October Riding Rocks!!

Three days in a row on the bike is heaven!! The leaves are not peaked but still a pleasure, especially while not in a car. Thursday we went to Lake Placid...wish it didn't get dark so early.
On the knitting front..I have too many items started. Mostly mittens and wristers and will post pictures as I progress.

Nidan Test (aka lots a sweat)

Mom survived Josh's Nidan test friday night. We weren't sure it would be open to spectators but it was and I grinned and bared it. Sucks to see your kid hit, but if that is what he wants. Damn, he'll be 21 in November, so really it is his choice. We are so proud of him. He passed the test and is now a second degree black belt in the Zen Do Kai organization. Karate is one of the best things that ever happened to him. It is like his religion in a non religious way. Here are some photos!! Love you Shell!!

No Longer a Kayak Virgin!!

Woohoo!! Thanks to Toni and Jerry, Todd and I tried out kayaking yesterday. We loved it. Very serene. We can never get enough of that these days. And of course it must have burned a few calories?? Here is a photo of the handsome sexinesses Toni and I get to live with. Woohoo...Life is good! he he he snort...

And here is proof that there were kayaks there... great photo of Toni!! Very introspective, (Is that a word)? Thanks for the fun guys we loved it!! Lunch was good too!

Where has the summer gone??

The boys are back at college (see handsome sexy photos below) and the house is way too quiet. BooHoo...NOT!! LOL, I do miss them, they are my life's work!! They are also both employed so that is a good thing. Take notice of the quilts on their beds courtesy of mom and grandma. I was so happy to see that Megan and Lauren had brought the quilts I made them to school. That is Megan's mom in the doorway of the boy's room. We were so dam hot and sticky!! But, after three years we have the moving thing down to an art and in 3 short hours their room was in ship shape and neat as a button. Not for long I am sure!! Love you guys!! XOXOXOXO

This month was pretty busy. We took a 4 day trip to my sister's in Rome. Went to Syracuse shopping twice. Or at least the kids shopped with their own money. That is the best part of the shopping trips these days. I bought too many purses. Three I think, but I do work now too AND they make me happy. I did buy 4 skeins of sock yarn in Rome. This will make 2 pairs. I love colors!! We ate at The Roadhouse in Syracuse somewhere. Food was wonderful!!

I finished these socks and they are mine. They were a bit too long in the toe for Lauren. I haven't been spinning at all lately and hope to get back to spinning on Thursdays with the girls. I am now working on mittens and socks for Jake. After that it will be Josh's turn. Then Todd wants red socks. Go figure...He is getting so flashy in his old age. He turned 44 on Sunday. I like to tell him all the time he is almost 50!! I am a major pain in his ass but he loves me anyway!

Here are some other highlights of August. Toni and I camped out at Coles Creek State Park overnight. We were testing the possibility of me moving there for the month of August and living in a tent until the kids went back to school. I do have photos to prove we had a campfire. We were both girl scouts but Toni was the fire attendant. How many matches did we go through?? Toni is also my official blog stalker, in a good way of course. She said she thinks she visits this blog more than I do. I will try to get better. I would love for her to have a blog. She travels a bunch and it would be so much fun to travel with her!! I still have more wine by the way!

We attended the Renaissance Festival in Sterling New York. Todd loves it and I couldn't say no. It was rumored that it may be closing if it isn't sold for next season. Someone please buy it. Closing it would be a shame.

I knitted in Tupper Lake in a park and in a topless jeep on the way to New Hartford. I had my top on, the jeep did not. I had an urge to stand up out of the top and hoot but chickened out.

I took Jake and Lauren to Bouckville to the big antique and yard sale thingy. We had fun but were beat at the end of the day. They got a few good deals! Aren't they a cute couple! Both of the boys have beautiful girlfriends and I love them both!

Josh and Megan went to the Herkimer diamond mines for the day. He took no pictures. Brat!! He missed his calling. Poor Megan napped on the rocks. Now that is a girl that can sleep anywhere.

Whiteface and Allergies??

Last week we took a motorcycle ride to Whiteface Mountain. It was wonderful!! It really made you feel alive though I have to admit I was a bit "saddlesore."

The weekend before that, I went to my sister's and handed out my gifts of knitted socks. I think they really loved them. Ssshhhh...don't let Jo know there is 20% wool in her orange "cotton" socks. She'd be just a dancing and itching if she knew. I told my niece Ash (younger sock recipient shown) to keep an eye on her mother for difficulty breathing. And if need be, remove the socks from her body!!

Graduations and Finished Objects

This past weekend was filled with activity. Both the boy's girlfriends graduated from high school. It felt so good to not have it be one of mine! The arenas were cool and no stress for me! yah!!

I am on top of the world tonight! I had DH pick me up some grommets and dowels and I made several CD drop spindles. It doesn't take much to make me happy. I am now able to spin different fibers and colors depending on my mood. I manages to make 3 and have 3 more in the works. The orange is a pencil roving that is Merino super wash and the blue is pencil roving brought to me in what they call "cakes" from Iceland. Jake's girlfriend's dad lives and works there. Her mom has brought me 5 of these "cakes" and I am so happy to be spinning it!! I hear there is some green at their house with my name on it! The purple and red is what I had been working on. I actually set the twist on that skein lastnight along with all the blue skeins. They are wool and mohair and was my first spinning ever. It was done on a wheel.

Here are my photos of my finished objects so far this year. They are in a bin marked for gifts.

A Moments Peace

Woohoo!! I can't believe I am finally posting. Life is getting a little out of hand here! Our trip to Keepsake Quilting was wonderful. Here is how we started off the trip. Big fresh greasy doughnuts. Gotta love em. First we went to the Vermont Country Store and enjoyed a store full of items from the past. I bought nothing...can you believe it?? Mom of course made several purchases. Next we were off to Harrisville Designs which I think was in New Hampshire. I looked and looked at everything. Probably drove mom nuts. I bought a bag of red roving and a minnie nitty notty, and a book on drop spindling. Finally we were on the rode to Center Harbor. It rained a bit and it was dark but we managed to find a room for the night...had the worst meal of my life and got some rest. We were in line for the sale by 6:30. I bought way more Koigu yarn than any one person needs to own. Mom of course added to her fabric stash. The ride home was beautiful. Here is a photo of what we saw.

Now that trip was just not enough. The hubby and I decided to go to the Americade in Lake George. We ended up spending the night and having a very good time. I have never seen so many bikes in one place. I didn't want to come home and can't wait to go next year. Here is the view from the beach behind out room.

And of course us and the long, long line of bikes. They go on forever on both sides of the street. And yes, I knit at the resaurant while waiting for dinner. Those same blue ribbed socks.

And last of all we took the bike up to Allens Falls today. Knitting while the falls beat off the rocks was so peaceful. Funny how all that noise just turns into quiet!!

Can't wait til morning!!

So here I sit at 11 p.m. To excited to go to bed and realizing I will regret it when the alarm rings at 5 a.m. My mother and I are going to New Hampshire tomorrow to Keepsake Quilting and Pattern Works. Well, actually we are shop hopping tomorrow and will spend the night there tomorrow night in order to hit the big sale Friday morning.

I have finally finished the boring orange and black mittens I made for my sister. Please forgive me sissa. They are in my niece and nephew's school colors. Black and Orange...Now I love Halloween, but after 2 hats and 2 sets of mittens in these colors in acrylic yarn...well...you get the picture. It is time to move on. I hope I eventually develope a better relationship with making mittens. I have yet to enjoy it. Yet I love the thought of homemade mittens. Guess I have a love hate relationship. The fiber trends ballet slippers are also done and waiting to be felted. I just would like to have those little feet here when I do it, for sizing. Here they are unfelted!! Pretty in pink ...brown sheep worsted victorian pink. Can't remember the name of the trim.

Well...off I go!! To bed...

Dreary Sunday

Darn!! It has started to rain. So much for going to camp to visit. Not that I'm sugar or anything. We all know better than that. Well, this is my first post to my blog. Hopefully I will keep it up and understand how to use it. Off to knit!!