Around the house

I really love this house.

It has lots of charm.

This garland is from my pen-pal.

Did you know I am in the LWA?

Powder room doorknob...with no lock.

I actually didn't notice until

someone asked about it

the other day.

We have two of these windows...

I used to think this ceiling in the living room

was too dark.

But now it reminds me of the ceiling in church

and it's growing on me.

Rainbow Trader Joe's lemonades...

Orange

I found some orange around the house.

I've been loving orange lately.

I love that the word ORANGE 

is just on the edge of this photo.

I even thought it would be a good color

for the tiny downstairs powder room.

Mr. votes N.O.

But I am still leaning that way...

April Fool's!

See this innocent bowl of cereal?

Looks good, doesn't it?

It's F.R.O.Z.E.N.

April Fool's!

Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade 2012

We braved the crowds 

and went to the parade.

In the train, we were packed 

like a Russian suitcase full of Levi's.

Standing room only.

Folks entertained the crowd

while they waited.

I guess it was a good time to get my 15 minutes of fame.

Too bad I never learned to juggle.

Or ride a unicycle.

My career at the circus is stalled.

We made the sisters wake at 8am.

On a Saturday.

The only thing that made Sister happy

was this sign

which I think she loves because it antagonizes her father.

She's a rebel.

Lookie at that nice family!

The bishop and cardinal were both there.

And, Mr. Joe Biden!

Plenty of secret service guarded him.

That's our Flat Kane! 

We were hosting him from the U.P.

One of the interesting factoids learned at the parade:

The U.S. has more bagpipes than Ireland.

And I think they were all at the parade.

Folks really got into it.

Especially this guy.

And he wasn't the only one with a green beard.

All in all, lots of fun.

Temps in the 70's (YAY!)

Sunny (Double YAY!)

23,000 in the parade

250,000 spectators

2 bags of Pittsburgh Popcorn Factory popcorn

Lunch at Noodles

Ice cream at Betsy's

I'd do it again.

On My Needles

I am experiencing a baby boom.

I thought it would be a good idea

 to make a baby blanket.

It's pretty...

but I'm sort of hating it.

I think it's tedious.

And heavy.

I'm committed though.

Here's the pattern:

Cast on 110 stitches.

K1P1 (seed stitch) for 6 rows.

K1, P1 for first 6 stitches of row 7, 

then knit until the last 6 stitches, ending with 6 seed stitches.

Next row: seed stitch 6 stitches, 

purl to the last 6 stitches, seed stitch.

A lovely seed stitch border

surrounds stripes of stockinette stitches.

Lovely.

But I am already tired of it.

 I also have this on waiting...

which I am EAGER to knit.

But as it is a holiday gift,

it must wait.

Babies come first.

Mr. needs a homemade baby gift

for a friend.

I bought this lovely yellow yarn,

originally for another blanket.

But I am wondering 

if it will be a 

baby sweater instead.

I'll keep you posted.

More socks

So, based on the Frankenstein-like look of the last socks,

I decided a REAL gift was in order.

I right away got going knitting with GOOD sock yarn.

I bought it for 29% off

at my yarn store's Leap Day Sale.

I wish I could move into my yarn store.

Not bad, right?

Can you tell I am getting better?

I loved the way the yarn looked when it was wound in a ball.

The stripes...

a little weird.

But, who wouldn't think that getting TWO pairs

 of homemade socks for Christmas

was a great thing?

Even if one is more than a bit wonky.

Socks

I have wanted to knit socks

for about 10 years.

I even bought sock yarn.

Good thing it isn't wool, 

or the moths would have had a feast!

I finally decided to knit up that yarn 

(now that I am an Amy's Sock Class Grad).

Unfortunately, there wasn't enough to make a second!

I knitted anyway,

and patched the rest of the sock together 

with lovely scraps from other projects.

The pair...

with an OBVIOUS right and left sock.

When you wear them with shoes,

the patchy sock will not be obvious.

They're a Christmas gift,

for the only person I know

who would appreciate them.  

Luckily, though she might be my biggest fan,

she never reads the blog!