Yarn love

This week, I went to a yarn shop to purchase yarn for Christmas gifts.  I was going to call it "my favorite" yarn shop, but let's be honest--they're all my favorites!  Actually, this store is fairly close to civilization (one of my other favorites is way out in the country--a pretty drive, but not useful if I'm trying to fit it in with other errands), and it has a large selection of Plymouth Galway and Brown Sheep yarns.  You know, basic worsted wools that are reasonably priced. 

This time around, I was looking for yarn for my nieces (I have three).  I'm making them each mittens and a hat.  I also want to make a Libby sweater for Caroline for Christmas, so I also purchased yarn for that.  And I hope to have enough yarn leftover from the hats and mittens to use as the contrast colors for the sweater. 

In addition to all these gifts, I am also tackling these Aran mittens for myself.  It's a learning experience!

I just love having a multitude of knitting projects to work on!

I am back.  It was...awesome, much-needed, extreme relaxation. 

We talked, and talked, and laughed, and talked some more.  We did not walk on the beach.  We did not go shopping.  We did not watch any movies.  We didn't even turn on the TV.  (I didn't bring any knitting.)  It was exactly what I needed.


Well, we did go to the grocery store.  (We needed some ice cream.)


I don't know if this selection is a "down South" thing--I'll have to check the magazine rack at Wegman's next time.

 We tried (not entirely successfully) to keep our cell phones away.  We even gave them lounge chairs.

And now, with some fantastic late-summer memories to savor, I can move ahead into this next season.

Scattered

Hey, there.  It's me.  Hopefully next fall I'll remember that the kids are not the only ones who have trouble transitioning into new routines. 

I've been spinning my wheels.  Not really sure of what I want to do, and as a result, not doing much! 

Six hours of kid-free time sure sounds like a lot (and it is), but I sure can fritter it away without much to show for it.

I miss being here.

This Thursday, I am getting on a plane by myself.  I will be picked up at the airport by one of my oldest friends, and she and I (to borrow from Brad Paisley) are going to drive until the map turns blue.  Where we will meet up with a couple more friends.  And we're gonna sit in the sand and just be. 

And when I come home on Monday, I'm going to be so very happy to see my little ones again.  I know that just a little time and distance will be just the thing to get me out of this funk. 

First day

Wow, that was a short summer.  This morning I sent all three of them off to school.

Show me what grade you're in.

The fifth grader was too cool to walk to school with her mom.  She went with her friends.  I was slightly disappointed.  Fortunately, her classroom is right next door to Caitlin's, so I was able to see her before she went in.

Gotcha!  I snapped her pic in the hallway.

And this is my first day with all three kids gone for the whole day.  A new stage has begun.

Funny

I mentioned in my last post that the weather has been slightly cooler.  I find myself wondering at how the slightly cooler temperatures and the noticeably shorter days are making me want to turn the page on summer and rush headlong into fall. 

I know there's still a good bit of summer left.  Ironically, the temps are projected to be back in the nineties for the first day of school.  I still hope to get in at least two more sauce-making sessions with my tomatoes.

But I have all these leftover balls of yarn and a crazy hankering to try something new.

What are your plans for late summer/fall?  Are you trying anything new?

I'm back

Not that I've really been anywhere.  Our computer finally gave out last week, and now I'm posting this from our new, so-much-faster computer.  I no longer have to use the basic uploader on flickr, so I'm excited.  I have been up to a few things.

The Grange fair was this past weekend.  I pre-registered a few weeks ago.  I ended up entering in nine different categories (last year I only entered one).

I made this quilt to go in our bedroom.  It didn't win anything.  I had a lot of blank unquilted space that just didn't look right, and they called me on it.  Now I have something to work toward for next year.  Oh, but you should have seen the winners!  They were magnificent!

Participant.  This is totally what I was expecting.

But, hey, look!  Maybe making (and eating) all those chocolate cakes over the last month-and-a-half really paid off!

And wow!  Way to go, February Lady!  (Although Caitlin was disappointed that her birthday sweater didn't win a ribbon.  She also didn't want to part with it for the week.  "What if I need it?" she asked.  In August?  Not likely)

And if you've ever thought about making Leslie's chocolate chip cookies--you know, her version of the Toll House recipe--I can tell you that it is now officially a prize-winning recipe!

So there you have it--your Grange Fair recap.  This week is our last week of summer vacation.  And the weather is slightly cooler this week.  We are going to rest up and get ready for our big day next Monday.

hey there

Last weekend we took a trip up to Williamsport, PA.

Our computer is acting up--throwing around words like "fatal error" when we turn it on.  So my time around here will (sadly) be limited.  On the other hand, it will free up more time for secret birthday knitting projects and for making tomato sauce!

I don't know when or how this computer issue will end...in fantasy land, it would end with a new fancy computer!  But in reality, that wasn't exactly in the budget for this month.

See in a week or so!