A Finished Project: New Sweater

Back of Sweater: Stockinette Stitch

I finished knitting the sweater I started on December 29, 2025 and finished sewing it up, today.  It was my "de-stressing/relaxing" sweater.  The back was done in stockinette stitch (knit on one side, purl on the other), which was very quick and simple.

The Front: Cables

The front started out being in stockinette stitch, too, but, then, I decided that I didn't like it so plain.  I unpicked everything down to the ribbing, and chose to do cables.  I debated between a V-neck or a round neck and decided to go with a round neck.  

I rarely block my sweaters, which is why the sweater looks the way it does in the pictures above.  I'm not slim enough to fit into a sweater that small.  But, the cabling gives the sweater a lot of elasticity.  

My New Sweater

I used four and a half balls of 100 g (3.5 oz) wool for this sweater.  I have more balls of wool in this same color for another planned project.

Today, I am grateful for:

- My new sweater
- My yarn stash

- Being taught to knit when I was a child
- Time to knit
- What I was able to accomplish

Today's joyful activity was finishing and wearing my new sweater.

My next knitting project will be a sweater for my daughter.  I'll use the same brand of yarn, but, a different color - a cream wool called "Aran" on the label.  She wants hers to be a longer length.  I'll be casting on the stitches for that after I publish this post.

Are you working on a project currently?

On Thursday

 

Aloe Flowers

The aloe plants (they are a different variety than aloe vera) are flowering.  

Close Up

The flower stalks open up very gradually from the bottom of the stalk.  The individual flowers are still not fully open.

Another Close Up

The hummingbirds wait impatiently for them to open fully so they can enjoy the nectar.

Daughter had a full day of meetings on Thursday.  I slept in and then spent the rest of the day reading, watching online videos, and knitting.  It was another sunny and warm day (high of 79F) and I took another walk in the garden to look at things such as the aloe flowers and my stumpery:

The Stumpery

It hasn't changed since the last picture I took of it, but, I love looking at it.  LOL.  

Later in the evening, I called cousin V and chatted with her for a bit.

I made milkrice for brunch and I had mine with seeni sambol (onion relish) and daughter, who had already eaten a piece of curried chicken, had hers with sugar.  For dinner, I made pancakes and ate mine with baked chicken and a little bit of chicken curry gravy (I had added a little salt to the chicken curry).  We shared an apple for dessert and I had a cookie.  

On Thursday, I was grateful for:

- Another sunny and warm day
- Garden flowers
- Time to knit and relax
- Library books
- Phone calls and emails with family and friends

Thursday's joyful activities included knitting, spending time in the garden, and watching videos.

Plans for Friday include ordering and picking up groceries and tending to the garden with M.

How was your Thursday?  What are your plans for Friday?

Roses and Butterflies on Wednesday

Rose Cuttings

 On Wednesday, M was here and he pruned the rose bushes.  He took some cuttings and set them in a pot with soil to see if they will root.  We spritzed the soil with some water, stood the pot in a bowl to catch any water that might seep out, stuck two chopsticks to act as supports, and covered the whole thing with a plastic bag:

The Covered Rose Cuttings

The chopsticks will hold the bag up and the bag will provide a nice humid environment.  We will now wait and see if anything happens over the next several days weeks. 

Wednesday was another sunny and warm day.  M enjoyed his share of the blueberry muffins and said he couldn't tell that the muffins were made without salt.  Later in the afternoon, during daughter's lunch break, we strolled around the garden for a little bit and admired the flowers and the plants.  She amused herself trying to take a picture of a painted lady butterfly:

Spot the Butterfly?

It's perched on one of the lantana flowers.

Do you see it now?

How about now?

I had a salmon sandwich for brunch and daughter had a bagel with salad and a fried egg.  For dinner, daughter had a burrito from the freezer and I had some spagetti with chicken.  We shared an apple for fruit and I had a cookie, too.  We both had cereal as a snack.

On Wednesday, I was grateful for:

- The lovely weather we are having
- M's help with the garden
- Time to relax and enjoy knitting
- Electricity

- Phone calls from friends

Wednesday's joyful activity was enjoying the garden with daughter.

Plans for Thursday include ordering groceries and knitting.

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?

Relaxed Days

 

Blueberry Muffins

We are having spring-like temperatures, this week, with daytime highs in the 70s and maybe even the low 80s towards the end of the week!  The evenings and nights are cool, though, 

I have been taking it easy, spending a little time in the garden, knitting my sweater, and doing little things around the house.  Meals have been simple - leftover French toast and scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast, salad with baked chicken for dinner, crackers and peanut butter for snacks, cookies and fruit for dessert.  

But, on Tuesday, I baked a batch of blueberry muffins, using homegrown blueberries I had frozen.  I tweaked my muffin recipe and omitted the salt and the muffins still turned out quite well.  In fact, daughter preferred them to the muffins I generally bake.  

I am grateful for:

- The sunny, warm weather
- Daughter's help with tasks around the house
- Time to relax and knit
- Salad greens from the garden
- Working appliances

Joyful activities have included spending time in the garden, knitting, spending time with my daughter.

Plans for Wednesday include tending to the garden with M, knitting, and maybe ordering groceries.

How is your week coming along?  What are your plans for Wednesday?

On Sunday

 

3-D Puzzle Vase

One of daughter's friends who visited her on Saturday gave her a 3-D jigsaw puzzle as a holiday gift.  Daughter asked me if I'd like to help her assemble the puzzle and together, we made this vase!  There is a plastic container, inside, which can be filled with water, making it possible to use the vase to display flowers.  

Sunday was another sunny day with an afternoon high of 72F.  In fact, it was warmer outside than inside and we opened the doors and windows to air out the house and bring the warmth in, as well.  I walked a bit in the garden and picked more lemons while daughter watered the raised beds.  Later, I watered the houseplants.

I did a load of laundry in the morning and put away a load of laundry that had been done, earlier.  Daughter did her laundry, afterwards, and vacuumed the living room.  My blood pressure was a little elevated, so, I took it easy for the most part, watching videos and knitting.

I made pancakes for brunch but we did our own thing for dinner.  I finished the last of the soup and had a scrambled egg and crackers with peanut butter for a snack.  Daughter had rice and salmon with tomato chutney.  

On Sunday, I was grateful for:

- A sunny and warm day
- Lemons from the garden
- Working appliances
- Daughter's help with household tasks
- Time to relax, watch videos, and knit

Joyful activities included putting together the 3-D puzzle vase with daughter.

Plans for Monday include putting away my laundry and knitting.  

How was your Sunday?  What are your plans for Monday?

Weekend Update

 

Bay Laurel Tree

On Friday, I went for my quarterly check up with the oncology nurse practitioner.  I left early to give myself ample time to get to the clinic since there is always bumper to bumper traffic near downtown and I didn't want the added stress of worrying if I'll be late to my appointment.  I got to the clinic in good time and felt relaxed.  Even so, my blood pressure was a little elevated when they checked it.  However, my blood test results were good and I had lost some weight since my last visit.  

When I got home, I saw a police car with the lights flashing, parked in front of my neighbor S's house.  I texted her to find out if everything was okay and she said the police were there for something to do with my nextdoor neighbors (the party neighbors).  No idea what it was all about, as they haven't had any really loud parties, recently, but, the police car was there for at least 45 minutes after I got home.  

Usually, I'd pick up a pizza or something on my way home from my medical appointments, but, since I'm watching my salt intake, I made us some fried rice after I came home:

Fried Rice

Leftover rice, scrambled eggs, grated carrots, shredded lettuce, and a handful of cooked garbanzo beans from a packet in the freezer.  The garbanzo beans had been cooked with salt, but, I didn't add any soy sauce or other salt to the fried rice.  It tasted okay to me; not as tasty as when I make it with soy sauce and salt, but, better for me.

Later in the afternoon, M texted me - he was at another client's place and that client had a container grown bay laurel tree, approximately 3 feet high, that she wanted tossed out; would I be willing to adopt it?  Of course I texted back to say I'd be happy to adopt the plant!  I never say no to free plants!  So, when M came by later in the evening, he brought the little bay tree .  Apparently, the container it had been planted in had broken and that client didn't want the tree planted in the ground in her garden.  We planted it in my garden, instead, and assuming it grows well, I can pick bay leaves any time I want some for cooking!   According to M, the tree can grow to be about 8 feet tall, but, I think we can keep it pruned to a shorter height if we want to.  

For dinner, I had some of my soup and a salmon sandwich.  Daughter had chicken curry.  We shared an apple for dessert and some chocolates.

On Friday, I was grateful for:

- A safe drive to the clinic and back
- Access to medical care

- Health insurance

- My blood test results were good

- M brining free plants for my garden

Friday's joyful activities included spending time in the garden.

On Saturday, I did a quick tidy and dusting of the living room as daughter was expecting some friends to visit in the afternoon.  First, her friend V visited as she couldn't make it to the holiday brunch due to illness.  Later, her friend A visited for another crochet lesson.  I did a little knitting and strolled around the garden for a bit while daughter's friends were here.

Later, after they left, I took a nap on the sofa.

Still later, I called Aunt C and we chatted for a bit.  Since aunt's recent dementia diagnosis, I first text my cousin to find out if it is a good time to call aunt and wait for cousin to respond; then I call and cousin sets up the phone so aunt can talk to me.  Aunt mostly reminisces about incidents from her past and I listen.   

I had peanut butter toast for brunch and daughter finished the leftover fried rice from Friday.  For dinner, I had rice, baked chicken drumsticks, and tomato chutney; daughter had rice, chicken curry, and tomato chutney.  Grapes, a date, and raisin cookies (a gift from one of daughter's friends) for dessert (me); daughter had a banana and raspberries.

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- Daughter's friends visiting her
- A sunny, relaxed day
- Afternoon naps
- Being able to chat with aunt C
- Working appliances

Saturday's joyful activities included being in the garden and knitting.  

Plans for Sunday include some paperwork and time spent crafting with daughter.

How is your weekend coming along?

On Thursday

 

Sweater Front

On Thursday, I finished knitting the sweater front, after starting and unpicking and reknitting.

It was a sunny day and I enjoyed spending a little time out in the garden, checking on the plants and taking a few pictures.for the monthly photo challenge (the theme for January is Begins with A if anyone wants to participate; the very simple guidelines of a minimum of 5 photos taken during the month are here on Eileen's blog).  

I spent most of the day taking it easy, watching videos (mostly gardening videos) and knitting.  Later, I cooked a chicken curry and a pot of fresh rice.

Brunch was peanut butter toast and a banana.  Daughter had a salmon sandwich.  For dinner, I had toast with some of the soup I made yesterday.  

On Thursday, I was thankful for:

- A sunny day
- My blood pressure reading was better this afternoon than it had been yesterday
- A working heater and other appliances
- Time to relax and knit
- Access to the internet

Today's joyful activities included spending time in the garden and knitting.

Plans for tomorrow include an appointment with the oncology nurse practitioner and tending to the garden with M (he mentioned wanting to prune the roses when he was here on Wednesday).  If he does prune the roses, I want to take a couple of cuttings to see if I can get them to root.  So far, I have been unsuccessful doing this.  Has anyone rooted rose cuttings and got them to grow?