Hot, hot, hot....

The thermometer reading at 10:06 am. Yes this is in the sun and I must admit it's only 90F in the shade. Summer 2013 has been a bust in this neck of the woods. We had rain every single day for 3 weeks and now heat and humidity that is exhausting.

Even Mr. Bettis is sleeping through it. Thank heavens, considering his recent destruction but I'll save that for another post, it's too hot to think.
Stay cool :)

Good Intentions

I had good intentions to post this on Independence Day but between going to a family picnic and  family visiting for the past 4 days, the post didn't make the blog. So here it is in all it's glory: Happy Independence Day. It's important to celebrate this day every day as our freedom and liberty should never be taken for granted.
So read the Declaration and cherish every word, it's OUR freedom paper.

A dear friend wrote a beautiful tribute to this important day and I couldn't begin to compare. Enjoy the read.

Kitteh and woolies

It's flea treatment time. As I approached each and every pet with the flea treatment tube you would've thought I was giving them poison. Mr. Bettis ran and jumped on the bed hiding his face under the pillow :/ The little dogs hid under the bed and of course the cat took to higher quarters. She knows I cannot reach her but it's ok, I can hold out much longer than she can....or so I think.

The intention this year is to knit from stash and make a dent in the craft room. As I was digging around I found this yarn purchased eons ago. It's wool and a bit harsh but would make a very warm sweater when the wind is howling, snow is blowing and the heat bill must be lowered. So I cast on for the Garter Cardi. I've made this one before for Chemgirl and loved how it turned out. Think this will be a fave of mine to wear on cold days.

Summer...well it is officially summer but you would never know that in this neck of the woods. It's wet. It's VERY wet. We have rain every single day and that yellow ball in the sky is MIA. I just checked the weather and they're calling for average temps and rain, every single day for the next 29 days. Wonder if it's a safety net for the weatherman so if it rains, he's off the hook ;).

Knitting along

 The knitting on the Digger sweater is moving along. Since intarsia is not my favorite knitting technique it's been quite a learning experience but so far I'm pleased with the result. It still isn't my favorite technique but sometimes you gotta knit with the punches.

A few years back (when I clearly wasn't thinking) I purchased some Peace Fleece yarn. I have no idea what was going thru my wee brain when I snatched this stuff. It's scratchy, it's harsh and it's yellow. I cannot wear yellow. My olive tinted skin is not favored by wearing yellow clothing. There isn't even enough there for a sweater. Again, What was I thinking?

 Then the yellow lightbulb flickered :). I can dye it and knit it into a warm outer vest. Yes! That's it! So I dug around in my dyes and found a nice green and over-dyed a swatched. I like it. Problem solved. So the yarn is soaking in a nice bath and the dye is prepared. Let the fun begin.

p.s. Someone has a birthday today so hop on over and send some happy birthday thoughts her way ;)

Long time, no post

Procrastination is my name ;). I've had every intention of writing posts and that's what got me into trouble...intention. Anyway, just to catch up here we're doing some renovation and cleaning out so I've been busy. Add in grandbaby sitting 2 days a week and it becomes even busier. I'm off for the summer and have hope (probably too high) that I'll actually get caught up on chores and knitting (that will never happen because I have a case of startitis).

 Our grandson is 18 months old and loves big construction equipment and cars. I found this sweater pattern on Ravelry and decided to bite the needle and cast on. I'm not a fan of intarsia but decided I was going to master it one way or another.

 It took knitting the entire back to figure out a few tips. The words are in fair isle (my preferred colorwork knitting) and it's unnecessary to do all that little colorwork by intarsia. There is a wonderful stitch called duplicate stitch that fills the bill or should I say stitch.

 By the end of the one front I eliminated the construction 'operator'. The child isn't going to know if there's a person on it or not.

By the end of the second front (and intarsia work) I figured out to do the main colors only, add the duplicate stitch as I see fit and be done with it. It's not perfect and I am still working in all those ends on the back but he's going to love it and that's all that matters :D.

I've been contemplating making a pair of those socks that have zippers. Think the youngest daughter would love a pair of those. Happy Knitting!

Spring?

Let's celebrate spring by building a snowman! We woke up to a blanket of snow. The roads are a nightmare and the hubby is off work. We'll be spending the day keeping the home fires burning (literally).

A good day to knit :).

Snow horizon

The furnace needs to be replaced but that won't be happening for a while yet :(. In the meantime we're heating the house with one space heater and the living room fireplace. Under normal spring weather that would be sufficient but we're in a winter storm warning and expecting 6-12 inches of snow. (I need to find that groundhog)

 So we purchased a chain saw (yeah, I know...what were we thinking?) If anyone has read this blog for any length of time they would remember the saw 'incident'. But we need heat so drastic measures are needed.

Every morning it's a race to the coffee pot and shower while waiting for the fire to take off in the fireplace. The outside temperature has been below freezing every morning and the inside temperature hovers around 42F.....brrrr. 

As a knitter one would (mistakenly) believe that I have plenty of warm wool sweaters. That would be a wrong train of thought. I give away most of my knitted items with the exception of my socks. Lesson learned. It's time to knit a sweater or two for me. 

BTW: wonder where that sock yarn blanket UFO is hiding? 

Stay warm and Happy Knitting!

Hot and Cold

Is the glass half full or half empty? I'm trying to find the glass half full but must admit I'm having a bit of trouble here. As a matter of fact it's half empty and frozen.

 It's 25F with a real feel temperature of 20F outside. It's 11:30 pm and the furnace fan broke. Yep! NO heat!

I'm going to do my best to think of a nice warm fire while I'm bundled in flannels, heavy robe, wool socks, a hat and heavy blankets.

Chemgirl is trying to convince me (unsuccessfully) that this is an adventure (eyeroll here). I'm not finding this amusing or entertaining at the moment....I'm cold! Where's that darn groundhog? I'd like to give him a piece of my mind (frozen as it may be at the moment).
The glass could be half full if it was filled with a nice wine but I don't even have that available at the moment. hmmm....However, the wooden kitchen chairs and table would make a nice warm fire right now ;)

Somebunny fun

Some bunny fun kidnapped my needles. I had every intention to only make one but you know how bunnies multiply ;) Before I knew it, they were everywhere. The pattern is Happy pets . The knitting is easy. A bit fiddly to put together but worth the result. They will be sent to their new owners in time to see the Easter Bunny.

 Our 1 yr old grandson was baptized last Sunday and our daughter-in-law gave me the honor of making his outfit. The one piece knicker outfit and newsboy cap were sew from a poly blend fabric. The handknit sweater was from an old go-to pattern of mine. Yarn was Berroco Comfort dk. It is a bit splitty but it's perfect for kids. Washable, durable and oh-so-soft.

I'm not a fan of spring but I must say, it's been a long winter here. We haven't had the Robin's snow yet so spring is not here (in spite of today being the first day of spring according to the calendar). I look forward to capris and flip-flops. What does everyone else look forward to in the spring?

I must knit on.....

B-E-TT-I-ssssssssss

He's in trouble with a capital T....again.

I left the house to do the marketing. You know, as in buying DOG food  and DOG treats and this is the thanks I get when I come home. Gone 2 1/2 hours and he destroyed an entire bag of polyester stuffing. 

 Did he think his bed needed more stuffing?

 He ran down the hall and jumped on the human bed and proceeded to carry on.

Shaking his head in disbelief while I'm still yelling about the stuffing. This folks is why that hideous 5 ft chicken is not within his reach. Of course that may be a blessing in disguise if he shredded it ;)

Foggy thinking

Someone gave this 'piece' to my husband. I know why, his wife wanted it out of his house. Anyway, the husband arrived home toting this thing thru the door like a schoolboy with flowers behind his back. It stands at 5 ft. Repeat: Five Feet Tall! a Foghorn Leghorn chicken in my living room....yeah..(eyeroll)
He claims the grandkids will love it.  When they come next year? They live away. In the meantime what in the world am I to do with a five foot tall stuffed chicken?
Of course Mr. Bettis isn't too fond of it so perhaps I could let it stand while I'm gone and it would keep him in check. Then again, it wouldn't take Mr. Bettis long before I would come home to find stuffed chicken stuffing all over my floor. *sigh*

Sweet and spicy

It was cold and windy with snow over the weekend so I set about to entertain myself. I enjoy making Christmas so I dabbled in making some scrapbook albums and this is what I came up with. Made from mini paper bags and some sweet Christmas paper I had laying around. Measures 3 1/2" x 3 1/4" and it's ready for some sweet wallet pictures.

Onto spice: Love my coffee but occasionally it's nice to have a cup of afternoon tea. My favorite is Sweet and Spicy tea by Good Earth. It was available at our local market for years. Unfortunately they no longer carry that blend. They carry every other blend but not that one.
I miss that cup of tea. It was a relaxing blend with a hint of sweet and a dab of spice. Perfect in every way.

Our President's day celebration was kept to a minimum. The hubby was off so we cleaned closets and the kitchen cupboards in the morning. We took the rest of the day off and did absolutely nothing. Enjoying every moment of it.

Wool You be My Valentine

I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day. I really don't have a good reason it's just not a big deal and ranks at the bottom of my holiday list. That said I thought this valentine was cute. 

Yarn and needles? Will you be my Valentine :)

What is your special holiday?

America

                                             

On The Move

We've been on the move. Time to move Chemgirl out of her apartment. As you can see we were running out of room for her stuff. In a week she'll be returning to her university for another year of study. Where has time gone? Seems only yesterday she was graduating from high school.

A pair of socks on Ravelry captured the attention of my needles. Opposite yarn colorways create mis-matched socks but of the same colors. So I grabbed the dye pots and did a little painting. I really like how these are making up. Unfortunately I didn't split the skeins so I'll have a pair of each but I can match or mis-match them so all is good.

I'm calling these Fireside socks because the colors scream sitting warm by the fire.
The pattern is Socks on a Plane found in Ravelry and it's not only easy but also FREE! The original pattern is toe up but I'm a top down kinda knitting gal so I'm heavily modifying.

Another project hopped on the needles. A new cardigan for myself. I'm hoping to get this done in  time to wear in the fall. Little Miss Princess spotted wool on the table and promptly inspected. Nosey cat. Although we're already seeing leaves turn in this area and they're predicting a   harsh winter so this will get plenty of wear this year. If I ever get it finished that is ;). There's a lot more on the needles and I'll be posting as I take the time to photograph. In the meantime Knit On!

Lost and then Found

Cleaning out a drawer a few weeks ago resulted in a long lost gift certificate. Gave up on finding it months ago. I have this tendency to put things where I just know I'll remember them. Uh yeah...proof in the pudding that certainly didn't work out. 

So I took a stroll thru the Knitpicks web site when I found the certificate. This book has been on my wish list for a while but it was out of stock at the time. I signed up for the email alert the minute it was back on stock and on August 9th, the order was placed. It arrived today! Woo-Hoo!
The new Reverie is a so so soft, cowls are begging to be cast on. The grey glitter sock yarn will grow up to be a shawl. It's a bit darker than my monitor showed but you know how monitors can be. The book is wonderful and my needles are begging to cast on a sweater. Last but not least a few skeins of the Bare Hare to find their way into the dye pot. I'm one lucky knitter :D

Liberated

Life and a social networking site took time from blogging. I've done some 'housekeeping' and removed myself from the drama-fest social site and decided to concentrate on the things in Life that make me happy, like my knitting. A bit of time has also been spent contemplating the time, effort, money and thought that goes into my passion. Surprisingly even the DH had some constructive thoughts to add to this thought process. I enjoy knitting for others and while some appreciate it and wear or use the items there are those who appear to appreciate the hard work (and you knitters know what I'm talking about here) they rarely wear/use the item and choose to closet it or give it away. The time involved in any kind of needlework is unbelievable and those of you who do it know what I mean. We won't even mention how much it costs to feed my little knitting addiction (although if one asked the DH, he could be close to the cost). So after careful thought I'm eliminating most of my upcoming Christmas gift knitting. From here on out my needles will knit what I want. It may be a gift and then again it may not. So between eliminating the drama-fest site and the self mandatory knitting I feel like a weight has been lifted. Let's all say it together, Gypsyknits is Liberated! 

 First up on my needles? A sweater for self. Yes dear knitters the needles are finally knitting for self and I gotta say, I'm liking it. Yarn was from my stash purchased eons ago at the MDSW. Not the best feeling wool but durable. It's the Iced Cardigan with lots of mods including pockets. I wanted this to be a workhorse sweater around the house or a market run and this filled the bill and a workhorse sweater isn't a real workhorse without pockets.

 The traveling car socks. Spending time as a passenger in the car running to appts can be very productive when it comes to knitting. Good ole basic socks are perfect. My wee brain carries the basic sock construction so there's no need for a pattern. CO, rib/knit, divide in half for heel, pu sts and toe dec. Viola! Finished socks! These are a gift for a very dear friend who will appreciate and wear them with pride.

Jessi started this pattern and I loved how her project was looking so off to the stash bin I went. She (ever so smartly) is using a fingering weight. I (not so smartly) chose a cobweb lace from the stash bin because I convinced myself a) I need to use stash and b) it can't be that bad. After a bit of knitting I agree with my first reason but disagree with the second. Dear me this yarn is like working with a spider's web but I'm determined.
I won't promise a post everyday but I'm going to get back into the old swing of things. Books have re-entered my Life again as well as a bit of sewing/counted cross stitch and the never ending scrapbooking of my albums. All of this in between tending to Mr. Bettis (upcoming posts on his antics as well).
Please feel free to share what has liberated you to resume a passionate hobby?

MIA...but I'm back!

Big apologies to all bloggers. I've missed blog reading and posting for way too long.

But I'm back :D

We left in Feb for the birth of our third grandchild and it's a girl! ABG is a healthy bundle and her big sister loves her so (sometimes just a little too much....lol)

I spent 2 weeks enjoying every moment with the new arrival and of course the oldest grand who is a whopping 2 1/2 yrs old. I'll save details of our fun for another post.

My next stop was to the youngest son and daughter-in-law's home to visit the 2 month grandson. CD is a delight and smiled and cooed while I was there. Funny how it's a big deal no matter how many times you see a baby smile and coo for the first time.

Valentine's Day arrived while I was away but it wasn't overlooked. My eldest son had a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered and a new curling iron (since mine broke within the first 24 hours of the visit) from the oldest granddaughter (with help from mom and dad).

Apparently it was quite a chore trying to keep me from ordering/purchasing one while I was there.

My youngest son took me to a quaint little yarn shop in his area and I had over an hour to admire, squeeze and smell wool :D. A relaxing bit of time. We had a great time cooking and I tasted fried pickles for the very first time. YUM!!

Chem-girl made a quick trip to visit and the eldest son and daughter-in-law took us to a lovely family owned Italian restaurant for dinner.

The next day the DH arrived to gather me and my stuff for the trip home. We dropped Chem girl off at the dorm on our way. I enjoyed the trip but was glad to come home.

Mr. Bettis certainly did not change while I was gone. I 'lost' a pillow, placemats, a magazine, one rug and who knows what else. I think his owner stashed the rest hoping I wouldn't remember what I had in the first place.

I've been knitting like a firestorm and I'll do my best to post pics soon. Hope all is well with everyone and I'll eventually catch up between pinning on pinterest, my new addiction ;)

Another lo-o-ong day

Another lo-o-ong day has begun in the neighborhood. And it began at 6 am this morning.

The equipment moving in all its' 'beeping' glory. One would think Mr. Bettis would be accustomed to it by now but no, he isn't and so the barking commences.

They accidentally cut the main line last week and we were without water for hours. The construction crew was concerned that Mr. Bettis had water. Say what??? how about Mr. Bettis's caretaker who didn't have water for coffee or tea? I need something to keep my sanity.

Mr. Bettis keeping watch on the activity. Doesn't help matters when the crew has dubbed him their mascot and whistle at him calling him, Big boy etc.

His owner is not a happy camper because he's at work and can't 'play' with the boys (as chanknits pointed out).

*sigh* we only have 2 months and 15 days to tolerate Mr. B and his incessant barking unless of course it rains/snows and backs up the process. But...hey! Mr. Bettis will have water.

The sky was beautiful at 6:30 am so I snapped a picture.

Yeah I know, 'Red sky in the morning, sailor's warning.'

It's supposed to get to a balmy 60F today. Where's winter?

p.s. Someone wanna 'splain why the construction crew MUST walk thru the front yard, inches from the window? It only causes Mr. B to run back and forth from the window to the door trying to decide which area to monitor (barking of course). And lest we not forget the 'chirper' Molly who monitors from the back of the couch :/.

Beginnings

Christmas is over and the New Year has commenced. 2010 had ups and downs and I'll try not to reflect on the downs. Christmas week was a busy one and is now a distant blur of activity but I'll give a quick run-down.

In spite of Mr. Bettis's chronicled and non-chronicled antics, Santa Paws came to visit. Mr. B is the only one who received a purchased gift, a new bed. He was a happy dog and promptly flopped down. An ortho bed is on his wish list next year so here's hoping he's a good dog for 2012.

All gifts were handmade this year (what little I managed to finish), handknit wool mittens, hats, scarves and gloves. Unfortunately the temps were 50 degrees and I felt as if I was handing a sled to kid with no snow on the ground.

Our son and DIL arrived with the grand. Santa notified my dad (her great-grand) that she was getting a doll for Christmas so he made a doll bed for her. We were able to watch her surprise on Christmas morn via webcam. We are also the proud grands of a new grandbaby who was born in early December.

Lo and behold we finally received snow (other than the Halloween freak snowstorm). It didn't amount to much but it was enough to keep Mr. Bettis entertained. I have no idea where winter is hiding but it can appear at any time. There's nothing like a cup of hot chocolate, sweatpants and knitting needles in hand on a snowy afternoon.

Love Was Born

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. "God Bless Us Everyone"

TerpThon

Hi all! I'm Savvy. Some of you may remember hearing from me a couple times before about Terp Thon. For the past two years, I have been a participant of this event. This year, though, I have been blessed with the opportunity to be more involved with this amazing organization. This is just such an incredible and worthy cause, and I can't even begin to imagine my life without it. So for those of you who don't know or remember, let me tell ya all about it.

Terp Thon is a student-run organization at UMD. We raise money and awareness year-round for the Children's Miracle Network, which connects us to a local hospital. All the money we raise goes directly to our hospital, the Children's National Medical Center in DC. The Dance Marathon is an event in the spring at which participants pledge to stand on their feet for 12 hours for those who can't. The 12 hours represents the typical nurse's shift at the hospital. The Dance Marathon is basically a celebration of all the money we raised throughout the year. We invite some of the kids from the hospital and just make them feel like rockstars for the day. It is an absolute blast, and it really is a life-changing event. In only our second year last year, Terp Thon raised nearly $140,000 - more than any Dance Marathon has ever raised in its second or third year! Terp Thon is one of the fastest growing Dance Marathons in the nation, and we continue to try to make it even better.

Everything we do is FTK, For The Kids. The kids in these hospitals deserve nothing but the best. Every year, I meet more of these kids, and every time, they make my heart melt. Everything they go through, yet they maintain such spirit and motivation. It just moves you. They are so grateful for what we do. And to think, for most of us it's as simple as turning down that one Starbucks coffee or putting down that extra skein of yarn in order to donate a couple dollars to the cause. These "couple dollars" add up so quickly and truly help save lives. Check out this video to see a little about what we're trying to do here. We are trying to make a difference in the lives of amazing kids like Ollie.

This time of year, I think it's really important to be grateful for everything we have. I think we often get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of everything that we forget the simple things in life. This holiday season, I just ask that you remember the real reason for the holidays and enjoy it.

If in the spirit of the season you're interested in donating to this incredible cause, please feel free to check out my donation page: www.helpmakemiracles.org/participant/smason . I definitely appreciate it, and I know the kids do as well…more than I can even express.

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!