Promised photos

See - the Saturday Seven. Two pairs of jeans, two women's tee shirts and three of Youngest Child's shirts.



And a little river of blue bits on the sewing table.

Some say you can't knit at the movies . . .

but you definitely can at "Mama Mia!" It's very well lit and makes even me (a known hater of heat and humidity) yearn for Greece. Middle Daughter would say it was that Mr. Darcy (aka. Colin Firth) but he really shouldn't take his shirt off any more!



The simple nature of my Simple Yet Effective Shawl might also be part of the reason it's so easy to take everywhere. It's just alternating rows of stockinette and garter stitch.



You do have to watch the yarn overs at the beginning, middle and end of the right side rows but, other than that, you can't go wrong!

As for the Saturday Seven - I really shouldn't wait until my Youngest Daughter goes to bed to want to take my photos. Photos always make things better - if only I would remember. Tomorrow, photographic proof. Basically, it's two pairs of Mr. Daisy's jeans, two of my own tee shirts and three of Youngest Child's shirts. I think we'll be covering the size spectrum this week!

Beautiful music for the knitting set

Give it a try!

A peaceful afternoon - alone with my iron in the sewing room

After seeing this lovely book, Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, over at Earthchicknits' blog, I've delved into making a patchwork blanket for Youngest Child's bed. Nothing big, just the "Little Bits" quilt.

But before I could start sewing, that meant shopping for fabric and then washing, drying and ironing it. And, while I was doing that, I figured it was time to get all of my stash sewing ready. I found some lovely fabric that I'd forgotten all about. And since it's going to be a long hot weekend, I am hoping to get some work done in the cool of my sewing room.

Knitting-wise, I've started a shawl for the Wrapped in Care charitable project - a Simple yet Effective Shawl from Cosmicpluto Knits. It's green - surprise! - and in a washable Vanna's Choice from Lion's Brand. I'm not crazy about acrylic yarn but I thought I would give it try because they wanted washable yarns for this charity project. I'm thinking I'll work another one in washable sock yarn or maybe one in hand spun for me. The pattern is fairly random and very easy to knit!

Finished at the last minute!

Tomorrow is the Minnesota Knitters' Guild's summer picnic. It's also the turn in date for the Little Lambs baby blankets collection. Never one to get something done early - I stayed up late last night and finished my Lydia's Lacy Blocks baby blanket. It's amazing what you can accomplish while watching The Fellowship of the Ring one more time!



Just a quick review - this was the Lydia's Lacy Blocks blanket pattern by Deborah Robson from Knit Along with Debbie Macomber: The Shop on Blossom Street. I used the yarn called for, Lion Brand Jiffy Solid, in Apple Green. I ended up with one skein left over - mostly because I changed the lace pattern from a six row to a five row repeat. (This was entirely unplanned!)

It felt so weird putting this in the wash and then the dryer. It was a little scruffy from being taken to the pool and it needed a wash. But, now I can go back to working on the Go with the Flow Socks.

Beautiful weekends are no place for Saturday Sevens

So, we'll start with last week's photo. Seven books - some old book club choices, some gifts and some inappropriate and/or double copies that were donated to my church's library. Sometimes I have to weed out "bad" choices and I just can't do that in front of the donor. But I don't need the extra books littering up my house, either. These will go to the AAUW book sale.



This week's Saturday Seven - seven little boy shirts. He's moving from size 5 to 6 and the old shirts are just too short. Off to Baby Karl.



We had a trip to the library today and Youngest Child just couldn't keep his eyes off one of his books. I requested two books after hearing about them on Earthchicknits' blog. I'll be relaxing on the front porch this weekend while reading The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections by Amanda Blake Soule. This is full of crafts and activities and I am so looking forward to making a few.

The second book I picked up was Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. Youngest Child needs a new bedspread and I'm looking at some of her designs. Lots of pondering ahead!

I am almost finished with the Lydia's Lacy Blocks baby blanket - I took it out onto the porch today to work on but the books were more attractive . . . maybe photos for that project by Tuesday.

Idle hands, idle hands

A rainy day stopped our trip to the pool so I had a little time on my hands. I could have worked on the baby blanket. I could have worked on my Go With the Flow socks. Instead, I stuffed and "eyed" the Little Teddy Bear from Kyuuto Japanese Crafts Amigurumi.

I'm pretty sure that I made the head too small - the ears look too big! - but it was fun and now I can move on. A hedgehog? An owl? What to make next . . .

After the ball is over . . .

After my race on Saturday, Mr. Daisy took me out for dinner at the Happy Gnome in Saint Paul. Taking a page from Annie Modesitt's blog, I took a photo of our delicious drinks - a little something for posterity.



Knitting wise, I am still working on that endless baby blanket. I tend to get caught up in the knitting and then - time to visit the frog pond. Luckily, it is due at the MKG meeting next week so I've been eyeing some new sock patterns to make with that trekking sock yarn.

Just a word about color in my photos. My last digital camera was pretty old so when Oldest Daughter dropped it, I didn't feel so bad. In fact, I got a lovely new camera as a Mother's Day present - complete with battery charger. Well, that charger has disappeared and I've been forced to use my cell phone for photos. Although I'd like to take nice pictures, sometimes a poor photo is better than no photo at all. The actual baby blanket is very green - brilliant.

Yesterday, I witnessed a drive by . . .

playing of the National Anthem. Three guys pulled up in a little sedan, parked in the lot of my local grocery store, pulled out their brass instruments and then played the Star Spangled Banner. After we clapped, they played it again, this time for one lady to record it on her phone.

Then, they got off scott free - off to play the National Anthem anywhere they chose!

Luckily, I spent a little time on line this week and realized by Wednesday that my race, the Minniman Triathlon, was TODAY and not on Sunday like I thought. So, I spent this morning swimming, biking and running and had a lovely time! Two minutes off my time from last year and ahead of my friend. That's a lovely morning for me.



I did have time to stop by All About Yarn in Coon Rapids last week - it was on my way to the packet pickup - and bought a little more sock yarn. I think this will be a birthday pair of socks for Mr. Daisy.

Today's Saturday Seven will be a Sunday Seven. Sometimes the photos just take a while! Off to work on my baby blanket! Enjoy your holiday weekend . . .