Leslie’s Stash

 

 

My daughter in law, Leslie, is facing a round,

 of chemo, treatments.

Yesterday they met with the

doctors to make a schedule

and detail the

course of action.

 

She’s young and full of life. Her attitude is amazing. She

has three young children. Too young to watch their Mommy

go through this.

 

I was able to hit a very nice Yarn Shop, and pick up some

beautiful soft yarn to make some cheery colored chemo

caps.   She doesn’t want pink. However I found some lovely

peach, and blue.

 

 

Of course I have plenty of soft yarn from other chemo caps.

 I thought it would be

nice to have a special stash just for her.

 

This is called Kashmir, from Trendsetter Yarns.

65% cashmere, 35% silk.

Purchased at 

 Snow Goose Yarns.

  Knitting & Crocheting Accessories & Supplies, Yarn, Knittingbags, Milton, MA

 

I use the patterns on

 http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/patterns.htm

 

Please keep Leslie in  your prayers.

 As she is always the one

who is the first to pray for others.

 

Blessings

Mary Ellen

It’s the Little Things

,

,

 

A Thirsty Little Fella

 

 

 

A Young Miss with her dear friend

 

 

,

 

 

Flowers are $3.00, please don’t take the jar.

 

 

 

 

Little Miss Milly

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.A little Chipmunk

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.Come back SOON!!

 

Tin Can Garden

Sometimes Summer isn’t what she promises.

 You have to move

your flowers inside.

This is my “Tin Can Garden”

Tea, cookies, candy

and a lonely pickle jar have

contributed to my humble little

garden.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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.Roses in Pickles

 

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Impatient’s waiting for the rain to stop, Impatiently!!.

 

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Patterns in the Sand.

 

 

I recently read Sally Goldenbaum’s second book in her series

Seaside Knitters, titled Patterns in the Sand.

 

I LIKED IT. It became a “page turner”.  She’s very good setting

up the landscape the characters and the story. I felt like I was

living on Cape Ann.

 

It’s a good little mystery, a young stranger comes to town, a

resident dies, then another resident. Nell, Cass, Izzy and

Birdie befriend the young stranger and do their best to collect

information to find who murdered these men.

I give Sally Goldenbaum four stars, usually these knitting mystery

series take a long time to get off the ground.  Her first Seaside

Knitting Mystery was Death by Cashmere. I also enjoyed that one.

She set up the characters, and wrote a good tale.

 

The only part that made me nervous was when they were cooking

up one of their many delicious meals. I think it was Nell who left

the tomatoes and clams simmering.  A chill went through me, no

way would Nell be cooking them together, that’s NOT chowder.

Fortunately later in the chapter they were eating CREAMY clam

chowder. (the tomatoes must have been sent to New York <g>)

 

I think  why I enjoyed Patterns so well, I knew the gals,

and their many talents. I was able to nestle in on a rainy night

and enjoy a good book.

Well I did it!

 

 

 

 

I’ve been pooh hooing the Kindle since it came out.

 How would anyone enjoy a good book

 by reading a school slate. Electronic, big deal. So

is my laptop.  What is so special there.

Besides isn’t it wonderful to have BOOKS,

 Real bound BOOKS. Over time

I’ve collected, inherited, saved, donated,

and sold, books. I don’t think our

house could be a home without the

 ”King’s men of the Shelf” as Emily

Dickinson called them.

 

And then it happened.

The Kindle DX was to be released and I put my

order in. I could give all the excuses.

 It’s convenient, you get the books

the day they’re released. No standing

 in line, no shipping charges, no

state tax. You want a book?

 WhisperNet delivers in seconds.

 

Right from the showroom. 

 Came a box .. inside the box was this.

 

Open this wrapper and you have

 

 

Charge it (only took mins.) and you are open to so many

treasure.  Let it sit alone too long, it goes silent with

various lithograph type wall paper.

 

It’s a beautiful piece of technology. Now my husband can

read the Boston Globe’s Sport Page.  I waited for the Union

to settle the contract before I ordered it <g>

 

The interesting part is many of the classics are FREE.

Some books are only a couple of dollars and still some

have no cost at all.

 

And here I am, enjoying all the new releases and changing

the type so I can read it while cooking, or knitting. I’m

in LOVE!

 

 

Then and Now.

We’ve been busy outside. Winter made a mess.

And I have nothing to share, except some before

and after shots.  It’s still rather chilly here. Tonight

we’re supposed to go back into the 40’s,. Today

it went to 60. Some of our flowers are behind

schedule.  But we don’t have SNOW!

 

Last Winter

  

(looking up the driveway)

 

Tonight

  

(same view)

 

 

 

This May, praying for something green

 

 

 

Tonight, IT’S GREEN

 

This is my little fairy garden. You never

know what will pop up. The

Pixies are in charge.

 

 .

.

 

March Blast

 

 

 

 

AND THEN!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ahhhhhhhh

 

 

 

 

June Mittens

 

 

I want to extend my deep appreciation to Subliminal Rabbit (http://subliminalrabbit.blogspot.com/2008/12/bellas-mittens-updated-pattern.html)

for designing and developing the pattern for Bella’s Mittens, from the

movie Twilight.   Marielle Henault is very talented.

 

The pattern calls for Cascade 109, Peruvian Highland Wool

 in pewter.  Well the  young miss I made these, for wanted pink.

 It’s a lovely yarn, Merino Superwash by

Karabella. (ha it has the Bella name in it)

 

It is a very easy knit. A fun horseshoe cable

 keeps away the boredom

 

It’s nice and snug.

 

 

 

They look rather pathetic on their own

 

 

 

And measure 15 inches.  Well mine do the ones

 made with  the Cascade  I’m sure are longer.

 

 

 

 

 

I put this one on and took a pix with my left hand.

The pattern is much prettier

worn than off.

 

 

 

 

I recommend making them. It’s the standard knit in the round.

 It works up very fast, with size 8 needles.

 You’ll need a row counter because the pattern is written

row by row.

 

Have a FUN DAY.

Thanks Donna!!

 

 

Donna at  An Enchanted Cottage 

had a fun idea:  

 An Enchanted Cottage: Create a birdcage planter for your patio…  

  

She took an old bird cage and filled it with beautiful

flowers and a sweet little birdie.  And her flowers are beautiful.

  

My impatient’s aren’t in full bloom but they perk up quick enough.

I found a cage I use when I bring a new birdie home. It’s not very

big and it’s round.

  

I didn’t have any garden sculptures for a centerpiece. I used the

little statue I keep of the Blessed Mother in my greenhouse.

  

 

.

.

.

 

I had a ratty old milk can. I stuck in the garden with the Hosta and

Bleeding Hearts. And put the cage there.

.

 

…

.

.

Then hubby told me we’re going to get 4 days of rain so we’re back

to the porch.

  

 

.

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.

  

  

 

 

 

And these are the two little ones who

came home in  this cage.

 

Sheep Street

I’ve been reading on Ravelry (knit and crochet community)

 how everyone is going to this huge Sock Summit.

It’s like the knitting Olympics.  And to be honest I never

knitted a sock.

I am clueless to what it takes to make sock.

  

I feel like I’m missing out. I’m not a stranger to dpns.

Actually I love them.  That’s

why I can make so many mittens.

So how can there be a problem? Double

Pointed Needles are my life.

 

 

Well I picked the easiest pattern possible. 

 I also used some scratch yarn that could be

ripped out, stitched and ripped out again.

I even pulled out my 2005 Family Circle

Knitting Issue.

I GOT IT, after three “rippits” I learned

how to “turn a heel”. (I’m so proud).

 

  

I didn’t do the toe though I know how to

 decrease and do a kitchener stitch. I learned

the kitchener stitch when I was a youngster,

 and darned socks with a light bulb as

a darning egg.

  

I’m going to finish this some day.

Maybe I can use it to polish furniture..hehehe.

  

 

So feeling confident and hoping for success

I wandered off to the next town to my

Local Yarn Shop.

It’s a nice shop. The shop owner is both

 efficient and gracious. Her assistant helped

me and she’s very experienced.

Anyway she had a fun yarn called

Summer Sox by Classic Elite and it came with

a pattern. I came home and casted on.

 

 

Like today it’s cold, drizzling, damp, and raw.

A great time to learn something different.

Well it took me hours to get 4 inches done.

 Size 2 needles and the thinnest yarn

ever. No wonder they’re having a Summit.

They’ve earned it.

  

Here is my little project that took me HOURS to do. 

 And I’m not even close to being done:

  

x

x

 

 

And being true to my passion for mittens

 I picked up some gorgeous pink Merino

Super wash from Karabella. Look at it,

 

 

 even the ball band (label) looks like it’s a

jewel.

  

I’m going to be making Bella’s Mittens from

the movie Twilight….more on that  later <g>

  

Any time you’re south of Boston, drop into

 the Sheep Street Yarn Shop.

 http://www.sheepstreetyarnshop.com/

 This tiny place holds everything you need.

 

 

Varsity Bound

 

(Yeah ME!   I figured out how to upload a PDF file.)

I was working on Grandmother’s Favourite  (http://butterisafruit.wordpress.com/2009/05/17/grandmothers-favourite/ )

when we found out

our niece’s baby, Matthew would be Christened very soon. So I

did a rush knit on Varsity Bound (sweater I knitted last year).

This one is much smaller and worked up far more quickly than

Baby David’s sweater did.

(David’s Sweater)

David’s sweater has a beautiful cashmere yarn. The camera doesn’t capture

the right color. It reminds me of Maple Sugar Candy. Or you can call it

TAN!

I liked working on his sweater. Knowing my good friend’s grandbaby would

be wearing it, gives me a special warmth, and I try to put it in each stitch.

There is a connection there.  Even when we don’t personally know the wearer.

When something is made, with  that one special person in mind, a blessing is sent

with it.

This is a Bernat DK sports weight yarn, US size 3 and 6 straight needles.

 

 

 

I cast on the back and was able to do it in a day and night. It’s a simple

straight stitch. With a little turl to avoid boredom

 

. I’m posting

this picture of the sleeves because it’s the closest to the true mint

green color this yarn is. It’s really a joy to work with.

It looks like a puzzle.

I hate this part. I stared at these pieces for three days and finally decided

to start, pinning, knitting and sewing it together.   This is where this pattern

confuses me.  I don’t know why I have such a hard time with it but I do.

 

 

 

 

However I was able to finish it off last night and had it pose for pictures.

I think it’s adorable.

This is from another one of Patons out of print books. Fairytale DK #488

dated 1987.  AND I was able to upload the PDF.  Although one page is a mess I re did

it so don’t worry when you see it. I just don’t know how to delete it from the file

this is the file scan0003

Now I need a drink!