News From The Nest

A Busy Monday In Virginia

Today is Andy's birthday! Happy birthday!!

This morning, Mom, Andy, and I headed to Buffalo Junction to see our old house. Andy got a birthday lunch at Hardee's!

A little about our old house. I do mean old. Built in 1790 (according to all the local folks) and on the

National and Virginia Historic Registries, it is a timeless style. A story and a half Cape Cod Colonial with its 10 3/4 ceilings downstairs and 8 1/2 upstairs. We bought it in 1984 and moved in in 1986. We gutted, planed, nailed, shingled, dug, wired, insulated, etc. for all those years. We finished the kitchen with handmade cabinets with pull-out shelves, drawers, island, and window seat. We finished the upstairs bathroom with handmade cabinets. We dug a basement room, laid block walls, poured concrete floors, laid drain tile, and installed a sump pump. 

We raised two boys in the house with one bathroom with a rigged shower. We had slumber parties and picnics and huge Christmas trees. The boys lost teeth and grew new ones. We hung artwork on nails that were nailed through the insulation directly into the studs. 

I laughed about the silver and blue (RMAX insulation board) or pink and brown (Pink Panther batting insulation) color scheme. 

Somewhere along the way, Andy got too busy with his job to work on the house. I stopped laughing at the color scheme and the pictures hanging from the studs. 

Still, I dreamed of that house finished beautifully like it deserved.

The buyers visualized my dream.

Jennifer and Bruce with their little girl, Molly, bought our house. They've done in one year what we didn't

get done in twenty-six. Andy wouldn't hire help, did everything himself, took little time to work on the house, not to mention our limited funds. Jennifer and Bruce hired teams of people to help. They chose well. The house is gorgeous and they've done it proud. Their work fits the house.

I especially love what they did with the yard.  I miss the yard so much. I miss the huge magnolias,
cedars, pecan, sweetgum, sassafras, beautiful maple, oaks, etc. I miss the ginormous American and English boxwoods. They bricked the back sidewalk and added a curved one that leads to the side yard that they fenced in a portion of. They made a garage out of Andy's old shed, added a cupola to the well house, and built a small deck with stairs off the kitchen. They also added glass storm doors on the front and the back doors which really brightened up the large hallway.   

Inside, they added so many nice touches. Built-in bookcases, transom between the master bathroom and bedroom, knocked out the old bathroom and made large new one with a walk-in closet, storage areas above the master bedroom doors, and closets upstairs.

Now, a new family will make memories in that old house. 

They love it and I'm so happy they do.

Andy and I will remember lots of family times and make new memories in our new home. 

After leaving Buffalo Junction, Mom and I dropped Andy at Wabash Magnetics, his old plant. Yes, we moved all the way to Ohio because his facility was closing but funny thing - more than a year later, it's still open! Don't get me started! 

While Andy was visiting everyone, Mom and I went to visit Nancy - a rug hooking friend and also Jennifer's
(above) mother.  I photographed several of Nancy's wonderful hooked rugs. Her current project is just too cute - animals on bicycles. Don't you just LOVE this dog? Using all these colors, your eyes still see a brown dog. This is a great way to show texture and highlights in fur.  And, how about this Santa??! Nancy just has a special touch for color and warmth.

Tonight, I met the Danville Monday night knitters (Ktog group) for dinner at Outback. Then, we all headed back to Starbucks for knitting time. There were nine of us and lots of beautiful knits both finished and in progress.

Wanda was knitting a cute neck-down child's sweater and a very fancy sock with metallic yarn. She'll be a grandmother in April. Kelly was working on a hat with black cats to send to her daughter who is teaching in South Korea and the Saroyan shawlette. Diane was working on a pair of Bella's Mittens and the Saroyan shawlette,also. Kelly is modeling her Traveling Woman shawl. Timmie was working on a sweater and Virginia on a shawl of her own design. Gaye was starting a One Row Scarf and
modeled her finished hat and scarf. Cindy was working on a hat. I can't remember what Mary Jane was knitting!

I knit all day on the Garter with YO baby blanket and was binding it off just before leaving to meet the Ktog gals. That was when it happened! I spotted this strange pucker about EIGHT INCHES back. A MISTAKE!

Apparently, I made a YO and the next row just incorporated it as part of the pattern. Well, it made a huge V-shaped pucker that had to GO! I ripped back to that mistake and am ready to knit up again. This time, the *&^% blanket might not be quite as long as it was before!

Tomorrow, we head to Richmond, VA. I hope to meet Nicole for lunch and then we'll see Brian and Eryn for dinner. 

The evening will end with a TNK knitting frenzy! I can hardly wait to see everyone!!!!!!!

We Made It!

Packed to the hilt! Here's a picture of my knitting projects all ready to go. A bag for every project and a project for every bag! Oh, I did pack some clothes but knitting projects were priority.

In this scenic picture, you see the beautiful rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Virginia is a beautiful state. Everything here is still very green and they still have a lot of color on their trees.  

We arrived in Danville around 6:30 PM Thanksgiving Day. It was about an eight hour drive with two quick stops. We sent straight to Mom and Daddy's house for a bowl of stew and grilled cheese sandwiches and then headed to the hotel. Feels so strange staying hotel in my hometown. It just made more sense. Mom wouldn't have to clean out the guest bedroom for us with all our stuff, we would have internet access at the hotel, etc. 

Yesterday, we all headed to Greensboro, NC. It was a fast trip. We stopped by Gate City Yarns and then headed to Cracker Barrel for lunch. Timmie, a member of the Monday night Ktog group in Danville, was working at Gate City and it was so good to see her.Greensboro has two wonderful bakeries within a stone's throw of the knitting shop and both were closed yesterday. Here's a picture of Mom and Daddy standing near the entrance to one of the bakeries. I love this gate!!!

Today, we had our Thanksgiving dinner. Brian and Eryn and Taylor and Rachael came to Mom and Daddy's. Dinner was absolutely delicious. Taylor, chef son, fixed the turkey, macaroni and cheese, and a green bean casserole. Eryn brought her family's favorite cornbread dressing. Mom made our holiday standards - broccoli, cheese, and rice casserole, cranberry salad, sweet potato casserole, dressing, deviled eggs, and pound cake with peppermint ice cream. Delish!!!!

I love Christmas - love giving gifts more than I do receiving them. I so missed not being with my children last year at Christmas. I packed two paper grocery bags full to the brim of wrapped goodies - big and small - for the boys and their girls. I decided to bring the gifts with us so I wouldn't have to ship everything. At first, I didn't want them to open anything until Christmas Day. But, then I realized I'd miss all the fun of them opening everything. So, the unwrapping commenced.

It was fun! The Fetchings I made for Eryn fit her nicely. I gave Eryn and Brian and Taylor pieces of Jason's pottery, Rachael a darling  night  shirt, and lots of edible stuff for everyone. Eryn and Brian had the same idea and brought our Christmas gifts, too. They gave Mom and Daddy and Andy and me digital picture frames. They loaded Mom and Daddy's with some great photos of their wedding, the two of them, us, Taylor and Rachael, etc. What a great gift!

When Brian and Taylor get together, inevitably they end up in the floor. They get in the same room and instantly act like three-year-olds. So silly and so much fun together. I just love being around them and miss them terribly.

We took pictures today. Some serious and some silly. They'll have to last me until I get to see them again. 

Tomorrow, we'll just hang out at Mom and Daddy's. I plan on relaxing and doing some serious knitting.

Thanksgiving Eve

I'm in warp speed tonight. 

Wrapping Christmas gifts,

Andy sprayed all my snowmen with acrylic spray, 

organizing my current knitting projects into separate bags with their patterns,

washing / drying clothes,

finishing a work report, 

faxing information I obtained during work appointments into the office so I can access it, 

checking the 10-day forecast on the computer,

took the car through the car wash,

went to the bank,

stopped by the market,

met with the cat sitter,

picked up Andy from the mechanic where he's having his truck worked on, 

and on and on and on....

Why am I doing all of this?????

I'M GOING HOME TO VIRGINIA! 

This will be the first time I've been back since we moved to Ohio.

I'm leaving tomorrow and we'll have our Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. Brian, Eryn, Taylor, and Rachael are all coming and I can hardly wait to see them. I last saw Taylor and Rachael in January and Brian and Eryn in May. Seeing my children only once a year is no way near enough to suit me. For the millionth time, why does Ohio have to be so far away from Virginia?

On Monday, the Ktog group (that meets at Starbucks) and I are meeting for dinner and then knitting. Tuesday, I plan to head to Richmond to see friends, see Brian and Eryn again, and knit with the Tuesday night knitters.  I can hardly wait to see everyone!!!! Wednesday, it will be back to Ohio.

Other things to do while at home - see our old house, collect greenery (boxwood, cedar, magnolia, etc.) to bring back home and decorate with, just sit and knit! It should be glorious!!!

Safe travels to all of you who are hitting the roads during the holidays. And, a very thankful day.

Quite A Production

I have quite a production going here.

Snowmen everywhere! 

Twenty-four in all ---- so far.

Twenty-three cans of various sizes and one powdered lemonade container.

I feel like someone's watching me!

Wonder why????

Weekend In Review

Another fun-packed weekend in Southwest Ohio!

This time, I started my weekend on Friday because I took a vacation day! I had work to catch up on but managed to slip away for a bit. Meg and I went to Mason, OH to Main Street Yarns. We ate lunch at The Wildflower Cafe & Coffee House and then headed to the yarn shop. Chris showed us her wonderful Christmas stockings. I think they're the perfect size - for lots of Christmas surprises - but she's going to felt them. I love the colors!

After browsing the fiber, Meg and I scooted across the street to Sweet Art of Mine. Meg and I both were pleasantly surprised by the size of the shop and the various artisans' work displayed.

After several hours of work yesterday morning, I headed to Saturday knitting. We had a great time! Didn't make much progress on my Fetching Fingerless Mitts, though. Carol was the comic relief for the day and I think everyone was tinking their knitting as a result of laughing so hard. Carol, at one point, discovered halfway through a row that she was going the wrong way, Merry had dropped a stitch, I had cabled only half way around the cuff of my mitt, etc. It really pays to bring ONLY mindless knitting to a group knit-together.

We had some pretty finished objects and works-in-progress. Diana had her beautiful red mitts that her daughter, Sara, made her. (That's the prolific knitting Sara I posted about last weekend.) Karen was knitting a GREAT pair of socks out of one of the most fun sock yarns I've ever seen. Merry had finished some cute mittens. Donna was working on a Dandy Neckerchief and Merry was just starting one. (The Dandy Neckerchief is a free pattern on  Ravelry and would make a terrific quick gift for holidays.) Carol was working on a hat to match a pair of Fetching Mitts. Carol also had a pretty orange pair of mitts with a very interesting textured stitch pattern.

A good time was definitely had by all!

Today, Andy got off work early so we headed to Christmas in Springboro. As with all these festivals, it's all about the food. Well, mostly. There were funnel cakes, kettle corn, roasted nuts, pork chops, steak tips, hot dogs, Cajun food, fried fish and shrimp Po'Boy sandwiches, etc. etc. We each ate a plate of salad, rice and grilled chicken and shrimp. Andy had a bit of lamb added to his. We sat on a rock wall and watched as the horse-drawn trolley  went up and down the street.  

There were large tents full of craft vendors, entertainment, and activities for children. Critters in the Classroom was there with two of their folks showing and talking about owls. Musical folks were set up along the sidewalk and in the street. This group of three were terrific! They were playing jazzy holiday music - I loved that tuba!

AND, you could even take a camel ride. That's right! A CAMEL! This one on duty, while the other two rested, was named Barney.

I noticed several Santa hats, Santa dog costumes, Santa blow-ups, and then there was this Santa that was busy painting this house! He better hurry up so he can get back to the North Pole. He's got important work to do!

After walking up and down the street, checking out the tents, etc. we went into the Wooly Bully Yarn Co. Donna was working today so it was good to see her again. I bought some NORO Silk Garden to make two scarves.

Next, Andy and I headed to Lebanon. After a stop at Advance Auto for oil for his truck, we headed downtown. We checked out some of the shops along the main drag and stopped in for a scoop of Almond Joy at Whit's Frozen Custard Shop. 

Now, we're home again. Time to work. UGH!

I did finish the One Row Scarf I was working on with Mushishi and started a new one out of NORO Silk Garden.

This week will be a short one work-day wise but not short on work to be finished by the end of the month. 

So, I better get to it!  

 

Wheels - Spinning And Clay

We've had two very dreary days this week here in Southwest Ohio. One day we had rain. That was a cold drizzly day but we sure needed the precipitation. When I arrived home that day and pulled into my driveway, I looked back in the direction I had just traveled and saw this break in the clouds. It was so bright in the gray sky that it looked as if someone was operating a spotlight and shining it down on the earth. 

Last night, I took the wheel and went to Lebanon to spin a bit with the Thursday night group. Five of us were there - three people knitting and two spinning. I love having designated spinning time - I get more accomplished that way.

On the way back, I stopped in at Bove Pottery to pick up some Christmas surprises. Jason's pottery is so nice. His pieces are not only beautiful but are so serviceable. I have his bread baker, bundt pan, and two apple bakers. He also makes goblets, brie bakers, pitchers, chicken roasters, sushi trays, rice bowls, etc. His baking pieces come with delicious recipes, too. Microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe, Jason's work is also so reasonably priced. I also like that the size of his baking pieces are an easy fit for 2-4 people.

Here's Jason holding a gorgeous bowl fresh out of the kiln. He and Caroline were in the process of packing all of these newly ready pieces into the van to head to Florida for shows. Jason keeps a full schedule traveling and selling his wares. 

I stopped by his studio earlier this week with a piece of my soap to see if he can make soap dishes for me and he said he can. I can't wait to see what he comes up with. Pottery soap dishes that fit my soap will be such a nice addition. And what a great gift - a piece of soap tied with a ribbon to a Bove Pottery soap dish. 

Again, I have to say that I landed in a very creative and artsy area of Ohio. Jason lives less than five miles from me and is only one of several talented artists in our area. Visit Jason's web site and feel free to email him with any questions. 

Feels great being in an area with others who make stuff with their hands!

Create on!

-------------------------

I took a vacation day today! However, I took it with the intent of working - catching up on computer stuff before the Thanksgiving holidays. I feel that I do deserve a little piece of fun on my day off (since I haven't had one since May!) -- so, I'm picking Meg up and we're going to Mason for lunch, a visit to Main Street Yarns, and a little look-see at a few other shops along the street. Should be fun!

Yikes!

It's Wednesday and I haven't reported in on last weekend! Need to hurry up and do so before another weekend hits. Boy!, they roll around quickly! Thank goodness!

I skipped yoga last Saturday and ran a zillion errands. When I got to knitting, Sara was showing off again!

Sara is one of the most prolific knitters I know. She doesn't just crank out easy projects - no sirree!

Here she is modeling her Central Park Hoodie. It was GORGEOUS! Sara used yarn from Briar Rose Fibers and it feels wonderful and has great stitch definition on those cables.

Next, she donned her Autumn Arbor Stole designed by Anne Hanson of Knitspot fame. Here is a close-up of the stole. The picture doesn't do the yarn justice. I'm not sure what yarn she used. I think it might have been Blue Heron's rayon / metallic. It was just beautiful!

I began another project --- I already discussed my unfaithful ways so you shouldn't be surprised! This is a gift for a friend and I'm almost finished. The pattern is One Row Scarf by the Yarn Harlot. Love this pattern. It's a 4-stitch repeat plus 2 stitches. You do the same pattern on every row. It makes a great reversible scarf. I'm using Plymouth's Mushishi - 95% wool, 5% silk. I like this yarn and am hoping I have enough left over for a pair of fingerless mitts.

I've also started a pair of Fetching fingerless mitts out of Cascade Superwash. I have the cuff of one done and will take a picture of them as soon as I make a little more progress.

The Tuscany Shawl and the Lace Coverlet baby blanket have been side-lined for a bit until the scarf and mitts are done. Maybe until after a felted purse and some coasters are also off the needles. We'll see. How in the world did the holiday season get here SO FAST??????!!

This week has been hectic. A co-worker had a death in her family so we're all covering our own appointments and hers, too. In my travels, I've managed to stop in at Lambikins in Hamilton, OH and Main Street Yarns in Mason, OH. It's nice during the day just to run into a local knitting shop and take a breather - even for a few minutes. Today, I left home for a 38 minute trip to an early morning appointment. The 38 minutes turned into 2 hours and 20 minutes!!! Due to a 4:00 AM wreck, Interstate 71 South was closed.  It was AWFUL!!! I REALLY needed a yarn store break today but there was no time. Sigh.

Lots going on in the area this weekend! There's Christmas in Historic Springboro, Merry Makers Folkart & Fine Craft Show, and, of course, Saturday knitting! PLUS, I need to get ready for Thanksgiving! This is the time of year when an already full and fast life gets even more so. 

So, hang on to your knitting needles! The holiday season is upon us!

Unfaithful

I confess. I am an unfaithful knitter. I am unable to work on just ONE project at a time. I have a different project for every place I sit, when I travel, while I sit in work appointments, etc. I do finish projects but it probably takes me longer than it would if I stuck with one thing beginning to end.

I find that the project has to fit the situation. When I'm sitting in work appointments - waiting endlessly in physician waiting rooms to be called back - I have to work on idiot knitting. Idiot knitting for me is something that doesn't require me to follow a pattern or count stitches and/or rows. Something simple to pass the time and keep my hands occupied.

My latest start is this shawl. Tuscany from No Sheep For You by Amy Singer. This is a beautiful shawl and very easy with its 16 row and 16 stitch repeats. Donna has made it and was wearing this shawl when it not just called my name but hollered it! ROBIN, KNIT ME! I didn't stand a chance! I'm knitting it out of Mirasol's Nuna (40% Merino Wool, 40% Silk, 20% Bamboo) in a gorgeous shade of red on the recommended size 6 needles. I should have this finished in just a couple of weeks of non-monogamous knitting.

Something else I'm doing --- making canned snowmen! I'm painting cans to hold my soap as Christmas gifts and to sell with my soap. I plan to use black tissue paper and tuck boxes of soap down into the cans. I LOVE snowmen! They make me smile! 

I have then sitting on my stove and you can see the reflection on the surface. I'm painting all sizes of cans but like the little ones the best. We're going to be eating a lot of canned vegetables between now and Christmas!!

I like the small cans the best. They're mushroom cans and one of my small size bars of soap fits perfectly inside. I need friends to start saving cans for me. I want lots of small cans and don't think I can eat that many mushrooms!

 

Arrivals

Saturday morning greeted me with SNOW!and a freezing temp. It started Friday evening with little spits of snowy-icy pellets missed with sprinkles of rain then really came down early Saturday morning. I was surprised to the sight of a white dock and table at the pond and our neighbor's snow-covered roof. It wasn't much and didn't last long - was gone shortly via the sunshine melting it away. But, it was SNOW!

I love the crisp cool temps. They seem to set the stage for things to come - winter, holiday events, a new yarn shop........

Yes, that's right! There's a NEW yarn shop open in Mason, OH --- Main Street Yarns. Lise is the proud new owner of the shop on the corner. I first met Lise at Yarns & Fabrication in West Chester where she was an employee. I was so sad to hear that Yarns & Fabrications was closing this fall. Then, that sad soon turned to glad when I heard that a new yarn shop would be opening even closer to me in Mason. I'm so happy for Lise!!

I stopped by yesterday for her opening. The familiar faces of Tobi and Chris were there working and greeting knitters along with Lise. Main Street Yarns is situated on a corner with windows fronting the street. Sharing the street are other businesses of interest - Sweet Art of Mine, Busken Bakery, Banana Leaf Modern Thai Restaurant, Main Street Sweets, Subway, Gallery 42, The Wildflower Cafe & Coffee House, etc.

Main Street Yarns is a bright spacious store with fresh paint and fixtures. The large sit and knit area in the front of the store invites all to rest, relax, and visit a spell. Lise has plenty of shelves to stuff with more and more yarns for us dye-hard knitters always looking for just one more skein to add to our stash or our latest project. The capable owner and staff will be able to help with knitting problems and to offer other creative ideas. I'm sure there will be lots of fun and laughs to be had at Main Street Yarns in the months to come.

You can find a Ravelry group for Main Street Yarns and I'm sure there will be a web site up and running in the near future. Main Street Yarns is located at 126 West Main Street in Mason, OH. Be sure to stop in Tuesday through Saturday. Maybe I'll see you there! Bring your knitting!!!

Before heading to Main Street yarns, I knitted a bit with the Saturday group at Dorothy Lane Market in Springboro. We had some impressive finished projects, as well as, some great works in progress. Sara, the knitting speed machine, made her beautiful circular shawl and also a shawl for Donna for her birthday. Donna was beyond ecstatic and I immediately had to let Sara know my birthday is coming up in just a few weeks! Here they are modeling Sara's gorgeous handiwork - Sara on the right, Donna on the left. Diana, Sara's mom, and Karen were both working on baby blankets, Anna on a cowl, Christie on a scarf, Merry on a bib, Donna on a yoga sock, and Sara on another shawl (can't remember - I was too busy being wowed by her FO's!) perhaps. Andrea, Julie, DeeAnn, and Ali joined us later and we enjoyed looking at pictures from Jullie's recent Ireland nuptials. It's such a fun and talented group of knitters. If any of you reading are in the area, please come and join us on Saturdays at noon.

I'm continuing to work on several projects at once. Toe-up socks, two baby blankets, a shawl, etc. Here are some pictures to tease you and I promise info to come soon! 

After Andy got off work yesterday and I got back home from Mason, we headed into Waynesville for their Hearth Warming Holidays. Waynesville main attraction is a mile-long street filled with antique shops and other specialty shops. Very quaint and inviting. All of the stores were open and the street decorated for the upcoming holidays. With the nip in the air, it was a very festive event. We didn't get there until almost 5:00 PM and stayed until almost 8:00 PM.

The Waynesville merchants have done a lot this year to attract shoppers. They have a passport card that merchants will stamp for you according to the amount of your purchase. Once full, the card can be turned into the Chamber of Commerce for a chance to win $500.00 along with prizes donated by the area merchants. They also have a shopping bag that's associated with savings at participating merchant. During the Hearth Warming Holidays, the merchants offered refreshments in their stores along with a cookie recipe. You could also get a ring binder to hold all your cookie recipes. This was a SUPER idea! I picked up nine recipes including ones for Apple Cookies, Pink Clouds, French Vanilla Apricot Cream Cheese Bars, Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Yummies, and Wombat Whoopies. Next year, they plan to give out recipes to add another section in the Hearth Warming Recipe binder - perhaps soups or appetizers, etc. I think this is a very clever idea!

 

Toe On!

One toe-sock down and one to go!  

I used Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off for my sock. Cat Bordhi does a great video tutorial here. It works great. I did increase my needle size from 0 to 1 for the bind-off.

Immediately after binding off the first sock, I started the second one. 

The toe is done! And, I'm zipping right along toward the heel.

In this picture, you see my finished sock and the start of the second sock - the toe done with Judy's Magic Cast-on. Cat again shows you how here. You also get to see my Emergency Knitting bag that is just perfect for sock projects.

***********************************************

Last  Sunday, we got the boat wet. That's about all we were able to do because shortly after - very shortly after - leaving the dock, Andy checked to see how much gas we had in the tank. Less than 1/4 tank. It was a super short cruise.

Caesar Creek Lake is very small compared to what we were used to in Virginia. It's still water and relaxing! We missed the fall color along the shoreline but will catch it next year.

The boat ran really well. Andy had to spent about a week or so working on it - we haven't had it in the water in about two years and it needed some attention. Here he is circling around to get it up on the boat trailer.

*********************************

Tomorrow --- SATURDAY! Yoga, knitting, and a NEW yarn shop opens in Mason, OH!!! 126 West Main Street to be exact. Look for Main Street Yarns and there's plenty of parking in the back! I'll be sure to report back on the shop. I've already had a sneak peek and it's GREAT! Spacious, bright, and a good location with other interesting places to visit on the street.  Stay tuned for pictures!