Ready for Spring

I dropped my oldest boy off at baseball practice today. OUTSIDE. It is a windy freezing mere 40 degrees here. Poor kids. They have been training indoors all winter, but now they've headed out.

Makes me soooo ready for spring.

I also now have a much better appreciation for my mom and the cold.

While they were away last week my sister, Liz and I were on poop duty.

This is probably the least desirable chore I can think of. Even worse than the horse

stalls I was used to as a kid. You have to clean every single alpaca bean "piece of poop"

every day. It's exhausting. Here's one thing I know for sure.

You really need to love your herd to do that every day. Freezing cold, wind, snow, sleet...poop needs to go. So Mom, hats off to you. I also don't know why you don't weigh 100 pounds with the workout you get day in and day out.

Spring is a weird time of year here. It's not always nice, usually chilly and damp

but I get myself excited for flowers, gardens, prettier colored clothes.

I also get excited for Maryland Sheep and Wool.

I dream of this festival all year long. It's my heaven.

Yarn, sheep, my sisters and girlfriends, a hotel, knitting, gyros on the hill....ahhhh.

So after this very cold day, I'll remind myself that warmth is on it's way.

Here's what I look forward to.

Here's to warm days.....SOON PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

Yarn Along and A Birthday

Yarn Along....

It's almost done!!!!!!!!!! I have less than a 1/4 of the edging to do on my 

Leaves of Grass and then it's done. Holy Moly.

I am knitting this as part of a KAL, but I'm behind. Most are done.

I doubted myself that I would have my "Done" post. But alas, I'm almost there.

Knitted in 100% baby alpaca yarn from our farm,

this knit will be a much loved shawl, blanket, what ever it may be.

 

And then there is a certain little someone in my house that isn't so little anymore.

Our guy, Garrett, is 9 years old today.

A handsome blonde kid that can make you laugh but listen closely...

the jokes are quick and quiet. A smart kid, a musician in the making,

a bit of an artist (although he may deny it), an athlete,

a wonderful big brother and little brother.

Our middle child :)

We love you GMan. Happy Birthday kiddo. 

Joining in with Ginny and the other knitters out there.

A Handspun Yarn Along

Happy Wednesday! Yarn Along Day :)

Liz recently spun this amazing merino on her wheel.

 

After spinning the yarn, she used a technique called Navajo Plying.

It takes a single strand and turns it into a 3 ply. She figured it out and Tah Dah...awesome chunky yarn. I grabbed it and decided to knit up a fun silly hat.

Here it is so far...

Ends up looking like a hood with some tassels!

Capucine Hat Pattern

 

Reading The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan.

I just finished up the hat while Chase napped on me (he has a cold and wanted his mom)
Here's a picture.

I got news this morning that a childhood friend of mine had to deliver her

twin baby boys extremely early. Please pray for these babies, the mom, her husband and little boy at home. They weigh in at 2 lbs each. Every minute matters.

Happy Knitting

Joining in with Ginny.

A Simple Trick for Knitting Charts

I am on the edging of my Leaves of Grass! Woohoo!!

The whole pattern has been reading charts, but very manageable charts. 

Normally, I take my chart, a light colored highlighter and as I finish a row, I fill it in with my marker.

Or I make little dots....(you'll see how I started with that on the pattern. NOT working)

The edging is a small chart that is repeated 70 or so times.

So, I wasn't sure the best way to mark what row I was on.

I asked Andee what she did and she gave me this little tip.

Thought I would share.

It's beyond easy and sooooo very helpful.

Put your pattern into a plastic protector sheet and grab a Post-It note.

Every time you move up a row, move your sticky note!

How easy is that??? 

Easy Tip that will make your life easier.

Happy Knitting!

fleece and feathers

Colorful Scavenger Hunt

Happy to join in with the weekly scavenger hunt...Color Style!

Here are my takes on the prompts.

The boys and I headed out for a nice walk through Allaire State Park Historical Village.

Here's what we found....

 Green

Red

Yellow • 1835

Blue

Ahhh....blue sky. A much needed thing around here.

Orange

Lunch time at the Allenwood General Store. They just HAD to get orange soda because it was the only color we didn't find at the park. Well, ok then. 

 

Joining in with Ashley.

Cheers!!!

Need a Push Yarn Along

Happy Yarn Along Day!

I look forward to Wednesday for the simple reason of yarn alongs.

I love to see what others are working on and it's a nice way of 

keeping track of what I'm doing.

But when you're knitting projects that seem to take forever, it's also frustrating.

These two projects are slow going.

And my speed knitting sister can manage to knit like a maniac and leave me in the dust!!!

Seriously, how do you do it??????????????

So, yes, it's the same things I've been working on for weeks, but I'll share.

I'm a part of a KAL for the Leave of Grass knit.

It's been fun, but I'm ready for it to be done.

The thing that will help me get it done is that I will be entering it in a competition at the spring alpaca show. I'm excited about that and I really needed the motivation!!!

It's a huge circular knit but on the needles, it's kind of lumpy and bumpy.

My kids thought I was making a ridiculously huge hat.

Clearly, I haven't made much progress on my sweater. 

This thing takes a lot of concentration....not much of that around here these days!!!

I am almost finished with The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. I love it so much. I hope it ends well. The last few books I have read haven't ended well...or at all in fact. Just left it open ended. I hate that.

I also have some new books from the library that I'm excited to read.

If only I had free time. sigh....

Happy Knitting :)

What are you working on and reading????

Joining in with Ginny.