Posted on by ReginaMary

A Nice Minestrone

This post has no real direction; it’s a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Just like a nice minestrone.

It has been a busy few weeks for your favorite knitting space cadet (that would be me…). My sweet and plucky 93 yr old mama had some minor surgery so I spent many hours in waiting rooms and in some cases, due to COVID, sitting in my car. Just me and my knitting. I managed to get a few projects done. Let’s take a look, shall we? We shall…we shall.

You may recall from my last post, the basket of Roma tomatoes and skein of yarn I received from Bill, one of my son’s clients. Well I ate all the tomatoes. Raw. With olive oil, black pepper and sea salt. Apparently, they were intended to go into sauce. “No regerts!” I also knit up another Barley Light for Bill with the yarn. I threw in a pair of Appleseed Mitts from yet another skein he gave me; it seemed fitting. I failed to take proper photos before I gave them to him and he assured me he would send me an action shot for my blog and Ravelry page. I was not disappointed. Here is a fella who is ready for the elements.

I am so glad you like your knits, Bill. You are very knit-worthy...

The next thing off my needles was The Seamed Wrap by Purl Soho.

A free pattern from Purl Soho, this was a joy to knit. The pattern calls for an all-over linen stitch with a band of two-color linen stitching along the neck. I did not have the patience for all that, so I began with a large band of linen stitch, knit the body in stockinette with garter stitch selvedges and the two-color linen stitch to finish it off. This is a modular piece that can be worn sideways, front or back hanging. It can also serve as a dog pillow, but that’s another story entirely. {{cough:Razz:cough}} I knit this using Miss Babs Yowza, which knits up into such a soft drapey fabric. I could have made the smaller size since Yowza does tend to stretch. Next time. And there will definitely be a next time.

There was a big event in my house. My husband bought a new chair. Not just any chair, mind you. A recliner. A real dude chair. An electric powered, soft as butter recliner. He is soooo happy!! He has wanted a chair in the bedroom so he can sit and read or pray quietly and comfortably. Feet up, nice lighting, peaceful surroundings. Get the picture? I’m sure you are wondering what this has to do with knitting. Or maybe not. If you are a knitter, you know where this is heading. What comfy chair is complete without a knitted blanket to snuggle under? It was his idea, I swear! The request was for a simple blanket in browns golds and blues; brown to match his chair, gold to match the dog and blue to match his eyes. I jumped at the chance to break the yarn fast, people! My friend recommended Webs since they always have sales, and there I found the perfect yarn. This is a wool/acrylic blend in all the right colors.

He wanted a simple pattern so I cast on for the Summer Sidewalk by Fifty Four Ten Studios. This will be the third time I knit this blanket. I cast on 400 stitches. Last thing I want is a skimpy binky! While this won’t be done in time for Christmas, it will be ready for the cold and dreary months that follow.

On the non-knitting front, my sister is home from Japan for a few weeks. We haven’t seen her in a year. She quarantined so we celebrated Thanksgiving the Saturday after and we had a beautiful day. One of the perks to celebrating late is not having to deal with the insanity at the supermarket.

Look what she brought back for me!

Look closely. there is something very special about this Hello Kitty mug. It features a sleeping Kitty. See her in the right hand photo? This is my first ever sleeping Kitty. Coffee tastes soooo delish in this mug.

On the days when my husband is out of town, I’m always a bit blue. This week, before he left, he gave me flowers. The message on the card reminded me that even though he was leaving, Baby Jesus was coming! He makes me smile.

My chonky boy has lost 17 lbs since September. With less stress on his joints and the cold autumn air, he jogs around the neighborhood little pup!

Razz and his cow.

And in other news…

here are other things that keep me entertained.

I’ve been walking a lot.

It’s no wonder I’m so h*ckin tired.

I also enjoy stalking Golden Retrievers on Instagram

  • It’s all fun and games…
  • until mommy goes down to the laundry room.

Saint of the Day: December 14th is the feast of Saint John of the Cross. He is the patron Saint of contemplatives, mystics and Spanish poets. He is one of my favorite saints. I read “Dark Night of the Soul” at a very significant time in my life and the impact was profound. It was as if his writings found me; they spoke to the struggles I was having at the time and helped me navigate very difficult days and very dark nights.

“In the dark night of the soul, bright flows the river of God.”

~St. John of the Cross

In my cup: Lagunitas Hop-Hoppy Refresher

I love this stuff. It has no alcohol, no carbs and no calories. It has a crisp and refreshing ‘hoppy’ taste. You can still win a belching contest, but without all the boozey side-effects.

In my ears: The Patriots vs The Rams. It’s Thursday Night Football, baby!! Can I just say how happy I am that the NFL ditched the color rush uniforms.

I appreciate that you stopped by for a visit.

I hope everyone is healthy and well and enjoying all the traditions of the season.

Peace to you all,

ReginaMary

39 Replies to “A Nice Minestrone”

      1. Oh boy, how did I miss your comment. I’m fine just super busy these last week, we had workers in the house, my daughter Christmas present lost in the chaotic world of deliveries a sick dog, lots to do and time fir nothing 😭trying to catch up with posts now😘

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I am fretting over delayed deliveries, as well. At least my boys are all grown and can deal with the timing. When you have little ones, it is more difficult. Have a very Merry Christmas!!

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Oh I love looking at knits and thinking about yarns, so this scratched an itch.

    Without evening realizing 12/14 was the feast day, I have been listening a lot to Taize’s “De Noche Iremos” which seems to be derived from his writings – perfect! Very apt during this particular season.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. So many updates, and it was wonderful going through them! It’s a joy to make gifts for knitworthy people and see them in use, and I had to chuckle reading about your changes to make the wrap go quicker – it looks great in stockinette! Hope you and your family have a wonderful festive season. (Razz definitely seems to be enjoying himself!)

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you! Knowing what I do now, I feel like the Yowza would be less likely to stretch with the linen stitch, but it was taking me FOREVER!! Razz has lost 17 lbs and he is suddenly feeling very puppish! Blessings to you and yours. xoxo

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Thanks for stopping by! Yes, Razz has regained his youth due to his recent weight loss. My sister lives/works in Japan, so having her home was a treasure. Be well and have joyous holidays!!

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      Reply

    1. Thank you, Jeanne. I think the next step is for me to teach Bill how to knit. That wrap pattern is really nice and easy to work on. It would have taken much longer with the all-over linen stitch, but adding the stockinette made it go a little faster. Go to the Purl Soho website. It is a free pattern.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. Oh Wow…. Loved your this and that post Regina… You have been busy… loved all of your knits.. and your model looked snug as bug in all of your knits.. 🙂 And your shawl… Just beautiful..
    So wonderful you got to spend quality time with your sister over the holidays too..
    Here Christmas was quiet.. Christmas was cancelled due to lockdown here only allowed to mix households on Christmas Day only… But I got to see my Son and Granddaughter.. I spoke to my daughter on the phone as she had her other family over….
    We are now in another full lockdown here maybe till March… Crazy times…
    But My knitting needles and paint brushes on canvas have kept me busy…

    Have a wonderful Happy New Year Regina.. I have missed not visiting people in WordPress… But I took some Me time …
    Sending Love… ❤ Oh and love the choice of that Yarn.. 😀 💚🙏

    Liked by 1 person

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