Sorry for my absence, my Father had the flu and ended up in the hospital. Of course, this was while my sister and her family were on vacation, so I have been very busy. It has taken 2 weeks to get him back on his feet. But he seems to be much better, so I can get back to my life a little.
I finished my toe up socks I was working on sitting at the hospital. My toes were so cold that I put them on with the tails still hanging. (No pictures since they are currently in the washing machine). I started this pair with the new Noro sock yarn. The colors are gorgeous, but I am concerned that I have broken the thinner places twice already, and I am a very loose knitter. Not sure how they are going to hold up. I am using WendyKnits generic toe up pattern with a 3by1 rib on the foot and cuff. I had decided I like the ribbing on the top and the bottom of the foot. With the 3-1 rib it isn't enough pattern to bother the bottom of my foot and it makes the sock snugger. This yarn is getting softer as I work with it, but these will never qualify as world's softest socks.
I finished the Rosalin Fair Isle Hoodie. I haven't worn it, but it fits great. It still needs to be blocked, but it has gotten too warm to wear it, so it is ready for next year. It is a great knit. Pattern is well written and best of all, it is free!!
This is my Ribbi Pulli. I finished it with a turtleneck. I didn't like the thick t-neck wearing it, so I ripped it out and reknit it with a hood. I haven't worn it since I finished. One, it is too warm and two, it needs blocking. Do you see a blocking theme here??? ;-)
I have also been working on the Hemlock Ring Throw. I took a picture of it, but Blogger won't let me upload it for some reason. It doesn't look like much balled up on the needles anyway. I am knitting it with yarn I spun. It is the first thing I have ever knit with MY handspun. It is uneven but it is fun to use my own yarn. Hopefully once it is finished and blocked it will look ok. Even if it isn't great, it in all mine!!!
Here are the next 14 blocks of Dear Jane. I think this gets me to 99 of 169. I will have been working on it for a year in May, so that is pretty good.
Haven't done any applique, just the little bit for the DJ blocks. Need to get back to that, now that things have settled down a little.
Went two weeks without walking or exercising at all. That is no way to train for a half marathon. I got back to walking yesterday, now I have to reestablish that habit.
I got a lot of reading done at the hospital. That is easier, along with sock knitting, than most other things you can do at a hospital. I started A New Earth, Oprah's book club selection, I doubt I will ever finish it. I have read about a 1/3rd of it. It hasn't "said" anything to me yet, and it is HARD READING. If I am getting something out of it, I can deal with hard. But hard, just because Oprah said so, isn't cutting it.
I finished "Losing It", Valerie Bertinelli's book. It was a fun read. It is like reading something aobut someone you know. After watching her on TV all these years, it is like she is someone you know. She has had a tougher life than I realized. The paparazzi wasn't around when she was coming along, so we just didn't know.
I also read Eclipse. That is the third book in the young adult series by Stephenie Meyer, about vampires and werewolves that live amongst us. I have always had a thing about vampires, so this is right up my alley. Easy reading, and quite enjoyable. I pass them along to my nephews when I finish.
I am reading the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. I am on Second Chance. I had read the first one before, but reread it before I started the series. I like the tv series. Hopefully it will be back since the writer's strike is over. There are currently 7 books so there is lots of material.
We have also watched the first 3 seasons of Lost on DVD. I had never gotten into the show. It was good to fill in during all the re-runs. They are enjoyable, but I think I like them better being able to watch on DVD instead of in weekly installments. I had Tivo'd the 4th season so far, so now we are working on those. By the time we catch up, new shows will be back on and we will have something to watch while I knit/applique/crochet/etc.
Have to include some puppy pictures. Here is Chad. It is hard to get a good picture of a black dog that likes to sit in a navy blue chair.
Here is Chelsea. She is usually still upstairs in bed when I take puppy pictures, so I snapped this one in the afternoon.
Then there is Mr Comfortable!!! Macklin has no problem getting in a "good spot"!!!
Happy St Patrick's Day late!!!
Chat later
Susan
