Sweetie is 15 ~

Can you believe that my youngest turned 15 today? It is easier to believe that I finished her socks before her birthday. They look fabulous, yet oddly the first non- neon,  non "wild colors" sock yarn that she has chosen. Still, they are lovely, and especially lovely in my garden.

In her email to her grandparents she exclaims, "My feet are not cold as they are engulfed in warm blue yarn that mum knit together for me." Very dear, my sweetie. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Cashmere ~

So happy that the cashmere birthday scarf is done. The colors are beautiful and yarn continues to be so soft. The pattern was a perfect choice, too.

I will put it inside this fun Smiley Face tin, and she will love the tin and the scarf! Happy birthday sister!

Stitch n Pitch Fun ~

Another great Stitch 'n Pitch! I love this event and sharing it with my great friends. I look forward to this all year!

My kids and the neighborhood kids love it too - this year's theme, can you guess??!

Gotta love neon!!

Missing Shadow ~

When we first looked at our house back in 2004, a very sweet and shy black cat followed us around as we checked out the yard. As we went into the house, she would be on the back deck when we were in the kitchen, and near the front door when we were in the living room. Where ever we were in the house, we could see her outside, watching us through the closest window. When we were outside, she was close enough to us, but skittish about getting petted, so I named her Shadow. She is a vocal cat and always seemed to be trying to tell us something with her meowing. Her bright green eyes are the same color as Harry Potter and his mum. We moved into the house in September, and she was always around the yard. She often stood at the front door and meowed with a purpose. Inquiries to our neighbors solved the mystery of the cat's owner. She was abandoned by the previous owners of our house. Now it was easy to interpret her meowing at the front door, "Are you going to let me into my house today?" Well, no, not today... as I am uncomfortable with animals in the house, but we set up a cozy bed, food and water in the garage and adopted Shadow with love and affection.

In the years that we have lived together, Shadow trots down the driveway as my car arrives home. When I open the car door, she jumps into the driver's seat and meows about my homecoming. She hangs out with me in the front yard as I warm up for my 6:00 AM run each morning, but has never come along on the run...but she sits at the end of the driveway until I return, meowing to say what a fabulous run I have just completed. In the summer, she sits on the cafe table while I sit and knit on our back deck. Sometimes she joins me on our big swing, pictured here on top of my blue wool hat. She likes to be as close to my knitting as possible, and I am sure she is comparing the softness of her fur to my choice of yarn. Shadow died today, a sweet old kitty that couldn't quite jump into the car anymore, yet was adored by all of us. I miss her, and she will always be my Shadow.

Birthday scarf ~

Almost done with this lovely cashmere scarf, and wondering why scarves take sooooo long to knit? Perhaps it is the repetition of four rows, over and over and over, with no change in turning a heel or working the cuff....almost hypnotic...

Still so lovely, yet takes so long to knit...yarn is so soft and a delight to work with...love these sherbert colors in the summer sunshine....This will be a perfect birthday knit for my sister....

Birthday with Paul ~

My sister has wanted to marry Paul McCartney since we were little... I admit, I wanted to marry him too, but since my sister is older than me, she gets first dibbs.....only fair, right?

 

 

Well, she was able to see him in concert, on her birthday....so that is almost as good as marriage... right?

E and Alice ~

Imagine my joy when I received this picture from my youngest, with a note, "Alice says Hello!" My first thought was, who is Alice's owner, and what breed is Alice?

The answer was, "Alice is yours, we are bringing her home"  which I knew was not true...but if Alice was coming home from Michigan with my husband and our kids, I would have to call Marion to take care of the shearing of said Alice...I would just like to play with Alice, not do any of the shearing, washing, combing or "teasing" of the fleece (does anyone out there remember the Good Neighbor's episode where Barbara and Tom "tease" the fleece?).  When I talked to my youngest on the phone and asked her about the breed, she said, "I think it is Lester....." which, translated means Leicester...I do love this picture of both these sweeties!

Michigan knitting ~

While on a short vacation, I was able to get a little knitting done. Since it is now July, I have some birthday knitting to shift into high gear....I was knitting at the hair dresser shop while waiting for my mum to get her hair "done" and had a great visit with a gal in her 80s, while she was waiting for her appointment...

She saw that I was knitting socks, and could not believe that I knit a pair for each daughter for their birthday and another pair each for Christmas, plus usually letting them pick out their own yarn. She said in her many many many years of knitting, she knit many sweaters for her kids and grand-kids, but NEVER socks... She felt that socks are too much work when knitters know that socks are hard wearing and destined for a life of holes in the toes and holes in the heels. That is true, and all the more reason for knitting the humble sock....it is truly a labor of love for one's loved ones!  As much as I love knitting, one of the best parts of our vacation was this...

Dairy Deluxe on Woodward Avenue...the same Woodward Avenue of the Detroit Dream Cruise.  This would be our dream ice cream...the best, ever....