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Second pair of mittens.... these remind me of spring robins' eggs. What's coloring your world today?

  This is flowering ground cover.  Anyone know what it's true name is?  Lovin' the display of purply pink!   This is what I'm reading. If you like the Long Island Medium you will love the book.  I love the book.  It is full of hope and joy and a wonderful way to view death and the departed.  If you think she's a quack then you 'll think the book is: quackery! My goal today is to drink a gallon of water.  Seriously.  If I know me, I'll drink about a quart...and  give in!  Perhaps I should knit with my goldfish colored yarn today.  Have you seen the fun goldfish and jello desserts? You take a ball jar.   Fill it with blue jello and add a  Swedish Fish. Set up it looks like a fishy bowl! I don't create these amazing things, but I do pass them on!!!!

  Sunday was Baby shower day for my niece.   In the past, I was working on weekends.  It is so nice to go to a baby shower.  A friend made the cake.   It was a yummy as it was pretty.  On Saturday night we saw Rita Rudner's comedy act.  She was darling.  She gave a long performance and she never swore or went to raunchy material.  She made us laugh with ordinary observations.  My Favorite joke of hers:  I got my flu shot at Costco. I had to get 36 of them so I think I'm covered. There was only enough time to knit one new mitten. It is an adult sized mitten. I'm already working on the cuff of the partner.  The yarn has some alpaca to it.  Just enough fuzz!  I'm wrapping up my indoor activities for the spring.  Soon I'll be on that porch all evening and I don't like to do indoor events during our short summer.  I don't even like to eat out if I ha...

  This weeks Highs and little Lows: Low: Our neighbors fence is falling, again.  Fireman and I are betting they won't do a thing about it until Mothers Day when they may entertain.  High: Visiting Fireman's aunt and uncle yesterday. Even though his uncle is battling brain cancer,  he is funny and they are joyful with memories.  His tumor is currently gone per MRI.    Low: Rocky Road low fat dessert.  Why bother... ugh High: this is Fezzik's aunt.  I hope he has her eyes and her bone structure! 11 more days until Fezzik comes home! Low: The cold rainy weather all week has been a bit of a bummer. We are ready for sunny warmth to reappear soon...Please.  I want to be on my porch. and my bike.... High: Finished those darling mittens. Cast on another pair in a bigger size.  High:  Was able to donate blood. Last time my hemoglobin wasn't high enough.  High:...

Hello pair of mittens.  The pattern is free from  Americans are making...afghans for Afghans.  Basic Pattern for Children's Mittens by elizabeth errand.  She asks users to donate a pair of mittens to your favorite charity.  The yarn is KNITCOL trends by adriafil made in Italy. Color 069.  I paid 10.50 for a skien.  Second verse, same as the first! Or I'm casting on a new pair today.  Here are my neighbor's flowers.  Shot this just before sunset.  Lynn, long time blog fan, and mother of two kittens we fostered,  Teddy and Mr. Whiskers, (formerly Fixie and Bonk)  sent goodies to the cats.   They loved the box it arrived in.  One of the gifts is a track with a ball in it. Ohhhh, instant hit.  Do you feed your roses?  What do you use for more blooms...? 

  I love my mitten.  Mittens, where have you been my whole knit life?  Actually, I think I knitted mittens way way back, and I was new to the needles then.  The thumb join was atrocious and I never tried again.  Look out!  I see many more mittens ahead of me.  The pattern I choose on Ravelry is free, but she asks you to donate a pair of mittens if you use the pattern.  I certainly will. The car windshield needed to be scraped this morning.  We had snow flurries yesterday.  So Fireman and I watched Sweetgrass, the Movie.  On the big screen it would be amazing. Here's the thing: there is almost no dialogue.  I have a million questions about why they were doing what they were doing.  No answers.   I get it.  Driving sheep is hard hard work.  I liked it, but if you are tired or if you are having trouble falling asleep.....may I suggest this movie......

*Channon, this bag is for you.  It is for knits, but I think it is an amazing bag. It is on display at my LYS.  It is pricey. I can't find my notes, but I think it was over 40 dollars.  (I am currently using my beautiful Dragon bag that was gifted to me during the Year of the Dragon Swap)  *What do you think of this pretty little top? I think it looks like it is missing an arm.  I'd do both sides with the tie if I was going to knit this. You know I'm knot, pun intended.   *Long time reader Maureen, emailed me about the Hello KITTY cookies yesterday.  She wants to find them for her niece who loves all things Hello Kitty.  I love when that happens.   *Fireman and I I gave blood yesterday.  The techs were saying how significantly donations are down.  Fewer and fewer donations yearly.  I do think there are many restrictions, important ones, that elimina...

  This is my new yarn.  I started socks but alas, I fear I will run out with just two skeins for two socks.    Here's the plan: Frog it.  Knit mittens.   I think a little girl would LOVE mittens in this fun color way.  Mittens are kind of socks...right? Less yardage right?   My LYS is offering a class for this Knotted slipper pattern.  I like the look.  Do you? I won't make them.  Sometimes you just love a pattern but you know you won't knit it.  Right?  Last week Fireman and I stopped at a little bakery in a tiny town. Hello Kitty!   My friend Jill called me this weekend. It was warm Saturday and the neighbors were having a campfire. Kids running, dog running. Then a growl and a scream. Her Allison, was bit in the face.  She'll be okay.  But it will be months of skin care to avoid a scar.  She was bit very close to her eye.  So far thi...

     *This weekend was for socks.  I started the second sock of this pair.  The yarn is very thin and has next to no give. It is LOVE STORY color way in Opal.  I won't buy it again.  *I also started a new pair of socks, in a bigger gauge with another yarn, but that's for tomorrow's post.  *I'm all about my rose bushes this year.  I fed them with fish emulsion liquid yesterday before our rains fell.  Stinky stuff!  Just like when your kids don't clean the fish tank and you have to...times 10! * Our neighborhood is full of these gorgeous pink blossoms.  And it is full of pollen...but it is worth it.  *16 days until Fezzik comes.   just sayin' *We had crepes with canadian bacon and swiss cheese on Saturday night. They were delish.  *So many sports to watch right now, but I chose a movie yesterday afternoon. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hi...

  Every little flower deserves a shot today.  Tank does, too.  He has decided the porch is safe even in the daytime.  In the past. he only came out to the porch at night when the bugs were on the screen.  Cats teach patience, to me.  Tank is still evolving as our cat after 2 years.  I'm back to socks as of yesterday.  Here are ten things I'm grateful for this Saturday: *Linda, a new reader of this little blog.  Welcome Linda!  *The sun is out and coaxing all the little tiny leaves on my bushes to spread in its warmth.  *Al's at a wedding in the Outer Banks and she's texting me photos.  I love hearing from my kids.  *Fireman and I rode our bikes to the Chicago Botanic Gardens yesterday.  It was a  flat, beautiful ride.  Am I becoming a rider?  *The Cubs new manager got himself thrown out of yesterdays game.  Hooray, Finally, someone with ...

Today's post is brought to you From Chewy.com I am to tell you that I do not receive any money for reviewing. I do receive treats and such from them for a blog review monthly.   Well, the cats get the treats. This month I said I'd try the EVO wild cravings grain free Herring and salmon treats.  Not one of my 3 cats would touch them.  I tried tricking them and putting them in with their normal food and they ....(really)...they ate around them.   So a thumbs down this time for our Chewy gift.  I ended up putting it outside for the chipmunks.  I couldn't waste them! Here is one of my favorite images Zach took IN Mexico.  Such a pretty kitty -

I really loved knitting this Stole.  Cabin Fever Knits pattern.  One row repeat.  Lace....(Squeal....I finally learned my second lace pattern)  I used Jitterbug sock yarn in beige for the stole and cream for the fringe.  The pattern does not call for fringe, but I wanted some fringe.  Love me some fringe.  I gave it a lovely little bath in a basin and opened it up on towels to block it.  No pins, just a bit of shaping and it worked.  The lace really opened up.  Neutrality...neutrals....let's call it quietly pretty.  This baby is all mine. I see myself in it in the Outerbanks with Al this summer as the nights get cool.   Oh yeah, I've already cast on another.  There is some happy knitting going on here.... I hope you are having some knit happiness today too!

  When it is cooler near the lake, you just go west a bit and you have a lovely spring day.  Today: case in point: 50s  in our town,  68 in Caldonia, Illinois near Rockford.   Fireman and I rode our bikes at Rock Cut State Park.  It was all fun on the trails until We hit the hills.  I don't like to call trouble to me, but I kept thinking, if I crash and ruin my knitting wrists I'll be so unhappy.  The trails were hard, the hills were harder...and yes I got off and walked my bike up several of them,  and the downhills were kinda scary.   Still I won't get thrown from a bike like I would on a horse, and the workout was great.  I will ride again soon, but on the flat please.  ***** The true reason behind the drive out there was so I could visit my new maine coon Kitten again.  Here is Fireman with Fezzik's mom, Tilly.  Fezzik is too cute for words.  Period.  ...

  Our forsythia are in bloom.  This means all kinds of things in the natural world like: -it is time to go bass fishing -and to prune your roses from winter's  harm and my personal thoughts; -and to buy new yarn for summer shawls.... Right?  - Here is Skydive about 40 inches finished.  I have Katherine to thank for sending me this pattern years ago.  I LOVE IT.  I have decided to add fringe to the ends and I'm a bit worried I won't have enough yarn.  As I recall Fringe eats ups yarn right?  When blocked,  Stop laughing please, I will block this shawl, it will be a few inches wider and longer.  Help.... I hope you have a sweet day.  It is sunny and 60s here and that's sweet enough for me. 

Our world is becoming green again.  The cardinals are nesting in the evergreens right outside my kitchen window.  Zach stole this shot of Daddy cardinal yesterday.  Those are not my tulips, but we are finally seeing tulips ready to bloom in my neighborhood.  * Progress is being made on my Skydive Stole.  I'm over the half way point.  Wheeeeeee!  I will bore you all with knitting another immediately after I cast off with this one.  I'd like to knit the next with a yarn that has some fuzz to it.  Suggestions anyone?  * On Saturday I was walking and passed an injured bunny. A runner stopped and we watched as a police officer shoveled it into a big box....and took it away. The sweet girl looked at me, and said,  "I think I'm gonna cry"  There are a lot of big hearts in this world and they never get due credit.   It's the Circle of Life and all that...poor bunny boo. ...

  I am still so in awe of being retired, that I don't know how to handle Saturdays.  Or Sundays for that matter.  Why is it that these days feel twice the hours of the other days of the week? It is luxurious.  On most weekends, the attending doctor would bring the nurses donuts.  We didn't need donuts  We needed fruit.  We all started the shift not touching them, and by 10 AM they were gone, or at least mostly gone.  Every. Single. Weekend.  You would think without that donut factor, I'd be a stick thin person  right now.  Nope. (By the way nurses bring in more home cooked casseroles and treats than any other staff on a regular basis)  I was working on my shawl, my lace shawl,  last night, while watching Twice Born.  It is a new documentary PBS series on in utero surgeries and the lives of the doctors and the patients.  I know doctors are important.  It bugs the beJeezus out of m...

  The storms loomed around us but we were not near the devastation, up north, near Rockford.   Thanks for all those who were concerned.  I don't know how I'll ever live in a house without a basement...   There is no basement in the birdhouse, but we have our first family EVER in the house. I've had this house for years.  Wrens look at it and move on.  Yesterday, Fireman, (who always notices wildlife first) told me to come see the birdhouse. It is just a sparrow and the kind that they say are overtaking the area, but I'm thrilled.  Babies!   I read you are supposed to knock down their nests ...but I simply can't.  The image is through the screen and I apologize, but you can make out the male on the top of the house.  My sister has asked me to knit her a pillow cover. Have you ever done this? I like this pattern but am not married to it.  Finally,  In my own Knitland I had a...

  *Let's start with cats.  Hee hee. This is Pippa.  She was my foster 3 years ago.  She is Beatles' mom.  She is STILL waiting to go home with somebody.  Pippa doesn't show well.  She often just sleeps during visitor hours.  She has come a really long way.  She is very particular.  She likes to drink from the cat room faucet.  She loves the laser pointer. You just cannot force yourself on Pippa.  I've seen her come to really love one or two cat room attendants over the years.  She needs an old experienced cat person to adopt her.  If you know of anyone who wants to even try by fostering  her first, please let me know.  I have seen a soft side of her and I think she has potential.     * On with the next thing: products. I still love the smell of Noxzema.   It was the first thing I bought as a teen ager on my own. I still love a good Nox...

This is Bottle Rock by Alchemy.  It has been at my LYS for months, but it really looks like a summery wrap to me.   Warning, it is not soft.   I'm pretty sure it wouldn't DRAPE on my frame quite the way it does on this stand.   But I like to look at it.  I think,  "Hey I could knit that, its a rectangle, and its stockinette, " but it is not soft.  So it is a no go for me.  But I do like to look at it.  Since I can't show you my own shawl progress, I have to entertain with other pictures I've taken for the studio's blog.  We are supposed to get storms tomorrow.  I'm ridiculously happy about this prediction.  I don't want any flooding or tornadoes but I love a good rocking thunderstorm.  It has been MONTHS.  Storms are one of my favorite things about Spring, Summer and Fall.  Perhaps one reason is that it has to be WARM to get one rocking, and I'm ready for warm!  ...