Love Train by Susan Ashcroft

The colors of this Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino are a beautiful pinkish-orange coral.  My last photos made it look really orange (it was a dark rainy day... and I couldn't wait... and I'm not good at "fixing" my photos... or waiting... hee hee). 

The design is LOVE TRAIN and its my fourth Susan Ashcroft (stitchnerd) pattern.  I really enjoy her laid back approach to knitting and received this pattern right after I finished my Hogwart's Express Shawl, a.k.a The Great White Owls, earlier this year.  As much as I loved it, I just couldn't bring myself to do another pattern with cable stitches at that time... Yes, I'm a klutz... handling just that one-more-curved-little-cable-needle is a struggle. 

THEN:  ENTER NEEDLE-LESS CABLES!!  Fabulous method of doing the cables with the two needles already in my hands!  And, the cables turned out really neat and tidy!  I highly recommend adding this trick to your repertoire of knitting skills!

My concerns about disliking a solid-colored yarn were ill-founded.  Amanda wore it one night and I couldn't take my eyes off the color (or maybe it was her)! 

AND, it went with the OLD cotton shift perfectly!!  Yea!!

Great design... sits easily on your shoulders... wears comfortably.  Yep, it's a keeper.

For knitters who want all the skinny on this shawl:  Ravelry page here.

Joining Kim's Wow Us Wednesdays because that cable trick is just too good not to share!!

"The man who for the first time picks a small flower so that he can have it near him while he works has taken a step toward joy in life."
~ Andre Gide

Wishing you a wonderful week...

blessings ~ tanna

Beach Time with The Little Men

Oh, the week was so SHORT!  I loved every. single. minute. of time with The Little Men & Co..  We enjoyed the Y-azy Y-iver (Lazy River) lots and lots and lots of times!!  Alex, who no longer wants to be referred to as Little Man because he is "big", jumped in and raced Roo and I around... passing us every time.

There were also lots of sand castles built... and torn down.  Roo enjoyed eating the sand off his squid's legs in spite of his Momma's and my admonishments NOT to eat it. 

There were miles of beach walks and shell seeking.

And, oh, the miles of "HAAS-soc BAWL" (soccer ball to the rest of you) with Little Roo.  That little-two-year-old-running-machine chased his ball TIRELESSLY up and down, back and forth, all around the beach... he took turns wearing the rest of us down.  His Noni LOVED her time trying to keep up!!  Zachary told me I finally had my Runner.  ;)  I believe I do. 

There were sugars and shells, waves and wonder, magic and merriment... all passing much too quickly... Now, to get settled back into life without the Little Men & Co....

{{sigh}}

"It's faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes life worth living."
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes


I hope everyone has had a wonderful week... I'll be catching up as soon as I can.

blessings ~ tanna

Be Back Soon...

Yep... I'm in my own personal heaven... time with The Little Men & Co....

Savoring every. single. moment...

Be back all too soon...

Blessings ~ tanna

Yarn Along and Quoting from Lonesome Dove...

 

 

My Beloved is quite fond of quoting to me from Lonesome Dove:  "You don't give up on a garment just because it's got a little age on it."  True enough.  Point in case is this cotton shift.  It has been washed so many times the care instructions are no longer legible.  I still love it.  And, I still wear it.

 



 

My trouble was I didn't have a shawl to go with it.  So, the search began for The Color (we've talked about how important color is).   On the day I became obsessed started looking, this Baby Cashmerino by Debbie Bliss made me happiest of all the wonderful colors in our LYS. 

 

I'll readily admit that I've been spoiled to the tonal shades of hand-dyed yarns and the incredible variations in the Noro yarns; but, I think I will like this okay.  It is just different working with a solid, no variation, perfectly smooth yarn.

 



So, we will see...  More to be revealed. 

I'm joining Ginny's Yarn Along today.  I have a couple of good blog friends (Steph and Karen) who do this every week, and I am happy to join them today. 

"Life is denied by lack of attention, whether it be to cleaning windows or trying to write a masterpiece."
~  Nadia Boulanger

blessings ~ tanna
p.s. yes, I know some of you are thinking it... and, yes, this is but another diversion from The Unloved.  ;)

Things That Made Me Smile...

I had one of those weeks!  You know, the one where if it can go wrong and make you crazy with frustration, it DOES!  But, there were things along the way that just made me smile...

Like this precious Little Free Library...  I snapped this photo early one morning... on the way to treat for fleas in one of my currently vacant Old Girls.  You do not want to start me on that story!!!

Isn't that one of the sweetest and most thoughtful ideas you've nearly ever seen? 

It sits in front of this cute little home in our neighborhood...  generously offering the magic world between the covers of a book to any child who would care to partake...

With beautiful, happy blossoms... shining joy to all that pass...

I just love that someone would do this.

Then, there was a text of amazing artwork from my Little Man.  I do want to point out the bright green touches on this monster.  If you remember, there was an issue with the Monster Hat Noni made for the Little Man, where the green trim had to be removed.  (and before)  I'm just sayin'.  ;)  I think my Little Man may be branching out from dark "byue". 

There were more special smiles for:

• An e-mail from my bonus-daughter sharing a beautiful crochet design.
• A telephone call from my daughter-in-love sharing a JOY!!
• FaceTime with my Little Men showing out their projects and skills to their Noni and Pop Pop.
• A phone call from my son excited that he had won a fishing tournament (Again.  That child was practically born hunting and fishing.)
• And, a new camera from my Beloved (a thoughtful and unexpected surprise).

So, amidst the grind and the frustrations... there were sweet, sweet moments of goodness. 

I am so thankful.

I hope your week brings smiles along with all the rest.

"Appreciation is yeast, lifting ordinary to extraordinary."
~ Mary-Ann Petro

blessings ~ tanna

For the love of color...

I'll admit it... I love color.

 Color is one of the main things that attracts me to beautiful yarns... and the creations they become.

Then, of course, there is the design element, too... Shape and form... 

The same things I love in watercolor.... or gardens... or home décor...  or food (plus taste, of course)...

And, we can't forget texture...

These are some luscious wools that were sitting in my stash.  The brightest green is Madelinetosh Light, leftover from my Sweet Dreams shawl; and, hands down, it feels the most wonderful sliding through my fingers, though I love them all.

 
I'm practicing Modified African Violet Pentagons with these little discs.  Crochet is NOT my usual territory but I'm giving it a try (yes, Vicki, I am).  They've gotten better as I've gone along.  However, I still have trouble trying to figure out where to start and how to count these stitches!  LOL!  Forever the Student.   Forever on the learning curve.

 I am convinced it is good to strain your brain and this is certainly filling that bill.

And...  it is helping to avoid The Unloved (knitting project that is sulking in its basket for lack of attention).  {sigh}

"It is the artist's job to create sunshine when there is none."
~ Romain Rolland

I hope you are out there creating your own sunshine... in whatever form you enjoy!! 

blessings ~ tanna

p.s. Let me know any thoughts on the color combos.