Purling Oaks

Day One of my Summer vacation

For a first full day of a vacation, we had a pretty full and busy day. At 9 AM we met with a guy to talk about redoing the bathtub in the basement bath into a shower with all the fixin's. We ended up signing a contract so I'll post later this summer with our before and after photos. The bathroom "re-do" will be part contractor and part homeowner sweat and possibly some four-legged words---to quote DH. As a teaser, I'll share that the old bathtub and toilet are blue in color.

In between everything, I did about 2.5 loads of laundry and made a blackberry galette (fancy for rustic berry tart) to bring to the engagement party as well as shower and dress appropriately. Then DH and I got in the car and headed east for Paul & Amanda's engagement party. It was a great party at Amanda's father's house and fabulously delicious food made by Amanda's mom with some contributions from the rest of us.
There was a lovely pool, especially enjoyed by the kids. Here are Kaylee, Jack, and Andy being their cute selves. (click the photo for a larger photo)

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Here are the two people that generated the desire for the party...Paul and Amanda. (Jack is in the photo intending to get first dibs on some frosting.) Paul is DH's youngest brother and a great DBIL. I am really looking forward to having Amanda as a DSIL. I'm batting 1000 in that category and the addition of Amanda won't change that one bit.

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DH's Aunt Jane is enjoying reading Purling Oaks. She sent me an email to that effect a little while ago and I said "OMG, Aunt Jane is reading my blog!" We talked a little about the blog today. I should have told her to go here to read more about setting up a weblog. Thanks for your support, Aunt Jane! The cousins weren't the only ones to enjoy the pool!

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DH and I are home now and wondering how we can shoehorn everything into the car for our journey up to Grand Marais. There shouldn't be a problem....I didn't even consider bringing my sewing machine or my spinning wheel. *g*

Meme and other stuff

Here's a meme that is going around blogland.  I saw it most recently at Cookie's corner of TypePad.  Here's the essence:  Go to www.wikipedia.org and type in your birth month and day.  List three events, two births, and one holiday.  You can choose to tag someone or not.  Here goes:

Events:

1602 - The Bodleian Library at Oxford University is opened to the public.

1899 - The Bronx Zoo opens.

1971 - The fourth album of British Rock Group, Led Zeppelin is released including the song "Stairway to Heaven."

Births:

1836 - Milton Bradley

1949 - Bonnie Raitt

Holiday:  Saint Michael's Day

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This is my last night of this trip to Lincoln, NE.  I plan to wake up (way too early) to catch the first flight to Minneapolis where I'll change planes and end up in Madison.  I'm flying Northwest Airlines so cross your fingers for me that none of my flights are cancelled.  As soon as I get home, DH and I are starting our vacation.  HURRAY!  Saturday, we will be helping to celebrate the engagement of DH's youngest brother, Paul, to Amanda. 

On Sunday, our vacation starts in earnest when we load the car to the gills and head north to Grand Marais, Michigan.  It is a wonderful place to visit and an easy place to let tension unwind from my spine and drift away.  DH and I honeymooned there and we have visited twice, I think, since then.  We will do some exploring and hiking.  DH will engage in a bit of woods-loafing (i.e., trout fishing) while I'll knit (certainly) and spin (probably) and perhaps work on a few other little crafty items.  The big plan, knitting-wise, is to finish Sonnet's sleeves.  Considering it is about a six-hour drive up there, I think that might be likely.  Of course, I'll be bringing the Nasturtium socks along and some spare projects, just in case.

We stay at a place with a little kitchen, so we will cook our own meals--another way to relax.  Most folks may think that is counter-relaxing but if they were away from home in hotels as much as we are, they may think differently.  I'm not sure what the Internet-connectivity level is at our lodging or in Grand Marais, so I may not be posting much if at all the first week of July.  We'll have to wait and see.  At least I'll be generating post material for the following week, right?

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I wanted to share this blog with you.  I love the photographs because they inspire me to stop and enjoy my breakfast rather than just consume it to ease my hunger.  I wish I would treat breakfast like that daily.

After the cake came the good stuff

On Saturday, besides eating some birthday cake, my DSIL, Anne, was able to show me a few projects she has been working on lately....outside of her regular work and being a mom to an active two-year-old boy. Before she showed me her first project, she warned me it was crochet and not knitting. She also said something along the lines of it being an incredibly *gly project, but I always discount stuff like that. She has drafted her own paper pattern for this sweater and is doing freeform crochet and other methods to create segments the right shape to fit the paper pattern. The sweater still needs upper front panels and shoulder panels. I think it is really cool--especially the freeform section for the upper back portion. I can't wait to see it finished.

Anne is also working on a set of hand puppets. You see her here with the Prince. The Snow Queen would have been pictured but my camera battery chose that moment to die. Note that the Prince has real fur on his boots! Yes, this photo is a good photo of the Prince but not so good of Anne. See yesterday's post to see the real Anne. Anne's sweater and puppet you see here are are just a small display of her creativity. I always enjoy visiting and talking with Anne but it seems our time to talk about our crafts is always so short. She's really supportive about everything I do -- especially this blog. So the least I could do is talk about Anne here and show her latest projects. *g* See, Anne, now you are on the blog twice in one week!

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Today is Jack's second birthday. Yesterday, DH and I jouneyed east a little ways to attend our nephew's fun birthday celebration. The hit of the day was his new sandbox.


The sandbox was entertainment for Jack, his younger cousin, Lucas, both grandmothers, great-grandmother, and a number of uncles and aunts. Of course, there were candles to blow out with help from Dad....







and some cake to enjoy with Mom.




Jack thanked everyone for the great birthday loot and was quite happy to have more time in his sandbox.

Nasturtiums and Drumsticks

Today I ran errands, grocery shopped, had my hair cut, and did several loads of laundry. You would think I would have slept in but I couldn't sleep so at least I cut the to-do list down in size today. There was no knitting accomplished but I do have some knitting content to post!

I started on the Nasturtium anklets this week. My only problem is I knit on Thursday when I was thinking about something that upset me and now my stitch count is off, I think. (That will break me of thinking and knitting, don't you think?) I'll examine them again in the morning and see if I can frog just a few stitches or have to rip more. Ripping may be easier now that I have the pattern memorized. I just wish it would stay memorized for at least a row's worth. I need to move my markers, too, since they fall in the yarn-over part of the pattern and that confuses me.
This yarn came from my stash. I really don't know how long it has been there. The yarn is really brighter in person---the photo looks a bit more pastel. These colors in combination really are not "me" so I'm not sure why I purchased this stuff. Unless, perhaps, I was trying to stretch my color comfort zone. I'm using it some because it was the right size and they were the wildest and oddest colors in the stash.

Speaking of stash and colors, I purchased more sock yarn this week at Threads in Lincoln. The Cherry Hill sock yarn came from Threads. The Dream in Color Smooshy sock yarn came from Lakeside Fibers in Madison. I know I purchased it recently but I'm blanking out on exactly when I went there. *sigh* The Smooshy yarn really is smooshy and I think it will make a great comfy sock.

As I've noted in earlier posts, Lincoln is a nice place and comfortably Midwestern. I have noted a difference or two between Lincoln and Wisconsin. The one difference that kind of threw me was when I was asked if I wanted a sack (for my purchases). I had to ask them to repeat themselves because I didn't understand what they were saying. I am used to hearing someone at a checkout ask me if I want a bag. Now, I could have helped them if they wanted to know where a bubbler was located. *g*

My wild gardens are showing some promise....at least fruit-wise!
These are black raspberries located on the south side of the house so they are our advanced notice to be on the lookout for the rest of the berries in the woods over the next several weeks.

Here is a nod to Friday's Flowers even though I haven't taken time to add the lovely button to my sidebar. It is a Drumstick Allium that is just beginning to come into color.

Just a quick hello

Sorry for the short absence, I'm home for the weekend and will post again tomorrow. There is yarn to show, language differences to discuss, and socks to frog. However, it is storming right now. I've finished my baked potato with cheese (yum) and I'm enjoying a beer and the lightning display. I'm going to go put my feet up and enjoy being home.

Please replace the twisty-tie, dear TSA person, please?

I wish TSA would leave me a note to tell me why they just happen to pick my suitcase to search every single time I've flown over the past two-plus months.  *sigh*  I think it must be the curling iron.  Or perhaps the three pairs of shoes?  (Yes, I need those shoes.)  My two paperbacks?  The extra skein of sock yarn?  The residual cat hair?  I also wish they would replace the twisty-tie holding the suitcase zipper together so my jammies and other attire that isn't used to the light of day, doesn't see the light of day.  I've stopped using the special TSA locks because I only get the use of them for about one-quarter of a week's trip before they go to the big TSA lock collection in the sky.

Okay, that's out of my system.  Well, as much as it can be, all things considered.  Vacation time is coming up in about two weeks.    A Good Thing.

I started the next pair of travel socks but they don't look like anything much yet so no photo.  The yarn is pretty interesting. I wonder how I selected it for my stash and when.  More on that later this week.

The weather in Lincoln started out a bit wet this morning but turned into a beauty of a day by the time I drove to the hotel.  My rental car has Sirius radio and I'm enjoying the, ahem, 80's *oldies* station.  *chortle* 

Finished Object(s) and a first...

...daylily. The first one of the summer for my garden. I really don't know if this is anything other than a regular old roadside variety daylily but it is pretty no matter what the correct botanical name. I divided a huge clump of daylilies last fall in an attempt at economical landscape design. This bloom is only the first of what looks to be many from the divided and repositioned plants.

Here are the *finished* Sunrise Socks.....finally. The wait was worthwhile since I did my first rip-back and re-knit successfully. The yarn is Koigu KPPPM, dye code P14772 (two skeins with left overs). I used bamboo dpns in size 2.75 mm. I started these earlier this year but they often sat on the sidelines, patiently. Lessons learned? In the future, choose a pattern with a stated gauge, even if you are using the same yarn. These will be comfortable socks if not very snug, which I believe is partially due to the sproingy-ness of Koigu. The pattern started with a 72 stitch cast-on. For future reference, my gauge with this yarn and needles is 8 stitches per inch over stockinette.

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I feel as if I've finally caught my breath today. I was able to run into Madison for errands as well as find a birthday present for my soon-to-be two-year-old nephew. We don't get to see him (or any of the nephews and neice) enough. Yes, the lack of seeing is partially our (mine and DH's) fault for not making time. What's the phrase?....time waits for no aunt or uncle? However, we will see three out of five curtain-climbers next weekend and partake of birthday cake, too.

In the meantime, I'll be back in Lincoln, NE, this week. Lincoln is pretty nice. It is big enough to offer a nice selection of hotels, shopping, and restaurants but small enough to be a low-stress place to get around. The people I've met are all very nice and seem to exhibit a Midwest sensibility that makes me quite comfortable.

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I haven't done the roses in yet........

Lifeline experiment

This is my first attempt at inserting a lifeline in the Sunrise Socks.   Oopsie!  As you can see, if you look closely, it won't be my last attempt either, since I ended up a row above where I started.  Picking up those purl stitches is a tricky operation.

Here is my second attempt at inserting a lifeline:

This time, there was no wavering from my chosen path row.  I counted and I had the correct number of stiches on my recently acquired Addi circular size 1 needle.  There is a yarn shop here in Lincoln, NE, called Threads.  The new owner is really nice.  Really, really nice.  I wish she would bring her shop to the town near me.  Anyway....now for the unraveling. 

One little snip with my travel-safe scissors........

and a little tugging got me here..

and here......

and finally here!  Success!  I really am glad this worked.   Now, to transfer the stitches back to their DPNs, add another inch of length to the foot, and finish the toe...again.

I have a new sock (Nasturtium socks-see the side bar on her blog.) lined up, so the finishing should go quickly.  Especially since I have several hours of airport and airplane time for knitting tomorrow.

Just a quick finished sock update....

I may not have knit in public on Saturday ('though I did knit in the car on a public highway) .........today I grafted a sock toe in public, on an aircraft that was taking off!  Ta da!  (No, I did not injure myself or my seatmate!)  However, I am still working on successfully posting photos while on the road......

Yes, the second Sunrise sock is finished.  Now, I'm going to go rip out the toe of the first Sunrise sock and make the foot longer. 

Oh yes, and about that gardening I did on Sunday.....I think I better go check on the signs of poison ivy rash.  I just have a few little bumps.  They could be bug bites, too.  *sigh*