Posted on by ReginaMary

Walking to Gettysburg

Hi friends! With all this extra time, one would think staying current on my blog would be a breeze. Oddly, I have found myself distracted and otherwise preoccupied. I don’t like it one bit.

I don’t have to tell you how much I enjoyed going on the yarn crawl. It felt good to be out and about, meeting people and visiting new towns. Now, my “out and abouts” are limited to walks with Razz and the occasional mad dash in and out of the market; we are staying home and staying in with the rest of the world. As a way to combat the current and necessary restrictions, Razz and I decided to walk to Gettysburg. Yes, Gettysburg, PA. I have always wanted to go, and let’s face it, I have the time. This is going to be fun! It’s going to be weird, but fun!

C’mon, Razz!! Let’s go for a walk!

Week One:

Our journey begins on Monday, March 16th, which is when schools in New York State closed. According to Google Maps, Gettysburg is about 260 miles away. I suppose we could walk non-stop, that would be the quickest-Razz trots at a healthy 3.5 mph clip! Nah. We’ll get there when we get there. According to my trusty Fitbit, we have already walked 25 miles.

That puts us somewhere around Wallkill, NY. We crossed the Hudson River via the Walkway Over the Hudson. The bridge now known as the Walkway Over the Hudson originally opened in 1889 as the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge to transport western raw materials to eastern industrial centers. At the time of its opening, it was the longest bridge in the world. At 212 feet above the Hudson River, this 1.28 mile linear park “boasts scenic views north to the Catskills and south to the Hudson Highlands.” (I got that from the website!)

If you are planning a visit to the area in the fall, this is a ‘gotta do’!

I mean C’MON people!

At the end of this week’s trek, we enter Our Lady of Fatima Church in Wallkill to light a candle and ask God to look over us all. Yes, Razz is welcome inside! That is the best part of this entire fantasy-dogs are always welcome!

In knitting news…I finished the Love Note by Tin Can Knits. What a sweet little sweater. Previously, I attempted to combine a beautiful green variegated with a lighter green mohair. It did not work out at all. The mohair was too bulky and completely obscured the shades in the main yarn. Remember? It looked like this:

EW…

Instead, I used this:

  • Ice Yarns Kid Mohair Fine
  • Mt. Rutsen Studio Yarns
Much better, yes?

The final result is perfect!

I found a mohair blend yarn online that had the perfect shade and the perfect price-point. The only catch? I had to buy the lot (10 balls). When I say perfect price-point, I mean, the entire purchase cost me $15.00 US, including shipping! Get outta town! I am so pleased. I followed the pattern as written, but knit the body to 12″ from the underarm, so it is not too cropped. Hey! It’s called Love Note, not Muffin Top! I knit the neckline bind-off 3 times before I finally got the affect I liked. I followed the tutorial by VeryPink Knits for the Simple Stretchy Bind-Off. It is simple, it is stretchy and you can find it HERE. Remind me to avoid ripping out in mohair AT ALL COSTS. What a pain in the arse that was.

I have three completed squares for the Lace Blanket MKAL with the fourth block on the needles. I am not a prolific lace knitter, so this project puts me just at the edge of my comfort zone. I am really enjoying it and I enjoy the challenge.

These blocks are a finished size of 12″ x 12“.

So that’s what I have been up to since our last visit. Nothing terribly exciting, but that’s what imagination is for, right?

I am keeping all of you in my prayers each day. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Much love,

Regina

P.S. On a positive note…I can take Razz to Mass with me! Well, sorta. Since there are no public masses being offered at the moment, I can listen to daily mass on Facebook with Razz right by my side!! Fr. Brendan Fitzgerald is a special man, and very dear to us. He married Robert and me in 2015. He has since moved to St. Barnabas Church in the Bronx, but we get to hear him offer Mass live thanks to the wonders of technology!! Yesterday’s Mass celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation. Imagine being a young expectant mother right now. That’s hard for me to wrap my head around. They must experience moments of such fear and unknowing. We need the Blessed Mother more than ever.

Here is one of my favorite images of Mary.

The Annunciation, Henry Ossawa Tanner

33 Replies to “Walking to Gettysburg”

  2. What a beautiful sweater and looks awesome on you!
    What a bargain on the yarn you scored.., those type bargains are far and few in between! I have yet attempted a sweater as sewing the pieces together really intimidates me. I prefer to have my item finished when I knit the last stitch… well almost. I did make sweater Xmas ornaments though! 😂 I hardly ever make me anything… it’s usually for the granddaughters. I’m so thrilled I have one now, almost age 8 who’s showing an interest in knitting and is learning. She picked up a wip just yesterday and said… “this pattern looks just like the mermaid tail wrap you knitted me. “ Good eye, as she was so right! I’m planning on letting her see how she would do in trying to read a pattern… she needs to be challenged. Keep knitting and stay safe!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you! The beauty of this pattern is that it is knit in the round. The only finishing is the ribbing along the neck. If you aren’t a fan of the provisional cast on, it is easy enough to modify. Took me less than a month to knit.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I had wanted to knit sweaters for the girls as a one piece using the famous Wallaby sweater pattern but this writing I do seems to consume me snd soon on April 1st I begin my A to Z… even my love for Nancy Drew has taken a backseat now. Maybe I need to give up sleeping! Keep knitting…

        Liked by 1 person

  4. During this stay at home time I have finished three hats for one granddaughter (she wears them to school so she doesn’t have to fix her hair), an afghan for another granddaughter and two blankets for the animal shelter.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Oh how wonderful to see your finished sweater.. Its perfect and so suits you, so nice also to see you in person too Regina… I think most of us have been in a state of shock/grief. as we are being forced into a new routine and way of being. I hope to get a Garden post up on my Garden blog over the weekend..
    We might not be able to go out for our usual shopping, but thankfully I do have a good wool stash …. I did finish my own made up pattern as I went along sweater and wore it while I did some gardening.. Hubby took a photo so I will include that in my Garden update coming soon… 🙂

    Take care of yourself out there Regina….
    Sue 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. I really love your idea of virtual walks! I have never been to Gettysburg park but went to college in PA so we went to Gettysburg once to perform with my liturgial dance group.
    The Love Note is beautiful! That’s my next cast on and I can’t wait to start 😀
    That is a gorgeous painting of Mary, thank you for sharing.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Hi Kath, I hope you are well. When all of this madness is over, I am going to plan my real trip to Gettysburg. I wonder if I am ever going to respond to crowded places in the same manner though. You are going to love knitting the Love Note! Are you following Mason-Dixon March Madness? It is a strong contender.
      Be well and please stay healthy.
      xoxo
      Regina

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Well aren’t you a sweetheart! I am happy with my skills, which is to say that for what I enjoy knitting, I do it well. I really have no desire to do things that push me to madness! 🙂

      Like

      Reply

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