Home Sweet Home

We bought our 1962 faded white aluminum sided house about 5 years ago ...



And last year we finally updated to vinyl siding in the color of our choice with green shutters to dress it up a bit. It looked nice but we knew it still needed the protection of a new roof since the one we had was starting to deteriorate also. The old siding was turning gray because the white was turning to powder and the gray aluminum was showing through. Time to upgrade. [kind of how my body feels right now ... time to upgrade]



So this past weekend ... with the help of my wonderful SIL and a good friend [I'd like to adopt him] ... we got a new roof put on. One that matches the siding.



To surprise my DH when he gets home and of course and to protect us from bad weather in the future. But I couldn't resist, I showed the DH some pictures and he said ....



"You made a great choice!"



Boy did that ever make me happy ...
my knitting needles can click away now!

P = Popcorn. My food for thought ...

P is for Popcorn. One of the many different "comfort" foods that I enjoy!

In front of the TV is where I do my knitting these days. Athough I use to enjoy knitting in the backyard. This Summer has been too wet and it's no fun knitting out there right now anyway. I need someone special present ...

Q = Quietly sitting together!




Hope I go back to these days soon.

Shhhh... it might be a Christmas gift.

I intend to finish this scarf for one of my step daughters ...



It's an Evelyn Clark Designs ... the Elvera Lace Scarf.



My DSD loves purple and also lace; so it's perfect for her don't you think? My other DSD loves Red or Pink and if you remember right, I had knit the Scrunchable Scarf in Red for her back in May when I had decided to get a head start on Christmas gifts.

But I have other works in progress also ... such as the Colourscape Grace Shawl knit from the design collection created for Kaffe Fassette's new yarn. I'm loving it so far! But this is definitely for me. I'll be wearing it to the Kaffe Fassette lecture in October being sponsored by Seed Stitch Fine Yarn in Salem, MA. Well ... if I get it done in time that is.



And I did go to Beadworks to pick out a new bead color for the Mystery Stole 4 [still time to sign up] project since the garnet red beads were not going to work because of their shape. I'm told it would distort the design. Sooooo, I picked out a totally and I mean totally different color. I decided to go with a high contrast ... the complimentary color for the Cinnabar Red yarn that is. So here is my choice ...

Do you think I could have it done in time for Christmas ...

for Me to wear that is?

Sign up for the Mystery Stole 4 KAL!

And why wouldn't I be on board? Why would you say I have more than enough to do already? There's only 2 pairs of socks on the needles for SOS'08, a sweater vest called "Grace" to be worn to Kaffe Fassett's Lecture in October at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn [and should I forget about my Hexagonal Bedspread?], and the "All Ruffled Up" for my Mom for Christmas. Never mind the scarf I have on needles and the other miscellaneous knitting projects and Christmas gifts waiting to be picked back up. [waiting for awhile now as a matter of fact]

Of course, the Mystic Meadows Stole is about 3/4 of the way done. That's almost done right? So I'll be itching for another lace project I'm sure, right? So why not the Mystery Stole 4? And why not take the yarn out of my Stash for a change. Yah, let's pick from the Stash.

So this is what I've picked out ...



Jaggerspun Zephr Lace in Cinnabar colorway.
With red 8/0 beads

Just waiting to hear from the designer on whether the oblong shaped beads will work just as well as round.

Do you feel the colors will work together?

Of course, this isn't written in stone and I can always change my mind before September if you convince me I've made a bad choose.
I value your opinion.

Now whether I take it or not is another matter ...


*Added Note:

I just got word that I need to use round beads because the other would distort the design. So tomorrow I shop for beads.
I'm still using the Cinnabar. Just might wear it at Christmas time.

Catching up on the ABC along ...

N = Nesting Wool.

I bought this ball of wool fiber at the NH Sheep & Wool Festival this year to provide warm stuffing for the birds to build their nests with. It gives me a warm and cozy feeling every time I look at it, knowing I'm helping to keep some little baby birds in a soft and warm bed while they grow up.

and

O = Ocean view.

When Bill and I were vacationing in Ogunquit, Maine [oh duh, O = Ogunquit too] one year the weather was stormy the whole time we were there. But it was still beautiful to take pictures of while we walked the Marginal Way, beaches, through town or sitting at our Ocean front Bed & Breakfast. I have fond memories of this vacation while we sat in a tower room reading and watching the storm outside and marveling at the sunset together.






God willing, we must go back there again!

SOS'08 Sock #4 completed ...

And I call it my Cherry Hill River of Tears Socks. I started out with the pattern Faceted Rib Socks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott from the Little Box of Socks. But I started them while I was at the hospital and DH was in surgery ... so needless to say, I started the pattern wrong and hadn't noticed until I was about 3 inches into the cuff. Didn't want to frog and when I took a second look ... well I decided I kind of liked the pattern as is. Kind of looks like ripples in the water. From rain drops or tears. So I finished them as is and changed the name. Here they are:




Specs:
Needles: US 1½ / 2.5 mm
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome from my Stash
How much? 1 skeins = 480.0 yards (438.9m)
Colorway: Water
And the cuffs are 3 1/2 " (so I can wear them in the Summer)



Now I need to get back to some comfort food and relax before knitting the next pair of socks. Or the vest I've started or the Mystic Meadows stole or ...

did you know that I'm one of "six kittens knitting mittens"?

[... that's Blackberry Ridge Mittens we're knitting.]

Shopping over shadowing the knitting?

Although I have two socks on the needles ...

[more about the patterns when they're done]

I seem to be giving in to my obsession for bags lately.

Like this small Skein Holder Bag by Walker (I think) for instants ...

I know I bought the orange one not too long ago, but a girl's gotta have more color choices right? And of course I always have more than one pair of socks on the needles at one time anyway.



They just look so nice next to the big one I got at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn last week.



Of course I'll confess I bought yarn too, but I'm not going to go there right now. Okay, maybe I don't want to face the fact I have a "yarn stashing" problem. I'll worry about it later. But if your curiosity is getting the better of you ... go look at my stash on Ravelry.

I want to show you this bag I got from Knit Picks instead!





Now isn't that the way to carry your knitting in style?

And of course I've gotten some more books too. What's my life without more knitting books? [besides the 2 new bookcases I've had to buy, huh?]




Oh you smart knitter you ... you're right ... that's not a book laying there in the front of the picture. That's the new Knitting Daily TV series. Just arrived yesterday! All 13 episodes in one package. I'm going to watch one episode a night while eating my dinner. My evenings are so short by the time I get home lately, I have to multi-task.

Now about that yarn I've been purchasing ... m-m-m-m, now where did I put it?

Finally my 3rd pair of socks for SOS08 ...

Are done and I like em!

The specs on these socks with 7 inch cuffs are as follows …

Needle: US 1½ / 2.5 mm
Yarn: Regia-Garantie
How much? 2 skeins = 458.0 yards (418.8m)
Colorway: 4259 Landscape
Pattern: Basic Sock Recipe by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

Now if only I can make a little more progress on the Mystic Meadows stole. Row 175 is where I'm at now. I seem to only get 2 or 3 rows done at any one time while I'm sitting ... and then my mind drifts or I'm on the phone or going out the door again.




Maybe I won't answer the phone. Pretend I'm not here.
Don't go to the door either. Maybe I'll hang a sign ...



Gone knitting!!

A Fun Contest ...

Did you know about the contest at Knit Witch's Blog? Check it out!

Hope you win!

I saw this at a friend's Blog ...

Funny, Sara ... I don't even like ketchup but I'm a ketchup type? And seriously, I love all kinds of food, but the question was on what I cook. I don't cook much in the way of fancy stuff anymore. The years of cooking have burnt-me-out I think. But that doesn't stop me from eating it, LOL!

What condiment are you?

I Am Ketchup

You are easy going and very measured in your approach to life. Popular and well liked, you get along with everyone. Seriously, everyone loves you! Your taste tends to be pretty mainstream American. You go for the classic favorites: burgers, fries, and apple pie. You get along best with mustard and mayonnaise personalities.

What Condiment Are You?

And even though it's taking me 2 weeks to knit my socks on the needles, I'm almost done.



I just need another one of those drinks.
Hold the ketchup and bring on the ice!

Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes.

And today is my wedding Anniversary. Having my wonderful Dear Husband with me is a "gift" I treasure the most.

We were married 9 years ago today.

Bill is steadily getting better. There's a long road ahead. But I'm gratful for all of your prayers and well wishes. I am sure we will be celebrating once he returns home. He is out of the ICU and in a regular unit awaiting transfer to a rehabilitation hospital. From there we have a lot of work ahead of us until he's able to come home.

But then we can go back to having happier times like we did in the beginning and throughout our first 9 years ...

Our first Christmas ...

His past birthday celebration ...

Good days are ahead ...


May they be filled with double rainbows!

[Like the view from our bedroom window in our first year of marriage]

Storms on the horizon ...

My life has been turned upside down.




I was suppose to be on vacation last week. It started out on a Saturday, June 28 . My DH ... my love of my life ... my best friend, Bill ... was out with his daughter while I stayed at home to give them some "Father/Daughter" time together. I went out with them earlier for appetizers and a drink & took a picture of my "sock" on vacation, but was dropped off before they went out for a talk. They had dinner out together right in town.

And then disaster struck ... Bill turned his ankle on a curb (such a simple thing) and fell backwards onto the pavement. Hit his head really bad. So bad, he had to have emergency brain surgery the next day. Wheeled into surgery by noon at Mass General Hospital. I was told he had a 75% chance of NOT making it.

BUT he DID make it!

A week in ICU ... but now he's stable and in post-recovery and soon will be in rehabilitation. I pray that I get my ole' Bill back with his sense of humor intact. Please pray for him and pray for his full recovery. He can use all the prayers he can get. He's a wonderful guy. A Dad, Grandpa and a Great-Grandpa. Young. Always interesting. So funny ... he is the love of my life!

Bill always use to say, "You love your knitting more than you love me." I denied it, but he would either laugh or pout. But now I know he was wrong. I DO love him more than my knitting! I love knitting but not more. Not "instead of" ... because I got no knitting done this past week. Whatever I did do I had to frog twice. I need him around to really enjoy my knitting I guess. The following days until his return home are going to be very, very, very long ones.

Someday soon, I'll get back to knitting and talking about it again.

Slow but Sure ... my lace will bloom.

Clue one is done!

Not only socks are taking over my life right now.
So here is 118 rows of magic.



I'm in love with the magic of Lace!

But I do have a lot of sock knitting to do and this was ...

Only a brief Intermission.

Want to see more? Sure you do.

Now it's time to go do some real serious knitting ...

Second pair done!

Second pair of socks for Summer of Socks 2008 that is. As of this afternoon at lunch time. Just had to get home and take pictures.

They are my Seed Stitch Summer Socks.
[more pictures on Ravelry]

Specs: include 7” legs

so I can turn them down for cuffs.

Needles size US 2 / 2.75 mm dpn
Yarn Brooklyn Handspun Signature - Superwash Sock Yarn
[purchased at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn in Salem, MA]
How much? 1 skein = 480.0 yards (438.9m)
Colorway: Seed Stitch
[named after Seed Stitch Fine Yarn of course]
Pattern: Basic 2x2 rib from Gettting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd

I LOVE these socks!

But there's more socks to knit ...

Begosh, Begotta & Behold, I have socks!

My first pair of socks for Summer of Socks 2008 KAL have been finished!

Specs for my Strawberry Margarita Socks ...

Needle US 3 / 3.25 mm
Yarn Brooklyn Handspun Soft Spun Plus
How much? 1 skein = 375.0 yards (342.9m)
Colorway: Strawberry Margarita
Purchased at Brooklyn Handspun
Pattern: Slip-Stitch Cable Socks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott from The Little Box of Socks.

Note: the cuffs are 6 inches long.

BTW, if you're wondering how I got a pair of socks done so fast remember, I have no kids at home and I can do what I want most of the time … so I just knit all day this past Saturday & Sunday. This won’t happen during the weekdays believe me, but I am working on a more simple style of socks during the week anyway. Then ... well there's always 2 or 3 on the needles. And you all know that I knit on the Commuter Rail too.

Also ... next week I'm on vacation. Timed that just right didn't I?

Now, back to knitting socks!