Grandmother's yarn

It seems as though the blog is having a run on Grandmother's knitting habits and yes, we are having a run. But this posting is not my grandmother's knitting hand me downs, but my friend Naomi's grandmother's (hmmm two possessives in a row, but I digress) yarn that she has been keeping as though age would enhance it like fine wine (in actuality, Naomi and I have a thread of kindred spirit as we can't part with our possessions - especially if we might be able to use it at a future date.
Naomi has me beat on this one.) She revealed to me today (if you click on the image you can see the yardage and dyelot numbers - I believe this is extra bulky yarn - there is 65 yards per skein.

Several years ago when I visited mother she and I were looking at her quilting supplies and discovered a dilapidated old box with several skeins of yarn and a couple of inches of ribbing on one needle. Mother did not knit and had not crocheted in years. Quilting was her thing so I was given the yarn.
This past week while searching for some of my yarn supply, my children 'straightened up' my house while I was in the hospital, I ran across the old box. It contains 8 skeins of Bernat Woolydown of 3 0z, approx 65 yrds, article 5200, dye lot 6146 color 5242, one size 10 1/2 knitting needle and instructions. My grandmother had handwritten directions for knitting Kunkledown Ribbed Jacket Style no. 405 and there is a printed directions for a Hairpin Lace Stole using Coats & Clark's "Red Heart" Superfingering 3 ply yarn.My grandmother crocheted and tatted but I never knew her to knit anything. My guess is that the box dates back to the later 40s or 50s. The yarn is a lovely cream color now, it may have been white originally. The papers with the instructions are now light brown. (I should have taken a picture of the picture of the stole on the other side....)

Does anyone have any suggestions on the wool yarn and what to make with it? Some of it had been knitted already on size 10 1/2 needles and it was tight on there. I believe it could use a larger needle (here I enter my opinion on the matter - was it the needle or the knitter that made it so tight or both?) It's a treasure alright and Naomi knows it.
If you would like to comment or make suggestions or just merely WOW at it with her for having such a true rare find of stash, you can email her and tell her what you think! - She would love to hear from you!

Grandmother's needles

My mom brought over a box of knitting needles that belonged to my grandmother and I believe some that belong to her. Now, I know the double pointed needles belonged to grandmother since I remember her knitting mittens for us (now living in Florida, I am trying to think how many times we actually NEEDED to wear them -- maybe a few??? ) I suspect that my cousins in the north may have also gotten them and they were much more practical and probably used more. I found some Magic Stripes yarn at a store going out of business and decided to give it a try making socks So I pulled out the dpns in the size 3 sleeve pictured here:

I have PLENTY OF SIZE 3 dpns - right? WRONG!!! Out of all of those needles, which, dear grandmother, happen to be mostly size 2s, there are only 3 - 3 dpns - which I am guessing with knitting socks would be like sitting on a two legged stool. So I try the gauge out, thinking that I might need size 2s after all and would be on my merry way. NOPE, size 3s (which you can test with 2 dpns) work nicely with the gauge.
Now, my memory escapes me, but someone offered me their spare pair of dpns not too long ago, and I said I had plenty - scads - and I passed them up. If you happen to be reading this and offered me those and they ARE size 3s, then I will humbly say "yes, I would LOVE to have those set of size 3 dpns. If they were another size and they were NOT size 2s, which I have more than a full set, I will take them too. IF ANYONE HAS A SPARE set of any size (3 and up), just email me and I will take them :)
I did get my hair done yesterday and took a picture of the top of my head to see my new do, but my dh said, now you know why we worry about you, doing stuff like that, so I will restrain my inclination to do something a little off the wall to protect the innocence of my family.
Update on the sampler shawl - leave it to feeling confident and clicking lickety split to have an error kick you around and remind oneself not to get too cocky and sure of oneself with the needles - that'll kick you around and remind you who is in control. So, dear needles, I bow to you, as we work in reverse, that you (and I should say "y'all") are the ones that have the final say.
On a final note, my fingers will be doing double duty as I will sub for the organist at church this Sunday, so my fingers will be getting an extra workout. You can't "tink" on the organ.......

What has happened to good business practices?

Today I went to a yarn shop which will remain nameless. I needed to get a specific yarn type that I knew I would have to go to a specialty shop to get. (By the way - it is gorgeous enough to warrant this picture.) Underneath this yarn said SALE 10% off - now......10% off is not a great discount, but it's a discount! So I said, oh this is great - the yarn I want is discounted! The business owner said - Oh no honey, that was last Friday and Saturday, you needed to come those days, not today. I said Oh, gee, I didn't know - I usually get your email about your sales, but didn't receive it. She asked me if I was on the list (oh yes, I have received the emails before, but not this one), so I asked her about some other yarn that I needed and she said oh yes we have moved it back here - it was on sale on Friday and Saturday also. Well, that blew a little more wind out of my sail again ---- I travel over an hour to get to the store, she takes the sale signs off in front of me because she wasn't here yesterday (Tuesday - did they get a discount with others working in the store???). I think I am busy savvy enough to have honored the posted 10% off, eaten a buck or two, and made a happy customer. I don't have to travel, use my gas, or have a business owner tell me that the email was sent out and it's only for Friday and Saturday, even if I do have the signs up saying it's on sale. What gives with this sort of treatment? So I might have to wait a few days to get the yarn I want, but I will think long and hard before going into this yarn shop again. Perhaps she has all the business she wants or needs! I know some other good yarn shops PLUS there is online businesses that will honor their customers to keep them when and will go beyond the call of duty to make them happy.
What's the yarn for? I will save it for another posting - I want to make sure we do not confuse the two businesses.
Just to clarify, this is not PMS, this is not a testosterone surge, or any of the other causes of why I might post this that someone may think that Cathy is losing it, has gone yarny, or a few yards short of a full skein. (ooh I like that expression - did I make that one up?).

It's been a revolving door here this summer and Saturday my niece Sarah and nephew Craig arrived from the Bradenton/Sarasota area. We have had a great time eating BBQ and hamburgers. They are both so beautiful and handsome - today they make a trip to Tallahassee to visit friends plus go shopping. We end the day by going out with friends for supper.

As for my sampler shawl from Folk Shawls, I am making progress - and I anticipate being done by the end of this weekend - how's that for being the eternal optimist? I am ready to see completion of this so I can move on to some other projects. I have friends whose children are having babies, and something else needs to get on the needles! I am perusing baby blanket patterns, and other knittables for wee ones.

For teachers in this county, summer is coming close to its end. Next Monday is a day that we begin the 2005-2006 school. Summers now seem to go so quickly. Think we might have a unit for the preschoolers to learn to knit.

Knit in

I am having to really think about yesterday - because I went in so many directions I am having to recreate in my head what all happened yesterday. And, do you think I might have taken picture of something yesterday for the those who liked to be entertained visually? I just might have to take out of my archives of pictures something to satisfy those that like pictures, albeit that it may have nothing to do with knitting.
On the more serious side, I have a friend, Betty, who is in the hospital, she took a spill and has 2 shiners and a goose egg - I sat with her for a bit in the morning time. We are all wishing her well and hope she is on the mend soon.
I did seem to fit in a little snooze for about 30 minutes yesterday which refueled the old engine - Sooz and my project manager for caterpillars, Davis, and his assistant Mary G came over for more fennel. My neighbor, Linda, appeared, and we took a visit in her garden. Now Linda has no ordinary garden, she has a garden of yarn art and here I bring out of my archives a picture of her work For me to select just one picture does not do justice for the amount of work that she has placed in her garden, nor does it even put a dent into the haystack of unique artifacts she has in every nook and cranny.

Now the day was just cranking up as my friend Sharon and Sooz were on a mission to Tallahassee - we had heard of a knit in at Hopkins Eatery and just from the mere fact that it was there lured us out of our sleepy town to have a scrumptious sandwich. But before we went there, the car veered left to Joanns to scope out their stash of yarn. Well none of us would go so far as leaving with NOTHING, so each of us added a little bit more of our stash, plus when we got to the register, the reduced yarn was an extra 30% off, so if we had known that I am sure we would have gotten more. Probably a good idea we didn't know.....
Ellen was at the knit in so it was really nice to see her before she jaunts out to California (bet she finds a yarn shop), and we got to see her progress on her tank top she is knitting for her daughter (sorry, no photo - brain spasm) - We met another nice knitter there who was working on a scarf. We had 2 hours of uninterrupted knitting, PLUS some good sandwiches and dessert.
All in all, it was a full day and a good day and we came home safe and sound. Perhaps I will take pictures of acquired yarn later to share.

Measuring time with knitting

A watch or clock was nowhere to be found, but that didn't deter me from seeing how long it was going to take my friend Naomi to have her knee surgery to repair her meniscus (sp?). I will spare you the pictures of her knee to conform to confidentiality issues (notice somewhere that I didn't adhere to that with Susan's knee somewhere else in the blog) - but I would have had to have grabbed the pictures out of the surgeon's hand and I do have some bit of couth about me (and for some of you that might be a debatable subject). Anyway, I decided to knit a dishcloth while waiting for the surgery to be completed. If I had tried to knit a dishcloth during the surgery, poor Naomi would have about 1/4 of a dishcloth, but the prewaiting allowed me to finish the shrimp colored KAL and then complete a Granny's favorite and begin another using the Chinese Wave knitting pattern (still on needle). Naomi, your souvenir for your surgery is the completed multicolored dishcloth, let me finish the ends and I will get it to you.
Now, sometimes you can meet the nicest folks by chance, and today I did by phone. I had been eyeing this cool looking purse pattern on eBay for some time and so I went to her web site to see all she had. I placed my order for the Loop de Loo purse and the hats, and paid for it. Well somehow Roxanne (who is the Crazy Yarn lady) - got notification I had paid, but the details did not come through as to what (now that I think about it, that very well could be my fault, but that is a different story) - she emailed me AND called me to make sure we got everything settled to my satisfaction before I even knew there was a problem with the order. NOW THAT IS SERVICE. And to boot, we had the most delightful conversation and find out she is also a school teacher (how come that doesn't surprise me that she was - she was so nice - 2nd grade teacher by the way). I have already received the downloadable pattern and will wait for the other in the mail. So...... go to see Crazy Yarn Lady's web site - you will be glad you did.
By the way, Naomi's surgery, in terms of real time instead of dishcloth time - Naomi got to the hospital at 1ish and was home a little bit after 7 - and looked great!!! a total of about 6 hours isn't too bad considering!

Hat-a-thon and KAL dishcloth

Sooz has been on a hat-a-thon frenzy and she sent me a picture of the fruits of her labor. Of course when you put them on her children they look even more adorable as Mary G models it.


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The KAL is progressing nicely and Day 4 and 5 are now posted here:

I did have to tink on day 5 - I did a yarn over in a crazy place - must have had my brain in reverse at the time.

The rest of the day was exciting - DH fixed a leaky toilet, I drained the hot water heater just like the Weather Channel suggested (never did see sediment). Have been following Weather Channel's info on Hurricane Emily, the weather hound that I am.

A little heat relief

When it gets hot enough here, the only relief we seem to get is to get a rain. However, there is a flip side to that coin, because mugginess sets in and the air gets so thick you can cut with a knife. This afternoon, the bottom let out and the rain set in for a couple of hours. So we have some relief from the oppressive heat, but the mugginess is with us.

The Knit Along from the Dish Cloth email group I belong to had days 2 and 3 posted, so I have 2 pictures - one of Day 2 and one of Day 3

Day 2
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Day 3 ***********************

Ok folks on the KAL, does your Day 2 and 3 look like that? Also notice the needle on day 2 - the bottom got a little chewed up by one of my furry friends in the house. No one is fessin' up either.

My only thoughts on the dishcloth is that I think I would add a garter stitch around the bottom and sides.

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The fennel in my backyard is now full of eggs and caterpillars, so it won't be long before the fennel is gone. Once they find it - whoosh! My milkweed has yet to be discovered by the monarchs and looks like aphids have had a feast day - no Monarch caterpillars that I can see.

Here are some black swallowtail "cats" and an egg.

No Bones About it

There are no bones about it today - the weather is hot - hot enough that these are the days I think seriously about getting a pool in our backyard - it's the kind of hot that can make you sick - the heat index is 97 degrees, but I don't even believe that. Even if we went into a pool, the water would probably be close to 90 degrees - the south Georgia heat is relentless, there is no breeze - you want to know why southerners move at a slower pace??? Just come visit us in this heat and you will know why...... So I whine in my air conditioned house knowing full well there are others without air conditioning, there are others working out in the hot fields working so we have food to put on our tables.
However, I did get out a little today and determined that staying inside was a better alternative. I am trying not to knock the a/c down a notch to conserive electricity, so I stay underneath the ceiling fan.
On another more positive note, Mom and I had a 'mater sandwich for lunch, along with watermelon for dessert - that was refreshing.

I am participating in a Knit Along (KAL) with a dishcloth email list- this is the first day's assignment - by the end of Day ? a completed dishcloth will be done - so far it is a mystery!


DAY KAL 7-14-05


As promised, come rain or shine, I said I would post the Sampler Shawl from Folk Shawls. I was clipping about rather nicely and then stumbled so am going just a little bit in reverse, but I am not gonig to let it get me down. Allison, the oldest daughter, gave me the thumbs of approval on this and that is no easy feat. Tomorrow, I intend to move forward at a nice pace. I am working on size 7 Denise needles using extra fine merino wool.
By the way, I have strategically placed myself underneath an A/C vent with the ceiling fan on me -- there is no way I could do it otherwise. Sometimes we just have to make sacrifices and this can not be worked on while HOT.

The dogs seem to be excited - probably the neighbors too - as I collected the first batch of limbs, compliments of Hurricane Dennis, who proceeded to prune the pine trees. I took the wagon to the far end of the back corner of the back yard - Now the back yard is about 1/2 acre - and after about a 25X25 section, I filled the big garden wagon. The dogs were quite amused. (Sorry the camera was inside>0 My criteria for stopping:

• I filled up the wagon
• I was pouring sweat - it is 110% humidity outside, I don't care if there is no such thing.
• I wanted to make sure my other family members truly appreciated the amount of limbs there were(except for my dear husband who does this on a regular basis and never complains, nor does he do what I have done in setting up the criteria.

And, as promised, the dishcloth is proof of my presence with nature, that I did sweat a little, and that, I do, really do have a dishcloth in the making, using Granny's favorite as the present pattern. Easy to memorize and quick. I am using size 5 needles on this one along with Paton's Grace mercerized yarn. It's a little finer than the regular dishcloth yarn and has a nice sheen.

The sampler shawl I am working on keeps on giving me the challenge that I guess students feel when in school. Do it over and over again until you get it right, says the teacher. Practicing what I do 180 school days a year. No matter what I will get a picture up tomorrow.

Now Susan was organizing her closet today - I was generous with my quilting fabric in a plastic tub for her to use for a quilt she was GOING to make. Well, she returned it on the pretense that she was cleaning out. Methinks she is making room for YARN STASH and hasn't told anyone yet the method to her madness. I sat with her at the church supper tonight, but didn't say it there since her DH was there :) . She did bring 2 adorable hats she created and if she reads this and sends me images, I will post them. Sooz, you reading this? Have the kids model them!

Lazy days of summer

Today I said I would post a picture of my sampler shawl, but I am working backwards again - somehow there is an error and I am trying to find it. It will show up soon, this shawl will not defeat me.

After I picked up Rachael from summer camp at the college, we went over to my caterpillar caretaker Davis's house to deliver some swallowtail and gulf fritillary cats (short for caterpillars) -- Davis was busy doing more important playwork so Susan and I took pictures for proof of the caterpillars This first one is on fennel and is a swallowtail caterpillar.



The orange and black one is a gulf
fritillary on a passion plant. I would have photographed the beautiful flower, but it had wilted by the time I had traveled 2 blocks over. It's that stinkin' hot right now.



Now, knitters that are blogaholics know the harlot carries around a sock in progress wherever she goes to document her jaunts and travels. Well, since I don't have a sock under my belt yet, I best leave the sock to the experts, and carry around the most basic and lovely of projects, a dishcloth. Now you don't see a picture of one here that I was working on, because by the time I got one on the needles, the camera was being protected from the waterhose and the slip and slide. However, I think the rag washcloth or dishcloth is just my speed and is just as portable as a sock, not to mention it might be able to clean up any spills along the way. So I hereby proclaim that the cloth will travel to the most humble and exciting of places, surely to embarass anyone (other than an understanding fellow knitter) of the importance of the cloth.

Knitting and Solitude

This past Saturday, we had our Shawl Ministry meeting and one of the participants is not a knitter or crocheter, but enjoys coming to the meeting and helping with the fringe. I took one of the books off of the library bookshelf that looked to be the right size for the length of fringe I wanted. The book Nouwen's The Only Necessary Thing : Living a Prayerful Life compiled and edited by Wendy Wilson Greer. It's interesting how you can pick up a book for utilitarian reasons and have it catch your attention for another reason. Our St. Sophia Chapter of Daughters of the King was having a meeting soon after we met and the person that was to do the devotion had spent the night with a friend in the hospital and was unable to attend the meeting. So I quickly thumbed through it - Nouwen's good - surely there was something in there that would be appropriate for a devotional. The book flipped open to Solitude and Community and Nouwen writes the importance and essentialness of solitude in community and how i can bring us closer to each other. I think of friendships and how they can deepen to a point where you can be in the same room and not feel compelled to fill the silence with the spoken word.
Knitting affords us that same opportunity for solitude in our lives, where we can center ourselves while our hands may be in motion, our minds can be centered in a quiet way, listening to God for direction and guidance, or just being in a world that doesn't have much quiet, and doesn't offer value to the times when we are doing "nothing". However, knitters know the peace the yarn and needles and the creation of something woven with a single strand of yarn can weave, and they know the cohesiveness that those tools can bring to a community of fellow knitters.
So the making of fringe brought Nouwen's book to me - it's a collection of his finest writings and I have basked in his thoughts. I am putting the reading on hold for a bit to let some of this sink in to a deeper level, and to also give some thought and prayer to this book as a study. If any of you have read any of Nouwen's work, I would be interested in hearing your thoughts.
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On another note, the felted bag is completed and ready to be delivered to its rightful owner. Naomi had bought yarn years ago from Lubbock, Texas and one of our church bazaars. I threw in a little of my yarn and some of Betty's yarn I have to give it some personality of us - not that Naomi needs any enhancement of her personality - anyway, here is a picture of the completed purse.

Previous posts show the same purse in its prefelted state. Still working on the Sampler shawl from Folk Shawls. I will try and post a picture tomorrow on it.

Knitting, Felting, and Hurricane Dennis

I have been having a blast playing with all of the wool yarn to make my friend's purse - it's like being a child in a toy closet. Can't wait to finish it and see it's end result!

On a side note, I ordered a couple of books, Knitter's Stash: Favorite Patterns from America's Yarn Shops and Folk Vests: 25 Knitting Patterns & Tales from Around the Worldand Sugar the cat immediately found a hiding place from Tillie and Annie, who delight in tormenting playing with her when she would be much more content napping. Don't think there is any abuse, Tillie and Annie are Yorkshire Terriers and their size is about tit for tat with the cat (a feeble attempt at a Dr. Seussism).


Yesterday I received this book in the mail from the folks at Maran - they seem to have books that specialize in illustrated "how to" books - well I must admit, I am very impressed with the photographs of how to do a myriad of things that deal with knitting and crocheting. My mother LOVED the book - I will even go out on a limb and put it out there with the Vogue Knitting book - now I know that there are those that believe that IS the bible of knitting books, but this one has got great photos, graphics and patterns to go with it. Hats off to Maran for a job well done.



Today was our day to meet for Shawl Ministry - 7 were in attendance and a lovely baby shawl/blanket was presented. Sharon's mother knitted it and the blanket speaks for itself. The work is absolutely exquisite and I would love to learn the pattern. I know I should not envy other's work, but I must say this is beautiful.
Here is a picture of a button hole purse that is in its prefelted state. It has now been felted and I will post it tomorrow. I think it turned out nicely and I hope that Naomi likes it too.

We will not (hopefully) receive a direct hit from Hurricane Dennis, but we have already begun to receive the bands of rain that will be with us for some time now. Let us pray for those that will be more affected than we will as they have already experienced far more than many of us have in a lifetime.

Winding more than a mile

Well, today's project was a two woman job since I have not splurged and purchased a swift yet. I had 2400 yards of fingerling merino wool that was in a hank that needed to be wound. Sharon, who has the patience of Job, stuck with me the entire time, and was the chief problem solver when we got to the places where things tangled up to an almost mess.
We figured we would wind this job up (no pun intended) in about an hour, well, we made it a 3 hour job and finally when we got finished, we should have opened up a bottle of wine for the hard work (how come I didn't think of that before??)

Backing up into the day, I knitted some with Naomi this morning and came home with some feltable yarn - so I can't wait to make her a buttonhole purse - most of it is tapestry yarn, but some was some she got from a LYS in Lubbock, Texas some time ago, so I think it's going to be made into the purse.
In addition to this, she provided me with additional colors to include in there so we will have a purse of many colors - here's the loot lovely tapestry yarn.


Do not for once believe this is distracting me from my sampler shawl, it is simply enhancing my appreciation of the many colors available to us and want to be an equal opportunity knitter.

I would be remiss in not mention the tragic loss of lives in the terroristic acts that occurred in London today - innocent lives were lost to senseless acts of violence. Pray for peace, the victims involved, and to a city and world that is having to relive another 9-11.

Knitting - musings

Thank you to all that posted to me and assisted me in fixing the yarn over - job completed and moving on - to the second pattern in the sampler shawl from Folk Shawls. The second pattern is a 6 stitch repeat +1 and each row is different, so once you think you have memorized it, you get another pattern -- a little sadistic if you ask me.

Today I get an email from my friend Ellen and she went on this trip to Washington, D.C. and Virginia - do you think she showed me their signtseeing pictures? Nooooo, she did what any proper knitter would do - she took a picture of her new findings -

Now I know that Ellen is no "harlot" but she couldn't resist to show me her sock she has completed - she is 1/2 pair of socks ahead of me in the sock knitting department and I bet this sock traveled all different places, but here it rests in a chair.

Well, this blogging entry has transpired over several sittings and I have since completed another row of the sampler shawl. I knew from the beginning of the row something was wrong, but kept on going thinking that if I knitted long enough it would correct itself (now that is logical thinking isn't it!!!! ) Well, lo and behold, it is just as messed up at the end as it was at the beginning, so I get to tink for my transgressions. I stumbled...and tumbled... I will post on its progress tomorrow and post a photo of my progress...or regress, whichever the case may be.

Can this error be fixed without frogging?

I have an error in my sampler shawl (from the Book Folk shawls, page 134, row 9 in pattern 1) and I know what it is - each marker should have 14 stitches - and the first in this photo does, the second has 13 stitches - which mean that I did not yarn over in the place where the arrows are marking about 3 rows back. After the last row of the pattern, I knit and then I purled. I need to get the stitch back in there. Is there a way to fix it without frogging? I know I could "fix" it by just increasing in the next row and be on my merry way, but that wouldn't quite be right either. I am hoping that someone with more experience than me can offer me some words of wisdom or a solution. What's the verdict?

On another note, it's the 4th of July and a quiet one in this household. Dear husband is mowing the lawn, laundry is in the works and the menu for the day has yet to be determined. This evening will be watching a Capitol 4th - some friends from church, John, Marcia, and son Ashton will be there with thousands to celebrate in grand form - surely we will get to see them - I know they will be a fashion statement worthy of a camera to find them! If not, I know they will have pictures they will share when they get back. Maybe we will get a picture to make them victims of being blogged.

What are you doing for your 4th of July experrience??? Leave comments to share!

Sampler Shawl and Summer

Here is a picture of the Sampler Shawl I am working on from the book Folk Shawls. It's a KAL (Knit Along) in the Folk Shawls email list. I am on the first pattern about half way through the second of a 12 repeat row. Once I am through with the second 12 row repeat, I will go on to the 2nd pattern. It's working up nicely with the merino wool I am using. I am using size 7 needles with Denise circulars. Casting on 401 stitches was no fun, and getting it started wasn't either, but it is starting to move now and getting a little easier. I am going to try to finish the first pattern tomorrow and get started on the second. This is an extra fine yarn, and I wonder how fingerling would work.

Summer just doesn't get much better than this. Rachael decided to play with the water hose. The only better picture I could have gotten (thank you to dear daughter Laura for the picture) was the one with her Wellies on - which she had on when she came inside to share what she had been doing. This picture personifies her personality - Rachael is a ballful of energy whose battery rarely slows down. On the flip side she is a doll at church and is learning to follow the prayer book and hymnal well. Each Sunday she gets better and better!

Happy Birthday Angus!

It's hard to believe it has been 28 years - folks always tell you that time flies and they aren't just kidding - where has the time gone - seems like just yesterday he was a tow headed little boy (see picture below - I think you were 3 in this picture, you didn't like the outfit - it was down on the steps by the Flint River). You always called my name out when I was out of sight in the house just to make sure I was around, you rode your bike all over town, and then when you got out of high school - over to Scotland he was still riding bikes....all over the country.
Now he lives in Atlanta, likes to travel (he didn't make it to Scotland on his birthday like he had planned, but methinks he will eventually get there this summer.)

All I can say is that he is a love, I don't get to see him often enough, and I wish him the very very best birthday.


On another knitting knote, I did get a set of Denise knitting needles in celebration of my son's birthday (I knew you would love the needles Angus). It got to the point that I knew I would, in the long run, find it more economical to have these than to continue to purchase different sizes with different lengths in the circulars.

In other news, Sooz and I went down to Isabee's to check out the sidewalk sale and bought a few items. Nice to know they had lemonade because it was hotter than a hot flash outside.

The rest of the day will be made up of visiting a friend at the hospital, knitting, and preparing for Rachael to come and spend 2 weeks here with us. Who knows, she might become a knitter this go round.