Episode 150

 The latest episode of PJKnits is up on You Tube and you can find it by clicking here

Enjoy!!!

Background Noise

 When you wake up alone and have evenings alone, it is nice, at least for me to have some background noise on.  As much as I like watching podcasts, every morning as I posted last week, I spend a little time, just enjoying starting off slowly. 

And so it continues, this week, though, I am trying to work on a sweater that knitting friends, Debbie, Pat and I are doing together.  They are finished and Pat will be heading out in a week for the Winter, so I would like to finish mine up in the next week, so we can get pics together before she leaves. 

This morning, finished up the main body~

And tonight, it's planes taking off and landing at O'Hare.

Go ahead, you can call me weird.  But, I am learning a lot about planes AND amazed at how many planes can be spotted at night in the air up there.  WOW!

The Early Mornings Have Started

 Now that early mornings on the porch are finished for the season, I am back to finding an alternative to some slow starts to the morning and a bit of a different routine.

I'm an early riser, and first up out of the bed is to put a pot of coffee on, and while it perks, I head out to the porch, just to get that first breath of early morning air, and listen to the world.  It is such a good way to start my day.

Then heading back in, I grab a glass of hot water ( I heard on YT, that it was supposed to be good for you the first thing in the morning) sit down, and write a bit in my journal, waiting for the coffee to be done.  Once I have my first cup of coffee, I find on YT,  a video that takes me away to the perfect penny world, a coffee shop with leaves falling and usually jazz music playing.  I'm not really a jazz person, but that seems like what the videos like to add to it.  I grab my knitting and just knit, enjoying my coffee and semi silence with a pretty penny vision. 

Come December, I'll switch to Christmas YT videos with crackling fires and maybe their version of jazz and hopefully, this Christmas sweater will be done by then.

I miss my front porch mornings, but this will have to do until the season comes back around.

Well, Lets See

I had a birthday recently, and my dear friend Brenda, made me a gluten free pineapple upside down cake, my favorite birthday cake.  It was delish!

The end of porch season is upon us and mine is looking a little sad.  Tomorrow, the last of the furniture will go to the shed, I think.  And the rug to the basement.

I did get to sit and knit for a bit today, but not sure tomorrow will be warm enough, unless I throw a sweater on.

And I had a good view of my burning bush, while enjoying the last of the porch days.

Have a good week!!

Finally Finished Friday and a Podcast

 It's Friday, and I've got a finished object for you today as well as a podcast for the week.

The podcast can be found by clicking here

And it features today's finished object and some updates.

Amber by Cheryl Mokhtarhi is finally finished.  I started it in May, but all the Meetup knits and the Norway knits side tracked it.  I was only really knitting on it as my Fiber Universe Knit Group project, so it took longer than it should. 

I love it and the ensemble goes well with the Fall trees down the street.

If you want more info on the project, all the details are on my Ravelry project page here

Sure You Can

 To keep the Wear Your Knits November theme, of course you can take your knits on a walk.

Those pesky drs appts and tests have me getting that exercise that they've been harping on for sometime.  And yes, I know I need to do more, but sitting in the chair and knitting is so much nicer. But, alas, if you want to live a little longer/better, you gotta get out --so I did.

And although the sun was shining, at the temp was around 55, it still was a bit cool with the wind blowing, but I knew that once I got going my arms would be warm, but not necessarily my body, so I pulled out my Hello Friend Vest out to layer up.  It felt just right.

And when I got home and enjoyed the sun on my face on the porch, it was doubly just right.

Signs That Fall Is Really Coming

 November 1st here signals Fall Back on the clocks and for me, not a big problem, since I'm retired.  I did appreciate the sun shining a bit earlier today and up until right now, it has been.  Down side, yes, it will be going down shortly, but I'm ok with that.

Today, even though it was a chilly 44 degrees out on the porch this morning, the sun and no wind made it quite pleasant for a bit of knitting.  And I had mitts to keep the hands warm, as part of my Wear Your Knits November aka puttinontheknitz.

Yesterday, it was quite gloomy and a bit of a chill, so I was happy to throw on some socks for the first day of November.

Since it was so gloomy yesterday, I spent it putting away my Halloween Decor and bringing the Fall decor.  (But, for some reason, I can't find the other tub of Thanksgiving Decor, hmmm, I'll tackle that tomorrow again.)

I, also, blocked the Amber Sweater that I have been working on most of the Summer and before I was heavy into my Norway knitting.  It is short sleeved, but, I should be able to wear in a couple of more times, once to knitting, the other for a podcast next week, before putting it away for lots of Spring wearing.

While I was at it, I tossed in the Bermy Basic 28 for a nice soak,  a transitional sweater for me, that I have worn a lot since getting back from Norway.  Now, it will be nice and clean for next Spring.

Thats about it for the first couple of days of November.  Finally, a sign that Fall really is going to happen, is my front burning bushes, they are beginning to lose their green, a sure sign.

Have a good start to your November and pull out those knits!

Friday Friday Friday

 First up

But, 

When I was working, I dubbed November as November Knits or Wear Your Knits in November.  Now, that I am not working, I am bringing it back for me.  I am going to wear my knits of some sort everyday in November and hoping some will join me.

Lets pull those knits out whether they are sweaters, shawls, socks, hats, slippers or whatever and show the world our knits and that we are KNITTERS!

And today is Finally Finished Fridays here at PJKnits, and this is Musselburgh #13 in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.  I got my yearly mammogram yesterday, and received the results this morning!  I am good for another year and I hope you are as well!!

Happy Halloween!

In Case You Are Interested

 There are a couple of links below for my You Tube Channel, you might be interested in.

The first one is some video of the Norway trip, a quick, short video here

The second is a catch up and then me talking about the trip.  It is a long one, but you can watch it by clicking here

I will be back next week with regular blogging, promise!!

I’m Back!!!

 I’ve been back for a few days and there is so much to show and tell you about my trip of a lifetime!!  Most of it you can see on Instagram as pjknits, because I documented almost every day there!

There is also a little video on the pjknits You Tube channel and there will be a whole episode coming next week where I talk about it all!

For today, though, it’s Finally Finished Friday and both of my finishes are done in Norway!

First, the airplane project and riding around buses and a train, Musselburgh 12 out of Suburban Stitcher from PYS.

And finally, the Mystery project from the trip.

More to follow next week!

And We Are Off

 Did some research before the trip

Started a new journal just for the trip

Have my knitting project for the plane all ready, including bamboo needles, just in case.

And now the fun begins.  I hope to blog while I am gone, but so far, the blog doesn't like my photos from my phone, so we shall see.  See you in a couple of weeks!

Episode 147

 Its Knits for Norway, Episode 147 and you can watch it by clicking here

And Now It's Friday!

 Finally Finished Friday.  And this little pretty has been done for quite some time, not sure why I am just posting it now.

It's Musselburgh # 10

From Gauge Dye works Birth Flowers Collection, Trifecta Fingering

The color way is November Chrysanthemum, One Way Trip

This was my first time using this yarn, and won't be the last!  These big self striping stripes are so much fun to watch grow throughout the hat!

It's Not Friday

But, I've got a finish to share with you.  

Just in time for Norway, the Hello Friend Vest by Leslie Friend is finished and almost ready to go with me.  I just want to do a bit of steaming on both sides of it where I increased for the hips.

I knit it out of the recommended yarn, Onling #1, a new to me yarn that I ordered last Summer before any tariffs were in place.  I do like, on an occasion, to actually knit a design out of the yarn the designer used and after knitting the vest partially out of a yarn from PYS, and not being super happy with it, I decided to order the yarn from Onling.

I didn't realize what some of the yarn content was until I was well into the knitting of it. Merino Wool and Angora.  I have never ever used Angora, and this won't be the last time I buy some Onling yarn in the future, hopefully, when those nasty tariffs are gone.

I chose the navy as it is part of my color wardrobe for the cruise, that I am trying really hard to do a sort of staple wardrobe to pack.  Navy and blue jeans...

And as a side note, yesterday's post of mittens, were the leftovers of my vest yarn, so won't they be scrumptious to wear in Norway and this Winter?!!

How Can It Be So Close!

9 days til Norway begins.  And I've been doing some knitting and some planning and thinking.  I am hoping to share a bit of what I have been doing here in the next few days.

Point Edward Mitts to go with my Musslburgh and Coomo Cowl.  This pattern is genious!

Mittens using the Tin Can Knits App out of the leftovers from my vest yarn, Onling.  This yarn is so scrumptious and I am going to get a lot of use out of them on our trip.

And now that those are done, I can concentrate on some fun knitting for Winter.  Stay tuned.
 

Episode 146 is up

 I've got a couple of finished objects to tell you about!!  Watch it by clicking here

It’s Friday!!!

 Off to do a little knitting with friends, how about you?

I'm Not Ignoring The Blog

 It is just that it has been super busy here at chez PJKnits and will continue with Norway trip prep etc, but I'll be posting regularly anyway.  Very soon.

But until then, this is how I spent this past weekend.

Early Mornings at Chez PJKnits

 First up, early mornings here mean checking in on the animals in Africa.  This morning lots of zebras at the watering hole.  One never knows if the Elephants will shoo them away, but at least for this morning, there was a herd that could hang out.

Then head out to the front porch to check the weather and see if there is too much humidity.  This morning, was a two thumbs up. So pleasant (enough that I went back in and shut the AC off and opened up the windows)

Back out just in time, to watch this magnificent sunrise come up.

And then a very nice, easy going morning, with my knitting, my porch book and a cuppa.

I can only hope this is a trend for the next few days, I am totally into my porch!  Enjoy your day!

Spending Time Just Enjoying

Getting plane projects ready for Norway at the end of next month.  All are Musselburghs, and yes, probably over planning, but, I have decided NOT to take a big sweater to knit on.

Working steadily on a Vest for Norway to wear.  I've been eyeballing their current temps this week, and both Oslo and Bergen have been upper 60's lower 70's so, I am thinking by the first of October, I am pretty sure this will come in handy!

And today, we were surprised with ladies who owned Knit Four Together 10 years ago.  It was so much fun reconnecting with them and introducing them to our new friends at knitting at The Fiber Universe.

I've got an easy week this week, and I am just going to enjoy it, hope you are too!