L ...

We always hear that it is a good thing to keep learning new things. As we get older it's good to stimulate our minds, so go ahead and try that new lace pattern that looks a little difficult or take a class to learn a new skill. It's also important to exercise your body so maybe you want to learn a new sport. Recently, my daughter inspired me to relearn a skill - something I had done when I was younger but never very successfully.


That's a picture of my daughter since I can't take a picture of myself, but it's true - I am taking horseback riding lessons. I have taken two lessons so far - one on my own and one with my daughter. I think we will continue to take the lessons together - it's a bit cheaper and my daughter loves the idea of us doing this together.

I have never felt in control when I've been on a horse. When I would go on trail rides with my dad, I would get the horse that decided he wanted to go waist high into the lake to get a drink of water. Now is that the fault of the horse or the rider? Or maybe a combination of both. So, I decided to take some lessons and see what happens. It's a lot more work than I remember.

One other benefit - it seems to be great exercise for my legs since I can really feel it the next day. Either that or I am really out of shape which is a possibility too. So go ahead - learn something new. It may turn out to be just what you were looking for!

Contest Winners

Apologies once again for the unexpected absence. Once we got the hard drive replaced on the computer, we discovered that some of the software was missing so off went the computer again. Hopefully this is it for now and we won't have anymore problems.

My daughter has picked winners for the last contest. She had a hard time narrowing them down and finally settled on 4 winners which was more than I originally told her to have but that's ok. So, here they are (in no particular order):

1. Elaine from Knitting
2. Turtle from turtles lake knitting
3. Bronwyn from Knitting:Impossible
4. Blogless in NJ

Congratulations to all! Please email me at hoyerln at msn dot com and let me know your preferences - what you like to knit, colors you like. I'm not making any promises but I'd like to give you something you will use and love. Oh and be sure to include your address. I will be gone next week so I won't be getting back to anyone until after the 14th.

Thanks to everyone for playing along.

K2tog

First of all, apologies for the absence. The hard drive on our computer decided it didn't want to be with us anymore so we have been in repair and replace mode. Hopefully all is well now. And, in the next week we will announce the winner in the contest. My daughter has been having fun going through the comments. But today I will once again play catch up with the ABC Along - I'm up to K.

I chose this to display on my car because it means more to me than just knit 2 together. It also makes me think of the times I've sat and knit with friends. The times I've joined a KAL and there are many other knitters working on the same thing. Or the time when we all joined the Knitting Olympics and cast on for our projects at the same time. Or when we all pull together to help someone in need. Knitting together - and isn't that what it is all about!

And speaking of doing things together, click on over to Claudia's blog and make sure you donate towards her MS ride - it's coming up this weekend and there are prizes involved.

A Little Late with J

I've had this post ready in my mind the same day I posted for I, but haven't had a chance to sit down at the home computer and get it out. The story goes that I was cleaning out my cupboards and I came across this box. Now don't laugh...


My daughter loves this stuff. She's not the greatest eater - one might say that she is a little picky, but I have seen worse. We have this joke that when she was younger and we went to the Chinese buffet for dinner, all she would eat was the Chinese jello. Anyway, I saw the box and decided to make it for dessert that night. As I'm mixing it up, I'm wondering what I will do for my J post. Hey girl, it's right in front of me!

Now, some people might like to eat it like this, but I think it looks a little naked.

Ahh, that's much better!

This could be messy

I saw this sign at the local Wendy's and had the funniest pictures in my mind. My first thought was of the shakes being spun on a wheel, but I couldn't quite figure that out. And then of course it hit me - they must be using drop spindles. I think that would work better but it still could be messy.

WIP Wednesday

1. Seraphim: I am still on the stockinette portion but goal is to finish up that part this week and start the first chart. I would have been farther along with this but I started the next two items.

2. Drive Thru: I try to make a new sweater for my daughter each year. At one time she had picked out some pinkish/purple Cascade 220 for this sweater but now she is into blues and wasn't too happy with what she had chosen earlier. What's a mom to do? So, I picked up some Ella Rae Classic at the local yarn shop and started this. Definitely more blue than the picture shows.

This is a child who knows what she wants and she has asked for a cardigan with a zipper (oh no, the dreaded zipper!). Anyway, I've started the body in the round with plans of steeking so I added 5 stitches which I have set off with markers and the 3 middle stitches I purl. This way I should be really clear where I need to cut. Do you think it will work?

3. Lace Ribbon Scarf: I have also started this in some Handmaiden Seasilk from the stash. It's a pretty easy pattern to remember and there is a KAL going on if you are interested.

If you don't know about the contest going on here at Knitting by the Sea, you can check out this post. Please enter if you'd like!

I think it's time for a contest

A few days before Easter, I received a package in the mail. I was just getting ready to go away for the weekend, so I almost didn't open it, but I am glad I did. I think I can honestly say that this is one of the strangest things I have ever received through the mail.

Eggs! And guess where they came from? They traveled across the country from Utah! My friend Connie has a farm with horses, goats and, of course, chickens and she knew that we needed fresh eggs for Easter. Isn't she great!

I got to thinking that this was indeed an unusual package and wondered what other things have been sent through the mail. So, in honor of this package we are having a contest over here at Knitting by the Sea. What is the strangest thing you have ever received or sent in the mail? Let me know in a comment and sometime around the end of June, we will choose a winner. My daughter will be a judge since she got such a kick out of the eggs. I'm not sure exactly what the prize will be, but it will be fiber related - maybe sock yarn, maybe fiber (if the winner spins). So, have fun.

By the way, we only lost like 4 eggs on the journey. Most of them made it just fine and tasted excellent! Thanks again, Connie, for a great package!