Blarney Stone and Sapphire -Socks that Rock

I decided to start labeling my Socks that Rock yarn socks with their colorway name since for some strange reason Ilike to call my socks by those names. Is that weird? Sapphire is my favorite, but it doesn't belong to me. My friend, Kit, claimed that yarn when she saw it so I am knitting her a pair. I kind of wished I had knitted a pattern in it, but it's pretty no matter which way you shake it.

Blarney Stone, well, I could just kiss it --- I even like the pooling. I actually did a simple k2, p2 ribbing as the pattern as a baby step to trying a different pattern. I also tried a k1, s1 for the heel (the name of that style heel escapes me).
Neither Sapphire nor Blarney has a mate at the moment, but I don't suffer too badly from 2nd sock syndrome.... yet.
We enter into the last month of school tomorrow.

Has it been that long?

It's been quite a while since I posted - between the end of the school year paperwork, family, and then a stomach virus, I haven't posted, however, I have been busy with life in general. However, I have almost finished the last of the 3 baby blankets so that will soon be off the needle. Two socks are in progress, a book is being read (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn) and I am trying to walk daily (virus took care of several days of that) - I will post pictures just as soon as I can catch up with myself. Where am I? Hmmm I best check on that.

Where have I been?

I did not fall off of the blogging log, but I have been busy with work, which this time of the year is the absolute busiest, and I have been knitting, which I need to take pictures to show.
And... then... it happened... both husband and I woke up Tuesday morning sick.... as in let's not move too far away from any bathroom facility. Mom was a hero by getting us some clear liquids in the house to sustain us and stave off dehydration.
Today is our first day of thinking we might be able to do some work today so we are going to give it the old work ethic try.

OTN: Abigail's baby blanket is soon to be done. She enters intokindergartenher third month of life. Thank goodness I have made it long enough that she should be able to get some good use out of it. Also on the needles - 2 socks, not of the same yarn - one is Socks that Rock Sapphire colorway which I think is really "ME" but will go to a dear friend. The other name - well I can't remember if it is Blarney Stone or Amber Waves, but pictures are soon to come.
So please don't give up on me and think I have flown the coop from blogville, just a brief reprieve.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday was a joyful event. Elliott is the first grandchild of dear friends Beth and Scott and I have been working on his baptismal blanket, a Spanish Christening Shawl - I think he likes it. (He was very impressed - I could tell by his yawn he does.) He has transformed his grandparents and I am getting a taste of what it might be like if grandchildren ever come our way. I don't think I have seen such head over heels love than a grandparent has for their grandchildren - as many of my close friends have demonstrated, there is nothing like it. By the way, look in the mirror and you can see Elliott's "Gran" Beth - she's the photographer.
The shawl comes from the book Folk Shawls (Folk Knitting series) by Cheryl Oberle. Yarn used was Dale of Norway Baby Ull. I used size 7 needles and cast on 155 stitches instead of 195.

Here is a close up of the edge. I think if you click on the picture you might be able to get a better look at it

(Notice Hooper the dog's feet underneath the blanket - he had to be a part of the celebration).

Here is Elliott with his Mom, Ginny, and flanked by my girls Laura and Allison. They grew up together and Laura and Ginny's birthdays were 3 days apart so one year they had their birthday together. Oh how time flies.


Welcome Elliott - what a blessing you are!

Wanna Walk with us? Great 50 days 50 miles

Easter begins tomorrow and those of us who have taken on walking as part of our Lenten discipline have decided to continue on with the Great 50 days with 50 miles of walking. Won't you join us?

Here I am

It seems like this weeek is screaming by without a chance to get a breath. Between Holy Week and the end of the year when special education teachers get to do the IEP thing along with testing each of my students individually, I feel like there is no stopping. A whirling dervish spun out of control.

Tonight is rehearsal night for the group I sing with since most of us are involved with Maundy Thursday services, we changed rehearsal to tonight. Tomorrow is Taize service, then Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday with 3 baptisms! I am reading on Good Friday and playing piano for the Taize service, with the rest being in the congregation. Whew. I can only imagine how some pastors are feeling now!

And it is only Tuesday..... taking one day at a time.....

Sky watching sunset

Back from St. George Island with the ability to download pictures. Here is a picture of a sunset while out on a walk. Beautiful.....

Spring Break on an island

Well, here we are on an island off of the coast of Florida - we arrived on Saturday and have 5 women 50 and over, a heated pool, several laptops, more cell phones than we can shake a stick at and.....

• we had a hard time figuring out how the showers worked.
• the regular phone is a little quirky
• the connections with cell phones are shaky
• we have to get the local radio station on cable (yes, go figure that one out)

I have the digital camera, but brought the wrong connector so.... I can't upload any pictures.

We had a culinary feast last evening with Beth's brother, a chef, and a most well known restaurant that has been featured twice in Southern Living and even in the New York Times. On our menu last featured softshell crab, boiled shrimp w/black pepper, paella and (forgive the spelling) zambuko? (it's shrimp with curry and elderberry liqueur?) - and a wonderful salad with spinach, peppers, asparagus, artichoke, bread and vinagrette - anyway, it was a beautiful meal with great company.
On another note, the heated pool makes it nice as the water for us southern wimps is still too cold for us to swim in the Gulf, however, some of the folks from up north are swimming.

I took a nice long walk and enjoyed a beautiful sunset - alas, they remain in the innards of the digital camera until I get home this weekend.

Today we head to Apalachicola to get some aloe vera for those that are windburned and sunburned, plus to check out the local bookstore and yarn :).