Memorial Day Weekend Trip

Hubby and I are heading to Vegas Baby!

Webshots Photo of Las Vegas Strip

We are not big gamblers; we like to go to Vegas for the shows and the great restaurants. Plus it is such an exciting place to be compared to the small town we live in. I plan to bring the lace scarf I am knitting to work on when I can. It is a good size project to bring it does not take up to much room and it is a simple pattern that does not require too much thinking.

I also picked up this book to bring on the trip


Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

I first learned about the Author Gregory Maguire about 4 years ago. I picked up his book “Wicked-The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”. I was in Iowa at the time for some training. It was a great and interesting read. What he does is he takes a fairy tale and turns it around looking at it from a different perspective. His work I would say is very imaginative. A warning to anyone thinking of reading one of his books, they are dark and sinister. If you go back and read the original fairy tales as they were written, you will find that the stories are very different than the ones we have grown to know through Disney and other fluffy happy venues. I do love the fluffy happy stuff, but sometimes I enjoy a little bit of wickedness and like to see the dark side. It should be a fun read for my trip to Vegas.

Knitting Update


Here is my Rowan “Air” Cardi. I finished the back and started the left front. It is working up easy. I still love this pattern it is a lot of fun, and it keeps me interested. Of course I have not hit the sleeves yet. I plan to do a sleeve after this left front. Then do the Right Front and end with a sleeve. Reading other knitter’s blogs it sounds like that is the best way to do it.


I also managed to get all of those hanks into balls. It was definitely a work out for my arms. Only one of the hanks had a knot in it where the yarn had pulled apart. I usually just end the ball there and cut the knot out and start a new ball with the remainder. I have found that if I knit with the knot there it always feels like a lump in my knitting. I am so pleased with the color of both of these hand-dyed yarns. I think both will be great for summer.

Toot-Sweet, I will catch you all when I get back from Vegas.
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Stash Enhancement

Step Away from the computer and no one gets hurt. It use to be that one would need to leave the house to spend money. Now with the convenience of online shopping one can get in a lot of trouble. Take a look at some of the trouble I have been into.


Andean Folk Knits by Marcia Lewandowski: this book I had preordered awhile back. Kerstin- At My Knits End has started the Coca Bag pattern from the book. Go check it out here. The book has some great little bag patterns.

As you can probably tell by the next two books I am on a lace kick, or shall we say obsessed. The books are: Lavish Lace by Carol Rasmussen Noble, Cheryl Potter & A gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen. I think I already mentioned in an earlier post about this book. Anyway to compare them both. Lavish Lace has 13 designs most are small and all projects were done using cherry tree hill yarns. Only a couple of the patterns appealed to me. The Gathering of Lace book has about 46 patterns and a very wide assortment of things to knit.

Onto the Yarn
I was looking through eBay looking at all the beautiful hand dyed yarns and fell for a couple of their lace weight yarns. I had bought things on eBay before but had always just gone for the buy now. This was the first time I actually bid on two items and won. Here is what I got




They are both kettle dyed Pure wool lace yarns. One in a lavender/blue color & the other in pinkish hues. The colors are a little off in these pictures. I won three skeins of each color. Each skein is 850 yds. I got them both at Serendipity in South America –eBay store. Now the next step is to get these skeins rolled into balls. I will be doing it the old fashion way. Putting the skein around my feet and rolling it by hand. I think after I finish with all 6 skeins I will be adding a yarn swift and ball winder to my Christmas list.

A Look into my Garden


Dwarf red flowering Oleander


Daylily named “Little Business”


This is a Jasmine. I am not sure what variety it is. It was here when we bought the house several years ago. I was afraid that I had lost this plant. I had planned to replace it. I moved it last year closer to my back porch so I could enjoy the beautiful scent in the late summer evenings. I am so glad it came back.

Let's Go Outside

Webshots photo

My Dogs were giving me the look. You know the one that makes you feel guilty about not spending enough time with them. So hubby and I packed them in the car and went to the park.





They both get a little psycho happy at the park. The weather here is turning into summer fast. Girls had a great time at the park. Now that is out of their system they are able to relax the rest of the weekend.


Knitting Update

Rowan “Air” Cardi

I have about 3 more cm to go then I start the shoulder shaping on the back.


Lace Scarf

I am enjoying this pattern. It is addictive. Thanks again secret pal for the yarn and pattern.


Today
I plan to take my knitting outside with a tall glass of ice tea. Only going inside to refresh my glass and switch the laundry.


Please don’t let Monday come. I would be happy with a forever day of Sunday.
May your happy moments last a life time.

Cool Tater

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith comes out May 19th.


Has anyone else made a trip to Burger King to pick up some toys for their husband? These are the only three they had at my local BK.

I have my heart set on getting one of these:


A Mr. Potato Head – Darth Tater. I checked around I think he is cheapest at Target at around $6.99.

I found some cool wallpaper for my computer at Starwars.com
Here is one of them from that site.



Finished Objects


I finished my knitting bag. I decided to go with wide straps because it made it easier to carry and more balanced. It came out great.


I also finished the cover for my lawn chair cushion. I used about two and a half of the beach towels I had bought for the project. This is awesome, and it was not that hard to make. It is like a large pillow case. I love how it will be easy to just toss in the washer when it gets dirty.


Haley wanted to say Hi to Hannah
Thanks Hannah for the last comment you posted. It is comments like that that keep me blogging.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Books & Gardens

Webshots Photo

Currently Reading


I am currently reading “The Solitary Summer” by Elizabeth Von Arnim. The idea of this book is so enticing for me. It is about spending an entire summer away from people and just spending it with ones self. The main character retreats to her garden for the summer.
Here is the first paragraph from the book:

May 2nd. – Last night after dinner, when we were in the garden, I said “I want to be alone for a whole summer, and get to the very dregs of life. I want to be as idle as I can, so that my soul may have time to grow. Nobody shall be invited to stay with me, and if any one calls they will be told that I am out, or away, or sick. I shall spend the months in the garden, and on the plain, and in the forests. I shall watch the things that happen in the garden, and see where I have made mistakes. On wet days I will go into the thickest parts of the forests, where the pine needles are everlastingly dry, and when the sun shines I’ll lie on the heath and see how the broom flares against the clouds. I shall be perpetually happy, because there will be no one to worry me. Out there on the plain there is silence, and where there is silence I have discovered there is peace.”

This book is a short read at only 131 pages. If you like artsy poetic descriptive books than this is a must read. Although the book is only 131 pages it is hard not to go back and reread entire pages not because you missed what was going on but because the reading was so deliciously written you have to read it again. One of my favorite quotes from chapter one is: “I might long ago have discovered, that the less a person knows, the more certain he is that he is right, and that no weapons yet invented are of any use in a struggle with stupidity.” 8)

I personally have added the idea of spending one summer alone to my list of things I want to do in my life time. What a wonderful idea, perhaps one summer after I have retired and maybe rent a summer cottage someplace in a warm climate and spend my days gardening, reading, knitting & most importantly spend my days with my thoughts. If you get a chance to read “The Solitary Summer” let me know what you think of it.

Featured Garden

As you know if you read my blog, my husband and I are big Disney Fans. I thought it would be a good idea for me to mention that Disney’s Epcot Center has an annual Garden Festival. The event lasts about 7 weeks. This year it is from April 15th through June 5th. All the Disney World Parks are always beautifully landscaped but during this festival they go above and beyond. They really take out the big guns and do up there gardens to spectacular results. Here are a couple of pictures I found off their website of this years gardens.


This is Lady and the Tramp with the infamous spaghetti noodle they are sharing.


This puts all chia pets to shame. There is Mickey on the very top.


Here is the lovely Snow White facing the Large ball at the entrance of Epcot Center.

If you are in the Orlando, Florida Area from now until June 5th you might want to spend a day at Epcot looking over the lovely gardens. Of course there is a ton more things to do at Epcot but it is a wonderful bonus of the theme park.

Scary Honey Bees

Wednesday I looked out my window and saw that some honey bees had set up camp on my back porch. They did it over night I guess. Here is what they looked like when I first saw the hive on Wednesday.



I was petrified. But then my next thought was I need to get a picture of this for my blog. I think blogging could be a sickness. Or maybe I should look at it as helping me get over my fears. Granted I am way more afraid of spiders than bees. Usually when a bee is around me I just play statue and try not to bother it and it will just fly away. But looking out my window at an entire hive was very scary. Plus it was only several feet from my back door. As if that was not scary enough, here is what it looked like only 24 hours later.



The thing was growing exponentially. Damn Bees. I know they are beneficial to my garden but geez couldn’t they have picked somewhere else to make their home. We looked through the phone book and found an exterminator that also handled bees. Made an appointment for Friday between 5 & 6 pm.

The Bee Man showed up at 5:45pm. I took him around back to show him the hive. He said yep those are bees. He said they were just Honey bees and not the killer bees that are said to be in this area of the US. He then said he would get his bee gear on and take care of it for us. I went inside to watch from a safe distance. Here he is the Bee Man taking care of the situation.





Sorry the pictures are not that great I had the camera on the wrong setting for taking pictures through the window. There was just a few straggler bees left over. Probably the ones that were out working and then came home to find all there relatives dead and there house disintegrated. Buzzing away at the area once called home and saying things like “What the hell happened!” “I work my tail off all day and now this!” I kind of felt bad for the stragglers. I could not imagine if we had been away for a week when they started to make their hive. It would have been huge by the time we found it. This morning there were no bees.


Secret Pal 4 Reveal

As you know from some of the other blogs that Secret Pal 4 has completed and everyone has revealed themselves. My secret pal “the one that was sending me such awesome gifts" was Heather over at Pixiestikz. She has been so great. I absolutely love every thing she has sent to me. After reading her blog I am surprised that I had not read it before. We had some common blogs that we both regularly read. Also her picture has been on Lauren’s Blog LollyKnitting Around so I must have seen her a couple of times.

I revealed myself to the secret pal I was sending gifts to. It was Amy over at Amy Knits Texas. I Love her blog. I have to admit I check it daily. She lives in Texas and works in the English department at a major University. She loves to knit, and from what I have seen of her knitting she is great at it. Also she has a loving husband and an adorable daughter. If you get a chance go check her out at Amy Knits Texas.

If you are interested Secret Pal 5 is know starting up and excepting new members until May 29th.


Rowan “Air” Cardi


I am currently working the arm shaping on the back of the “Air” Cardi. I truly love this pattern. The top is working in a moss stitch and I am starting to get good at it. I think it really helps that I knit continental style.

April Ends

Wow, that month went fast. Here is a couple of photos from the garden.


Here is one of my roses in bloom. This was taken right before I buried my nose in the petals. They smell so good.


This is one of our peach trees. It is starting to load up with fruit.


Lace Knitting


I started working on a scarf using the pattern and yarn from my secret pal. I am so excited. Yes those are my first official yarn overs. I can’t believe it the holes actually line up and look like the pattern.


Sewing Progress


I started making a knitting bag. I still need to sew up some handles and attach them. Here is what the inside liner looks like.


I like how it looks so far.


Gossip and Celebrities

I just heard this weekend that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are dating.


I think I caught the story on E weekend show. Apparently Tom’s people called Katie’s people and arranged the whole date and they have been together since. Both of them seem like real nice people. Good for them.

The best part about the whole thing is that Katie and Chris Klein are no longer engaged.


Take a look at this stud muffin. Most of his movies are not much for intellectual stimulation. He is one of those actors that I can sit and watch the same dumb movie over and over again and just stare at him. Sigh, and now he is free.
Maybe my people can get in touch with his people. 8)