Dear Blog,

I know I've been ignoring you lately.
I don't know why.

Um..
Well, I do...

There was that nasty computer virus which resulted in my computer crashing. Lost so many things... sniff...

There was the first grade Halloween Party... Planning activities, organizing volunteers, etc...

Halloween weekend at our house called for fun party food... have pictures, no wait HAD pictures, but well, computer crash...

I've been working on my Secret Santa Christmas Swap present... can't show you that.

I've been knitting on a thing or two... Christmas secrets...

Also, sewing some doll clothes, something I said I would NEVER do. Never say never.

I can't seem to stop reading either....

I'm hoping to be a little more faithful dear blog... no promises though!

Take good care,
HobbyMommy

My Life this September

Many things are spinning in my head and I want to share every tidbit with you, but this September has all but swallowed me up. For today, I'll just jump back into blogland with a few snippits how my time has been spent.

• Job hunting... all that goes with that process
• Activities for the little people... music lessons, orchestra, fun run, school lunch duty
• Birthday parties... my sweet girlie Annestelle turned 7 on Saturday and HobbyHubby is celebrating 39 today.
• Knitting... there has been some... ever so slowly another pair of fetching gloves for a friend's birthday...
• Sewing... on a library bag for my girl for Christmas
• Planning... Christmas gifts, home improvements, life

Happy Hobbies!

Tennessee Adventures...

We (HobbyHubby, the little people & my Mother-in-law) took a little trip Knoxville at the beginning of August to visit my brother-in-law.

We had a wee bit of time to visit a yarn shop.

Loved it!

We visited downtown Knoxville to see the SunSphere, which is located at the site of the 1982 World's Fair.

Went to the Knoxville Zoo and had such fun! Aren't those little people the cutest animals?

Went to the Dinosaur Walk in Pigeon Forge. Annestelle was in heaven, naming each and every dinosaur replica!

This is the view from Clingman's Dome, the Great Smokey Mountains National Park's highest point east of the Mississippi. Would you believe we saw John Glenn and his wife hiking back down from the Dome? Yes, the astronaut. HobbyHubby took Glenn's picture with a woman (using her camera), but hated to bother Glenn any further so didn't ask the woman to return the favor. Very exciting nonetheless!

Happy Hobbies!

{this moment}

{this moment}

- A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

~ From Amanda Soule

Beret!

I love this beret!

Quick! Easy! Fun!

What more could a girl need for a quick summer knitting project?

Well, maybe a bit of entertainment...

I quickly decided that I needed to know more about Crazy Aunt Purl while listening to an interview with her on a Knit Picks podcast recently.

This woman is hilarious! I just couldn't get my hands on her book fast enough.

Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair: The True-Life Misadventures of a 30-Something Who Learned to Knit After He Split

That's some title! You don't have to be a knitter to appreciate her humorous story!

Back to the beret; a few specifics...

I used some fantastic handspun wool from CosyMakes.

It seems I could have gone down a needle size, but rather than rip it back and repeat, I opted for felting. One cycle through the washing machine felted this hat just enough for my perfect fit. Now, I just have to wait for cooler weather to wear it!

I can wait.

Happy Hobbies!

A Quilt Finish

This one is intended for use as a shower curtain.

The colors in this fabric line from Denyse Schmidt are a perfect match for the bird cards I plan to frame for display. I have to say, both the bird cards and quilt are prettier in person.

This is the back. I had the chance to use the professional quilt machine at Aunt Mary's last spring!

I tend to do things out of order... like picking out pictures and making a shower curtain before the 70's gold wallpaper is stripped, the shower surround replaced, new light fixtures installed, and the walls painted... you know, all the important stuff? I did finish the wallpaper stripping on Thursday! I really HATE stripping wallpaper, but it is done! The old fixtures are down... Progress is being made!

You'll be seeing the bathroom finish someday!!

Happy Hobbies!

Outside

Enjoying...
Impatiens & Begonias on the deck...

and some lovely Lavender.

Noticing...
the sad condition of my herb bed;

possibly the saddest it has looked since I started it 5 years ago.

hmmmm....

Waiting for...
the wild flower mix to bloom.

Can you see the tiny bits of color?
They're coming!

Happy Hobbies!