Gray Squirrel at camp

This guy sure surprised me yesterday when I looked out the back door to see it feeding off the sunflower seeds! Haven't seen any gray ones all summer...just the red ones. He had fun taking the seeds out of the flower and eating them. I sure enjoyed watching him or her!!!!

New Knitting

First picture is of the baby blanket I am knitting for my DIL to send to her friend in Ireland. The friend is having a baby boy and my DIL wanted to send her something homemade so I told her I would make her one of these to send over there. It is out of Canadiana acrylic yarn. I am using a size 9 needle instead of a 10 1/2 so it will be tighter knit and warmer.

The second and third pictures are of Cassandras sweater I told her I would make for her. I told her to find a pattern she liked and I would knit what she wanted as I have already knit her mother and sister each a cardigan last summer. This is from Leader yarn that I had left from my yarn shop days.

The last picture is all of the items I knit for my granddaughter. Used a wool/acrylic yarn on these.

Camp Life will be changing soon!

We will be moving back to our home in town in three weeks. We ususally stay until the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I have decided I want to come home and start moving things out of the camp. The 5th of September we were given a notice my the landowners that we will have to purchase our lot in 90 days or we will lose our camp to another buyer. We were hoping they would be a small price, but we were totally shocked with the $83,500.00 price tag. (This is just for the land...if they have buyers, they do not have to pay us for our camps or anything else..they can just make us leave and get nothing for them) I know a lot of the out of staters up here thing its not much, but when the locals are the ones that have built the road up and the lots to what they are today with no help from the several landowners, we thought for sure they would take that into consideration, but they didn't. The landowner, Katahdin Timberlands of Canada has control of the road leading into the road that we are connected to and they have made some really big changes too! No more plowing the road in the winter, unless we get written permission, we will not be able to live there year round and they made us form another association along with the new one for us new landowners and that they will control the dues. We now have to pay to cross the railroad crossing...and that will be included in our dues. We also now have to have a 4 million dollar policy for liability to cross the tracks. Once was always open to the public is now a closed road to all, unless you have a camp in there or are invited in. Wow the big city people have come to the little North Maine Woods and have opened our eyes up to more GREED then expected. This price tag has put a lot of pressure on all of the leasees here and a good portion are putting their camps up for sale. I know we do not want to, but we have no choice. When Great Northern Paper went under 3 years ago, we used all our life savings to keep our home and camp. We used it to pay them off. Now trying to rebuild that is not easy with the price of gas and oil. Food is now costing us over $150 a week and that's not buying much of anything to put in the freezer for later.



Well, time to get off my soapbox and head back to camp. DH has been out bowhunting all day and he will be hungery when he gets back...and I am in town playing on the pc instead of making supper!!! Ha Ha Ha!



So if any of you are interested in owning a little piece of the Maines north woods, email me...we are asking under $400,00 for it with the 1.75 acres of land that we will own in a few weeks.



Take care all and knit on!

Sarahs new vest and socks

I finished the socks last night and the vest the night before. I am now knitting a winter hat to go with this and some mittens to match. Sarah will be one warm child this winter if Grammy Lynn has anything to do with it! LOL
I got the yarn at City Side Yarn in July when it was going out of business. Nice yarn to work with too. I have 10 skeins of this so have enough to make an other nice sweater for someone.













Here is a picture of the finished aran sweater and beret that I have knit. It is a Mary Maxim pattern and yarn. It doesn't have button yet, but have them...hearts!

I found that this pattern ran big, so made it using 18 month size but with 24 month lengths. It should fit her for a year or so I hope.

Camp Critters

Have no idea what kind of bug this is! It was on the patio door so I thought it would be interesting to see who knows what the heck it is!!!






Squirrel in the bird feeders!



Grasshopper on my sunflower! Cute little thing ain't it!!

An a bumble bee pollinating the sunflower so I can have seeds for the birds this winter.

Sarahs new aran sweater.

Here are my two little chipmunks eating away at the feeder. I enjoy watching them so much...all the wild life is a fun way to spend an afternoon watching them! And KNITTING!!

 

 

This is the sweater I knit for Sarah. It will be a Christmas gift. I made it an 18 months size but went with the 24 months length. I hope she enjoys it!


 
 

Mexicalli Baby

I knit this one for Sarah from the self stripping sock wool. I got it at City Side Yarn in Bangor...which is now closed! I did go into the shop the first day she started her going out of business sale. I bought over $600.00 worth of yarn, books and notions..and got 40% off. So I now have enough wool to knit 6 large sweaters for adults and do not know how many I can make for Sarah out of the rest of the yarns. I also got a lot of home-made buttons too at 40% off. Some were $6.00 each but will look so cute on Sarahs things I will knit for her.



 
 

Another Sweater for Sarah.

This one is knit from two strands of worsted weight yarn. It is an old McCall's pattern. I usually put a zipper in them, but this one I did like the pattern called for an used buttons. It is too big for her right now, but her mom said to make things for Sarah for next year..and I am!


 

More for Sarah

Here is a little jump suit I knit for my granddaughter this summer. I bought the shirt at Walmarts this spring. I used sport yarn from City Side Yarn shop..can't remember what the name of it is.



 
 
 

Here is the hat and sweater I made for sarah out of cotton. I will have to get the pattern discription and add it later. This one is 18 months and fits her now. Have enough yarn to make her the largest size this winter.




 

 
 
 
 

Summer in Late September!!

Had PT today...getting stronger all the time. The weather here today is very hot and humid...T-storms on the horizon for later today.

Have been doing a lot of knitting and my poor left elbow and wrist can attest to that! I make Sarah an Aran vest from Maine Woods Woollies last week. Anna called and asked me if I could knit one up for her so she can dress her in layers this winter. Did the size 18 months and added an inch to the length and it fits her perfect.

Had family over Saturday. I got to bake and cook like I used to before I fell and hurt myself over 2 years ago. My surgery sure has been a blessing, even though I didn't think it was when I had it. OH well, no pain, no gain. I stuffed and baked four large chickens, mashed potato, corn on the cob and fresh carrots. Love this time of year when all the food is fresh from the farms around here. I made a Graham cracker pie and apple pie...both from scratch...yummy. So nice to be able to stand and do things again.

Below are some pictures of the JOAT I finally got finished. It took longer to put it together then to knit it!!! LOL the button bands took a long time to do also. But now it is finished and I have worn it a few times. People ask me where I bought my sweater...lol. The look on their faces when I say I knit it is worth all the time I put in it.

I am now working on a top down sweater for Cassandra. I have had to TINK it twice now....all the way back to cast on. I hope this time I get it right. Stayed up last night until 12 watching TV and knitting on it. I have it to where the arms are now on stitch holders and I have the body started. The only good thing about this sweater is that I will only have to sew up under the arms when I am done. Do not care for this pattern at all. Maybe that is why I just haven't had the will power to work on it that much. I hope Cassandra likes it. It will look good on her..she is very tall and very thin.

 
 
 
 

Summer is Over in Maine!

Hi knitters,
Been a great summer for me and my family. I got a ton of knitting done too! Finished my Joat last month. Hope to have pictures downloaded soon so I can show you how nice it came out. And I have had a chance to wear it too! Today it is only 62F and now the rain has started. I had to come to town to get a zipper and some floss to finish the little outfit I am sewing for Sarah. It is polor fleece and I have having a good time with it. It's been many years since I've done any serious sewing projects, but I thought, why not, I have everything so lets give it a try. Now my DIL wants to learn to sew. We are going to get her the notions as a Christmas gift.

My back has been healing quite nicely all summer. I have to keep reminding myself that I can't do things...I hope I will be able to in time.

We have had some really bad Thunder storms this summer. I actually videoed one in August. It was fun to watch it today.

We got out bill of sale for our camp lot Thursday. We are both in shock! I never in a million years thought they would price them out of everyones reach. We are going to try to get it financed, but we will be forced to sell out summer home now. Just when you think things can't get any worse and they do! Oh well, we had 10 wonderful years at the lake. It is time to move on to the next thing in our lives.

I have started a cardigan for Sarah...have pictures downloading so hope to post those soon.

RECOVERY

Hello my friends and family,
I am at the lake recouping. Today DH had to come to town and mow the lawn, so I came down with him. I find this surgery to be a breeze comparing it to the knee replacement last fall. I had to stay an extra day because I had a temp of 102.3 for about 16 hours. I came home Saturday. I was sure glad I had taken the pain meds just before we left Bangor to drive home. I had enough pillows to place around me and the seat reclined to keep my back straight. The worst of the ride was the dirt road to the camp. Once we got there and I was back in bed I was off to dream land for a few more hours. I am so glad the doctor gave us a prescription for the toilet seat and the bars so that I can get on and off without any help this time around...haha. What a sight to see. My feet don't even touch the floor! And it is so easy to get off and on now....I might just keep it on all the time. LOL

Well, my 15 minutes of sitting is up and here comes DH to tell me again to get off this pc. I have a back brace that I will wear for a few months, but it sure helps when riding. Do not have to wear it when laying down, so I don't.

Take care all and KNIT ON!

Sarah's new dress and other items I've knit lately

All this little summer dress needs is the crochet trim around the neck and arm holes. Took it to my friend this morning so she can do this for me. I do not crochet well so I am not going to even attempt it. Nadine said she will have it done today so I can give it to my son when he gets to Bangor tomorrow to sit with his father during my back surgery. I used microsoft yarn from Bernet (I think) and it worked up fine. So soft and tiny. Made the size one. The pattern is from Minnowknits too. And I started the sun rompers yesterday from the same book. This will be knit with a cotton and acrylic blend. Hope it fits her for the summer. Looks so tiny but measured her Saturday while they were here for a visit and it should fit. Oh well have enough yarn left to make the next size if I have to.




The hat it finished and it fits Grace. So will make another one for Sarah while recouping the next 4 to 6 weeks. I enjoyed this pattern so won't mind making another one. Will have enough yarn left to make a little one with two colors...brim is going to be purple and the rest in white. Should be cute don't you think?

Knit this little place mat for my cats water and food dish. It is from dishcloth cotton and is just the right size. Had a lake association meeting so got most of it done that 2 hours we were there. LOL and who said I can't knit and talk at the same time? lol

Well tomorrow is my big day at EMMC. I am really scared to have this surgery..so much could go wrong..but then again so much could go right! And right is what I am praying for. No more pain meds, no more leg and knee pain, no more back swelling and pain! It is the only way to stop all this and I guess if God has given us this knowledge I am going to be on the receiving end of that gift the doctor was given. I will not be posting for 4 to 6 weeks as I can't do any driving. I can only walk and lay down for that time frame too. I can knit standing and laying down, so I am all set in that department. And then again, I can knit almost anywhere. I am going to have physical therapy at the house as I have no way to drive into town. DH is taking 3 weeks off to take care of me again. What a man I have! What a lucky woman I am to have him and I make sure I tell him every day. He will have to put up with me like he did last fall with the knee replacement. There is no way the pain can be that bad again. Most of my knee pain is from this back injury. I just hope this lamanectomy does the trick. I have lived with this pain for many years now and to be pain free or almost, is going to be something new for me.

I have my knitting projects all lined up to do. I have to put the Joat together and do the button bands and the hood and that is done. I have Cassandras yarn and pattern and needles all ready to go for her sweater. And I have plenty of sock yarn to play with too. I think that is what I am putting in my knitting back for the hospital too! Socks are so easy to do and not to have to look at a pattern is great too! I just make a very simple sock, but very warm and wearable for this climate.

Well, take care folks...will post again in July when I am able to drive myself to town to use the PC. No phone up in the woods, so no PC, which makes more time for knitting! lol

KNIT ON!

Snow again! YUCK

 
 



A partridge is in our yard at camp! They are everywhere this year. And so are the rabbits. After a couple of years without seeing any, looks like this year is going to be a good year for them.

I am hoping you can see the snow on the windshield and in the background. Took this coming out of camp yesterday afternoon. The snow didn't stay on the ground, but it sure isn't a welcomed sight!

We stayed at camp last night for the first time this season. I am so tired this morning. A little mouse kept running around and finally got in the trap...sounded like a gun shot when it went off! DH slept right through it! Friggin' men!! Then I could hear another one in the bedroom and was hoping it didn't want to get in bed with us...lol. I only slept a few hours and then it was time to get up and head to town with DH. I am packing up the cats this morning and they are my top priority today! I want them up there chasing and catching the little critters. I am not afraid of them, but I do not want to wake up and find one in my bed! hahahaha!!!!

I have started a third hat. I have taken it out more then I've knit on it. I keep adding an extra row and noticing it about 30+ rows and have to R I P it out. Well it may just become a little more fuel in the wood stove the way this is going. I just can't seem to make headway on this one at all.

Going to pack up my Joat and finish that right off. I am not going to leave this one until fall. Could be wearing it right now. Only 34 degrees out right now...holy moly! Feels like December out there. Weatherman is calling for more rain and snow today. Come on Mother Nature and give us a break on our fuel bills!

Well time to pack some more stuff up and find the cats...not going without them today!

KNIT ON!!!