Back on the road again.........

I finally put a life line in my sock and ripped back to where my "mistake" was.....

 I ended up doing it twice to get the lifeline on the same row throughout but it worked and I'm "on the road again"!

 This is Grace in a timeout...LOL!

Last night I made a #2 preemie hat for a girl...this is with the brim rolled up.... 

and this is with it rolled down........ 

Supper tonight was compliments of Barilla pasta 

via Alicia Paulson

Inexpensive, easy, filling and healthy...

There were many things I couldn't do yesterday as we had some severe thunderstorms in the afternoon and working on the porch with all those windows was out of the question

but I did manage to get out there for a bit last night and a bit today...........I've rounded another corner and it's cleaned but not finished.  I cleaned all those books individually. I spritz a rag with bit of window cleaner until the rag is just damp and wipe down my books that way.  I've divided those shelves into decorating, cross stitch, crafts, rug hooking and home improvement...so far.  I replaced 2 sets of pillowcases with the last 2 yellow gingham curtains I got at a sale.  I don't think the wash tub will stay there but for now it's out of the way...we'll see.  The "church"  bookcase I bought several years back.  I always go for the unique and unusual! LOL!  I think I paid $80.00 for it.  The wash tub was on my farm in the barn when I "bought the farm".

 

I'm off to put my feet up and watch "the game" and crochet.  Have a wonderful evening.  Happy Trails!

Miss Elaneous............that's me!

A little bit of this and that.  I've got so many irons in the fire I'm getting no where fast.  But I did manage to get these luscious veggies at the Farmer's Market......along with some gourds and baby pumpkins and do you see the "black" peppers?  They are not eggplant.

These are sweet potatoes and turnips and that vegetable brush was my Mother's and is still going strong!

These are scarlet runner beans and wish me luck as I've never fixed them before but they tell me they are wonderful with a ham bone thrown in and over cornbread.  Sounds like a plan to me!

I finished The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman which is a first novel by an absolutely wonderful writer.  It's been a long time since I've read something I had a hard time putting down.  It takes place on the coast of Australia on an island with a lighthouse.  I can't wait to see what else she writes.  She's so good there are many, many sentences that are truly quotable and frame worthy.....great writing!

There was bread making..........

and some knitting............

and no I haven't forgotten the porch.........Day #13 was yesterday but it's getting there, slowly but surely.  I've just about got all my plants out on the porch now.

along with a little more Fall decorating with some gourds and pumpkins......

 and even a couple acorn squash for safe keeping..........

I cleaned off the old cradle my dad made for my children and which each of them slept in when they came home from the hospital.  None of them wanted it for their children so I still have it.  When I move I will probably get rid of it but when I cleaned it I noticed he had carved his name on the bottom so I can't quite let go of it yet.  Maybe I'll put all those hand knitted toys in it....when I get them done! LOL!  The "Princess Pillow" my daughter got me when I had my eye surgery so I could use it on the long ride home from the hospital (3 hours).  The afghan was a Goodwill find for $7.00.  I can't remember where the 2 little apple pillows came from....church rummage sale?

I've gotten to the other corner and turned it...........I haven't sewn the curtains yet so I resorted back to using some pillowcases but I did get the windows washed and the "curtains" too.

Lots to do this week so I had better get a "move on".  I started reading a new book. I was reading The Book Thief and also The Storyteller but they are both about the holocaust and I can barely take reading about it at all much less in 2 books at a time. I decided to start reading Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky in order to give my empathetic nerve a little break.  So far so good!

Take care and have a great day!  I'll be around later to visit you all and see what you've been up to!  Happy Trails!

YOP Week #11

This week did not see much progress.  In fact, there was a lot of reverse going on.  It is the 11th week of YOP but it is also the week of 9/11 and looking back on that tragedy.  There were also plenty of new tragedies around the world and there seem to be lots of  changes going on everywhere...some good and some not so good.  Here on the home front there was frogging and starting over and learning, or trying, to fix my mistakes.  But this morning was a beauty of a day to wake up to..........

 

Now for the progress or rather lack of it on the YOP front........

This particular project was 1/2 done but there was a gap where I first joined it in the round and another a few rows up.  It kept bugging me and I mentioned it to a fellow knitter at the LYS and she "googled" it and found "the error of my ways" and how to fix it!  See where it's joined there at the top?  No more gap!  And this is how you fix it

You all probably know this technique but I didn't and I was very grateful to the woman at the yarn shop who pointed it out to me.  So, in case you didn't know this little trick I thought I would pass it on.

 Meanwhile, I was able to pick up the supplies for what I think is the last Christmas present.  Now, I just need to get busy and make them all! LOL!

I also have been working on my 2nd sock but I dropped a stitch.  Not a biggy you say as there is a well-known technique for fixing that........except look at mine....it ladders for a few stitches and then closes back up after about 2 stitches! How do I fix that?  At this point it looks more like I need a life line.  See, I told you this was a week of going in reverse.  But I need to hone these techniques and learn if I plan on knitting for the rest of my life so "no time like the present"!

It doesn't make for a very interesting blog post though so I  thought I would throw in a few tidbits that ARE interesting and so pretty....in my book anyway.  Susan B. Anderson, one of my favorite designers, came out with a new pattern that I will have to make in the future.  I have a son, Ben who has a little boy he calls "Buddy".... now look at this
Isn't it darling? 
I also found the yarn for my next socks...........these are Susan's Hudson Bay socks that she just finished using her pattern which is free here

and the yarn is from Fishknits Yarn

Another pair of socks I want to copy are these that Susan is making...........same basic pattern but look at this yarn!

The yarn is from Coloring Book Yarns but it seems the minute Susan mentions someone on her blog they sell out so check back later if you're interested in any of them.  I love Susan's blog and I have never gone wrong with her recommendations on anything.  She also shows how to wind your yarn that way....I have not tried it yet.  Plus she has lots of drawings for winning books, yarn, project bags etc. 
DISCLAIMER:  Susan was NOT driving when that picture was taken! LOL!
Have a great week everyone and I hope I have more to show for myself next week!
Happy Trails!