Summer Vacation Planned

Well it is official. We are going on a small summer vacation along with a business trip. We just bought the tickets. I am so excited it feels like forever since we went anywhere. We are going to Grand Rapids MI in July. Yes I know it will be hot and humid but it is somewhere I have never been before so I am excited. My brother MrHarley spent over five years in Michigan when I was in high school and we never went out to see him. I sure wish we would have taken the opportunity but now I get to see a little bit.

Now it is time to think of who will take care of the kitties while we are gone. I know my dad will jump at the chance, he loves the girls. But we will have to see as it is the same weekend as my parents wedding anniversary.

Mr80grit made it back from his trip safe and sound late Sunday night. I was so happy to see him. I just don't sleep well when he is gone. I did get 2 1/2 repeats done on the wedding shawl and if the sun is out tomorrow maybe I will get a shot.

A quiet weekend

I am having a quiet weekend as Mr80grit is out of town. Each year we usually go to Las Vegas for a Leadership Conference. This year we had been debating whether to go or not. It was determined that I wouldn't go this year as we couldn't get a room at the conference center. Then we decide that neither would go. Then last night after visiting my LYS, Mr80grit states that he really wants to go. So at 7 pm we started getting him ready for the trip. Mainly I gave a list of food to be left and then stayed out of his way.

He got his hair cut, gas in his car as he would be taking mine. Laundry was done, I put it away...but soon it was all done. He left this morning and has arrived safely. I am so excited for him.

I went to work, and got there safely also. My vehicle is a van and so driving Mr80grit's car is different as I feel like I am sitting in a hole. But I have a short commute so it wasn't bad. I went to dinner at our favorite place, where everyone missed him but made me feel very comfortable even though the place got extremely busy as I left. Standing room only.

I did get the June Wedding shawl cast on last night and got one repeat of the pattern complete. I am much happier with the pattern and the smaller needles. I am glad to listen to those who have knitted before me, if its not fun to knit, don't do it.

So here is a quick picture of where I ended last night. The needles are calling must go.

Sometimes you just have to laugh....

Especially when it is something that your husband says. Tonight we were out at dinner at our favorite spot, when Mr80grit points to the TV beside the bar and says that is why you're so miserable. All tree pollen levels except Cypress are Extremely High. At that point I just laid my head down on the table and had a good laugh. (The table kept my head from hurting too much.)

I love seeing all of the pretty trees blooming with whites, pinks and light greens but this year I am getting a little tired of the side effects, which makes more ironic that I am frogging the wedding shawl and recasting it as a Fern Lace Wrap....something about leaves......hahaha!

So off I go to frog....rip it, rip it.

WIP pictures

Well I finally got a few pictures this morning. While it was beautiful this weekend, it ended up being a crazy weekend and no pictures got taken.

Here is a updated picture of my Grey Dawn, Hanami shawl. I am more than half way done. However I may have to put this as second as I have a friend's wedding shawl to complete.



Last night I cast on Casade's alpaca Lace for the wedding shawl.


Sorry short post.

It's Friday again

Isn't amazing how quickly the weeks fly by? Now it is friday again and I still have a pretty good to do list left to do. I am making good progress on my Hanami and have other projects wanting to be done.

Tonight is a boring Friday night with laundry and other chores. I knitted a pair of socks for a friend and remembered to block them tonight. Hopefully they will be dry in the morning as band practice is at 815 am . Ouch! My only two early mornings are Saturday and Sunday. It is really quite nice.

The sun is suppose to be out and I will try to remember to bring my knitting and my camera out to grab pictures~

The more you knit

I was reading the comments from my previous post and my cousin MommaD comment about the shawl. Years ago I knitted her a beautiful shawl with cranberry Encore yarn. I was so proud to use a brand with wool. Now I realize that was my introduction into the fiber word. Now I have sorta become a fiber snob. I am now knitting a shawl with 100% Merino wool. I love the animal and plant fibers!

My hubby is great at picking our wonderful fibers. He can go into any yarn store and fine the most expensive yarn within minutes. I tease him that the reason my stash is so big is that he always asks can you make something out of this, either because of the feel and/or the color.

Mr80grit loves to learn about the fibers also, the gang at our favorite LYS always tease him that he should learn to knit, I think he should learn how to spin, he is really good at details. He went to last week's guild meeting to learn about local handdyed yarn. He asked questions I would have never thought to ask but I would want to know.

So the more I knit with different fibers the more I learn and love! I am doing a good job with my Hanami and am pass the half way point. It is suppose to be sunny sometime this weekend so maybe a casual photoshoot will be called for.

Easter Weekend

Well Easter weekend was a very busy weekend. Mr80grit and I started it with a late lunch at our favorite restaurant. Good Friday services then back to our favorite restaurant. Really they do know us by name! Saturday was band practice, a trip to my parents to set up their computer as Mr80grit had done some updating and spring cleaning on it. Then back home for a nap then again to our favorite restaurant. Sunday was a very busy day, starting very early in the am and not ending until later. Sunday services, lunch at my parents.

While at my parents, I got my mom to Model my last shawl. It is the forest canopy shawl by Susan Lawerence. Raveled here



We took a lot of pictures and my mom was a good sport, walking on the unlevel ground with a back that wasn't happy this week.

Afterwards it was home for a nap, big mistake as we didn't go to bed until 1 am and Mr80grit had to work.

Yesterday was another beautiful sunny and windy day. Mom, Mr80grit and I went to lunch, were else but our favorite place. It is also my Mom's favorite too! Then we went on a research shopping trip for my mom. Then Mr80grit and I did some stuff for the studio as we had the computer worked on during this work break. While Mr80grit uploaded all the software I worked on the Grey Dawn shawl, I am almost through the basket weave part of the shawl. Of course, the day ended with dinner at our favorite place.

What a fabulous weekend, and no cold it is just the tree's pollen, we spotted the Russian Olive trees are starting to wakeup so that is one of the worst ones for me.

Coffee it's a good thing

Okay day two of Spring Break..I slept really really late. I think I am fighting another cold as last night while watching a movie with Mr80grit, I was freezing with two cats laying on me. So today I just let myself sleep until I woke up.

So whenever I do this I always have a hard time waking up. Today was no exception, so I made myself coffee and with a little chocolate coffeemate all is well.

I did get one and half repeats of the basketweave chart on my Gray Dawn stole completed but I am having issues with blogger this morning and it won't let me upload. So must wait for mr90grit to come home and deal with it. It may be tomorrow before anything happens as we are busy tonight with Good Friday services at church.

The sun is out and it is a semi pretty day as the skies are still cloudy. Time to knit more. Have a great weekend and enjoy Easter

Rainy Spring Break

Well today starts my spring break. This is kind of weird to be on vacation at the same time as everyone else at work. I feel like I am back in school. Yesterday we had a meeting in regard to Student Fest (the school's idea of a recital is a rock concert), it was a lot of fun and now I am even more excited.

I am going to do some knitting on my Hanami - Dusty Stole today, I started another example of that with Jojoland Harmony but after Knitting Guild last night I think I will do a Swallowtail with the yarn instead. I also am trying to keep myself from running over to my favorite LYS to pick up some Sleeping Dragon yarn. She is a local indie dyer who spoke at the meeting last night. I have worked with her yarn in lace weight and loved it. She debuted her spring colors which I loved and would work for a shawl for a friend's wedding in June. More later when I can take pictures, just waiting on the sun.

Now to knit and watch videos, first day of spring break - jammies and videos!

socks...i am done

I have been working on a pair of socks for a friend. She commissioned me to do a pair for her friend's birthday. I did the lovely Cookie A's BFF socks. They are done and for now I am done knitting socks. Done, done, done. I will post a picture of them but now I want to knit something different for a while.

A family gathering

Let me just say now, I love my husband's family. All of them. Especially all the family from his mom's side. There is one cousin that is the best at organizing, anything, anytime. She is the one that makes sure we have family gatherings, vacations etc and we all know about them. I would call her very lovingly our family cruise director, because she even makes spring cleaning fun. (yes, she reads my blog too!)

This week her and her handsome son is in town helping my SIL with spring cleaning, decorating my nephew #1 new bedroom. So tonight they threw a party and all that could come did. Which meant much food, fun and laughter. We took a ton of pictures especially of all the kiddos! Sorry no posted here but I will share the food!

Here are the strawberries that we dipped in chocolate.



Here is the gluten free pecan pie that Mr80grit got for me to share. Everyone loved it but I was able to bring some home. Yummy!


The cheese, grape and bread plate. Wonderful director made sure I had cheese and carrots that hadn't touch any bread or gluten. I just love her!!!!

Aren't these the cutest little sponge cakes. Our personal cruise director brought them. I got to find a good gf recipe to make small bundt cakes like this.

Flowers on the table. So beautiful I had to take a picture.

What an awesome time! With the new job, less stress, less hours we hope to do more family things in the future. There is a big event in July with family dinners and a trip to Preston Idaho for rodeo days???maybe.

No knitting news, maybe tomorrow.