Red LACE

Work in Progress Wed, AND L (z-a challenge)
Red happens to be a favorite color of a certain SIL who's soon to turn 60. Summer scarves need to be light, lacy, open and I think this will serve nicely for all those. I rarely get cold, but still like to wear a summer scarf now and again. When you out in the evening, sometimes the cold of the air conditioning on your neck really makes the arthritis there hurt. So, a nice decorative scarf not only helps that, but eliminates the need for a necklace, and can jazz up an outfit. The yarn is Feza Jewel. I'm using number 8 knitting needles and a double drop stitch to create the open lacy look. I love the look of the yarn, it has a shimmer which makes it a bit dressier I think.
Holding this up in front of the window so you can see the lacy openness of it better. Though one truly can't hold a scarf still enough to get a good picture. It always moves. It's just under 3 inches wide.

This is my 4th start for this scarf. I had other yarn in Buckeye colors. I started 3 different times using it, changing needles to try and get it to work...after 3 tries with 2 different stitches and 3 different size needles...I put that yarn away and choose this instead. This is much softer also. The other I think would be scratchy against a neck in summer.

I think if I used this yarn again, I might like it worked lengthwise for a different lace look, but...then again casting on 200 or 250 stitches...maybe not.

Nunnery, Sacred Heart of Mary

Looking down the hill you see a cemetery. If you drove through or walked through this cemetery you'd see lots of Polish names. The red brick building on the left is "The Nunnery". My daughter lived there for 2 years. No, she's not a Nun. In 1925 Father Stanislaus Wikarski saw the need for a new Parish in Dundalk (Baltimore, Maryland) to administer to the every growing Polish population in the area. The area had been called Graceland Park Area. The population was growing due to workers needed for Bethlehem Steel, and large numbers of people working and living at Fort Holabird, a military installation.
Suitable land was found and construction began in January of 1926. A school with 9 classrooms, housing for The Sisters, and Church were constructed. In June of 1927, Sisters from Pennsylvania arrived and school began with 5 students the following September. Above picture is the current Parish.
By 1950, 600 pupils in 11 classrooms were being taught by The Sisters. In 1959 a new Convent was built. Through additional growth, more building was needed. In June of 1965 a new building housing 24 classrooms, a library, nurse facility, faculty work rooms, and offices was constructed. Enrollment stayed high throught the 50's, 60's, and 70's averaging 500-600 students. (above picture is one of the small but pretty stained glass windows in the chapel at The Nunery.)
In 1980 Fort Holabird closed, and the decline in enrollment was noticed. Bethlehem steel closed, and futher loss in enrollment took place. By the 90's enrollment barely reached 300. Grade level classes were combined in an effort to save money. In 1999 The Sisters of Holy Family of Nazareth left the school and closed the convent. This ended their long dedicated service to the community of 73 years. (large dining room in the convent/nunnery).
A program similar to Teach America called Operation Teach run by The Catholic Church serves many under privileged areas in Baltimore. In exchange for their education, teachers teach in need based areas for 2 years. They're paid a small stipend and live in community housing like this closed Convent/Nunnery. The teachers pay rent to The Parish. The birth of Catholic Education began in Baltimore, and so the tradition of educating the masses continues.

**This is my N post for Z-A Challenge**

Camo Cotton Cloth

Nothing fancy about this 100% cotton camo washcloth, but I like it anyway. It's made using the basic corner to corner method starting with casting on 4. I used size 8 needles. I was hoping to get 2 cloths out of the one skein, but that's not going to happen. The variegated Sugar'n Cream is only 3 oz vs the 4 oz of the solid colors. I used 1.7 oz making this almost 11 inch square cloth and therefore only have 1.3 oz. left.

I cast on 4 as mentioned above, knitted 2 stitches before my yo (yarn over). The label suggested size 7 needles. So maybe if I make one a little smaller and use smaller needles I can get a 2nd cloth? I knit until I had 55 stitches before starting my decrease cause I wanted it sized for a man.

For fun I figured out how many rows and stitches. So, adding 54 + 54 =108 plus the middle row of 55 stitches =109 rows, but then you substract 8 (cause you cast on 4 and bind off with 4 stitches still on the needles), and you're back down to 101 rows. Funny, never really thought about this before, but a group of us were talking about how good it is to have a quick, fast project. Adding the stitches now that's a different story. Adding 4-5-6 etc until you get to 54, then multiplying that by 2 (2 halves), and adding 55 the middle row you get 3,987 stitches. That seems like a lot of stitches for a quick easy project doesn't it. I was surprised. Anyway...sometimes a person's mind wonders. This is probably more then anyone wants or needs to know about the knitting of a corner to corner cotton washcloth...but there you have it.

This will packaged with soap and other personal care items and donated to Bridge and Beyond next month, as 100% cotton will be our focus for the month of June.

Let me Quench your Thirst

Nicely chilled Martini's anyone? The martini on the left is a Dirty Martini with Vodka and olives, and the martini on the right is Gin, a dry Gin Martini with a twist for hubby. He likes Bombay. My favorite Vodka is Rain, but that's not easy to come by. We can't get it here, so often instead I use Belvedere.
Though sometimes I prefer a Lemon Drop Martini with a nice sugared rim. I make a good Martini if I do say so myself. We've gotten so were disappointed when we order one out, and find ourselves saying they're not as good as mine. lol You really need them to be ice cold, which in a busy bar is hard to do. I chill the glasses in the freezer and really shake the shaker which can give you very small little ice crystals...nice! Now that, quenches your thirst.

What type of Martini's do you like? Do you make them at home or order them out?

**This is my Q post Z-A challenge.

Whoa Nellie, it's Wednesday

Well, I've made lots of progress on my Poodle Blanket. Believe I've completed 4 sections since my last post and picture and am at the writing of this (scheduled ahead a wee bit), almost at the half way point. Hopefully, by the time you read this I will be on the decreasing half vs the add a stitch half. Somehow, mentally that always makes you feel you're closer then you really are. After all it takes the same amount of time to do the 2nd half as it does the first half...or does it? You do perhaps spend more time on the first half decided when and where to change colors which is less of an issue the 2nd half....though realistically this one isn't x number of rows and it's not precise. No need to do that really with the yarn. I named this one Poodle Blanket since my last post because the colors make me think of the 50's and poodle skirts. And black and white saddle shoes. It's made with 2 different skeins of JoAnn's Sensations Rainbow Boucle. This yarn is listed as a bulky yarn and that always surprises me as it's very light weight to work with. It suggests size 10 needles on the label, but I grabbed size 8. To me 8 is the average, the one you use the bulk of the time with knitted worsted which is what the yarn seems to me like. It might go faster though with size 10.
I've made no headway with the red scarf for The Red Scarf Project since last time. Since it's a long way off, I've laid it aside for awhile. Likewise, the pretty blue with the long 300 stitch cast on..I've not done anymore on it either.
Instead I decided to cast on this pretty yellow butterfly washcloth. I needed a little project to tote around and this seemed like a good idea. The problem I'm having is the cotton fiber does not slid nicely on my Denise Needles. I probably should have grab some old metal needles for this project. It's fine for the regular knitted rows, and or even the regular pearl rows; but the rows where you're purling a purl it seems very tight and hard to move and is hard on my hands.

Both the yellow washcloth and the pink poodle blanket will be donated to those in need at Faith Mission, through Bridge and Beyond.

I've asked several people in their blogs, but haven't yet received a reply...so will ask here. Does anyone know how to make those little graphs you see on people's blogs that show percentage done on any given project? I've wondered that many times and would like to add a couple here, I think. I've seen them on RAV. as well, but am more interested in posting those here on the blog. Please leave your instructions in the comments. That way, others who might be interested will also see them, and I won't delete them in emails or have to go sort through to find them. Thanks

Who is She, SANDY, that is?

Sandy of Sandy's Space, who is she? Well yeah there's a little ditty of a profile on the blog, don't we all have that. (pretty typical picture of me, preparing pasta and wine at hand....I'm sure there's yarn laying somewhere too)

Well, Sandy's a 60 year old who sometimes feel 60 +, though is lucky enough to usually feel much younger. I don't get hung up on age, or birthdays, they're just numbers after all. Numbers don't mean much unless we place great importance on them.

I'm married and when June rolls round this year will be celebrating 39 years. Neither hubby or I have been married to anyone else. We met in high school, though we only had one date then. We were friends, lived on the same street even. He worked with my younger brother the summer after high school and that's when we started dating. Unlike kids today we didn't know and date each other for eons and eons before getting engaged; nor were we engaged for YEARS earning our millions, buying everything on our list before getting married. We dated about 9 months, got engaged in the fall and got married the very next June. We had a very small outdoor wedding. My Mother made my dress and the dress my SIL, Jan wore who was my maid of honor. Though I guess technically she was my matron of honor since she was married. We had one used car between us, and somehow managed. Hubby was working full time evenings, and went to school during the day, while I worked day shift at a local hospital. We were happy, don't think we cared our furniture didn't match, or wasn't new. Don't think we even realized we didn't have much. We were together and that's what mattered to us.

We were married a good long while before we had our one practical perfect daughter. We never vacationed without her, and in the early days we camped mostly because that was affordable, and because we like being outdoors. We hiked, cooked out, and enjoyed lots of family time. We had one TV, and later when she needed one for school 1 computer.

I love good wine, quiet time, pretty scenery, computer time, and naturally knitting and crochet time. I go no where without a project in hand. You never know if you'll have time to do a row or two. I learned to crochet and knit when I was very young. Mom taught me to knit and a lady next door taught me to crochet. I really didn't do anything with either craft until after I was married though.

I'm not an animal person. Many animals scare me. I've always assumed part of that came from being attacked by a large dog when I was a kid. Also, probably too the number of people I saw badly mauled when I worked for a plastic surgeon from their family pets didn't help. Though we had dogs when I was kid growing up, and hubby and I had 2 cats when we were younger.....so, we have had pets; but not now.

I love to travel, and almost always visit historic locations when we do travel. I love learning who was there before me. I enjoy doing genealogy, though due to library cut backs don't do as much of that as I used to. I like spending time in and photographing gravestones for the same reason, to learn history and genealogy. Most cemeteries are such peaceful pretty places, it's also a good place to walk.

I began this blog back in August of 2005, though blogged in other venues prior to that. Some of you might remember aol had blogs, though I couldn't get anyone to blog with me then. Everyone I knew that had aol was afraid to blog. I blogged for awhile on msn spaces and yahoo's 360; until both became irritating with things not working. That's when I found a home here on Blogspot. I didn't blog as much then as I do now, and have deleted all my earlier blog posts here. I now have 3 blogs here on blogspot, Traveling Suitcase, and Bridge and Beyond. Obviously Traveling Suitcase is a travel blog, Bridge and Beyond is dedicated to helping homeless through knitting and crocheting. And now, perhaps you know a little bit more about me, the lady called Sandy.

This is my S post, Z-A Challenge