Family fun

 

We had a wonderful family weekend! Daughter Joanne and family visited on their way home from Georgia where they had gone on vacation. I didn't think to take many pictures, but we had fun putting together new porch furniture for the wedding. We ate too much food, and I enjoyed lots of snuggles!

It's funny how you look at things differently when you know a big event is coming up. Our shed was looking very faded and sad, definitely in need of a good power wash! So, Last week Dave pulled out the power washer and set to work.

Carol came over to help out. She applied the blue stain, and Dave applied the red. It looks so much better! Last year, Dave and my brother repaired the west side of the roof, with plans to do the east side this year. That will have to wait until after the wedding. At that time, Dave plans to re-side the east side of the shed, the side showing in this picture. It doesn't look too bad, but some of the boards are rotting at the bottom. 

At times it seems like a lot of work, but we sure are enjoying sprucing up the place in anticipation of the wedding!

Mini heat wave

 

I don't deal well with heat, and we've had a mini heat wave the past few days. So, I've done a little organizing upstairs... very little... read books, watched YouTube videos, and I knitted one dishcloth. Today is supposed to be a little cooler. Maybe I'll get something done!

Lost and found

While Dave worked in the garden, I spent time organizing upstairs. I found my knitting bag that I used to take along on car trips. Inside was a nearly finished dishcloth. My dishcloths always look a bit wonky when I first finish them, but once they've been used they have a nice shape. Some day I might figure out what I'm doing that causes this!

We visited daughter Carol for a cookout this afternoon. It was a lovely day to be outdoors. I thought about going upstairs and doing some more organizing when we got home, but I decided to sit and knit for a while instead. Today was a wonderful day!

Cute, but...

I really don't think I'll be making any more of these little crochet baskets. The tutorial I followed was excellent, but crocheting with dishcloth cotton is very hard on my hands. I think I'll save my dishcloth cotton for dishcloths!

Yum!

Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes! I had a wonderful day. Mom, Carol, and I went out to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Carol brought me a giant birthday cupcake, which I didn't taste until this morning. I was just too full from lunch.

The morning disappeared quickly with running errands, paying bills, and watching YouTube videos. However, I did find time to knit this afternoon and this evening. I finished the first pattern repeat of four in the Open Star Stitch section of my Summer Sky shawl.

Tomorrow morning Dave and I are going to pick up some more hostas for the garden, and then we plan to be working outside. It should be a great weekend for being outdoors with mild temperatures and sunshine. I am not an outdoor person, but I am looking forward to working in the garden tomorrow!

 

15 years!

It's hard to believe that I started blogging 15 years ago today! How do I remember? I started blogging on my 55th birthday. I had discovered blogs several months before, and I was encouraged to start my own by Sherry Pence. Blogging has changed a bit since I first began. It seems that there are fewer bloggers and that many of the friends I made through blogging have moved to Facebook and Instagram. 

I like the blogging platform. I can write as much or as little as I like. I can add as many pictures as I like. Best of all, I have a way to search through what I've written to find specific information. That has come in handy many times. 

My blogging has slacked off a bit. I'm finding that with retirement it's very easy to put off until tomorrow what can be done today, and soon I'm amazed that several days have passed!

I haven't been tatting as much for the past several months. As I've been sorting through craft supplies, I've found that I have an incredible amount of beautiful yarn that I've been meaning to knit into shawls. I love knitting shawls! Gauge isn't quite as important as with socks or a sweater, and they work up fairly quickly. So, my focus has shifted a little.

I'm still tatting, but there hasn't been any significant progress on any of the pieces I've been working on.

I spent the past couple of days at daughter Alison's. I took my knitting along and finished a couple of sections of Summer Sky by Janina Kallilo. I'm ready to start the next Open Star Stitch section, which needs to be repeated four times. After that, there's a small garter stitch section, and the shawl will be done!

Oh, and did you do the math at the beginning of this post? Yes, today is my 70th birthday!

Mom's masterpiece

 

Mom finished the Orenburg Warm Shawl that she's been working on for me. This has been her main project for the past year. It's a luxurious 50/50 blend of merino and silk called JaggerSpun Zephyr. The color is Suede, and I love it!

While the pattern is somewhat fresh in her mind, Mom started another shawl for my sister Janet. She's using the same yarn, this time in White. The white has a tighter twist than the Suede, so the stitches are more defined, and Mom said that she seems to be having less trouble with split stitches. It will be fun to watch this shawl grow!

Yesterday was a busy day around here. My brother David came down to visit in the morning. Daughter Carol came over to help with yard work. Mom was knitting and visiting, and I had the most important job of all... supervising!

I did manage to spend some time knitting on my Summer Sky shawl. This is my first time working the Open Star Stitch. It's very pretty, but I'm having trouble knitting the k3pso. I'm using Knitter's Pride Dreamz needles, and I think the tips are too blunt. I've ordered some Addi Turbo Lace needles that should arrive today. I will soon know if it's the needles or the knitter that need adjustment!

Equinox

Three girls came to help me yesterday, and we managed to clear out a lot of clutter upstairs in the morning. To reward myself for all my hard work, I spent the afternoon finishing Equinox by Lisa Overby.

I like to start a new project right away so that I keep myself motivated. This is Summer Sky by Janina Kallilo. I'm using some luscious Malabrigo that daughter Joanne gave me. I love working with beautiful yarns!

Dave and I are going plant shopping this morning. He's been working diligently on the yard to get it ready for daughter Carol's wedding. Our home should be picture perfect inside and out by the time of the wedding!

Time off

 

I took a little time off to spend a few days with daughter Alison. I did take my knitting along, and I'm making good progress with my Equinox shawl by Lisa Overby. I think I have 14 rows to go, something I should be able to achieve this week. 

I also have a good start on round 6 of Star of Bethlehem from Bonded with tatting - doilies by Laura Bziukiewicz. 

Reorganizing of the upstairs continues, which does cut into my crafting time. I'm finding long forgotten materials and projects, some of which I know I'll never finish. It's time to de-stash!

Round 5

 

I just finished round 5 of Star of Bethlehem from Bonded with tatting - doilies by Laura Bziukiewicz. Even though this round took great concentration on my part, I truly enjoyed tatting it. 

Tomorrow will be a busy day, but I hope I have time to start round 6!