Hacienda Update

So this is what our space looks like where our huge pine tree once stood...



Just a bare empty hole with lots of wood chips left. The eldest child counted it's rings and was very sad to learn it was about 50 years old. A nest of carpenter ants had made the tree their home and had eaten over halfway through the bottom of the tree. This is what weakened it causing it to begin uprooting and leaning toward the house.

Here's the update from the pool....



If it looks the same as last week you're correct. We have the largest pond on the block but hope to change that next week. The contractor's working on the pool have taken all the measurements and cashed our check to purchase a new liner. My hope is by memorial day we will have a pool and not a swamp to gather around.

On the knitting front, here's my completed Rusted Root....



I like it but I'm not sure when I'll take the time to purchase a cami that I can wear beneath it. The yarn is lion brand cotton ease which is half cotton half acrylic. I love washable, inexpensive yarn so this is a yarn I may purchase again to make another sweater with.

I started a tank top last week to discover that my gauge was about 2 inches off...


that will teach me not to do a gauge swatch at the pub again. I'm using the CotLin from Knit Picks and am finding it a little hard to get used to. It's very fibrous and loves to shed on whatever it rests against. I love their shine, it's soft and creates a nice close knit fabric and I'm thinking I should have ordered this instead. But, this is what I have so I'll play with it over the weekend and see how it goes.

I'm off to sell my beloved car. I love my 13 year old, standard transmission car but a new car is in my husband's very near future and I must find a home for my old one. The new one I will blog about next week when we actually see it,test drive it, and sign the loan papers for it. Hint:think hybrid!!

For all the Mom's(and Mom's to be)out in blogville I hope you all have a restful weekend!