Blanket in Garter Stitch



 

I keep knitting the diagonal blanket.  The first half is done.  I am pleased how it is turning out despite the simple garter stitch that I am using.  Was it Bon Point who sold garter stitched baby outfit in beige years ago?  Or was it Jacardi?  I remember it was very chic.  I also like the edges.  It is nice and tapered.  I am thinking about adding crocheted edges in pink.  I am not certain if I should do it or not.  Of course, it will not look bad, but could it be more sophisticated without extra edging? 

 

 

 

Of course, Missy claims it to be hers.  What a strange dog!

 



"Mine."

She has been barking, and I do not know what she wants.  Look at her face.  She looked so determined.  Does she wants treats?

I started to wonder if she is looking at something.  She is practically staring and barking at the upper kitchen cabinets.  There is nothing that she can eat up there.

 

 



 

Yesterday

I went to a meeting of Boston Knitting Guild yesterday.  This is where we get together once a month.  It is Trinity Church of Boston.  Isn't the building beautiful?

The meeting was a lot of fun as always.  We had in-house workshops, and I took a diagonal knitting class.  My teacher who is also a guild member was absolutely fantastic.  When it comes to diagonal knitting, I think it is essential to understand the concept.  It is not hard once you get it, but if you don't get, it is very confusing.  Especially first four rows or so, you have to have a faith to what you are doing.  I found diagonal knitting theraputic.  It is a good project when you cannot follow an instruction, like when you are on a train or watching TV.  Would you check out what I learned?

I enjoy looking at how the garment grows.  This will be a baby blanket.  I think the combination of cream and white look really good.  I plan to donate this when it is done.  It will be beautiful.  I also use this as a decoy.  When my husband comes in a room when I am working on the scarf for him, I hide the scarf and pick up the blanket and knit.  This way, I pretend as if I work on the blanket all the time.

When I came home, guess what I saw?  My amaryllis took a nose dive because it was top heavy.  Our condo is very shady and there is no place where plants get enough sun.  The amaryllis grew white and as tall as 75cm.  It is a monster!

"!!!"

Three plump buds were gone, but it still has one remaining.  Hope it blooms beautifully soon.

A Half Way to Spring

I heard today is a half way through to Spring meteorologically.  Our amaryllis missed a holiday blooming, but it is finally blooming!


8am: 1.5 cm wide!

2pm: 2.0 cm wide!

See the difference? 

 

Tomorrow is the day for a monthly meeting of Greater Boston Knitting Guild.  I had been to other knitting groups, but this one is the best.  The main purpose of the guild is learning.  What we learn is absolutely top notch.  We have fantastic guest speakers as well as workshops.  Also, the guild provides a variety of community outreach opportunities.  I know organizing and coordinating those takes time and requires an enormous amount of care.  I will donate a couple of hats for very young boys tomorrow.  I think the hats are really cute.  It is my pattern but I modified a pattern that I found in a book which was a gift from my friend.  I hope they will provide with a little warmth during the harsh New England winter. 



 

Cell Phone for Kids

When do you give your child her own cell phone?   What age is appropriate?  Of course, the answer is it depends.

I bought a smart phone to mine yesterday.  I did not think my daughter needed one everyday basis, but, once in a while, I wanted her to carry one.  For example, my daughter will join her choir group and go on an overnight tour this weekend.  The chaperones are experienced and extremely careful, so my daughter will be safe at all times.  Even though I do not have doubts about her safety, I think her ability to communicate with us will not make her feel she is isolated and will make her trip more fun.

So what am I still debating for?  I know what it is.  There are so many great things about smart phones, but they are oh so addictive.  We have been very fortunate to be able to shelter her from being in charge of cell phone use until now.  Yes, she has been playing with my iphone, but never ever had sole freedom for a long period of time.  Now she owns her smart phone.  Can she manage her desire well this weekend?   Or, will she come back as an anti-social jerk?  I am joking.  I did not lock hers in one or two year contract.  Hers is Gophone.  If I do not like it, I can get rid of the phone if I want to.  That is my safety net. 

And, hey, if you carry a phone, you can take a photo like this on the go. 

 

 

I think the red wreath on the wooden door is so cute!  I hope she comes back with lots of  nice photos.

Weekend

Despite the nice weather yesterday, I spent most of my day at home grooming my dog Missy.  After the recent snow, rain and slush, Missy started to look filthy and neglected.  I also noticed that Missy's fur had gotten so many knots, which needed to be removed in order to prevent her from developing skin issues. 

I was so motivated to tackle the problem that I decided to thoroughly clean her.  I combed, trimmed and brushed forever, and then, I took her to our bath tub to shampoo.  Missy did not like the whole process at all.  She looked so sad and miserable.

The originally planned one hour bath turned out to be a three hour beauty session.  By the way, whenever I use or hear words like "beauty session" for pets, I curl my toes. It sounds too leisurely and a kind of embarrassing.  All right, I call it "a domestic animal health maintenance practice". 

I am so happy that most of the knots were gone.  Last time when we brought Missy to a groomer, I was charged $10+ just to remove knots in addition to her ordinary haircut.  I thought it was ridiculous to be charged for it, but I understand now.  It is a truly time consuming process.

Now she smells clean and is as beautiful as she should be.  I hope she feels much more comfortable because her legs and belly does not taste like salt anymore.  And her skin breathes well this way.

Day One

If someone asks me if I like winter, I say yes.  I like snow and extreme cold temperatures as long as it is not too windy.  After living in New England for quite some time, I am well-geared up for the climate.  It looks like the snow this morning is about to end.  It will make a dog walk pleasant and picking up my kid later today easier.  Because it is in the mid 20F, it would be a perfect day to roast beef for supper.

I started to knit Julie Hoover's Doux scarf for my husband.  I have perfect alpaca yarn, and it will look great on him.  St. Valentine's Day is a little over one month away.  If I am diligent, I can finish it by then.