It Might Not be Yellow But....

 It is definitely a submarine! 

 We had been catching little glimpses on the way to Will's school

so we stopped and sure enough, it is a personal submersible!

How cool is that!

The Solar Sock is looking so pretty for some poolside knitting!

Building Blocks

 Nyki helped me with some quilting;  my daughter sent these sampler blocks home with me.

There are just five more to complete to have a lap quilt so I took on the mission.

 I took just a bit of time to read through to see what was going on and then dug right in!

I do enjoy having a block to do when I have some time in between things!

 Look how much the Muscadine grapevine has grown! 

It is all leafed out and starting to climb!

And the Cana lily is very happy to bob its heads as we enjoy the pool each afternoon.

Home Sweet Whiskers!

My new pair of socks, Solar,

by Gillywizz.

Hawthorne Yarn from KnitPicks

in Burlingame colorway.

#1 needles over 64 stitches.

I provide the lap and Lena the whiskers!

Up in the Air

Abigail and I did a bit of piecing today after the kids did some schoolwork.

I wanted to teach here how to do a block that she could make once I left for home.

I think she's got it!

We covered the vanity  for her room.

The weather is sunny and warm here, too.  Candy Tuft beauty.

We savored our time because I am heading home today.  Clematis glory.

Enough said about goodbyes!   Azalea awe.

Sideways Cardigan is a FO

The Sideways Cardigan KAL is coming to an end on Wednesday

 and I managed to finish it before the deadline!

I couldn't have done this, if I waited until I arrived home on Tuesday evening!

It was knit using an acrylic boucle' in fingering weight yarn.   (1200 yards)

It felt like it took as long to seam together as it did to knit it!

(I might be exaggerating because it is more fun to knit than it is to seam!)

I used a crochet hook to make a chain stitch (slip stitch) 

to attach the double layered band to the front of the sweater. 

 Likewise, the hems of the cuff and sweater bottom were turned up

 so the purl side was used for contrast. 

 I also used the crochet hook to chain stitch these in place.  

The overall look is perfectly matched to what I designed at the start 

so I'd say it is another machine knit success!

  This is why it is important to join in on knitalongs 

so you are pushed to try things you would never attempt on your own!

(Thank you, Sue, of Knit It Now!)

It Seams to be Working!

We watched movies all day yesterday,

ate and laughed.

I seamed the machine knit cardigan

for the KAL most of the day.

I worked a little bit on my Northeasterly blanket.

It was a novel idea to all of us to have a whole day off

and quite a joy to share the down time.

Today we will go to church together

and then go out and eat!

I will savor the blessing of hearing this family

minister in song to their church family

and Bruce to preach as pastor of their church.

My heart is full.

Live! On Stage!

 We had a relaxing day waiting for our big hour yesterday.

I did a bit of knitting on the Gizeh Top and found I had one skein with a different dye lot.

 There isn't a big color difference

 but if I were to change skeins in the middle of the front, for example,

it would have a definite line of demarcation;  not what I want.

 A simple two row with each skein is a minor inconvenience to blend the odd skein in!

So far so good!

 Finally, it was time to head to our dinner reservation at Benihana;

a Japanese restaurant with an artist preparing your meal right in front of you!

We had a delicious meal with the best of company!

 Then it was time to say goodbye to the guys and we headed into downtown Atlanta!

 To the Fox Theater!

And enjoyed the Broadway presentation of Rodger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Employing a bit of a Google search, we found out that I was 9 when I watched the tv broadcast 

and first fell in love with this musical.  

While the Disney movie came out in 1950, I didn't see it until after this 1965 airing on tv.  

Each has its own place in our hearts!

  So I have seen the little screen, big screen (drive-in) and now stage version of this fairy tale!  

We've made a three generation memory -  precious!

It's Possible!

 The flight went really well-I was able to listen to a book and knit most of the time.

 While this little feline is usually the star of the show...

 at the Fox Theater tonight, 

this will be where I will be watching (gawking) an amazing performance 

with my daughter and oldest granddaughter!

I am so excited-

a complete review tomorrow!

Getaway

A few clothes and lots of knitting...

Bill is holding the fort while I take a trip to the McKees!

(my daughter and family!)

I am being treated to a stage production but more on that later!

But first the goodbyes and a flight.

The Second Who!

 The second owl quilt from this February's Shop Hop is finished being quilted 

I gave it back to Millie, my neighbor!  

Who photo-bombed me this time?

 The little guy thought it was time to sit and paint just as I started clicking!

 As the boys swam this afternoon, I enjoyed watering all of my flowering plants-

bougainvillea...

the mother's day canna lily is going strong,

 the 2' Tibouchina princess flower 'tree' is covered with blooms and buds-it will bloom all summer!

It is so pretty to see the silver striped leaves and the purple flowers-

 -especially when it is a perfect complement to its neighbor, 

the coral nut plant (Jatropha podagrica )

And across the lanai is the pinks of the

impatiens and the tall plant in the background.

(I don't know the name of that one yet!)

Marley-Another Sweater Success

             

I saw this sweater in an email from Berroco; 

 it is a free pattern on Ravelry, called Marley.

If a pattern has a schematic, it is pretty easy to come up with the numbers you need whether you are going to knit it with the machine like I did or if you want to knit it by hand with a different gauge yarn from that called for in the pattern. 

 (a good sized swatch is a must not just an option--it is your tool to find the right 'numbers'!)

 The yarn I used was Premier DK Colors, a non-pilling acrylic in long color repeats.

It has a good hand --I washed it in the washer but laid it out flat to dry for the first time-

I'm not sure if I will ever be tossing it in the dryer , to tell you the truth!

 This top has a very modern feel with the tabard appearance in the front and back 

and 3/4 length sleeves with a 1" hem. 

 I knit a two inch hem for the bottom of the sweater for the weight and structure there.

I did do a one inch garter edging for the neckline by hand.

(Garter and the knitting machine are not best friends)

Oh, I am on a roll with completing these sweater ideas--

it is the very reason I wanted to learn how to use this knitting machine!

So Close!

The seaming is finished!

The garter rows around the neckline is halfway there-

I haven't even tried it on yet

and already I love it!

More details tomorrow when it is done-

blocked and ready to wear! 

                                                 Look at the pretty little row of amaryllis!
                                             No foolin';  this is going to be a great week!

Time

Feeling like there was a lot of it,

then this sweater seaming is taking way more of it than I expected.

And this machine knitter's KAL

in which I am behind ,

amazingly became caught up in only a few hours!

(I had knit it so many times in my head

while reading the directions over and over when I didn't have time

to be knitting it,

must've paid off because it went along so easily!)

And it was tax day--always a good slog of your day.

All in all, it was a wonderful day.

And just like that *

this month is history..... 

A Date!

 The sunshine sets off the beautiful blooms on the ground orchids--it is thriving!

 Yesterday, Bill and I enjoyed a very leisurely lunch on the river this afternoon--

how nice to enjoy each other's company, the perfect weather and the beauty of the river.

 Do you see what's on the fallen tree?

 He wanted to enjoy the sunshine, too!  (a three year old gator)

 We watched the wildlife on the river and even the odd boat or two;

there was even a group (fleet? ) of four KrisKrafts--they were beauties!

 Once home,  I tackled the last touches on the knitting machine for this sweater.

I have just tacked the critical points to help seam it up.  

I hope to have this finished by the end of today--

well, at least all seamed up so I can do the bit of garter around the neckline.