HELLO TO MY HOME

I enjoyed some weeding and plant watering out front and then was forced inside because of the hot temperatures out there!!!  I made three more DNP blocks and looking at this pic, I only see one that is pointed the wrong way!  I was disappointed with the last two quilts I made because of shrinkage reducing the width to only 60" when I prefer the quilts to be quite a bit wider.  I added another vertical row and made the borders wider so that I will have a 65-66" quilt width this time after washing/drying, I hope!  None of these blocks are sewn together but I played with organizing them and now I can begin making it into a top!

We also had a very powerful T-Storm after dinner last night--not only a LOT of lightening and a bunch of thunder and wind but we also had rain!  Four inches of rain!  Wonderful rain!

 

I'M HOME AGAIN!

Mom and I finished  our rendition of the Beans the Cat pattern!  What fun!  These stand about 4" tall.

A last minute selfie--hard to part company but I'm missing Bill and home, too.  Emotions are running high.

My late evening flight was rather chaotic and loud and bright...I did get a lot of knitting done on the baby sweater!  Bill and I had a bit of difficulty finding each other at the airport because not only was I late but I came in a different gate/lobby than he remembered from last time but we met at the end! 

 It was very good to finally see him!

And .Lena was very glad to see me again--

 

DEPARTURE DAY

I'm all packed because the last day of my NY visit is here.  Bittersweet.

All the big projects are packed away so we are making a little one--this is called Beans the Cat which is a little stuffie.  I don't leave until late tonight so it will be interesting how I do 

and for Bill, too, who has to pick me up at an hour

 when we are usually sound asleep!  

 

SUNDAY

 A fancy Rose of Sharon bloom;  from my sister's front yard.

Knitting, visiting and savoring going on for my last days here.

Church online today.

STILL WARM INSIDE AND OUT

This one is Mom's Cozy Days Lapghan in all different bright colors.  Her blanket will reflect all of the colorful flowers in her yard

 and mine is the dirt! Ha!

There are lots of flowers to enjoy while we have outdoor chores--black-eyed Susans,

my Dad's roses, which smell delicious with their old time aromas!

And the moonflower is a long ago gift flower still going strong after many, well, moons! lol

Here is my Cozy Days--it is 38" wide and will be 50" long when I begin the decrease to square it off.  That's Dad's cane poking nearby--he said he thought it was pretty which was nice of him to say since his macular degeneration has robbed him 

of most of his sight but he could see the contrast 

of the blanket on the floor when it was right in front of him! 

 

JUST BEING

I do not see Queen Anne's Lace in FL so it is fun to spot them here!  Unfortunately, the ragweed is right in the same clump of weeds way out back--that Fall weed does not like me!  We also found a patch of blackberries but it is the tail-end of them and since it is also a drought status here, the few I found were small.  Still, it was fun to eat a few!

                                            

I thought I would mention that I am using a #10 needle to make the blanket pattern I shared yesterday, and not the #5 they recommend. I am starting to decrease on one side (the left bottom of the pic) to begin the rectangle shape!

 Mom is knitting using #9's.  I will share a pic of her's tomorrow!

DIFFERENT PACES

The blanket is coming along nicely--this is folded in half; 

the side on the bottom would be the width,

 so I have at least another 4-6 inches before I begin to square off the one side to make a rectangle.  

And I keep a ball of cotton yarn in my purse to whip up a dishcloth anytime I need to do some waiting!  I like to hand them out to friends and family.

Yardwork and weeding is still happening in between doing Dotz or looking through pictures or doing mending.  It is wonderful to be here with my parents....  

 

THE BEST LAID PLANS

Many years ago, Mom and I had plans to make a handkerchief quilt from the collection she has from her Mom and her Aunt. 

 We never made such a quilt 

but now I have received the box of hanky history!

So I will have to make some plans to get these from the realm of idea to reality!  So many of the lace edgings and embroidery is handmade from my Gram!  I have a book at home with plenty of inspiration which will help me make concrete plans.

 

TEAM WORK

 I have always loved yard work and when we had a few hours of breathable air, we did just that!   It didn't take long to trim and pick up and take the debris to the compost pile because even my Dad (93) and Mom (90) participated!  I thought I was going to get some cooler weather with fresh air and temps in the 60's 

but not this visit!  

I always joke, I don't come here for the weather, but to be with them!  And it's a good thing!

YARN LOVING!

The buttons have been sewn on the little sweater;  I used buttons from my Mom's and her Mom's button box so I added the love of the past generations into this.  This pattern has no buttonholes knitted in because you use buttons that will fit between the stitches-this way, you can make a sweater and not worry about which way to button it up;  I like that kind of freedom!

I have also cast on the feminine version of the sweater--I started it but will save the rest to make on the air plane home next week-I have to plan ahead!

The knit blanket is taking longer but progress is occurring--see the colors changing finally!!!  Right now the blanket is 22" wide so about the halfway mark.  It is very relaxing to work on it, I am glad to admit!

 

KNITTING A BUNDLE BLANKET

I don't usually knit a blanket but Mom and I are playing 

with a new Mandal Bonus Bundle cake (10.5 oz) 

and knitting a blanket in garter from corner to corner

 just to change things up! 

 It will be interesting to change this pattern for a square blanket

into a rectangle, too.

Watching church from FL here in NY this morning.  We finally enjoyed some rain last evening and a cooling of temperatures which was much appreciated!

 

SWEETNESS!

Finished---One cute 6 month sized sweater and hat 

for my to-be-determined future great-grandchild!  

The yarn is Babe from Knit Fever; I used a skein and just a bit of the second one which would be about 220 yards for this set and I probably have enough for a pair of little socks! 

 I have a cotton/acrylic skein to start the next sweater today!

 

SALVAGING

The pear tree in the back yard went down 

Sunday evening during a wind/rain storm!  

What makes this extra sad is that it would've been a bumper crop  come September!  The tree was loaded with fruit!

Unfortunately, the fruit is too immature to ripen even, if we picked it now to try and save some.  We will leave the tree down for a while for the deer and other critters to eat on !

But all is not lost, though! I already have a few choice spots on the trunk picked out so my brother can bring some chunks home for me on his next drive up and back! lol

 

A SPECIAL BABY SWEATER

I thought I would take a page from my Mother's book and knit a few baby sets for my first great-grandchild which isn't a reality but I hope it will happen in the next five years!  This yarn is from two skeins from my daughter so I thought it would be a fitting use for this yarn--to be used for her first someday grandchild!    Sharing the joy already...

 

WOOD ON WEDNESDAY----FULL CIRCLE!

My niece had given me several pieces of Birch from her yard when I was in NY back in April but since they were a bit too heavy and numerous to put in my suitcase for my flight home, my brother brought them to me after his visit to NY since he drives!  So anyway, I finally got the wood and put it right on the lathe to make something for my niece to say thank you for the wood!  

I made a vase that is emerging from the log;  I was able to save the bark and put on a finish to preserve it.  This vase stands about 11" tall.

The other side stands a bit off-center which is just what I tried to make happen and this time, I was successful!  I can't wait to give it to my niece!  She is a DIY kinda gal like me

 and loves all things wood, too.

It's fun to think the wood has traveled the whole east coast and it is now back to its 'birth' place!

It was so nice to spot a butterfly that I see 1100 miles south of here, too!  The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail spent many long minutes among the lovely smelling phlox!

These are the 8' tall Heliopsis my Dad planted so many years ago and the patch that I took my root from to plant in my yard!  

The rain storm over the weekend knocked down some of the outer stalks so I snapped of

 the ends to bring inside for a bouquet to enjoy!  

While it was nice to be able to walk outside and sit on the patio for a while, it was also nice to come back inside to A/C and crochet/knit in comfort!

 

UP, UP AND AWAY!

After a delay due to T-storms in FL, we were finally airborne and I enjoyed a few hours of knitting in the clouds! 

 Let the NY family time begin!

 

STAGES OF THINGS

All the blocks for this quilt are made but not organized or sewn together.  The blocks are 9" unfinished so the quilt will be around 50" x 60".

I also had fun playing with all of the possibilities of the Disappearing Nine Patch blocks.  This one has all of the blocks made but not sewn together either.

And look what is off the needles, washed/dried and just needs a row of buttons!  This is the sweater I started back when I went on the cruise in February, using the yarn gifted from fellow blogger, Chris, and I even have enough yarn to make another t-shirt sweater!  

I will take that leftover yarn to NY for a knitting project there--

because I leave this afternoon 

to spend several weeks with my parents.  

These other projects will have to wait for me to return 

for all of the finishing touches! 

 Bon Voyage!

 

WRAPPED IN LOVE

The shawl is done sans beads this time around-it blocks out at 66" and 20" deep at the back.

The edging is pretty, even without the beads.  This is made with KnitPicks Stroll yarn in Red Wing Blackbird colorway.

The pattern is by Kay Meadors, Twilight Sonato Shawl.  I've made several and it is a go to pattern!

Coming or going, it is a great wrap!

 

A' WELCOME' CHANGE

I finally spent some time reacquainting myself with the Cricut machine on this previously purchased shaped signage I bought at Hobby Lobby.  The sunflower is actually a large 'sticker' I printed and then enhanced with colored pencils.  The letters are vinyl;  to protect the project, I sprayed it with clear lacquer.  The fun thing is--I will make another design for September on the other side!

Next, I found the right wall hanging and flowers to match--

to make a warm welcome with the new entrance decor!

 

INSPIRED

 There is nothing like being inspired by a blog friend's post to set you off on a wonderful new quilt!  I had a pile of 5" blocks and just needed a good idea to put them to use!  

This is a Disappearing 9-Patch variation and it grabbed me and put me right to work!  

In no time, I had it more than half done!

Thank you, Pat!