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....  

 

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!

 

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...

 

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!

 

TRY AGAIN

This is the shawl I started in May--it languished because I was off on the count and couldn't get it corrected.  I ripped it out and in only a week I have it completed!  The big time clicker kept me on track!  I will be blocking it today!

I also dug out this old project--and not only 4 more granny squares are all I need to get it to the finish mark!  This one languished because I had put the squares together by crocheting them like I do for afghans but it made too much bulk because cotton yarn is not soft!  I pulled out all of the rows and stitched them together with a darning needle and now the seams lie flatly.  I was going to make a cover for my laptop for when I travel.  I'm very close now!  It's nice to make some older ideas come to light!

 

TWO PROJECTS

I have a beautiful stack of granny squares--I will make as many as I can with the yarn I have of the colored squares and match it with the solids to make a blanket.  They are very relaxing to make and since the migraine after-effects are lingering still, 

mindless is what I need! 

I also cast on another ball of sock yarn from my daughter

 and that is zipping right along!  

MY DAY

My daughter gifted me with 2 Calibrachoa hanging plants 

while in Georgia and I was able to find 5 more here at home--

I have 7 arches that need hanging plants 

which I change out every few years.

She also recommended these hanging plant 'saucers' to hold your plant;  this keeps them from losing their water out the bottom of the pot and keeps them from drying out so quickly. 

Looking south, these are three of arches 

with a bird house with a family of wrens, btw.

Looking north, the other 4 arches and their new plants! 

 This birdhouse is empty, unfortunately.

After we got home from the shopping trip, I soaked and blocked half of my magnificent round shawl I made many years ago! 

 I only blocked half because it is too big for my blocking board---

I will re-wet the other half and block it later today.  

I wore this to church Sunday and noticed that there were some pulled threads and even one chain broken on the crocheted edge which I repaired before blocking.  

I also ran out of pins trying to get everyone of those chains

 pulled into points!  

 

A SAFE ARRIVAL

Despite a lot of this....

I did get a lot of knitting time in and finished one sock and started its mate.  It is a very long drive (8-9 hours) but we did it. 

 While I will NOT say Lena loved the trip, she did remarkably well.  

 

WRAPPING THINGS UP ONE AT A TIME!

Cloudbreak Tee is ready for blocking!  I lowered the lacy part so that it fell below my waistline.  I liked learning how to do a top down sweater with a 'set-in' sleeve! 

 The yarn is Drops Cotton Merino in black.

 

And I have finished the granny square rectangle blanket!  It measures 40" x 48".  I crocheted this with Mandala DK yarn.  

A SOCK FOR SUNDAY

It's a rainy morning, which is wonderful, and the colors in this sock remind me of the coquina shells we watched on the beach Friday!  Such a beautiful colorway to watch slip through my hands while a sock emerges! 

  

SETTLING BACK INTO MY WORLD

Someone (Lena) kept asking me to make a 'lap' for her

 and I finally gave in--we savored an hour together!

 And then I played in the studio with the latest Fat Quarter Club that arrived in the mail! I enjoyed a beautiful time playing with the strips of fabric to make a good fade table runner!  

And then I finished the pair of socks I was knitting on the airplane! It's Stroll Handpaint in 'Left of the Dial' colorway.

Though the second sock ( on the left) pooled very differently from the first sock and I might just rip the leg out and do it again to force the yarn to make a similar pattern to the one on the right!!!!

YARN IS GOOD

Mom has started another afghan for a great-grandchild--she is working to make one for each of them! (15)

The socks for my recovering brother-in-law are finished!  Yippee!

I immediately made a dishcloth to clear my yarn palate! lol

And I pulled out my T-shirt knitting--I completed the body and am now doing the fun lacy ripple accent on the hem area!  Unfortunately, this is in black so it is daytime knitting only!  

The dishcloths will have to satisfy the yarn needs in the evening!

We've done another doctor appointment and some chores and then reward ourselves with some chocolate and then time with our feet up and yarn in our hands!  

 

KNITTING IN PROGRESS

This pair of man-socks will be flying to NY with me today;  I am heading to my parents' home to stay with them while my bil has knee surgery so my sister can care for him solely!

(She lives next door to my parents and most of their care falls on her shoulders--I hope to be a big help as well as being able to see all of my NY family!)

I am down to the fun part of this t-shirt top--

the bottom has lace work of sorts!

The sleeves were a neat thing to work--they are a set-in sleeve in a top-down construction!  Very cool!

And I only have two 3/4 length sleeves to work on this cardigan and it will be off the needles and onto my shoulders!  I don't know about you, but I always pack my knitting first when taking a trip!

 

A SOCK ON SUNDAY

The heel is turned and I will work up the leg 

for about 6" in my favorite k3p1 ribbing. 

 The yarn is KnitPick's Strolls Effects in Left of the Dial colorway.  I knit on a 2.5 needle over 64 stitches. 

It's been a while since I have had a pair of socks zipping around my needles and it is pure pleasure.

 

THE JOY OF YARNING*

I have the yoke done and have separated the sleeves and body stitches;  12" of stockinette is underway.

The neckline and front bands are done after I complete the body stitches.  I am enjoying the pattern immensely! 

 (Flower Child Cardigan by Wool & Pine )

The baby blanket continues to grow and I am into my second skein of the Mandala Ombre in the Harmony colorway.  

*yarning is what my first grandson called knitting or crochet; 

it made sense so the phrase stuck!