Proof of Yarn Love

Ah what a funny but confused Hubby I have. I opened my blog to find I had already "written" a post. If I ever find "all fiber bearing animals to be utterly repulsive"...WOW I don't even know what I would do. Shave a couple of cats?

Anyways it seems I must prove to you that I indeed still love almost all things wooly and furry.

Into the Whirled Glouchester Sock Children of Time colorway

See that is how much of a sock I can get done while at the last local showing of the new Avengers movie. I had ripped back this yarn a few times months ago because it was pooling a not appealing way. It has been sitting in time out for months now. It is still kinky from all my previous attempts. After knitting on it for hours in the dark, not knowing what it would look like, I gotta say two stitches really do matter. I am loving this.

Jack would like you to know he is not in fact a shaved cat. See all that shiny fur?

Nobody needs to call the ASPCA on my Momma, OK?

Sock That Rock Lightweight - Flambeau

These socks were started and knit on in a church council meeting. I think I may be getting them used to the idea of my knitting at these events. Two hours of committee talking without knitting? Perish the thought!

Dragonfly Fibers Djinni Sock - Starry Night

See I've still got my eyebrows and whiskers and everything. Mom was just making a joke, OK?

Sarah, does that colorway remind you of anything? You know that one gorgeous painting that you cross stitched? Hopefully mine won't take a few years, but then again I' not framing mine either. Unless we redefine wearing them on my feet as framing. 

My cowl is finished too. But those pictures deserve their own post. Let's just say Jack may get a sweater.

So the world can keep on spinning, I still love fiber, yarn, my kitties an my hubby.

Yarn is dead to me

Yep, I've had it with knitting.  I am hanging up my sticks.  I find making knots upon knots to be extremely tedious and unfulfilling.  In fact, I find all fiber-bearing animals to be utterly repulsive.  What should I take up next?

You see this is the reason I should not let the Hubby near my stuff. 

No tasty baked goods for you Mister!!!

Not even from boxed mixes!

I mean it!

Anybody want a peanut?

Growing, Shrinking, Growing.

How does my garden grow? Well that is a topic for another post but I can tell you how it started. This year we decided to try a couple of new things. First added some topsoil to our existing plot and made it more square than round. We planted five or six tomatoes of various kind to keep it interesting.  A few marigolds to help with bug control. You now I may need to stop saying I dislike orange and yellow. I really like marigolds and orange socks now.

We've got a couple of pepper plants, rosemary (vermin prevention) and basil, because who can resist the smell of basil?


Second tryout this year is container tomatoes. We bought the near one already growing and planted the far two. You should see them now, they're all stretching their heads over the lattice work, craning to see who has the better view.

And speaking of growing and shrinking. I started knitting the Honey Cowl in some Madelinetosh DK yarn. While I liked how it was coming out I though maybe the bigger loop would look better. So I ripped it back.

I knit a few inches on the longer one and did not like the way the yarn was pooling, so I ripped back. And knit the same thing twice now. Good think I still think it is beautiful.

Amazing how the lighting affects the color isn't it? I bet this will feel nice this winter. Now I just need to know if it is to my sister's liking. Although Kisknit said she would take if off my hands if it was not to my sister's liking. That woman is a saint I tell you. The sacrifices we make for our knitting friends. (Hee Hee)

Snow and Presidents

I must have been in South Dakota! I was lucky enough to go home for my Nephew's graduation in May. Lucky enough to catch a nice snowstorm...in May! (I did not bring a jacket or even anything long sleeved!) 

As with many storms that late in the season the snow was gone by the time I left. I've got to say I found it very relaxing though. It made it seem so much more homey in a way. I even baked bread, which was gone before the snow was.

My family lives near the Black Hills. The Black Hills also contain Mt Rushmore. The self proclaimed gateway to the Hills and Mt Rushmore is Rapid City. Rapid City, or just Rapid if you're from the area, loves to draw in tourists. Rapid came up with a plan, after we moved away, of putting up statues of all the presidents in the downtown area. You've seen a couple here before.

Last year my sister said she wanted to do the scavenger hunt of all the statues. Well we thought it was a scavenger hunt of sorts. The tourism board puts out a walking tour brochure, and on the very last page is a close up picture of a portion of a statue.

As you know last year we were very busy with Dad''s urgent care and transition. We simply did not have time.

This year I emailed her and asked if we could see the presidents. I received an enthusiastic heck yeah back. Then the snow started to fall at the graduation ceremony. They were calling for one heck of a storm. The presidents would have to wait another year.

But then a day after the snow hit it warmed up, not swimsuit weather by any means but good enough for a trip down town.

Now looking at my map I realize we missed a couple. Oh well let's start with John Adams. He was our second president, and had a son that was also a president. You can not tell we went in the afternoon with our shadows on the statue.

This dapper chap would be that son John Quincy Adams. He was known to be quite a snappy dresser. The detail on the statues was half of the fun.

My sister read off the headline on the Kinderhook paper in his hand when I exclaimed, I've been to his house! You know when you hear words that are out of place for your surroundings? I hear Kinderhook every once in a while, but not in South Dakota. I also point out NY plates while driving in SD and vice versa. I am quirky that way.

This gent is Martin Van Buren. His home is located outside of Kinderhook, NY. He was known as Old Kinderhook and is credited with originating O.K.

Do you think we share the same double chin? OK then!

How it that for our first three presidents on the tour? I'll scatter them in here and there. It was great fun and enjoyed it. Plus I made it so my excellent brother in law does not have to walk it now. You're welcome BIL.

Salt Rimmed Margarita

See I really have been knitting through all the kitchen turmoil and post turmoil baking time.

D has new Gus approved socks.

These are from Mt Rutsen Studio Madison yarn in the Margarita colorway. I love how eye searing green it is. It is a bit lost in the shadows but in person the color makes your mouth pucker because to reminds you of sucking on limes. That is how saturated the color is. While I was working on them I kept holding them next to Gus's eyes. They did not really match but hints of similar colors are there. 

Ah yes the toes. They were a bit of a problem, turned experiment. You see I've learned my lesson. Experience kept yelling at me as I got close to the toe on the first sock. When I do a pattern on the leg of D's socks I tend to use just a bit too much yarn. You'd think I would make the sock just a trifle shorter but you'd be wrong. 

I weighed the yarn and found I would indeed need to find two toes worth of complimentary yarn. It was D's idea to use a creamy yarn to give the idea of salt rimmed socks. I went digging in my left overs bags and found some of my favorite Icelandic yarn. 

The toe on the left is the first toe. I knit it fine then when I got to the second toe I suspected I would have the same problem on my hands only with different yarn this time. After a bit of juggling I decided to alternate rows of yarn. Now I want to do this on all my socks. I love the way it looks. 

Now D has a new set of blindingly beautiful socks. And I know which booth I'll be going back to this fall. They also had my favorite stitch markers, you remember the ones that made sweater knitting fun again? Maybe I need a nice basket too?

As you've suspected

As you can tell from my absence from here my kitchen has been finished for a while now. There will be finished product pictures soon, but in the mean time...

The baking bug has bit me hard. I don't know that I've ever made so many things since I first got married and had my own kitchen.

My King Arthur Flour Baking Book has given me quite a few keeper recipes. You'll notice my lovely coffee cake displayed above.

It was so good I had to make it twice and neither one make it to the freezer for later. Turns out later can be just five minutes too.

We even have made a tea corner. I took a crappy picture of it but I've got one!!

Even though I've been happily tied up with my baking and my church duties, I've been knitting along when I can find the time. I knit through a church meeting last month. Hopefully I've proven that knitting and paying attention go hand in hand.

I thought about being subtle with my knitting, but decided knitting volunteer is way better than no volunteer. I've been places, knitting along when someone finally notice I was knitting after I'd been doing it for half an hour.

Anyways those socks are Fiber Stash Tweedy Toes in Pick Your Own colorway. My picture does not show them off, but there are tiny little tweedy bits. I decided against her yarn a couple of years ago and regretted it. Guess that is part of the reason I am so happy with the skein I bought last year.

Right now my needles are busy with a second sock for Mom and a second sock for D. Wait till you see D's, they're interesting.

Was that the oven timer? Just kidding I already made a batch of muffins and a couple of loaves of pumpkin bread today. Even my freezer is happy with my baking.

Where were we?

Oh yes the appliances.

It started to feel like a real kitchen when most of the appliances were installed.

Then the sink and countertop people showed up.

Then it really got real! 

We were so very close to getting back to normal. 

Even Jack was so happy he had to go tip toeing through the tulips, I mean across the cooktop.

I don't think Gus is to blame for those foot prints. I am pretty sure he can not leap higher than a footstool.