Almost 6 Months to Recap

 No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth.  Life has just been very busy.  I can't believe 2025 is over half over already.

At the end of February I managed to crank out a few quick projects for my grandbabies.

Swirled Ski Cap from Knitting For Peace.

Garter Be Kidding Me by Katherine Young

Small Rabbit by Julie Williams.

The rabbit is staying at my house as a toy.  I'm not ready to give him up yet.

March included a trip to Cincinnati to celebrate my birthday with Ed and Blake.  Blake took us to The Precinct.  I had a lovely cocktail with dried roses pressed on the side and an orchid floating as a garnish.

The birthday dessert was a piece of funfetti cake.  Honestly, I would have preferred something else but this was the complimentary birthday dessert.

March ended on a very happy note with Kristin and Michael moving back to Ohio

April began with a few visitors to our yard.  There were 8 deer roaming around the pond.  Several were does and the rest were yearlings.

Easter was a beautiful day.  My brother Joe was here along with rest of my family except Michael.  He was in Germany for a business trip.  Jameson didn't hunt eggs this year.  This year he got to hunt tubs of Playdough.

I managed to make a baby sweater for a friend's daughter's second baby.  This is My Gift To You by Taiga Hilliard.  I used some stash Lion Brand Wool Ease in the color Blush Heather.

May's big event was Kristin and Michael's wedding on May 10.  They chose to be married on top of a mountain in Tennessee.  It was absolutely beautiful even with a very, very light drizzle and an earthquake in the morning.

I made the cake that Kristin and Michael cut at the reception.  The cake is my grandmother's strawberry cake recipe.  I used the Sugar Geak's Easy Buttercream for the frosting.  This is the reason I have been absent.  I spent a lot of my spare time practicing my piping skills.  I think it turned out beautiful if I say so myself.

After the wedding, I needed a rest but that didn't happen.  I had my brother visit the very next weekend and then Ed and I got busy with the basement.  My sewing room project is still not done.

Mid-June our front door got absconded by a robin.  She built her nest right on top of my wreath.

We had to wait four weeks for the 3 eggs to hatch and the babies to fledge.  They finally left the next on July 1.  The wreath and nest got tossed in the trash because it was a total mess.  Along with the front door and porch which I had to scrub.

Also in June, I decided to rip out my Yume sweater that I made last year.  I loved the fabric but it was too big for my liking.  As a result it never was worn.  I'm going to reknit it one size smaller.

I'm making slow, slow progress on my Astri afghan.  This is the halfway point for attaching the flowers.

I cast on a Summer Vibe Top using Knitty McPurly yarn I have in my stash.  Knitty McPurly is having a summer top KAL running through August 15.  One entry for prizes for each completed top and an extra entry for using her yarn.  Squeaks was giving me advise on what order to place the colors.

Sourdough has been an on/off project for me.  I have two starters that I've managed to keep alive.  My original whole wheat starter, named Edna, is on the right.  Marge, on the left, is made with all purpose flour and starter I retrieved from Kristin's when I babysat hers back in March.

During the past few months I finished 4 projects. I can't remember exactly when I finished them so I'll do a big photo dump here.

The Riptide Slipover from JST Designs.  This was made in &Make DK in the Soft Love colorway.  I like the pattern, but the armholes are too deep to wear without a top underneath.

Nila by Natasja Hornby made with Purl Soho Linen Quill in Crocus.  This had been in hibernation for a while.  I love how this turned out.  My only complaint is that the yarn is pilling under the arms.

Funnel Neck Pullover by Churchmouse in Jody Long Alba in the color 19 Winter.  This was yarn I bought last fall on our Canadian Maritime cruise.  I ended up losing yarn chicken and having to order another ball of yarn.  The knitting gods were smiling on my because the ball I ordered from a shop in Michigan was the same dye lot as the yarn I bought in Canada.  YIPPEE!!!!

Bernat Baby Blanket using Bernat Softee Baby (Sport DK) in color 0200.  This was a deep stash yarn.  The blanket went to the baby girl of a young lady I used to work with.  I consider her my adopted daughter.

I also made a cover for my iPad but didn't feel that it's worthy of a photo.  I just used some leftover stash yarn and self drafted pattern.  

In total I've finished 10 projects so far in 2025.  Let's see if I can make 25 in 2025.

I'll sign off now with a picture of the cutest little patriots and the news that they are going to have a cousin by the end of the year.  I'm so excited to be Omi x3!!!