Wednesday, September 05, 2007

WAITING.....


You signed up on August 6, 2007
You are #23397 on the list.
11997 people are ahead of you in line.
7678 people are behind you in line.

And, so I wait.....

Although I am a very impatient person, I fill my hours with activities that will help the time pass with pleasure while I wait for my invitation to join Ravelry to arrive. Yes, there is a note of sarcasm in my post. I shall be old and too feeble to knit by the time my number comes up. Nonetheless, the time does quickly pass.....

Here is a tiny tutorial of my fingers executing the NO-CABLE- NEEDLE -CABLE, or, as I call it, "FINGER CABLING FOR LAZY KNITTERS OR THOSE TOO CHEAP TO BUY A CABLE NEEDLE, OR WHERE IS THAT DARN CABLE NEEDLE"? This is the Hourglass Bobble and Cable Square. Of course, you would follow the directions of the cable pattern you are knitting. I'm just demonstrating the method I use.

Just slip a stitch off the left needle with your right needle and transfer it to the fingers of your left hand and hold it toward the back of your work with your left fingers,

knit the next stitch on your left needle,

slip the "fingered" stitch back onto your left needle

and knit or purl it to make a RIGHT LEANING CABLE. (RIGHT BACK-get it?)

To make a LEFT LEANING CABLE, slip the stitch off your left needle, transfer it to your left hand fingers and hold it FORWARD with you left hand fingers,

knit or purl the next stitch,

slip the "fingered" stitch back on the left needle and knit it.

That's all there is to it! You can make wider cables by just increasing the number of stitches you are holding in your fingers.

I suggest you try Finger Cabling with a simple cable pattern, such as this.

I think needless- cabling makes rows fly by quicker, but you'll have to judge for yourself.

The final church afghan square progresses ever so slowly on my needles, simply because I am letting myself be side tracked by other knitting projects. I'm at the halfway point, so I am determined to have this completed by next Tuesday night's group. That includes the single crochet border too! We'll lay all the squares out in order and begin the process of sewing up panels and finishing it with an attractive border. Then, I think I'll take a year's sabbatical from Bobble knitting!

Been to Barnsie last week and picked this up. A portion of this book goes to charity, and the patterns are very nice for your charity knitting projects, so I can highly recommend this book.

I knitted a square for the Ghana Project, and my Knitting Ministry friend Jean also was kind enough to jump on board to help. Hers is the pretty minty green "Fleck Stitch" square above mine.

Mike taught Shaun last weekend how to make breakfast. I ate my heart unhealthy breakfast with gusto! Note how I do attempt to compensate for the bacon and home fries.

My wonderful Secret Pal 11 made contact by mail again with a lovely card and knitting themed note cards. I really enjoy this exchange and getting to meet wonderful knitters from all over! Thanks so much, my SP11, for thinking of me! Can't wait to learn your identity!

I had taught my son a little bit of hand sewing last year, so I was really SURPRISED last night when he came and asked for the sewing box so he could mend the hole in the toe of his soccer socks before practice! This is a Hallmark moment, IMHO! He says he likes to sew. "It relaxes me"! Someone pinch me.


Enter the Yarn Room and please make yourself comfortable.

My LYS, Kraemer's, had a fabulous 50 % off "renovation sale" this weekend on yarn, books, needles, patterns and naturally, I just had to add to my knitting inventory. My fellow knitting blogger, Carole has been admonishing me for not promptly posting photos of my sale haul, so my apologies for withholding! And, no daaaaaaaaaaaaaarling, I didn't buy up all the Cherry Tree. I'm an Opal-Meillenweit-Sockotta-Kinda-Girl!

Enjoy!

Isn't it lovely......
Isn't it wonderful?
Stevie Wonder was really singing about yarn.......

I don't know why I bought the cable needles, since I finger cable. It was the heat of the moment. Sockotta (hey, Carole, I think we bought the same color!), free patterns and Taos for a sweater.....

Will combine the Crystal Palace yarns for a nice pair of fingerless mitts for my SP 11. Thanks, Eileen, for showing me the sample!

Mohair for a diagonal scarf for me. Ever since my Knitting Amiga, Nan, showed me the gorgeous "Rainbow" colors scarf she knit on the diagonal with her leftover mohair, I've felt driven to knit something similar. Thanks for the inspiration, Nan!

Alpaca for bed socks.


I have a thing for buttons and sheep.

See, Carole! No Cherry Tree!

My other Knitting Amiga, Jeanie, knits gorgeous sweaters for herself throughout the year. I'm always inspired by the way she beautifully combines her autumnal sweater colors and how quickly she completes them. I just had to have this yarn for my own sweater, to be knit upon completion of Mike's Christmas sweater. I swear. On the "Knitting Bible".
But, I did knit a swatch as a motivational tool so I take up the needles again and get cracking on his sweater. What a beautiful sweater this will make!
Hope your week as some lovely pleasures too!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

ZUCCHINI PIE RECIPE


I posted a photo of my Zucchini pie in my last blog entry and have been asked to post the recipe. I'm happy to do this, and hope you can make one
while there is still an abundance of home grown zucks out there! Very easy, quick and delicious!


1 cup Bisquick

1/4 cup oil

4 eggs

3 cups chopped zucchini

4 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled

1 garden tomato, chopped

1 pepper, chopped


1 small onion, chopped

1 cup shredded cheese


salt, pepper, seasonings of choice to taste.



Spray pie plate or 8x8 square baking dish with Pam. In a large bowl combine all ingrediaents and mix thoroughly. tranfer to baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until top and sides turn golden brown and middle firms up. Test for doneness with a toothpick. If still slightly soupy in the middle continue baking for an additional 5 minutes. May be eaten warm or cold.





Gentle Knitter, please send a photo of your pie and let me know how you liked it!



Now, go knit!

I WILL DO ANYTHING FOR YARN....

Having signed up for Secret Pal 11, I was notified by the lovely Christine of Girl Interrupted that I am eligible to participate in her contest whereby I must post my stash for the world to see! I'm game! The prize is, SURPRISE! More yarn! Just what I need, of course!


The timing couldn't be better, because my Yarn Room just went from being trashy last week to organized to the point where I have a pretty good idea where everything is! Let's have a looki-loo!

First, you enter.....
and see a closet to your left..

a dresser to your right. On the bed .....
merino waiting to be hand dyed.
The basket of Bernat for baby blankets and sweaters. I keep colorful ribbon here also.
Log Cabin blanket for charity.
My treasured angora yarn collection.

a drawer of woolen orphans and odd balls.
under the bed lies many bags of wool and mohairs
more orphans and oddballs.
my highly prized collection of koigu.

50 Gram balls of sock yarns.
100 gram balls of sock yarns.
novelty yarn drawer-once loved but now forgotten.
some little kits and Adornments to add into my knitting.
Some small amounts of different colored Noro Kuryeon.

Inside the closet are several bins of dk, worsted, SNC dishcloth cotton, and several UFOs hanging in the rack.
The top shelf holds many bags of yarn designated for specific projects,


such as the Clapotis, and sweaters I would love to knit.

yarn just hanging out until the creative urge hits me....

Foreground, dk for a ripple blanket, a Cupcake hat, unfinished and my husband's sweater that he's been waiting many years for me to complete.

The 2 suitcases hold scraps and yarn samples from the mail. I'll knit something with them someday.....small baby sweater naps in the project bag.

lose up of the closet shelf. I paid $2 for the darker cones and the teal mohair cost $20. How could I pass that up?


Having fallen in love with these colors in this inexpensive yarn one day I began to knit mitered squares.....
Yarns that need to be swatched for scarves, a hottie cover, a clapotis, and the Einstein jacket.
These would made a terrific shawl, don't you think so?
Last summer's yarn dying experiments waiting to be knit into socks and hats.
Oodles of Cotton yarn to be knit into the Mason-Dixon Ballband!


Well, Gentle Knitter, that's my stash! I hoped you enjoyed the tour. Feel free to send me your comments and suggestions.


Monday, August 27, 2007

LAST DAYS OF SUMMER....

This came in the mail this morning from my book club. Since this has been a very fickle summer weather wise, I've been thinking about knitting with wools on those days that have been cool and rainy. I think it has much to do with all the many cotton cloths I've knitted over the warmer days this summer. Do take a moment to browse through this book should you come across it as the hand knits are lovely and flatter.

Memo to self: enjoy these last weeks of summer because it will be over much too soon!

School started today, but the rainy past week was spent ...


knitting with cotton.....

Thinking about socks and color play....



with family at the beach....

enjoying the time together....

and the ocean sounds...

feather and fanning...


another cloth for a friend...


sand, and bits of shells.


Back home again... a ballband inspired by others who love to knit cloths....

baking zucchini pie to share with others....


visiting with old friends from high school....


a mini reunion.....

looking back....

with smiles and laughter....
remembering......

stuff of long ago.

Hope your week is memorable too!