7-15-2015 GGN Gauge Hat

 In preparation

for knitting this sweater

(GGN Norwegian Ski Sweater)

in next month's KAL...

...it was recommended that

we knit a "Gauge Hat"

so we would know what our

Fair Isle knitting gauge is

using the yarn and needles

we intend to use for the sweater.

I finished up my GGN Gauge Hat last night.

I'll measure the gauge fresh off the needles,

then wash and block the hat

and measure the gauge again

so that I know what washing will do

to the fabric.

7-14-2015 Eeeewwww!!!

There is fungus among us!!!

Saw this creepy blob outside

while helping DH run some boards through the planer...

After the scary storm...

7-13-2015 Happy 3rd Birthday Grandson!

Oma and Opa love you sooooo much!

Looks like you had fun on your 3rd birthday.  :*)

(Thanks for the pictures, dear D-I-L!!!)

7-12-2015 Foggy Morning

It was a foggy morning

so DH & I took our morning walk

along the Mississippi River today...

so beautiful.

(As always, you can left click

on the photos to enlarge them.)

Lone duck...

Parked barge...

Preening Pelicans...

I-74 Bridge...

Weeds...

(my new desktop picture)

7-11-2015 Yarn Tasting

 My LYS (Local Yarn Shop)

hosted another "Yarn Tasting" party, 

which allows customers to sample new yarns

from the manufacturers

and let the LYS owner know which ones

we like and would buy if she were to order them

and add them to her inventory...

a win-win for both of us!
I won this skein of blue chunky yarn...
the first door prize of the evening!

I wore my favorite LuLaRoe Azure skirt to the party...

love the polka dots!!!

I love this line of clothing!!!

So glad my daughter introduced me to it.

:*)

7-10-2015 Hot Summer Days

 On HOT summer days

there's nothing better

than eating popsicles 

in the shade!

And on HOT summer days

there's nothing better 

than working on small knitting projects

like mittens!

Here is my progress

on the "Unleashed Mittens KAL".

Next week's KAL clue is the pattern for the thumbs.

The following week's clue is the pattern

for the 'flip top.'

7-9-2015 A Lovely Bouquet!

A lovely bouquet of flowers

picked by my granddaughter JP for me.

:*)

7-8-2015 It's a Wash Out!

This past week has really been something weather-wise!

We had a powerful storm Monday night

that flooded many places in town

and swept away the bridge bed

on our favorite walking/jogging trail...

The trail was covered with waves of mud.

The bright side to this morning's walk...

it was only 60*F all day

(we are usually in the upper 80's-low 90's this time of year)

and we found some wild blackberries along the trail

to munch on as we walked!

7-7-2015 I Love LuLaRoe! And Jamberry!

GD wearing a new LuLaRoe dress I got her...

And I love my accent "Jamberry Nail"

with my new LuLaRoe Azure Skirt...

7-6-2015 Swim Suit Shopping

It's finally warming up enough outside

to take the GDs to the neighborhood swimming pool,

so took the baby shopping for a swim suit today.

She was more interested in the tags.

We gave it a try in our kiddy pool at home first.

It made me think about shopping for a swim suit

as a teenager and adult woman

and all the body image issues 

we accumulate

as we age.

Wish I could go back to being as 

carefree and innocent as these 2 are today!

7-5-2015 Still In the Festive Mood

Still in the 4th of July

festive mood

so I'm wearing this LLR Maxi skirt today.

And got these cute pix of my GS

feeding the ducks and geese at the park...

7-4-2015 Happy 4th of July!!!

DH & I went to a local 

4th of July street festival today

since it was NOT blistering hot outside...

for the kiddos, bouncy castles...

 a petting zoo...

face painting...

(I'm a kitty!)

Kitty's Little Sister...

And for the adults, there were street vendors,

food and beverage trucks.

We enjoyed a brat for lunch.

I spent the day in my new LuLaRoe

bomb pop dress!

7-3-2015 Gotta Love Iowa

When I lived in Missouri

for the past 30 years

the farmers would plant their corn

and hope it was 

"knee high by the 4th of July."

Here in Iowa...

And some pix from our trip to the zoo today...

7-2-2015 Different Points of View

From our walk this morning...

same location...

3 different 'points of view'...

7-1-2015 Things That Make You Go, "Hmmm?!?!?"

So, my 20+ year OLD washing machine

had a 10 minute wash cycle

and a 7 minute rinse/spin cycle.

On my NEW "High Efficiency" washing machine,

the shortest wash/rinse/spin cycle I can find

is 84 minutes long.

How is that more "efficient?!?!?"

(Yes, I know... it uses less water...)