FO: Angypang Socks; Getting There; On the Needles; Local Wildlife

Hello everyone and thank you for your such kind comments on my last post. I think I may still have problems responding to comments on this post (which you'll understand soon), but I do feel like I might be getting there slowly. Thanks for sticking around and caring.

*****

Now for an FO to show you - TA DA!

Project: Angypang Socks

Pattern:  Little Boxes Socks by Summer Lee

Yarns: Farmers Daughters Fibers  Highwood Sock in the colorway Morning Honey; Farmers Daughters Fibers Rocky Mountain Purls in the Rooted Eartb colorway. Both are part of the Sock Squad 2026 club.

Needles:  US size 1/2.25 mm and US size 1 1/2/2.5 mm

Notes: I was cruising Instagram one day when I came across a post by Edble Thoughts Makes, where she showed her completed pair of these socks. I was so immediately hooked, and even knew what yarn I would use! So I bought the pattern, and cast on. 

This was in the middle of April, and I zoomed along pretty quickly (for me). While I knit the first sock, we still had Angus, and he would sit with me while I knit. I told him we should call these socks Sunshine and Blue Skies because I felt like that's what they showed and how I felt when he was with me. Then the day I was finishing the first sock, it was the day we were leaving to return him to thei rescue. He was leaning against me as I finished kitchenering them. I decided then and there they would be the "Angypang Socks" because I would call him Angypang when I was teasing him. 

In the photo above, if you look closely, you can see a few extra yellow stitches in the middle of the first toe round across the top. I told him that was the two of us, working on this sock together, and I would always be able to know that was the first sock I knit and that he was there. And now I'm sobbing again, which is why it took me so long to post this FO. I'm not sure I'll be able to wear them anytime soon, but they will be there when I'm ready. 💗💔

As for the pattern, if you want to try colorwork on a small area, this is a great pattern! So clearly written, and truly so simple. Once you get the first pattern repeat finished, it's pretty much in your head. And since they are Shortie socks, they go so fast! (Though I'm definitely gonna try this pattern on a regular pair of socks down the line.) This is the first time I've knit a Summer Lee pattern, and I get her popularity now, it's well-earned.

*****

OK I'm back after a good cry break, to show you one of the things currently on my needles. After I finished the Litle Boxes, it was about two weeks without any socks on the needles - I know, for me that's nuts!

First some background for you. The week before Memorial Day, Alfie and I spent some time in the garden cleaning up. I thought since we weren't going to WV for the holiday weekend, it would be nice if the garden was ready for us to be out there (spoiler alert: it rained all weekend, but we at least had cleaned up the garden!). 

Anyway, since then, Alfie and I have been going out into the garden first thing in the morning and hanging out, just enjoying it. Right now at least, the weather is pleasant, and there are no mosquitoes around yet (YAYAYAYAY!), so being out there is just perfect. Last week one day, instead of reading like I usually do, I decided to work on a pair of socks I've started. I've gotten more done since this photo was taken, but I am nonetheless really happy with how they are looking:

These socks are the Cottage Hearts pattern by Crazy Sock Lady Designs. They will be regular socks, as opposed to shorties, and again, I am having fun with colors. I have finished the leg, and just yesterday finished the gusset on the first sock, so they are zooming right along as well. 

While Alfie and I were out in the garden last week and I was knitting, we had a visitor:

This little squirrel youngster showed up. He got closer to both of us than he probably should have, but I of course was no threat. and Alfie was interested, but not enough to do anything about it. I'm not sure if he didn't want to get up, or if maybe he realized it was a young squirrel and was not going to engage. But anyway, we all sat out there together for about half an hour more after he showed up. We thought about calling him Tiny, but I told Alfie that was too easy, so instead we named him Petits Pois. It was a lovely time, our little trio just enjoying a nice morning.

*****

And that's catching you up with things, more or less. Unfortunately, the hits keep coming in my family, but they are interspersed with some nice things, so I try to keep those in mind. We had a lovely Bloomsday yesterday, and also belatedly celebrated Milo the Koodle's birthday since we couldn't easily do it when it actually came around. And fortunately, he didn't mind. 😊

So I hope all of you are doing well, and finding some good/nice/happy to be thankful for even in any of the bad. I'm hoping to get myself more on track, and hopefully the universe will give me a break so I can pick up a little bit more momentum with everything. But regardless, once again than you for being here and being so kind. Enjoy your day!

Trying To Be OK

Hello Friends, and Happy June to all of you! I'm afraid I'm still having some troubles getting back into the swing of things. Besides having to say goodbye to Angus, there's been some not so great health news in my own family that is also causing me to not feel much better about things. But I really am trying to be OK, I absolutely promise you. And I know I'll be OK, it's just a never-ending pile up of stuff at the moment.

Which is also why I haven't responded much to all of you who have been kind enough to leave comments on previous posts. Even doing that is more than I can handle some days. So I'm not blowing you off, I just don't currently have bandwidth. I'm hoping that any comments I get on this post will be ones I can get the wherewithal to repond to, since "talking" to all of you is such a happy thing for me.

I'm still behind on other things too, though I am doing the things that absolutely are necessary to do, so I'm not a complete zombie. Which is good, because distractions (even cleaning things up, UGH!) are a good thing at the moment.

Other that that, I picked up a stitching project I started last summer, and did only a small amount on, and I did manage to finish a section (did I already show this to you? I can't remember):

I'm happy with how it is turning out. Hopefully I can finish it this summer. 

I also finally get started on a knitting project that I've meant to do for over a year - even had the yarn ready!  This is the start of the Skyline Tee, by Tori Yu. This is the first time I've knit one of her patterns, and it's so well written and clear. I was a bit hesitant because there were some things I've never tried before, but her instructions made things incredibly understandable. 

Like the stitching project, hopefully this will be finished this summer as well. 😜

After Alfie and I cleaned up the garden a few weeks ago, we have been able to enjoy sitting out there together first thing in the morning. He enjoys watching the birds and squirrels, and just hanging out. We usually go out for about an hour or an hour and a half, and it's nice because it's usually so quiet. I generally read and enjoy my cup of tea, and on very rare occasions a squirrel will not realize he is there and he'll go to chase it, but fortunately, the squirrels are MUCH faster than he is! It's become a pleasant ritual, and other than rainy days, we do it for sure. I don't know if we'll continue once the extreme heat and/or humidity arrive, but it's nice for now.

So that's the news from me. I hope all of you are well, and trust me, I've been reading all of your blogs even if I don't comment that much at the present. Thanks for hanging in, it's nice to have comments to read, even if currently I'm quiet at the other end of things. 

Well, I'm Back

I didn't really mean to not post for so long, but I got involved with finishing a couple of books that were coming due at the library, knitting away on a pair of socks, and trying to keep my mental health on keel. But I'm here now, so I'll give you a little peek from while I was gone.

Here we have an upset, scared, betrayed, and angry Miss Esmeralda at the vet's office. It only took three years, one new carrier, and an hour and a half of chasing her to make this appointment happen. But it did, and she was declared in perfect health - even good teeth! - and we came home where she hid for 2 complete days until we saw her again.

As I've mentioned, she is really afraid of everything. So any time before that we tried to get her to the vet's office, it was unsuccessful. I wasn't too worried, because she never goes outside, and she lives with two healthy cats. But we have been thinking of adding to the family, and we realized that there is no way that would happen if she wasn't up to date on her shots.

The whole thing was traumatic for both of us, and I felt so awful, betraying the trust she had finally given to me. Now we're back to baby steps, but I am glad to know she is as healthy as I suspected. And unless she suddenly shows signs of being sick, we don't need to repeat the experience any time soon.

I did finish the first sock of the yarn from the February installment of the Farmer's Daughter Fibers subscription, and I am well into the second. The yarn is a slightly brighter red than this photo shows, with the wine-colored mini, which is just a lovely combination.

I've also added to my Cozy Comfort Throw, but even though it is a good chunk of work, it looks nearly the same. I'll probably only start showing progress on this when there's a substantial amount to show, since it will take me a while, and moves along kind of slowly.

But I do like how it's turning out, and it's using up a lot of scraps, which is a good feeling.

So that's what has been happening around here. We had a nice Valentine's Day, going out to breakfast at one of our fave places, and had a yummy Chinese noodle dinner last night for the Lunar New Year. 

And of course I have spent A LOT of time watching the Olympics, as I'm sure a lot of you have. Not being athletic at all, I am constantly amazed at how accomplished the athletes are - even those who don't win a medal. Think of how good you have to be to simply make the team in the first place!

So now you know what I've been up to and how things are going. Time to hit "publish" on this, and get ready for a trip to the dermatologist. Since I had that basal cell carcinoma removed from my back this past August, I was supposed to return in 6 months instead of a year. Hopefully this time the appointment will be completely uneventful. 

I hope the rest of your day today and rest of the week go well. I'm hoping I'll be back again before another week goes by, but just in case, take care!

So Here I Am

Hello! I didn't mean to disappear for a few days, but I ended up having a lot of stuff to take care of that just took all of my time. Not that I think you were all getting ready to call out a search party, but anyway I'm here now. 

I usually don't write a post on a Tuesday morning, because I'm usually at my volunteer gig taking care of kitties. However, the ones that were there have all been adopted, and they won't get more there until this afternoon, so I'm at home this morning. I did tell a woman I would cover her Thursday morning shift for her while she was out of town, so I have an extra day this week.

Thank you so much for all of the kind words about my Christmas sweater, it was such a boost to hear that you all thought it was as nice as I did. I'm still sort of surprised that it all turned out so well. You know how it is when you try something for the first time and it works out really well - you're not sure if you really did it the right way, or if it was beginner's luck. 😊

If I haven't mentioned it (and I'm too lazy to go back and check), I did finish the cardigan I've been knitting. It's been blocked and the ends woven in, now it's just waiting for buttons. I found a couple of the right size that I already have, and both of them would be fine. But I'm tempted to look for different ones. The person who wrote the pattern put really lovely hand-made ceramic buttons on hers, and it's tempting to order some of those from the same place she bought them. But most of the choices are definite colors, except for "oatmeal" which I think is just too bland for a sweater that is kind of that color. Also, are ceramic buttons practical? I don't know. Anyway, this decision-making (or lack thereof) is what is keeping me from the last part of actually making the sweater wearable. 

In any case, I have gotten started on my first new project of 2026:

Oh look, socks - what a shock! I feel kind of lost when I don't have a sock going, so I was itching to cast on. For reasons that I cannot really logically explain, I signed up for the 2026 Farmer's Daughters Fiber Sock Club (WHY? I have too much sock yarn already, and can't really afford it. But I'm just going to move on, because I have gone over it already with no real reason or solution). 

Anyway, this is the first of the packages - a beautiful, lightly speckled blue yarn called Deep Winter, with a light gray mini included. The yarn is really lovely to work with, and it's working well with the pattern I think. The pattern is Hedgerow Socks, by Jane Cochran. I knit this pattern years ago for a pair of gift socks, and always meant to return to it for myself. It's a fairly easy, memorizable pattern repeat, provided that you pay attention. Ahem.

Other than that, I have a long-term on the needles project that continues (Cozy Memories Blanket) and a project I started last winter and then put aside over the summer and didn't pick up again (Artus Shawl) that need some love. Both of those are longer-term things though, so now I'm decided what project to add that will be traded off regularly with the socks to work on. Whatever it is, I am only going to consider things that I already have the yarn to knit, because it's already ridiculous enough that I'll be getting sock yarn every month. 

Not much else that is new to report this morning. We got Christmas put away until the end of this year, and are in the process of cleaning the house after all of that. I'm trying to get The Tim to start thinking of what he would like to try and do with getting our carport rebuilt - I told him I thought this year we should focus on that and getting the second floor bathroom completed as our big house projects. If he could get his act together and decide what he wants for the carport, we could grab the contractor at a less busy time and theoretically at least, get started. Getting The Tim to focus on something like that is a hard thing though, so I'm hoping that he will somehow get a lighting strike of his own and decide it should happen SOON.

That's all for now. Time to head to the post office to send in a return, and then stop at CVS to pick up a prescription refill. So much excitement in just one day! 😂

Things to Celebrate

Hello from cool, dreary, and rainy Philadelphia! The perfect kind of day to just stay inside and be cozy, and that's pretty much what I plan to do.

We have been kind of busy lately. I have been getting ready for both The Tim's birthday, and for Thanksgiving. The Tim always gets into a flurry of cleaning activity around this time of year, in preparation for holiday season, so he's been working on that. The cats are either sleeping and avoiding it (actually preferred), or busy snooper-vising. 

Yesterday was The Tim's birthday, and unlike today, it was a perfect fall day - sunny, cool, and just a touch of wind. He took the day off from work, and I swapped my volunteer shift with someone else, so we were both home for the whole day. He had asked to go out to breakfast at a place in the neighborhood, so we headed there first thing. He had one of his fave things, a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, with tomato, onion, etc. as well. I had the tofu scramble, which is really good, and comes with fried potatoes, which we both enjoyed. We were stuffed until it was time for dinner!

The Tim had told me what he would like for his birthday, and for once, I had been ready for over a week, so that worked out really well. He requested a cheesecake for his birthday dessert, and we enjoyed that after presents, while the kitties enjoyed some kitty treats. 

We had originally planned to go out to dinner, but he said later in the afternoon that he was feeling slightly out of it, like he is getting a cold, so we decided to do that another night, and just had leftover chili and some grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. It was a lovely day, and fortunately, this morning he felt much better. A good night's sleep I'm sure helped. 😊

Over this past weekend, I put out our Thanksgiving decorations. I don't have a lot of them, but I love having them. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday, and I feel that a lot of the time, it gets short shrift. 

I posted this photo as well as a few others on Instagram, and got so many comments from people saying they remembered these particular candles from their families growing up! I just have always loved them.

My other exciting news is that I finished the body of the cardigan I have been knitting! Here is a not-lovely bathroom selfie for you to get an idea how it looks.

This is the Fidalgo Cardigan, and it is one of the most favorite things I have ever knit. I love that as you are knitting the sweater, you are knitting the button band - no hassle having to pick up stitches after the fact! I have learned a few new-to-me skills with this pattern, and it is so well-written that I feel like it would be understandable to just about anyone. I watch the designer's podcast, and she is just one of those people that I would love to be friends with. Yesterday afternoon, I managed to knit half of the first sleeve, so I'm hoping this will be an FO before long.

So that's been what has been going on around here. The Tim had a lovely birthday day, even though it means that now for a few months, we'll be same age (he always loves being "the younger one" for most of the year). We're looking forward to Thanksgiving next week, not just because we both love the holiday itself, but for the first time in four years, The Tim won't have to work! He also took the Friday after off, so we will have a nice long holiday weekend together to enjoy. I'm so happy about that. Obviously, we've survived the years when he had to work on Thanksgiving Day, but it's just so much better when he can have the day off and be at home too.

I hope your week has been kind to you, and that you are enjoying any crafting projects you have. See you next time!

Fall Makes Me Happy

OK, fall does not make me all that happy when it's 85 degrees at the beginning of October, but a) according the weather people, it's supposed to actually cool off to appropriate temperatures after tomorrow, and b) I can still put out some of my fall decorations, which make me smile. And let's face it, in this s**tshow of a world, we gotta take the smiles where and when we can!

I've been busy knitting, and have finished a pair of socks that I'll share with you once the recipient has received them. Not that he reads this, but someone who knows him may and I want them to be a surprise. I'm going along well on the cardigan I started, but don't have any recent photos, so you'll have to wait a little bit longer to see what one.

But remember the little acorn I knit a few weeks ago? Well, now he has a leafy friend!

I have to tell you, this little leaf is so fun and so quick to knit - I may end of with LOTS of leaves! This is another part to the garland I have started, and I'm so pleased with how it turned out. 

Aren't they cute together??? I'm not making any hurried effort on this, because it's kind of a when-I-feel-like-it project, and fall comes every year.

In keeping with the fall theme, and leading up to Halloween, The Tim bought this Halloween throw for us at one of the Aldi stores nearby. Not bad for $5.00, right?

And on our way to Rehoboth Beach, The Tim wanted to stop at the outlets because he wanted to look for something specific. I bought one of these black cat pillows at one of the stores there. I also got one for Amanda.

This is sitting on the couch in our living room, and let me tell you, it's been quite shocking! So far, only The Tim and I will still sit on the couch. 🙄

Meanwhile, Amanda says their kitty has claimed theirs for herself. Go figure.

That's all the news for now. I hope you are all doing well and knitting, reading, cooking, baking, whatever makes you happy at the moment. I'm off to start dinner (I'm writing this late on Monday afternoon), and it's a good thing because I'm starting to get hungry and sadly, dinner has yet to cook itself ...

You Need to Start Somewhere

Hello all, I hope you are well. And somehow managing to continue to go along every day in this world full of trauma. It's hard. And sadly, getting harder each and every day. Just remember, you have to take care of yourself first and foremost, because otherwise you can't help anyone else at all.

I have two things to look forward to that are keeping me from complete despair. The week after next, we have two little trips planned, and since we haven't really had any outings since our trip to WV over Memorial Day weekend, the fact that these trips are coming up have been keeping me going. I'm the sort of person who can put up with just about anything if I know there is something to look forward to, even if not for quite a while. 

I promised I'd show you my sock project that is in progress, but I keep forgetting to take a picture of it. The first sock is well into the foot section, so by the time I photograph it, instead of a piece o' sock, it might be a finished sock. 

But I did take this photo of a something I knit yesterday:

When did I become a knitter of fiddly things? Let me be clear, this is not my fave kind of knitting, but I have always avoided anything looking or sounding the least bit fiddly in the past. The stuffed doggie I knit was just fiddly in parts, but this project is nothing but fiddly! So we'll see how long it takes for me to finish it. Though it is nice to knit for a short amount of time and have something to show for it, LOL.

This is my first piece in the Fall Harvest Charm Set, by Susan B. Anderson. Apparently I do love kits, and I do have to say that Barrett Wool Co., Anderson's company with her son, put together really lovely kits that usually are not overly expensive, considering what you get. Anyway, I bought this kit a very long time ago, and much like the puppy kit, decided during a recent stash review that this fall I was actually going to make this thing. Making this tiny acorn reminded me of the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn." Reminding me that in both knitting and life, you may start small, but it's the starting that is important.

So I need to figure out how to try to start in so many ways. I've gotten some things started, and they just need to continue. But with the world constantly bombarding me with so much terrible, I need to make my way through to finding positive things to start, to move along with, to keep myself sane.

I hope that those of you reading have been able or are able to start finding ways for yourself to be in the world without complete despair 24/7. Granted, what works today may not work tomorrow or next week, but we should all keep on trying so that we can work our way to better days, better health, just better all around. 

My plans for today are to post this, then work on finishing the laundry, and take a walk. I woke up this morning with a killer headache, so instead of taking my walk right away, I took some Tylenol and just sat for a while. The headache is close to being history, so the walk will come soon. I'll probably also work on the aforementioned sock, and read a bit. The Tim is cooking dinner tonight, so I can forget about having to plan that. 

Have a good day, however you are able to. (Well, unless that means murdering someone - that's not good and face it, they are likely not worth a lifetime in prison. Try to focus things elsewhere. 😉)

Almost There!

The puppy I'm knitting has a body now! It just keeps getting cuter, if you ask me. Now I have the front paws and back paws, and finally the tail to knit, and then he will be complete. As you can imagine, I talk to him a lot as I'm knitting him, so he's become a therapy dog of sorts. 😊

I haven't been around this week because I've been getting used to being uncomfortable from an outpatient procedure I had last Friday. A visit to the dermatologist a few weeks ago led to her finding something suspicious on my back. It turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma, and she scheduled me for August 1 to have it removed. The procedure itself was completely uneventful, but boy does having a line of stitches on your back make for being uncomfortable! I think it's because most of us don't have a lot of padding on our backs. The doctor told me it would be unpleasant for at least a couple of weeks, because there are internal stitches as well as the ones I can see (though not that well, based on where they are located) on my back. I was very happy to hear from her yesterday to learn that they got clear margins on the area they removed. So unless another one pops up again, I should be OK. Though she warned me that with my - as she calls it  - "pale Irish skin" and being of a generation that grew up before sunscreen was invented, it may not be the last time a carcinoma shows up. Ugh. Even after a childhood spent avoiding the sun because I sunburned in record time, I'm paying for it now. 

At least I have a dermatologist who is paying close attention.

So what have I been doing? Well, I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get comfortable, or at least less uncomfortable. I know it could be lots worse, but after a summer of ridiculous heat and humidity, I have little patience left for anything. The doctor told me to take it easy for two weeks, and not do anything very vigorous. I've done some reading and a little bit of knitting, but have a hard time really concentrating. I haven't been able to sleep well, so I feel very tired most of the time, which does not help with my attention span.

OK, enough whining, let's just talk about something else.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned the ongoing saga of our garden door. The short version is that we had a door - really more of a panel - that had a padlock on it that closed off the entryway to our front door from the garden. (I'm not explaining this very well, but just go with it.) It was neither attractive nor durable, but it came with the house, and it did what it needed to do. About two years ago, it finally just fell apart, and we took it down. Which is not a big deal, but we agreed that at some point, we wanted to replace it, for two reasons at least: 1) so if the cats were in the garden with us, they could not leave and go out onto the street; and, 2) for privacy and a fake appearance of security (because if someone wants to get in, they can figure out a way). 

When I said something about it earlier this summer, The Tim informed me that it could be "my" project. So I've been looking for someone to give me an estimate on the cost. I finally asked local friends for a recommendation on Facebook, and a friend who I know has high standards recommended someone who had done some work in her house.

He came yesterday, and took all kinds of measurements. Once again, nothing is standard about the measurements, so it requires a bit of finagling on his part. But he had a couple of good-sounding ideas, and he is going to see what kinds of things would be involved and send me an estimate. If it seems reasonable at all, I'm gonna go with it because most people I contacted either wouldn't come into the city to do the work, or weren't interested in such a small project. The thing I didn't tell them, since they were being kind of rude about it, is that we have some internal door-type and other projects that, if the garden door project would turn out well, we would consider asking for estimates for those as well. So we'll see how it goes, but I would love to have a garden door again. And the cats would be thrilled, because then they could explore when one or both of us are out there. And at a minimum, Alfie MUST be allowed to do that!

And that's the excitement around here lately. I just realized that this post is brought to you be the letter P:

Puppy

Pitiful me

Property improvement

But somehow, "Tryon Street" doesn't have the same ring to it as "Sesame Street," does it?

Take care, and I'll be back soon!

🌷🌹🌻

It's Monday ... Again

Funny how it happens every week, huh?

The last few weeks, I've been feeling kind of sad on Sunday afternoons and evenings, and I couldn't quite figure out why. I don't have a job to dread, or any unpleasant activities that happen every single week on Monday, so it was a bit of a puzzle.

Then it occurred to me - during the week, I'm on my own the entire day. Yes, the cats are here, but unlike the weekend days, The Tim is at work. Thinking about it more, I decided that it's more the idea of someone else being around that I like. Some weekends we have plans, so we do things together for most/all of the weekend, but frankly most of the time, we do our own thing. Since I get nothing but alone time all week, I try to give him as much alone time as I can when the weekend comes, because he's not a fan of being social 24/7 any more than I am. 

Anyway, once I figured that out, it made sense to me. And who knows, maybe I am just biologically tuned to feel a bit down on Sundays, after a lifetime of having other, more intense, reasons.

*****

Last week, my niece La Liz sent us a text, asking us to make a video for her husband Greg. He is turning 50 on Thursday, and she had asked a bunch of family and friends to make a video, saying one thing they liked about him. You may or may not remember that Greg is a HUGE Baltimore Orioles fan. We went to the Phillies-Orioles game in Baltimore with them last summer. And he doesn't just love his own team, he can't stand some other teams - the Phillies included!

So Saturday, we got dressed in our Phillies t-shirts and sat down to make our video. We talked about the reasons we loved him, and then as we were ending it and saying "Happy Birthday, " we both put on our Phillies caps. Then The Tim said, "Oh and one more thing, " and we both said, "Go Phils!" La Liz said she was watching it with tears streaming down her face because it was so lovely, and then almost passed out when we "pulled out the Phillies hats!" She can't wait for him to see it and neither can we. 😂

*****

I was watching a YouTube podcast a week or so ago, and one of the people on it was knitting a sock in the most amazing yarn combo I'd seen in a while. And I could not resist, especially because the accent color in the sock set was turquoise, and I'm a sucker for that color. So I placed an order for it from Hopemade Yarn Co.  It arrived really quickly, and I cast on the next day. I just love it, don't you?

The colors just scream SUMMER to me, which is funny because when I wear socks in the summer, it's white athletic socks with my sneakers - otherwise, it's too hot to wear socks for me. So these will remind me of the good things about summer, while keeping me warm the rest of the year. 

So that's it for now. I hope you have a good week, and have a chance to do something that's just for you.  See you again soon!

Puppy Love

Hello and Happy Friday! I've been fairly productive so far today, which pleases me because for a change I can clean up some things without feeling like I'm going to pass out.

Besides the summer top I've been knitting (more about that another time), I started another project that is a little bit fiddly, but fun. Many years ago, I purchased a kit from Barrett Wool Co., to make the Waffles Puppy. Then, just like many things I think would be wonderful to make/do, I put it away and kinda sorta forgot about it. When I did a stash review in April, I came across it again, and decided that I would definitely make it over the summer. I even set it where I would see it to make it handy to pick up and get going.

And all during June, it just sat there. And I would always be ready to start, but not really. Then last Thursday, I decided it was time. I found the needles I would need, and got started. Now, I can't remember if the yarn arrived in the kit already wound, or if I had actually wound it up when I received it, mistakenly thinking I'd start it soon. But in any case, once I had the right size needles, I had no excuse but to give it all a try.

I spent a little while knitting, and finished the head, including adding in the safety eyes and nose that were included in the kit (and that was quite a project itself, let me tell you!). 

I love that little face!

Then yesterday (what is it about Thursdays so far?), I tackled adding the ears. It was tricky, because a) I'm not good at picking up stitches "on the right leg of a stitch" in general, and being that it was on a stuffed part of the project, it was challenging for me. But you know, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and all that. 

It didn't take long until that sweet little face had some ears to give it more of an identity:

And once I got past the first couple of rounds of knitting the ears, it was pretty quick. It was a good thing to be doing (and I thought, appropriate) while I was transcribing voicemails for PAWS,* the organization that I volunteer for a couple of times a week. 

Next up will be the body of the pup. I've looked ahead at the instructions, and much like the ears, it looks pretty straightforward, once you pick up the stitches on the bottom of the head and get going. 

Now, if you look at the photo of the Waffles Puppy, you'll see that he has both a hat and a sweater. I'm not convinced that I'll have it in me to knit a tiny sweater once I'm finished with the puppy. Maybe a hat, but I've decided that since it's summer, a hat and sweater would be too hot anyway to wear. So maybe that will wait until cooler weather, when a sweater and hat would be needed. 😉

*****

What are you up to this weekend? As far as I know, we don't have any specific plans, other than the usual things we do on a weekend, which is fine. The Tim will likely be busy working on setting up his new computer that arrived the other day. And I will be busy staying out of the way because I am not an idiot! 😂

I'm kind of hoping that I can get The Tim to take a couple of days of vacation sometime soon. Not to necessarily do any real traveling, but maybe a day down the shore, and/or some other day adventure. It would be a nice change for both of us. We have a plan for a long weekend in Rehoboth Beach after Labor Day, which I'm really excited about, but it would be nice to just have a few days to poke around places in the next few weeks.

Here's hoping you can find some happiness and joy over the weekend, and have a chance to relax. I'll be back next week, take care!

*PAWS = Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society

I Think I'm Finally Back On Track

Have you ever had a week where for the ENTIRE week, you are mixed up about what day it is and what the date is? That was me last week. I spent the whole week either a day ahead or behind, or just confused altogether like someone who just arrived from another planet and had only a tenuous grasp on how time works here.

The good news is that as of yesterday, I was back on track, and it's a good thing, because I have obligations every single day this week. This morning was a doctor's appointment, which thankfully was short and sweet. So I should be good to go for this week, having started it out successfully.  I told my brain that I hope it enjoyed its vacation last week, but there was no response. I don't think it likes sarcasm.

Anyway, June is moving along here. In general, I like June - or at least I used to. It was always the month when it was summer, but not SUMMER. Fortunately so far we've only had a couple of miserably hot/humid days, and I think we're supposed to have one or two this week. So I have been enjoying things so far, and even though we've gotten a lot of rain, it has supposedly helped with the drought, so I think I can live with that.

Alfie had a good birthday. He got one of those catnip "kickers" - it's like a tube filled with catnip, that cats grab onto with their front paws, and then kick with their back paws. It was a big hit, with everyone to be honest. And there were kitty treats and some fancy canned food, so they had a good time. I bought a small cake for The Tim and I to share, and Alfie was both mystified and annoyed by the birthday candles. 😊

Not much is going on around here. I was knitting away on a project I'd started a couple of weeks ago, and realized that I had completely messed it up. So I frogged what I had - not a whole lot, but more than 6 rows - and put it away overnight. This afternoon I sat down and restarted it and to be honest, since I know more what I'm doing, it actually looks a lot better. So maybe all's well that ends well with that. 

I finished the first sock of a pair I'm knitting, though I haven't woven in any ends yet. I like the pattern, and enjoyed knitting it, but haven't cast on the second sock yet. Not that there's a big hurry to have the pair, but I also don't want to let it sit too long. I made a couple of modifications and don't want to forget what they are/were. Why yes, I could write them down, but so far I have not ...

I met two former co-workers on Saturday for lunch, and one of them told the funniest story. She said that a couple of weeks ago, she had stopped to get coffee, and while she was waiting to pay, a guy came in that she saw from a decent enough distance that she couldn't see him clearly, but she noticed he was really good-looking. A few minutes later, he got in line to pay for his coffee and she realized it was her ex-husband, who she had a bitter divorce from! So she tried to get her stuff together to walk away quickly before he saw her, but her headphones got tangled in one of those signs next to a jar that asks for donations for some cause or another, causing it all to fall onto the floor and spill the money! She said that normally she would stay to clean up the mess she made, but she just ran out the door. "I dont' think he saw me." Hm. 😂

I guess just being confused about the day and date is pretty much a non-event compared to that.

I hope your week starts out well, take care!

P.S. I have no idea why the first paragraph is indented like it's "special." And I haven't been able to fix it, so there you go ...

What, Pray Tell, Have I Been Doing?

Hello all, and I hope where you are is as sunny as it is today in Philadelphia! I have already been out for my walk, and hope to get out again at some point for some more enjoyment of a sunny and cool day.

I thought I'd catch you up on things I've been doing, crafts-wise. It's been a while since I had much to say about my knitting, and even longer since I've done any stitching, so here you go.

A couple of years ago now, I finished stitching this little Rudolph counted cross-stitch ornament. Then I set it aside, and last year when I went to finish it so I could hang it on the tree, I couldn't find it. I found it when we were putting things away, and left it out so that I could have it *completely* ready for next year.

It was seriously a matter of putting the fabric around a little core that came in the kit with it, and then gluing it into this little pie tin and putting a ribbon through the top for hanging. So this December, it will be ready to be included on the tree! (After I put it away safely, I looked at this picture, and realized there was a loose thread hanging out of it. 🙄 Rest assured I'll take care of that when I pull it out with the other decorations.)

These next two things are knitting projects I've been working on. Just below is the start of my Artus shawl.

I'd hoped to start this last fall, but didn't. And trust me, there's a lot of it left to knit - some parts with charts, which means it will take me even longer. But so far, I'm enjoying the knit, and I love this waffle texture that you start knitting. I have no deadline for this - I'm hoping to have it for next fall, but as long as I can use it next fall or winter, I'll be happy.

My sweater is really getting closer to being completed. Right now, I'm working on the sleeves, and am very close to finishing the first one. Then I'll do the second and then finish the body. I am finally trying the method of getting a bit of the body done, and then doing the sleeves before finishing that. It means you have a lot less fabric flopping around when you are doing the sleeves. And it also means that when the body is finally finished, the sweater is finished!

I'm not saying much more about this now, because I don't want to jinx myself. But I am thrilled with how it looks!

I've also been working on a pair of socks, but haven't taken any photos of them yet. (I had to save something for next time, right??)

So I have been busy with some things, and the good news is that I am happy with all of them. 

*****

Other than that, I'm glad all of you took my last post about names in the spirit it was intended, and got a laugh or two out of it. Of course, once I finished the post, I thought of at least ten more names that have amused me, but I'm sure we all have some. I was just worried once I posted it that people would think I was making fun of people. And I guess in some ways I was, but I promise I wasn't intending it to sound callous or vicious. I have no room to talk, having spent my life with people either mangling my name, or calling me something else altogether! 

Tomorrow is the first day of March, and I'm happy about that. March is one of my most fave months. Usually February and I get along just fine, but since the month started in the worst way possible, it was hard to go along as usual. I'm hoping March proves to be as pleasing at it usually does. 

My weekend plans include a trip to a Joann Fabrics near here, to see if anything I usually like to find there is left at all, since they are going out of business. I have to say that the news is discouraging to me. Not that I spent all of my spare time there, but there are certain things I could always count on finding there at a decent price. And I did enjoy looking for fabric there - nowadays, there are so few places that sell fabric that you can see in person. And then if there are, a lot to of times, you can't afford the stuff! A new place opened here in Philadelphia, and it's lovely. But it's extremely high end, and not being an expert at sewing, I won't be spending any money on fabric there! 

Other than that, probably just the usual weekend activities (or lack thereof). I would like to get some projects around the house closer to being finished, but I'm not gonna beat myself up if I don't get to them. 

I hope you have a good weekend, and a good start to the month of March. Take care, and I'll check in again next week.

P.S. Apologies if you have commented recently, and didn't get a response from me if I have your e-mail address. I'm getting those weird error messages in my e-mail, and it seems that the only solution in the past has been to let it resolve itself. So I promise I'm not ignoring you altogether. 😊

Last Cast On of 2024

Hello and I hope for all of you celebrating a holiday season, that it has been a good one so far for you. Ours has been lovely.

I thought I'd show you my final cast-on of 2024. Late in the afternoon on Christmas Day, I cast on this sock. I'd been wanting to get a sock going for a while, but between finshing up a gift for The Tim, and then all of the other preparations, I didn't get to it. So I decided to start while I was sitting in the living room and he was in the kitchen fixing our Christmas dinner. 

I got the cuff started on Christmas, and have made some good progress, even since this photo was taken. I'm getting ready to do the heel, and deciding between a heel flap and gusset or a shadow wrap heel. I'm liking the way the yarn is knitting up. And since I started this pair of socks on the first day of Christmas, I'm calling them my 12 Days of Christmas Socks. (Not that they will be finished in 12 days ...)

Have you started any new projects? I have some ideas swirling around in my head of how/what/why I want to knit this coming year, but they are not yet completely clear, so I'm going to work on organizing a very loose plan.

Today I had a DEXA scan - my favorite medical test! You just show up, lie still on a table for a little while, and you're on your way!  You don't even have to change your clothes. 😊 I'm not so sure that I'll get great results this time, but that won't be a surprise.

As for the rest of the day, I want to put away some of my gifts, and pay some bills, so as usual, it's a life of glamour and excitement that I doubt many of you can imagine ...

Enjoy your day!

A Long Weekend That Wasn't A Long Weekend

Hello and I hope your week has started out well. This past weekend was a long weekend here in the U.S., in honor of Veteran's Day, which was yesterday. A lot of people had an extra day off work. Since I do not have a job, I was "off" anyway; The Tim had to work. So I headed out to a doctor's appointment, and then came home and did some projects around the house. 

Our weekend was quiet, but the best thing was that our new stove arrived. Finally, we can use the whole thing, not just the stovetop! It's funny when something is not available, how you realize you use it all the time. When I would go to start making dinner, I'd be rudely reminded that I couldn't use the oven because it was no longer working. And a couple of times, I thought, "Oh maybe I'll make muffins for breakfast on the weekend," and then ... NOPE.  So Saturday night I used the oven for dinner, and on Sunday, The Tim made some bread. That was our big excitement.

I also started another new knitting project. I'm trying a yoked sweater with two colors. Here are the beginnings of my efforts:

Let's just say that I'm not certain this will work at all. But I've been wanting to try this type of project, and if you don't ever start, you'll never know. I did make a two-color hat as you may recall, back in February, so I thought it would be worth the attempt at another level. So this could possibly be the last you ever see of this project, OR I will be hoping that blocking will solve a lot of problems ... 

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you've already seen the photo below. I posted this with a caption saying I was glad to get one of these before they sold out at Sephora:

I opened my package, and then put the box in front to the door to the basement so I could take it downstairs to add to things going to be recycled. But apparently Pip decided it was a nice cozy place to hang, and spent most of Sunday happily just curled up in the box. Cats and boxes you know. 😊

Today I'm headed to my volunteer gig for the morning, and then I'll work on some things around the house in the afternoon before I sit down to read and/or knit. I have to also be sure to eat and drink whatever I want for the rest of the day and evening, because after today, I am doing a prep for a colonoscopy on Friday afternoon. Ugh. I hate it in the first place, but having to do a two-day prep just makes something bad even worse. 

So I may be MIA until next week because of that, or I may be here every single day to give me something to think about other than how hungry I am, or how much my head is hurting, etc. We'll see. 

In any case, I hope *your* week goes well. I told The Tim that even with the prep and colonoscopy, this week will still be better that last week was ... 😢

OK, time to clean up my breakfast stuff, brush my teeth, and leave to go and take care of some kitties - have a good one!

Let's Have a Little Catch Up

Hello from sunny and cool Philadelphia, where everyone is disappointed in our Phillies, because they not only didn't win their division series in baseball, but they sucked the whole way! Sigh. And for most of the year, they had the best record in baseball. (Cue the popular saying, "We'll get them next year.")

Anyway, I thought I'd do a little catch up on how things are going with the yarns and projects discussed in this post a little while ago.

I started first with this yarn:

Dutifully knitted a swatch, and even after blocking, it was spot-on for gauge - YAY!

So I started working on the project and ... my gauge was way off. I suspected that it was partly because I had missed a few rows in the pattern, counting-wise, so I started over and ... nope.

So this will need for me to learn and apply some math to determine what I can do to make it fit. I am so terrible at that stuff - I can't keep straight when to use bigger or smaller needles, when to knit another size, etc. So I am going to have to devote a day to not just figuring it all out, but writing it down for myself so I can start again and hopefully get it right this time. 

So for now, that project is set aside.

Next, this sock yarn set:

This is a happier story, in that I started on a pair of socks for myself:

And at this point, one sock is finished and I think it looks great! But the second sock will have to wait a few weeks, because I wanted to start using the next yarn for a pair of Halloween socks:

I started using a pattern that I liked, which was written for more stitches than I usually cast on. But after finishing the cuff, I decided that instead of making them for me, that I would make them for The Tim for an anniversary gift. Because I liked the way the colors knit up just in plain ribbing.

And I was already knitting the number of stitches I generally do for a pair of socks for him. Now I just need to see if I can get a pair knit before October 28.  I think it's doable, if I spend most of my time working on them.

The other two projects that I had wound the yarn for were delayed when  realized I didn't have the proper size needles.  I have them now, and will knit a swatch later for the sweater I am planning for the cream and green yarns. 

The shawl I was hoping to knit with he other yarns now has the needle size it wants, so I can start on it whenever I like. But at the moment, the Halloween socks and the sweater I want to knit will take precedence. I'd like to feel like both of them were not just well underway, but able to meet the deadline before I start the shawl or return to my other projects. It's doable, I know - I just have to pay attention! (Easier said than done.)

In other news, a friend I have made through knitting is not just a knitter, she is one of those people who also weaves, spins, and does about ten other things.  Last week she posted a photo on Instagram showing some Halloween-themed pins she had made. I commented how much I loved them, particularly ones she had made featuring black cats. So imagine my happy surprise when I opened the mail yesterday.

Adorable, right?? It was such a nice thing for her to do, and a wonderful and unexpected gift.  I showed it to the kitties, who were - as is mostly always the case - unimpressed.

So now you up-to-date on things in my knitting life. What are you up to these days? Let me know in the comments!

Clarification and Pretty Yarn

Hello all - I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was productive - well, at least for me lately. 

Today was bill-paying day. Which is fine, I know that if you are alive on the planet, even if you are not someone who buys a lot of stuff, you still have at least a couple of bills to pay. And I don't mind it if I am organized, but today was not one of those days and it took a lot longer than usual. Plus, I had a really big medical bill to pay, and I thought at first that it must be a mistake - surely they had not yet submitted it to my insurance/Medicare. But then I checked online and they had submitted it, and the amount was what I owed AFTER that! Yikes. And after spending a stupid amount of time on the phone with my prescription insurance over another ridiculous amount, I was wondering if I could just go live in a hut somewhere. It would have to have indoor plumbing though, so the whole cycle is just a circle in the end. 😉

Anyhoo, I wanted to make a clarification before I go any further, related to my time at the yarn store. A dear friend pointed out to me that I may have led some people to think it is/was a terrible place with awful people in charge. I reviewed what I wrote and realized it did kind of sound like that. 

I'm here to say that it is an absolutely fabulous place, with more nice, fun, and cool yarn that you could imagine being fit into such a small physical footprint. One of the best things about working there was that you would walk in, see all the colors, and just feel better - even if you had felt OK before! The owners/managers have kept it going like that for nearly 20 years,  and I've known them for that long. You can probably imagine, with so many yarn stores closing, that it's no easy thing to not just stay in business, but make it a place where people want to keep coming back. 

Did I like/get along with/make friends with everyone else that worked there? Nope, but that's never been the case in any job I had. Some of them I will miss terribly. Others I have kinda sorta already forgotten about ... 

So please do not think it's a terrible yarn store with terrible people. Far from it. Some of the issues are the kinds of things that happen everywhere, even when the staff is small - heck, maybe you notice it more when there are fewer people working with you.  But for the record, I have every intention of shopping there when I decide I absolutely positively must have yarn* for one thing or another. (Yes, if you are wondering, I will miss the employee discount!) So you should as well, either in person or online. 

And if anyone had their feelings hurt, I do apologize. It was not my intention.

Onward.

+++

Speaking of pretty yarn, every time I work on my Anker's Summer Shirt, I think the colors in the yarn I'm using are so very pretty:

I don't care how you slice it, that's just pretty yarn! (And you shouldn't slice yarn, to be clear.) I bought this last summer at an end of season sale at Loop. It's Noro Kakigori, which is cotton, silk, rayon, and nylon. (I will regale you with the colorway next time, as currently there is a cat on my lap, and we all know you can't move until the cat does.)

With such pretty yarn, and the fact that I made this pattern a couple of years ago, I'm enjoying it more this time around. Still not a huge fan of 1 x 1 rib, but now I "get" the way the pattern works much better than I did in my first attempt, meaning there is a whole lot less ripping back and re-doing things. Which is nice when you have 200+ stitches. My progress this time around is much better. In fact I may finish while there is still some warm weather. Not that I currently have anywhere to go and wear it, other than to Dr appts and at least for the first wearing, that would be a waste. 

I worked on this project yesterday for about an hour, and about every 5 rounds, I'd say out loud "This is looking so pretty!" Since I was home by myself, and the cats were all elsewhere, no one disagreed with me, which is always nice. 

That's it for now. Now that I have sent all of our money to other people, I think I'll read for a while and try to figure out what to have for dinner tonight. I have a sneaking suspicion that it may be pasta, because when I don't have something already in mind, 9 times of our 10, pasta is the answer. 

Enjoy the rest of your day, and I hope that whatever you fix/eat for dinner is something you enjoy. 😊

*No, in reality I do not actually need any yarn. I'm sure you understand what I mean there ...