Off to the Mountains!

We are off to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons and the Black Hills, again, for our annual 5 weeks in our Airstream trailer. This photo was taken last September as we arrived at Yellowstone Lake. It is wonderful country!

This is Grand Teton National Park. We like the brisk fall days and the fall colors. It should be a wonderful trip.

Shawnee Parkway Cardigan Revisited

I completed this sweater earlier, but I found that the pewter clasps I had used to close the sweater in the front were too heavy and difficult to wear. I removed the clasps and crocheted the front edge, adding button loops. On the other side of the front, I crocheted two matching rows. I found these wonderful buttons that carry out the leaf motif and used them instead of the clasps. I also added shoulder pads because the shoulder seemed to slope too much for my frame. The sweater will be much more wearable now.

Bulky Ridge Cardigan in Red/Orange

I sewed re-enforcement by hand, double on all of the sides and over the shoulders. Then, I cut quite a lot from the sides and shoulders. I reset the sleeves and sewed up the sides. I also added buttons to the front of the sweater. It is wearable for me, now, although the seams are a little "fringe-y". The acrylic yarn in the sweater does not felt. The sweater is a bulky stretchy knit, so it needed to be made smaller.

Dolman Tweed Short Sleeve Sweater

This sweater, which I finished last night, is knitted with 9 1/2 skeins of Bernat Tweedsome in Mahogany Tweed and Caron Simply Soft in Chocolate (for the ribbing). I used size 11 circular needles and size 9 circular needles. The pattern idea was taken from Easy Knitting and modified. It s a loose-fitting sweater.

Knitting - New Sweaters

I knitted this sweater with Bernat Softee Chunky in Carnival on size 11 and 10 circular needles. It is from a pattern in Classic Elite Knits. Unfortunately, it is too large and I will have to figure out how to alter it. It is crudely basted together right now. Since the yarn is slippery acrylic yarn, sewing and cutting may not work. I have knitted a large swatch to work out a method.

China's Cat Blanket Finished

China's blanket is completed. The Bernat Softee Chunky knitted very nicely. It is a large blanket, about the size of a human lap robe. It is self-designed.

Cat Blanket for China

I am knitting a cat blanket for China, using the leftover Bernat Softee Chunky yarn from Julie's sweater, since China loved to touch it.

Bulky Ridge Cardigan

During the month before Chirstmas, I knitted a sweater for Julie. This one was not my own design. It was the "Bulky Ridge Cardigan" from Classic Elite Knits. I subsituted Bernat Softee Chunky acrylic yarn for the wool used in the pattern book. The sweater was knitted on size 11 circular Denise needles, but knitted in pieces. The collar used size 10 needles. I liked working with the Bernat yarn and liked the sweater after it was completed. After Julie tried it on, she asked for buttons, so I added crocheted loops and some vintage buttons that used to be on one of my mother's sweaters.

Plumecrazy China Blue

Here are some recent photos of our Maine Coon cat, Plumecrazy China Blue.











She is waiting for someone to turn on a faucet, so she can get a drink.

Maine Coons are LARGE cats!















China loves to lounge in one of the chairs in
front of the fireplace.