It's Hat Time

Thank you for the birthday wishes! I had a blast at the cookout. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the second half of my life has in store for me.

While reading the Rainey Sisters blog I came upon a post that featured the most marvelous hat. As soon as I saw it I purchased the pattern on Ravelry. It is the Tuscan Leaves hat seen here with about 15 rows of the pattern done.



The pattern is completely written out because each row is different. There are only 50 rows in the crown pattern making it a fairly quick knit as long as you pay attention to the pattern. Mine is finished and is blocking to bring out the classic beret shape. The yarn used is Universal Yarns Deluxe Worsted and I have 3 more skeins in different colors so there will be at least one more of these.

I'm still trying to finish the Heavenly Blue Cardigan. I have one more sleeve remaining and I have misplaced my size 5 24-inch addi Turbo circular needle. I'm going to sub a Clover bamboo circular and hope that it doesn't mess with my gauge on the sleeve cuff. Tomorrow I'll start blocking the finished pieces and hope to finish this over the weekend.

I'm not going to have all of my fair entries finished but I'm very pleased with the ones that will be entered. The entry dates are next Tuesday and Wednesday and then the long wait until the next week when we host our demo and I get to see the results. I'm all ready getting excited.

The Big One!

Oh man! Today I turned 50! 50 - the BIG 50.

I am blessed more than I could ever imagine. Even though I rarely talk about it I've been through many health issues the past several years, but this year has been different. I feel the best I've felt in years. Yes I'm very overweight but I feel great.

My network of family and friends have been supportive, loving and giving. I have the greatest mother in the world who has been my rock through some very difficuly storms and a sister who has been caring and sharing even when I couldn't see it.

I may not be where some people thought I would at this stage in my life but I'm happy! I love me, I love where I am and I love the people who are in my life.

I pray that may you all be blessed with such riches and goodness in your lives.

Slow Progress

This year has been a loser for me so far in the sweater department. While I have 3 cast on I've yet to finish anything other than two baby sweaters. I got a late start on the sleeves for my Circle and Butterflies sweater and in the meantime cast on a special sweater project, the Heavenly Blue Cardigan. The yarn is St-Denis Nordique and while it isn't that soft it gives great stitch definition. I've read on Ravelry that it does soften with washing.


The left front is almost finished and I'm hoping that I get at least the right front and one sleeve finished before next week. My 50th birthday is next Thursday and I'm having a cookout that weekend which means no knitting the end of next week.

Mom and I hit the road again this past weekend. We went to Edgewood Maryland to check on family friends. While it was a quick trip it was a nice getaway. They are both doing fine and the Mr Rainey is recuperating well from his knee replacement. I met their daughter for the second time and it was amazing how much we have in common. I also met her husband and her daughter was down from college to check on her grandpa. Sometimes the short quick trips are the best.

True to my word I didn't visit any yarn shops. Mrs Rainey was quite surprised by that almost as surprised by the fact that I wasn't knitting Sunday night. After traveling all day Friday and being busy on Saturday and Sunday I fell asleep on the loveseat without even picking up the knitting.

Tonight I'm watching one of my favorite shows, Top Chef, and I am hoping that Angelo goes home. He probably won't since he's done well most of the show. There's always a chef that gets on my nerves and this time he is the one which means that he'll be the winner.

It's time to break from the computer and get something accomplished before bed. Have a good night.