In which I share some kitchen escapades and knitting photos

It's been a delightful week for all sorts of things.  Chili, for one.  A nice pot of hearty chili with fresh cornbread is an excellent meal to warm the body and soul.  

The photo at left was taken of my kitchen countertop.  Yes, our house heat was on.  And yes, this is the actual temperature of that section of my kitchen.  I used to wonder about recipes that talked about 'room-temperature butter'.  Now I just ignore them, and put the butter on top of the stove get soft.  This is also the time of year when we cool things in the back room or front porch, rather than put them in the freezer or fridge for an hour to cool off.  It's faster and saves energy.

Then we have what looks like a science experiment.  I haven't been able to find much anything online about it, but this is what I found in my fridge one morning.  The night before (just ONE night -- not several months) I'd boiled some cubed white sweet potatoes and a carrot or two, then popped the liquid into a jar and stuck it in the fridge so I could use it in a soup.  Pot liquor, I think they called it in the old days.  I have no idea why it turned a lovely blue-green.  Today it's going into soup, and I wonder if it will color the soup.  If it does, I may well have a picture next week. Or not -- because next week, the sheetrockers are supposed to be here!  That means things will be topsy-turvy for a while.

Knitting content.  This week I made a pair of gloves for Filius, trying to replicate a pair from Feitelson's Art of Fair Isle Knitting, and forgot to switch the direction of the middle motif.  I *thought* I was switching it -- as the third row of parallelograms is going opposite the direction of the second row -- but that's not how one goes about changing the direction of the whole motif.  Argh.  I winged the pattern, and they came out a bit snug, but they are off at college with him and he likes them.  I brought his old pair home, reknit the thumbs, and now have a spare pair here. 

 

In other knitting, I made myself a pair of socks with some gifted yarn.  (Thanks, gifter!)  These came out wonderfully, using one of Wendy Johnson's toe-up gusset patterns and a garter-stitch rib pattern. 

 

Somewhere during last week, I came up with a handful of commissions and also ordered some Crushed Raspberry Frangipani to knit myself a Nattrojer Tunic.  That still left me with nothing to knit until the yarns and patterns arrive.  And that is a situation that, on a normal day, cannot be allowed to continue.  I dove into my stash and came up with some partial balls of Brigg's and Little's Heritage Yarn, stuck my nose into Latvian Mitten Designs by Erna Jansons, and came up with ...

Then I dove back into the stash, collected a skein of self-striping sock yarn, and made a Slouchy Socky Hat.  Then I dove back in again, collected my one remaining skein of self-striping sock yarn, and embarked on a baby hat.  After a a few hours of that, I realized that if I didn't get something else on the needles FAST, I would run out of knitting during the middle of a lecture that evening.  That's never a good thing. So I went up to the stash, decided to live dangerously, and embarked on mittens from Plate 48 of Latvian Mitten Designs.  We will see if the main color and most-used contrast color hold out.  If not ... Rachel, got any tan sportweight BSA leftovers?

Wednesday's blog post on Wednesday, thanks to Skype

If it were not for Skype, I would not be writing this blog post today.  An hour ago, Filia had an interview in a town about 5 1/2 hours away.  Except due to the miracles of Skype, she could interview from the comfort of our living room, rather than get up at 2 AM, have a 20 minute interview, and get home in the middle of the afternoon.  Technology can be wonderful. 

One casualty of last week's blizzard may have been our mid-February sheetrocking.  There was a nasty fire in a nearby town the night of the blizzard -- the sort where fire crews in surrounding towns call out the plows to go ahead of them on the road so they can make it to the fire? -- and while the business doing the work for us didn't burn down, the owner's residence did.  I've been in a holding pattern for 2 years now on this job ... a few more months won't hurt anything.  It'll give me more time to figure out my wall-to-wall bookcase!

Not to be outdone by the blizzard last Tuesday, Monday's weather was also very nice and blizzardy.  We were on the edge of the Abysmal Travel zone.  I had somewhere to go (someone to get somewhere, actually) and ventured out in the morning.  Visibility outside of town was worse than in the photo below.  I wouldn't have been able to see the sign, and had I been the car, I *might* have been able to see the truck in front of me.  Maybe not.  I thought about turning around and cancelling, but turning around on a US highway when you can't see anything can be tricky.  There could be a car coming the other direction!  So I ventured onward, and the visibility cleared to the point of safety after a few hundred yards, and after a few miles, the driving was fine.

This road got closed a bit after this camera shot

Knitting has been fairly uneventful.  I finished the mittens, got them off in the mail, finished another commission, got that off in the UPS, volunteered myself for a repair job (and had embroidery floss to match! Two strands was just the right thickness), finished a pair of socks, and started in on a pair of gloves for Filius. 

Hole-B-Gone!

With an empty knitting calendar, my mind has been busy thinking of things to knit.  And, as it has been happening lately, things found me.  That sort of thing is SO good for the yarn budget.  I am still being tempted by either two cones of Frangipani, or Brown Sheep Sport, or perhaps some Finullgarn, to reknit a Danish Nattroyer.  It's been calling me for a while, so I may just go ahead and give in. 

But - enough staring at the blog post.  Time to go tidy and knit, before I introduce two wonderful ladies into the Art of the Tubular Bind Off, and then work with another wonderful lady on My First Mitten. 

It's Wednesday, and I don't have any soup ideas this week yet.  Please, suggest away in the comments!

In which I finally make a workaround for iCloud and photos

It's a beautiful, glorious, sun-shiny (or at least it was) day here in the Snowy North.  We had a very nice blizzard on Tuesday -- late enough in the day to wonder how many school districts would look utterly ridiculous for announcing on Monday that they would be closed Tuesday, yet early enough in the day that all the state and county highways were CLOSED and the plows were pulled by 2 PM.  I felt quite pleased that Sunday's decision to reschedule my knitting class in a town 20 miles away from me was not open to ridicule.  

Even Vir came home at noon.  

Wednesday, after shoveling - and a snowblower assist from Vir!

Of course, if one is home, and being sensibly NOT glued to a screen watching people report on the snow and talk about which roads one sensible people should not be on, one ought to do somethign else.  So I knit.  The middle mitten is the first of a pair that I am currently knitting.  The left mitten is also from my needles, but has been dubbed "Sasquatch's Mitten" because of it's generous size.  Brown Mitten #2 is about halfway done, and should get finished tomorow.  Today's calendar does not have much space for concentrated knitting.  This pattern, for whatever reason, requires concentration.  I have made SO MANY mistakes in the pattern that required me to rip back to fix them.  Totally unlike me.  Obviously, I need to practice concentrating. 

And -- soup!  This week's tureen contained Cream of Cauliflower Soup, and as pictured below, Carrot Soup.  Filia and I spiked ours with a bit of miso, and it was delicious.  Nutmeg and a dollop of sour cream crossed my mind too, but I thought that might clash with the cumin and chili powder in the recipe. 

Until next week ...

In which a lot of things are wrapped up...

This past week has been full of activity.  I mailed off two projects, accepted another project (and finished knitting it already ... two more seams, and it's done!), and made good headway on a third project. 

Did you know there is almost NO data out there on how far above the 'thumb crotch' the tip of a pointed mitten should be?  To fix this problem - and to design mittens that have enough room, without having too much room - I am going to take a 7x8" rotary cutting mat to church tomorrow and get some photos of hands, then crunch the numbers.  If anyone would like to join in via the blog, please do!  Send me (anonymously or otherwise) your

• length of hand from just above the wrist bone to the tip of your middle finger
• hand circumference - around all four fingers
• vertical distance from thumb crotch to the tallest finger

 If you happen to have a Norwegian mitten (or Latvian) that fits perfectly, I'd be interested in the circumference, total length, and length from the thumb hole to the tip of the mitten.

Any guesses as to what I'm knitting? 

I got a book in the mail this week -- a delightful happening which often follows, as in this case, the ordering of a book.  Latvian Mitten Designs.  Delicious eye candy and knitting fodder.  I think I'll start with Mitten #10.  It reminds me of Michigan State University, so will probably get called the Michigan State Latvian.  Unfortunately, I don't have any proper greens, so I can't cast on yet.  Happily, I do have sock yarn, so that is what will be going onto the needles after I finish up a wee bit of something else first.

Soups -- This week, the tureen saw Cincinnati Chili with Beans, and will see Cream of Cauliflower Soup (from More With Less) tonight.  The weather has been perfect for soup. 

My efforts at the sewing machine to produce a nice duvet cover came to a screeching halt when I adhered to 'right sides together and you won't go wrong' on the third french seam on the back.  Oops.  I decided to cut my losses at that point and ordered a cover from Overstock, which arrived yesterday.  Yay!  A duvet cover!!!  The fabric that was supposed to be the cover may become Roman shades, or a bag to store the comforter in during the summer, or a thrift shop donation. 

Until next week!

It's WARM!

Southern Minnesota has once again emerged from a round of sub-zero temperatures, and today is going to be over 20 F.  As a comparison, it was either -9 or -13 when we went to church on Sunday.  The day on which Filius had a fire alarm go off in his dorms at 2:30 AM. (Burnt popcorn)  Brrrr.  Kinda cold standing outside in your jammies in that weather.

It's been a regular knit-fest around here.  As expected, no sooner did I finish up one project than I had yarn for the next.  And that next project was so wee and cute and charming that I actually have photos to share with you!

It's a sampler sweater -- big enough to fit a good-sized newborn or perhaps a 1-month old, but not much more than that.  For learning new techniques, though, it's a perfect size.  I know a new way to make pockets now, and weave in floats with both yarns held in my right hand - knitting OR purling - and put in zippers, and two ways to work a shawl collar.  I am just brimming over with new techniques. 

Speaking of brimming over ... If you are on Facebook, head over to here.  The red and white gloves were knit by me!  As are the greyish brown/white ones in the top leftish box here.  I am just full of Squee!ness.  And if you are as enchanted by Sanquhar patterns as I am, you absolutely have to check out the online exhibition.  If you get as far as page 3, and look at Beyond The Glove (which has a thumbnail of Wendy Johnson's gorgeous Sanquhar Cowl, which I absolutely want to make some day, if not sooner), you will find a pair of socks ... by me!

Which are not these socks.....

I needed to cast on SOMETHING to keep my head from swelling too much this past weekend, so I brought out my Christmas yarn from Filia, decided that the Atlantic Current Socks on Ravelry looked perfect for the self-striping pattern, and cast on.  (Totally skipping buying the pattern, and 'unventing' a new heel because I was feeling adventurous)  I like how the first one came out.  They'll be fraternal pairs ... the yellow of the second sock starts 2" closer to the toe than on this one.  Knitting this week holds polishing up a sweater pattern, contemplating some mittens that need resizing, finishing the second sock ... and finding something else to knit.  So many possibilities, so much  wisdom needed to pick which one to go with!  And I need to get working on the duvet cover (sewn, not knit) for our comforter, too. 

The soup tureen (my precious!  tee hee) was used last night for Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp, and received rave reviews.  The soup, not the tureen.  It will get used again this week for chili, and a carrot soup as well in the near future.  

I'd rather be knitting

If all my blog readers were in my living room, cozily ensconced on comfy chairs with their choice of fiber (wool, silk, cotton, etc) or book, and beverage ... I wouldn't need to stand here at the computer typing a blog.  I could knit and we could all visit.  Except perhaps the book-readers.  That is a problem with reading.  I do not have the knack of processing written language and verbal language simultaneously, unless it is checking an audio against a print copy. 

But, lest I continue to avoid posting my blog until I get so good at it that it is next year or later, here is a short post. 

Minnesota may have settled into a routine of warm weekdays (warm = can shovel and walk to the post office in a sweater, no coat needed) and cold weekends (cold = double-digits below zero wind chill, and lows even without wind chill.  Fahrenheit.)  Today was delightfully warm and the walk is neatly shoveled.  Even better, Filia did the lunch tidying up while I did the outside work, so when I came home from the post office, all signs of lunch were cleared away.  ((hugs))

Yarn arrived in the mail today, more yarn should arrive tomorrow, and I have enough knitting to justify scheduling a few hours each day for it.  Scheduled knitting time means I can ignore dog hair on the floor, or a cabinet that could use a reorganizing, and things like that.  I really do need to get a cover made for the wool comforter I got Vir this Christmas.  I got started on it, but hit a bit of a block when I discovered that the stripes were not perpendicular to the selvedges, and I'd already cut on the stripes, and ... well, suffice it to say that I may be using that fabric to make Roman Shades (maybe), but will get different fabric for cover. 

One of my Christmas presents was a soup tureen. Did I say that in my last post?  (Goes to check.  Yup.  I did.  I'll probably mention it in the next post, too.)  It's still one of my favorites, and will make this a Year of Soup.  I feel morally obligated to use it at least once a week.  We've had Chicken Spinach Soup, Miso, and perhaps another soup or two as well since my last post.  I really should keep a list.  But that would take away from knitting time.  

As an aside, Chefs.com is going out of business.  Lots of discounts (and out of stock items, due to the lots of discounts.) No, the tureen didn't come from Chefs.com.  My garlic roaster did, though!  Mmmm.  Roast garlic. 

Living room sheetrocking is set for mid-February.  I am trying not to look forward TOO hard to getting a built-in bookcase sometime later this year, after the dust settles and the paint dries.  But really ... floor to ceiling, wall to wall, bookcase.... with a few non-booky shelves, and a spot for the computer, and utter homey COZINESS and a place to put books.... 

Happy January, all!

New Year's Eve Eve

And all is still well!  I have oodles of pictures to share, but they are on my iPad and will just have to wait for later. 

We spent a lovely Christmas at my mom's house, and had a nice trip home with no snow to contend with.  In years past, the treks between car and house were an adventure -- especially with a wheelchair and a non-walking daughter to carry through nearly waist-deep drifts!  Filius did a splending job of Materials Management and we made it home with just one bag left behind. 

Except for the goodies that were supposed to go into my stocking, but which never made it in there.  And that was supposed to come home today, but the Proper Party forgot.  And I forgot to appropriate some of mom's extra tea, too.  It was a productive day of errands, apart from the forgotten bean flour, Saran wrap, stocking bag, and tea.  Gift to give, purchase, forgotten item, and appropriation.  No more than one thing in each category -- not too bad!

The morning after Christmas, we woke up to a significant dusting of snow.  It was lovely.  Monday, we got around 8".  I am not getting my exercise by shoveling walks.  I figure if I do 30 minutes a day, and Filius does 30 minutes a day, we will both be able to move the following day AND the walk will get cleared.  We have a generous front walk to shovel, including two spots that the plows build up nice and high.  Filia's interview Tuesday morning was rescheduled (due to the storm) by the interviewer. 

Yarny-wise, the mittens are done, the submission was evaluated, and I got the pattern for one commission and will go knit on it just as soon as I finish this blog entry.  I'm still waiting for yarn for the other project.  It would be delightful if I got the current project on the needles done JUST before the next bit of yarn comes in, as then I won't have to split my time.  Then again, the one I don't have the yarn for has a due date 25 days before the one I do have the yarn for.  Hmmm. 

Cooking-wise, the next batch of fudge didn't cooperate.  Sigh.  The cheese ball was excellent, and I now have a gorgeous soup tureen to fill with soups.  Yesterday's Quick Corn and Bacon Chowder (you have to be a member now to see it ) was supposed to make 4 servings.  I was dubious, as it called for 2 lbs of corn, 2 lbs of potatoes, 3 1/2 cups of liquid .... and indeed, it filled my 4 quart dutch oven.  I had less than a quart leftover, though, so it wasn't TOO much.  I think 2016 will be the Year of the Soup Tureen.  A soup a week shouldn't be too hard, should it?

Caramels are on the agenda for making, as is nice normal bread, split pea soup for tomorrow, and some cherry cheesecake.  Mmmmm. 

AND ... I got all my Christmas cards out!  Which is not to say that I sent a Christmas card to everyone I wanted to send a card to, but rather to say that I bought two boxes of cards and have sent every last one of them out.  Addressed in red and green ink, with the red ink being courtesy of a sampler ink package I received for Christmas. 

Off to knit I go ...

Christmas Eve Eve, and all is well.

It's the eve of Christmas Eve, and all is well.  The stocking are hung on the bookshelves with care, and there is no pending ice storm, and no one is sniffling or coughing, and God is sovereign.  It's a perfect day to curl up with a good book, a cuppa tea, and rejoice in the knowledge that Christ has come into the world, and is coming again. 

The curling up bit is going to wait for a while, though, since I signed two knitting contracts yesterday, have a mitten thumb to finish today (because the yarn came in, not because I need to finish it by Christmas), and there's a knitting submission on my table to evaluate.  And a cheeseball to make, and music to practice, and a few dozen other little things that need doing.  Like Christmas cards!  If I can't be curled up with a book or some good knitting, having a list of things to be productive with is the next best thing. 

Filia is still job-interviewing. The first one on Monday was a bit of a disappointment -- a 2 hour drive there, 5 minute interview, and 2 hour drive back home. Bleagh. I didn't get much knitting done during the interview. Interview today, interview next Tuesday, and sometime between Christmas and New Year's she'll hear the results of Monday's second interview.  I think in the past month she has interviewed more than Vir and I have in our entire lives.  The internet sure has changed how one goes about finding a job. 

I am confronting my fudge-making nemesis head-on this year, and not doing too badly.  The gingerbread fudge came out delicious ... after cooking it according to the directions and having it be much too caramelly, then recooking it and having it still be caramelly (but the bottom of the pan's bits were perfect), and recooking it (and having it turn into perfect fudge while cooling to 110, and being totally stuck in the pan), and recooking it and pouring it STRAIGHT INTO THE 8x8 WHILE TOASTY WARM (ahem).  So when the sour cream fudge decided that it was going to set JUST when I was turning the saucepan upside down to pour it out ... I reheated the bits that wouldn't come out easily (about a cup or so of fudge), ignored the 'cool down, beat until the gloss is gone' bit, and voila ... perfect fudge.  Much perfecter than the squashed stalactite which I managed to extract from the rapidly setting fudge in the saucepan. Thermometers are tricksy and false, and gloss is a myth.  I am going to try ignoring both those things in my next batch, and see how things go. 

German Chocolate Macaroons were much-enjoyed during church fellowship time.  I was delighted with how they came out, and happy to make something that got eaten.  The stollen also behaved itself this year, and my four loaves have turned into one.  The one would be GONE if it were sliced, but Filius is showing great restraint and letting me save a half-loaf for Boxing Day.

Merry Christmas to all!  Maranatha.

And another ...

Today is the day Filia and Filius arrive home!  With the festivities of the day (including a celebratory Finals Week Meal in town, completely packing one dorm room, partially packing another, and getting Grandma's live Christmas tree), it will be a long day.  But a good one. 

This past week has not been slow.  The post office and UPS man have been busy, bringing a box or two a day.  Most of the contents have been wrapped and are awaiting transport to under Grandma's Christmas tree.  The dog bed, however, is adorning the living room floor, and is usually decorated with Canis.  It's MUCH better than the previous bed, which was a bit on the lumpy side and he could never get comfortable in it.  At least, I'm assuming that is why each night he took the nicely polar-fleece-wrapped dog bed, tucked nicely in the corner, and rearranged it so that it was a few feet away from the original location, unwrapped, and wadded up into half its size.  He also approves of the Dental Kong, so long as there is peanut butter inside it.  One package is still on its way from Turkey, but I think that wraps up (unintentional pun) the Christmas presents that are coming in the mail. 

Graduation was delightful.  Filia looked very sombre when she was hooded, but someone snapped this photo of her at the reception ...

and I like it very much.  Congratulations, Filia!!!  (And that box on her lap holds the Most Charming perpetual calendar I have ever seen.

Awwwwww.

Monday's job interview didn't go exactly as planned, neither for Filia nor for several other interviewees.  The company had advertised for the wrong position.  Oops!  Two more interviews are coming up on Monday. 

Knitting ... I have yarn to finish the cute little Finnish Gansey, yarn has been ordered to finish the mittens from Graph 98 in Latvian Mittens, one commission is completed, the thumbs of last week were reknit, and the Church Lady Mittens (sorry, Lola) have just one tip and one thumb left.  I'm normally a very monogamous knitter, so it pains me to say that somehow I had FOUR projects on the needle yesterday.  Three, literally, and one is at the point of picking up stitches to knit a sleeve.  Right now there are just three, period, and by this weekend that should be down to one.  Except I won't have yarn to finish it yet, and will 'need' to cast on something else.  Alas. 

Holiday Baking!  I wish I had the caramel recipe that we loved last year, but I erased it when I forgot to save my bookmarks to a drive that was NOT being reformatted.  If you have a tried and true one, do share! In the next week we'll be baking all sorts of goodies to adorn the Christmassy paper plates I got yesterday, then duck between freezing raindrop and flurries to deliver them to neighbors.  It doesn't look like there will be a white Christmas this year.  Happily, Christmas does not depend on the color of the ground outside. 

Until next week...

Snatching another moment

The more I have to do, the more organized I get with my time.  And that reminds me of something my knitting mentor Cindy said several years ago -- if you really want to get something done, ask the busiest person.  It makes an odd sort of sense, but at the same time, I am not fond of 'busy'.  There's a connotation of rushing around and not having time to do what is important.  And I like to do what is important, and skip the rushing around. 

No pictures this week -- they didn't make the to-do list.  I'm still waiting for more black yarn for last week's mittens, and started a cute little Finnish Gansey, for which I am also now waiting for more yarn (but it should be in the mail to me shortly, unlike the black yarn, which I am still putting out feelers to find).  Today's knitting will be a repair of the thumbs of my Sanquhar gloves from 2008, and if the day is longer than I think it is, casting on for a pair of mittens which I am designing to match a lovely sweater I saw in church two weeks ago. 

Filia reports for graduation in 49 hours and 19 minutes.  Then comes finals week, and then I'll have a house full until school starts up again (for Filius).  Filia has some more interviews coming up - local ones - which delights my mama's heart.  It would be lovely to have her nearby, rather than a few hours off.  We wait to see which door God will open.  The knuckles of patient knocking are certainly being exercised! 

This year's Chai Spiced Honey will be ramped up from the previous years' version.  I lost my bookmarks when I reset the computer -- I'm sure I went into that story already, which in short is that I backed up my bookmarks on the hard drive rather than on something that wasn't going to get wiped -- and in hunting for a recipe, before checking my blog, I found one that used roughly 9 times the spices.  3 tablespoons of cinnamon instead of 1 teaspoon, etc.  Mmmmm! 

And caramels, and biscotti, and gingerbread fudge, and stollen, oh my!

Enough moment-snatching.  Time to go be productive! 

Snatching a Moment

Somehow, this week - and last week - have not been times of quiet reflection and time to do all the things I could wish.  I've been putting off my weekly blog post long enough, though, so I am going to snatch a few moments before I put my temporary computer desk away and check off the 'write blog' box on my to-do list.

Filius and Filia were home for Thanksgiving, and we had a delightful time.  It was good to catch up with them, and get some needed things done.  

Needed things, like send announcements out!  Seven days and a few hours from now, I will be the beaming mother of a college graduate. Still jobless, but we trekked through a winter storm for an interview on Tuesday, and another interview for another job is pending.  She's knocking away at employment doors, and we wait to see which door God will open.

I've been knitting up a wee small storm, too, but nothing big, since I am expecting some work to come my direction this week or next. 

More Latvian Mittens

Waiting for more black yarn

And just before our winter storm, the grass-seed-putter-downer guys drove by.  Several times, actually, as they sprayed this side of the sidewalk, that side of the sidewalk, and the other side of the street's yards.  It was the excitement of the day.

Winter is Coming!

We have had a very warm November so far, but I fear my kale will meet its doom this week as the temps head downward into the teens by this weekend.  I am finishing up the last of my 'fresh from the garden and ripened in the basement' tomatoes today in a hearty black bean chili that is simmering on the stove for supper.  Fresh produce is soon to be a thing of the past, so it will be time to hit the larder or freezer for the stored soups and sauces.  I've been able - both because I've been home, unlike last year, and because it's been warm and without snow cover, unlike last year - to keep up with the leaves and sticks in the yard, so there should be a lot less work to do come spring.  Today, the leaves from the willow finally decided that perhaps it is time to succumb to the wind and leave the tree. 

On Saturday, I got a book.  It's all Cheryl and LaJuana's fault ... but I did put it on my wishlist, and my dear mum got it for me.  It's a craft that isn't knitting, so I am torn.  I'm a knitter, and could happily knit the rest of my life and not make everything that is beautiful and gorgeous and knit.  But there was this Facebook video, see, and they didn't know what the technique was (being in Turkish made the point a bit fuzzy for those of us who do not speak Turkish), and it was this utterly GORGEOUS needle lace ... Mediterranean Knotted Lace, to be precise ...

From the cover of Mediterranean Knotted Lace

and I fell in love with it.  Now I am juggling learning needle lace with knitting.  I am competent at one of them, and it's not the needle lace. There's quite a contrast between knitting a shawl with worsted yarn held double, and making knots with size 50 crochet cotton.

Fat yarn, skinny thread

My First Attempts at Needle Lace

Until next week!

On a beautifully bleak November day

On this bleak November day, before some torrential rain hits, I have a beautiful home day to sit and knit.  The commission is moving along nicely (after the necessary gauge swatches) and I have no pictures.  I sent off a design submission this morning, and am generally having a grand time with knitting.

Fringe

With writing up material for a knitting class, not quite so much.  It is SO much easier to show someone a technique in person than it is to explain it in writing, especially given the wide variety of knitting methods.  Latvian fringe is something that I've been doing off an on for around a decade, and there are still fiddly little things that I learn about it when I put my mind to designing a swatch in which to learn the technique.  I've gotten two of three swatches for the course knit, and directions written for them.  Next up is to knit them from the directions and fix the directions so that they work!  After that shall come the difficult part -- communicating the 'how this technique is done' in writing.  I hope to snag a child to take some pictures for me over Thanksgiving break.  It is very difficult to take pictures of one's self while knitting.  Although perhaps, with that knitting belt....

Filia and I had a nice time together on Saturday.  She got her test taken, found out she passed it with LOTS of room to spare, and we found the Fiber Festival with no problem.  On the way, we found a little place in a small town that had specialty coffee, tea, soup, sandwiches, smoothies, baked goodies ... and promptly decided that would be a lovely place to have lunch.  Mmmmm!  We managed to make it out of the festival without buying anything, more due to willpower and not having any specific projects in mind than due to the lack of things to buy.  There were some gorgeous yarns there.  And fibers.  And tools.  And books. 

Yesterday saw me driving Mom's taxi and getting not exactly 'lost', but not exactly following the path Google Maps planned out for me in Minneapolis.  Filia had a good interview, then we headed back home for a class (her) and teaching a class (me).  After class, I headed to my mom's house to pick up my pooch, who I learned had a Very Full Day.  It went something like this:

• 7:30 AM Begin hunting rabbits
• 11:00 AM Come inside for a drink of water, short nap, and lunch
• 12:00 Go outside to continue hunting rabbits
• 4:40 PM Come inside for a drink of water before going home.

Pooped Pooch

He'll have another chance to explore there on Friday.  Mom says her dog had a hard time getting off the couch this morning. They keep each other in good shape! 

Knitting plans for this week are to finish the commission - perhaps by Saturday, but that may be pushing it.  I'm chewing over what sort of goals I ought to set myself, and starting to think about Christmas music for the harp and piano.  And having children home for Thanksgiving, and Christmas break, and homemade caramels, and hot spiced tea, and .... many good things ahead. 

Until next week,

For want of a nail ...

Right about now, I should be working on a new commission, but it's really hard to do that when the yarn didn't arrive.  The local post office is still working the bugs out of teleporting packages.  So, tomorrow around 1:30, I shall float off to the post office, collect a box of yarn, return home with all deliberate speed, and cast on.  Probably for a gauge swatch, alas. 

That means that today, I can tidy up loose ends in preparation for immersing myself in delightful knitting.  Some of that tidying involves writing a blog post, which was not written yesterday because I was clearing the knitting decks off so as to be ready to KNIT today.

It's been a rather eventful week, in a small sort of way, in our peaceful little town.  First off, I still have Live Plants growing in a Minnesota November.  Taking advantage of the opportunity, I picked some parsley and popped in front of the pellet stove to dry.  There's more room in my dried parsley container, so why not?  I still have fresh kale, too, but am not so nutty as to dry that. 

Earlier this week, tree trucks arrived and I began to wonder about the future existence of the tall pine tree across the street. 

Indeed, my thoughts were only too accurate.  The tree is now gone, as is the walnut further to the right of the photo. 

 On Saturday, the yarn for Filius' Jayne Hat, Attempt at the correct colors #2, arrived.  I picked them up on Tuesday after Bible Study (and a cup of delicious Coconut Curry soup with my mom, who did not have Coconut Curry soup).  Wednesday morning at 8:30 I hunted up needles and a pattern ...

 and at 10:30, I finished knitting the hat.  I collected the pom pom maker from the Closet of the Crunchy Mouse Skeleton at my mom's that afternoon, made the pom pom in the evening, and snagged a photo of the hat before sending it off to Filius via my Helpful Model and Filia.  Cunning, isn't it?  I think it looks like a candy corn.

The rest of yesterday - when I was home, that is - was devoted to my Latvian Mitten #2, in an attempt to finish off the knitting of it before today's Glorious Yarn arrived. 

Having finished the Latvian Mitten, and having no Glorious Yarn, I cast about for something Productive to do (other than weave in the ends of said Latvian mittens) and decided to tidy up my Ravelry projects page.  I went hunting for photos of my photoless projects, and got several taken care of.  One of them was my 2014 Clogs.   They are well on their way to being an excellent example of why we don't have much in the way of archaeological evidence about what the Common Man had that was knit 400-500 years ago.  Something about being well-used and used up. 

2014 Clogs

Random Scarf, Acrylic, with Bookcase

Unblocked Latvian Mittens, Graph 113, Upitis

The Other Side

Cheater Thumbs, with Elegant Mistakes

 

And finally, another picture out my front window.  You may notice there is a TREE there!  It's a curious thing.  The project updates mentioned that they were going to begin replanting trees this week.  Since there have been no trees in the boulevard strip on our property in (my) living memory, which stretches back 20 years, this was of no concern to me.  But yesterday morning (while working on the Jayne Hat), I noticed they were digging holes.  And yesterday afternoon, there was a tree laying next to the hole, and to the one further to the left.  And yesterday evening, in the pitch black, a crew came around and planted the trees.  Something else for Vir to mow around.  

Thanks to the stakes that were put in place yesterday, but which are no longer there, I know that the tree in front of the house is a Red Oak, and the one to the east is a Maple.  Other trees in town are Pin Oaks and Lindens.  

I also did a good bit of stealth knitting this week.  One commission - started, blocked, dried, seamed, reseamed due to perfectionistic tendencies, and mailed off - and one nice bit of travelling knitting that should show up somewhere around Christmas.  

This upcoming week has an exam (for a job) and a job interview (for a different job) for Filia.  Mom's taxi drives again!  I'm looking forward to spending time with her, having quiet knitting time in the car, and detouring on the way home Saturday in order to get a knitting belt at the Fiber Festival in Hopkins, MN.  Next week, I just may have a report on it -- or I may put off playing with it until I get the commissioned knitting done.  Stay tuned!

The Vernon Gansey, Day 24

There are a few ends to weave in, but otherwise ... it is done.  I like it.  I really like it.  I am pretty sure I will need to knit another gansey, 'just for practice' once I get a little bit of experience with my knitting belt, which I hope to get on November 7th. 

Next up on the needles ... ripping back several rows on a Latvian mitten, centering the design properly, and finishing a pair of Latvian mittens.  Except for when the yarn (ordered yesterday) for a certain Jayne-style hat comes in, when I will be working on the hat.  And when traveling ... I have some yarn for a pair of traveling socks now.  And Wendy Johnson's Sanquhar Cowl, and Fair Isle Cowl, and Crazy Norwegian Cowl, are all calling me.  Loudly.  But ... the mittens get to be first.  And probably a class that I need to write up, too.  That has a deadline. 

Construction work is ... possibly done for the year?  Could it really be?  I arrived home yesterday to see, through the rain which started promptly at 4:00, JUST when the forecast said it would, shiny black streets in front of our house.  And this morning, the 8x4 plywood board that was covered with all sorts of workplace notices (the sort of thing that is normally above the water cooler, I believe) was removed from our front yard (which may have functioned like a water cooler for this project, slightly.  The yellow grass that was underneath it is getting happier by the minute.)  The only thing I can think of remaining is popping in whatever grass seed stuff they want to put down at this time of year.

Exercise in the cooler months looks to be quite doable.  One bike, one trainer (a sort of stand for the back wheel, so one can pedal away and go nowhere), and one good book seems to be all I need.  If I only read the book while I am pedaling, and manage not to curl up on the couch with it, I will get in plenty of exercise.  Good books are addictive! 

I received an e-mail from the college today, informing me that Filia is on their graduation list for this fall.  Six weeks from Saturday, as a matter of fact.  How the time has flown!  (insert proud maternal beam).  More transitions all 'round. 

With apologies to "If you give a mouse a cookie ...."

If a mom finishes her breakfast in peace ...
she'll want to tidy up the dishes.
And when she tidies up the dishes, she'll think about soaking the beans for tomorrow's meal.
And when she goes to soak the beans, she'll notice the bean soaking bowl is missing.
And when she mentally tracks it down, she'll remember there's fat from bone broth in it.
And when she remembers that fat, she'll pop on to Google to see what to do with it.
And when she's on the computer, she'll see a pretty picture of a gansey, and fall to dreaming about knitting.

But when she goes back in kitchen, she'll notice her tea cup is empty and head to refill it.
At which point she'll notice the beans on the counter.
And the laundry basket next to the counter.

And then go write a blog post before filling the tea cup, getting the laundry going, moving the fat into a jar, washing the bowl, soaking the beans, opening a new packet of beans to pop into the now-empty bean cannister...

And then reheat her cold tea.  

The Vernon Gansey, Day 17

Did I really call this a cardigan in my last title?  It's a gansey.  And a jumper.  And a pullover.  But not a cardigan.  That may be the next one, though.  It's moving along at a right proper pace, and I am pleased with it.  As always, I have planned it a big snugger than I wanted, and I am - as always - hoping that blocking will correct it.  There are all those nice cables and patterning to stretch out, you know.   The first 500g of yarn sufficed for the entire body, and I have no doubts that there will be leftovers sufficient for a pair of socks or a hat or mittens or all the above, once I finish up with the sleeves.

The sleeves won't get finished unless I get to working on them, though.  Sleeves are stubborn that way. 

 

 Construction work is still going on.  (Yup, still.  But there are rumors of an end looming next week!)  On Monday I was surprised to find out that there was going to be some natural gas work in our yard.  It was a nice change from the water main/sanitary sewer/storm sewer/street/sidewalk work going on along the south side of our property.  This was a one-day project on the west side.  I wonder if their diggings will also be reseeded as part of the Grand Project? 

 

Here's the view out our front window.  Sidewalks!  Level dirt for the street!  Dirt (black dirt) tucked up smoothly against the sidewalk, ready for seeding!  And the pretty white sidewalks all cleaned off after yesterday's dirt-dumping and smoothing.  Which makes me wonder why we, the populace, should keep off the sidewalks for 7-10 days after pouring (and we, to the hour, at the 7 day mark as I type this), while the construction guys have been using them since last Thursday and there were skidloaders or other tracked vehicles playing with dirt on them yesterday? 
 

 

 

Unique Fall Colors in Minnesota

While I was picking up sticks under the willow tree this week, I found some very pretty colors.  I couldn't resist bringing some inside to photograph.

One of my forthcoming knitting projects is a Jayne Hat for Filius.  After much ado, I got the yarn ordered.  Due to a glitch, I had to repick the colors from my computer monitor.  The yarn came in on Saturday ... and we decided that the colors were Just Too Wrong.  Filius found a blog post detailing a rather detailed person's analysis of the hat and appropriate colors, so I ordered those.  Once they come in, there will be a 6-7 hour hiatus from the gansey to get the hat done.  It'll be cunning. 

The garden has been taken in, with the green tomatoes stashed in the basement for nice, slow ripening.  I'm still enjoying fresh herbs and lettuce from the garden, as are the bunnies.  In a few weeks, the pace of life will slow down even more (pleeeeeease!) as the weather suggests that outdoor activities be curtailed. 

I just finished reading Captains Courageous, by Kipling.  It was an excellent way to spend 3 sessions on my indoor cycling trainer, and it's a wonder I hadn't read the book before.  Next up on the trainer is Ngaio Marsh. 

And now ... to knit!

The Vernon Cardigan, Day 10

It's been a delightful week of knitting.  Filia and Filius will be home tonight on midterm break, and the construction work outside is moving right along, and I am feeling swamped with Bible Study .. need to figure out how to deal with that swamping.  It's a time management issue, I'm sure.  If only I wouldn't head off on all those bunny ...

LOOKIE!  A Knitting belt!

Ahem.  Yes.

Now that I have all this free time, I really should concentrate on learning something in a steady, organized  manner.  Maybe actually devote some time to reading the authors who inspired C. S. Lewis, perhaps?  (And what, get halfway through what he read in one year of before starting college between now and the time my mortal coil gets reskeined?)

No, let's be distracted.

Ahem.

Did someone say pictures? (No?  Well, pictures you get anyway.)

 I've been growing radishes in the spring for the past several years, according to the package directions.  If the bunnies don't get them, then they grow skinny and tough -- about the thickness of a pencil lead, and about as chewable as a nice piece of leather.  This fall, Filia planted some radishes before she went back to college ... and God blessed her efforts greatly.  Guess who gets to plant all the radishes from now on?  (That's a Nr. 2 pencil, about 7" long, Cherry Belle on the right and Purple Something on the left.)




Construction update:  On Saturday, the crews were busy going plink, plink, plink with hammers, putting out guides for the curb.  Come Monday, the cement trucks rolled in and the curbs became reality.

Today, at 7 AM, the forms for the sidewalks began to go in, and the cement started to flow just after lunch.  By the end of the day, it looks like our block will have SIDEWALKS!!!!  Not that we're supposed to use them for 7-10 days, while it cures ... but SIDEWALKS!  We're going to actually look civilized!

Speaking of civility, our water tower now boasts a nice fat white stripe between the tropics.  

And, if I'm going to name this post after my gansey, I should include a progress photo.  Last Wednesday evening I started the first cable row.  Yesterday, I finished up the half-gussets for the underarm and started working back and forth on the back.  I'm doing the back first since it has fewer design decisions than the front.  I calculate I have 2 days before I need to read up on how to do horizontal shoulder straps this way.

A photo feast!

I decided it is high time to have some photos in this blog. A friend inquired how the construction was going in and outside the house ... inside, we're still in a holding pattern of waiting for the drywall guys to call. Can't do much in the way of repainting and trimming and curtaining until the drywall has been put up ... except remove the blinds, a few odd nails, and perhaps unplaster a wall. I'm saving those things for when we get an actual date. Oh, and move the furniture and books out of the living room and dining room. That seems like something to save for later as well. But as far as outside? From left to right, the view from my front porch this morning was ...

Dump truck heading off after leaving its load behind

Medium-sized bulldozer spreading out a load on top of plastic sheeting

Little skid-loader doing prep work

Across the highway, there are curbs and some sidewalks.  No street yet, though, and not all the sidewalks.  The work seems to be progressing decently, and they're trying to wrap it up this month.  We shall see if the weather cooperates and if it actually happens.

One part of the work you've not seen before is the New Water Tower.  Not exactly new-new, but refurbished-new.  Right now, we're one of the few small towns in the US that has two water towers.  (Small = popl < 400).  The new one is bigger, and 10 ft taller, and has yet to be painted.  They were still welding it together when this photo was taken about 3 weeks ago. 

Life has been FULL since last week. 

Most recently, Canis visited the vet and had his canines cleaned.  At the post-cleaning visit, I learned about furcations and mobility.  Canis is now learning about life with six fewer teeth, due to those things.  Once the gums heal, I imagine his mouth will feel better than it has for some time.  They had to have been tender!  We all learned that he does not care to be in a crate at the vet's ... but is quite happy to be tied via leash TO a crate, and achieve boredom. 

The Bible Study world has been busy.  My Monday night group finished a study of Leviticus, and began a study on who Jesus is (Sweeter than Chocolate series).  It's not the 'light' study I had thought it was.  Fun!!!  My Tuesday group is continuing on in John, Part 2 (Precept upon Precept).  It's also not a light study.  And they are meshing so well that I can forget which study a particular insight came from.  Really.  Weeks 2-4 of John were studying the feasts of Leviticus -- which, in Leviticus, only got one week of study.

The knitting world has been busy as well.  I finished the prayer shawl, started a Latvian mitten less than 24 hours before my gansey yarn arrived, hibernated the Latvian mitten due to Geometrical Challenges which lasted long enough for the gansey to get started, and today found out that I neglected to put a knitting engagement on my calendar for this evening.  Whee!  Plus, I am introducing two friends into the mysteries of knitting via Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth. 

In honor of all those things, I have some actual Knitting Photos to grace the blog.

Still Life of a Gansey

Where Latvian Mittens Hibernate

In reading, I finished That Hideous Strength, and appreciated it MUCH more than I did the last time I attempted to struggle through it.  The Law book is muddling along, and I should finish it this week if I keep up with a question or two a day.  Poems is going along slowly, and I recently added Franklin Graham's The Name to my stack, courtesy of my mom.  I also want to read Herbal Antibiotics, but haven't gotten around to ILLing that yet. 

Until next week ...