Perfect!

We’ve probably had this hammock for 15 years.  I’m pretty sure this is the first time My Hero has taken a nap in it.  Strangely enough, there are no kids bugging him.

I’m having a perfect day too.  My sister and her family showed up here at 2:30 AM.  We sat around and drank coffee this morning while the cousins played!  My aunt showed up with a fabric delivery and to drink coffee.  They all left for a while to visit other family.

My day started out perfect, and it still is.  It’s 75 degrees and windy, so all the windows are open and it’s nice and cool.  I’ve got Nascar on tv and I’m knitting on Trevi.

Perfect!

What Would You Do?

If you had a week to do whatever you wanted, without regard to responsibilities, what would you do?

I’d play with this:

It’s Pagewood Farms Willow Creek laceweight.  1,350 yards of it.  The colorway is Crayon.  I saw it on someone’s blog, I can’t remember which one, and had to have it.  I purchased it from Ewe Need Yarn.  Don’t go to the website or you’ll find something that “ewe need”.

I’d also start digging into this:

It’s Prairie Paisley by Minnick and Simpson for Moda.  I have a plan!!!  Bit first, I’d finish this:

It’s Quadrille by Miss Rosie.  The fabric is an older Moda line called Sweet Romance by Barbara Brackman.  I’m loving it!

And along with drinking Diet Coke and eating chocolate, I’d do some of this:

So, what are you going to do with your week?  I want to hear your ideas.

Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure, I don’t have a week like that coming up, but it’s fun to dream.  Being an adult is way overrated!

My actual week is going to be great though.  The Genius is coming home tomorrow for 9 days!  We should get some quality knitting time in.  My sister and her family are coming on Saturday.  I’ll never turn down an opportunity to hang out with my sister.  I’m going to get to spend a lot of time with her this summer!

Life is good!  Summer in Minnesota is amazing!

Geometry

Yes, schools is out and you won’t be subjected to a geometry class.  I’m just laughing because I went outside a few minutes ago to photograph one knitting and one quilting project.  Two vastly different projects have one thing in common.  Take a look.

I guess I just like right angles.  I absolutely didn’t plan this when I started taking photos.  It’s just what I’m working on right now.

The quilt is called Getting Ziggy With It by Heather Peterson of Anka’s Treasures. This is the second project I’ve done from this book and it’s probably the easiest quilt I’ve ever made.  It was really fun.  The fabric is Neptune by Tula Pink for Moda.  Here’s the full shot.

I didn’t like the border fabrics I had for the project, so I’m just going to quilt it as is and bind it.

The knitting project that it seems like I’ve been working on forever is Trevi.  I love it and I should just stick to it and finish it.  I’ve been picking it up between other things, so it’s not progressing very quickly.  The yarn is Handmaiden Sea Silk and it’s heavenly.  I purchased it at Knitty Noddy.  I’m trying to stay away from there because there are way too many gorgeous yarns on her site.

I’ve really enjoyed this week without much going on.  I started new knitting and quilting projects.  It’s also nice to be able to sleep in when I’m stupid enough to stay up until 2:00 AM.  We had a baseball game last night and we’re grilling with friends tonight.  I could get used to this lazy summer stuff!

Have a great weekend.  Oh, and Happy Father’s Day to the best dad that five kids could ever have!

Yes!

I just remembered that this is a knitting (and quilting) blog!  I have a  finished project to show you!

The Eyelet Cardi is finished.  I used Schachenmayr nomotta Denim.  I thought it was nice yarn to work with, although it had no give because it’s cotton!  I still need a button and some grosgrain ribbon.  The pattern mentioned that if the front still curled, I could sew ribbon on the back.  Guess what?

It still curls.

I took this shot for the flowers in the background, but I do like the raglan increases in this pattern.

It’s great to be home!  After three weeks and 5,000 miles, our home feels wonderful.  The only problem was the flower beds full of weeds.  Yesterday we went to church, sat around and drank coffee and watched Nascar started weeding.  My Hero weeded and I watched Nascar.  He’d look in through the window occasionally to check up on the race.  After the race, Frankie and I went and bought flowers and started planting.  By evening, everything was weeded, planted, and mulched.

Today Dreamboy is mowing and Superblonde is pressure washing the patio.  My plan was to sit outside and knit tomorrow morning, but the forecast is for rain.  That’s ok, because I’m feeling the urge to quilt!  My mom tried to clean my sewing room!  (She was at our house for a while while we were gone.)  I’m pretty sure she decided it was an exercise in frustration.  If I clean off my cutting table, I can get busy.

There’s also more knitting going on.

My next project?  Figuring out lunch for these kids.  That’s what I always dread when school is out.  One kid is asking for a hot dog.  I think I can handle that!

Tacky Tourists

Let me just tell you that we loved Gatlinburg.  We did lots of touristy stuff like indoor sky diving, go-karting, a wax museum, and Hillbilly mini golf.  We rode a tram up a mountain and golfed down.

The Shenandoah Valley was so gorgeous.  Here’s the view from the pool (while I was doing 4 loads of laundry).

We drove through Shenandoah National Park.  It’s a road along the top of the mountain ridge.  There are scenic overlooks off of both sides of the mountain.  Our destination was Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.

It’s hard to even fathom it being built on top of a small mountain over 200 years ago.

Now we’re here.

My Eyelet Cardi is finished but not blocked.  There will be photos next week.  I’m sitting in the shade working on Trevi today while My Hero works.  The kids are riding bike and hanging out as well.

See you at home!!!  We should be there late tomorrow night!

And The Winner Is…..

….you’ll have to wait a second!

Sewn has launched.  Click on the button to take a look!

I’ve only had a few minutes to look, because we finally have internet access again.   It looks like it’s going to be fun.

Anyway, lets get back to the prize for the Sewn launch.  To refresh your memory, one person will win this charm pack, border fabric, and pattern.

There were 161 comments.  My random number generator (my 8 year old son) chose number 12.  The winner is Alyson, a fellow Minnesotan.  Congratulations, Alyson.  Click on the “Contact Me” button at the top of the page, and leave me your address.  I’ll get it in the mail the beginning of next week.  We’re still vacationing, you know!  Oh, and check out Alyson’s blog.

We’re in the mountains of western Virginia.  It’s gorgeous and I can’t show you.  I grabbed the wrong camera cord.

I have one sleeve left on my Eyelet Cardi.  I think I’ll have it finished by the time we get home!

I need to go take photos of My Hero doing cannonballs.  Big Splash!

Where Am I?

And what day is it?  We’ve logged about 3,500 miles, my memory is going!  (And yes, there’s knitting at the end of the post!)

Actually, we’re here!

This is the view out of our windshield!

I totally missed telling you about one stop.  We spent two days in Myrtle Beach, SC.  It was the total opposite of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  It was fun, but maybe not the highlight.

Yesterday was my day!  If you’ve read this blog at all, you’ll know that I’m a huge Nascar fan.  (I’m watching the race right now while waiting for the very slow internet!!!)  We toured Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC in a 15 passenger van.  We even did a lap around the track at 90 miles per hour!  It was really interesting.

The kids thought this photo was hilarious, because My Hero is turning 50 in a few months.

We also toured the Hendrick Motorsports Museum.

If you’re not a Nascar fan, you don’t care who I cheer for.  If you are a fan, now you know!!!

Now for the knitting.  My Eyelet Cardi is moving along.  I did a picot hem.

The neck and the fronts are finished as well.  I’m really pleased with the way this looks.  It hasn’t even been steamed yet.

I need to be on the lookout for a button.  Now it’s just a mind numbing amount of stockinette to finish the sleeves.

We have one more stop this week in western Virginia, and then we’re off to Ohio, and My Hero is back to work.  We’ll be home sometime next weekend.  The kids are getting a little edgy sharing 300 square feet.  Traveling is fun, but there’s no place like home.  Oh, and we only have 9 states left, and we will have been in all 48 continental states.

I’m going to knit on those sleeves for a while and watch the rest of the Nascar race.  Life is good.

The OBX

What is the OBX?  I didn’t know either, until this trip.  It’s this…

The Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Right now there are about 10 people out there.  In a few minutes there will be 4 more.  The teenagers are still sleeping.

Here’s My Hero in his office.  Internet is a wonderful thing!

And yes, there has been knitting.  Miles and miles of mindless stockinette, which seems to be all I have the brains for right now.  My Eyelet Cardi is coming along nicely.  I just need to decide how long to make it.  The pattern is really short, and I’d like it a bit longer.

I was knitting this last evening and I had brown capris on.  I liked the two together.  I think this is a sweater I’m going to get a lot of use out of.  I’m debating doing a picot hem.  I like the finished look it would give it.

I just wanted to thank everyone for all the comments.  I feel bad not answering all of them, but there just hasn’t been time.  And I’m falling asleep at 11:00 PM every night.  Shocking, isn’t it?  After full days on our feet, seeing the world, I’m wasted!

Ok, we’re off to the beach before it gets too hot!  Oh, and whoever made the comment that if it ever stopped blowing out here, everyone would tip over, you’re so right!!!