Salad Days

Even though the tail end of the hurricane is still circling over south central Pa, we have only mild rain and moderate thrashing of the trees.

The weather for the past two weeks has been heavenly!  Daytime temps have been in the low 80's with lovely cool nights that make sleeping a pleasure.  The curse has been lifted and we are getting some much-needed rains.  The garden, what's left of it, is recovering from the drought of the last month and a half.  We've been getting enough fresh veggies to make some tasty salads.

This is the way summer is supposed to be!  It makes getting up and viewing the sunrise a joyous occasion.

The only unhappy note is that my dear friend, Willa, is moving back to Missouri.  She and Chuck have been planning this for about a year, and now the time has arrived all too soon.  On Thursday evening, her last night here, we went out to eat together at Biscotti in Shippensburg.  I will eventually be updating my restaurant review page with the pictures, but for now I just have to show you the dessert.

This is their mango mousse cake.  In my sixty-plus years I have tasted many cakes.  Some good and some left a lot to be desired.  May I say that I have found the PERFECT cake?  Oh my goodness, is this cake DELICIOUS!!!  The mango flavor is sublime!  I checked for recipes on Google and found several.  I can't wait to try reproducing this wonderful treat.  It was the perfect ending for the farewell dinner.

My legs have recovered but the trips to the hospital for wraps continue twice a week. These doctor visits are seriously cutting into my free time.   On Tuesday I will be measured for the compression stockings that I will be wearing from then on.  Then back to the fun stuff like day trips to interesting places instead of sitting in a waiting room for 45 minutes.

But I have not been idle.  While sitting around with my feet propped up (NOT!!!)  I started a knitting project.  This is a knit-along group that is beginning on Ravelry on Sept. 10 with Julie from Knitting at Large.  Last weekend I found myself without a current project.  The yarn began talking to me to get my needles and start playing with this sweater.

 
It's a Cabin Fever pattern by Deb Gimmell and is knit from the top down.  There is no seaming necessary to finish the sweater, which means the pieces don't have to be BLOCKED before it can be put together.  Sounds ideal for me because I HATE blocking!

I've been knitting like a madwoman!  The obsession is to get an area done so I can see how the next part works.  Will it fit???  I just couldn't wait to get to the underarm part to very carefully try it on.  I am using an acrylic yarn in a worsted weight that is knitting up into a very sturdy fabric.  I'm thinking of making it into a jacket by adding a matching plaid wool lining.

This is the progress so far.  I started on one of the sleeves to check how the decreases would work.

I love the pattern of the collar and the front bands.

Since I haven't quite decided how the lining idea is going to work, I haven't put in any button holes.  I think the buttons will be sewn on the outside on top of large snaps for closing on the inside.

Isabell has been a close companion.  She loves when I knit.  Do you think she has a rather devious look???  She's waiting her chance to run off with the yarn ball.

Hope all of you have survived the hurricane with a minimum of stress and damage.
Until next time, happy hooking, or whatever creative endeavors you enjoying.