New Yarn

See the blue in the upper left corner? Dream in Color. Blue Lagoon. Isn't it pretty? Isn't it blue? In every picture on the internet it is this pretty shade of blue. If only. In person it is teal green. Dark teal green. Stabbed again by internet pictures. Grrrr.

The violet ball is Dream in Color Smooshy Pansy Golightly. Pretty. Socks, methinks.

The light colored pinkish was purchased to be another baby sweater but I'm fairly burned out on baby things for the time being so maybe later. Or not at all at this time.

The cranberry colored yarn is Dye Dreams. Brick. It is sort of brickish colored in certain light but it is also cranberry looking which is what I was after. And even if it is brick colored in every light is still just the right thing. That is enough yarn for 2 shawls for 1st & 2nd DDIL. Yeah, I'll probably be so tired of that yarn by the time I get done with 2 that I'll cut the leftovers into teeny tiny bits but for now it's got me entranced. The DDILs live 2 states away from each other so that chances of them wearing them at the same time and place is extremely minimal. At least that is what I'm telling myself. It's a great color for both of them.

The purply yarn on the bottom is Cherry Tree Hill. FREE because I became a Loopy Groupie! Woo Hoo. Another pair of socks. I also got a sock pattern, a cool Loopy tote and Tootsie Rolls. What a haul!

Unless I give socks for Christmas gifts, which I doubt, I'm going to have a bunch of new socks for myself. Cool. ;)

The sweetest sound,

after a day of canning, is the ping when the lid seals.

Beet Pickles. 2009. 5 pints.

I'm overthinking it...

I just can't seem to come to a decision on what color or brand of yarn to get for 2nd DDIL's Upstairs Shawl. I even emailed 2nd DS and asked about color but of course I haven't heard back from him. Good chance that I won't at all. Uff. I've gotta just pick something and get it. I'd love to go to Fargo so I could feel it and see the colors in person but I don't know when that would happen. I'm not totally sold on internet shopping. Especially if I get a brand that I've never had before. Okay enough with the whining!

It's raining now and has been since yesterday. We have about 1" in the rain gauge. This time of year rain is a mixed bag. We need rain for the row crops but with small grain harvest soon upon us we don't really need rain. Catch 22. DH got the winter wheat off by going late. We ate supper at about 1 am. And were in bed by maybe 1:30 or so. Yup. Late. Got it off before the rain came though. That's cool.

I haven't done any knitting for a couple days now and I'm starting to get a little twitchy. I've either got to do a little or start another book.

I bought the book "Julie and Julia". I would like to see the movie but I'm not sure that DH would be up for another chick flick so soon. We saw "The Proposal" when we were in Fargo. Actually it doesn't have great reviews but we both thought it was a pretty good movie. And I also got the book "Made in the USA". It starts out in SD and I get a kick out of books that are based in our area of the country. Any books that are about the tri state area usually get my attention. Anyway these books were buy 1 get 1 for 1/2 off and the clerk was good enough to do a override on the ticket and took $$ off both books because I have their store card (Borders). I'd be a really happy camper if there was a library in town so I wouldn't have to buy the books I read. Either that or if the books by mail through the state is still available. I've tried finding it on the internet with no success.

I've got vacuuming, clothes washing, dish washing, cat waterer cleaning and some cooking to do so maybe I should get off the computer and get on with it.

Oh yeah, the tv in the living room crapped out and we will need to replace that ASAP. DH is seriously tv addicted.

ETA: 3:15 pm. I just ordered Dream in Color Smooshy in Blue Lagoon. 2 skeins. For 2nd DDIL's shawl. I made a decision!!! Absolutely amazing.

okay now it's hot

Well, we got the summer weather that's been in the forecast. The humidity is up and it's in the 90s for a few days. It's garbage day and I was outside about 6:30 this morning hauling bags to the berm and the air is really heavy and warm. You can see the humidity haze. A lot of times when weather like this breaks and cools off we end up with some sort of severe weather. I'll keep you posted!

I had the grandkids for a few hours yesterday. They sure are busy.... I checked to make sure the laundry room door didn't get closed again. Didn't want another kitty incident. See this post.

There was no knitting yesterday. Mainly because of babysitting and online shopping for yarn! I'm anxious to get fingering weight yarn for the Upstairs Shawl for 2nd DDIL. I talked to her yesterday and asked what colors she likes or doesn't like. And she said she doesn't wear any yellow or much for orange. So that gives me a lot of things to pick from. If I could find a pretty garnet or plum color I think that would be super. And she also said she likes blue. She has a couple black dresses that she could use this shawl with. I'm excited.

Farming update: On Tuesday they swathed the winter wheat and are hoping to combine it today. I hope it works because there is rain in the forecast and nothing ruins grain in the swath faster than a bunch of rain. fingers crossed

Well, I maybe have a bit of watering to do or my pots on the patio are going to suffer in this heat.

Later.

Ramblings

So here is the 1st Russian Join on the Leaf Lace Shawl. I have 2 more skeins to go and there is at least 1 knot that I know of so will be getting plenty of practice! It turned out okay I guess. Hopefully it doesn't show much because I just put it on the end of the 1st skein and there's no way of knowing yet where it will land. Could be in the middle of a row or near the edge. I'm just winging it!













The pictures of the rain on Friday didn't turn out at all. Just a blurry mess. Of course taking pictures through the window doesn't usually make for a good photo.

Well I've got some of the sewing done that I talked about a few days ago. The jeans were done that day and on this past Sunday I started shortening sleeves for DH. I think there are 4 shirts to go and I should work on that this afternoon.

There are also some nasty weeds in the backyard that are just flaunting themselves and really need to be put in their place. It needs to be cooler than this afternoon though. Reaching 90! I need to go outside and either read or knit for awhile so I know what hot feels like and maybe I'll remember it next January!

One more thing. I think I have to give up on the lace weight yarn on the Upstairs Shawl. I switched over to bamboo needles and that helped a lot but I'm not really enjoying the yarn like the fingering weight in the Leaf Lace. Will probably set the lace weight aside and try again with something else. I like the pattern though....will continue with that!

Summer!.....finally

The weather this week is actually going to be summerish. Temperatures in the 80s and maybe even 90. Wow. This has been a unusually cool and dry summer. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, it rained on Friday. I took pictures too but I'm at work and the camera is at home. Maybe if they turned out at all I'll post them another day. So....hot and humid for a few days. WooHoo!

I've got 4 knitting projects going.

Socks. Finished one started on the 2nd. After not knitting socks for quite awhile they are kind of comforting.

Baby afghan. Don't think I'll ever get it done. I love the pattern and the color of the yarn but I don't seem to be getting anywhere. Knitting in a black hole!

Leaf lace shawl. This is maybe the most fun. It's with fingering weight yarn and moves along quite quickly and I'm actually learning the pattern.

Upstairs shawl. This pattern is moving along nicely but I'm still struggling to keep the yarn on the needles. I am thinking of switching to bamboo but am afraid it will change my gauge and I'll have to rip once again.

As I said, I'm at work. I am here to pay bills. But as you can see I'm not doing that am I? I really need to get them in the mail today though and I have about 3 hours left before the mail truck leaves town so I better get with it. ;)

Latest project and Sleepy Teddy

It may not be obvious yet but this is going to be a shawl. It already started out as a shawl once and I frogged it. The pattern and the yarn and the needles and I weren't getting along so well.

The 1st pattern was Evelyn Clark's "Estonian Garden". Pretty pattern and I think it would have been okay to do but I couldn't count and keep the yarn on the needles at the same time so I'm going to try a different pattern. It's Michaela Behrends' "Upstairs Shawl" and it's free on Ravelry. It is less frou frou and more straight forward much like 2nd DDIL who this will be either a birthday (December) or Christmas gift (well, you know, also December, I'll either get it done on time or not. Deadline's basically the same). She has a black dressy dress and I hope this will be a pretty color to accent that.

Yes, it's lace weight and yes, I'm probably nuts and yes, I think that was mostly my problem with the 1st pattern. Just anxious to try something new though, don't ya know! :)



The yarn is as soft as Teddy.

And here he is taking his afternoon nap in the sun. Aren't cat naps wonderful....wouldn't it be nice if we all could take them? sigh