The Porch Is Open

For knitting, for coffee, for sangria in the evening or just enjoying the sunny skies.  It's my happy place.

With my morning coffee almost every morning, I like to journal with thoughts for the day and the sights and sounds of the morning as I sit there.

When it is a bit chilly, my first Half and Half Triangles Wrap comes in handy.

Always there is knitting.  Trying really hard to work on a WIP Half and Half Triangles Wrap, but sometimes, my latest kitting project sometimes is really what I am working on.

To round out the front porch, is a cross stitch on my door that my dear friend Norma did for me many years back.

It brings back so many memories, but also a reminder~~

Summer Fun!!!

A Long Weekend of Knitting

A look at what my intentions were to knit on the beginning of the long holiday weekend.

Top to bottom:  Musselburgh #8, Vertices Unite #2, Amber

And this morning, left to right to bottom: Musselburgh #8. Amber, Vertices Unite #2

You can tell the main focus of my weekend was the Musselburgh, because I would like to get this off the needles in the next couple of days, then Vertices and Amber, who really is going to go into a bit of slowdown, while I work on some more important timely ones.  And I'm having a bit of a issue with if I like the right or the wrong side of the textured or not.  Hmmm.

A Look Into My Race Day

Ever since we stopped going to the Indy 500, I have watched it from the comfort of my chair.  Yes, I miss everything about being there, almost.

I don't miss driving there and back at the crack of dawn (it is nearly impossible to find somewhere to stay). I don't miss the traffic, the backups, the having to find someone's lawn to park in.  The trek to the raceway.  The lugging cooler with lunch and drink and the ever possible rain shower.

So, yes, it isn't all bad to stay home and watch it.  This is my day at the races.  Up and shower, with a cuppa or two and the set up of an easy project to knit on that doesn't require a lot of looking down at.

Next up, getting the t.v. on the station to see all the pre-race activities.  This year my friend, Kendra, who moved to Indy last Summer, turned me onto Channel 13's app over there, that did some great on the ground reporting of the pre-race before Fox came on.  When Fox came on, I left the other app up because they had some good stuff up on it when Fox didn't.

Then came time for the set up of snacks and beverages while we were in a bit of a rain delay.  It wasn't too terribly long.  I decided this year to haul up a place setting of my wedding china from almost 50 years ago, to treat myself with, and started with the healthy stuff too.  That's water in the big goblet and it has been a while since I drank coffee out of this small of a cup on a saucer, it was kind of fun, and oh so civilized.

The longer the rain delay, the more time I had to get all set up for the race with the other fun snacks, all on the good china.  (Why don't we use the good stuff more?)

The race in the first 100 laps was total chaos, a lot of things happening and wasn't until the second 100 and even the last 40 laps that it really got interesting, but I had my knitting to keep me busy -

The start of the race

And then I ended the race with a celebratory sangria and fruit and some progress on the Musselburgh Hat.

(My pick didn't win, but the end of the race did not disappoint)

And that is a look into my race day!

 

Setting Goals For A Long Weekend

Before retirement, when a long weekend was coming up, I would set some goals for myself.  Usually, those goals were centered around me wanting to just stay home and enjoy the weekend, with no where I had to go, nothing I had to do, except for laundry for the next work week and of course, knitting, lots of knitting.

Now that I am retired and on my own, not much has changed, except  I don't have to do laundry for the next week, there is always next week to do it.  

And I've made some knitting goals for this weekend~

Musselburgh #8 out of a striped yarn from Artistic Yarn by Abi with the inspiration of the Monopoly game.

This is where I started before the weekend.

And early this morning, this is what it was looking like.

The dyer really means for the dyed themed yarns to be done in socks, where you would totally get the Monopoly theme, but I wondered what it would like in a Musselburgh for fun. 

 Future yarns from the dyer is definitely going to be for socks, because they are so fun.  Here is a watermelon sock set I knit from her yarns years ago, you get what I mean!

Project #2 is my Vertices Unite, #2  that is part of the PJKnits New Years Day cast on. My goal for the weekend, was to finish section 5 and get a start on section 6.

I am happy to report that as of this posting, I have met that goal, and now going to knit a bit more on it, to make sure, the color I have chosen really wants to be there.

The last project for the weekend is a new cast on, a sweater from yarn that I purchased from my local yarn shop, along with Laine Magazine for Spring 2025.  There is not much to see yet, but stayed tuned for future posts on it, for sure.

Tomorrow is Indy Race Day, so I am going to have lots of time to work on any or all of these projects tomorrow.  Hope you are enjoying your long weekend, with doing just what you want, and hopefully with some knitting!!

It's A Holiday Weekend Coming Up

I really want to know what you do on Memorial Day weekend?  Do you have plans with the family to picnic and start the unofficial start to Summer?  Do you get out in your garden?  Are you heading over to Indianapolis for the Indy 500 or like me plan on watching it on t.v. on Sunday, enjoying snacks and knitting.  Or if you work, are you just going to take it easy and enjoy your 3 day weekend?

I really wouldn't mind doing a couple of things myself this weekend, besides the race on Sunday, that is if the weather would just cooperate.  After a bit of heat recently, we are back to the rain, the wind, and dare I say, I had to turn the heat back on last night.  And if this is your case, well, there is still time to get started on those Summer sweaters and tees!

What I love about Summer tees is that they can be relatively fast, but also boring, at least when you get to the stockinette parts of them.  On the last podcast, I talked about how I have 16 Summer sweaters with a couple more that I would love to cast on, but as you also know, I am wondering if I will get them done in time to wear them?!

I finished the Clover Tee by Lene Holmes Samsoe last Tuesday, and have it drying on the bed.  With this cool, wet weather it is going to be a couple of days before it is dry.  And by the way, these are pool noodles in the pic to help with drying and to keep the ridges out of the sleeve when it is laying flat.

I was super glad to have it finished, because it is for the Makers Meetup in July (I don't do well with deadline knitting, hence the reason I knit ahead of the season we are in so I can wear it in season)

But, even before I was done with it, I was already plotting what to cast on next, and can you believe it, I had two sweaters waiting in the wings along with another Musselburgh hat for the 🚙, I'll share this with you dear readers this weekend, hopefully in some nice bright light.

Until then, I hope you have a nice start to the long weekend along with some knitting for Summer!

What Did You Do This Weekend?

This is what my weekend look like in one condensed pic.

 Watched all things Indy 500 - Qualifying and Pole Position, both yesterday and today.

Lots of coffee

And watching via Game Changer baseball and softball games on my ipad and iphone (they were playing two different places at the same time

And 🧶 lots of knitting on the Clover Tee.  What did you do?

Episode 139 Out of the Vault Summer Sweaters

What does a podcaster do, when there isn't any finished sweaters to show...show WIPS, yes, but also, bring out some Summer sweaters from the past, just in case viewers didn't see them when they were originally shown.

You can check the latest episode by clicking here 

And just in case you were wondering, what a prep looks like for a podcast, here is my view before podcasting.

Have a great weekend!!

Are You Knitting Summer Sweaters?

 Had to break down and turn the air on yesterday here at Chez PJKnits, but next week, we will be back to Spring weather.  

And as one does, this afternoon, I gauge swatched for another Summer sweater, Sylven, out of Rowan's Cottotn Glace.  It was warm enough that the swatch dried pretty quickly on the front porch.

I am super stoked to start it, but first I've got a couple of other things on the needle to finish up.  I am hoping to podcast tomorrow to share all the knitting  with you.  Have a good evening!

What More Could We Ask For??

 It is and has been the nicest weekend which means finally out on the porch knitting!!

Saturday Knitting - It's the Clover Tee that we are doing a KAL for the Maker's Meetup in Hoffman Estates at the end of July.

Sunday Knitting - The bringing back of the Half and Half Triangles Wrap.  I think this one is going to be mine for a trip next Fall.  It is also going to be the knitting project for early mornings going forward on the porch.

And it's Mother's Day!!  Happy Mother's Day to you!!

In Case You Have Been Wondering

What I've been up to.

Grandparents Day, Softball Tournament in Iowa

Sleepover with MawMaw Penny

A bit of knitting and playing

Finally, a ME day.

Loved every minute of it!