Yellow Memories Mom

I knitted this yellow shawl for Mom's 80th birthday.

While you can't see her well, here she is unwrapping it.
Yellow was her favorite color. As I type this blog post I am wearing this yellow shawl. I'm not sure she ever got the chance to wear it, except perhaps while watching TV at home. She got ill not too long after this happy day. Between several surgeries on her knee, being in rehab, falling and hitting her head, having back problems, prior to her emergency surgery which caused her a long 7 week hospital stay (mostly in ICU), and ultimately her death, she didn't get to wear this out. Air conditioning on her shoulders was bothersome and thus I thought this knitted shawl in her favorite color was just the ticket. She liked yellow because she said it was a happy color, the color of the sun and warmth. She often laughed and said happy people like yellow.

Though this picture has faded over time, this is another yellow item I crafted for her. I crocheted this yellow sweater long ago for Mom as a Christmas Gift. She had small rounded shoulders and so a raglan sleeve style sweater made a nice fit for her. I loved this pattern. I remember being frustrated when I realized I was going to run short of the yellow yarn with the same dye lot. So I decided to do the red and white striping in the yoke area. I remember being truly excited my stripes can together so well. This was an awesome pattern. Sadly, I've lost this pattern and would dearly love to find it again. I remember the cover well. This sweater was in solid light mint greenish blue on the cover. The sweater was made with 2 ply sports yarn and the stitches were mostly good old double crochets with the ribbing being back stitch single crochets. Does anyone remember this pattern? Does anyone have it per chance? I've looked high and low at yarn stores to replace it. I don't think it's in print anymore. It was one of those leaflet types with about 6 patterns in it, not a book.

Yes Mom, LOVED yellow. And she wore it well. Some folks have trouble wearing yellow. This was taken at my youngest nephews rehearsal dinner. She so loved yellow she asked to be buried in this yellow dress. She worried a bit about that, saying yellow wasn't the color most folks wore at their funerals; but she loved yellow and wore it well. It's been just slightly over 2 years that we lost Mom, so I sit here wearing your yellow shawl remember you like this, with a smile on your face.

**I've added a tab across the top of my blog, as I continue my alphabetical memories of Mom**
***My Y post for May Z-A Challenge***

Happy May 1st (Zinnias)

Zinnias a flower I used to plant often, as did my Mother. Wonder why I got out of the habit? Funny, as I think back so did she. Zinnias are annuals, though they do come in both seeds and plants; most often you see them in seed. Perhaps that's why we both changed our habits. Annuals require more work then perineals do. Seeds though cheaper require more work then seedlings/plants. We planted seeds back in the day. There are many varieties, many sizes, many colors and once they grow, quite easy to care for.

These make wonderful flower beds whether you choose a mix as above or all one color and all one variety. There are small shorter single varieties that make lovely edges, the larger double and giant flowers are great to cut. Zinnias will continue to flower after you cut and bring in doors. In addition, they will continue to bloom if you dead head regularly. They'll branch and be more bushy if you pinch them back. They attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds to you yard, as well as beneficial insects. Indoor bouquets do best if you cut the flower blossom before it's fully opened.

I live in planting zone 5, which means seeds could be sowed indoors as early as late in the month of March; or sowed outdoors in late April. Burpee suggest planting in full sun after the threat of frost is mostly past. Plant seeds 12 inches apart with 1/4 inch soil covering them. Water frequently keeping them moist during seedling stage. Generally you'll see your seedlings within 7-10 days, at which time you're suppose to thin them to 18-24 inches apart. I can't say I ever did that, and doubt Mom did either. Who wants to pull out a plant that's trying to grow? Not me.

I've not thought about these flowers in some time, and need to review my yard to see if there's a place I might like to plant them again. I do love to attract Butterflies.
And Happy Birthday Chuck, my oldest brother. Shall I pick a bunch of flowers for you?

Starts

It may not look like it, but I have in fact made headway on my Red Scarf Project Scarf. Think maybe it's doubled from when I previously showed you.

The blue worm, geessssssssssss. I've now started this project for the 3rd time. Yeah you got that right, that means I've frogged it twice. The first time I decided I didn't like the pattern. The 2nd time, I decided I couldn't count. I really frogged a whole week's worth that time. I had a mess. With 300 stitches on the cast on, I apparently couldn't count. And...yeah you see me now cheating with the plastic ring thingy's every 10 inches. Good grief. I'm really only making a scarf, but, x number of knit, and x number of pearls with each row being different has caused me to have a headache. Now on the positive side. I LOVE this yarn. I LOVE the color, which I bought with someone else in mind....might keep for myself...hum, just don't know. I wanted to do the scarf lenthwise instead of the more traditionally widthwise as I think it stretches less and a larger pattern would show up better. The yarn is Ultra Alpaca, 50% Alpaca and 50% Wool (Laine), a Berroco hand wash made in Peru. Yeah....I think I'm gonna keep it. The person in mind is not a hand wash person I'm thinking. So with my cheater markers I've now started over the 3rd time; but have chosen a less involved pattern. The stitch repeat is 5 stitches vs 9 in the previous attempt, and a 6 row repeat vs 14. I guess it's "Baby Steps". Still amazes me how long it takes to complete 1 row.

The pink-blackish gray triangle blanket is coming along with quite a bit of headway since last you saw it. No worries with counting with the traditional dishcloth pattern. This yarn Jazzes up the the basic garter a bit too.

What are you working on. I can't imagine I'm gonna have anything to show you for Finished Object Friday. Just saying..........

The Friday Night Knitting Club

Mr. Linky below.
Add your name, blog about a book you've read about knitting or crocheting or any book you've recently read for that matter, and remember to add a link to this post.
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. I recently read this while lounging about the pool in Aruba. You can read about Aruba on my travel blog by clicking on the word Aruba.

One really can't knit or crochet by pool side, you don't want the yarn to get wet; nor can you do either well when you're hot and the yarn sticks to your hands and or to the needles and hooks. Sooooooooo, why not read about your craft instead. I had started The Friday Night Knitting Club previously on another vacation, and while I enjoyed it, I did not feel compelled to finish it when I return home. I tossed it on my shelf to have it ready for the next vacation. So, I guess that means I didn't think it was all that good. If so, surely I would have wanted to finish it, instead of waiting several months for the next vacation. It was a NY Times Best Seller. There are 2 additional books now in this series I understand, "Knit Two", and "Knit the Season". I probably will get them eventually....to take on vacation and read at poolside again; but don't feel the need to rush out and get them and stay up all night reading them. I had some issues with the book. Firstly, one of it's selling points is that it's about strong women; but I'm not sure I thought the main character Georgia was all that strong. On one hand, yes she was. She raised a bi-racial daughter on her own, and had her own business. On the other hand, she took back the no count father who'd not been around in years! I have a problem with that. She came from what apparently was a pretty dysfunctional family, not getting along with her family; choosing almost strangers over family. I like knitting, but I don't think it takes the place of relationships, replacing family the way they seem to infer in the book. It's a hobby and everyone should have one. I thought they made knitting far more important in the book then it is in real life. Recommend it, yea I guess so. Just don't expect to be transformed. My daughter read this and gave it to me, so that made it worth the $16.00. Save yourself money and don't buy it, it's not a keeper. Go to the library.

Have you read it? What did you think? Are there other knitting or crochet books you've read? Love to hear your take.

Let's share some linky love, and maybe work up a reading list in the process. Don't forget to visit each other too.