And here is my latest project...so far, so good! I decided to go for a different pattern that I've never tried before and I hope the special baby I have in mind will enjoy this blanket! I changed the colors so that it can go to either a boy or a girl. I'm loving the yarn as it is both soft and warm...and washable! 
So both old and new. Perhaps I'll work on the blanket as I think about how wonderful it was to meet up with old friends!
Finally went up North to visit both Kara and Frank in San Jose and Seaside. I found out that both locations are not as close together as I thought, but we still managed to get together and play tourist and have lunches and dinners together. We three went to the Monterey Aquarium and saw the special Seahorse exhibit. Above are some furry Sand Dollars.
This Seahorse looks like leaves...
September was a busy month and time for change which I'm not very good at...Kara and Peter are at their Colleges, and Frank has started a new job away from home up in Northern California which is a good 5 hour drive from here, so he stays away for long periods of time.
I'm still loving the colors of my hand-dyed silks...above is the Everlasting color which lent itself so well to the Quaker carnation.
I decided to personalize the sampler just a little bit...I stitched the "J K" to remind me of my own individuality; of who I really am deep inside instead of the sometimes lost person I've become. Or maybe it just stand for "just kidding." You decide!
Above is my progress so far...the stitch along lasts until the end of this year, but I have this feeling I may finish a bit early. But now for a little bit of crocheting for a change of pace...I'll revisit Beatrix Potter in October.
My doggy and I are going through so many changes lately...we once had a house full here, but since Kara went back up to San Jose State, and Peter just started his freshman year at Cal State Fullerton, and Frank started his new job at Seaside in Northern California, the house is a bit emptier...so on my desk, I've arranged some pictures to remind me of what has been. I ran into these snap shots when I was in the process of moving furniture around so that we can rent out one of the rooms, hopefully to a studious college student. I'll be going for the second room to rent perhaps next week, but there's more work to it than you think...and I need to do it slowly.
I really do miss my life, but suppose it's time to move on...still knitting and stitching to save my sanity, and reading to give me perspective...and the courage to keep going...
Above is my progress for August on my interpretation of the Beatrix Potter sampler reproduction by Needleprint. It was a bit more challenging to get anything stitched since it was a busy month moving my son Peter into his dorm at Cal State Fullerton, and my husband finally got a job, except it's way up North in a town called Seaside and we're still figuring out what to do about the long separations and preparing arrangements to refinance our house.
But I got a few motifs done...at least stitching keeps me balanced.
And I think it's turning out quite well...
I hope to have this finished by the end of the year...
My youngest son Peter moved into the dorms at Cal State Fullerton yesterday. It was quite an undertaking with the limited parking and the stack of boxes that kept falling over on the cart, but it made it to his room. Above you see him with his roommate Lance, who, by odd coincidence, is half Dutch too! We found this out when I mentioned that I was taking pictures for Peter's Opa and Oma! "Are you Dutch too??" So funny!
Peter did have his priorities straight and first put together his computer with the wireless available there...while I made his bed! Below you see the livingroom area...actually, each dorm has three rooms with two roommates each for a total of six college guys! Be interesting how clean they keep it, huh??
Nice, bright window in dining room area...
And above here is Peter's bed...I hope he slept well his first night there!
Above is the kitchen complete with stove, microwave, refrigerator, and dishwasher! The suite also has ample storage (well, I guess we'll see!) and two full bathrooms with double sinks...amazing...we sure hope Peter learns well and is happy!! I miss him already!!
Kara and I decided that dollar day Wednesday at the Ventura County Fair was more affordable than the $90 plus at Disneyland...we had so much fun!! No, didn't do any of the rides, but admired the ferris wheel. Mostly we looked at the booths, ate samples, and viewed various craft exhibits.
Above you see part of the gardening exhibit...I love the pun contained in this flower bed, and we saw an abundance of vegetable gardens. The trend sure has come away from just flowers and grass!! We saw lots of herbal gardens too.
Kara treated me to some funnel cake. We usually hunt down our usual Pennsylvania Dutch booth since this guy puts a light crispiness to his funnel cakes. Sure was delicious!! You could do strawberries on top, but I did my usual powdered sugar! YUM! Anyway, I couldn't find the chocolate covered bacon anywhere!! Probably just as well!!
Kara and I also looked at the bunnies, cows, lambs, pigs and other live stock...here she is in front of the baby piggies!! The mom was in the cage too feeding her newborns, but this one was the rundt of the litter. So cute!!
