Hallelujah, I'm done!

It won't be ready to wear for a little while and it isn't perfect - but I like it! I am going to have to sneak some peaks at similar shawls on Ravelry to see how mine measures up.

I didn't mention this the other day but my "unexpected knitting time" was the result of Youngest Child's first visit to the emergency room. He woke up at 4 a.m. with an incredibly stiff neck and was just miserable. So, while I was driving the other children to school, Mr. Daisy drove Youngest Child into the emergency room.

It turned out to be just a strained muscle in his neck but he was not a happy boy! Especially because he missed the first day of school. But, he is fine now and we have heard about a virus/cold? going around that includes a sore neck.

I just hope I don't need any more trips to the ER in order to finish the Poor Pink Socks!

Birthday noises can be good

Squee!



Tuesday was Youngest Daughter's birthday and this photo shows off two of her birthday surprises - a manicure and an ipod. She also got some sewing related gifts as well - sewing is her latest craft passion - so she can turn out lots more of these . .



I'm not so "doll oriented" of a sewer as she is (I do curtains and clothing) but she's made quite a collection. Her aim is to get good enough so she can sell her dolls and buy - guess what? - a doll. A Super Dollfie from Volks.



I was able to use some unexpected knitting time today to finish my Flower Basket Shawl. I couldn't wait to block it before I took the photo so I used a nearby schoolgirl to model it for me. I'll get better, blocked photos later this week. That's my spinning wheel on top of the television cabinet - it looks funny there but it keeps it away from the dog!

Fair Child

We spent most of Labor Day at the MN Renaissance Fair and part of the fun was seeing things through the eyes of Youngest Child. He was amazed by everything and spent part of our visit stalking three costumed visitors (dressed in matching blue doublets and swords) whom he was sure were the Three Musketeers. We listen to a lot of "stories on tape" by Jim Weiss so he knew all about what musketeers wear! He wore the face paint to school today to meet his new teacher. While it was quite pleasant, I still missed the knitting time. I am down to the lace edging on my shawl - can't wait to see the finished project spread out flat!

One last time . . .

I cleaned out my bookcase this weekend as part of my big Labor Day cleanout. It's funny but it always seems to be the best weekend for a good cleaning. I can remember cleaning and moving my living room furniture around the weekend that Princess Diana died. I actually didn't have much to remove but I did find a few items to weed out. Every one was a good read but it's time to pass them on. They'll be going off to the St. John the Evangelist big sale. It's lucky that they do this sale twice a year!

The rest of tonight I'll be watching "Breach" with DH and knitting on the Flower Basket Shawl. It's time to get that finished as well.

Birthdays, nonsense and socks - Oh, My!

Happy Birthday to my Two-Headed Valentine!

Yep, today is my husband's birthday. After a lovely dinner and strawberry shortcake outside on the patio, he opened his presents - one of which is a bust of Winston Churchill. Andy's a big fan of Winston and decided that he could ride around on his shoulder. The rest of the gifts were great as well (One daughter gave him a "Nunchuks" - a little gun that shoots tiny nuns across the room!) but I know he'll be having some long talks with Winston.



Despite the festivities, I've been alternating work on my Flower Garden Shawl and the Poor Pink Socks. Nothing I do makes them look any better - I can only hope that steaming/blocking the heck out them will make them seem like a decent pair of socks. I did the first 2 1/2 inches with #2 needles and switched to #1 needles for the rest of the sock. It gives them a bit of definition at the lower calf and lots of room at the top. I've read a bit about this technique and I think I'd like to try it on the foot as well - but that will have to be another pair of socks and another story.

Pay no attention to the corn dog behind the curtain . . .

Sure, I'd like to say that I made good food choices at the State Fair but . . . I'd be lying. Yep, we had trips to the malted booth, the Pronto Pups, the mini-doughnuts and the free Cheetos. And chinese food. But we did walk all over the grounds (no one would let me visit the Sheep booth!) and had a lovely time so maybe, they actually balanced each other out. Right . . .



We also stopped by to visit my green Kiri shawl at the Textile Center display. No, I didn't enter it in the Fair (I knitted it for the Knitting Olympics and it had a few mistakes!) but I love it and they needed items from the Mn. Knitters' Guild for the display. Stop by and wave at it! GFMelissa has a cute little felted hat (with needle felted flowers) on display as well. Later on, I stopped by the Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers booth for some great Rosemary soap and a yarn-decorated bowl from Jennie the Potter. I hesitated over the yarn for quite some time but I'm still spinning quite a bit and until I make something with it, I'm feeling a little guilty.



Obviously, I didn't feel guilty enough. On Friday, I read on the TC Knit Yahoo list that Creative Fibers in Minneapolis was going to be closing at the end of September. Everything is currently 25% off. That is the store where I took my first spinning class and I feel so sad. Someone - buy that store!

So GFM and I bundled up all the kids and drove over to check things out. I bought another skein of All Things Heather sock yarn in Mustard Yellow and some Mohair/Wool spinning fiber. I was hoping to score some more Red Star Rovings but it was all gone. So, I really used up my State Fair self-allocated yarn allowance before I got there.




This week's Saturday Seven went right to someone who could use them. Someone posted a "Wanted" request for cloth diapers on Freecycle this week and I was able to give them the end of my diaper stash - nine diapers and four covers. Yes, we used cloth diapers until they wouldn't stay on Youngest Child's bottom any more. Then, we moved into disposables and training pants. Not me, personally, I've been trained for years! The Royal/Group "We." So, I bundled them up for the recipient and they were picked up yesterday. I could have kept them for cleaning cloths but they were really nice diapers!

Read This Or Else! (a.k.a. Revenge of the Giant Pumpkin)

Here I am, shuffling along with my Giant Mistake of a Pumpkin, and this guy is putting me to shame. He started this Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark in SeaSilk just about the same time as I started my blue shawl and it is gorgeous. And then - he gave it away. Yes (well, he is a guy and it might look funny on him) - off it went. I would have a hard time giving away anything so pretty.

This Boy Knits: Heh, my bad

Oh - here's the flat version of my pumpkin. I loved making the leaf and vines but the pumpkin - eh, not so much. It was just too big. The pattern was great, however, and I recommend it to others. Just give up your social life as it will soon revolve around giant squash.

Just a little something - something

So, today I finally finished the stem on my Giant Felted Mistake of a Pumpkin. The sad part was that I had to beg Good Friend Melissa to give me her left-over bits of green yarn as I didn't have any. She (Also known as "Muy Great Stasher of Cascade 220") had the tab/butt ends of three different green yarns on hand and I used Knit Picks Yarn of the Andes in Evergreen. Now, I just need to knit the leaves and twirly vine (I need to get out some different needles) and I'll be done.

Unfortuntely, I don't have a top loading washing machine any more so I'll have to visit my local laundremat to get it felted.

Tonight, I took the Lousy Pink Sock to the MN Knitters' Guild meeting. It got a little air before I was lost in the Maggie Jackson designs shown in the fall fashion show. My sister (the one with the baggy 1824 seater) has expressed interest in "a little something" for her cold shoulders and I think the Maggi Knits might just have the answer.



And I bought "Romantic Knits" by Annie Modesitt. I think they might be a little too young for me but I expect to change my mind after some bedtime reading.

Oh and Sunday's results?

Bib number: 509
age: 42
gender: F
location: Saint Paul, MN
overall place: 350 out of 400
division place: 20 out of 25
gender place: 161 out of 197
time: 1:43:40
swim: 17:33
trn1: 3:42
bike: 46:15
trn2: 2:16
run: 33:56

So I ran faster but biked slower. Hopefully, I beat the 80 yr. old man. He's the Twin Cities triathlon standby - anouncers like to mention him when he's racing. Unfortunately, once, I came in right behind him. Now, we are in waves and I probably started after him BUT . . . I can only hope he doesn't knit socks.

Apres Moi - the deluge!

Yep, it is now pouring rain in Saint Paul. It was rainy yesterday and misty this morning but now - The Rain! The Wind!

I notice this because this morning I had my last triathlon of the year, the Saint Paul Triathlon at Lake Phalen. I've never had to worry about being too cold during a race but there's always something new. Usually, the water is the coldest part but today, it was the warmest! No attractive photos to follow - poor Andy had to find a sheltered spot or he would have looked like a drowned rat.

There were several of us from the YWCA of Saint Paul participating and I can't wait to find out how they're all feeling. I didn't linger in the rain to find out any of our race times.

So, now, after a hot bath, a grilled cheese sandwich and one viewing of "84 Charing Cross Road" later , I'm ready to reveal the contents of the Saturday Seven. Gold? Jewels? Household furniture? No. Just an odd assortment of hand-me-downs: four pairs of pants from Youngest Daughter, a paperback book "accidentally" left by a friend of Middle Daughter (she had to read it before throwing it out!) and two pairs of socks from Youngest Child. Off to the fall sale at Saint John the Evangelist.



Things will hopefully settle down this week - Monday is the first day of school for my teenagers (Youngest Child goes to school after Labor Day) and I am looking forward to some decent knitting time. Now, if I could only do it on my bike trainer!

What's on my needles? The Ever Increasing Pumpkin Effect (almost done), the pink Miss Violet sock (turned the heel) and my blue Flower Basket Shawl (another repeat) as well as a line or two of Andy's Brown Sweater. Someone should just lock me in my room with just ONE project and make me finish. But not right now, it's time for a nap.

All about the free or . . . how I was attacked by a zucchini and survived!

So, my Oldest Daughter and I were out biking this morning (I'm trying to get in some mileage before Sunday's Saint Paul Triathlon) when we ran across a lawn chair in some one's front yard with a "FREE Tomatoes and Zucchini" sign. And lots of great tomatoes and squash. So, we loaded up our bike jersey pockets with tomatoes (we looked like we had some odd case of tumors) but what to do with the squash?

As we biked along, I told OD that I really should be chasing her, zucchini in hand, yelling something like, "Take it back! Take it back!"



Here's the stash, minus the zucchini. I think we ate three already.

Sister Scores Big Time!

So, Oldest Daughter was at work recently and began discussing knitting with a co-worker. This older women mentioned that she was going to be moving and needed to get rid of her spinning wheel. Well, yesterday Oldest Daughter came home with the spinning wheel, an Ashford Single Drive Traditional wheel, and a big box of spindles, accessories and dyes. All for $50 cash!



She needs to get things adjusted and spend a little time restringing the wheel but then, she's good to go. What good fortune!



And, now I don't need to share my spinning wheel!

On the knitting front - I am still finishing up the Giant Pumpkin. This is moving from a "Fave" to an "Ugh" as they call it on Ravelry.

I may not be able to grow zuchinni but I will have the Pumpkin to beat all pumpkins!

Remember this?




Now, this is what it is becoming.




But it is STILL on the needles! This better be the best pumpkin I've ever seen. Or I forsee Pumpkin Pie on the menu.

As for the Saturday Seven - it was more of the same. The last collection of clothing for the Fairfield Children's Home went with a young lady from our church. She is going to study and work in Zimbabwe this fall and is collecting items for use in the home. I can only hope the shorts and teeshirts are what they are looking for.

This weekend is the Irish Festival in Saint Paul and we had the dickens of a time finding a parking spot near our designated biking spot. Despite this, we had a great ride up and down the Missippi River. It was just gorgeous! Sometimes, I miss Pennsylvania (my home state) but there just isn't the same attention to outdoor activities there. Very few bike trails. Not a whole lot of lakes to swim in. Cross country skiing? What's that? We are very lucky here in Minnesota.

Settling in for the long haul . . .

I've been spending more time than usual in Chez Daisy knitting and spinning but really, there isn't much movement. Things are slow. The spinning is more of the blue ("Blue Skies" is the colorway) for Youngest Child's sweater. It's lovely - blue with a bit of a sheen but I'm having a bit of trouble mastering my new plying head. Good thing the yarn is for a sweater.



My poor pathetic pink sock. I didn't bother to reskein the yarn and steam out the kinks left by my last sock. Somehow, it seems ever sadder today. It's a good stop on the road to the last resort of knitting.



At least the giant pumpkin is still growing. I swore it would be done last week - I guess I'll have to give Rumplestilskin my first born child now. Or do I owe it to the witch who grows the rapunzel? Some fairy tale creature better show up and finish the pumpkin soon or I'll have to keep it in hibernation until next fall. Since I bought this yarn and patterns last year, I'm pretty sure my fall decorating will survive without it!



I've got some knitting company tonight - Die Kinder scattered as soon as we fed them ice cream (Ben & Jerry's "Steven Colbert's American Dream" Yum!) - but the Old Man and the Dog stuck around. Until the liver treats run out. Then, I'll be on my own.

What Albert said to Elizabeth

If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts.
- Albert Einstein, (attributed)
physicist (1879 - 1955)

I don't think Elizabeth Zimmerman ever met or even thought of meeting Albert Einstein but I think they both lived by this motto.

Today's heavy rain put the kibosh on my bike ride this afternoon (I am hoping to get a swim in instead) and after the weekend cleaning and shopping, I sat down with my soon-to-be-felted pumpkin and the DVD of EZ's "The Knitting Workshop."

As she teaches, Elisabeth obviously has strong ideas about how steps should be accomplished. However, she seems more than ready to toss out what doesn't work. If the pattern repeat doesn't fit - add in a few stitches in the underarm where no one will ever see. Too small of a cast on? Fudge it by increasing on either side of the waist. No seams for ease of folding? Phony Seams!

In other words, change the facts.

I have been working through my Works-in-Progress this summer with the end goal of having some extra time to make my own EZ percentage sweater this fall. It might be made of hand spun or I might use up my generous stash of Classic Elite Inca Alpaca. I haven't decided. But I have decided to change some facts. Like the fact that I already have one sweater on the needles right now.



This was a very poor photo of Andy's Brown Sweater last year. (Don't worry if you don't remember it - it's "hibernating" as they say on Ravelry - but I actually pick it up about once a week.) I am about belly button height right now.

I also have three other sweaters in my queue. BUT, no one is anxiously waiting for those sweaters, no one is actively wondering about the pattern. But I am pondering this every day - what wool, what size, what style - so I think it's time to toss out those facts and make my own. But first, this pumpkin has to go!

Saturday Seven was a motley lot: a briefcase, some extra plastic sheeting, an old fax machine go off to Freecycle and some little children's clothing for the Fairfield Children's Home.

Back to knitting - but if the sun pops out, I might have time for a ride!

"16 ways to make a stitch and every one is right!"

I've been spending a little free time today watching "Real Men Knit", a great documentary about men and knitting. One of the best parts is a "learn to knit a hat" segment with Eugene Bourgeois from Philosopher's Wool Company. I know how to knit a hat but his gentle and entertaining segment is excellent. That quote is from him and I believe it! I actually met him a few years ago at Stitches Midwest - their circular knitting patterns are famous - but I didn't have enough money to buy a sweater kit. Regrets! Regrets!

I won the DVD at the bag stuffing party for the "goody bags" at Stitch n' Pitch 2007 with the Minnesota Twins but I encourage people to buy it. It's a bit like knitting workshop or a Knit Night Out.

I've finally had my camera handy when I'm working on my Flower Basket Shawl. I keep it nearby but do only a line or two a day so it is moving along S L O W L Y! Not that hard, however.






Alas, unblocked, on-the-needles and with-life-lines-installed make it nearly impossible to photograph. Now, back to my travelling pair of socks (Miss V's Pink Ribbon yarn) and a pumpkin to be felted.

A big crack and then . . .

For many people in Minnesota, things are forever changed because of the collapse of the I-35W bridge on Wednesday. I read some terrible stories and heard some amazing things about happened. For me, I am rarely near this part of town but I was driving around Minneapolis yesterday morning so my daughter could pick up her "I passed Driver's Ed" certificate. Just picture stop-and-go "rushing hour" city traffic - and then toss in a collapsing bridge. Wow. Please keep the families involved in your thoughts.

I did get an email today that seemed to sum things up:

1. what seems permanent in this world is not, and

2. that there is a story in creation beyond what we can see, and

3. that there are worse things than death.

Time to stop knitting those elf hats!

They were so busy that Hermione had stopped knitting elf hats and was fretting that she was down to her last three.
"All those poor elves I haven't set free yet, having to stay over during Christmas because there aren't enough hats!"
- Hermione Granger


You know how you can be both too busy and too bored at the same time? Last week I was both too busy (driving my children to lessons and tutoring) and too incredibly bored (driving children) that it was making me VERY IRRITABLE. And the last thing you need is an irritated Mom! And it was all in a good cause - I mean, who doesn't want well-educated, able-to-swim kids?

I was getting knitting done but not the quality knitting I wanted. I was getting books read (Harry Potter, of course!) but not when I wanted to. I was exercising but not enough or at times I wanted too. A very unsatisfying week in all.

So, today we just hung out. Went shopping. Antiquing. Cooked out. Played Bocce with the kids. Made a fire in the firepit. Hopefully, this will be enough to reverse the Irritation Trend.

The Saturday Seven was another unsatisfying clump of items. Yes, Youngest Child is growing and these will go to a good cause (The Fairfield Children's Home) but it was too easy. Necessary, needed, practical but, still, boring. Seven "dull but necessary for good works" items. Just call them seven elf hats.

Five for not exercising!

It's a beautiful day here in Minnesota and I should be out biking or running before it gets too hot but, instead, I am a slave to my keyboard. I am trying to sign a daughter up for volleyball camp, get my youngest child's immunization records for school, report some nasty Pay Pal phishing (I think there is a new circle in Hell for those guys!) and, now, all my spare time is used up. Definitely no cookie for me!

Those five Rockin' Girl Bloggers? Here's my take:

Annie Modesitt, the Knitting Heretic. Her take on life is very funny, she doesn't spare us the truth about illness and love and bad teaching experiences, and she is very balanced. Despite all that is going on in her life, she gives it to us straight. And, I discovered that I am a modified combination knitter, thanks to her books and classes.

Alison Hansel of The Blue Blog. Once again, she has a great take on life. Her posts about family, work and knitting resonate with me. AND I liked her Harry Potter knits even before the Charmed Knits book.

Charlaine Harris is the author of several mystery series and my only complaint about her blog is that it's too brief! She discusses what book she's been reading (a great resource - I've liked almost all of them) and what she's been up too.

Kevyn Burger, the Twin Cites based broadcaster and host of the Kevyn Burger Show on FM107.1. She has always been a favorite radio and television person of mine and her new blog, www.Kevynbaby.blogspot.com, is a funny and thoughtful glimpse into what she is looking at as she undergoes treatment for breast cancer.

And, finally, Marie Irshad, the podcaster from Knit Cast. She is on a (well-deserved, I'm sure but way too extended for my tastes) vacation right now but, when she's back on - SHE ROCKS!

I think these are the top five I would recommend to others but - anyone on the right side links are also great. I don't read what doesn't make me laugh (even if there is some crying as well.)

Partying with the Potters . . . and the Cars

Okay, not a band called the Potters (is there one? I think there might be one!) but the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" release party at the Red Balloon Book Shop in Saint Paul. It was the first Harry Potter party they ever had (they think all good children should be in bed by midnight!) but it was great. There was a contest based on scenes from the books acted out by a youth theatre company, prizes, confetti and Butter Beer!







Someone is very tired! You can guess who gets the first crack at the book!

Of course, I get the book this week! But after our late night, we decided to have another one in a row (Whoo Hoo!) and went to Lumberjack Days in Stillwater. After five hours, I finally got one good photo. Of sorts. The final concert was the New Cars with Todd Rundgren and it was quite good! Those Cars guitarists were great and I've always liked Todd. I even saw him in a double show with the Tubes years ago.



As for the Saturday Seven - a very boring collection of Youngest Child's clothing to be sent to the Fairfield Orphanage in Zimbabwe through our church. Good works but nothing to take a picture of.

Final projects for the weekend - I finished my baby blanket. Sleep tight, honey! The edging was tricky but I think the baby won't mind the grafting job I did.

Learning something every day

After all that stressing, I am finally cruising along with the edging. (Hmm. A long lost Nicky Epstein book?) It is easy to lose your place but very easy to find it again. I am halfway around the blanket - but will I have enough yarn? I was listening to a comment on "It's a Purl, Man" and someone there said her edging took more yarn than seemed possible.

Nothing like a knitter's guild meeting to kick start your skills. It was either that or a few episodes of "Eureka." Nice to see that other people also fuel their knitting with mindless t.v.! My husband says I have the movie tastes of a 20-yr. old boy and my current addiction to the Sci-Fi Channel proves it.

Party on, Wayne! Party on, Garth!

What a fun thing to happen! I am still in my happy, happy Ravelry daze (Ooh, I'm adding books to my library! Yea!) and, now, Lovely Lorraine sends me this. Thanks - I'll have to send some mental yarn your way. I am supposed to find 5 bloggers to nominate so I will have to go think on this awhile.

Knitting-wise, I am planning on taking my wierd lace edging project to the MN Knitters' Guild meeting tonight (It's a picnic - and I don't have to make the sandwiches!) so I am hoping to post some pictures tonight.

Ravelry came calling . . . and I can't say no!

I first heard about Ravelry on the Stash and Burn podcast. It sounded like the perfect place for me. According to their creators,
Ravelry is a "place for knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, and dyers to keep track of their yarn, tools and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration."

In other words, it's a giant form of spreadsheet - but with photos and links to others. It's kind of like when you are searching for a yarn over the Internet and you find out how others are using it. Plus, you can find out what ELSE is on their needles. Knowledge and nosyness go hand in hand, you know!

So, when I got the email that I was invited to join the site, I dived right in. Watch the Daisy do her happy dance! It is taking quite a lot of time to load things onto the site but it is oh, so fun!

Inanimate objects make me feel guilty.

I think one of the reasons I really like the Saturday Seven concept is that unused objects make me guilty. Here I have a stack of perfectly fine school uniform skirts, a school polo, and an outgrown pair of Kermit pajama pants are going unused. I don't have any reason to keep them and they are all too good to throw away. Yet, they've been lounging about my laundry room all summer. They have no purpose any more in my family. Not allowing these objects to have a purpose makes me feel bad. Guilty, even. It shouldn't matter - it's not like they are animate, living beings - but I feel like their purpose is being denied.

In Nina Kiriki Hoffman's great book, "A Red Heart of Memories," Matt (Matilda) Black can speak with inanimate objects. She talks with cars and trash cans and walls - generally everything. Mostly, they tell her that they are happiest when they are doing what they are designed to do. Garbage cans are happy when they have trash in them. Walls like standing up. Cars like running smoothly. Now, I don't really think that these skirts will feel happier being worn by school girls - but that's what they are for and I want them to go on working. Someone needs them and I don't, so - off to the uniform exchange. The pajamas will probably go to the daughters of a friend of mine. They can fight over Kermit.




My trusty Lendrum has been making me feel guilty for another reason altogether. I pulled it out last spring to spin up some pin rovings I dyed. The roving is just too rough, however, so I left it out to use after Shepherd's Harvest in May.

Well, since then, it's been gathering dust. Just something to vacuum around. Friday, however, I found the lovely Riverwinds Farm Cormo roving I bought at Shepherd's Harvest and went searching for fiber. I dug up this gorgeous blue Corridale roving (from last year's SH, I fear) and began some spinning. Late in the day, I had a spare hour and ran over to Creative Fibers in Minneapolis where I picked up this great Oak Lichen greeen cloud roving made by the Matt Shimon's Red Star Yarn Company. It is the nicest prepared fiber. I think I was almost giddy with happiness on the way home. Sometimes, you just need to make some yarn. That roving was calling to me to be made into yarn! I am a bit puzzled about what the yarn will need to become but . . . that can wait. After all, it took amost two years for the blue yarn to "become."

It came today! Yea!!

I love it! My HKSK swap partner, Gina, sent a great package all the way from Hawaii. It was full of great stuff - Merlin the Cat superwash sock yarn, a copy of "Charmed Knits", a beautiful bag, some cool pins and yummy Hawaiian coffee. Just the stuff to keep me going. I think Ms. G. may be Mama Monkey over at Etsy.com so check her out, her bags are really lovely.



Of course, this brings me up to six new skeins of sock yarn acquired after the Lime & Violet Sock Marathon began - and only three pairs knitted so far. Yikes - good thing Minnesota weather encourages sock wearing!

Who do we love?

My husband can tell you (and so will I - but no one ever believes me) but I don't like to talk to people. He claims that I just keep him around so he can do all the talking. Today? He called the lawn care company. BUT it was a draw because I had to call the piano teacher. It's not that I am anti-social but there is only so much time left in my life and I don't want to use it up talking to strangers. Give me a couple of newspapers, knitting magazines, my knitting and an internet connection and I am A-OK. I generally rate things as "worth losing knitting time over" and talking to telemarketers, door to door people, school administrators, sales people and "chatty people who I don't know" do not make the list.

However, family and friends do make the list. And, while I am not "Hail fellow, well met" with Annie Modesitt, I have taken classes from her, read her blog and loved her patterns. Now, some of her friends have created a great We love Annie blog to help with the non-medical monetary needs that have arisen from her husband's recent diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer that manifests itself in the bone marrow and is quite painful.

Visit this website and consider donating. Visit Annie's pattern website , the Red Carpet Convertible, and consider purchasing one. This is a really nice family facing some serious times and I would have no trouble talking to you about them. And that IS saying something!

As for my own shawl knitting - I am visiting the frog pond. I have only three skeins of Cascade 220 superwash and I am using Eveyln A. Clark's "Edged with Lace" pattern as a baby blanket.



The official photo is much more "shawl" like. My green blankie is going to be very warm!

I was a bit worried that I'll be short yarn for the edging so I am making the shawl a few inches shorter than the pattern called for. But, the knitting was so mindless that I went too far. Time to rip and it's the worst kind of ripping - the counting kind. I need just the right stitch numbers to start the lace edging.

Note to Andy: Don't be silly, honey. I keep you around to get the unblemished fruit from the back of the produce display.

We LOVE Travel!

Well, back in the land of internet connections - we find our faithful heroine, Daisy, resting up after her Minneman Tri on Saturday, June 30. Sad to say, but I just don't care what I look like when racing and this was the most flattering photo available. I think I am due for another bike fitting - this just doesn't look right! But the day was lovely, my run was fine and I came in 13th for my age group.

Afterwards, we loaded up the car and drove to (Beverly?) the Wisconsin Dells. Our family enjoyed fabulous weather and some great water attractions. Even a day later, I was pretty much running on memories of fumes at this point.



Then, we drove on to Pennsylvania. Now, our family ranch/farm is pretty much out in the country and comes without cable, computer connections or even a radio. (I think we know what we are getting Aunt Kim for Christmas!) But it is very relaxing and we would be sleeping in if it wasn't for those darn roosters!

We spent our Fourth of July getting ready for my brother-in-law's big race at the Mercer County Raceway. But he was rained out - too bad!



I did get to a yarn store - the Otter Creek Store in Mercer, Pa. - and bought some great Queensland Collection aran yarn. I brought along my baby blanket - almost finished, thank you! - socks and Andy's sweater. I'll have to break that out next.

And was there a Saturday Seven? I actually got ready ahead of time - I sorted out some teenagers' rooms and set up two Saturday Sevens last week.



A basket, a pair of shoes, three books and two sweaters. Off to Saint John the Evangelist and their fabulous sale! They must have excellent storage because they collect items all year 'round.

Now we are off to my parent's house in southwestern PA. See you soon!