitting side I worked some on the Yule Wave socks.  I'm up to where I will start the colorwork, but was too tired and/or distracted to try that.  I worked some on the Heart Warmer Cowl and got halfway through the cable and lace pattern.  Pictures of those things will wait until my Unraveled Wednesday post.  This is what I worked on last night:

My friend Carol asked me to knit a swatch that she could use for photographing things she makes (hair pins, shawl pins, etc.) and sells on Etsy.  The yarn is Miss Babs Yummy 2 Ply in the colorway Dark Orion.  So soft and the color is so saturated and pretty.  This is from deep in the stash!  Just a plain garter stitch piece as that goes the fastest for me.  I got quite a bit more finished last night while watching Miss Scarlet and the Duke (not sure if I really like that show or not).  I should finish this up today and I'm hoping to see Carol within a few weeks.

On the cooking front, we had delicious pasta with clam sauce and mussels last night (I forgot to take a picture) with a salad.  Saturday night I made vegetarian stuffed peppers.

There were a number of bell peppers in the frig that needed to be used.  I just mixed black beans, corn, garlic, onions, some salsa, chili powder, cumin and filled the peppers.  I pulled them out and added some cheese on top and then finished cooking them till the cheese melted.  We also had avocados that needed to be used, so I made fresh guacamole and we had that with some tortilla chips.  So good!  Tonight we are having falafel (Colin made some the other week and gave us a bunch frozen) and I'll mix up some baba ghanoush to go with it.  I sure do love to eat!!

So happy to report that my reading slump seems to have finally departed!!  This is what I am currently reading:

It is quite a good read.  Bonny - it made me think of The Feather Thief which we both read the other year.  I happened to see a review of The Falcon Thief in a catalogue that we get (Bas Bleu) so one morning I put a request in at my library and the book was in my hands that afternoon!

Well, as usual, it is time for me to pour another cup of coffee and get ready for the work day.  I have a conference call at 10 and other than that I'm not sure what is going on.  I'm not planning to go in to the office this week (fingers crossed that does not change).

Hoping your week is off to a great start!

Thursday Stuff

Hello, Hello,

Everyone feel a little better now?  I know I sure do.  Yesterday ended up being peaceful (thank God).  I thought Biden's speech was excellent and Amanda Gorman - WOW!!!  Even though I'm feeling better and more hopeful, last night was another wake up at 2 a.m.  I did get back to sleep eventually but then the alarm went off at 6 a.m.  I have to head back to the office which is not what I had planned for today.  But, there are more contracts and documents to print that need to be signed in ink (as opposed to me putting someone's electronic signature on them) and additionally they have to be notarized.  So, Bill and I are heading in and Jen will meet us since she is a notary.  Thursday is my big "get out a bunch of financial reports" day, so I will likely be there for a little while.  Oh well....

I did manage to get a little bit of knitting accomplished yesterday:

 The beginning of Yule Wave #2.  The cuff ribbing is complete and I've started the grey part of the leg.  I think another 12 rows or so and then will do the colorwork (with a slightly larger needle).  The 1x1 twisted rib is nice, though it takes me longer to do than a normal 2x2 plain rib.  But I like it for a change.

Another chilly morning (18 degrees), so I'd best dress warmly.  I'm curious to look up when I walk toward the front of my office building.  The hawks may be back!  Remember we had nesting hawks on a light fixture at my office building a year ago.  They made an awful mess of the walk way and windows, but it sure was fun to see those baby hawks.  Tuesday when I was at the office I noticed some sticks on top of the light fixture again.  I'm curious to see if there are more today.  If it is the hawks, I'll be curious to see if property management allows the nest building to continue or if they will try to discourage it (or take it away).  No one is going into the office (my entire building - 3 floors) is empty, but I also know it took them a long, long time to clean up the mess last year.

Time for another cup of joe and then get dressed to go out in the cold.  Have a wonderful Thursday!

Unraveled Wednesday January 20, 2021

 Good Morning!

Happy Inauguration Day!

Thanks for all your lovely comments on my stitching yesterday.  I appreciate them.  The project (Quaker Autumn) is a lot of fun to stitch and it surprises me how much I am still enjoying it (given how LARGE it is and how much further I have to go!!).

Not much was accomplished yesterday - no stitching and not really any knitting.  I was so tired after waking at 2 a.m. and not getting back to sleep.  I did take a little nap in the afternoon but my eyes still were tired and it was difficult to concentrate on anything.

The mitts I showed on Monday were finished on Saturday.  My attention then turned to the Heart Warmer cowl and I managed to get the first section (1x1 ribbing) finished.  

The next section is "lace and cables" and I will start that with the varigated yarn.  If today is not too busy, I will try to get that started.  I really like that there are so many different patterns to do in this cowl.  It should keep it interesting.

The next version (hopefully not too tight) of the Yule Wave sock looks like this:

LOL - stitches on one needle and they need to be put on 4 needles and then the 1x1 twisted ribbing will commence.  Perhaps today?  I did manage to wind the yarn for the main color.  Initially I had planned to do another blue, but I like this darker grey with the red, so will use that.

On the reading front, I am still reading mysteries.  They seem to be easier to handle right now, though I am waiting for some non-mysteries to become available to me from the Library.  I finished the first book in Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder series (Sworn to Silence) - pretty graphic and gruesome, but I went ahead and requested book #2 from my library.  Hopefully it won't be quite as detailed!  Then I picked up the first book in Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series (A Share in Death) and should finish that today.  A quick read and quite mild compared to the Castillo book.

As usual, linking up with Kat and others to talk about what we are making and reading.  Be sure to head over to Kat's blog to read her news and see the links that others post.  Happy mid-week!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 01/19/21

 Good Morning!

It is early and dark, but I woke at 2 a.m. and never got back to sleep.  I'm planning to nap today.  But first I'm going to my office - things to print in color, things to scan, mail to check, etc.  Hopefully not a long visit!

The past week gave me an opportunity to do a bit more stitching on the Quaker Autumn sampler.  It is coming along.  Still lots to stitch, but progress is being made and that's encouraging.  Overall it looks like this now:

And here's a close up of what I stitched in the past week:  a tree, a deer, a little bird and two more letters - P and K:

It's kind of a wrinkled mess thanks to stitching in hand, but there is no real point in ironing it now...it will only get balled up in my hands again!  I'm not sure what motif I will stitch next.  I should get back to the border and do some more of that...and I may...or I may continue stitching stuff on the left hand side.  I'll see what strikes my fancy the next time I pick up my needle.

Hope everyone is having a good week!