Merry Christmas!

Teenage girl, much too young
Unprepared for what’s to come
A baby changes everything

Not a ring
On her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

The man she loves she’s never touched
How will she Keep his trust
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries, oh she cries

She has to leave, go far away
Heaven knows she can’t stay
A baby changes everything

She can feel it’s coming soon
There’s no place, there’s no room
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries and she cries oh she cries

Shepherds all gather round …
Star shines down…

Choir of Angels say
Glory to the newborn king
A baby changes everything, A baby changes everything, everything,
everything, every day Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

My whole life is turned around
I was lost and now I’m found
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And I cry, oh I cry . Blessed be His name. This BABY changed everything. May glory, honor and power be to this BABY that gave me every single thing. Praise Him. Praise Him for He is God Almighty.I thank Him for His miracle in my life. Undeserved miracles!

Merry Christmas! God Bless!

A baby changes everything!

Pattern: Joseph's Blankie of Many Colors from Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Baby in Pink Poodle, Goldfish, Duckie, Sweet Pea, Aqua, Bluebell one skein each. [3.50 oz./100 g (170 yd/156 m)]
Needle: US #11 32 inch circulars.

I knit this for a very precious little baby. This blankie is an easy knit. I love anything that doesn't require a lot of finishing. This project is definitely easy. You just pick up sts and keep knitting till you are happy with the size. I used most of the yarn. A lot of prayer for sufficient yarn went into the sweet pea border that I knit all around. I really didn't want to have to go and buy another skein at the wee end. Thank God it got done with just a couple of inches of the yarn left.

Blanket

Pattern: Pinwheel Baby Blanket
Yarn: Lion Brand Jiffy in White 1/4 a skein, Caron Simply Soft in Soft Yellow less than 1 skein, Red Heart Worsted Weight in Light Blue 3/4 skein, Mainstays in Pale Blue 1/2 skein.
Needle: US #8 DPNs and 36 inch circulars.
Notions: 9+1 stitch markers to place after the yarnover in each section. Always keep one stitch marker in a different color from the rest, for the beginning of the round.

Some knitted items

Pattern: Knitting Spring Wristers on Lionbrand.com (You have to log in to access the free pattern)
Yarn: Regia Sock Yarn 4 Fadig Patch Antik Colors Color # 5756
Needle: Dont remember probably US #4/5 DPNs
Notions: 1 stitch marker, st holder.

Pattern: My own, just plain ribbing for the bottom and stockinette for the rest.
Yarn: Peaches 'n Creme in Strawberry 1 skein
Needle: Don't remember probably US #8 DPNs
Notions: 1 stitch markers
I knit this for a student of mine. He wanted a hat and none of the girls in his class would knit one for him. So he begged and pleaded till I agreed to knit him one. But the problem arose when he wanted it in shades of pink. I wasn't sure of his choice, but he insisted that's what he wanted. So pink it was. He was thrilled, but his parents weren't. So now it lies safely in his keepsake box!



Pattern: February Sweater from Knitter's Almanac by EZ
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby in Chiffon Print 1 skein
Needle: US #6 24 inch circulars.
Notions: Stitch markers & Stitch holder.

EZ rocks! I mean she is an awesome woman. Just look at this beautiful sweater. The pattern is a simple gull pattern. This is another classic minimal finshing-needing pattern.

Birthdays Come And Birthdays Go

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you did not get old? How about this idea - if we don't blog for a period of time then we don't age? Naa, the fun of life is encountering the challenges of every year as we gleefully watch others age and blissfully think of ourselves as still that young and energetic 18 year old!!
Birthday cakes are a wonderful way to record these epic moments. Here are some from the past year or so. The Elmo cake was terribly last minute to say the least. But the birthday boy couldn't have cared less!

Some of the cakes were totally unplanned creations. I just baked a cake an did whatever came to mind.

Bounty !

I have been very behind in updating my blog. So I wanted to put up some pictures from my container garden from last summer and this summer. This year I ventured out into the uncharted territory of vegetables. I planted some organic bell pepper and sweet tomato seeds and then I waited and waited. Well my tomatoes have been giving me a good harvest - considering that they are in one single pot. My peppers are beginning to produce. I also have some flowers going on this year - cosmos, alyssum, impatiens and zinnia. But the pictures I have put up are from my flower garden from last year. Enjoy!

Let me introduce.......

I want to introduce to you my friend's blog. Its called Bestchristianjobs. It is a public blog so anyone can visit. She never stops amazing me. I am very proud of her and her heart to encourage others. That's what her blog is about - encouraging you in the work environment. Boy, don't we all need that. So go check it out. God Bless You my dear and keep up the great work.

Back to the present

Here's the tree I was talking about. Majestic isn't it? And happy birthday to a friend of mine - S. God Bless you!

After all the detailing of my past projects. Its time to show you what I knit recently. I hadn't been knitting for a few months. You could attribute it to boredom. But then a friend of mine wanted to learn to knit. As though I owned the store I proudly took her around ACMoore and showed her the yarn. I dutifully taught her how to pick a yarn, what needle to use, how to make the knit stitch. Well we got that far and she has half a scarf to show for that. Teaching her really sparked something in me and I knit another pinwheel blanket for an expecting friend of mine. I was a little doubtful about the color combination after about 300 sts. But I had come too far to turn back. I was praying that it wouldn't look like an Italian flag. I kept telling myself that its a choice between gift or donate. If it looked not so great it will be donated, if it looked decent it will fulfill its original purpose. But I have to say it looked quite nice - maybe not baby colors but it is for a boy, so I guess its not too bad. So I shipped it off to my friend. She called to say that she liked it. If momma's happy, then everybody is happy.
Pattern: Pinwheel Baby Blanket
Yarn: Lion Brand Jiffy in White half a skein, Lion Brand Wool Ease in Cranberry 1.5 skeins, green yarn -brand unknown but color fantastic
Needle: US #8 DPNs and 36 inch circulars.
Notions: 9+1 stitch markers to place after the yarnover in each section. Always keep one stitch marker in a different color from the rest, for the beginning of the round.

I wanted to do a quick project with some Peaches 'n Creme yarn that I had. God has blessed me with a memory that serves me well. I remembered the baby kimono from Mason Dixon. This is what came out of my knitting. I got a little worried that the yarn may be insufficient so I went and got some red yarn as insurance. The 2 skeins of Fiesta ombre would have been sufficient. But I went ahead and added the red yarn for both sides of the front bottom. I think it kind of gives some definition to the variegated yarn. I still haven't blocked it or attached the ribbon. I will add a picture with the finished details soon. The beauty of this project, is the need for minimal finishing. All you have to do is sew up the side seams. I am not a fan of finishing, thats why its been over a month and I still haven't attached the ribbon. So for people like me, the fewer things to sew up= a happier knitter.

Pattern: One Piece Baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Peaches 'n Creme 2 skeins Fiesta Ombre, little bit of Red.
Needle: US #6

Take That

The weather was fantastic today! I mean it was beautiful. There's this tree outside my house, its really tall and majestic. It looked so great today as it swayed and held its own against the wind. I love trees. I actually talk to the ones I love. I tell them how strong and patient and great they are. God is one creative person ha? Tomorrow we shall have a picture of that tree in the backdrop of blue skies dotted with cotton clouds.
For now here are two more of my Christmas gifts from last year.

Pattern: Ballband Dishcloth from Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Lily's Sugar 'n Cream in Warm Brown and Robin's Egg Blue - 1 skein each
Needle: US #7
This washcloth is the soulmate for one I knit in June last year. I was never a person who liked brown, but of late I had been leaning heavily towards the blue-brown combination in choices of clothes and yarn. I finally figured out why, when I knit this washcloth. Clearly, the body butter that I had been using for several months had silently yet strongly influenced me. So it was only right, to take a picture of the washcloth with the jar of cream that inspired it.

Pattern: Headband from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Opinionated Knitter
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool in Palais and Natural Mix
Needle: US #8 16"circulars
I cast on 80 sts, turns out that this is too big even for a fully grown man. So I knit up a second one with 60 sts for a teenager, I was concerned that he might complain of lack of blood circulation in his head but he said it was fine and I shall choose to believe him.

Hibernation

Every animal in this side of the world has its favorite seasons. Mine apparently isn't winter. While other animals simply curl up and go to sleep, at least I don't do just that. Believe it or not, I do a lot of other stuff and as you know, I don't blog because I have to, I blog only when I want to.
I present some proof of my being active these past months:

Pattern: Lady Eleanor from Scarfstyle
Yarn: Patons SWS in Natural Plum - 9/10 skeins
Needle: US #11 32" circulars
Finally, finally I finished LadyE last September. As I said before, I love the beautiful shades in this yarn. The yarn sheds a lot and if you have sensitive skin it does make you itch, but it is beautiful and I can vouch for it keeping me warm this winter. I never in my life thought that I would knit a wrap or a shawl. Well I have surpassed my knitting expectations. Love it, love it, love it.

Pattern: Clapotis
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino in Rosewood (Pink shades) & Carron Simply Soft Shadows in Soft Merino (Blue shade)
Needle: US #8/9
If you love to knit wraps/scarves, this one is sure to become one of your favorites (if it isn't already). The scarf flies off the needles real quick, I felt like a kid at a candy store every time I dropped the stitches. After all these years of kicking the couch and throwing stuff across the room when I dropped a stitch, I never imagined that it could actually be this exciting to drop not just one stitch, but a whole bunch of them.

Consider This.........

A Gift for Christmas

The dream of every child is to receive the most expensive and hard to get toy for Christmas. They sometimes spend the whole year making a list of things that might get into their Christmas list! Like children we as adults too, want stuff and the more stuff the better. I like to have things and I like to be given things. Sometimes I get so caught up in things that I forget to appreciate that which really matters.
This Christmas, I would like to remember a few of the things that really matter - a good family, a happy & safe home to live in, good food, good friends, the ability to laugh, to love and to give to those less fortunate than me.
But most of all, I thank God for the gift of life that He has given me - the life I received when I was born and the gift of life & forgiveness that He gave to me when He sent Jesus to this earth.
This Christmas I thank God for the little baby that was born in Bethlehem - Immanuel(God with us).

"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people; for unto you is born, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10, 11)

Wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!

What is taking so long?

It had been over a year, I was still trying to survive, to cope, and to fit in. Everything still seemed new and exciting and yet for some odd reason I longed for the 'old' life! I felt a certain kind of 'homesickness'.

What was wrong with me? Is this even normal? To look back? To miss those days in the white uniform and the blue pinafore. How could I yearn for the motherly chiding of Ms.A or the sisterly advice of Ms.Jo? Or was it all the friendly counseling of Ms.Ju and Ms.E?

Besides, what excuse did I have for never stopping by school? I pass by everyday! Did I live far away? Yes, if you can call a 7 minute walk as any kind of 'distance'!

I made up a list of excuses. "I had no time!", "College is tough.", "We follow a TIGHT schedule.", "Do you know how many tests we have each semester?" That should do it. But wait a minute what if they ask me questions? Why has your English deteriorated? (Have I spelt that big word right?) Looks like you've 'changed'! (meaning - "We don't like what we are seeing."). Are you acing your exams? (Panic) Whoa! That’s not cool.

Did I really want to go back and risk the possibility of being scrutinized?

Every single time I would muster up enough courage to go up to the gate, then suddenly I would develop cold feet and quickly walk away before someone recognized me. I did this again & again & again. Then one fine day, I took a deep breath, told my fears to rest in peace and gave my courage wings to take me flying across those 'pearly' blue gates of my SCHOOL. Hallelujah!

As I stepped in, everything started coming back to me. It looked like I was never away! The old school building, the wooden stairs, the classrooms, the fields, the beautiful trees- in my mind, I could even see the yellow and white 'carpets' of flowers around them! The powerpoint presentation of all the photos from my mind's album began to play - all the lessons (yes you read it right), the teachers (again your eyes aren’t playing any tricks!), the friends, the fun, the joys and the sorrows. It was not the buildings that made it special, but the people.

What was I thinking? There's nothing to be scared of. What is wrong in going back to one of the places that really means a lot to you? I don't care if people think its 'childish' to be going back 'THERE'. "Why do you even visit?", "Don’t you feel weird?", "How do you manage to talk to the teachers?", "What were you thinking?” - they ask me.

I'll tell you what I was thinking. No matter how many thousands of miles away I was, no matter how many different changes happened in my life, deep down in my heart I was still a ___onian and I always will be. After all, I spent 12 long years of my life there. The foundation for my dreams, my values and my life was laid there and going back reminded me of who I was, who I am and what I stand for. It always, always felt good to be back.

So if you are one of those people standing at the gate, like me, and wondering about the questions they might ask you, let me tell you the one question that they are sure to ask -"What took you so long?"…………………

Hurry home - they are waiting for you!

PS: Today is celebrated as Teacher's Day in India, in honor of one of our Presidents who was a teacher by profession. This post is dedicated to all the teachers that I have ever known. Each one is precious to me. If there is a teacher out there who is frustrated by your job or feels unappreciated, I want you to know that your life makes a huge impact on the lives that you touch. You may never know it, but believe me that it really does. Thanks to all teachers for your love and dedication and WISH YOU A HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY!!

Happy Friendship Day!

"I thank my God every time I remember you, in all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy" - Phil 1:3-4

Wish you all a very Happy Friendship Day!

I thank God for all the lovely souls that have graced my life and shared their life with me! For all those who have spent a life time putting up with me, I am forever grateful. I love you all and I really appreciate each and every one of you, even if it was meant for only a season.


May God Bless you all with His choicest blessings.

July in August!

July is by far one of my most favorite months. Its the middle of summer - a time for activities, flowers and fun. But the real reason I love July is for all the people who were born in July that I personally know and am close to. Atleast 8 yes EIGHT of my favorite friends and relatives were born in the month of July. I am really thankful to God, for all these wonderful women, you are the warmest and most loving women that I have come across in my life. (can't think of any men born in July, if I missed you, sorry about that)

Here are some pictures from one of the most exciting weekends I have had this year. I went to the Joyce Meyer Ministries Conference. I just LOVED IT!! I always enjoy her teaching and I went there just for her and ofcourse for Hillsong and Darlene Zschech.

But I ended up being TOTALLY bowled over by Delirious? I did not think that I would enjoy a rock band so much. But it was fantastic. I loved their passion for God. I was truly amazed that inspite of having headaches the entire week, I was able to actually sit through each and every deafening performance without throwing up. We also had some of the closest seats to the stage. That for you is the grace of God in action. Praise God for that memorable weekend.

Fondant & Gumpaste

I made a practice cake for my Fondant and Gumpaste class. We learnt to make the sheet draping, the hanky, daisies and garlands. This cake cannot be scrutinized aesthetically as we used the techniques we learnt without worrying about the look.

Pinwheel Baby Blanket

Here is the pinwheel baby blanket that I knit for my very special little nephew. Blankets take forever to knit and this one would have too IF I had had an indefinite completion date. But this was needed to be knit in 14 days. I think I knit it in 8 of those 14 days and I averaged 5.5 hrs of knitting on the last 4 of those 8 days! I was praying that my hand wont pop out of its socket or something. From about 240 sts onwards it was a slow process and towards the end it got to a crawl. I stopped the increases at 450 stitches because I couldn't stand it anymore and it turned out that, had I gone further I wouldn't have had time to finish it. It was just 'in the knit of time' - if I say so myself.

The diameter was 42 inches, which was ample. I was almost tempted to keep it for myself, because the white Jiffy yarn and the cranberry Wool Ease yarn were originally meant for an adult afghan that I wanted to knit for myself. That never materialized, so soon the rest of the yarn will be transformed into a similar baby blanket. I am very very happy with this blanket, the knitting was frenzied but the outcome was 100% completely satisfying.

For more inspiration go to Flickr.

Pattern: Pinwheel Baby Blanket
Yarn: Lion Brand Jiffy in White 3 skeins, Lion Brand Wool Ease in Cranberry a little over a skein, a little bit of Hometrends/Style yarn from Walmart in Pale Blue.
Needle: US #8 DPNs and 36 inch circulars.
Notions: 9+1 stitch markers to place after the yarnover in each section. Always keep one stitch marker in a different color from the rest, for the beginning of the round.

Vacation Take III

A Very Happy Birthday Miss E - one of my favorite teachers, who is also the greatest friend that I could ever ask for! May God Bless You with a very long life so that I can have many more precious days with you :))
I Love you and I want you to know that you are a great blessing in my life. Every word from your mouth edifies my soul!

Its been a while. When I actually started posting on this blog I promised myself that I wouldn't obsess over it so much that it took over my life. So its good to be back with a post. This is a continuation on our NH vacation.

The great thing about vacations is that they never go out of style. You never think "Oh that was a stupid place to visit". Even the most mundane of places can teach you something new.
They make you feel like you are a part of a fantasy novel, where you discover 'unchartered' territory and face a new adventure at every corner.

The really great thing about vacations is no matter where you are, what you are doing or what time of the year it is, with just a single thought you can relive the whole experience all over again in your heart. This memory can lift you up and out of boredom or stress or even sorrow.
So here's to pleasant vacation memories - the last episode from the New Hampshire White Mountain trip!!

We covered a lot of ground on the 2nd day. We concentrated on the Franconia Notch State Park region. There are several exits that you can take along the parkway where there are interesting natural spectacles. Special mention to the Boise rock. This is a huge glacial boulder sitting on the side of the parkway and its really huge!! I can't even imagine what power of nature moved it there.

We then went to Flume Gorge for a 2 mile trail walk. It wasn't bad at all. Unlike the previous day, these trails were pretty much clear cut and well defined. The walls of the flume are parallel columns of Conway granite(70-90 ft high). The basalt column that had filled the gap, has been slowly eroded by the waters and frost, forming the gorge.
This is The Pool. It is a natural basin formed in the Pemigewasset River (love the name!) by a silt-laden stream almost 14,000 years ago! It is 40 ft deep and 150 ft in diameter. Unfortunately, no swimming or diving allowed.
The view - looking out from the Flume Gorge trail.
On our way to the next stop, we stopped at this beautiful Beaver Lake. Its just the kind of sight that Bob Ross would have painted. This truly was a high point of the day. I wanted to linger longer, but we had another trail to conquer before the forecast of rain came true.
Our last trail was at Lost River Gorge. This is a boardwalk trail with a lot of steps. It is a pretty straightforward trail. But the most exciting parts are when you go off the 'regular' trail.
You will encounter around 10 short detours that you can take. These are clearly marked with signs and they are usually some sort of dark cave or passage, lit with lanterns. Some of them are very easy, all you have to do is crawl through it. But some, boy oh boy, can be scary and tight! You have to be ready to crawl on your hands and knees, get your clothes dirty/wet in the process, squeeze through dark tight gaps. It takes only about a minute to go through each passage, so its pretty much like a roller coaster without the unsavory lurching and screaming!

This really made my day. I don't like dark tight spaces, I thought I was claustrophobic and I was really terrified of doing this. But Mr.PT really encouraged me and it truly was time to face my fears. We had to do the tougher passages alone as we couldn't carry the backpack in. So one of us went in while the other watched.

The tough one that was open for visitors was the Lemon Squeezer. They have some wooden logs nailed to the rocks and that is your gauge. If you can squeeze through the gap between those logs then you wont get stuck inside the tight passages. This really put the fear of God in me. It looked oh so dark and tiiiight and forbidding. It did not help that the little ones in the family going ahead of me started crying and backed out of the passage.

I was ready to give up. But there was this fantastic kid - a shout out to Mike working at Lost River Gorge, he was overseeing this passage and he encouraged me to go in and he went in ahead of me to show me the way! The first gap is so tight that you can't go in unless you back into the gap. That's when this picture was taken. I am backing into a pitch dark tight space. For me it was really scary. I was already asking Mike when this was going to be over :)).

It wasn't over until I had crawled almost flat on my tummy, stepped up on a precarious-looking rock to take a look at the back of a miniature waterfall and squeezed myself out of another gap! Phew! What an amazing experience. I was glad it was over and I was surprised that I had actually done it. Now I know that no phobia is bigger than me. I don't know if I will ever get into a tight dark space again, but I do know that if I was ever forced into one, it will not kill me!!
My heartfelt gratitude to Mike. This young man was so enthusiastic about this passage, its unbelievable. It still amazes me when I meet people who seem to be doing a simple job, but to them it is an adventure everyday. What a way to work!!

So from there we went to Echo Lake Beach. The water was quite cold. But I just had to take my shoes off, wet my feet and freeze them in the process. Once again a wonderful view.
So that's about it for this trip. I have to close with a picture of the kind of scenic beauty that we encountered even as we were driving from one place to the next. Tell me, who wouldn't want to drive in this region?

The drivers are so nice. They don't drive on the left lane unless they want to overtake someone. If they see someone coming a little fast behind them in the left lane they quickly move over to the right lane and give way. I guess people in New Hampshire and Vermont haven't heard of the term 'road rage'! It was amusing though, to see on our return drive - the number of out-of-state cars that were pulled over by the cops! Another thing that they appeared to be oblivious to was 'fast food' joints. I couldn't seem to find a single place - not even a Subway!

Phew!!

The last 10 days were very busy for me, that's why I have been silent. I did a wee little bit of knitting. I finally got the chance to knit a washcloth. What better pattern to knit than the Ballband dichcloth pattern from Mason Dixon. I was in urgent need of washcloths that I could gift to a very very special lady. So I started this one with yarn I had at home. But I realized that I wasn't going to finish it in time to present it to her because I couldn't possibly gift someone just one washcloth now could I?? I loved this project and you can expect to see its partner/s sometime in the near future.
By the way, the friend I was knitting this for, is someone I have to tell you about. She is this amazing woman who obeyed God's command and she gave up her full time job to provide a temporary safe haven to newborns in transition to foster homes!! So now, that is her full time job. Can you believe it? I am so proud to know her and I am so humbled to see such wonderful people who can give up everything at His command. A truly amazing woman of faith!!

Pattern: Ballband Dishcloth from Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Lily's Sugar 'n Cream in Dark Pine and Hot Green - 1 skein each
Needle: US #7
My gauge was way off. Hey its just a washcloth. So instead of the 9x9 finished size, I had 11x8.
Ofcourse if there is a rule that dishcloth patterns cannot be used for washcloths, I broke that too! Pardon me please :)

Finally we had a busy week weather wise too. There was hot, cold and then wet. We had this lovely spectacle treat for our eyes one stormy evening RIGHT outside our door. This was truly one fantastic home delivery.

What is it?

What is it with husbands that they:

1. Can get excited about the next treacherous terrain to conquer after having just walked on one, but suddenly become weak in the knees when the word 'souvenir' is mentioned?

2. Expect you not to whine when you are asked to pose for EVERY SINGLE snap that they take?

3. Can take hundreds of pictures of you posing alone EVEN on your honeymoon trip, but consider it a sin to ask someone to take a picture of the two of you together?

4. Can say, "Oh your hair looks just fine," after your long tresses were exposed to 40-50 mph winds, but there is no way that they would pose for a snap with their 'messed up in the wind' 4-5 inch long hair?

Crawford Notch

This is the next installment of our NH trip pictures. We were primarily visiting the White Mountain Region. The Appalachian Trail that stretches across 14 states from Maine to Georgia, passes through this region.
We made our next stop at Crawford Notch to hike the Mt. Willard trail. The trail is a 3 mile trail that probably took us about 2-2.5 hrs to hike. The trail is mainly made of rocks and pebbles that go up gradually. You just have to watch your footing for many a time I almost twisted my ankle in an urge to walk faster :) We met families with kids around 8 yrs of age or older going up this trail. Use of hiking pole or even a long sturdy branch will definitely ease the struggle especially on the kids.
The trails are so quiet and so close to nature, you hear the squirrel scuttling around and the branches swaying in the wind. Hmmmm so peaceful! But when we just began to start wondering whether we will ever get to the top, several folks were kind enough to encourage us. They all promised that the view was well worth and trouble.
Well, we finally saw bright sunlight at the end of the 'leafy tunnel' and we excitedly raced to the finish, if it is possible to race over rocks and stones.
This is what met the eyes on Mt. Willard at an elevation of 2804 ft. No picture can replicate the view or the feeling of awe and amazement that you get when you behold this sight. That teeny tiny road way down there, was the road we had just traveled. What a humbling experience!!
It felt much warmer and less windier here, when compared to Mt. Washington, because of the lower elevation. So we just sat there, rested awhile and drank in the breathtaking sight in front of us from all directions possible. This was the best part of the trip. It still gives me goosebumps!

Later we stopped at Silver Cascade, right beside the road. This one was a very easy hike, it takes around 10 minutes or so. The fact that your destination is always visible to you on your way up helps a lot!!

A little bit of vacation

At the literal last minute we made hurried plans to go spend the weekend in New Hampshire.
The beauty of New Hampshire obviously lies in its mountains and valleys, its lakes and gorges and rivers. I just love a mountain range that has lakes at its foothills. This combination is my idea of what heaven would look like. There's a calmness and peace that you feel rising up from inside of you at the beautiful creations of God.
I take joy in the cakes that I decorate, the stuff that I knit and the things I do. But time and time again when I step out into the 'natural' unadulterated world, I feel extremely proud that the God who created these awesome natural wonders, is the same God who created me. I really can't help but think what a tiny inconspicuous speck I am when compared to the grandeur and sheer power of these mountains. Yet, of His many creations He calls you and me, the most precious of them all!! I can't even imagine it or try to comprehend the love of this Creator.
So presenting the one of the greatest of God's creations --
[insert my picture here!]
Just kidding.
Let's roll with it.
A visit to NH, isn't really complete if you don't visit Mount Washington. What better way than to take a round trip on the Cog Railway. I am pretty sure that the cog rail is the inspiration for all those bone rattling wooden roller coaster rides. Truly, I prefer this gentle cog rail, started in 1869, to its modern counterparts. I simply don't see why I should pay for a scary nauseating ride when I can get the sights and sounds of nature while I take a leisurely ride up the mountain.

I take my imaginary hat off to the hardworking men who operate the rail (special mention to a young kid named Joey the apprentice). They brave extreme weather and high winds, standing outside the coach during the uphill journey. I tell you, its these kind of people who deserve the multimillion dollar pay checks for they do their job with great love and dedication. They even make most of their own parts and assemble them on site!!

The grand view from atop Mt. Washington at 6288 ft.

Como estas?

Hello there, I hope everyone is doing great. It's hot out there today so slap on the sunscreen and enjoy the sunshine.
Here's a scarf I knit for a friend of mine. I used the daisy stitch pattern, which is pretty easy. I was hoping that the Patons yarn would form its own color pattern as I knit. Initially I was disappointed for it did not form any color pattern that made sense. But then my skein came out of its amnesia and gave me something similar to the double helix DNA pattern that the Patons yarn formed when I knit the scrunchable scarf. I was happy while it lasted and finished the scarf off before it started having irreparable memory loss!

Pattern:
Garland of daisies
Cast on 29 stitches
Row 1 & 3 (RS) Knit

Row 2 K1, * [P3tog, without dropping the stitches off the left needle, YO, P3tog again(purl the same 3 stitches together) , now drop them off the left needle] = daisy stitch, K1 , repeat from * to end.

Row 4 K1, P1, K1, * work daisy stitch, K1, rep from * , end P1, K1

Repeat rows 1-4 for length desired.

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino in Rosewood - 1.25 skeins
Needle: US #8

Try to knit as loosely as your sanity will permit. Do not be afraid of the stitch pattern. You will working on it on the wrong side but it will 'bloom' very beautifully on the right side. Enjoy!
Have a great weekend everybody!