The Places You’ll Go

Yesterday was the final cross country meet. N traveled with the team to NY, NY on Friday. They visited Times Square for dinner. It was a great way to cap the season.

The Husband and I got up at 5AM yesterday and drove to the Bronx to watch the race. Yes, 8+ hours in the car total for a 20 minute race. It’s what parents do I suppose. The kids did well. Everyone survived but sadly none of our kids made nationals.

So now I can say I’ve been to NY, NY. The Husband and I agree that next time we won’t take the car. Driving was crazy and parking would have been impossible had there not been a satellite parking lot and shuttle bus.

Thankful Saturday

I’ve seen people doing daily posts for November of things they are thankful for. I really like this idea but I don’t know that I could keep up every day for the whole month so I thought I’d try doing a post each Saturday for the month of November. If you’d like to join in on this lower commitment but still thank filled topic on your blog feel free to leave a link in the comments. If you’d like to leave a comment with what you’re thankful for this week that would be great too. There is no requirement for how many things you list or if they’re serious or silly. Mine will be all over the place.

I am thankful for:

• Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. The whole family gathers around the table eating traditional foods without the stress of gift giving (aka Christmas) and pie is served.
• Cyber Monday. Shopping online is my go to and getting things on sale is a bonus. I don’t do Black Friday so with Cyber Monday I get the bargains without the crazy.
• Podcasts. Every topic I could ever want and the ability to be entertained while doing something else! They’re just what I need to get through all the mundane tasks I have to do daily.
• Exercise. I can chose the way I want to keep my body healthy. One day I can do yoga, another day take a hike while playing Pokemon Go (I’m thankful for that too!) and on the third day run. It’s all up to me and what I want to do.
• A husband who likes to wash dishes. We don’t have a dishwasher so keeping the dishes clean is an all day job.

Thank you for joining in on Thankful Saturday. I’m thankful I made it through all the Saturdays.

 

Black Friday Quiz

The photo is our Thanksgiving centrepiece. A gingerbread kit from Trader Joe’s that The Husband put together while I put together the meal. It’s looking a little rough around the edges since H and N had to give it a taste. It was determined to be a good centrepiece but not a tasty treat.

Today is Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. How about a quiz to get us through the craziness.

• Do you shop the sales on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and/or Cyber Monday? What is your favorite way to shop?
• Have you started your gift shopping/crafting?
• Are you one of those people who has all your gifts wrapped and ready to go early? Are you a last minute shopper and final moments crafter?
• Do you have a tale from shopping trips past that you wish to share?

Feel free to answer in the comments or if you’d rather answer on your blog leave a link so we can read your answers.

Here are my answers.

• I will pass on the Black Friday shopping. I’m not a fan of huge crowds or excess traffic. In the past I have shopped on Small Business Saturday. We have a small secondhand bookstore in town that has along with the books a selection of locally made crafts. They are the one place I’d go. My preferred way to shop is online. Though I do enjoy a morning spent at Target and will get one in before the stores become unbearable.
• As I’ve said in the past I don’t knit gifts for Christmas. I don’t like the pressure. I will gift something at other times of the year though. That being said, I haven’t started my shopping yet. There is a list of gift ideas started and I’ve asked H and N to give me a list of things they’d like.
• I am someone who gets most of their shopping done by early December but then I procrastinate wrapping. It all gets done before the big day but there tends to be a rush at the end.
• My bad shopping experience: My mother and I were shopping about 8 or so years ago. We picked out a half dozen or so gifts each and headed to the checkout. Upon arriving we discovered that the cash registers weren’t working and they didn’t know when they’d be working. We left our carts and headed to another store to start over. It was frustrating but once we’d picked out and purchased replacement gifts we were able to laugh about it.

Happy Thursday Or Thanksgiving, Your Choice

Whichever you choose, I hope you have a great day. I will be spending the day quietly at home with my family.

The photo is from 2014 when a flock of wild turkeys traveled through my mother’s neighborhood. It was quite a sight to see.

WIP Wednesday: Sweater Knitting

The photo doesn’t look that much different than yesterday but there is a big difference. I have separated the sleeve stitches from the body! Now I’ll just be coasting down the body until I feel like working a sleeve.

I doubt I’ll get much knitting in today. I’ll be making pies and prepping for Thursday’s Thanksgiving meal. Yesterday I got the dining room ready. I hoping to have enough done ahead of time to be able to relax while I cook.

The Green Blog Of Sweater

The cowl is done and blocking. More about that once it is dry.

The minute I put the cowl in the sink to soak I ran and grabbed the green sweater I had been working on. The pattern is Pritchard just in case you didn’t remember. The yarn is Rowan Cork. I just started the third skein of yarn a bit ago. The next big milestone will be putting the sleeve stitches on holders so I can carry on with the body. I hope to get there later today or tomorrow. You know, if I don’t succumb to the urge to cast on something new.

Revisiting A Project

I was asked to report back on the Hedera socks after I’d worn them. Yesterday was their first time being worn. We went to have an early Thanksgiving celebration with my in-laws. It was a lovely visit with a delicious meal.

I wore my Hedera socks with my usual sneakers. It was rainy and chilly so I decided Mary Jane shoes weren’t going to cut it. I knew there was a chance when I knit the socks that having the pattern on the top of the foot might be uncomfortable but I’m pleased to say I didn’t notice the stitches at all. They feel just like plain stockinette socks. So if you’re considering knitting the pattern feel free to carry the stitch design down the foot.