Weekending 7/31/23

 Good Monday Morning!

It is a gorgeous morning here in Eastern PA.  Our heatwave has broken (currently 61 degrees at 6:48 am) and the humidity feels as though it has dropped.  I've been able to sleep with the AC off, ceiling fan on and windows open for the last two nights!  If work will not rear its ugly head, I may get out for a walk a little later.

How was your weekend?  Mine seems to have been the right combination of different things.  It started off Friday with some home made camponata for dinner.

(That's lavender from the garden behind the camponata)

We had the camponata on some crusty bread that I had brushed with EVOO and then warmed/heated/slightly toasted in the oven.  Delicious!!

And while we were having dinner, Steve the Beav came onto the patio!  I've never seen him this close to the house...first he came up to the fire pit by the picnic table and then just kept coming!  It was hysterical.

I was so surprised that I fumbled to get my phone to take a picture.  Not the greatest, but there he is right by our back sliding door to the patio!  A brazen fellow.

Saturday morning found me meeting up with Dee as usual for our check in to solve the world's problems and keep our sanity.  I had started my Allsorts Sock #1 (I was through the 15 rows of ribbing that I do), so started in on a pattern I had decided on which involved some slipped stitches.  After 6 rows I decided it was fugly and was just going to rip everything out, but (as usual) Dee saved the day and ripped it back to my ribbing and picked up my stitches.  I pretty much suck at doing that.  So thank you Dee!  And a bit of progress was made on that first sock!

No pattern, just plain vanilla.  The yarn has spoken!  This is KnitPicks Static yarn and it is striping up very evenly much to my surprise.  Caking it up, I was sure the colors would be all over the place, but I am loving how it is knitting up.

Sunday Fletch and I spent a little time pulling an invasive vine out of the bed where our lilac is.  That darned Virginia Creeper is everywhere!  And hard to pull out too.  In the afternoon we wandered over to Lansdale to Colin & Mailing's house.  I watered the house plants and Fletch repaired a latch on one of their cabinets that was not staying shut.  Next time he needs to do some trimming of plants that are trying to take over the sidewalk from the driveway to the front door.  The lawn looked good though - it is being cut every two weeks.

And today has already been a productive one!  Nuts have been roasted and a cake is out of the oven cooling...I will frost it later.  Cheers to the week ahead - let's make it a good one!

Finally Friday! 7/28/23

 Hello All,

Whew!  I am glad that Friday is here.  It has been a busy week for me (and it's not over yet...work beckons).

After stating in numerous places that I am better at monogamous knitting...or at least really not too many projects on the go at once...I am now contemplating casting on so many things!  Oh well, variety is the spice of life.

I'm stilll working on the Shakerag Skirt and I rediscovered the purple (non-wool) cowl I started for Leslie.  They both need attention.

But I spent some delightful time yesterday stash diving!  I needed (ha!) to cast on a pair of socks to have something easy to work on when I meet up with Dee on Saturday.  The yarn has been chosen and caked up, but I haven't had a chance to cast on yet.  

KnitPicks Static in the colorway Allsorts

I went ahead and bought the Hitch on the Move pattern and have my yarn picked out for that...not caked up yet, but hopefully today.

Emma's Yarn.  On the left "Wish You Were Beer" and on the right "Weathervane"

Can you see why I want to cast on EVERYTHING???

Kym also convinced me to go ahead and get the Sinkmates pattern for dishcloths.  I love the little I-cord loop.  I will probably look at my cotton yarn today and pick something out.

Meanwhile it is hot as blazes here.  And HUMID to the Nth degree.  This morning I need to run to CVS to pick up a prescription and some other stuff.  Then I have a conference call at 11.  This afternoon I'll run to the grocery store to pick up some good French or Italian bread to brush with EVOO and toast under the broiler.  We will sample the caponata for dinner tonight!

I'm still so sad that Mabel hasn't shown up.  But due to her absence, the other critters are out and about more often.  We've been seeing Steve the Beav (our resident groundhog) just about daily.  And this guy (and his family members) are also seen daily.

They munch away on all the clover in our yard, hopefuly ignoring and missing all the deer poop!

Cheers to the weekend ahead - Enjoy!!

Unraveled Wednesday 7/26/23

 Hello and Good Morning!

How are you?  I am doing well on this Wednesday morning, though I would have enjoyed sleeping a little better and, perhaps, a little longer.  I set my alarm for 6 a.m. because I'm venturing to the office this morning and I was [finally] sound asleep when that buzzing went off.

This is the last (gasp!!) Wednesday in July and it is time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Unraveled Wednesday just makes Hump Day all that much better.  So, let's get to it.  Another finish!!!  The PairFect socks are finally done.

They are matchy-matchy and they fit Fletch perfectly.  Woo-Hoo!  I will say that this yarn (PairFect by Arne & Carlos for Regia) feels much more rustic than my other sock yarns.  It is the same 75/25 blend, but it is not as soft.  No matter, Fletch loves them.

There is not much to show here, but I did (again finally) start on my Shakerag SkirtL

I've only done 5 rows or so, but I'm pretty sure I managed that without twisting it!  I'm using Rowan's Creative Linen for my skirt in the colorway Oasis.  My circular needle is by Chiaogoo and I will say the yarn seems to not flow all that smoothly on the cable.  I also realize I am a very tight knitter and that could be part or all of the problem.  I've had a few issues with the yarn splitting a bit, but I'm sure that is user error.  My yarn is dark and if I'm knitting in low light sometimes the tip of my needle goes into the yarn rather than under it.  Oh well.  I just need to go slowly (obviously) and carefully.

As for reading, I finished Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell.  It was good...certainly not the same level of writing as "The Marriage Portrait" or "Hamnet."  The beginning sort of dragged for me, but I liked the last third of the book better.

I'm now in the midst of a "beachy" read and it is pretty bad.  LOL  I can't remember the title (and am not running upstairs to check), but I have less than 100 pages left, so will stick it out.  Waiting patiently on my nightstand is The Bandit Queens and I am looking forward to diving into that.

Fletch and I are just about finished with "H is for Hawk" by Helen Macdonald (we are over 90% of the way through).  I think Fletch is leaning towards another Master & Commander book.  We've only read the first in that series, so next up will be Post Captain which I just downloaded.

We had quite a thunderstorm yesterday afternoon.  The winds picked up, the rains came down and the temps dropped into the 60's!  We had about 2" of rain very quickly.  Fletch actually put on the PairFect socks when we went out to sit on the patio and we both donned flannel shirts!  Poor figgy which has been so slow to grow this summer appears to have been knocked over!  Fletch will check on it later (It's out at the edge of our veggie garden).

I did pick the eggplants...chopped them up and roasted them last night.  Later today I will finish making the caponata.

And yes, more cukes!  Fletch is picking green beans (again) for dinner tonight.

Time for me to get motivated with another cup of coffee.  I want to go to the office early (and Trader Joe's of course) and get home well before lunch!  Be sure to check out the links at Kat's blog - there are always interesting things to see.  Enjoy!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 7/25/23

 Good Morning All,

It is a sunny morning here in Eastern PA and the temp currently is just 69.  Lovely.  Doors are open, the deer have been browsing and finding fallen apples under our tree.  I'm just taking my first sip of morning coffee.  Hard to believe we are at the last week of July.  Time is flying by!

It is the last Tuesday of July and time for a Tiny Needle update.  There is a finish!!  My friends, Autumn Posy is finished.

I love it!  This was stitched on 40 count linen using one strand of Weeks Dye Works floss over 2 linen threads. The finished size is roughly 5" by 5" - really too large to turn into a pin cushion, so I'm not sure what I will do with it.  Maybe frame it?  (But where to hang it?)  Maybe make a bag and add this to it somehow.  I don't know...undecided at the moment.  Is anyone interested in the chart for this?  If so, let me know.  If more than one person, random munumber generator will make the choice.  I'm happy to ship this out.

There was also a bit of progress on Sampler Aux Bouquets.

I thought I might finish the flowers inside the heart, but that didn't happen.  Perhaps today or sometime this week.  Honestly there are not enough hours in the day!

I stayed home yesterday and rested my leg/hip.  Today it is a bit better.  I did manage to make some sweet refrigerator pickles.

Will try these at lunch today.  Good thing grocery shopping is on the agenda as I used the last of my apple cider vinegar to make these.  Time to re-stock.  

Also on the agenda is to make some roasted nuts and eggplant caponata since I have 6 or 7 eggplants on the counter (the small, slender Asian variety is what we are growing this year and the plants [2] are super productive).

Finally I plan to rearrange some of the things in my office room.  Currently my sewing machine cabinet is at a window and I find that it is difficult to sew there (always seems to be a glare).  So, I will move a bookcase under the window and move the sewing machine to a wall near, but not under, a window.  I probably won't get to that today...but I'm thinking about it!  Again, not enough hours in one day!

Hoping your week is going well and that you are enjoying the fading days of July.  Take care!

Weekending 7/24/23

 Hello and Good Morning!

How are you and how was your weekend.  Mine was excellent~~!

Saturday morning I met up with Dee of course and that was delightful.  A very pleasanat older woman (probably she was our age!) stopped to comment on our knitting and when she left said she was going to call her sister and tell her they needed to get back to knitting.  Ha!  Later that day I made a strawberry/rhubarb/blueberry crisp.  Oh my!

Fletch gave me the ultimate compliment saying it was so good that he didn't even need whipped cream!

Sunday I managed a 3+ mile walk alongside the canal.  I ventured out right after breakfast so it hadn't gotten to the stinking hot level, but I was still drenched by the time I got home.  There were a number of people out and about - some walking, some jogging, some in kayaks and some on paddleboards, some on bikes and then 2 guys who were wading in the river.  As I was on my return walk those 2 guys came up onto the trail...their jeans and sneakers were covered in mud!  There were no blue herons that I saw and not as many turtles as usual.  My pace was a little faster than usual and today I am paying the price.  I had hoped to walk this morning, but my right thigh is very tight and stiff, so I will skip an early morning walk.  I have plenty to do around here...the bathrooms need to be cleaned, the kitchen floor needs to be swept and there are 4 garden cukes on the counter - time to make some pickles!

I also received a most wonderful surprise on Friday.  Leslie, Jaimie and Emory were driving back to PA from RI and Leslie texted asking if they could stop by...that they had something of Mom's to give to me.  I've told you all many times how Leslie's Mom was my second Mom (and my Mom was Leslie's 2nd Mom).  The girls showed up just after 5 and brought me this:

This was Mom's knitting/crocheting/sewing basket!  And it is filled with so many goodies.  Here's looking in one side:

I have not gone through it all yet, but there are knitting needles, crochet hooks, seam rippers (at least 3), scissors (both pinking and regular - there are at least 8 pairs of scissors), a darning egg, some snaps, some thread, etc., etc.  Even glue sticks for a hot glue gun!  Oh, and a leather punch.  A treasure trove for sure.  My Mom taught me to knit, but Leslie's Mom taught me to crochet.  We shared a love of sewing too and this is just such a wonderful gift.  I'm thrilled to have it.

So, as I said earlier, an excellent weekend!  Let me hear how yours was.  

Getting Together

 Hello all,

Hope everyone is doing well this Thursday morning.  We had a delightful evening at Bonnie & Zhongren's last night.  Anna was there (and Otto) and Mailing got there a little later.  It was so nice to all be together again.  Dinner was delicious (ribs, grilled sausage, green beans [from our garden], marinated eggplant, pickled veggies, and a Swedish almond cake for dessert...also wine [of course]).  I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures of food!

However, I do have pictures from their back yard.  I know I have shown these before, but everything is just so nice that I have to show it again!  Here is the shed that Zhongren built:

 Love the windows and door!

And here is his garden:

The little well on the left is new.  He collects rainwater up near the house and then pipes (underground) it down to the well for watering his garden.  The arch in the center is where his cucumbers are growing.  Some of them were at least 18" long!!  He also is growing beans, tomatoes and some other things.

And here is Otto!

And that's it for today.  A quick post as I need to get to work.  Have a wonderful Thursday!

Unraveled Wednesday 7/19/23

 Hello My Friends!

Well, after too little sleep Sunday night due to frolicking with friends and then very poor sleep Monday night...last night I managed to sleep over 9 hours!  So I'm a little dopey or groggy this morning due to extra slumber rather than too little.  

We had a very nice visit and lunch with Linda (my SIL) yesterday and after lunch she and I walked a little over 2 miles on the River Trail in Valley Forge.  It was nice, but very hot and humid (my car said 92 degrees) and my back was not happy and my tee shirt was soaking wet when we got back to the car.

Seeing as it is Wednesday, it is time to link up with Kat and all in the Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  I love Wednesdays!

Guess what!!??!!  The great green blob Hitchhiker is finished!!  Woo-Hoo.  Late last week I finally just said to myself "get it done for God's sake!"  So I did.  

I have not yet blocked it.  The humidity level is so high (and has been) that it would take FOREVER to dry.  I will get to that later.  If you click to enlarge, you will see the eyelet rows that are so delicate and pretty.  I think I could have done one more pattern (8 rows), but it would have been too close a call for comfort and I'm not one to play yarn chicken.  As it turns out, there are 35 points or teeth.  I used a #4 needle.  The yarn is my Machete Shoppe (Twist Sock, 80/20 Merino/nylon) and the colorway is Douglas Fir.

There has also been progress on the second PairFect Sock!!

The heel has been turned, gussett stitches picked up and then decreased and as of last night I am roughly 1/3 of the way down the foot.  Much faster than Sock #1.  Another couple of nights and these will be finished!

As for reading, the other night when sleep eluded me and I finally got up and turned the light on, I finished Weyward which was ok...not great, but ok.  Last night I started Instructions for a Heat Wave by Maggie O'Farrell.  I am about 60 pages into it.  Definitely not Hamnet or The Marriage Portrait, but I'm enjoying it.  My turn in the queue came up for The Bandit Queens so that is now sitting on my night stand and is next in line when I finish Heat Wave. 

Fletch and I are continuing with H is for Hawk and enjoying listening to that after dinner.

Well, time for me to get moving.  I've got a cake to make and a side dish that we will take to Bonny & Zhongren's tonight.  Mailing is in town for a week and we are having dinner at her parents tonight.  Cannot wait to see her!  Have a great Wednesday and be sure to head over to Kat's for inspiration!