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Showing posts from August, 2015

Nothing But FUN

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  You probably know my love for Donna Booshay and her daughters runs deep.  This is Emma incognito... she wasn't trying to be!  I don't think she is in the Knittress protection program..but I'm not sure.   I do know you wouldn't ever want to hide her beautiful face. Funny how this image turned out.    I love the EASY button at Staples.  I may have to get one.  When you press it, it says, "That was Easy" The yarn that Channon gifted me when we first met FINALLY got knitted this week.  I love the color swirls.  The yarn just wasnt sure what it wanted to be for a bit.  I'm in a hat making mood.  I cast on 104 stitches on size 2 circs. Knit in 2 by 2 rib for about 2 inches. Switched to size 4 and knit all around . After a few inches I worked a  k2tog yo row. I did this 4 times during my hat creation.  After 8 inches were knit from the brim   I started hat decreases in the usual fashion and bound off.   I do

The Rest of the Story

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  So on Friday I paid a special visit to longtime blog pal Lynn. She lives 20 minutes from me and she adopted two of my kitten fosters 2 years ago.  It was wonderful to see how they have grown.  It was even more wonderful to see that they are in the best possible home you could ask for.  Lynn lost her torti Nicole this year and wanted to adopt another torti.  She went through Heartland, again and adopted this beauty: Kady Sue.  Kittens, Pure JOY!   Someone got smart at a family gathering yesterday. BY leaving these candles in the fire pit no one had to babysit a true wood fire.  Heather is smart like that.  She married my nephew Ryan and I adore her.  This is the sweater Al is knitting.  Quince and Co pattern Immie.  Adorable eh?  Happy Sunday.  I found I can leave comments if I use another browser so Look for me in your comments.   

I'm as much about Your comments as mine

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I'm as much about leaving comments on your blog as I am about getting them on my blog.  I don't know why, But I cannot leave any comments on your blogs right now.  I do not like this one bit.  Stay tuned. Rest assured I'm reading you! Anyone else having this issue? Quiet Life: Happy you are SERVING at the volleyball picnic. pun intended Wyoming Breezes: Your Foreign Fridays are always interesting . That is the flattest watercraft I've ever seen. Major Knitter: Love the finishes you are focused on. I'm trying to finish the baby blanket on time to enter your contest.  I have a week plus till Labor Day. Wandering Cat I read you too Mereknits....I'm about to read your Saturday posts HandEyeCrafts....how can I vote unless I get this issue resolved.  Argh!!! Help?  Anyone? help?  (Above photo is AL's current knitting) 

Just for Fun

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 A is for Always and B is for Beautiful flowers this time of year. 2.  C is for Cakes Cookies and Crumble using my antique Sunbeam  mixer. 3. D is for Darn Beautiful, my city's lakefront in the summer  4. E is for Evenings on the rooftop with Milt and Abby and F is for Friendship which is what they are all about.  5.  G is for good looking!~  6. H is for how bout those flowers  7. I is for I'm sure this dog is a safe driver and J. is for Joyriding  8. K is for keeping different cultures in our classrooms.   L is for Love Diego Rivera in Señor Boyers classroom.  9. M is for the many emoji faces on this t shirt.  10. N is for Never too many cats.   O is for Okay, maybe 4 is my household limit. 11. P is for pictures and posts. This is Brigit who chats with me about knitting while we wait for PT.  She is the baby blanket knitting in other post this week. She does not blog or use computers. She is knitting an infinity cowl

Death of the Camera...or ...Not one Picture on this Post....

So I busted the camera...again. I swear that camera and I have a very unhealthy relationship. This is the 'fall into the lake' camera of,  lets see now,  6 years ago. It was brand new then. It was less than 300 dollars.  I've gotten my 50 dollars a years worth.  I want to break up with it.  The other day the lens just jumped from the base onto the kitchen floor.  (while I was holding it ) and a ring that can be replaced broke.  Fireman thinks I dream up ways to drop the camera. Now, I consider myself very creative but not one to waste time on the demise of a camera.  The first thing he did when he retired was find a way to make that camera work. I'm grateful, I am . But I just can't have nice things.  It is too painful when they break.  And they all break.  My mantra to my family as they grew was,  'There it goes.'   This is not the Smashing Pumpkins reference.  I don't know if any of my readers even know

Nothing But Knitting

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  I saw a woman knitting this baby blanket in a waiting room.  She says you can use up your leftover yarns for the back round and it creates another great effect.  This is a bit more traditional for her new baby grandson.  I love both ideas.    My LYS is carrying this Regia Pairfect.  If you start both socks at the yellow marks, you will have a pairfect matching pair.  Somebody's clever!  Why didnt I think of that? There's quite a bit of interest in the Unemizo Capelet at my LYS. Very simple pattern.  Others say, on  Ravelry, that you must be sure to cast on and bind off very loosely.  Serendipitously, Mrs. Micawber just blogged about how to do this with a crochet hook.  :)  Finally,  the more adventuresome are knitting  Tokyo at our LYS.   It involves blocking when finished.  Seriously blocking, so I'm out.  Seen anything new lately that you want to share?

Baby Blankets and Banana Bread and Boob Tube

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  I had to make banana bread. We had two overripe bananas on the counter.  I pick any recipe I find with buttermilk as an ingredient.  I think the best banana breads are buttermilk based. This one cooked low and slow .....90 minutes at 300 degrees.  I cannot find the exact recipe I used.  Sorry... The baby blanket is moving slowly but still moving.  I knit 4 colors worth over Saturday's journey to Madison and back.  I'm really liking how it is turning out.  I am hopelessly addicted to American Ninja Warrior this summer.  Go SamSann!! The little stories they lead with before the event  totally sucked me in this summer.  Fireman got me hooked.  My father called the TV the boob tube.  On with Vegas folks.   The finals are next week.  Did anything trap you this summer???

Upside Down

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I've decided to run my day in reverse a bit.  Just for a week.  Just to see if I like it.  So today I rode my bike with Fireman... first thing.  We rode to the Chicago Botanic Gardens as this CORPSE plant is about to bloom.  So it's a big deal here. The plant takes years to get to this stage. It blooms at night and releases a stench.  Apparently this is not to be missed.  Do you know that CHICAGO means Stinky onion or something like that in Native American Speak?  Given the fact that I used to have to work night shift, (real night shift ...... The kind where you want to die at 0400 every morning), I won't stay up to see this plant in bloom.  That and the fact that so many people are expected to go and I don't like crowds for good smells let alone bad.  If you only do something half ways on your bucket list, Does it count?  So you should know that the blossom will go another 5 feet into the air on the magical night it de

Donna Makes Your Heart So Light!

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  The summer 2015  Bucket list included getting up to the Farmers' Market in Madison. If you have never been, you should go.  Donna B. From Quiet Life and Pioneer Woman fame, and I have become friends through our blogs.  It's a lovely Holiday with Donna.  Donna makes your heart so light. When the day is grey and ordinary, Donna makes the sun shine bright!  We met for the Market yesterday.  The really marvelous Market is set up around Wisconsin's State Capitol.    There are many many vendors and the crowd is a slow walking, gawking and quietly talking living thing.    I came prepared.   Fireman ended up carrying the goods in my crazy cat bag. We got separated a few times in the crowd and here he is waiting for me to catch up. He is always ahead of me. Several women, told Fireman they loved his bag.  He told them he got it at the Man Store.  This is a Tiny little cherry pie that will soon be a memory. 

Friday Finds

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This is not a commitment.  I do, however, love the look of this  Ribbed lace Bolero.  10 Feet High is the pattern maker.  ********* I did commit to reading all of Stephanie Pearl McPhee's books this summer.  I enjoyed every word.  Literally.  She is a delight to read.  I tried some new recipes of late.  Below is the Sweet Corn and Black Bean Tacos from  Cookie and Kate website.  You don't even cook the corn.  It goes in fresh off the cob.  Zach gave me a 7.5 on the dinner.  He would have liked a bit more heat to it. He would have liked some fresh salsa on the side.  I loved it just as is.  Oh and my homemade refried beans were a tad loose.  I tried yet again, to listen to a knit podcast or two last night. I just cannot engage.   They are so boring to me.  Perhaps I just have not found the right person to listen to.???? Any new finds you want to share? 

Thankful THORSDAY LiTTLE FRIDAY

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  I'm picking up where Channon left off on her Thankful THORSDAY, Little Friday posts.  Thankful for the birthday yarn from AL: My First Regia in blues. Thanks for bringing me back around to socks.  Next up: Viking Mini Raggen Sock Yarn from Katherine.   Thankful for our little tomato harvest.  Thanks Chicago Botanic Gardens for the tomato plant giveaway in June.  So much more to be thankful for: my $1.29 package of Cosmos seeds from Walgreens yielded these double cosmos beauties.   the free pint of Culvers' frozen custard from Lifesource Blood for our donations last night the lovely cool sleeping weather  Siri....she sends messages for me so I can safely drive  And YOU! 

Brought to You by the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field

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  Our guest blogger is a Wrigley Field employee. He was happy to oblige and hold my knitting for a photo for you.  The Heaven's opened up and there was a HUGE storm.   I clung to my little baby socks and we were safe.  The entire afternoon and evening will be long remembered! 

THE ORGANIZED LADY

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  Ahhhh Allison.  She's is my organizer.  She corralled the circulars and lined them all up. They behaved.  I'm organized now! While she organized I knit a baby sock in MY FIRST REGIA. Good yarn gift to me, Al.  It is very fun.  You can knit these socks in a few hours. Al's still at home. Life's Grand

Knitting and Reading...and YOU?

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Al gave me MY FIRST REGIA baby sock yarn .  I had to cast on almost immediately. The rhythm is gonna getcha.... I'm back to sock knitting!  I am reading this book.  Fireman, it is a perfect book for me to read.  I'm lovin it. Whatcha Readin?

Family Beach Day.

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There was sock knitting late in the day.  There was good times at Lake Michigan in the afternoon. Ahhhhhh, my chicks are in the nest again.  I'm all smiles (they would only pose for one photo. I had to sneak the others)

Birthday Joys

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It is no secret that I love MY birthday.  I'm not sure why it isn't a National Holiday.  Wouldn't you all love another summer holiday?  Al came in Thursday night and we started the OPENING ceremonies.   Ellen from The ELLEN REPORT timed her Yarn gift perfectly.  She says she didn't know it was my birthday.  Ellen, silly girl, surely you jest.  Your Lorna's laces gifty was perfection. I'm dreaming of a New Pattern, Just like the ones I used to know...but different. Dear Neighbor Abby found me this:   (Needs no words)    In an effort to grow and learn, I made homemade Ceasar salad dressing. (Google Taste Of Home Easy Ceasar salad dressing recipe that someone's sister invented without eggs)   This had a little to do with the fact that we are having a party tomorrow and The only thing we can eat that is not on the menu is a small head of romaine lettuce.  I miss my neighbor Abby for lots of reasons, but one was