I've been knitting now with pictures

We've been trying to stay somewhat cool this summer and get into better shape. So I've been busy not really documenting my knitting. Unless it is taking pics to share with my knitting buddy. 

First up I finished a fantastic pair of socks for me. They are so bright and stripey! I love them. That green really pops for me.
 

Then I finally talked my sister into trying out my hand knit socks. It didn't hurt that I found yarn based on one of her favorite TV shows. You better Call Saul because she's getting Saul Goodman socks from Breaking Yarn.

But like always I am so scared things I knit will not fit that I stalled out on making them. So close and yet so far. She's not here to try them on and I am a very nervous Nellie.

What Momma?  I said nervous Nellie not Mellie!

So I started some Carlsbad Cavern socks for hubby. I know how to make hubby socks!!

Some yarn called to me and said it would make an awesome shawl so I answered back yes you would, and cast on.

I kept on knitting and it really was pretty.

No Momma I like how Daddy's socks match my fur,  let's keep knitting socks.

But Burt I found another set of yarns I want to try together. Let's knit another shawl.

OK but I still like Dad's socks best. Although the shawl does make my fur pop...

A Little Yarn Trip

The other day I took myself off to the local yarn store I like. Yarning may be small but it is mighty good.

Sometimes you just gotta get out and see some yarn in person. Since I am starting to knit shawls more to keep my wrist happy, I've found I need to expand my palette of colors. I am also very quirky because I don't like mixing yarn brands even if they seem to be the same type of yarn base. Somehow it just feels so wrong and I can't get over that feeling. So what to do to counteract that feeling? Buy more yarn of course! Not the solution for everyone but it was for me on this day.

This is one of the National Park series by Knitted Wit. I just could not resist. It is Carlsbad Caverns. I'm sure hubby will get a kick out of wearing his cavern socks from time to time. Maybe the next time we go he will be wearing these. 

Not quite the full range of colors but I can see a few shawls there. But I must have been thinking of mom. She loved purple and I could not pick just three skeins of purple. I'm looking forward to deciding how to use these. 

 

Happy knitting to us all.

Follow an amazing plant with me

I started walking daily back in mid March. I am getting to know the neighborhood quite well. I started with the goal of getting out everyday. It did not matter if it was 10 minutes or an hour, I just had to start getting out there and walking. 

Once my mindset was established I was able to increase my time without even really thinking about it. I would started with a small loop that kept me close to home. But once I was put there I was not breathing too hard and not terribly worn out so I kept going in bigger and bigger loops. I had no set schedule and the decision was made to turn right or left each day. 

Once the heat started increasing I quickly learned the tall walls were not boring but excellent and much needed shade.

I've had a setback or two but I have been faithful to getting out and walking. Now a quick walk ends up being half an hour. I am averaging 20+ miles a week. I have not hit the 26.2 marathon mileage yet.

So yeah I am learning what the neighborhood looks like pretty darn well.

I found this plant that looks like it is a huge asparagus spear growing out of a small agave plant. The spear is over 5 feet tall and a few inches thick, while the base plant is around a foot wide. Such strange proportions.

I walked by it for a month or two without it changing much. Each time I turned the corner I was disappointed. 

Then the spear started to send out off shoots, and they looked so interesting. I was excited to start checking at least once a week to see the progress.  That went on for a month. Sigh I had to see what this would turn into, before my neighbor started getting suspicious of the weird lady taking pics of their UFO plant.

I also stop to take pics of wildlife. Lizards love the walls around here and seem happy to pose as long as you don't get too close. Bunnies don't trust anyone! They blend in so well.

Did this lizard have a bad day at the tail salon? Or did it have an awesome day? 

I kept walking and taking pics, then one day the blooms opened!! I don't know if the bees or I were happier... it was the bees their legs were full of pollen.

Don't you just love a lizard that is rocking their life? I know who gets the cover of my Lizard Vogue.

But alas all good things must end. The plant is listing hard and has shrunken like my Aunt D. Now I will wait and see what the homeowners do this fall. 

Thanks for inspiring me on my walks UFO plant, I enjoyed watching you grow.

A Little Road Trip From April

When my sister and her hubby visited us last October, we were discussing living in different places and how once you move someplace you do some fun new stuff then never really explore all the things you said you would. We mentioned a few of the things we have done since moving to ABQ and how we enjoyed them, but we had some southern New Mexico places yet to see. 

They agreed to come back and do a small road trip with us. 

One of the McDonalds is part alien ship, so we had to eat there. Sadly we were all disapointed that it was just the regular menu, nothing special for a special place.

If you don't know where you are with signs like this, I can't help you.

Our second stop was the Roswell International UFO Museum and Research Center.  I should have gotten a Tshirt there. But we shouldn't hold on to regret about not getting a Tshirt. (But I really wanted one and should have gotten one!) 

We had a great time finding little details at the Roswell Bricktown. What a cool gem of a thing to see. Plus inside with the cool air is always welcome in NM.

High on D's list was Carlsbad Caverns. So off we went. This was an unexpected pleasure for me. I was surprised how much I liked it. I'm also so happy I started my daily walks before we went. I cannot remember exactly but it was over 14,000 steps that day.  

Absolutely breathtaking when you walk up on this giant chasm in the ground. 

You start going down and you keep right on going down, and down, and down, and DOWN. It is a heck of a long ways down into the Earth I tell you!!! 900+ feet if I recall correctly.

It was an excellent road trip and we would love to have them back to see other places.

My Sister's Great Talent

When my sister comes to visit she brings be awesome hand made things like paintings or towels.

On her latest trip she brought me kitties doing the old fashioned days of the week tasks. You know like Monday is wash day and Friday is market day. They are cute and adorable.

But these speak to me. Embroidered alpacas? Yes please!

This one is my favorite with its coloring and cactus.

 But the purple 'paca jamming to its tunes is D's favorite.

Walking

I've been walking daily for the past few months. I started out slow but my endurance has increased at a more rapid rate than I anticipated. I started taking pictures as a nice way to take a break, but it grew into my motivational tool. I send pics from my walks to some of my friends. One of my friends even sends me pics from her walks too. We get to be virtual workout buddies.

I mean who wouldn't appreciate cactus pics?

Burt and Mellie cheer me on virtually too. No really they are more of my post walk recovery team.

I enjoyed watching the trees bloom first.

I've seen a few Roadrunners too. Living near Roadrunners has to be one of the coolest things about living in New Mexico. They are such amazing birds that you never want to mess with. They eat a lot of things but my favorite is snakes. They grab the snake and bash it into the ground till they get a tasty snake smoothie for themselves. See I told you not to mess with them. 

See I cannot resist the beauty of blooming trees.

 

New Chicken Incoming

I found a wonderful way to knit up some handspun yarn. She is going to be more than a little red hen, but I just so happy to know I'm finally working with some of my handspun.

I did need to correct a little "Are you sure you're really following the pattern" issue. Yep I knit one tail feather bigger than the other. Simple reknit of one gets me the matching size.

Burt thinks this chicken is just warm enough. Originally I was going to use two of my handspuns together, but this one was two ply and the other was three. I worried gauge would be too difficult to make them work together. Plus why fight against this gorgeous color changing yarn? It has all the magic it needs.

Happy Knitting!!