Ready...Set...Photo Dump!

I know. I know. My posts have been lazy lately, but I have a good excuse. (Stop looking at me with so much judgement...I didn't even know you COULD give side-eye, Winnie-the Pooh!)

You see, even though I've already submitted my "what I did on summer vacation" essay, there was still so much summer left after I went back to work on August 3rd! Yes, yes...it IS September now, and my kitchen counter reflects that,

but I have still been busy with all the summer I can get my hands on. Like random trips to Cedar Point,

including stopping in to feed our furry friends,

panning for "treasure" (pretty rocks)

and rides on Siren's Curse with my best coaster buddy (FYI, at the end of this particular ride, we got stuck. Again, at the end, zero danger, zero stress...we just had an extra wait to get into the station and unload. Did you know that when a roller coaster like this breaks down, the first fix is to TURN IT OFF, WAIT, and RESTART? Lol...)

The bonus is that we now both have passes to skip the line one time on almost any ride in the park! So, yay for that, and it was only 25 minutes. 

While we were there, that big kid also rode Magnum with Daddy, 

and we saw some of the fun, HalloWeekends decorations that are going up...

They're probably all up now, it's almost here!

Other highlights for the end of summer have included TWO boys learning to balance bikes without training wheels,

the start of flag football season for another,

and so much knitting! The youngest has bullied me into knitting him toys, and he calls nearly every day to check on my progress...so far, we have Suzy Sheep (of Peppa Pig fame),

and whoever this guy is gonna be. Any guesses? If you're a FB friend, you probably know!

There were random rainstorms, complete with high winds, thunder, lightning and even occasional hail,

so I had to knit my own sunshine, in the form of a bright wash-/dishcloth, of course!

Now...wait, is that my phone? Gosh! It is. I gotta go, because that 4-year-old is really gonna give me the what for if I don't finish that little guy in the blue overalls! I'll catch you all on the flip-side, as we used to say!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

What Becomes of the Broken-Armed?

Knamma is what my middle grandson calls me, when his tongue is too lazy for the "gr" sound...lol, and I am a knitting knamma! As you (and Taylor Swift) know, knitters gonna knit, knit, knit, knit, knit...and I've been knitting for the grandkids from the beginning. It started with sweaters for their little, baby bodies before it moved into toys, and these three monsters were one of the first toy adventures for the boys' house, in 2019:

Now that the boys have a dog, sometimes toys are caught in battle situations. While I am no Doc McStuffins, when I saw this poor guy's arm last week, my heart broke a little: 

So, as a knitting knamma does, I mustered the troops (actually a small collection of rubber duck nurses), and readied the operating arena and surgical tools...

You may not know this, but this type of prosthetic surgery is typically done with no anesthesia, so it was really no surprise that the patient wanted to try out that new arm before I was even finished with the procedure.

In the end, the hardest part of prosthetic surgery turned out to be matching skin tones. Just like flesh, yellow yarns come in many shades, and even though I got close(-ish?)...we will always be able to see where I mended that broken heart...errr, arm. (The "nurses" seem quite impressed with my work, yay!)

At least toys are easy to fix. I've come across three broken-heart situations in the last 6 months that I'd fix if I could, but there just isn't enough yarn in the world. Instead, I have prayed for the families of two young dads (Tony and Erik) and one young mom (Mandy), terminally ill and/or taken from their families far too soon. Their stories are not mine to tell, and I only knew one of them personally, but I have agonized through my prayers for friends at the pain these losses have brought.

I've also been reminded that this life is full of uncertainty and things that are out of my control. I am glad to know that there is One greater than me who is in control, and I have prayed that He will watch over these families, weaving his love through their broken hearts and surrounding them with the love of family and friends who point to an eternity of hope. 

If you have lost a loved one recently, or too soon, or ever...I pray that you would lean into faith, call on the name of Jesus, and trust that He is enough. The Bible tells me that He has prepared a place for me, and that there will be no more pain or tears in heaven. I lean on this when I have pain and tears on earth, and I remember that answering his call is something I must do daily...hourly even. 

And now, celebrating like it's the end of a major sporting event for those gone to heaven (some far too soon in my mind), I lift my John 3:16 sign and remind you that "God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." 

Physical life is fleeting, but spiritual life can be an eternity of joy. I hope you will reach for that joy in all things, especially if you are feeling broken-hearted today. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Decisions, Decisions...Birthday Edition

Our youngest grandchild will turn 4 very soon, and my daughter has requested a certain character knit for this fine, young Peppa Pig loving kid! I bought a book of patterns online,

went through all my worsted-weight, acrylic yarn

and determined I did not have exactly the right colors for "Candy Cat," so I went shopping...and now I do. 

In fact, I have a nearly completed Candy Cat in my bag right now!

Trouble with that is that the kid may have a new favorite character now. By our best estimation, that would be either Rebecca Rabbit or Pedro Pony. Referencing the photo above, I certainly have the patterns for both...and I may even have the yarn. Of course, there is the distinct possibility that I'll need to go shopping again, which (let's be honest here) is no tragedy for me! But gosh...I do have some yarn here.

Still, if I can't find the right colors, there will be shopping, and decisions! After all, the party is coming, and I do NOT have time to knit ALL of the characters! (After all, I've "wasted" significant portions of my spring break playing with these hooligans...lol!) 

So, it seems that it is time to make a decision! I wonder what I will choose for this kid...?

Whatever the choice, I am sure that the toy will be well loved, and that will be a birthday-edition WIN, so I'll take it! I hope you are also having some wins where you can, and if it's your birthday soon, I hope you have cake!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Marching (reluctantly?) Into Springtime

Springtime in Ohio is a fickle thing. Snow, wind, sunshine, mild and freezing temperatures, ice and rain... all the confusing weather messages, and the daffodils and crocuses coming up... Oh, and Amazon packages flying through the air! (Seriously, Amazon. If it is small and light, or flat and light, pop it into the mailbox rather than leaving it out in the open like a cardboard kite!) For what it's worth, the package we almost lost was recovered, and the wind continued through the end of the week!

In the beginning, Spring always seems reluctant to make a commitment. It is normal this time of year to see a clear, blue sky with 70°F on Monday (Hey! I can still write Haiku!)...

then light, drizzle-y snow and wind by Wednesday, building and building until power goes out at work on Friday (power was on at home, so that's where I went for the rest of the day)!

Thankfully, we took advantage of the great weather last weekend to spend some time at local playgrounds,

and going out to dinner with family...

and I had projects to keep me busy when indoors was the place to be! Look! A second Leprechaun!

Yes, I am so thankful for yarn friends (Irish and otherwise) and for warm, hand-knit socks! These two pair are finished,

and the third, companion pair (in pink!) is well underway!

Now that it is Saturday once again, and we are one, full week past the worst time change of the year, I think it's safe to say that we are going to make it through just fine. Whew! I think I'll do some knitting to celebrate! 

I hope that you have not blown away yet, and that you have some great things to be thankful for! Can't think of any? It must be time exercise that gratitude muscle. Think harder...I mean, you woke up this morning, so I am thankful for that! Oh, and you found an entertaining blog to read...lol! But seriously, I am glad to see you here. The world would be a little less bright without you in it. Sooo,

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Improvisation

Sometimes I just can't find the pattern I want, so I start to improvise. I usually start with a good idea of the shapes I need, but sometimes not much more. This week's projects were no exception... any guesses?

What about this one? 

Do you see Peppa's father, Daddy Pig? Lol...not what I was after, but now I have a sudden urge to knit a bunch of pigs...weird. What about now? 

This time, I see the 1970s "Little People" dad from my childhood...but that's not what I'm knitting either. Maybe the first accessory will give a clue...

or the legs, or the hat? C'mon! Take a guess! 

Did you get lucky? 

You did, if you guessed that this would be a lucky leprechaun! 

Ain't he something!?! And, wow!, was he fun to knit! So much fun that I figured I'd try my hand (and needles) at a semi truck that can drive over a plate of cookies next, because...well, maybe I'm just random that way? Random or not, that was the first pic of the post, and I think I have hit the mark!

What will Pretty knit next? Nobody really knows, and anything is possible. You'll just have to pop back to see next Saturday...I can barely wait, myself! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!