Knitting up the loose ends

September is fast approaching and I'm working on knitting up my loose ends.  This morning I finished Hugs and Kisses for Joanne.  It turned out very cute.  Joanne's pattern has well-written instructions and was clear and easy to follow.  I chose brown and red tweed because I like them and the tweed yarn was perfect for this project.  It's machine-washable, which is really nice for infant's garments.  The 6-month size fits Woody Bear nicely and he didn't mind posing in a girl's outfit, because he liked the colors.  

Ben will be finished with camp early next week, we have tickets for the State Fair, and then it will be time to take him back to school.  All this postpones the rest of our kitchen refresh.  The countertops, sink, and faucet are in--very nice!  The granite looks so different!  Now I can hardly wait for the cupboards to be refinished and the new pulls mounted on the doors and drawers.  In the meantime, we'll be shopping around for flooring.  Of course, all this change means I'll have to repaint.  Now the wall color doesn't match the countertop!

It's been a busy summer in spite of my being laid off from the shop.  I've done a lot of spinning, which I've missed and also had time to think about what's next for me.  I enjoy being active in Scouting, I'm working on my last Wood Badge ticket, artistically I could be doing much more.  I have so many ideas and projects I want to do and I've been looking for an outlet, which I believe I've found. More about that soon...

It's time to get back to work.  I can see some boys playing in the distance--long sticks are involved--that usually doesn't end well, but it's fun!

Hugs and Kisses

My friend, Joanne, designed a very cute baby set.  It's a poncho with O X cables and a bow; and then there's a little hat to match.  I picked out brown tweed and red tweed yarn for the test knit.  The pattern is well-written and easy to follow. I'm just about finished with one rectangle of the poncho.  

The kitchen refresh "phase I" is going on Monday.  Right now we don't have countertops.  I picked out handles for the cupboards ("phase II").  They will be rustic iron.  "Phase III" is the floor.  We still have to find someone to do that.  

Fun with Mom

Last week when Mom and I got back from lunch, I stuck around for their craft of the day.  We tie-dyed tube socks.  It was so much fun and they turned out great.  Today Mom and I couldn't go out, so I brought lunch in and then we went out to the dining room to get our photo taken while wearing the socks.  We were having a good time  that others wanted to join in.  Joanne had us sit in a circle, she stood on a chair, snapped photos with her camera and then my camera.  In the photo of me looking away, one of the ladies was singing a song and began to yodel.  She was good.  It was a fun time before their afternoon activity.  

Loose ends

The guys got back from Philmont this week and I got quite a bit done in the house.  The basement looks good and Jim's office /man cave turned out great.  He was surprised and very happy!  Ben had to leave for camp and we didn't get to visit for long.  I hope he is able to come home between sessions.

I'm on the first sleeve of the cotton sweater.  I've dipped into the frog pond twice with the sleeve.  Cotton tends to droop, so I decided to decrease every 5th row instead of every 6th row.  THEN I noticed I forgot a decrease at the start and then frogged again.  The last three decreases I've added a row to taper to the cuff for a better fit.  I found the buttons a couple of weeks ago, and I think they will look nice. 

While I'm finishing up the sweater, I'm also doing a bit of spindling.  Last year I bought this lovely roving--a blend of Coopworth, mohair, and silk.  It's soft and easy to spindle.  I have about a half pound, so I may do something winter-y with it!

We had to get groceries yesterday and the bouquets of sunflowers are out.  Such a cheery sight in August.