WoW

I was told yesterday by the woman I don't care for that I am a woman of a certain age and well, lets face it size---who at least knows how to dress respectfully.......................................

I am still in shock over that one.

KNIT ON!!!

swap packages

finally got around to taking pictures of the Take and Replace Swap that Nancy at Wyoming Breezes is running, and also from a swap at the Posh Ravelry Forum

yummy yarn, yummy chocolate, a stitch book and a coloring book!! Love it all!!!

KNIT ON!!

Eye Candy Friday

Sorry I have been so quiet, Tom has been home which throws everything off schedule and I am fighting a bit of depression---first approaching birthday EVER that has left me feeling depressed---Keeping on knitting and crocheting to combat it,  Want to wake up and it be OCTOBER already!!!

Here are some pretty pictures for you since it is Eye Candy Friday!!!

KNIT ON!!!

Contest Update

Just a wee bit of an update to let you know that I have hundreds of entries, I have tried to respond to all of them but I am not sure I did.  I do appreciate that you are all being so generous with your time and craft and helping this worthy cause. I usually make my hearts and send them to Morristown NJ ready to be distributed to those who can get out and physically do the job.  Today I placed my first heart myself while I was out ===can't wait to see if it makes it to a Facebook post. There is still time to enter, every picture of 20 that you email me (needles54@optonline.net) gets you an entry into the contest.  If you are the lucky winner you will have a choice of 3 shawls that are pictures on the September 9th post. 

Coming one week from tomorrow-once a birthday slut, always a birthday slut! 

I tweaked my knee last Wednesday, I noticed last night and today it is finally starting to improve, it allows me to put a little more weight on it which is a good thing.  Especially since the husband left the kitchen a disaster after last night's dinner and I have to go tackle it, but first some knitting time ---it has waited this long!!

KNIT ON!! 

eye candy friday

Birthday cake ideas


KNIT ON!!

Randomness

I am a total dolt, yesterday I got out of bed, tweaked my knee----the very bad knee and haven't been the same since.  Lots of couch time, lots of knitting time but getting up to use the bathroom is obnoxiously painful.  what can you do---if it isn't one thing its Tom's mother!!! 

What am I knitting   A shawl called Telluride in an unidentified, bulky black tweed yarn sent to me by Sue Gagnon, it will be a charity shawl but I LOVE the lace pattern, an all garter shawl from Laura Aylor called First point of Libra which I like a lot, It was a MKAL   meaning mystery but I made my final choice after all the clues came out, (by the way it has a lot of black in it) and the NFL KAL for my football team whose colors are black (yup) and gold. I also have some toys for charity and my little hearts. My queue on Ravelry is growing by leaps and bounds. Everyone keeps coming out with new things and I keep thinking I must knit that. 

Another post I missed this week is what foods are you looking forward to with Autumn coming.  I have lots but with all of Tom's dietary no no's most of them won't happen.  

I will post what I miss

1. homemade sauce and meatballs
2. butternut squash soup
3. crab cakes
4. Cassoulet with beans and sausage and beer
5. Beer
6. Kielbasa and any type of sausage with cabbage (red or green or kraut)
7. A dish Tom made with chicken and grapes that was so good
8. Sushi
9. Split Pea Soup
10. Chili

I could order them when we go out but we rarely go out because he doesn't have a clue how the foods he orders are prepared so he would rather stay home, he can't have wine, beer, tomato, fish stocks, or any ferment sauces and who knows what they put in things. He absolutely can't have MSG and it is listed under so many pseudonyms now we have to be extra careful. 

Oh and I forgot chocolate, the only chocolate he can have is white===so no brownies, cupcakes, birthday cake (mine was always chocolate) and nuts---so no nut bread, or pumpkin bread, or cinnamon struesel with nuts or pecan anything.  

You'd think we would be skinny as nails but that truly isn't the case!!!

Oh well enough of me-----KNIT ON! 

PS  thank you for all of the kind comments to yesterday's post, a card has been sent and the attempt towards reconciliation made, but I was never the one who was angry or upset, it is all up to her now! It will never change how I felt about her or her mom!

apologies to facebook followers for the repeat

I  had the most bizarre morning yesterday. at breakfast  I was sitting behind a man reading the paper, while I read my Kindle. He got up to leave, handed me the paper and said "U have to read this" I do not know this man but smiled politely and figured he was talking about gas prices going down, and Christie's latest comments. I took the paper---the Star Ledger, one I do not follow online and started looking at the front page, I saw the obituaries were on page 15 and immediately knew what I was going to see.  Sure enough there it was Joan Hart! Her daughter Kathleen was my best friend all through school, she was maid of honor at my wedding, she is Debb's god mother, until 21 years ago we were best of friends. I have seen her twice in the time since then,my mother's funeral and my sister's funeral. Her mother's funeral has come and gone and I can not reciprocate, I hate that a stupid disagreement separated us all of this time, I miss Kathleen, I loved her mother as if she was my own and would have wanted to be there,Other then Mom and family Mrs. Hart was the first woman who had any influence in my life, she was my Brownie leader, she cooked me dinners, and had me spend weeks at a time at her house, she had my bridal shower at her house, she helped in the back of the church at my wedding, we had her and Mr. Hart to dinner at our apartment. She was special to me.  sometimes life just sucks. But if that man hadn't given me the paper I would still be in the dark.Everyone on facebook says I should reach out to her (kathleen)and I will send a card but I have been rebuffed so many times, Christmas's Birthdays, when our mutal friend Glen Died-- when ever I have reached out, all because I made a quilt for her 40th birthday reminding her of her life when she just wanted to forget. ---which I did not know at the time. And she picked Mom's funeral to tell me that. 

Tom is worried about his mother, she called last night, sounding very down, she wants to send me all of her knitting stuff because she is done and doesn't want it around anymore  He is worried she is giving up.  She is 86 maybe she is just tired. 

off to make a few hearts and knit a few stitches!

KNIT ON! 

tuesday this and that

The bug was particularly nasty and required a lot of time away from the computer but I am feeling better now. 

so many new friends are joining the heart making process and I can't thank them enough, remember you have until October 9th to submit pictures to get an entry    In my first post I had suggested tagging was optional but since has been clarified that it would be deeply appreciate it if you would tag them, scattering can be done at your convenience or can me sent to others to do. 

My knitting adventures have been varied,  I don't know if it was the cusp of illness or what but last week I became very discouraged with one of my boo shawls, so I frogged it.  I almost never frog but I did, and I gave the yarn away that is how unhappy I was.   The second boo shawl went to hibernate, I am just not in a Boo mood at the moment.  I did start the First Point of Libra, and Telluride and my NFL football scarf in Pittsburgh Steeler colors.  I made 100 hearts (crocheted) and have some plans for some toys. 

A lot has been going on, i am feeling pretty discouraged about things in general, I think even I need a heart.

One fun thing is that the swap box arrived where you take and replace, which I did and mailed to the next person this morning.  I indulged in some patterns and yarn and replaced with more yarn patterns and trinkets. Of course after I mailed it I feel I didn't send enough.  

Well here are some new photos of Maisie to entertain you---we miss her fiercely.. Its been over 6 weeks and she is changing so much!. 

KNIT ON!

update

a bug has had me under the weather,  i just wanted to give an email address where you can get more info on tags etc for the heart project. 
youaretrulybeautiful@yahoo.comHope to be back tomorrow. But I know several have asked----they can answer all the technical stuff including addresses if you want to mail them to them to distribute.over the weekend I made 100 hearts, now to do the tags    :)
KNIT ON!

World Suicide Prevention Day

There has been a nice response to my charity and contest post, thanks to the Peyton Heart Project that featured it on their Facebook page.  Talk about location!!!

There are hundreds of free patterns out there, lots on Ravelry, lots on the PHP pages and of course google will send you in hundreds of directions. 

Last night I made 30 in about 2 hours of TV time, and I wasn't even trying that hard.  I have a fish bowl I keep small balls of scraps in and I just keep reaching in pull one out and keep going until the scrap is done, you can join colors, etc. 

 Crochet pattern is super easy, chain 4, join, chain 3 do 3 triple crochet in the hole formed when you joined chain, then do 3 double crochet, chain 1 do one more triple crochet chain one, do 3 double crochet, and then 3 triple crochet, chain 3 and slip into hole Chain 15 or so and slip back in the hole again, fastening off, super easy--

some more info about the contest since it has reached a broader scope of folks and  I am more then happy to have you all here

THE photos must be in my in box by the 9th of OCT

I asked for 20 in a photo--because 20 gives you one entry 40 gives you two etc. 

There is only one prize, I showed the choices but the prize is just the one

There is no monetary significance to the prize, it can't be traded for cash or anything other then the shawl you select.  No one is making any money but if all goes well lots of hearts will be made and distributed. 

Winner will be announced on OCT 10th and will make their choice and supply me with mailing address. 

If you need any more information PLEASE let me know---while PHP was sweet to offer its support other then being the beneficiary of the hearts that are made, they have no other involvement with this contest. 

Thanks so much  and KNIT ON!! 

Charity and a contest

The Peyton Heart Project is a relatively new organization, that was founded after the death by suicide of a 13 year old young man who was being bullied.  Suicide occurs in 55% of all people's lives and has occurred in my own family----several of us have also been victims of some very serious bullying.

This organization is trying to make the public more aware of this horrific problem but also reach out to those who need some bolstering in their lives, those who feel no one loves them or cares.

There are several ways to take part in this project and I am very happy to be sponsoring one.  Charity is my watch word for the year and I have been knitting baby hats to that end, now I an adding making hearts to the list and shipping them off to The PHP so they can be tagged and left in strategic places.  You can get the file of inspirational quotes and what needs to be on the tags from PHP and do it yourself or you can send them the finished hearts and they will send them to others to tag and distribute. 

So far hearts have not only appeared in almost every state in the USA but also in many many countries. If you check out their page on Facebook you will get much much more information on the project and how you can help   that is PeytonHeartProject

I have something in mind that may challenge you a bit to participate.  I have not had a giveaway in very long time.   I want to give one person one of my fabulous Boo Knit Shawls!  Beaded and made with Merino and Silk I will give you a choice of several.  Send me photos of the hearts you are making and at the end of the time period, the random generator will select a winner. You can send the finished hearts to me, or directly to PHP or you can get the tagging info from them and distribute them yourself.  I just want to see you participating.  

Each photo should have 20 hearts in it.  They are tiny, made from scraps, knitted, crocheted (I am crocheting mine) or  wrapped over cardboard.  What ever you enjoy doing, its a great way to use scraps. Last night I made 4 in less then 10 minutes.

The contest will run until October 9th--get me your photos by then, send them to needles54 at optonline dot net. changing the at and the dot accordingly. It will be fun, It will do a whole lot of good, and it will make you feel good. 

PLease let me know in the comments if you will help me with this project.  Thanks so much

KNIT ON 

Ten on TUesday--what i did with the long weekend

mine are always so boring but they are blog fodder so I keep playing along.

1. Tom worked late Friday night so sandwiches again!
2. Tom worked on Saturday---said its his last side job ever, I have heard that before
3. I knit myself a birthday cupcake!
4. I knit a charity hat
5. Sunday we went to breakfast, and then went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch and to visit with my sister Christine and her hubby Scott.  That was a good time, and the food wasn't bad either. 
6. I knit there and back, and then knit another hat when I got home----that made 4 for the month.
7. Monday  Tom did laundry and we went to breakfast
8. We stopped at Michaels to buy a gift
9. He went to Wal-Mart for mums and planted them in the garden
10. I Kept knitting charity hats, I will finish #6 this morning before I resume regular shawl knitting.

All in all the holiday was quiet, somewhat productive, somewhat relaxing and very very hot! 

Tomorrow I have a post about Peyton's Heart challenge, another charity project very close to my heart and one that will take mere minutes of your crafty time.  Stay tuned to see of what I speak!!

KNIT ON! 

eye candy friday

miss margaux after her first day of pre-k

knit on!

RANDOM RUMBLINGS FOR THURSDAY 9/3

• It is my baby brother's birthday---he is 59, I told him to enjoy every minute because the 60's suck
• It is Tom's sister's wedding anniversary ===I think about 16 years but I am not sure.
• My friend Susan Gagnon is collecting sock yarn scraps for a blanket if anyone has some they would like to get rid of, she just sent me a ton of acrylic for charity work so if I can gather sock scraps for her I will
• Nancy of the blog Wyoming Breezes is having a Take and Replace Swap ---please sign up, these things are lots of fun.  I haven't done one in years But can't wait.
• My granddaughter Margaux starts her first day of pre-K today, I can't believe she will be 4 next month. 
  (her showing dad where to go) 
• Why does it seem that the only thing that works for a toothache is Ibuprofen, 
• My friend Jen is in seriously bad shape, her Medicaid will run out soon and she will be moving in with her folks who are both in their 70's   She has had no progress whatsoever with her recovery from the stroke and seems to be degenerating in front of our eyes. My heart breaks for her, If you knew how vibrant she was you wouldn't believe this can happen
• Tom seems to either have a stress fracture in a bone in his left leg or a bug bite but he refuses to go to the doctor, the man does exasperate me
• I guess I am done! 

KNIT ON! 

WIP wednesday

shouldn't a 60 year old woman be beyond having her heart broken and experiencing jealousy?  I think I am Peter Pan's sister and I will never grow up.

I did it, honestly a day late but I finished all but one project that I started the month of August with and through in a hat to begin September, so today I can start new things!!

I don't have a picture of the circular shawl, its just a jumbled mess right now, but as soon as it hits blocking wires I will share. 

some of the new yarns for the new projects    KNIT ON

Ten on Tuesday

ten things that bring me Joy----you can see it coming can't you?  I will give you a second to ponder what my list might be,

Okay Time is Up:

1. Knitting---ta DA  you KNEW it, and you were right, no matter who its for or what I am making I love it, in a an attempt to pray for others yesterday, including my poor husband and my friend Jen, I asked God to never take my love for knitting or the ability to do it away from me.
2. Grandchildren----of course this one is obvious too, I was sent a promotional tee-shirt by a company recently that says "There are these people who stole my heart, they call me GIGI", they glommed the info from Facebook and thought I would be a great spokesperson for the shirt! 
   
3. My husband----when he is in a good mood, which with his health issues is not as often as we would like he can be so thoughtful and considerate and go over the top to take care of me and my health issues.  I can't imagine a world without him, and I would miss his kissing! 
4. My car----if Rob still needed it, I would gladly give it to him again, but its nice to be mobile again even if its only been days. 
5. Rain---I love rain, one of the few, others like sun, some like snow but I love rain, nothing makes me cozier, and more content. I have been disappointed in all the storms that have missed us lately
6. Posh Yarn-----while I love almost all yarn (even the cheap stuff) I  have a real true addiction for Posh Yarn which is only available through her site updates on Sunday afternoon, the bases, the colors, and care to detail, thrill me!
   
7. I am sure you are wondering if I forgot TEA< but since I don't have blood I have tea running through my veins I could never forget TEA, iced, hot you name it I love it, Just not a big fan of berry and pomegranate teas other wise love almost all of them
   
8. Dark Chocolate, the smallest bit can lift a really crappy mood, I am a semi-sweet girl all the way and prefer truffles but the new Hershey dark chocolate covered caramels are always a good choice.
9. Looking at photographs----new ones, old ones----I just love to look at pictures of people and hear the stories behind them
   
10. Last but not at all least, MY BIRTHDAY---the past few years its been a downer, 60 really sucked but life has its way of interfering and not reading the calendar.  BUT in 29 days on the 30th I have another one, and this one too is significant.  My dad passed away just before his 61st, and my mom a few months after her 61st.  I am frightened about this one but I will still celebrate and find the joy in it, come what may!!!
    

A few years ago, now I made cupcakes like this for everyone I knew when it was their birthday and just realized I never made myself one.  I used fun fur for the icing and it made them really pretty, no cherry (don't like cherries but that's another 10 on Tuesday.

I could go on to 100 things that bring me joy, like fresh veggies, and cinnamon, and colors, and coloring, and new coats, and reading but the theme is 10 so I leave you with  KNIT ON!