Ready for a break - Really!

More college visiting - more getting ready for guest and now, more bike rides. The last week before a triathlon is usually a good time to de-stress but this one wasn't so easy to get out of. I might not be blogging very much until after the sixth . . .



Cleaning out Youngest Daughter's drawers netted six tee shirts and Youngest Child gave up some jeans. I love cleaning!

Knitters, take this hint!

Knitters, don't work on fuzzy baby blankets when it's 85 degrees F. outside. It makes you very crabby. Oh, maybe it was the driving and college touring I was doing today with Middle Daughter, otherwise known as Miss Non-communicative.

The College of St. Benedict is lovely and has many talented people there but it was a very, very hot day for a tour. And not enough time for knitting. It does seem, however, that St. Joseph, MN would be the perfect place for a yarn store . . .

Here's the first few inches of my Lydia's Lacy Blocks baby blanket.

Knitting without tears

The Minnesota Knitters' Guild is participating in Project Little Lambs, making baby afghans (28 by 32 inches) in machine-washable materials for clients of Cornerstone, an organization that works with victims of domestic abuse. Their goal is to provide 200 afghans this year to the children they serve.

I actually have only ever made one baby blanket so I am looking forward to this project. Mr. Daisy and I made a car run (in his British sports car!) out to Michael's Crafts in order to find some washable yarn and I came up with Lion Brand's Jiffy in Apple Green. I am making the Lydia's Lacy Blocks from the Knit along with Debbie Macomber series. I've had this book for some time - I think I bought it at a Knit Out - but I've never made anything from it. So far, not much produced but it is pretty simple.



The Rosebud hat went to its new owner this week at a baby shower for lovely little Aria Rose. Unfortunately, the matching booties did not. When I went to sew them up - one bootee was a different size than the other! This is why you shouldn't leave your knitting projects in the wild. So, I'll knit up bootee #2 again and then mail them on. Here's a poor shot of bootee #1 - a lonely little footsie!



My Saturday Seven was pretty simple - just sorting out some tired old jeans and tee shirts. The duffel bag is from when my children were young and always needed sports bags. We've got plenty - I am sure someone else can use this more than our family.

I've almost finished Go with the Flow sock #1 - I was totally unable to take a flattering photo - so that will have to wait for another day,

(For some reason, last night's fleeting storms kept me from posting. So, today's blog is simply a bigger and better version!)

A lazy little update among the roses

Well, I would say that I was living up to the Lazy Daisy name yesterday - but I was actually busy trying to balance the fun and less fun aspects of life at Chez Daisy. Taking time to smell the roses, as it were . . .

First off the bat, Mr. Daisy and I went biking - a lovely 23 miler on a beautiful Minnesota morning. Then, back to reality and cleaning kitchens, sun rooms bathrooms. The Youth Staff here at Chez Daisy are in charge of dusting and vacuuming but I handle the messy stuff - wiping and mopping the kitchen and cleaning the downstairs bath. Upstairs, the teen bathroom is technically cleaning by a member of Teen Staff on a weekly rota but this week's lucky teen was out camping and if I wanted to see something done, I had to do it myself. Adding in the second bathroom, I spent the rest of the day cleaning and wiping.

Then, we had a quick drive out to Camp Rolling Ridges in Hudson, WI, where Oldest Daughter and Youngest Daughter were holding court at a service unit encampment. Most of their troop are high school seniors and they were honored at the end of the day flag ceremony. In fact, so many of the girls are graduating that Youngest Girl is going to take the Juliette Option next year - she's going to become a stand-alone, one girl troop. She likes to say she is becoming a Rogue Girl Scout!

After a lovely camp dinner and a trip to the movies (a silly, Adam Sandler-guy movie in honor of early Father's Day), I was beat and went to bed.



AND, I didn't knit in public. Anywhere. I actually took my Go with the Flow sock to the movie theater (I do knit through previews!) but we were so late and crowded that I didn't take the sock out. I will remedy this today by sitting on my front porch and knitting. All the rain during the past few weeks has really brought my roses out - at least it was good for something!

I did have a little Eureka moment recently when I realized how far out my project list runs and that I better get started knitting in earnest.

The project list includes: a re-knitted sweater for Oldest Daughter, a repaired sweater for my sister, baby sweaters, my husband's Brown Aran, a shawl, a cardigan and some (3) projects from last year. Not to mention the socks . . .



I made my Saturday Seven thanks to Mr. Daisy - he contributed this fax machine from his old office. It's going to a neighbor who needs one.



The boy's clothes are going to Baby Karl - a son of one of my book club's members. Thank goodness, he's just a year or so behind Youngest Child!

A little late night tom foolery

Originally uploaded by humbledaisy

Earthchicknits has alerted me to a very funny meme going around on
Flickr - and since I finally cleared away some computer work, I thought I'd put it up.

According to E - the concept:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name? (Ellen)
2. What is your favorite food? (reuben sandwiches)
3. What high school did you go to? (Beaver Area High School)
4. What is your favorite color? (blue/green)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Keanu Reeves)
6. Favorite drink? (Coke Zero)
7. Dream vacation? (Iceland)
8. Favorite dessert? (toffee ice cream)
9. What you want to be when you grow up? (an archeologist)
10. What do you love most in life? (reading)
11. One Word to describe you. (quiet)
12. Your flickr name (Humbledaisy)

Enjoy and don't forget to make your own!

A Belated Happy Birthday!

Happy Late Birthday, Mom!

I finished this lovely little neck warmer some time ago but, since my mother sometimes reads my blog, I waited until after her birthday to post a picture. She probably could have used it in Minnesota this week - it was chilly!

This came about when I found a neck warmer pattern written in French. I sent it to my mom (a retired French teacher) to see if she could figure out the knitting abbreviations. BUT she thought I wanted the whole pattern translated. Suffice to say, it was eating up so much of her time that she sent me this pattern in its place. So I made it for her! Very fun and easy to carry around.

Happy Day!

Congratulations on your big day, Kate!

Tomorrow, more graduation fun. I am already exhausted!

There has been some knitting this week -



Go With the Flow socks were an easy choice for taking to yesterday's Senior Dinner and today's commencement excercises. At home, however, I've been running too fast to get much knitting time. I could actually use more sleeping time!

We did take a break on Friday and went down to Knitter's Palette in Lakeville to participate in their open spinning time. Oldest Daughter and I both took our wheels and it was a lovely experience. Her wheel is rather rickety and she got some great advice for tightening things up. I just enjoyed the company - usually it's just me and the television. I've finished the cormo from last week so I was working on some of the "Oak Lichen" fiber from the Red Star Yarn Company. I only got a little spun but the company was excellent. Perhaps we'll get to another one this month.

I found this week's Saturday Seven in the laundry room - two locker shelves that don't fit my daughters' new school's lockers, two old textbooks, one outdated iron (still works - just old), and two pairs of gym shorts. This week I really need the room so they are already at St. John the Evangelist.



Just a reminder - Knit in Public Day is next Saturday, June 14. What's going to be on your needles?

What a week . . .

I have been in such a pickle, since I saw you last . . .

- The Tempest, Act 5.



After all the fence painting, chair finishing, mulch spreading, graduation party attending and tornado avoiding* I've done today, I was disappointed to find that I had far fewer photos to show for my week's work than I thought. I've been spending my evenings working on spinning last year's Shepherd's Harvest special treat - some Riverwinds Farm combed cormo roving - so that I can get to this year's lovely fleece.

At first, it was so damp from all the rain that the roving was just too limp and clingy to spin smoothly. Then, when I finally got a dry day, I was just spinning until the cows came home. That was the night I watched "Persuasion," "Mansfield Park," and part two of "Jane Eyre." Well, the rest is still on the wheel but I am hoping to get it finished by tomorrow night. I love the softness of cormo roving but it is very weather-dependent!

Outside of my spinning, I've been working on my own pair of "Go with the flow" socks.



Youngest Child is moving into his grown up bedroom furniture so it was finally time to get rid of the changing table. A friend picked it up today for his little girl.



The rest of the Saturday Seven was a crocodile lego box, two toddler bed sheets, some baby spit up pads (what were those still doing here?), a sweater vest and some swim trunks. Time to keep clearing out! Graduation countdown commences.

*The graduation party was in Lino Lakes, right where today's tornado was heading through. Luckily, it was just a warning and everything there is fine.

One fine day in May!

Not much was going on here this week except for the end of the year frenzy: Class parties, track meets and peace days made for a lot of extra driving and very little free time. I am on close, personal terms with my rolling weeding bench and my trowel, however! We're having a little extra yard work and house cleaning to get ready for Oldest Daughter's Big Day on June 7. I thought you might like a little glimpse of her many faces:


By the way, that was her starring role as Francis Marion, The Swamp Fox of the American Revolution.

On the knitting front, I've been working on my second set of bootees - the first turned out larger than I wanted so now I'm working on the infant size. I have also been working a few rows here and there of my Go with the Flow socks.



The Saturday Seven was easy - I was trying to move the winter clothes into storage and had to remove a few items. The red turtleneck and the loafers just never fit quite right, the tee shirts were all presents over the years and the red pajamas just never had the right kind of elastic - note to self, try these on before buying! Also, peach pink shorts are always a no-no. But, they are all in quite good shape and someone else will love them. Off to a rummage sale!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend as well - go see a parade on Monday!

A bouquet of spring flowers . . .

Finally, I got the buds attached to the "Rosebud" Hat - now I've started some matching booties. This photo makes the flowers look enormous but actually, the bouquet is quite in proportion.

I've started a pair of Saartje's Bootees with the remaining yarn. They are very popular on Ravelry!

See, I am knitting!

A few inches of "Go with the Flow" socks from the pattern by - you guessed it, Evelyn A Clark. The first pair for my Oldest Daughter was very fun to knit and now I can work on some for me.

As Brenda Dayne says, "It's a death march of fun!"

Okay, not really that bad but we are just going from one activity to the next in our countdown to the end of school and Oldest Daughter's graduation.

This week? Senior Class Drama - "Arsenic and Old Lace" - another track meet and the final concert of the Minnesota Boys Choir.



Oldest Daughter's debut as "Mr. Winthrop," proprietor of the Happy Dale Sanatorium. I always knew she would be good working with people!



Or could it be that she was cast because she owned her own tombstones AND a canoe paddle? From our yard to theirs . . .

The Saturday Seven was both easy and space saving . . .



My old jogging stroller - no way Youngest Child is sitting for that anymore! It went over to the Huge Sale at St. John the Evangelist.



Youngest Child's train table. Freecycle alert!



A pair of roller skates, a lost-now-found pair of baby socks and pants, Jorge el Curioso (how we got this, I'll never know!) and a much loved pair of pajamas. All now found at the Huge Sale staging area!

As for knitting, I've been working on some knitted flowers for my Rosebud hat, a new pair of socks for me and the wristlets from my Yarnover class. I may get two out of three finished this weekend. Right now, it's nothing but Margaritas and curry flavored potato crisps for the rest of the evening . . .

An early surprise!

A few weeks ago, Knittymama had her birthday contest and I won! I got this in the mail yesterday . . .



Ta Da! A new needle roll just for me!



Today's Saturday Seven was an easy swoop through Middle Daughter's drawers. When you can't close them anymore, it's time to clean them out! Five tee shirts, a pair of striped leggings and a pair of shorts.

That's all for right now - the fun just never stops here, what with a dance, a sheep and wool festival, a track meet and Mother's Day. Updates tomorrow!

Be there or be . . . a knitter without fiber!

"Where has all my wool gone?


The place to be this weekend is the 11th Annual

SHEPHERD'S HARVEST
Sheep and Wool Festival

May 10 and 11, 2008
9:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m. Saturday
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Sunday
Mothers Day Weekend

FREE ADMISSION - FREE PARKING
Washington County Fairgrounds

It may not be the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival but it's darn good. I'll be there to work at the Minnesota Knitters' Guild knitting help table as well as shop. See you there!

A little night music for knitters

Despite the fact that watching this video is enough to give you claustrophobia, it's the only online glimpse into this band that I can find. I just bought their album, "Wildfires" after hearing it on a great rock podcast, Roots Rock Radio.




I read today that listening to music at bedtime gives you better quality sleep. Hmm.

Back to your regularly scheduled knitting.

Itty Bitty Cute Things!

Although I am working on something made from that Claudia Hand Painted yarn (you can check it out on Ravelry!), I've also picked up a lovely book, Itty Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson, and I'm working on a few baby gifts from it. The first one I've started is "Rosebud" for a little girl named Rose. I'm knitting it in Rowan Handknit Cotton and Tahki Cotton Classic. I've already bought the yarn for the Marshmallow Bonnet as well. Everything in this book is very pretty!



This week's Saturday Seven was easy - I found it all sitting in my laundry room last week. Middle Daughter cleaned her room! Four pairs of exercise shorts, a backpack, a pair of pajama pants and a tee-shirt. The tee shirt is a sore point for me - I can remember her saying how much she "needed" it from Hollister!

Just for fun!

Have I been in the kitchen too long?



A final look at the Paws to Remember scarf - time to box it up and send it out. Oh, and I've got another, secret project on my needles too! Remember that fabulous blue yarn? Look for it in the not-so-distant future!

Sliding in sideways, with a cup of coffee in one hand and knitting in the other . . .

This has been one heck of a weekend - not actually busy but very full. From early on Saturday morning to late Sunday night, from snow to sunny, kids working, driving places - jampacked is the only word.



I finally fought my way through the button bands on Baby Alban's sweater. My advice to you is don't do the extra six stitches in the ribbing and just do regular picked up button bands. I ended up knitting the button bands about six times total and ended up stretching the one side - the left, button hole side - out. I think that this will fix up in the blocking. Tomorrow, blocking and sewing on buttons.



Not too crazy about the buttonholes, either. By the way, my daughter picked these bluebells on the way home from the park today - right after it began to snow again.



I finished the lace border on the Paws to Remember scarf. I think it will be more of a "Paws to Remember" shawl when it is blocked but, luckily, the recipient is tall!



The Saturday Seven was all sock related. My husband finally gave up four pairs plus my Halloween socks and two pairs of Ironman socks I got in goodie bags at races. I hate these socks - they are slippery and feel very artificial. Give me a plain old cotton pair any day! I have one more week to get things over to Saint John the Evangelist for their big sale. I recommend it.

I also recommend attending "Stitch, bitch and die!" over at the Bryant Lake Bowl. It was very silly - but fun is fun and the beer was great. Try "It's Greek to Me!" for dinner - it's great, too.

Go Faster, Mommy!

Courtesy of high gas prices, I've been biking with Youngest Child to his school every morning. Usually, I bike pulling our old Burley bike trailer and he rides his two wheeler with training wheels. It takes us 45 minutes to get to school! After walking him into his class, I put his bike in the Burley and take it home. Then, he rides the bus home at lunchtime.

Today I said, "Please, will you ride in the Burley?" and he agreed although he worried that his friends would think he was a baby.

He changed his mind when I was able to go at a normal biking rate of speed - nothing too fast and helmets all around! - and he got a taste for speed . . .

All I heard on the way to school was, "Faster, Mom, faster! Go faster!" Oh, and it took five minutes. We were at school EARLY!

I foresee more morning bike rides in my future. Although, I really wish the older ones could bike to school. Oldest Daughter does every once and a while but she can't take her backpack (panniers help but there are a lot of hills!) and it takes an hour and 15 minutes each way. Her one trip isn't really saving us any gas money - but she does sleep well that night!

The Burley is a double child version and it is old! I got it originally for walking with all three daughters in there and it must be 16 years old by now. The bike is my old (14 years old?) hybrid-around-town bike and it's just fine for running errands. I even biked to the yarn store yesterday!



In this picture, you can really tell how cruddy the Burley is. Plenty of room for three little girls and a passel of Barbies! The bikes behind it are Oldest Daughter's Specialized Sequoia road bike and Mr. Daisy's Nova Satellite road bike.

My real bike (sister bike to A's: a female version of the Nova Satellite) is still down in the basement on my trainer. I have to change its tires before riding outside and I've been putting that off. Kind of like my husband's sports cars - I'm saving it for really good occasions!

My eyes! My eyes!

Your eyes may be watering right now - this is three skeins of brilliant color! I've been searching for a lovely deep rose or red but this blue caught my attention. Luckily, The Yarnery is having a sale and it wasn't too dear. It should look nice next to a blue coat, don't you think? Now, back to your regularly scheduled viewing . . .