i am behind on sharing ...

i have been on vacation, and i returned last weekend. it has been a long week of "recovering". i think i can say i've recovered now --- jet lag is not a myth!


guess where i went?

… there's nothing compared to the wonderful sunflowers of tuscany!

for my travels, i wanted to take a mindless knitting project. a friend suggested to me to knit a hitchhiker. that was actually the perfect travel knitting.

a couple of days before my departure, i cast on. i finished the scarf on my final flight home. i did not sleep on any of my flights, so i had plenty of knitting time. while in italy, i knitted some while in the car, or a train, or on the beach.

… me knitting in Pisa. i was waiting for ♥ someone ♥ ….

i wish this photo was larger!

i did start something new … again, something "mindless". this pattern is free on ravelry, and is similar to the hitchhiker. i am using berroco's alpaca fine (i think! … i lost the label).

the pattern is called nurmilintu.

changes

i changed the title of my blog. typically, over the years, i've maintained 2 blogs (one for crafting, one for everyday life).

but, often those things merge. and after 9ish years i have less inclination to segregate my life.

so now, 2 blogs in 1.  i've often been annoyed with checking out crafty blogs that include the crafty and personal, but now … i don't have the time or desire to keep things separate.

that said … here we go !!!

happy 4th!

my fun banners were finally put to use this past holiday weekend.

i had a fabulous 4th of july!

my friend schmutzie came over in the early afternoon. we spent the day on the porch knitting, and later walked up the street to see the fireworks from the boylan bridge.

the next day, we went to her house so could do my laundry, and hung out on her deck.


yes … a police car. i live in walking distance of downtown. the police presence is high due to the holiday and all the nearby events.

BUT, notice my bunting hanging across the porch!

over the weekend, i knitted and crocheted. i first finished all the pieces of my insouciant pullover. all's that left is blocking, sewing, and finishing the neckline.

i also crocheted on my tunisian shawl.


i should had finished this months ago, but i keep getting distracted. once i start the decreases, it will go quickly --- but i have a feeling the edging will be a slog.


i also knitted some on my socks --- my "mindless" socks --- and i'm on the heel of sock #2.


so, when we went back to schmutzie's on the 5th, the party resumed on her deck. i took a different bunting to drape across her canopy.


this one has lovely corals/reds/grays.

and lastly, i started a new project.

so, schmutzie is happily knitting on a shawlette (bandit style). it's so pretty! i ask, "what is the pattern?". she shows me. ugh, i want to do it too. but, she only has a copy of it.

it's from a book. i say, "where's the book?"  … "lost!"

WHERE? … (sigh) (somewhere) … she thinks it's in her bookcase. i think, if it's in the bookcase, then it probably got swallowed by another book.

i found it.

so now, i can start my own.


the pattern is pogona by stephen west. it's somewhat "mindless" too.

♥ love ♥ my new "post-it" flags !

… they're helping me make great progress … plus, i'm mostly following the chart instead of the written instructions.


… so, i'm about to start round 15 (out of 27 rounds). it is slow. crochet is full of "eyes on project" … chart, written instructions, stitches, and constantly counting.

i just want this one finished by friday --- which i'm now starting to doubt, because my progress has been slow, and as the doily gets larger, each round takes more time.

and, i think it's going to be larger than my little blocking board. that means i'll probably block on one of my foam matts (without any lines or circles). that's fine --- as long as it looks symmetrical when blocked.