Tuesday, September 11, 2012

A Little Knitting - No Quilting

Try as I might, I haven't found much time for doing handwork in the last couple of weeks.

We're still putzing along on the never-ending remodeling jobs which feels good because, even though it might not seem like it on a daily basis, we ARE making progress and continually improving our everyday living environment and the organization of this place.

I spent time this past weekend (and Monday) getting several coats of a dark walnut stain on the plywood floor in the garage area where we're installing the new washing machine and utility sink.

Papa Pea has been putting in his spare time on the rebuilding of the high-sided trailer.

I did go to my handwork group yesterday morning and finished knitting the ribbing on the bottom of the blue sweater I've been working on.

Next is to pick up and knit the ribbing around the neck and down each front. As you knitters out there know, this particular operation can be a bit tricky so I'll have to find a time when I can be by myself (just in case any bad words accidentally escape my mouth) and give my full attention to the task.

Today I want to get out and do a lot of clean-up work in the garden. I have trouble pulling up plants that are still green even though definitely past their usefulness/bearing time. If I can keep reminding myself that it's oh-so-much easier to get rid of them now than when they are brittle-brown and half frozen into the ground!

Cooler temps for the rest of our week . . . supposedly. The bulk of our hummingbirds left about a week and a half ago which is earlier than the usual departure date of around September 15th. We've seen only one (or what we think is one individual bird) in the past week. I do believe fall has finally arrived.

20 comments:

2 Tramps said...

Beautiful sweater - lovely color - such a talent you have! Interesting about your hummers. Ours have thinned out, too. Makes me a bit sad as we so love them and their antics. We saw our second frost this morning and will have two more nights of freezing temps until it warms up a bit again. Maybe a few more hummers will stop by as they migrate south. Yep, time to chop firewood!

Kelly said...

I'm very impressed by your talent, it's a beautiful sweater! I tried knitting and well now I crochet! Much easier to fix the boo boo's! Oh and by the way, I've started calling my baby chickens chipmunks ☺

Susan said...

You've been knitting?? Wah! I want to knit! Seriously, with a morning low of 34 degrees, I really ought to haul out the UFOs. It is hard to pull up green things, isn't it? We just have to be firm - and get a firm grip and leave a nice, mulched, clean surface ready for the perfect growing season - next year. Right?

Sparkless said...

Lovely sweater! I'm still knitting dishcloths cause they are so easy and quick.

Isn't that the truth about renovations though, they seem endless. I think we still have a couple of things to finish from our renovation and that was a couple of years ago!

judy said...

I hope your sending fall down here and do I actually believe a bad word escapes your mouth.I doubt it.Now to a subject I don't really want to take pause on ,our kitty died and part of me with him today I have never had my own pet believe it or not and I became very attached ,being momma and bottle feeding him,cuddling him I don't know how you guys do it it and now I only have a inkling of what your daughter felt with her loss.Dan was upset too.The only consolation I could find today is that the mortality rate for abandoned kitty's is very high

Leigh said...

Love that blue! Love the design of the sweater too. It certainly is getting on to sweater weather, isn't it?

Mama Pea said...

2 Tramps - Two frosts already! Wow, I guess the end of summer has indeed come for you! Thanks for the compliment on my sweater. It's a very simple pattern knit from the neck down in a stockinette stitch so it's actually worked up fairly quickly.

Mama Pea said...

Kelly - I agree with you that crocheting is easier than knitting, but I still prefer knitting. My mom was an excellent crocheter but I never could pick it up. Still can't read a crochet pattern!

Ha! Cute, fuzzy feathered little chipmunks they are!

Mama Pea said...

Susan - I'm kinda feeling my exercise in the garden today. I filled most of two compost bins with plants I removed. To avoid being stiff in the morning, I sat on the deck and drank two glasses of wine before dinner. (What? That doesn't work for you??)

Now go grab yourself a glass of wine and start knitting!

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - There's nothing wrong with knitting dishcloths! They are something everybody can use and make very nice little gifts.

Renovations . . . especially taxing when you're working with plumbing. We've got a drip under the utility sink that doesn't want to . . . well, stop dripping!

Mama Pea said...

Aw shoot, judy, I'm so sorry you lost the kitten. But it is true that when they are taken away from their mother at too young an age, it's very hard for them to survive. Years ago a friend brought us two tiny, tiny kittens he found by the side of the road in a box. We kept them alive for two weeks then lost them both. It's hard.

Mama Pea said...

Leigh - On winter mornings I'm always a little chilly so thought this would be a good sweater to pop on over a turtleneck. It doesn't have any buttons down the front but rather just hangs open but will give that little extra bit of warmth. I chose the "denim blue" 'cause I thought it would go with just about anything. Now I just need to finish it before turtleneck wearing weather!

Cat Eye Cottage said...

It must be that time of year. I just started a knitting project for a friend who is having a baby soon. I've been clearing my garden, and it is hard to pull up a green plant even though you are replacing it with another. No frozen ground here to deal with though.

Anonymous said...

That sweater is gorgeous :) Hope you have a super day, and don't work too hard

Erin said...

That's a lot of stitches to pick up (backwards, if you are me)! What a beautiful sweater, I'm sure it feels good to really see the house coming together at long last!

Mama Pea said...

The Weekend Homesteader - It's hard to have a knitted garment in your lap (or even your hands!) during hot, sticky weather. So I guess once the temp starts to go down a little, it's natural to think about knitting again. Just seems like the thing to do!

Mama Pea said...

Stephanie - Thanks much! (I haven't picked it up since I came home Monday . . . arrrgh!)

Mama Pea said...

Erin - Yeah, why is it that it's always easier to pick up the stitches backwards??

Progress continues on the house . . . now if we could just get that %^&*! leak under the garage utility sink to stop!!

LindaCO said...

Hey, that is looking good! Projects with practical uses are so appealing. Love the color, too.

Mama Pea said...

LindaCO - Thanks, Linda. So what have you been knitting recently?