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Pie is a third of Fezzik's size.   Fireman calls them Mini and Maxi.  Mini rules the roost.  They make me smile. My sweet dear mom is slipping into a deeper state of the disease.  She has only opened her eyes once this week on my visits.  I hold her hand and talk softly to her.  I pray she slips away.  I'll be watching Grease LIVE tonight.  I love all the previews of the dancing.  It will make me smile.  I'll be knitting some very quiet socks for my sister. I'm going to visit her soon and I want to bring her the kind of socks she might wear.  She is a earthtone kind of girl.   

1. This is the driving range near our home.  Yes that is snow.  It is a heated double decker driving range.  Even if you stand directly under the heater and swing, you are going to be freezing.  They have a nice bar and good burgers so we enjoyed dinner there last night.  We did not bring our clubs....We may live in Chicago but we are not that koo koo... 2. Here's my second sock finish of the year.  Go Go Grassy in Dream in color smooshy.  I made them too big for me so I can gift them.  I love the springy part of this yarn.  I loved getting on super sale at my LYS after Christmas sale.... I tried a eye of partridge heel and just love the look.  So they have to be blocked, but they were a great little knit.  I also have to say the Russian graft seam feels comfortable to my hand .....when I put it in there and felt around.  3.  The bunny on the last post is my angora plan. Someday, I may raise a few angora's for thei...

Nancy asked for the link to the instructional on crocheting the toe of a sock seam.  It is called Russian grafting and it works for me:  http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+tube+crochet+the+toe+of+a+sock+instead+of+kitchener&view=detail&mid=B09FFE4D64AE84E51C98B09FFE4D64AE84E51C98&FORM=VIRE5 I found a home for my old crocheted teddy squares.  I brought them to our senior center and they were amused.  They will incorporate them into a Linus Project blanket.  Perfect.   Finally, I tried a new recipe.  A remade low fat brownie mix with a can of diet coke.  Bake it.  It's a far cry from a true brownie.  But, it is a taste of chocolate in my life!  Happy Friday.  Celebrate the day......

  My Gogo Grassy Dream in Color Smooshy socks.  They are going to be for someone with a bigger foot than mine.  I found a you tube instructional that let me skip the kitchener and crochet the seam at the toes together.   I'm in heaven. This is the Wandering Cat cashmere sock yarn on the winder.  I am waiting to finish the Gogo socks before I cast on the Hibiscus.  **** Mixed interest in a swap.  I think I'll hold off as the coordinator.  My swap idea needed a bigger group. Those who were interested were: Deb, Kim, Linda, Bridget and Vera. You could swap amongst each other.  ?????????

  I started the feather and fan blanket. Thanks again Valarie for the cotton.  I'll break today for socks.   I have to behave and knit only a bit at a time with cotton.  Feather and Fan is about the only lace pattern that gets along with me.  Consistently.  This is a throwback photo that we found while organizing and putting photos on flashdrive.   Baby Zach with our neighbor Dan.   Awwww. It has been wonderful looking back.  ******* I put a light zippered top on this morning and saw I had hung a stitch marker on the zipper.  I'm in the mood for a little swap.  Brainstorming on this one.... Feel like a little swap with no yarn included? Say stitchmarkers,  edibles and a gizmo?    

  Squeal!  Yesterday's mail included a package from Valarie's Wandering Cat Studio.  She knows I love cotton and she knows I love to knit socks.   The sock yarn has a cashmere component and it is soft  soft soft. Having just seen a feather and fan creation at my Yarn shop's knit night, I cast on a feather and fan in the cotton.  The Socks are marinating with my up next needles.  Val, you know how to warm a girl's heart in the January Chicago winter.  Your generosity is humbling. I felt compelled to bake something but I didnt' want to eat the goods. So, I made the house smell magnificent and whipped up some homemade granola.   To keep me from eating it, I added coconut.  There. Not even a tempation now.   Do I know me or what?  Do you have a trick that keeps you in check?

My sister Crocheted this baby hat.  Today's Monday Meme: Two by Two * What tempts you most ?   Your local yarn shop sale or An online sale? * Which do you put off more? Weaving in ends or button placement? *Winter hats, Pompom or no pompom?  *Electric blanket or down? *Travel plans: pay for the tour or discover on your own? *2016 Vacation plans? In the works or already bought the tickets? *Photographs: outdoors or indoors? *Scarf or cowl? Please join in.  The definition of a MEME is that it catches on....did you know? My answers:  I love to buy online. I think it is The thrill of waiting for it in the mail and the huge options. Button placement and sewing them on....dread it.  Pompom for the kids.  It just makes it so dang cute. Electric blanket for the afternoon knitting when My bones are chilled through in this old house. Travel: I love taking the tour.  Fireman do...

The Happy Feet finish.  My only complaint:  there was not enough yarn for two socks in one skein.   I tried! So I added another Happy Feet red to finish.  They were fun to knit. But, then, all socks are fun to knit.  They are not perfectly placed on the snow....I was cold and still in my pj's.    Cost: 10.70  per skein.  Lesson learned: I get a nicer stitch eveness knitting on 4 needles and a fifth to work than knitting on 3 with a 4th to work. Stephanie of Yarn Harlot taught me this. If you work on 4 you are really making a square so the ladder issues go away.  Are you wearing your handknit socks today?    

  I write the Knit blog for our LYS.  Last night I went out in the cold and dark and took some photos for their blog. ( Thank you all for saying you like to stay inside at night. I feel normal again.  Blog support is really the very best therapy. ) I then lost all my notes in the wet and icy parking lot.  Oh well.  One woman was doing, Tunisian crochet.  She was using madelinetosh I think, and one hat goes inside the other.  I'm pretty sure this is a pattern I've knit before. You end up with one hat and two ways to wear it. So I sat and watched her do this craft and I think I'd like it.  Except we all know I get sore crocheting.... So I won't be trying it.  Another woman knit this Steven West scarf/shawl.       I loved the look. I Loved the three coloways she put together. Did I mention everyone was wearing or knitting purple? Well, not everyone, but many!  Now I want to knit in pur...

  First, Al's in the part of Virginia near the coast that is not expected to be hit hard with the snow storm.  Let's be careful out there.  These were the times when getting to work was such an effort . Our jobs did not allow for snow days.  If you have the luxury of being told to stay home...go for it!  Here's my sock yarn stash minus one skein from Al that's on the needles and two other pair in progress.  Do you love to stay in at night or go out? I love to stay in. Perhaps because I worked so many 3-11 pm shifts and overnight shifts, I'm still in awe of tucking under a blanket every night and knitting with my family in the room. It is a joy . How about you? Stay in or go out?

This is Cardicho,  a Tutto pattern.  I won't knit it anytime soon. Alpaca fuzz on size 4 needles is very alluring.....but I know myself.  I don't think I could stick with it.  It is lovely, however, and my old knit pal Kathy Cullerton would love the construction..... I love the three colors and how they lay nicely with one another.   I also love the v neck.   sigh.....not for me.  I'm still enjoying my sock knitting.... Does it tempt you?  

  I'm back to my beloved sock knitting.  This one is amusing me in Happy Feet.  Having just read KNITTING RULES by Stephanie Pearl McPhee, I made a few changes.  I knit on 5 needles and it did indeed keep the stitches more even.  She made perfect sense to me in all her instructions.  I also made my gusset larger.  I have wide feet so I did not decrease to the original 48 stitches before working the body. I decreased to 54.  The second sock is already cast on.    I took this photo for the Knit Shop's blog awhile ago. It is Alchemy's color duet cowl. You need 2 skeins of Tweedy for this beauty.  Finally, we have some fresh snow this morning.  I love a fresh inch every few days. Nothing severe. Nothing too duanting for those who worry about travel.  Just a pretty upgrade to my view out the window! 

Finished the Color Block sweater and finished blocking it yesterday.    Pros: I knit a sweater in 2016.  I don't suspect I'll knit another.  Lionbrand Thick and Quick was just that.  I found a sweater pattern that was easy to follow.    Cons: I get too goofy when I knit sweaters.  Something comes over me and I'm more about finishing than knitting.   I didn't enjoy the thick yarn and big needles, but hey, that's what QUICK is in knitting.  Whodda thunk it?  Its heavy.  It may be going to my sister in Minnesota.  Back to socks.  My love of knitting is all about socks.  I have two pair on the needles.  I'm completely relaxed knitting socks.  One pair is GoGO Grassy yarn in ....wait for it....green and the other is Happy Feet in a red handpaint with browns etc mixed in.    Oh socks I love thee.......

Today's Monday Meme for January 18th,  concerns our hands.  As Knitters and Crocheters we use our hands and our hands create marvelous things.  Answer any or all!  Enjoy #1  Fingerless or Mittens or Gloves? 12 pairs of mittens in 2015.  My preference is Fingerless.  I tried to make gloves once, but the individual finger making did me in.   #2 A favorite hand lotion: Gloves in a Bottle  #3  When is the last time you wore rubber gloves? During Surgery at Spay Neuter #4 Do you put on makeup with tools or your fingers? My fingers. #5 Bar soap or liquid or foam? I find foam softer on my skin. I prefer a good bar soap for the bathroom sink. It absolutely must not soften and get slimy on the sink. #6 Where do you keep hand sanitizer? I keep it in the car.  #7 Someone whose hand you wish you could hold again? That's easy: Huck's paw #8  Favorite...

I am ridiculously focused on finishing this sweater. I have about 20 rows of the other sleeve left.  I want to be done. Now.  I'm not.  I have a serious case of startitis.  I found some lively, pinkish,  mixed color sock yarns and I'm itching to cast on.  Now. This minute. Did I mention I already have one sock on the needles in some GOGO GRassy from Socks that Rock?  I know.   I can't help myself.  As soon as I finish posting I'm winding the new yarn. Then I'll make myself work on the sweater for another hour.  Then I'm casting on the new socks.  I put a lot of pressure on myself to be productive.  I . Have. To Finish...stuff ******* We had an awful lot of cheese in the cheese compartment. I made a quiche for Fireman. I fudged on my usual recipe because I had no half and half.  So I used sour cream and buttermilk.  It worked. Fireman says its rich and really good....

Fireman and I have been organizing the photos etc. We have them ready for updating to a flashdrive. We came across some video.  And Audio. I have a wonderful rough recording of my grandfather...the Hungarian one.  I interviewed him for a school project 40 years ago. The recording is a bit hard to hear but if we listen very  hard we hear his voice, his story.... My father and he were estranged from one another for most of my childhood. I only met him a handful of times.  He told us this: When he got on a train to come to Chicago after they sailed to America, he was baffled.  People on the train were chewing and chewing. He said, "Mom, these people chew and chew and they never put anything in their mouth!" He had never seen gum .  Gum is my secret weapon with staying true to weight watchers... In knit news, I've finished front and back of the Color Block sweater.  No sleeve work today.  Resting my hands a...

  Most of Stephanie Pearl McPhee's books are all about laughing.  Her book KNITTING RULES  really has some practical and awesome tricks in it.  I'm learning as I read it. I'm bookmarking the pages. I'm underlining things. I'm loving it as they say at McDonalds. I'm also loving my sock finish from December.  They are cheerfully peeking out from my jeans today. Someone in my hometown won a million last night in the big Mega game.  I sure hope it was sold at the gas station down the road from me. The man there is super nice.   Did you play? I didnt this time! 

We requested the free kitty litter and the free treats from chewy.com's January offer. Sydney is always amazing at organizing the deliveries so quickly and the choices are always fun to pick out!  Mr. 17.2 pounds  This month we had two paws down on the offers. No one likes the treats.  No one. Instincts Raw boost mixers are dried pellets you add to the regular diet.  I even tried rehydrating them.  Picture 4 cats with their noses upturned and walking away!  The litter is Weruva brand.  None of them want that box of litter.  Weruva natural cat litter is very light to lift. They are pretty much addicted to Dr. Elsey's cat attract litter.  We'll stick with it . Sorry Weruva.  I dont like the look of the pellets either.  Chewy does not pay us for these trial offers.  We only have to blog about the products honestly.  Fun mail. Fun trials every month.   Here's the official disclaimer: Disclaimer from ...

This is my sweater so far.  The front is one color the back another. It is flying along because of the thick yarn. I decided to refresh my Ravelry project page yesterday. Boy I knit for S_it  in 2014 before I retired.  There were so few successes and major yarn/pattern combination errors. I learned though.  The hard way, the way most of us learn. I had some good knits thanks to the TRAP pattern.  I also have knit more socks than I thought.  Socks mean success ....almost always for me. Just because I've done so many.  I actually got a hole in a sock that I knit over 5 years ago, yesterday. I was overjoyed. Time to knit another pair!  As for the color block sweater, I found only two others on Ravelry that have made it.   One really suggested it is too short and she added several inches. Thanks to her, I was thinking the same thing. I still have live stitches on both sides so it should be easy to add a fe...

  My sister in Phoenix just started to crochet. She made this darling hat for a friend's baby. Great job Patti Ann!    I'm still recovering from my arm issues after Granny square knittting.  Here's the pile I'm sending off to charity today. (Children of Pine Ridge Raverly group) You are supposed to leave all those ends unworked.  Feels like cheating. This is Irish soda bread with a twist.  I only had craisens not raisens... But the men in the house approved of it whole heartedly.  Fireman and I have been working on ALL of our family photos of the last 33 years.   Good project for us to do together in the middle of brrrrrr January!  I've been really good about tossing out so many photos that are not very good.  I took a ton of photos over the years so it's not as bad as it sounds. Stay warm. . Keep doing your yarny work! Love the comments.   

  Good Monday Morning.  Want to play along?  Week #2 Monday Meme Theme: When's the LastTime: 1- You saw someone wearing something you knit for them.  (yesterday!  Fireman wore the snow falling hat while he shoveled)  2- You stayed up late just to knit  (it's been years. Having had to work the overnight shift for years and drag myself from sleep, I dont' stay up for anything anymore)  3- You had cake.  (I had cake in December at a relative's party. Darn that Mariano's bakery. I preferred the frosting to the cake)  4-You wanted to knit a sweater (I'm working on the one in the photo now. Details tomorrow. Can you believe it?)  6-You sat on a hot radiator to warm up (this morning.  When it is January I have my cuppa while I sit on the kitchen radiator in my pj's.  It is so hot I have to sit on a towel but its worth it.  How will I ever live without my beloved radiators?) 7-You wr...

Karen won the draw. Send me your information and I'll mail the book to you!! (Huckmom on Ravelry)

Notions....click here for MissBabs.com I thought I might put another link or two in the post today. Miss Babs has some interesting notions on her sight. Take a look see.    Of all the things to cast on last night:  A sweater.  There I've said it.  I've never knit a sweater that wasn't a raglan. Here goes!  Why not. It is January in Chicago....what better time? I'll show you more in time.... I finished a Yarn Harlot book last night. She does make me laugh.  It is in great condition and I'm willing to send it on to another who needs a laugh...Title: Casts Off Leave your name if you want it and I'll draw soon.

  Al mentioned she wanted a granny blanket like the famous Ann's in Parks and Recreation.  We reviewed crochet basics at Christmas. I decided to crochet some squares for charity as a test run. I got my crochet pants on and was sailing along until the arm pain hit last night.  I know you warned me.  My bubble has burst.  Here's my current plan which is subject to changes at whim: I'll keep crocheting a square a week for the charity squares. To keep in practice.  I looked up how to weave in all those color change ends in a colorful granny and I know I could do it.  Al says she'll make her own someday and not to feel bad. If I was able to make one a week for her it would happen. But we all know I can't do a project like that.  Its full steam ahead or nothing for me.  Back to light little knits for me.  Now I have that twitchy feeling because I don't know what to knit next..... HELP ...

  Meet the theatrical Sally F. The knit group that meets at Knitch in Delafield Wisconsin looked like a fun one.  Fireman and I were in the area yesterday. Sally knit her sweater... She's in theatre. She loved having me take her picture . The woman in the fair isle sweater behind her also knit her own sweater.  These ladies are out of my league, but were oh so interested in chatting about knitting.  I said to one woman, Oh your shawl is lovely. Is it a Stephen West? For some reason it  impressed the hell out of Fireman when she said yes.  I asked Sally about her sweater construction and this too impressed Fireman.  Hello? You are married to a knit nut.... I actually left without a purchase. They had good yarns and a great shop.  I had spent the day before looking for a needle in my house and finding yarn I forgot I had.... So that kept me in check.  I crocheted a few more squares on the car ride. ...

  Al wanted to learn to crochet over Christmas. Jokes on me.  I crocheted this square last night. My little square charity work is slowly growing.  I'm doing something wonky at the join, so I'll be looking at the you tube site again today.   Friends Nick and Dayna gave me  WHISKERS ON KITTENS for Christmas.  Can you say Purr fect?  So last night when I visited my mom,  she was as sweet as ever. Her language and commands of words and syllables has drastically changed over the last month.  Much of what she says can't be deciphered. I just pretend I understand her and go with the tone. MY very wise friend Abby told me you have to think of child development in reverse with Alzheimers.  So babbling...is where she is headed. I had just seen Carol Burnett on TV last week. I told mom I saw her.  Then I started to sing,  IM SO GLAD WE HAD THIS TIME and my mom joined in TOGETHER. Just to have a ...