About The Country Wife Blog

Friday, February 7, 2025

Friday Fun!

 The sample shawl I am knitting is not pleasing me. Well, it is so nice except that first: I did not think it was going to "go around" me the way I wanted it to so I added some extra stitches, and second: it seemed like if I kept knitting as I was going (to get the shawl to go to where I wanted it  to stop on my arms) the point of the triangle was going to be way too long...maybe even hitting the floor. SO that was not working for me. 

Last night it crossed my mind that if I did short rows I could stop increasing the length and just add to the width. I do not know if this will work but I am going to give it a try,.

This morning I made a little sample shawl to try it out.


This is the tiny shawl.  The top (the part that is down in the picture) goes across my neck and shoulders.


Here you can see that I made short rows  on the left (at the end of every row) and came out with a square.  So far so good.


Here is the shawl with the second side with short rows knitted.  I now have a little rectangle--more a wrap than a shawl, I suppose.


Here is the little guy after knitting around the outside with Yarn Over, Knit 2, then just repeated YO, K2  all around.  Finally I knitted one  time around the new ending part and bound off.  I did not, as you can see, weave in the ends...

So this seems to work.  I may inquire of the Columbia Spinners/Knitters tomorrow when I see them tomorrow.

As I am writing this I think maybe I should only do the short rows on the end by the spine of the shawl to stop the length increasing but continue the width as is.  I just don't know.  We shall see.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Blueberry Plants Today

 Today was a glorious day, weatherwise.  Well, and most other ways as well! For ages I have intended to get in a walk every day.  Most days real walks have not happened...though I have put in quite a bit of journeying in various stores that I frequent too often.  I don't call them real walks but in the back of my mind I really feel like they are better than nothing...

So today two things were part of the actual walk I started. Well, more than two.  The first thing I did was get out my lovely shiny purple Elenker All-Terrain walker from the truck bed where I put it yesterday when I started out on a trip that started with a stop at the church, the recycling center, the Post Office, the gas station (but the gasoline delivery truck was there so I drove on by...),  the Hobby Lobby store, Staples to drop off a return for Amazon--a beautiful Baggalini purse that I could barely get my phone into, let alone all the other stuff I really need to carry along with me, a quick stop at Big Lots which is going out of business in our town where I hoped to find a shower curtain liner, which I did...a map of the United States of America so I can stand in the shower memorizing the names of towns and cities in every state, if that is something I want to do.  

The last stop yesterday was at the Mi Promesa food truck.  We are working our way through the menu.  So far we/at least I,  have loved everything.  Dear One just wanted a burrito yesterday.  His burrito was like those mammoth burritos my sister and I used to get in the 24-hour taco stores when I would visit Utah.  They were big enough for three or four meals.  Same story here!  We also got a Birria Pizza.  My goodness, was that good.  Also costly.  But since you only needed to eat one piece, it made the pizza $3.00 per meal!  Good deal.  The leftover pieces are in the refrigerator wrapped in parchment paper and sealed in freezer bags.  I ate one for breakfast. Dear One says he wants one eventually.  I am not sure what he means.  He might be too late...!

So--here I was walking down the sidewalk away from our house when I noticed one of the four stakes we put up at the road side of our property to keep the U-turning people from driving over our Rain-bird spray nozzle irrigation system and breaking them.  I picked it up from the lawn where the U-turner had made it land.  I felt very good about being able to drive it into the ground again without calling in assistance from the older person in our house...!

While doing that small project I glanced down at the blueberry bed and decided to go visit them on my way home.

As I was nearly to the end of our road a sweet girl came up behind me and gave me her business card: for home care assistance services!  That was so nice.  Some of their services are: companionship, respite care, personal care, total care, in house nail technician, medication reminders, meal prep, etc.  Pretty comprehensive and good to know.  When I came home and shared this card with Dear One, he said I must have looked pretty pitiful to have someone come out of their house to offer services!  Pretty funny, Bucky!  Pretty funny.  I responded that since he had his own All-Terrain vehicle the nice girl must have realized the day might come when we did actually need help--with both of use All-Terraining around the neighborhood....  Right now the only reason we might need help is because I get mired in sloth periodically or better said, I find other things to do than house care.  Anyway,  I thought it was so sweet of her to offer her help.

When I came back from the short walk I did go to the blueberry bed and took some pictures. I had meant to talk with them  (the blueberry plants) and check in on how they were doing but I tripped over a small stick and that flew out of my head.  No falling, not even close, but it put speaking to the plants out of my head,  Here is a picture that I took:

 I think this plant is a Brightwell blueberry.

Here is another picture I took:


This one  below the Brightwell I did not bend down to check the name of and I cannot read it through the label.  I do know that we have some Premier blueberries, a Climax blueberry, and I think the other one is Alapaha.  They are all rabbiteye blueberries which is what we need to grow here,  We are hoping for the best this year. (Fourth time is the charm, right?!) 

 Now is the time to begin the heavy-duty blueberry care and culture YouTube videos chain-watching for the midlands of South Carolina.

Dear One has no interest at all in trying to raise vegetables.  We have different views on a fair number of topics but we have made it work, somehow, for nearly 52 years so I guess we will continue on.  I AM going to plant some kale seeds soon and some more lettuce seeds.




Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Wednesday Wonders: Night Sky

 Recently we were out at night, not my favorite thing. Well, I like being out at night; I just don’t like driving at night. I stepped outside to change the orientation of the car so we could drive out instead of backing out into the street.



I love this photo.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Tuesday Times: Spring is Coming!

At least Spring is coming to South Carolina!


 Last week I walked out to the front porch.  I glanced down and this is what I saw!!  Absolutely surprised to see these little daffodils babies shooting up.

This week they look very different!


Maybe next week there will be blossoms!  I am looking forward to that.  I LOVE daffodils!


Monday, February 3, 2025

Finished Object for the Knitting Gift Box

 Last week I showed you the little Sweet  Baby Raglan Sweater that is part of our Knits That Fit course.  When I started the course, I decided to make this optional sweater to practice top down raglan sweaters.  I did not have the yarn weight called for in the pattern (sport weight) so I used the pretty yarn that came to hand.

Knitting this sweater in a different gauge was marginally taxing to my brain, but I did it.

Here is that sweater that I just finished.  Even wove in the ends!


This little sweater makes me happy. It looks like it is actually proportional and might actually fit a little child.  The yarn was Yarn Bee Sugarwheel yarn.  I must say it worked up pretty well but I guess I really am a yarn snob.  I MUCH prefer using natural fibers, especially wool.