Oh Canada!

PC and I are leaving in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow for trip we've talked about for 7 years... we're going to Niagara Falls. It's only a mere 8 hours in the car on the way out... combined with a stop at GoldLine in Rochester, NY for curling supplies. Yup. Curling. PC has been struck by the curling bug this past winter and it's time to get him his own broom. No curling shops here in Massachusetts, so we're stopping along the way.

So, b/c we won't see you:

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Fourth of July!

I've packed rain gear, my camera and the computer... and a kiri shawl and a sock. 8 hours of knitting err.... driving! :)

-Mini

Make New Friends.....

But keep the old,
One is silver
and the other gold.

Wow. Anyone else have a Girl Scout flashback?

Meet Betty. Betty B. Bee, a new friend in these parts... in fact, she's no longer living here. She was passed along to Mari's daughter, Noodle, who turned 1 this week! She's one! My god! And, she was immediately nibbled on, so therefore, the doll is a success! Noodle's b-day was full of banana-muffin/cupcakes (with pink frosting) that were a hit with the birthday girl. And I hope that the frosting comes off her dress. :)





















Pattern: sunflower children from Twist Collective
Yarn: Cascade 220
Needles: US 2















"when do we leave for Noodle's house??? I wanna go NOW!!"

My cousin S's daughter is turning two. Wow. I can't believe it. S has to be my favorite cousin out of the zillion. Her daughter is simply an amazing young lady too... I love knitting for her. :)



















Pattern: poppy by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Cascade 220 (100% wool), yellow, white, black. Cherry Tree Hill superwash sock yarn for dress.
Needles: US 2
Notes: this took less than 8 total hours to knit.

How's about a Red Scarf?

A bee (like the ladybug) has been knit and I am waiting until tomorrow to post some photos... she's very cute and for my sweet Noodle, who will be turning 1 next week! Yikes!

But, now it's like .... what to knit? I want to knit a Feb lady sweater, but that requires addressing some body issues with a measuring tape and well, we don't want to do that on a rainy dreary week... it might induce suicidal thoughts.

So, what to knit? Done with socks for now. Considered mittens.

I know!

A. Red. Scarf.

How about you? Will you knit a red scarf this year?

Home Sweet Home

And, I finally have some photos. Ignore the messes and the general "cluttered" feeling in some of the rooms... it's a work in progress. The craft/office space is still under construction as PC needs some space to do some CD organizing (he has a magical system... it involves sitting among the CDs) and I need to maneuver some stuff "away".




















In through the front door....














Living room... w/ recovered sofas...














Dining room.....
















Dining room... other direction.





















Leaving the dining room....




















Single bath in the hall.....Love them penguins!!!













Entering kitchen....














Kitchen for cooking! Check out the NEW appliances!!!














Craft (crap) room--- office is behind where I am standing.














View off the back deck... a peach tree (next to shed) and a HUGE garden... attended to by our landlady, Carmella. :)

Movin' on Up!

We're here. The new apartment is very cute and will shape up nicely... in a few days. Last night, we tackled the last room that we had yet to access (we haven't unpacked it, just accessed it): the office/craft room. And I found the high speed router. All is well again.

A quick story. We got this apartment the same day that Landlady McWeirdo came by to announce us "unfit for Middlesex Rd, Watertown". I had called a realtor (CRG Realty in Newton- ask for Kathy Iovieno) and told her our story. Well, she asked me 10 questions and then said "I'll call you back." Well, having heard that before, I was surprised when she called me back! The address she gave and time to see the apartment fit into our schedule. And the address? Well, the traffic was bad in front of our old apartment that day, so we walked to the listing. Walked. 984 feet.

The apartment is great. I orginally thought it might be too small... but the kitchen? To.die.for. Travertine tiles and stainless steel appliances. A large ceiling fan. Built in microwave. And spacious. 2 BR and attached living room and dining room ( archway in between) make it nice for socializing. :)

The furniture fits well (minus PC's recliner, which has been moved to a reading nook in the office-- maybe he'll work through the stack of books he's got) and the place looks good. The upstairs neighbor is the landlord's daughter and granddaughter and are super nice. Landlord is great too-- he was here all weekend, installing blinds and helping us out. Oh, and my fridge broke (wah!) so he's replacing it with a new one-- also matching stainless steel.

And, before the saga of the move, an apology to PC. I found yarn in every single room of our old apartment. I'm sorry. I never knew I turned our apartment in my yarn storage. I love you and I am sorry.

Moving. If you are in Metro Boston and need a mover, I am openly recommending Benny's Moving in Watertown, MA. They showed up EARLY and ready to move. Diego, the foreman, was great and they really moved stuff fast! We only had one victim: my kitchen island... but I think it was ready to break before they took the wheels off. Sylvie and Amy... I couldn't have done this without you! Both of my friends showed up (Sylvie the a.m. shift, and Amy after lunch) and really helped me get settled in. Sylvie kept the movers moving, assembled furniture, and expertly placed my dining room rug. Amy is the queen of the kitchen drawer liners... she lined every cabinet and drawer in the apartment. :)

Our parents (both sets) came by on Friday to drop off pizza (mine) and Pumpkin (PC's).

I will do a photo tour soon... once I can find the camera. :)