One has to start something, or maybe 3?

Starts, starts, and more starts! These are all small items, light weight and good to travel with. So, on my last trip I put yarn, needles, patterns if I needed them in various zip lock bags and those went with me in my carry on. After all one must have something to knit or crochet while on board a aircraft. I was flying first to St. Louis; then after a few days going from there to Denver, then driving from Denver to Breckenridge. Two flights and about a 2.5 hour car drive. I kept starting things in order to see how the yarn and the pattern I had chosen were going to work out. Remember these 2 from my post Adding Stash? Here you can see the beginnings of 2 scarves. The fuzzy funky fun one on the left for my niece. It will be part of her Christmas. Aren't you impressed I'm actually starting early on that? I am, because I'm terrible at that. But the yarn called out to me as something perfect for her. She's young and this pared with an appropriate colored sweater looks teenaging to me. The coral on the right, a lightweight cotton summer weight scarf for me myself. Coral, is sorta my signature color in the summer months.
And this start is suppose to end up being a wrap. You can probably see the yarn better here. I posted photo's before the yarn was rolled that I think show up a bit better. I'm a bit concerned though. The pattern says this is enough yarn....you can see the amount of the gold sparkle left in one skein/cake isn't much. I purchased 3 of them and according to yardage should have some left; but....seems like this should be bigger to me at this stage. Will have to play through with fingers crossed. The fiber on left is too pricey to use solo or to buy more I think. Plus if you read my previous post about the yarn, you'll note I got it in a going out of business sale. Fingers crossed this works out.

Adding Stash

I need more in my stash like I need a hole in my head, and yet....that didn't stop me. Here's my latest acquisition. There's an Italian yarn that I just learned has been discontinued. Hum...the store had plenty of it, perhaps that's why it was on sale? I'll make up at least one of these into a funky fun scarf my young niece. If I like it, might go back and get more while it's on sale before it's all gone?

This is a bulky yarn with lots and lots of texture, 38% Acrylic, 38% Nylon, 21% wool, and 3% Polyester. I can tell from that it's not going to be soft...but it is fun and I think will look very decorative. They're small skeins, only 55 yards, but apparently one is enough to make a skinny scarf for decorative purposes.

I love the color combinations, anyone used this? (the 2 larger skeins the redish black combo and the blue purple one).

The pattern looks like a fabulous sweater I'd like to make for myself, wonder if that will happen?

The other fun funky yarn Plymouth P-zazz and is 61 yards, 65% nylon and 35% rayon. The colors remind me of a box of crayons and look like it would go with anything.

Last, but not least is 100 yards of 100% cotton Adrienne Vittadini Alexa. I LIOVE the color and wear a good amount of that color in the summer time. It's made in Romania. I think it will make a nice skinny scarf, nothing fancy; just liked the color.

I should be de-stashing; but I seem to be going the other way. Figures, I'm backwards!

Maintenance

Sitting here with an ice pack on my knee, and when it's no longer cold will slip on my compression knee brace; I can't help thinking and wishing body maintenance was as easy as quality car maintenance. Now I don't claim to be well versed about things like a brake job, but read when metal hits metal as a result of your rotors and pads being shot you've got a problem. My knee isn't metal on metal, but isn't arthritis bone on bone? Anyway that's how I try to understand complicated car issues. I know if you don't get a brake job when you need it, you have bigger issues.

I have a friend who says her body doesn't work as well in extreme heat as it does other times. In my current state that reminded me of what I've learned reading about Houston Auto Repair. Extreme heat and humidity causes seals to falter, leaks to occur and fuse panels in your car not to work properly. I thought that was interesting and helpful information to have. I poked around further and found you can read what affiliations they have, what type of cars they work on, what they specialize in, how they're rated and get directions to the shop there in Houston. Well not just in Houston, plug in your city and find a reputable auto repair dealer near you. Read the reviews and find car care you can have confidence in.

Think about the time you spend in a car. Seriously; you depend on it to get you to work, to take you shopping, to pick up the kids from school and all their other activities. You depend on it to keep you and your loved ones safe. The health and welfare of your loved ones is important. Help your car take care of your family and friends by keeping it healthy. Take for example an oil change. Did you know that having your oil changed prolongs the life of your car, by removing heat from the internal engine componets to keep the engine "healthy"? Too bad I can't change the oil in my knee to keep it healthy, though the ice pack is removing the heat, lol. I don't understand or want to know much about gaskets, weights of oil or it's viscosity so am thrilled to have someone who knows what their doing tend to those important things for me.

Whether you drive an Acura TL, or other model car you no doubt have questions from time to time. Maybe you wonder about recalls, of if the problem you're having is a common one for that make and model autombile. By choosing your car, model and year you have at your finger tips a wealth of valuable and helpful information.

The car and I are alike, old and in need of maintenace.

Pretty Pretty Flowers

I love backyard flowers. I like lots of different colors and enjoy looking out the windows at them. Sometimes I think I should get rid of some of flower beds because as I get older the weeding, the mulching...get's to be a bit much. But I do really enjoy them. Many could be picked and brought indoors in a vase, but I rarely do that because they last so much longer outside. These pretty golden yellow Stella De Oro's bloom longer then many of the others in my yard. I like they way they clump and only grow about 2 feet tall, so they make it possible to have something taller behind them. I have these here and there in the yard and they really show up even on a cloudy day.


These Pink Lillie's are one of my favorites. I've babied these and this is the first year they've done this well. I moved them last year. They were close to the house because they have such a wonderful fragrance I wanted to be able to smell them easily. But the dang rabbits, and chipmunks kept eating them. When this plant is just popping it's head out of the ground it's young and tender and apparently they really like that. One year I kept something around it until it was ready to bloom to protect it. Then I removed the standard so it would be prettier and the very next day a rabbit went through and completely snapped it off. I was furious and ready to behead the pest. Some years they...chipmunks, squirrels, or rabbits...unsure which cause I didn't see the culprit actually dug up the bulbs. I kept replanting and everyday it would be dug up again. Anyone want to come hunt in my yard? Sooooooo last year I moved them and they've finally gotten thick enough they apparently don't taste good, as they've left it alone. However.........2 tiny off shoots near them I was looking forward to were completely eaten. errrrrrrrrrrrr Even my neighbor, Kevin remarks how nice these smell. He can enjoy them even from his backyard.

Daisies, love Shasta Daisies. Mine get so large they look more like a bush as time goes on. Some years I've actually had to tie them up for support because of all the blooms. They're really just starting in this photo. At night, just about dusk they look almost iridescent when I look out my window.






These are yellow Buttercups, they're pretty but beware....they'll take over your whole flower bed. I've pulled most of these up and have only left a few plants out in the very back of the yard. That particular flower bed is less manicured and has a more wild look to it. Hope you've enjoyed some of the color from my back yard. And maybe next year, you all can come over and help me weed and mulch! lol