Dog Days of Summer

It's going to be a hot one here this weekend, up into the lower 90s, which is going to be really hot compared to how the rest of the summer has been. I'm going out of town for the weekend to the lake again. Yay! I just might have to jump in the water . . . and get my feet wet! I can't wait! Craft store, quilt shops, gift shops, a lake, good company, restaurants, campfires. I'm going with my sister and my daughter. A girls' weekend! Should be lots of fun.

I'm taking a sock to work on. I'm doing a Knit-Along in a Ravelry group. The Summer Lovin Sock. Here's what I have done so far.

I hope I can get that one finished and start the second one while I'm gone. I'm using Knit Picks Gloss. It's working up beautifully.

I've also been working on a little shawl, but put it aside for a while to work on the sock. The yarn is so soft and luscious to knit with. I'm loving it!

So far, so good. I'm not a big fan of knitting with large needles, so it has to take a break for a while. That's a wool, silk, cotton blend on size 13 needles.

I made this little purse last week with a pattern I got at a quilt shop on my last trip out of town. Such a handy little thing to take shopping or when you don't feel like lugging around a full sized purse.

That's my prototype. A few mistakes in it. But I know what I did wrong and will know what to do next time. I still love it!

Whenever I get back from shopping trips and put the craft bags down my cat Shadow just HAS to investigate. Maybe she wants to do crafts too.

Gotta keep bags away from that one. She'll eat them.

Well, I'm off to pack. Have a great weekend!

Cozy

The snow has been falling already and winter is knocking on the door. Time to batten down the hatches and stay inside where it's cozy and warm. And to knit. And light a candle. There's nothing like the nice warm glow of a candle in a room. Here's my newest one. It smells sooooooooo good!

My daughter bought me that candle at Cabela's. I just love it! Target had flannel sheets on sale. I treated myself to a new set. $15.99 for any size, what a deal! I love these.

Nice and cozy.

I wish I had this view out my front window. So cozy to be warm inside and seeing the snow fall, with nowhere to go.

But that's not the view I get. Someday.

It's been so cold I made a nice pot of minnestrone soup yesterday. So yummy! My sister gave me the recipe. It made a ton. I'm going to have to freeze some.

Very delicious!

I also treated myself and bought another Ravelry t-shirt. The other one I got is so so so comfy, had to get another one out of the new batch they just got in. I just love that dog!

The following is not cozy:

I do not want to wear a partially knitted sock with DPNs sticking out of it. Definitely not comfy cozy!

Time to go hit the couch with the yarn and the knitting needles and cozy up for the night with my kitties surrounding me.

Field Trip

My daughter and her boyfriend came home for the weekend. It was so good to see her! We went on a little field trip yesterday to a great big huge sporting goods store called Cabela's. WOW is that place huge! I had never been there before. You name it, they had it for any kinds of outdoor sportsman, hunting, fishing, camping. Clothes, furniture, tents, food, fishing poles, lures, hunting equipment, it was there. Fun to look at. But what I enjoyed the most were the displays.

They were just beautiful.

They looked so real, but they were replicas.

Those buffalo were huge!

Can you see the moose hiding in the bushes? What a beautiful creature.

Another beautiful moose.

I loved this wild boar.

We were in there for hours. It was so fun. My daughter bought me a candle, and I bought her a top. Her boyfriend was in his glory. He's a real outdoorsman. He bought something for his fishing pole for ice fishing. It was a very fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

But they have left now and are on their way back to school. I guess I'll sit and knit this afternoon waiting for the call that they are back. I'm working on a sock called Spring Forward. I just finished the heel flap and am ready to turn the heel.

This sock is working up pretty fast, I started it about a week ago. I've never made a lacy sock, maybe they work up faster. I am enjoying it so far.

mmmmmm cupcakes!

I was in the dollar store the other day and found a cake mix that makes just 12 cupcakes. Perfect for me! I just had to get it.

It wasn't some weird off brand, it was a well known brand. I've never seen a little cake mix like that. So of course I HAD to make cupcakes!

Oh yummy! Just had to have one when they were ready!

I also went browsing around in Border's yesterday. I came across this pretty little book, "Just Cupcakes" with 100 Cupcake Recipes. Cupcakes are everywhere these days! Next time I make cupcakes, I'll make them from scratch with a recipe out of this book.

Lots of cute ideas and recipes in there. And that sock book intrigued me too, so I bought it.

And since I'm on a cupcake theme here, I got out my cupcake fabric and made this bag today:

I love these little bags. They come in so handy for lots of things. I think I'll go have a cupcake now and then get back to knitting on my sock. I'm more than halfway done with the second sock. Making progress!

So, do you want a cupcake now?

Second Sock Syndrome

One down, one to go! I got one sock finished last night. Yay me! I immediately cast on for the second one before Second Sock Syndrome set in. I'm still at the 2x2 ribbing. The needles are so fiddly at first. Once I get a little more done, hopefully I can get on a real roll with the ribbing and get it over with.

How do you like those pretty beads in the picture? I fell in love with them. Had to have them. They look like little berries. I want to eat them.

I met my sister up at Joann's the other day. Last day of the flannel sale, had to get more! Pretty soon I'll have enough jammies for every day of the year, lol! I. Just. Can't. Stop. Making. Jammies. She made me buy that little notebook with the spider on it. Maybe I can keep track of my jammies with it! That little ladybug is a container, I think it would be good for keeping my berry beads in. I love the dollar stuff at Joann.

We have too much fun in Joann's. It's like kids in a candy store to us.

My Dad made me something! Check it out . . . the car from the movie A Christmas Story!

He loves to make these little cars. He carves them out of wood and then paints them to look like a car of that time looked. Very cool! Our family is obsessed with the movie A Christmas Story. Could probably recite it by heart, but yet we watch it over and over.

This and That

A wonderful lazy Sunday is here. I just want to stay inside today and knit. Don't know if that will happen. Remember all that sickness with my Mom last year? She had more surgery on Friday. This time for a hernia repair, and all went well this time. Hopefully there will be a smooth recovery and no months and months of hospitalization this time. She is doing well so far.

After the hospital visit yesterday I stopped in Joann's for some fabric! It seems like it's been ages since I was last in there. I bought some cute polar fleece fabric to make my grandson a "Pillow in a Blanket". It's going to be a Christmas present. Time to get started on making things if I'm going to get things done on time. I also found some cute cute cute cupcake fabric! I love it!

The blanket will be easy to whip up. The weather will be getting cooler this coming week so I'll be able to stand having this on my lap while I hem up the edges.

The job climate is bad here in Michigan. My son is in North Carolina this weekend for a job interview. He was offered the job but is not sure if he will take it. The pay is basically the same as he is making now and it's a big move for the same pay. So, he has a big decision to make. Of course I don't want him to go, but he's gotta do what he's gotta do to make a living. I will breathe easier once the plane has landed back here in Michigan.

I did get out to my knitting group the other night. Lots of fun! I took a plate of Rice Krispy Treats to share. I seem to make these a lot. So easy, and they always go over well.

I passed along the Dishcloth Tag Bag. The recipient loved the contents! Here is the dishcloth I made to put in it:

I made it with Sugar & Cream Twist. Now the game goes on to the next person.

I'm still plugging away on the Confetti Yarn socks. Slow progress as I've been distracted with other projects lately. But now I'm back to the sock. About half an inch more to go and I can turn the heel.

I think I'll just have a lazy day of knitting around here. That is, after I go buy some groceries. My daughter is coming home for a visit next weekend, gotta stock up on food!

I hate this muggy weather

It's been so humid lately. I get so lethargic when it's like this, don't want to move around, no ambition, haven't been doing much. Except for craft things! I made my very first pincushion. It was a fun little project. It's made with a cotton fat quarter and some felt. It's stuffed with a bamboo stuffing, very dense. I thought it looked plain on the top so I sewed on a button. The button is from my great aunt's button box which I received when she died. All kinds of wonderful old buttons in that button box!

The whole thing is sewed by hand, no sewing machine involved in the pincushion. I want to make more! I've been collecting all kinds of pincushion patterns. Fun little projects.

I did make another pair of jammie pants. Winnie the Pooh print! They are so comfy

I've made some progress with my sock. Even though it's wool, it's a small project so I've been able to stand touching it. A very easy pattern to memorize.

Just a couple more inches and I'll be at the heel. I'll learn how to do the wrap and turn technique. I'm pleased so far with the sock. The yarn is very soft and feels real nice.

And lastly, I picked my first tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes. Nowhere on the stake did it say the plants were cherry tomatoes. I've been waiting all summer for a nice juicy tomato. Oh well, I guess I'll have to go to the farmers market for that. But I will enjoy the little tomatoes I'm growing.

My Sock Disaster

Yes, I've tried socks. Disaster. I tried knitting a sock last spring. It took me forever to get done what I did. Not sure if it was the pattern or I'm a slow knitter, but it took forever for this disaster to get as far as it did. I did the cuff, turned the heel, and once I did that the damn stitches kept sliding off the needle. It was frustrating. I'd pick it up try to fix it, put it away, try again a week or two later. More sliding off the needle. I finally gave up and cut the yarn and put it away. Wanna see it? Here it is, if it was finished it would fit a giant. I put a regular sized sock next to it for visual contrast.

So your either laughing at me or crying with me. This is why I haven't tried socks again.

Moving on. I got this yummylicious yarn in the mail yesterday. I ordered it through Sonny & Shear (link over at the right if you are interested, wonderful customer service!). Look at that turquoise color! Is it gorgeous or what! Can't wait to use it. I've never tried this yarn and am dying to get at it.

The tan one will probably become mittens. Oh the decisions I must make on what to do with this yarn. It's gorgeous.