Felted Tote Drying

I have a wicker basket inside the tote while it is drying, so the handle you see is the one for the basket :) If you look closely, though, you can see one of the straps of the tote hanging from the handle. The Paint Box yarn seems to dry much faster than the Cascade 220 did. So hopefully I can get the straps put on and send it off to my best friend, tomorrow.

Warm Thoughts Afghan

I am on the last skein for this afghan. The pattern calls for it to be fringed. I don't think I'm going to though, as the fringe ends up matting when washed. So, since I hope this afghan is used, and therefore will be washed many times, I decided not to. Which raises a question for me. Do you like your afghans with, or without, fringe? Inquiring minds like to know!!

Diana's Trail Socks

This is the progress on the socks I am knitting for Isabel. The pattern is by Mountain Colors and I am using their yarn in the color Purple Mountain. I am using size two , size 2, circular needles. I hope to have them done in time for her birthday in October!

New Kitty

We adopted a kitten from the pound about 3 weeks ago. She finally stood still long enough to take a pic. Well, she didn't really stop....but was in a place where I could snap the picture. Her name is Amber and she is a torti. Adorable, rambunctious ball of energy!! She is about 4 months old.

Ready for felting

I just finished up knitting the tote for my friend Kathy for her birthday. Hopefully she won't peek here before I get it sent to her!!! It is now ready for felting. I like watching a project go from a loosely knitted object, to a felted one. Just took the took out of the washer and it is drying right now. I will post another picture when it is dry, the straps on and is one it's way to California. Oh yeah...the yarn is Paint Box in the color of Rose Quartz and knitted it one size 10 1/2 circular needles. The pattern is the same one I used on the other tote. Fiber Trends Maggie's Felt Tote, but this time I made the smaller bag. Paint Box is a good felting yarn, although it did shed a lot more than the Cascade Yarn did. I felted it for 20 minutes.

Past due update!

I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted....over a month. Seems like yesterday in some ways, and an eternity in others. Been busy getting Kyle ready to start school. The typical things like registration, buying school supplies and buying new school clothes. Kyle has grown so much in the year that we have been here. He is almost as tall as me now. His voice is officially a young man's....a new teenager!! Corey started his first day at the Olympic Peninsula College today. He is still in pursuit of a part-time job to help pay for his small monthly expenses. David is preparing to take the big exam to get his journeyman license. I have been busy knitting, when I haven't been trying to get myself well. I have been sick for 6 weeks now, and it gets better, then gets worse...much worse. Yesterday David had to take me to the hospital because I couldn't breathe. Thursday I had spent 3/4 of the day in bed, sleeping and fighting a fever. Friday I felt better and did manage to get some errands done. Saturday was a ho-hum day, but by the evening I had severe pains in the left side of my chest. Hard to breathe. Terrible cough. Brought me to tears at times. I went to my room to lay down, thought (hoped) that it was just gas pains. David came and found me and tried to give me a massage to help the pain in my shoulder and to relax me. Seemed to work, until I woke at 1 am in intense pain. I then remembered that I had taken a pain pill shortly before I had gone to my room, and that was what had made me feel better...temporarily, anyway. I propped up a couple pillows, laid on my back and tried to get some more sleep. Well, I don't sleep on my back, so between that and the pain, I didn't rest too well. Got up about 2, took a shower and waited for David to get up. Luckily, he is an early riser, so he was up about 5:30. Told him to eat and have some coffee then take me to the hospital. I love the staff at our small community hospital. They are so understanding, gentle and put you right at ease. I got a chest x-ray, a breathing treatment and then put on oxygen. turns out it wasn't pneumonia, yet. Doctor said it would have been, if we had waited another day or so. So am glad that we went when we did. I had pneumonia 14 years ago, and it was horrible. I should have been in the hospital, but I had 3 young children to care for, and was a single parent. So, only bronchitis. Left with some "good" cough medicine, antibiotics, an inhaler and able to breathe!!!

So there's the update. I am also going to post my recent finish and my current projects. I am still working on the afghan, but put it on the back burner so I could start and finish a gift for my best friend, Kathy, for her birthday. Finished that today. I have also started a pair of socks for my stepmom, Isabel, for her birthday.

Saturday Sky

I joined a blog group called Saturday Sky, so this is my first sky!! The purpose of the group is to post a picture of "your" sky wherever you are. Thought it was a neat idea, as we have some spectacular skies here in Washington. Plus, it makes me post at least once a week :)