Selbu

Still clicking away, finishing up gifties.  I've so many to finish, and it's pointless to pretend that I will by tomorrow...LOL

But I did get Mom's Selbu Modern finished:

On a trip we made to Vermont years ago, I bought the yarns to make this.  Main color is The Fiber Company Canopy Fingering in Wild Ginger.  I had found some Koigu in a great variegated teal-y blue, but I ended up stealing it to start a pair of Hexagon socks, instead.  What I really had in mind when I first saw this great little hat was the remnant of some Cherry Tree Hill Super Sock Merino in Moody Blues. I just knew that there wasn't enough, and I consoled myself with the Koigu, leaving the yarn to marinate in the stash.   So I finally got brave enough to see if that was so.

I'm so glad that I had plenty to finish.  I think it turned out pretty well, especially since I don't really do colorwork all that much.  The stitches are pretty raggedy, I really think that the gauge is a little too loose for both yarns.  And there isn't enough time to do a wet block.  So I did a quick stream and wrapped it up.  I can't wait to see if Mom likes it!

I pretty much made the hat as written, only substituting a centered decrease in the second to the last round...I just think it's prettier that way.  You know, OCD and all.  :)

So back to the grindstone I go...My newest deadline now is New Year's...LOL

The Garden's Conclusion

So Don and I finished  weeding the veg garden…well, Don mostly…but at least it's done for now.  I've been thinking about how the gardening year went, and I can only conclude that I have a lot to learn about veggie gardening. 

More please!

And more of you, too!

Some things I underplanted…others I shouldn't have bothered with at all.  Next time, waaaay more peas and cukes, less sweet potatoes.  I'm sure they would have done well, provided the groundhog would have left them alone.  We only ended up with one sweet'tater, and it was just about the size of my thumb.  So, so worth the space. Could just about the same for the watermelon, too. 

 I learned that green beans are a mecca for Japanese Beetles, and that chickens provide a simple, entertaining solution.  SO I'll be justifying next year's chick purchase by saying it's for beetle control.  yeah, that's it.  The Eldress has declared "No more chickens", though I think I can sway her again by late winter to get more.  

Peppers did pretty well, though the drought really kept them from producing much…same for the tomatoes.

Beets and Radishes were the stars this year for sure, very tasty…and very productive, too.

A small sampling of the harvest--YUM!

Carrots, lettuce and fennel were total failures, mostly due to incorrect planting (lettuce) and insect/bird pressure.  The slugs completely overran the carrot seedlings and the birds ate the lettuce seeds before they could sprout--next time, plant a little more deeply in the soil. Not sure why the fennel never came up. Though I must say that this is the most success I've had with direct seeding, yet.  We direct seeded the cukes, watermelon, radishes, beets, peas, greenbeans, lettuce, carrots, and fennel. ANd I'll probably do the same next year with the stuff that did come up.

So, over the winter, I'll redefine the garden areas (that's underway as I type)…and try to get some work done on warmish days to that end.  I definitely need to take a closer look at IPM and what that means to me and my family, too.  We didn't do much in the way of spraying, save dish soap in water, and hand/chicken picking. Those were nice methods, but I need to learn a few new tricks as well.

This little guy didn't make it...not sure if it was the drought or not...

Better compost making is also a priority…must have more "black gold" to fill in as we learn more about soil-building in general. There are so many methods, it's confusing. Tilth is still lacking in our soil, and I'm looking to build it up over the rest of the winter.  

We had some mixed results with our attempts to mulch the rows...I'm thinking that that was where the slugs came from--and boy did we have some!  So we raked off the mulch into the paths, and restricted watering to the early mornings.  <shuddering> I don't look forward to picking those slimy little bastards off again, next year.  With the drought being predicted to continue for a while, water conservation is a must for next year.

Now the seed catalogs are coming in earnest…and so it's time to dream of all the yummies to grow next year.

Catching Up

Last year's tree...

I've been busy finishing Yule/Christmas gifts for people...and desperately need to take some pics.

Verdigris mitts=done

Foliage Hat=done

Origami earrings=done...and done



I still have a lot of gifties to make...fingers crossed that I can finish in time.

And there's cookies to bake...tree to get, then decorate.  Yule dinner to plan; praying it's not going to be poultry.  The Eldress has expressed a desire for a Roast Beef.  With Yorkshire Pudding.  I can get on board for that. :)

Coming together

Time to kitchener!  Yay!

Finally done with the first mitt...not sure why I had so many problems getting it done.  I want to blame the yarn, but I fear that's not the only problem! LOL

We're not going to fixate on the moth in the window, 'kay?

Another pic of the first mitt...now onto the second!

Yes, yes...I see the windowsill dirt, too.  Too bad!  :P

Progress

I'm moving along with the mitts, now.  See?

I see on Ravelry, that there are socks made with this stitch pattern, too.  I really, really like this stitch pattern.  That's something I'd like to revisit...a little later.

Trying to capture the color of this yarn is really challenging...a pretty, light mint green.  It's Boud'Chou by Plassard...color 111...can't remember the lot, since the ball band isn't in front of me.  :P  It says it's superwash merino...though I doubt I'd ever put it in a machine.  The yarn seems a little frail, and doesn't take to tinking or frogging.  There are some stitches that are somewhat blurry as I dropped a stitch and when I picked them up, the yarn looked almost shredded. o.O  Though the yarn is soft, and has a nice bounce.  And as you can see, makes pretty cables and lace, thanks to it's 3 ply (I think) construction.

Though it will be a struggle to remain faithful to these, since Vintage Modern Knits arrived from the library today...

So many cute things to knit!  But I'm especially excited to knit this:

Bramble Beret by Courtney Kelley.  So, so pretty...and looks like fun to knit, too!  And yeah, I've already been swatching for this.  Shhhhh, don't tell the mitts. 

Victory!

Heh heh.  Fiddly cast on 1, Scrappy knitter 2!

The 3rd time was the charm.  It's nice to know that I am a wee bit smarter than some fingering weight wool, and size 0 needles.

Sigh.

Hoping that the third time really IS the charm...

It's hard to see, but I goofed the tubular cast on

The Swatch Grew Up

It's been a few days ago, but I finished the Monk Hat.  Can't say who the hat is for (there's going to be a lot of that from here on out to Yule), but I did get Don (the Ponderer) to model for me...

I made this hat with Cascade 220 in 9465.  The color is super hard (for me) to capture, as our camera totally resents doing reds and oranges.  

I made a new ribbing that I think flows into the cables a little better.  I assume the Monk that the hat refers to is Adrian Monk from the TV show, Monk.  Not really sure why I thought that, but since he tends to be a little OCD, and I kind of am, too (really?....Noooo...), that prompted the band change.  I went down 3 needle sizes and cast on for the amount of stitches to make 6 repeats, or 120 stitches.  110 (the original number) stitches will not allow the pattern to flow nicely (damn OCD!). Then, I knit 12 rows, making cables on the 3rd row, and every 4 rows thereafter (3 cable crosses).  Then change to main needle.

Since I have an easier time reading charts, I wrote out a chart.  I figured that it would make things easier to plan when it came time to figure decreases.  The pattern is quite vague in how they're done, but I don't mind messing around until I have something I like.

I knitted along, following the charts for 3 full repeats.

I figured that I would have enough extra wool, since the original pattern requires just 150--200 yards of worsted weight yarn.  So I bit my nails and went for it.


I did chart out my decreases, but do you think I actually followed it?  Nooo.... :)   I thought it would be cute to have the one offset cable to look like a bubble, so I did the thing where you pass the stitches to be decreased back and forth until one remains.  I think I saw this technique in an Alice Starmore book.   It makes a pretty closed cable.

The decreases as the traveling stitches move along happen at a faster rate, and I did them at each end of the traveling pairs.  I think that worked out to 2 stitches per pattern repeat  decreased every round.  Yeah, I should have written that down.  Monk would not approve of that, I'm sure. I tried to engineer the final purled decrease to coincide with the second cable cross after the traveling stitches meet. Then the final decreases happened within the knit stitches.  Then, finish by drawing the yarn tail through the remaining 6 stitches, tie off, and weave in all the ends.

Whew!  It's much easier to do, than to try and explain what was done.  And the stealth knitting continues...

Happy Thanksgiving

I am so Thankful for all that I have, and all those with whom I share it.

I am also Thankful for what I haven't, too.

I'll stay home, out of the crush of people looking for their "Reason for the Season", enjoying the fellowship of people who are dear to me.

Savor the time with your loved ones, if (and when) you celebrate Thanksgiving...or don't.

For my Sweetie

I can't imagine that 19 years has already gone by...

Thanks for sharing your love and yourself with me...

Swatching

in the public library...

Mmm cable-y goodness--how I do miss you, where have you been?

So yes, the stealth knitting has begun! :)

Cascade 220, in orange tones (9465)

Version II

I made another aromatherapy pillow...this time in a totally different fabric pattern.

Because pagans can be country, too! LOL

I have a secret love of calico prints...so I figured why not use some!  I call it the shabby-wicca-chic look.  LOL

I stuffed it with lavender, so I doubt I will put a steaming cup of anything on it.  I think I'll use it mostly for when I'm sick (lavender is so soothing, and helps to open up my snoot, too), or tuck it in with the linens.

Using the depression era calico reproduction really looks different from the batiks, no?

There is some learning curve for machine quilting--I don't have a long arm (who can afford that?), and my mom's machine* doesn't have a stitch regulator on it. You can kinda tell that, if you look closely...some of the stitches are pretty big, and others teeny-tiny.  But since I really like making these, I'm digging the practice.  Eventually I'll have one good enough to share with friends.







* It lives!  The machine is fully recovered.  It ought to feel good as new with its new gears, and service.  But it is officially a DNR, now.  Unless she takes pity on it again....afterall, it HAS given her 15+years of faithfull service.  And I'm pretty sure it's older than that.

So

the paper pieced aromatherapy cushion/coaster thingy turned out pretty good...considering I couldn't find the zipper foot (we don't have a piping foot).  It's a PITA to do it without, so I discovered.

I filled the cushion with polyfill stuffing, and a spicy mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.  MMMMM.

This one is too imperfect to give as a gift for someone...so I think it makes a great little place to lay the pendulums I wrapped.

Now my thoughts are turning to Yule and all the stuff I'd like to get done before then.  As usual, I hope I've not allowed myself too little time to get it all done.

I'm feeling

in the mood for some English paper piecing...

Note to self...try to find a template that is more perfectly square to avoid having to number your pieces! LOL

Mmmmm

scones.  Pumpkin scones.

I may have to make these every day!

I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie, but I love, love, love these scones!  They are sooo easy to make, too.

Recipe here:

So good with coffee or tea, especially when served on cute china!*

I did change the spice ingredients to be more like what Mom uses in her pie (which people tell me is fantastic!):

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves 

1/8 tsp allspice

very rounded 1/4 tsp ginger.

And for the spice glaze, which was the only glaze I dribbled on the scones, I added 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla.  It just tastes better with some vanilla in it.

*One day we received a mystery box sent from Florida from my paternal uncle.  In it was this little collection of Wedgwood china.  The tray and creamer are my favorites.  The teapot (my fave!!!) is from my maternal grandfather's collection.

It's been a while

since I've posted anything here...

Been busy making stuff for the UU Witches' Ball, yet...but I've been at the hospital with my mom.  She's better, ready for discharge in a few days. Yay!

Hopefully I can get all caught back up soon...

Candy Corn

The local UU is hosting a Witches' Ball on the 26th of this month, and I volunteered myself to make some prizes for the costume contest...

I had (have) such a blast on Ravelry trolling for cute amigurumi to make.  I think we narrowed it down to 4, but I'm pretty sure I'll find a way to sneak in some more.

So here's the first one done:

I never get tired of saying how cute these little guys are!

This is the awesome Kawaii Candy Corn  pattern by Karla Fitch of Itsy Bitsy Spider Crochet.

Really! They look good enough to eat!

I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Bright Yellow, and Soft white, and a mystery acrylic for the orange-y middle.

All packaged up and ready to go...

These were so much fun to make, and quick, too.  Now, on to prize number two!

So

The Ponderer and I have been considering sacred space, specifically the lack there of, where we are living right now.  Feeling bereft of a place at home to hold rituals or meditations, and enjoying time spent outside, we looked around the yard to see if there was a spot to make a little altar.

Note the mysterious hole at the base of the outcropping...

This little outcropping has always intrigued me, but the vegetation was always a little too thick, and the fear of poisonous snakes a little too strong for me to investigate much as a little girl.  But not so, now!  Erosion has changed the landscape just enough for us to crunch our way through the leaves and brush to peek a little more closely.

We spent about an hour removing downed limbs and pulling out the Lonicera Japonica that has been trying to take over.  While I do have qualms about just ripping stuff out of the landscape to suit my (many) whims, I just feel that some invasives like this one, should be eradicated.  Shoot, four New England states have declared it some kind of noxious weed, so I feel absolutely no guilt to rip, rip, rip.

Well, a little bit more back to the topic...

A rock accidentally fell in front of it, so we'll see if it's being actively used!

There is ample room to put out a few candles, make a cairn or two...even arrange a seating area.  I'm so grateful for another opportunity to help create and hold sacred space for our little family.

OPQG Quilt show!

I went with a friend last weekend to the Ozark Piecemaker Quilt Guild's quilt show...

Not usually a fan of red, but I really like this one!

I think Kaffe Fassett would approve, non?

There were sooo many cute quilts!  But also a lot of duplicates...

I keep thinking of Rush songs, when I look at these!

There were at least 5 Bargello quilts in the same pattern as this one, only in different colors.  I'm not going to post all of them,
just the one in one of my favorite colors!

I bet these are like potato chips...

There were a few of these stack and whack hexagons...but I especially liked this monochrome one.




In general, there were a lot of hex quilts, from these, to paper pieced ones...

This one is so pretty, and amazing, since it's hand-pieced.  And so is the one below...

These raw-edge circle quilts were popular as well...I saw 3 different ones of those.  I love the quilting on this one!

Crows were a popular theme as it was Equinox weekend:

This one was my fave, though...perhaps for the entire show.

Tiny quilts made quite an impression this time...neither of these little gems was bigger than 13"!

I cannot imagine even trying to do one of these!

These are soo cute!  And tiny--1/2 inch yo-yo's!

And finally!  Some appliqué to drool over! LOL

Is there anything cuter than tiny appliquéed berries?  How about some botanicals?

I took so many pictures that the camera's battery could not keep up...so no pics of the vending area downstairs.  I must say that there were as many well done quilts down there as there were upstairs.  Some even better, IMO.

We scored a cute little favor from one booth, though...

These will go great with the other vintage (and not so vintage) buttons in my collection...

Road trip?

And last but not least.....Bras!  That's right, bras....

All in all, it was a fun day looking at quilts, and dreaming about making one of my own!