Need something to pin down that sweater?

I ran to Lowe's for some items for the house and ran across these little goodies.  They are for kids, but  what does that matter?  Use them for yourself, and share with your children or grandchildren when not in use!

The price is covered up but I think it was around $12.00 to $15.00 for about 24 of the squares. Might have been less.  Very reasonable! 

They had packages of other types, 12 to a pack, too and also reasonable.

Trivet….

I made this cute little item a day or two ago. It is a design from Lizavietta on Ravelry.  I actually did not read the instructions correctly, but it turned out cute anyway!  If I put a back on it it could be a nice potholder, but right now I like it as a trivet/hotpad…or it's present use as a "doily" of sort for my new spoon rest!

Spoon rest photo to follow soon…

My BFF called my attention to a beautiful sunset…so much brighter and redder than this photo show…which was truly unbelievably gorgeous.

Went out to dinner at a local place which served tacos for $1.00 as a special.  There were several cars up and down parked on the main street that were really fun looking, and some brought back lots of memories!

Is is fun being in a place where you aren't the oldest person around AND most people are near the same age as you AND they all act like teenagers! 

WHAT FUN!!!

Oh, look at what I saw!

I heard the dogs barking at what sounded like a neighbor spray painting their fence.  They were all going wild…mine and the rest in the neighborhood. I saw them looking up so went out and nothing was there.  

I then went out front…….

I haven't seen balloons like that since living hear Temecula, CA….and then only when on the freeway.  Never at my home!

So many new and interesting occurrences in this 'new land'!!

Today I will get my washer and dryer delivered (in RED!!!), and the landscape company will be checking on the sprinklers that don't seem to work. 

THEN, hopefully, I will be able to take myself out to dinner…found what sounds like a great pizza place called Mudshark Pizza.  Isn't that a cool name!  Hopefully it is as good as it sounds…the menu seems inviting and the reviews are good.

YUM!

Good Morning….

Paula asked if I would mention Arizona…I wasn't really going to any time soon, but now that she did I guess I might as well!

This is what I see each morning off my front porch….so beautiful! This will be my view for three months or there abouts. It was going to be for six weeks, but after that miserable long drive, I don't relish doing it again in another four more weeks! I'll stay until the snow has cleared so going home will be more a pleasure than a struggle.

In keeping with the Southwestern feel, I chose bright colors. My friend Karen gave me three gifts for the season…two which I was able to open, one is still a secret.  The bags are really perfect for that corner!  She and I met in person for the first time when I had to drop off a friend at the airport…three hours from here.  Left at 8:30 and arrived home at 7:30.  Long trek.  Any other visitors will be scheduled to take the shuttle to Las Vegas!!

The photo is quite right color wise, but the cutest shows through. Karen put together this little kitchen angel complete with a note card.  So sweet! 

You can see my back door through the top of the photo, and my new pans to the left! Did you know they want you to 'cure' the non-stick pans now?  I had to wash them in warm soapy water, oil them, "fry" them on the stove on medium for 20 minutes, then wash them in warm soapy water again.  It was a lengthy process for me.  Now I just have to USE them!

This is Rudolph who is now hanging on my light switch in the dining area.  Karen knit him…isn't he darling!??!!

I just can't say enough about what a help and wonderful friend Bev has been to me.  She helped me find the house, to make sure worker bees could get in before I came here, and has been helping me find my way around.  She even did some shopping for me for paper goods before I came. What a jewel of a human being she is…such a wonderful friend.  Here she greeted my friend Leonora and I with coffee cups and coffee, as well as tea.  OMG! I had not brought a coffee cup with me, but DID bring the coffee maker! Hah!  I guess I was going to just stick my head under the spicket and drink as it the coffee dripped out! :o) Desperation! 

Now…I had to look up that word, spicket, as it is marked as incorrect. It is the word I grew up with, or at least remember most. I am sure my parents, both college educated, as were both their mothers, would have used the word faucet if they had time to think about it throughly.  I do know, however, that all outdoor water pipes had a spicket on top, and indoor ones we generally called faucets.  

I "relearn" every so often that the accepted spelling in families isn't the "real" spelling however. The word is spelled spigot, but the south does have it's way with words, you know! We lived in South Carolina…but I remember when my brother tried to jump over a spicket that was sticking out of the ground (he was about four or five) he did not jump high enough, so it ripped opened his thigh/groin area about four inches…so his screaming about the spicket, my mom yelling about the spicket, and my genuine interest in how the heck a spicket could make such a neat little tear and why didn't the muscle come all the way out instead of just hang there looking like the skin had been peeled back from a blanched peach….spicket has stuck in my mind forever! (He had a few stitches and was as good as new, the memory forever etched in my brain).

So below is a photo of my 16 year old Shih Tzu, Chuckie.  His first day in the warm sun in MONTHS. He just plopped himself down on the fake grass and stayed there for a spell.  Since the move down here he has been more active than ever.  He wanders around and around the house and outside, so I think that is good for him. None of us are too fond of the rocks, but they do walk on them.  I don't wear shoes too much at home so it is harder to get around out there unless I have a pair nearby.

So you have seen a bit of this and a bit of that….tomorrow I will post the new pattern that Liz put together for me!! It's lovely…I made a rather wonderful hot pad in the Southwestern colors…..even if I did make a mistake reading the pattern! It still turned out nicely. Will be fun to do the next one right!! 

Good night all!  You, too, Vikki Hooks!

Long time no see...

I need to keep better track of my time and get organized. I once used this blog to do just that and have over the years just dropped the ball.  I am hoping that I can start the New Year early and get a resolution going to organize my day.  Keeping fingers crossed!

I am working on a shawl called Goldberry by Michele DuNaier.  I'm using Waverly, a worsted weight in Birch White. I wanted something warmer than a sock yarn.

Today I worked on and off for six hours and completed one row. Sadly, it is all I can do right now as am tired and ready for bed.

Tomorrow is a new day which will bring with it more challenges, but hopefully more organization!

A bit of this and a bit of that....

I posted a photo I found on PinInterest on Ravelry.  Then I saw in the corner a bit of a name, so put it in the search engine.  It took me to a Russian blog of some sort where they have their own PinInterest type of setup.  Anyway, I saw this cutest little dress!  Below is a chart that goes for the dress or the cape like affair in red.  I just thought it was darling so had to post it!

Now this little gem is the new sink I purchased at IKEA yesterday.  The drawers actually are drawers!  I love it!  This is for the guest bathroom which had one of those glass vessel sinks in there that exploded one day - thankfully when no one was around.  I'm finally getting around to replacing it.  I love that the sink is usable, deep enough, and that there is counter space to the side.  Makes so much sense not to center it!  Right?

Now here is a collection of photos from the TV or my iPad.  They are showing articles of clothing that I have found really interesting either for the pattern or the colors.  I particular love both in the sweater below.

The sweater below is nearly the same pattern as the one two photos below.  I thought it was until I compared these two photos. Two lovely but different colors.  These come from Rosemary and Thyme, the show of women sleuths from the UK. Actually, I think all these photos are from the UK.  Hmmmmm...must mean something. ??

The white sweater is really neat. I wish it had come out better. I think I could actually make something similar in crochet if I put my mind to it.

Of course the vest above is like the green one.  The sweater below is just darling, too!

Now we come to my squares. I had tried to design a square and have it tested. Well, actually it was tested by two of my weary friends.  I don't write up directions very well.  I think I would have done a better job if I had done it as a mystery cal instead.  I call this square Tilly.  Margaret and Judy had practically re-written the instructions so will spend a couple days this week putting it together to post.  

Now I could not just let the day go by without sharing a photo of my 16 year old Shih Tzu, Chuckie.  He gets cold easily and we had a real turn from warm to cold last week.  I have yet to crochet him a sweater that fits, so took the sleeve off one of my very old sweatshirts, then cut holes for his front legs. He seemed to enjoy it as did not whine at me when in bed acting cold and shivering.  I think that I could do a better job....maybe put in a zipper to make it easier to get on and off.  However, we are back to warm weather again so will procrastinate for a bit.

Last, but not least, is a photo of the back of a sweater. This one, believe it or not, didn't come from the TV but rather was a lady in the Post Office on Saturday. I asked her permission to snap the photo as felt it was a lovely set of pattern changes.  Maybe something that I could do some day. Along with the many other "some day" projects I have stored up!

I am working on a shawl, slowly.  An afghan not quite as slowly (for my 12 year old grandnephew).  Still have the hippo to finish, a scarf that Bev designed which I'm half way through, and a mystery cal or three that I started and never finished.

So that's been my week.  What the heck have you been doing???

Life slowing down

Well, hello there...life can be a bit hectic at times but right now I am having a slower period.  My DSD has now quit work, except having to go in to cover vacations every so often, so she will be home with the granddaughters.  No need for me to take care of them....sad, but happy too! ;o)  I can get some cleaning finished and some washing done. Ran out of clean carpri's so reduced myself to wearing Burmuda shorts.  My legs aren't what should be shown in public.

Today I began (yet again) studying for the drivers test.  I am not a good test taker so haven't taken myself to the DMV yet.  When hubby was alive he would drive me, and that somehow gave me courage to have company.  Although I like having my solitude, it isn't as much fun as when you share your day with your best friend, even if you are just sitting quietly in the same room.  

Here are the two granddaughters doing just that...Quietly because they are using my iPads! ;o)

What I thought were weeds has finally come full circle...unfortunately I did take one set out before deciding to leave the roots in and see what came up.  I am not a Dahlia grower, so did not recognize the root stock or the leaves.  Beautiful, yes?  Wish I had left them alone now!  I did see where there are some coming up in another area, so am cultivating those!  Could be where I tossed the root stock from the digging...

I did plant some Sweetpea, and they are finally blooming.  Not hot enough here to let them grow as spectacular as they did in Idaho.  I had a huge fence covered in them for months.

I am very pleased with these!  They are sooooo vibrant!  Will plant the seeds of the flowers to have a whole gigantic spread of them next year.

Last, but not least, I need to know what this plant/tree/thingy is.  My DSD says Gunnera (or something like that).  The leaves are gigantic...but I don't see where the Gunnera gets as tall as these are.  It's cool, but the leaves drop in winter and it looks like three sticks someone left in the ground!

Lastly, my project. It is one I started and put away.  I'm using the yarn from another project that I made with a lighter weight yarn instead....you can't see what I am doing  yet, but thought I should at least show what the colors are and a sneak of a corner of it!  More to follow....and will finish up my shawl, too. Promise.

Have a great day!

New Blog I watch...

The blog I just found through yet another blog (Paula's???) is Olavas Verden

While most of her patterns are in her language (and I am not sure what language it is!:ETA-Norwegian) she has such stunning photos that you can easily follow them to make something for yourself.

She has a flower pattern which is somewhat reminiscent of the African Flower, but is different.

The very first flower on her blog on the right is not linked, but the second one is.  Stunning colors!

So if you have time to browse and are looking for just the right little project, this might be the place! Her blog is listed at the bottom right of my blog list.

Below is a smocked dress I made for my granddaughter a few years back.  Such a shame that they grow out of the cute clothes so soon!  This is one that I hope will be save for her daughter, but you never know.  Could have red raspberry jam all over it by now! ;o)

Can't remember the pattern book...will look it up.

Have a great day!

Yarn stuff

My DSD gave me a hank of yarn as a reward for watching her dog while she visited family and friends in Sitka, AK.  That's where she grew up.  Her college roommate visited her there one year from college in Tennessee, and loved it so much she moved there and married.  It is a lovely little town ... and I mean little.  About 7 miles long.  About 2 miles wide. The rest is island...mostly trees on mountains as the backdrop!

The yarn below is a super wash wool and super beautiful!

The yarn is from a store there, Knitting With Class I believe, and it is hand dyed, spun, etc.  The yarn company is named Raven Frog Fibers.  The tag is below... they are also on Ravelry!

Now I just need to figure out what I will make for myself!

I have finished five squares, two which I sent already, for Karen for her participation in the Phoenix blanket project.

The variation in color is simply a matter of my iPhone and the available light at the time.  This is a Red Heart Super Saver yarn...works up nicely, and certainly doesn't shed like the Vanna's Choice.  That makes it not quite as soft, but sure is easier on my allergies Although they look similar in the photos, the last two squares are similar but different!

Cool weather is upon us...

Yesterday barely reached up to 80, if that.  It thought 80 would be hot here with the higher humidity, but as there seems to be a near constant breeze, it was quite cool for most of the day.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The dogs enjoyed being outside sleeping in the shade, and I enjoyed the day cleaning the kitchen and rearranging items, as well as working on an afghan.

This is one of the rose bushes in back.  I trimmed it which made it decided to bloom profusely in one place!  The buds come out rather orange/peach and as the rose blooms and gets bigger it goes from that to peach to a light cream and then yellow.  It is quite amazing to see...and they are so fragrant.

This little gem is lovely, but have no clue what it is.  Each purple flower on the stem looks something like a snap dragon.  It also resembles what is known as Bear's Breeches, or Acanthus Mollis...except the leaves don't at all.  Just the stem of flowers.

This is the top view.

I finished six rows of the darker green on the edge, and a row of the black, and am now starting on the cream color again like the center.  I think instead of increasing each color section by one row I will stick with the six on the cream if I decide to do another two colors. Otherwise, will do seven and finish it.  It really is pretty.  Right now it is about 32 inches across.

As soon as I finish this I am back to the hippo!

I put together a video on a Long Loop Double Crochet for someone on Ravelry (not my discovery, just could not find the other persons video).  I finally learned how to upload them, so now can do some for the blog.  Would like to show my Air Crochet on a video as it seems to lose something in the written translation!  That will be a project for another day.

Enjoy your day.

Fourth of July Week

Nothing much going on these days...babysitting the granddaughters a bit most weeks and that is a pleasure.  Right now am taking care of the dog while they all are on vacation.  She's pretty easy, so it has been a pleasure.  The Fourth was a bit edgy as she gets excited when the various neighbors would set things off, but eventually she calmed down.

Have been working on several projects, finishing almost none.  I'll revisit the one I'm getting closer to finishing...the Happy Hippo project for my new nephew Jack.  What a cutie!

This is what has been finished thus far on the hippo...his middle and back end!  The next parts are for his legs in front, and I have one of those about ready to add. He is really cute, but next time I make one, IF I make one, I will not do the color scheme like this.  Will make it two-toned, or three-toned, I think.

While the heat was up so high along with the humidity, and because the Fourth was fast approaching, I brought in Tommy Socks and stashed him in the spare room.  As you can see he thought he was in heaven....in a/c, on a bed, and in the house with food, water, and a box.  He never made a peep for two days!

Stitch Witch Sundays

Hey - in the group I'm in we are doing Sunday Morning Stitch Witch.  We are trying out a new stitch that we can use elsewhere, but in the meanwhile making an afghan with it.  Kim is helping to devise the stitches each week and doing a bang up job. 

At first I was more interested in doing textured stitches as I love the look and feel of them.  However, it has progressed into multi-colored stitches, which is fine with me!  You can pick and choose your stitches, should you want, to get a textured look or a bright happy multi look.  All depends on your mood.

I have finished more of the Brick and Mortar rows, but for some reason the photos came up blank.  I will have to go back and try taking more photos and post them later.

So no one told me what the cabbage looking plant could be.  I haven't looked it up yet, as thought I'd get some good info here! Rats.

I found out the name of another plant that I thought was a Hydrangea.  Turns out it is a Black Lace Alderberry.  Stunning!  I love the lace cap pink flowers against the black-purple lacy leaves...just don't look at the hose in the background!  It does give you a perspective, though, of the large leaves and flower heads.

So - now I want to have a contest...have to generate some fun, don't I?  I have a book that is called "50 Knit & Crochet Accessories: Go from beginner to expert with easy bags, mittens, socks and hats"

If you would like this book, please note in your post to this thread, put in a guess as to the plant in the previous post, and then I will put all the names in a box, shake it up and pull out a winner!  I will also take the answers and figure out who is correct and that person will get a smaller, different prize.  Hopefully you are on Ravelry and can PM me your address should I need it!  

GOOD LUCK!!