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Be Cool Part 2

We're supposed to get some relief from the mind-boggling heat tonight here in the east, but it's a hot one in the meantime. My darlings on the west coast? Hang in there.

Too blogging hot. Janet says: Check on the elderly!

Happy Friday, I'm wishing you peace, prosperity, and perfect health (and a bottomless bowl of your favorite flavor of ice cream). Don't forget to drink more water!

Chillin'

Far be it from me to complain about the weather I so longed for over the past six weeks. Well, okay, it's really not so far from me to do it. But in an attempt at gratitude for the suddenly 100 degree weather in the NE, today's blog entry attempts to Be Cool. Hope this helps if you are sweltering today.

A Cool Photo

A Cool Website

Soothing music.

A Cool Stretch

Try some Office Yoga.

A Cool Coffee Recipe

Perfect Iced Coffee

Have a cool Thursday, everyone...see you tomorrow!

Summertime — Day 4

We took the day off yesterday to celebrate the sunshine; and our festivities included a rousing game of fetch with the squeaky toys:

I don't think my backyard has ever been so lush and green, so that's one good thing about our rainy spring. Another good thing about it is that by this time last year, the whole of the NE was worrying about droughts and water restrictions. Still, I missed the sun, and it's good to have it back.

Giant Latvian Mitten Cardigan

Still an inch or so away from the armhole steeks, but here's how it looks so far

It will only take a bit of knitting time to finish up the body of this beauty and then get the sleeves done. With luck, I'll have time to finish it up within the next two weeks. Won't I feel brilliant in the autumn, when I open my closet wondering what to wear!

Pups

Mike and Jack would like to remind you today that if you are engaging in hokey-pokey, put your left foot in before you shake it all about.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Tuesday

My cool new book arrived from the Ukrainian Bookstore yesterday, and I'm very pleased with it. Over 130 pages of charted graphs of Ukrainian embroidery by Ksenia Kolotylo, plus a short section on Kolotylo's life in Ukrainian, English, and German.

Sorry about the big flash in the center!

I'm not planning on taking up Ukrainian embroidery, but I wanted this book because the charts are so beautiful! 100s of them, all colored in Ukrainian Easter egg colors. Here's a random page:

Eye candy. Mmmmm! I understand there is some difference between needlework charts and knitting charts, but I don't care. I just feel inspired looking at the charts, and thinking about someone collecting all of them so carefully over the years. Aren't little old ladies awesome? I aspire to being an awesome little old lady.

Summer–Day 3!

Yesterday in Newark everyone was out soaking up sunshine after all these weeks of gray days. I was giving a colleague a ride to Penn Station and driving over, the streets were filled with happy people in tank tops and t-shirts and shorts...what a difference from just the weekend, when it was cold and rainy for the umpteenth time! Sun-worshipers, take note: today's APOD is an image of the sun's surface in 3D. Beautiful photo from a new telescope. Anyway, it reminded me of a site I saw on Knitwitology's blog, which is not about knitting, but has cool stuff anyway. Here's the pointer to some fun 3D art that will keep you amused if you have to work inside today. Thanks, Knitwit!

Giant Latvian Mitten Cardigan

Row by row, it grows. I'll try to remember to take a picture today so you can see how lovely it is. I'm really charmed by knitted motifs now, and this Wool Gathering design is tons of fun to knit. I love shetland wool!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Catch some rays if they're available to you!

Summertime—Day Two

There is some kind of weird glowing fireball in the treetops directly east of my front porch this morning . . . can anyone identify the round shiny thing for me?

Could it be . . . sunshine? After all these weeks of rain? Yes? Pardon me for a moment while I go perform a happy pagan dance to the sun!

Knitting News
While I'm still not-quite up to the armholes of the Giant Latvian Mitten Cardigan (coming along quite beautifully, though!), Flor has finished her Eriskay and has already cast on for her new project! Eriskay is a beautiful garment...I'm impressed as always with Flor's knitting. And she has one of most useful knitting tips and techniques sites around the online knitting world! Now she's swatching something pretty. . . go Flor!

I spent most of the weekend working on a below-the-radar non-knitting project that is close to my heart; I submit it today (nope! not a hypertext novel!), so please cross your fingers for me.

Pups

Della's not sure about the apparently dry weather, but she's keeping an eye on it.

I think I'll keep an eye on it myself today. Happy Monday, everyone! What will we do while Wendy's not-blogging in Toronto? Oh! I know! We can visit the racoons on Sister's site!