Wednesday, March 30, 2016

A Little Bit of This A Little Bit of That

Stitching
I recently finished Count Your Blessings by La-D-Da. This seemed a  very appropriate piece to stitch - while the year has had a few rough patches everything has worked out in the end. I thought we were getting ready to go through another rough patch the other day. What do you get when you mix my son (the child who inherited the fear of spiders gene from his father), a shower, and a spider. Well, I will tell you. You get a ripped shower curtain, a crashing sound that makes you think something really big has hit the house...something really, really big and a busted knee. We spent the better part of 2015 getting my son through a torn MCL...and of course, it was the same knee. Thankfully, just a little bit of swelling and pain but nothing incapacitating.

Knitting
Malabrigo Hand Thingies by Anne Sahakian and seen on Mary's blog. I started these sometime in December and finished them a few weeks ago. I knit them using Malabrigo's Velvet Grapes - they go with my winter coat and I may just get the chance to wear them in a few days as we continue on this wild weather roller coaster.

They aren't perfect - and I know there are a few mistakes here and there. I thought of my grandmother while knitting these when -
a. I had to lick that calf over again...and again (Lick that calf over again was an expression she used when someone had made a mistake and needed a do-over). Especially on the second mitt. I was ready to bind off the hand when I decided to compare it to the first one. I wasn't thrilled to discover that I had left out two rows . So of course, I had to rip it all the way back and more or less start over again. I could knit these in my sleep. : )

b. I cut myself a caper (If someone cut a caper it usually meant they had acted like a fool over something). This happened when I discovered my mistake on mitt number 2 and then again when I was finally finished with both and realized I had actually made something with thumbs. Lots of ridiculous jumping around while repeating over and over again "I made thumbs!!!" My husband and son just didn't get it and the cats all ran for cover.

I also discovered that it is possible to knit inside out. Fortunately, this is easily fixed. Caper averted!

Reading

It's a big one at 849 pages. I'm halfway through and have been having too many late nights because I can't put it down. Maybe a little concerned that it won't have a happy ending because...well, it is Stephen King. On a side note - my husband has been told by many people that he looks just like Stephen King. 

Wanting to try
TRIPLE BERRY WINE SLUSH
  • (2) 12-ounce bags frozen mixed fruit (raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries)
  • 1 (750mL) bottle of your favorite red wine
  • 2 cups ginger ale
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
I love the pretty purple color! I may just have a thing for the color purple. : )

Appreciating
The beautiful sunset a few days ago. It seems like every time you turn around a little more of the countryside has disappeared. Fortunately, this little piece is still just around the corner from us.

Thank you, everyone, for reading along! Hope everyone is enjoying some lovely spring weather! Take care ~

16 comments:

Mary said...

YAY for finished mitts (with thumbs!)!! and isn't it nice to have a reason to be ...not too disappointed when winter makes a return visit (I hope it's a quick one). I didn't find the 11/23/63 ending to be sad, satisfying is how I remember it (and I also remember losing sleep while I read it!). Glad things are looking up...counting our blessings always helps!

Annie said...

Who woulda thunk that fear of spiders could wreak so much havoc! Glad it wasn't even more serious. Nice sampler to remind you to always look at the upside!

Your gloves are gorgeous! Such a pretty yarn. I knit that pattern a few years ago, but mine didn't seem to show the slipped stitches as well as yours do. I'm addicted to fingerless gloves and I'm always trying new patterns. I wear them indoors all winter long!

Carol said...

What a fun post to read, Penny--so glad the knee/shower even turned out okay and that your son didn't seriously re-injure his MCL. My husband just tore his ACL in a skiing accident earlier this month. Do you think we need to wind these guys up in bubble wrap?!

I had never heard either of those sayings, but can just picture your grandmother saying them :) The gloves look great and the stitching is so pretty--the past year was definitely one to count your blessings.

I've never read Steven King, but that is one giant book. We have a display at the library now called "I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie" and that is definitely front and center!

Lovely sunset--hope you get many more during this lovely spring we're having, Penny :)

Margaret said...

I'm cracking up over your cutting a caper! I have yet to knit something with thumbs, so I totally get that! lol! Love the new mitts -- they are wonderful! Such a bummer about the ripping out, but you did it! Love the stitching too -- very beautiful! So glad your son's incident turned out to be a minor thing. Whew! I've thought of reading that Stephen King novel. But I'm bad at thrillers and such. I don't usually read Stephen King. lol!

Vickie said...

I really like Count Your Blessings. A very, very good thing to do! Your PURPLE mitts are fantastic Penny. Just yesterday, we traveled down a road right by our home, that has three farm homes, two barns and one silo remaining. All surrounded by homes built up around. It makes me sad to see our gorgeous countryside and family farms disappear.

Melissa said...

Such a lovely, newsy post from you Penny! First off, I'm sorry your son banged up his knee and a spider in the shower? No fun. I'm not afraid of spiders but put a mouse in there and I'd be shrieking too! Hope the knee mends quickly.

Lovely gloves and those expressions from your grandma. When I took my first knitting lessons the teacher said once we finished our cap, do another one, then another one so that we can get comfortable with the pattern. So now you can do another pair for yourself with less pain!

I love that sunset photo and the photo in your blog header.

Brigitte said...

A lot of great news, Penny. The greatest would be that your son's knee wasn't too badly hurt after what he was going through last year. But I can easily understand his reaction when seeing a spider in the shower, lol.

A nice little stitchy finish. And these mittens just look gorgeous. What a great color you chose for them. And when the bad weather won't arrive these days, be sure that the next winter will come :)

Some years ago I read 11/22/63 and also had a hard time putting it down. It has been my only Stephen King book so far and I was totally fascinated by it. Maybe I should try to read another book by him.

Cindy's Stitching said...

glad it wasnt a worse fall. your finished pieces are so pretty. love the sunset

Barb said...

Very glad to her your son is ok. Spiders do that to some people. I actually have to protect them from my DH who agrees with your son. I love that "Count Your Blessings" We all have lots of them to count!! What a beautiful sunset.

Julie said...

Lots happening at your place... so good to read your son will be ok and not seriously hurt. Beautiful sunset, a wondrous sight mother nature is.
Lovely stitching, nice designs and such cosy looking mitts to keep your hands warm.
xxxx

Sarah in Stitches said...

Gorgeous stitching! Congrats on the finish. And those mittens are incredible! I love the color :D

Lumiruusu said...

WEll done with mittens for me they look totally perfeckt and the colour is lovely1 La-da-da stitching is lovely and I really like the verse in it!.

Angela said...

Lovely stitching and knitting and I totally loved 11/22/63 it was one of the best books I've read by Stephen King. I'm enjoying the new TV mini series too with James Franco.

Solstitches said...

Well this post just made me smile. Had to laugh at your son in the shower as I would have probably reacted in just the same way.
Your grandma sounds quite a character - these are saying I have never heard before.
Love your pretty mittens and the stitched piece is beautiful.
Margaret

Sally said...

Your mitts look beautiful as does your Count Your Blessings finish.

I can imagine either of my girls doing what your son did if confronted by a spider in the shower! They inherited their fear from their Nanna!

Oooh has that book been turned into a TV serie? There's a US one advertised over here 11/22/63 so I'm guessing it's from this book. It looks really interesting but also a bit scary!

Kaisievic said...

Great mittens - love the colour - and you deserve to Happy Dance all you like for making thumbs - we understand! Glad your son is ok but funny story and I have read 11/22/63 and if I remember correctly the ending is not too horrible. Love Count your blessings and beautiful sunset. xxxx