Happy Halloween

I am a huge fan of Halloween.  It is such a fun holiday and it is my oldest son's birthday.  The big 18 this year.  As my house is in remodel mode I am not able to decorate so I will leave you with a picture from last year.  Have a great day everyone.

It says, "I'd rather be knitting!"  Isn't that the truth.

Crazy week = No Blogging.

Oldest son with bronchitis + approaching end of high school swim season = Not ideal situation.

Oldest son getting over bronchitis = Happiness.

Oldest son giving Mom bronchitis = Very sick Meredith.

Sick Meredith = missed week of work, missed visits with ill Mother in Nursing Home, fatigue and sore muscles from coughing.

Kitchen granite delivered on Thursday = Happiness.

Wrong granite delivered on Thursday = Big bummer as now kitchen will not be completed for two more weeks.

Mother-in-law visiting = Happiness.

Mother-in-law visiting without a functioning kitchen = Frustration.

Unpacking kitchen/laundry = Happiness.

Having to wash dishes in my bathroom sink for two more weeks = Frustration.

Unpacking, taking care of sick son, taking care of sick Me = No time for knitting or crochet.

Hope your week = Happiness!!!

42 and 43...I Think

I have some finished projects but for the life of me I can't remember how many I have completed this year.  I think I am at 42 and 43....but who knows at this point.  

 These circle scarves are all the rage, and I have to say I love them.  The pattern is from People Webs.  If you look on her side bar you will find a link to her patterns.  I can't remember which of my blog friends found this first, if you are reading this let me know so I can give you credit.  When I saw it I wanted to get busy right away.  Well actually I did.  I rummaged through my stash and found some Misti Cotton in this beautiful muted red color.  I had bought two skeins a while back for 50% off so it was a great way to test this project.

 The directions are pretty simple even though it took me a while to catch on.  But once I did I was on a roll.  I doubled up the yarn and used a size N crochet hook.  I was only able to do two repeats of the pattern on the reddish scarf, but I think it is wide enough.

 The grey scarf is made from The Irish Girls Merino Silk in the Dorian Grey colorway.  I bought this yarn last week on my great yarn adventure down in Sarasota.  Actually I bought it with this scarf in mind.  Again I doubled the yarn and did about 2 1/2 repeats of the pattern.  It is a bit stiffer than the cotton yarn, and I am not sure I am actually going to keep it in a circle.  I may take it apart and use it just as a scarf.  I'll have to try it and see.

I love scarves but I don't like things tooo tight around my neck.  The pattern is beautiful enough for a circle scarf or just a regular scarf.  So either way it is a win/win.  I actually put it on last night right after I finished it.  I have a cold and it felt so warm and cozy around my neck.  

I watched the most amazing documentary last night on the Oprah Winfrey Network  It was called Miss Representation a Sundance Film.  It is about how women are undervalued, how our young girls and boys are routinely subject to women  as sex objects and not intelligent people who make the world a better place.  This is so prevalent in America it is scary.  I'm not sure how it is around the world but I do know that the USA is far behind other countries as far as the ratio of women to men in politics, media, CEO's of major companies, etc.  It is a sad state of affairs when women are slipping further away from equality as we progress in other areas.  It gave me a lot to think about and discuss with my sons.  I always try to help them understand that women are every bit as good as men (often much better in fact), and that they must treat the opposite sex with respect.  The website for this amazing show is missrepresentation.org please give it a quick visit and if you get the chance to view the show I would highly recommend it.

Happy Friday.

Reality Shot Thursday

Claudia my lovely sister is hosting Reality Shot Thursday.  This is where we show a bit of the reality of our lives rather than the glossy, fancy photos we love to display in blog land.  Today I am sending you a shot of my garage.  This is where a car should be parked.  As the kitchen/laundry continues to be remodeled I have not been able to get in this section of my garage for the last three weeks.

In the big wooden crate to the right is my cook top.  In the middle of the picture with the dark front is my dishwasher.  Can I just tell you that I am really tired of this mess?  My laundry room cabinets are in boxes in the garage, and I just found out that my counters will not be going in until the 31st.  Okay now I am really getting ticked off.  This whole project was supposed to be started at the end of August, and finished way, and I mean way before now.  I am sick of eating out.  I am sick of my laundry room being in my dining room and my kitchen in my living room in boxes. Okay the pity party is over, thanks for listening and come join the fun at Reality Shot Thursday.  Maybe you can get  a few things off your chest, too.

This and That

It is a beautiful Sunday here in sunny Florida.  I am loving this weather, warm but not toooo humid.  This is Autumn for us.  You can take a long walk without breaking into a huge sweat.  

 I can not decorate for Halloween due to renovations for the kitchen/laundry.  I needed Autumn to be present in my house, so I went out and bought these beautiful pumpkins for my backyard area.  The green pumpkin is the most amazing color.  I also bought 5 beautiful white pumpkins, I have them around my outdoor kitchen area, sorry no pictures but they are lovely.  You see, I had 65 high school swimmers here last night for a progressive dinner.  We ordered the food as the kitchen is still not in working order.  I wanted it to look festive outside so the pumpkins did the trick.  I was able to put my whole family room back together before the kids arrived.  Man, what a lot of work, it almost feels like I am moving in all over again.

 On Friday a few of my knitting buddies and I had a road trip down to Sarasota to visit A Good Yarn.  They have moved to a new location, and boy was it worth the trip.  The store is simply amazing, and the owners and all the people who work there are some of the very nicest people you will ever meet.  When I walked in I was overwhelmed with yarn fumes.  I think I want to move right in.

 When I visit a yarn store that is not in my area, I always like to look for something unique to purchase, something I can't get near home.  There were so many options at A Good Yarn, I had a hard time deciding what to buy.  I finally decided on the new Knit Wear magazine, gorgeous projects and a delight to see.  I also bought this beautiful Merino silk yarn from Three Irish Girls.  It is soooo soft and yummy!

 And look at this!!!!!  Autumn,  an acrylic/cotton polyester blend with buttons and these little leaves sewn right into the yarn.  In the store they had this made up into a little caplet/shawl.  It was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!  I couldn't resist.

 So I bought two skeins to make the caplet for myself.  I think I deserve a bit of a treat after the way the last few months have been working out. 

I have been working on my second shawl for a Christmas present for my son's swim coach,  that is when I am not cleaning.  I will show you more soon.

Hope your weekend is wonderful, and that you are enjoying Autumn or Spring depending on where you are in the world.

Reality Shot Thursday

My sister Claudia over at Mockingbird Hill Cottage is hosting Reality Shot Thursday.  This is where we take a photo that is realistic, not all fluffed up for blog land.  Today I would like you to feast your eyes on part of my bathroom which is where my dear Max has to eat, keep his toys and all his medicine and treats.  He is not happy that we are renovating the kitchen/laundry.  He usually eats in the kitchen like most civilized people and he naps in the laundry room.  What a mess!!!!!

 My poor boy has to spend time in his Dad's closet which is just no fun at all.  There is all kinds of hammering and sawing which is driving us all crazy.

Maybe next week my photo will not be about my kitchen mess.  Happy Reality Shot Thursday everyone.  Hop on over to Claudia's blog and join the fun.

Chocolate Blanket

The Chocolate Yarn Sucking Blanket is finished!!!!!  I am so excited I can't even tell you.  I don't think I am really a blanket kind of gal.  I mean I love the idea of them, and they are so cozy, it is just that my attention span isn't that great. 

 I yearn to make something else while I am crocheting or knitting a blanket.  I have to force myself into completing it. 

 The pattern is a simple treble crochet shell pattern.  The border is 4 rows of treble crochet and the first and last seven stitches of each row are treble crochet.  Easy-peasy, just a bit boring.  I think my next blanket will be colorful, maybe that will help.

The yarn used on this blanket is Lion Brand Yarn Nature's Choice Organic Cotton in walnut.  I ended up using about 20 skeins on a size K crochet hook.  Each skein has 103 yards, not much yardage for approximately the $8.00 selling prices, but with the use of coupons averaging 40 to 50% off it worked out okay.

My youngest son loves it even though he thinks it is a bit short at 69 inches in length.  It is approximately 60 inches wide, a nice blanket size for him.  I think this is finished project number 41 for me but to be honest it has been so long since I finished a project I can't remember.

Hope you are all having a great Monday.

Big News

After two wonderful visits, to two very good schools, my son has decided to swim at The Ohio State University next Fall.  He is so happy and we are beside ourselves that this terrific program wants our son.  The  Head Coach is a tremendous man who wants to graduate respectable men.  Swimming is important to him, but academics and respectful behavior are just as important.  He treats his swimmers like family and they treat each other that way, also.  I am amazed that my son is even on their radar, but they have been impressed by him, so we are doing something right.  So a million thanks for all your positive thoughts, from months ago til now.  He left that horrible abusive coach in March, he went to his High School Coach who is an amazing woman.  She has helped to heal him on every level and he has made amazing progress in the  seven months he has been with her.  Now, if all continues to go as planned, next August he will be in the hands of a man that respects his swimmers and trains them well.  I think our prayers have been answered.

 Now onto my kitchen.  What a mess.  The contents of my laundry room are now in my dining room.  My fish tank is on the back corner of my table, can you find it? 

 My kitchen is in my living room.  Well we don't actually have a living room, we have a place for my piano.  Every surface of my house is covered in a layer of dust from when the tiles were broken up and removed.  I look like I live in a bad episode of Hoarders.  I expect the television crew to pull up any time now and stage an intervention.  I can hear them now, "Lady, you just have to get this mess under control !!!!!"  I couldn't agree more.

Happy weekend everyone!

Reality Shot Thursday

My sister Claudia over at the famous, well at least famous to me blog Mockingbird Hill Cottage has created a very fun thing to do with your blog on Thursdays.  It is called Reality Shot Thursday and I just love the idea.  Blogs everywhere show us amazing pictures, but they don't always show us reality.  I mean don't we always try to put our best foot forward to our blogging friends?  I have to admit I love an honest blog.  I love when people write about what is really happening in their lives, not just cheery posts that make me feel I am crazy because so much is going on in my life, that my head is spinning.  So with that idea my sister has taken it a step further with pictures.  Every Thursday you submit a reality shot of something in your home, life, etc.  Jump on her blog and take a look, I think you will find it liberating.

So today's reality shot for me is my kitchen, or lack of kitchen.  Here it is, the cabinets are gone and as of today so is the tile.  There is a massive cloud of dust hanging in the air so I am glad I took these photos yesterday.  I hope you like my reality shot of the day, visit Claudia's blog and join in the fun.

Thanks Kate!!!!!!

Can I show you the goodies that arrived in the mail today?  I won a wonderful give-away from the fabulous Kate at The Garden Bell.  It is the very first time I have ever won a give-away, and I am just so thrilled.

Kate has a fantastic blog.  She lives in the Chicago area and visits close to me in Florida every year.  The Garden Bell is a very special place to visit.  The music is fantastic, the stories are superb and well the crochet is amazing.

Do you want to see?  Come on I'll show you.

 Here we go.  I am so excited I can hardly control myself.

 Look at all these lovely gift items.  Spooky shortbread cookies, Pumpkin Bread mix, yum, I can almost smell it cooking right now, Herbs de Provence Seasoning, Orange Sapphire fragrance mist, and a lovely phone holder, and pasta.  But wait there is more......

 A beautiful crochet pillow.  You can not even imagine how beautiful and soft it is.  The colors are perfect.  One side looks like this.

 And the other looks like this!

 Look at the detail on the edging, wow!  Kate you are a master of crochet and I am just so honored to have this amazing pillow.  I still consider myself a crochet novice, and based on this pillow I have a lot to learn.  Kate, again I want to thank you for your wonderful give-away.
You made my day!

Fun In The Mail

This morning Autumn is peeking its head out here in Florida.  No we don't have leaves changing, or pumpkins in the fields.  We had a very slight change in temperature and humidity levels.  Subtle would be the correct word.  I kept myself in bed a little longer this morning and when I got up and opened the back door, well let me just say the humidity didn't know my socks off.  Max and I went for a morning walk and I wasn't covered in sweat.  It was under 70 this morning and is supposed to only be a high of 84!  I know that is a heat wave for some of you but living in Florida it almost makes it feel chilly.  My youngest son asked what the smell was in the air, and I told him low humidity, it is actually a lack of smell in the air.  I think he thinks I have lost my marbles.  He may be right.

I am sending our local baseball team the Rays all the positive energy I can muster.  After an incredible season our little Rays have made it into the post season as a wild card team.  They have a salary of 41 million, take that Yankees at 204 million.  They remind me of the story of The Little Engine That Could..... I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.  It has been one very exciting season to watch.  Sorry Sox fans, (Claudia, my sister).   Keep your fingers crossed for them.

Now onto all the fun.  My friend Robin at My Nest of Yarn and Buttons is making some really fun crochet hooks.  She has just opened her own etsy shop and they appear to be selling like hot cakes.  Would you like to see the treat that came in the mail?

 Robin wraps each package in pretty paper.

 Each hook comes in its own special pouch.

Here they are!!!!  Robin made a special hook for me in size K, the size needed to make the Big Chocolate Yarn Sucking Blanket for my son.  Can you even imagine how much more fun it will be to crochet the brown blanket with a polka dot covered crochet hook?  When I went online to Robin's store to order my hook I just had to choose another one, too.  Size, G is a pinkish watercolor, wow.  Thanks Robin I think you are going to have many hooks to make in your future.

As always a special thanks for all your kind words.  Blog friends are the best, they send you love, prayers and positive thoughts from all over the world.  They make time for you even though they already have enough on their plate, again....thanks.

Happy Weekend, and Go Rays!!!!!!!!!