A day late....

I was going to post at my usual time on Monday, but -- well, you'll see why I didn't manage it!

Before all that, I'll just show what I've been working on.  I'm pretty much finished with the front of my Sous Sous sweater.  Just a little strip that goes around the back neckline and the grafting to the back to do.  Which I have to learn how to do first.

There it is folded up in my Bookhou bag from Fringe Supply Company.  (Great shop, connected to a great blog.  And no, I'm not affiliated.)

I stopped working on that (for a reason, which you will see) to work on yet another mitred square or cozy memories or sock yarn blanket.  I'm using Koigu yarn for it so far.

This is a big thing in the knitting world -- everyone seems to be knitting one.

So what has happened since my last post?  My birthday, for one thing.  Paula from Kelmscott Designs sent me a wonderful package full of her lovely products.

Here you see the next in the series of queen threadkeeps, the Gray Queen Threadkeep.  Also the flower power scissors in red, perfect for my red scissors collection!  And at the top are the US and UK flags from the Flags of the World Needleminders collection.  Paula knows I went to London and am an Anglophile.  Thank you so much, Paula!  I love everything!

I also received a lovely package full of lovely presents from a dear friend.  Thank you!!  I love everything and had such fun opening everything up too.

A few days before my birthday, I went into NYC.  I shopped a bit, including a brief stop at Purl Soho.

I was a good girl, just checked out the new colors of Brooklyn Tweed yarn which had just come out that day.

Then the real treat.  The girl child (I need to think up different names -- she's not a child anymore!) took me out to dinner at the swanky restaurant where she waitresses part time! (Yes, she works full time already.  No, I don't know how she does it.  lol!)

Anyway, we had a lovely time, the decor was beautiful, the food was amazing!

On my actual birthday, we didn't do much.  But we did go out to dinner at a local Indian/Nepalese restaurant.  Delicious!

This past weekend, my father was up at my sister's house, so up we went to visit too.  The boy child came out from Boston too, so we got to see him as well.  It was a nice, relaxing visit.

(That's Lily the cat.)

The cousins

My father with Emily the dog.

The boys setting up a train.

We got home again Sunday night -- thus my not getting around to posting this blog post till now.  (And the reason I started the mitred square blanket -- much easier to knit on while visiting since it's pretty mindless knitting.)

Mia was happy to have us home, but I was sad to leave everyone behind, especially the boy child.  He will be home in a few weeks for a short break before the fall semester starts.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week.

(Mia in her new bed, the box the present from my friend came in.  Nicely padded with bubble wrap.  Her new favorite place to sleep.  Still.)

Every other week??

I thought I'd try the every other week posting.  We shall see how that goes.  As of now, I'm not sure I like it.  lol!  But I might grow to like it.

I finished the Red Deer Sampler!

Red Deer Sampler by GigiR Designs

40ct. WDW Confederate Gray fabric (called for fabric)

GAST fibers (called for)

Not a great picture -- my picture taking skills are going downhill.  But I'm very happy to have finished it.  Love the colors and the funky flowers in the bottom middle vase.  And the vases too!

I promptly started a new knitting project -- the Unicorn Parallelograms Scarf or Shawl by Stephen West of Westknits fame.  I've always enjoyed his fun, funky designs and I decided to go for this one.  It uses 20 colors of Madelinetosh Unicorn Tails.  A simple but fun pattern.  This is how far I am so far.

I'm starting the tenth color, so almost halfway.

Sweet Paula of Kelmscott Designs sent me the next in her series of queen threadkeeps, the Gold Queen.

Isn't she pretty?  I love her so much!  Thank you, Paula!

Here she is with the first threadkeep in the series, the Blue Queen.

The boy child left for Boston for the summer once again last week.  The time goes much too quickly when he's home these days.  it was two weeks, but felt much shorter.

He will be busy this summer with an internship with a sound design firm, a summer class, and his usual job on campus.

Mia moped around for a day or two after the boy child left, as usual.  Poor thing misses her boy once he leaves.  But she was back to her springy self after that.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!  It's almost June!!!  Yikes!  (And it's the French Open!  Yay!)

birthday spectacular

Here is my Hornbook Bestiary -- two rows done!  I've gotten the next box stitched but that's about it.

And here's my fussy cut star for the week, using a Vicksburg by Judie Rothermel fabric.

I've found that knitting something using a fingering yarn is much better for summer knitting, so I started the Obstacles shawl, using Mad Tosh sock yarn in Worn Denim.  Love this color so much!

My friends who do lace knitting tell me it will look better once blocked.  At the moment, it doesn't look as much like the pattern as I'd like!

It was my birthday on Saturday -- I'm aging quickly.  lol!  My good friend Laurie spoiled me crazy with a wonderful birthday package.  I am still dreaming about how I'm going to be using all these goodies she sent!  Thank you so much, dear friend!

Paula of Kelmscott Designs sent me a new pair of scissors to add to my red scissors collection.  I love them so much!  Thank you, Paula!

Then Saturday was a day of more spoiling!  The father type and I went to NYC for some fun!  I will let the pictures do most of the talking.

Brunch at a sidewalk cafe.

Been wanting to go to Knitty City forever!

My new stash.  The small skeins are for a fair isle project, I hope!  And I had to grab a few skeins of the last of the Cephalopod yarn the store had.  Cephalopod is closing its doors forever -- so sad.

Then a walk across Central Park

to a place I've wanted to go to  forever -- just to experience that building!  (The Italian Futurist exhibit was good too!)

We met the girl child for dessert at Laduree Soho.  What a beautiful place!  And the desserts and macarons -- delicious!  It was a birthday treat from my sweet girl.  I still can't get used to the fact that my girl is a working woman who can pay to treat me to fancy sweets!

Had to take some macarons home too!

You see that other bag?  Yup!  The girl child likes Eileen Fisher too!  It was right across the street.  I'm so glad we went.  They were having a sample sale -- dirt cheap prices for EF!  Both the girl child and I came away with a good purchase or two.  What fun!

Oh.  And I forgot to mention one other thing.

Um.  Yeah.  The father type gave me an iPad Air for my birthday.  We went to the Grand Central Apple Store (huge!!!) and traded in my old iPad mini (no retina display) for my new iPad Air!  (You get a discount for the trade in, which is really nice!)  He knew I was having trouble seeing things on my iPad mini.  Minis are not for people with old eyes like mine.

So yeah.  I got spoiled rotten.  Big time.

It was a long (but fun!) day, so long that Mia was anxiously waiting for us when we got home in the dark.  And today I'm resting and enjoying playing with my iPad Air.  I can see everything so much better now!  lol!

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!

Too many projects....

Here is my Hornbook Bestiary.  Sorry I left my needle in the fabric.  lol!  Bad habit!

I left off the D is for dog  and the angel in this pic, but you've seen them before.  I love the goose -- doesn't he/she look mad?

Here is my fussy cut star for the week.  This is a fabric from a Robert Kaufman collection called Fusions.

I started to baste a bunch of Liberty Tana Lawn hexagons, 1/2" to a side.  They are for a hexagon purse I'm hoping to make from a pattern by Brigitte Giblin.  I love her work!

And I got a lovely surprise early birthday present from my friend Nicola (Stitching by a Cornish Sea Shore).  Look at this lovely strawberry emery!

It's made by Cyndi Foore -- it's heavy and lovely to handle, and all ready for my pins and needles!  I decided to hang it off of my current Lori Ann Corelis pincushion which is on my stitching table.

Thank you so much, Nicola, for my lovely present!

The boy child got some last bits of cuddling with Mia in

before this happened.

Yup, he's back up in Boston again.  He has been promoted to supervisor at his campus job, which means more pay and more responsibilities.  He's been working on some music as well.  He's doing great -- hooray!

This also happened this week.

Silly Mia.

Thanks for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!