WEEK 48/ 4 MORE TO GO

This post is being written a day earlier than normal.  Since I will be out of communication for the next 4 days, I decided to do an early YOP update.  Trust me, there will not be much crafting between now and tomorrow morning.  So let's get started, OK?

First up, the Rose City Roller sock knit from the toe up.

It is completed and will be going into the trash bin.  While, the sock is made perfectly and all instructions were followed to the letter for the FLK heel, the yarn has NO stretch to it.  None, zippo, nil, nada!  Hubby could hardly get the thing over his heel!  Once on it did fit perfectly though.  As said in previous posts, I have no idea what yarn this is as the ball band is long gone.  I know it felt pretty scratchy to me but I was enamored with it's self patterning.  This yarn would be fine for a shawl or something that doesn't need to stretch to be put on.  There is only about 75 grams of this left, so it may all go into the trash bin.  I know this has been in my stash since I started making socks YEARS ago.

With that disaster behind me, I have been working quite a bit on my Spotting Clouds top.  I am loving the looks of this sweater.

Oh looky........Someone photo bombed my project picture.  Hi Enrique!  Anyway, this has been quite easy to work on.  As you can see, the sleeves are just a cap sleeve but I plan on working on them a bit after I complete the body of the top.  Your eyes are not deceiving you either.  The bottom of the sweater is a dark forest green.  I had just 2 skeins of this color and thought I would just add a little stripe in the sweater for interest.  I will continue in this color until it runs out and then switch back to the sage green.  As stated before, I am making the size S/M but using DK weight Cascade Ultra Pima and a size F and G hook (3.75 & 4 mm).  It is working into a size L/XL.  It should be a perfect fit.  I have tried on the top before I closed it to work in the round.  I should probably try it on again now that all the increases have been made for the body.

Since the last Rose City Roller sock was a bust, I decided to do another one.  This time it will be cuff down.

I started this last night about 30 minutes before I had to make an airport run to pick up the Grand and her parents from their New York City adventure.  I plan on starting the other sock today so I will have both of them on the needles before I go to the airport.  TSA doesn't seem to mind the knitting needles as long as a project is on them.  These are the Stiletto Signature needles and they are soooooo sharp.  I have stabbed myself with them a few times and they go through skin quite easily!  The needles were my Christmas gift from the hubby last year.  Best gift ever!

This is the last YOP for the month of May.  Therefore it is time to show you my dishcloths made this month.

Ta-Da.  I made one!  Yup, only one this month.  This was done after finishing my shawl  and hubby's HES socks, when I needed to cleanse my knitting palette.  This one is headed to my kitchen.  I noticed some of my cloths were starting to get a bit worn.  But then, it has been 2 years since I have had a new one!

That is all for my crafting.  Can you believe there are only 4 weeks left in year 8 of YOP?  Looks like I need to start thinking about what my goals might be for year 9.  Hopefully my sweater will be done before the start of next years YOP.  Being crocheted, it does move along quite quickly.

On a personal note.......hubby and I are headed to TX (and might be there by the time you read this).  We are seeing off our son, who is in the military.  He is headed to the middle east for a year.  This is a tough one for this mom.  It was hard for me when he joined the Navy,  22 years ago.  This is even harder since it is his first deployment.  He is eligible to retire, but they really need his specialty at this time.  I pray he stays safe and comes back home to us and his wife and children.  Things are not looking good over there right now.  This momma will not be watching the news for the next year!  I do not want to know.........I do not want to hear........I truly believe ignorance is bliss in this case.  

In other happier news.........my traveling son and his family arrived home from NYC last night.  They had a wonderful time.  The Grand Daughter was ecstatic  over seeing Hamilton on Broadway.  The whole family loved it and were amazed at the quality of the performance.  They also saw all the highlights of NYC.  They saw the 9-11 memorial, empire state building, statue of liberty, top of the rock, central park, the MET museum, shopping on 5th avenue, the worlds largest Macy's, the American Girl doll store (3 stories tall) and a few other things I can not remember.  They were so happy to be home and going to sleep in their own beds.  The one thing they really want.................a home cooked meal.  I get that!

Until next time............................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 47/ ONLY 5 LEFT!

Good day to you all.  It is glorious here today.  Lovely blue skies and only getting into the low 80's.  This spring has been a true spring for us Arizonans.  Usually we are well into the 90's and even the 100's by now.  I have doors and windows opened and am enjoying the lovely fresh air flowing through my home.  But, alas, this is not the reason you have stopped by today.  Onward to the crafting!

The toe up sock is coming along quite nicely.

You can see were I was last Sunday by the gorgeous sea glass progress keeper from Liz.  They were my project I worked on while away last week and what I keep at the ready when I have just a few minutes of down time.  I am enjoying the simple vanilla knitting of this sock.  There is only another 2 inches to go before the heel gets started.  As we all know, after the heel a shorty sock is almost completed.  Sock #2 will be cast on promptly after this one comes off the needles.

My main attention was given to my Spotting Clouds top.

The upper part of the top is completed and is waiting to be blocked before the sleeves and body can be added to it.  So far I have enjoyed working on this.  The fun part will be the sleeves as the pattern calls for a little cap sleeve and I want to make it more of a short sleeve to cover up old lady upper arm syndrome.  There is plenty of yardage of yarn to do it but, I will be doing this off the cuff (so to speak).  It has been years since I have made a sweater and then it was always knitted.  Wish me luck.

This is the view of the neck/shoulder part of the sweater.  Someone asked how it was working using the S/M size and working with DK weight yarn.  Here is my take.  I am using a size F(3.75mm) and size G(4mm) hook.  It makes the fabric much softer and airy.  It also has better stretch.  It is blocking out to at least the L/XL.  Since it is an A-Line shaped top, I am sure I will be happy.  That is the same shape as my body LOL.  

It will be interesting to see how I do on the next part of the pattern.  I have read it several times and know I will need to go in and look at the photos she has on her blog to make sure I am doing it right.  This is where being left handed is a challenge.  Everything I do is backwards to what you right handed folk do.  Even after 40 plus years of crocheting, I still have issues twisting patterns around in my brain.

Last week was very busy yet quite enjoyable too.  We went to Las Vegas for Mother's Day and had a very nice time with my MIL and also our dear friends.  Hubby and I did get a little down time in the evenings and so enjoyed ourselves.  It was great to get away.  I made some new friends.

My 3 amigos!  These guys are at the entrance to the casino.  We stayed at The Orleans.  It is all done up in Mardi Gras theme.  

When we got home is was even busier.  Our local grand graduated from the school she had been in since Pre-K.  It is a pretty big deal at that school too.  Take a look at her progress from first day of school to her last day there.

She and her parents are in New York City this week.  They have been to the 9-11 memorial, attended mass at St Patrick's Cathedral and are heading out for more sight seeing today.  Tuesday night they are going to see Hamilton on Broadway.  That has been this girl's dream for over 2 years.  She deserves it.  She has been on the honor roll every year and has really applied herself to her studies and still has maintained a lovely social life too.

I just finished making monkey bread in my air fryer. (YUM)  I made it with a 2 ingredient dough and it was wonderful.  Now to make some regular bread for our dinner tonight.  As soon as the bread is in the bread machine, I will be off to take care of the Grand Kitty and Grand fish.  When I get home I will wet block my sweater top and work on hubby's sock.  There might be a load of laundry getting done too.  We leave again on Saturday for Texas.  Our son is getting deployed to the middle east and we want to see him before he leaves for a year.  Please keep him and all the military in your prayers.  Things are heating up again over there!  So I do not know if I will get an update posted on Sunday.  It might be Wednesday before I am able to post for the next YOP.

Until next time........................Happy Crafting!!!!!

HOME AGAIN

Yup, the photo above describes how I felt last night as I lay my tired body down in my bed.  I had 2 dogs vieing for my cuddles as well.   I enjoy traveling but my body pays the price of sleeping in strange beds that are usually super hard.  

We had a lovely 3 day away trip to Las Vegas.  We were able to take my MIL on a couple of outings.  The first outing saw her getting some new clothes and a lovely lunch of her choice.  The second outing saw her getting a haircut, a trip to WalMart and another lunch.  She only lasts about 3 hours and then she is totally spent and ready to go back to the facility and take a nap.  

We also got to be with our dear friends for an evening.  The guys watched hockey while us gals knitting away.  There was wonderful food and conversation to go along with our visit.  A nice break from the hustle and bustle of the casino where we stayed.

We arrived back home yesterday early afternoon.  The drive back was pretty easy and was the first time I drove home.  In fact, I drove for the entire trip.  It was good to learn more about Las Vegas and how to get around in it.

Last night we went to dinner with my son's family and his wife's parents.  We all get along so well, it is like we were meant to be family all along.  This was a special occasion though.  It was the night before our local Grand Daughter's Graduation.  She has been in this school since Pre-K...........so for 10 years!  She is so sad to be leaving it as it has become quite comfortable for her.  

Look at that sweet little thing going to her first day of Pre-K!

But I digress...................

So last night her mom and dad decided to give her, her graduation gift they got for her.

To say she was totally surprised is an understatement.  Want to know what she got?

She is going to New York CIty to see Hamilton on Broadway!  This has been her dream for 2 years now.  She flies out (with her parents) on Friday morning and will be staying in the heart of Times Square for 9 days.  They also, have several tours planned for their stay.  She so deserves this honor.  The girl has been on the honor roll every year without fail.  She has really applied herself to her studies and it shows.

Today we will be going to her graduation Mass where she is once again singing the Psalm.  Tonight is the actual graduation with a class party following.

Congratulation Josie.................You have done well and are very deserving!

AND THEN THERE WERE 6/ WEEK 46

Another week has past and there is progress on this home front.  After much trial and error, deliberation, I finally started a spring/summer sweater for myself.  It was one item on my YOP list that had not been addressed at all.

Introducing "Spotting Clouds Top".

OK, so it doesn't look like much now.  I promise it will be a lovely light weight cotton top when I complete it.  It is being made with Cascade Ultra Pima Cotton DK weight yarn.  I went up a hook size from what the pattern asked for and am making the smaller size.  It should all work out.  I have laid this across my back and it seems to be a lovely fit with just enough positive ease to make it comfy for me.

As you know, I have been wanting to do some short socks and do them from toe up.  I decided on the Rose City Roller socks and just do them toe up instead of cuff down.  They also will have a FLK heel instead of a heel flap.  Hmmmmmm, I guess I am just making a toe up short sock with a rolled cuff. LOL  It took me forever to remember how to cast on for toe up socks.  Finally, I found a wonderful YouTube video by Purl Together for the cast on I remembered.  So here is where I am with socks one.

Hubby has asked to have these socks as he wears tennis shoes year round and really wants to try out this short sock to see if he wants more.  I started the sock out as magic loop and once the toe was completed I switched to DPN's which is my preferred method for socks.  My tension between magic loop and DPN is also different.  I am tighter with DPN's.  This has been my TV project since it is just plain knitting.  No counting required.  Love that.  This will also be the first time I have done a FLK heel toe up so am looking forward to seeing if there is much difference in the look and feel of the heel.

That is all from the crafting side of my life.  We are hustling around here, trying to get things done quickly this morning.  We are heading to Las Vegas to celebrate Mother's Day with hubby's mom.  After 44 years of marriage we have never done that and I figured, since my mom is not with us anymore, we should make some memories with his mom before we loose her too. (she will be 92 in 2 weeks!)  We will also spend some time with our dear friends who live there as well as have some fun in the casinos.

I want to wish all of you a Happy Mother's Day.  Even if you do not have children, I am sure you mother (Nurture) someone or something. So enjoy the day.

Until Next Time................Happy Crafting!!!!  

So Excited

 

I am very excited.  I frogged my sweater and started on the crochet pattern I found.  Then I realized I needed to go up on my hook size, crochet the next size down on the pattern and start with the color I have the most of.  So I frogged again.  I am now back to where I was before the frogging came along.  I am loving the feel of the fabric now that I went up in  hook size.  It measures the same as it did when I was making the larger size so it is all good!

I finally sat down with YouTube and watched several videos on casting on for toe up socks.  I found one that 'spoke' to me by Purl Together.  So the Rose City Roller socks are being done toe up and I will use the Fish Kiss Lips heel for it.  The socks were started on magic loop but have since been moved to DPN's.  All that stockinette stitch is perfect for relaxing and watching TV.

Hubby and I have such a hectic schedule for the next 2 weeks.  I do not know how much crafting will get done.  

Tonight we have grands final band concert, adoration and I need to get the dog food set up for next week.  

1. Tomorrow we have an appointment with our attorney, the grand and I need to go back to the uniform shop to try on gym clothes to get her size, and then we are going to dinner with the whole family to say good bye to my cousin who leaves to go home next Wednesday.    2. Saturday I have a nail appointment and then we serve at Mass that afternoon.  We will go to dinner with friends that night.  

3. Sunday we will pack, I will update this here blog and then we are off to Nevada to see my mother in law for Mother's day.   

4. Monday we take my MIL shopping for clothes and then spend the evening with our dear friends.  

5. Tuesday I am hoping hubby and I can have a day to ourselves to just enjoy.  

6. Wednesday we drive back home and I will need to get all the laundry caught up.  

7. Thursday we have graduation Mass at 10 followed by the awards ceremony, then celebration lunch, graduation ceremony will be at 7 that night and then another dinner out to celebrate.  

8. Friday I will be taking the graduate and her family to the airport at 4AM.  I will not say why at this point as it is a super duper surprise and I am not sure how many in my family reads this blog.

That about covers it.  Today I did manage to do 7 loads of laundry before 2pm!  That is new record for me.  Normally I do one or 2 a day but never 7!!!!  Hubby cleaned the kitchen and 3 bathrooms so things are looking good.   It will be nice to come home to a clean house.

I made the Grand's graduation card today too.  I will  try and take a photo of it once all the glue dries.

Right now, I am going to go and pick up the socks and work on them until dinner time.

Until next time..................happy crafting!

PS:  Our weather cooled off again this week.  We had a nasty dust storm yesterday but with that came cooler temps and I have the A/C off and the house opened up.  This is not usual for us in May!  LOVE IT!