Notes on Christmas (Just) Past

Want to listen in on a bit of conversation from our Christmas dinner? The candles were lit, the plates were served, the wine was poured, and the rolls were hot out of the oven. Christmas music, courtesy of Missy M's on-the-spot creation of an iPad playlist, was softly playing in the background. Time for family talk:

Me: So, I wonder...
Mr. T. and Missy M (in unison): HERE!
Me: Well, I guess that settles that!!

OK, so you know how often we have moved, right? Right. Over the years, I just got in the habit of wondering where we would be celebrating the next Christmas. Wondering out loud. At Christmas dinner. And, after the rolling of the eyes would cease, we could chat about it. Now...we just do the shorthand version.

[For the record, I agree...I think we will be living right here at Casa 3917 next Christmas.]

Tree with presents

For the record, it was a great Christmas! Cold and sunny on the outside, warm and toasty on the inside. Even with 5 dogs in residence, we had a wonderful holiday. We watched our favorite movies like White Christmas, The Bishop's Wife, Christmas in Connecticut, and It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve, followed by the broadcast of the midnight mass from St. Peter's in Rome.

I fixed Monkey Bread (recipe below) for our breakfast, which we enjoyed with Kona coffee, hot chocolate, and cold milk between the distributing of the stockings and the opening of the presents. Unfortunately, the Monkey Bread...which looked so beautiful...was consumed before a picture was taken. Here's what the tree looked like after Santa had visited...photo to the right, taken by Mr. T.

I didn't get many Christmas day photos, for one reason or another: foremost, because the elves had confiscated my old iPhone 3, which I use(d) as a camera more than a phone, in order to get me a brand new iPhone 5...and get it activated. [Yeah!! That last part was a huge...let me repeat, HUGE...part of the present, because I detest dealing with "stuff" like that. Hate. It. And not only did the elves go to the ATT store and take care of all the activation rigmarole, the younger elfette set up the new phone, downloaded all my apps, and had it ready to use as soon as I unwrapped the box. All that...and it's a luscious yellow, too!]

Books to read...time to retire!

And even though I received 3 new books (first pic on my new iPhone...left) to read (along with gift cards for Amazon's Kindle and iTunes' iBooks for when I want to download some ebooks), I managed to make rolls and get dinner on the table before cuddling up with W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton. Since we are nearing the end of the alphabet, I'd better read s-l-o-w-l-y and relish every word.

I do feel a little funny, sitting down to read rather than picking up my knitting needles to work frantically on finishing a project for gifting. I have put more than a few hours this past month into stitching up gifts-to-go, as pictured below. One of the projects is not pictured yet, as the recipient hasn't received it...wouldn't want to give away the surprise, now would I?

Projects Completed for this Christmas:

Warm n' Wooly Socks...
knitted for Maredith

Panther's Pride Scarf...
knitted for Julie

Blocking the points on knitted cowl:
yarn has silver threads!

 

ZuZu's Petals Cowl,
ready to wrap for Maredith

  

In addition to my new phone and books, I got many, many lovely things (sweaters, outfits, gardening-related gifts, etc.) that I will enjoy throughout the coming weeks and months. There were a couple of things I wanted to mention though:

1. Since Mr. T went back to work on Boxing Day, heading off to Raleigh to get the first of his Dealer Development Plans (DDPs) signed (he has to visit ALL of his dealers for DDPs between now and 1/17/14!), I took advantage of the quiet morning to enjoy some tasty Strawberry Jam on toasted leftover rolls. Missy M gifted us with the Jam, along with several jars of home-processed goodies like salsa and pickled tomatoes.

2. And, this is a gift I will be talking about in the coming months of the New Year: Mr. T gave me an "All About Cotton Spinning Starter Kit" complete with instruction DVD from Cotton Clouds. 

You may remember that for a couple of years, we have planted heirloom-variety Nanking Green cotton (original seeds from the 2012 Seed Exchange at Old Salem). The first year we had 8 seeds and got 8 plants. I hand-ginned the bolls and gleaned enough seeds to plant 32 plants this past year...with plenty more seeds to share at the 2013 Seed Exchange.

Cotton, you ask? Why are you growing cotton? Well, because I want to...because I can (it's plenty hot enough in NC/Zone 7b)...and because I want to grow enough to spin enough yarn to knit...something. What, I don't know yet. A scarf...a hat...a vest...maybe even a sweater. The growing I can do...the knitting I can do...it's the spinning I don't know how to do...yet.

Hopefully, by the time Christmas Future (2014) becomes the new Christmas (Just) Past, I will have learned to spin my homegrown cotton and completed a Christmas project of a knitted cotton...something! Fingers crossed...toes, too!

Oh, one final photo to share...of Duche$$, who claimed the sofa as her refuge from all the activities and all the chaos created by the other Droolers in residence. Five dogs, indeed, says the Diva!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Recipe for Monkey Bread:

Please, please, please...don't use a recipe that calls for biscuits. You will sacrifice both flavor AND aroma.
 

Ingredients:

To make bread "ring:"

• 12-16 frozen dinner rolls (I used 12 Rhodes-brand frozen rolls...plenty to serve 4)
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted (not margarine...or any kind of substitute)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pecans, rough-chopped

Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 T. butter, melted
• 2-4 T. milk

Directions:

1. The night before you wish to serve, micro-melt the stick of butter in one bowl; mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Pour a couple of tablespoons of melted butter into the bottom of a greased Bundt pan, and sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and the pecans over the butter. When you invert the "ring," this will make a nice topping.
2. Then dip each frozen roll in the remaining butter, followed by rolling it in the bowl of cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place each prepared roll into the pan, starting with the bottom layer of 6 rolls and staggering the placement in any subsequent "stacks". Pour any remaining butter over the rolls and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, place in a cold oven (do NOT heat!),and let sit overnight. (If you use more than 12 rolls, put a cookie sheet pan underneath to catch any drips, as the rolls WILL rise during the night.)
3. In the morning, remove the plastic wrap, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes. To prevent over-browning, cover top of pan with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
4. When done, remove pan from oven and immediately turn over onto a plate big enough to catch all the syrup that will drip out of the pan. Make sure you get ALL the syrup and nuts from the bottom.
5. Combine the icing ingredients (powdered sugar, 2 T. melted butter, and enough milk to get the right consistency) and drizzle over the bread. Enjoy warm!

Just in Time

We're back at the roost...apparently just in time for the next round of arctic blast and blowing snows.  May I repeat myself?  I have had enough of this...!


Just Enough Ruffles Scarf
for Missy M, 1/2011

We made the 8-hour trek over the mountains and up the WV turnpike ($6 in tolls, each way...) to Missy M's house in Louisville last weekend.  There was still a good deal of snow on the side of the all the roads along the way...as the old saying goes "waiting for the next snow storm."  I delivered the Just Enough Ruffles scarf (photo, left), and we had a pleasantly uneventful visit with her and the pups, Ella Rae and Dixie. 

This was our first time to meet Dixie, who is a bea-U-tiful Basset girl.  She is a tad on the smallish side for a Basset, weighing in at "only" 53 pounds when she went in for her snip-snip operation and teeth-cleaning last week.  [While 53 pounds is indeed a large dog, remember our Drool Gang for reference: Gus weighs about 63 pounds, Duchess tilts the scales at 74 pounds (!), and Elmo comes in at 54.]  She has an almost silky coat and gorgeous coloring, that being white and red, a lot like Elmo's.  She and Ella (all of 18 pounds...and looking like a pup in her "new" haircut) are still working out the new living arrangements, but all-in-all it appears they may become best of buddies...except when they are vying for Missy M's undivided love and attention...and food.  Naturally.

When we arrived so late on Friday night that I think it may have actually been Saturday morning, Dixie would have nothing to do with me.  Absolutely nothing.  Barked at me even.  Me!  The Momma.  She let Mr. T (Not-The-Momma) pet her and give her a belly rub...showing off her operation stitches with pride.  But with me?  She drew a line and wouldn't cross it.  Broke my heart, of course...but, what are you going to do?

Well, here's what I did.  Next morning, I got up early to fix the dogs their breakfast.  (The humans in the house could fend for themselves...:)  I opened a can of tuna to mix with their dry kibble, and voila!  I'm the Queen Mother!!  It also helped that Missy M and Mr. T headed out to see a movie in the afternoon, and since I was nursing a sinus problem, I stayed home with the dogs.  While I sat on the sofa, knitting on my Slanting Lace Scarf and enjoying several cups of hot tea with lemon, Dixie (after some help up with the hind-quarters) cuddled up next to me in the center, with Ella balled up like a cat on "her" pillow on the other end.  We bonded.


Missy M's new office at
KFC

Some of the conversation centered on Missy M's new promotion.  She's headed across the parking lot to the "Big White House" to work her Instructional Design magic with KFC.  Her first four and 1/2 years with Yum!Brands has been spent on a training team working with Long John Silver's and with A&W.  Now, she goes to play with the Big Brand, so to speak.  Her favorite part about the change so far?  She got an office with a door and a window out of the deal (photo, right).  Woo hoo!

Just ahead of the next KY snowfall, Mr. T and I hopped in the Endeavor to head out of town.  We took a giant detour around the city, though, in order to meet up with Brother T (minus SIL LaD, who was stuck at home because of the cold weather and the ice concerns) at Cracker Barrel in LaGrange.  Great town, by the way, with an active train track running right down the middle of the main street.  M and I love the yarn shop there, Friends and Fiber, and we once had to wait to cross back over the street to our parked car while the train went through.  Uh, no...we didn't get to the yarn shop this time, darn it.  But, it was lovely having a couple of hours with Bro T, along with a big CB breakfast in front of a roaring fire, all the same.

BTW, Missy M reports the latest snowstorm dumped another couple of inches of snow on her in the city, and SIL LaD reports almost 6 inches of the stuff on their mountaintop in Northern KY.  We joked that she may not get off the mountain until Easter...or, as she says, until Derby Day in early May.  Ha ha?

Back home in NC, we had a nice day on Wednesday (temps reached the 50's, believe it or not). All the snow melted, and the ground is ready to receive some more. Thursday brought a return of the cold, so I decided to heat up the house with blackberry cobbler and some homemade bread (photos, center/below; recipe, end of article). We are in the twenties here today, with snow predicted for Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday; accumulation predictions are mixed. We'll see...




Blackberry Cobbler




White Bread




Mr. Squirrel and the new Critter Feeder

 Mr. T made it home from the highlands, and his first task on Friday was to refill the feeders, which were slap-dab completely empty.  He also put two new dried corn ears (photo, right) on the newest critter feeder (from that last trip to Tractor Supply...:); believe me when I tell you that there's nothing but cobs there this morning. 

So, if we are to believe the creatures, we've got weather on the way.  Big time.  Hoo boy.






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Easy Fruit Cobbler

2 cups fruit (blackberries, pealed peaches, apples, whatever you have)
2 cups sugar, divided
4-8 T. butter (the more, the richer taste - I use 6 T.)
1 cup milk
1 cup self-rising flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  While the oven is preheating, put the butter in a loaf pan and into the oven; allow the butter to melt, then remove the pan. 

Meanwhile, pour 1 cup of the sugar over the washed/prepared fruit; let sit for a bit.  In a large mixing cup/bowl, mix the milk, the other 1 cup of sugar, and the self-rising flour together into a batter.

Time to assemble!  Pour the batter mixture into the melted butter in the loaf pan.  DO NOT MIX.  Then, spoon the fruit (and any syrup that has formed or sugar that remains) on top of the butter-batter in the loaf pan.  Again, DO NOT MIX.  The fruit will sink below the batter, which will form a dough and crust around the fruit while baking.

Bake for one hour, or until brown on top and bubbling all around.  Remove to a rack to cool for at least 20 minutes.  Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.  Enjoy!

Think Happy Thoughts

"Your success and happiness lie in you.  Resolve to keep happy, and (together) your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties."
                                              -- Helen Keller (emphasis mine)

It's another one of those cloudy and cold days that tend to populate the thirty-one days allotted to January on the calendar, making it difficult to remember a New Year's resolution to keep happy.  As I gaze out of my droffice (where the dining room and I share a space...:) picture window, I see the once-beautiful Christmas tree, now stripped of all ornamentation and lying on its side at the curb.  I know that it is awaiting its next mission in life:  to provide healthy mulch for the city's planting areas; but, I am nonetheless sad to see it looking so forlorn.  Even the outdoor decorations look like they are wishing they were all packed up and back in the attic, where at least it is a tad warmer.  Still, it is too cold for me to tackle that task.

I sigh and return my attention to the chore that awaits me indoors:  the last of the packing up of the Holiday decorations.  There are Rubbermaid(tm) containers in bright green and bright red, packed and stacked away from the main traffic areas (so as to allow Elmo room to roam without challenge), awaiting a stronger back that will move them to their allotted space under the rafters.  I continue to find the stray reminder of the Season, here and there:  Christmas-themed hand-towels in the half-bath; a token from the Christmas crackers that must have rolled under the table when we popped them; and fir needles in the oddest places.

With Mr. T on the road again (it's that time of the year when he has to travel to every one of this dealerships to get Dealer Development Plans signed), and not around to lift my spirits, I could easily sink into a post-Holiday funk.  Even re-reading those first paragraphs is getting me down.  No, don't want to go there.

Where is Helen Keller when you need her?  Must. Think. Happy. Thoughts.

Let's invoke the "Sound of Music" solution!  Here are a few of my favorite things:  birds at our feeders, projects and finished objects, and something to look forward to...a goal, a plan, anything!




Starling at the Blue Glass feeder

House finch seems to say "What's that thing?"



Red-bellied Woodpecker
at the so-called squirrel-proof feeder

Early morning squirrel calisthenics
at the so-called squirrel-proof feeder

Hey, it's working!  I can feel the doom-and-gloom, lifting slowly from my shoulders.  Let's try another one of my favorite things.



Patricia's Picchu-Picchu
in Ultra Alpaca:  Blueberry Mix

You know, I love starting projects.  If I didn't, why would I begin so many?  Anyway, I think the real reason I love starting projects is that I know I will be over-the-moon when I finish them!  So, I present to you, photos of my Picchu-Picchu sweater, knitted in ab-fab Ultra Alpaca in a color called Blueberry Mix.  I got the pattern (available free from the Berroco website here) and the yarn in a kit from a Facebook link to Appalachian Yarns.  I really believe this will be my favorite finished sweater project for some time to come. Love it, love it, love it.



Details of Patricia's Picchu-Picchu
in Blueberry Mix Ultra Alpaca

I plan on wearing it tomorrow for the first time (not counting the numerous times I've "tried it on" when I see it in the closet...:).  I've been saving it for a special occasion, and I think tomorrow morning's Master Gardener Mentor/Intern Breakfast qualifies.  I get to meet not only my Mentor who will serve as a guide through the coming weeks and months of classes, but also the other MG Interns who will be joining me in the Class of 2011.  Something to look forward to, right?  I'm excited! 

I'll be posting about my experiences as I learn and grow (pun absolutely intended...:), and as I make new friends with similar interests.

Hey, if I don't watch out here, all these happy thoughts will have me breaking into song.

How about a chorus of Zip-a-dee-doo-dah! Mr. Bluebird may not exactly be on my shoulder, but he certainly is on our feeder:




Mr. Bluebird...and Mrs. Finch...at the feeder

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Eastern Bluebird at suet feeder

Good morning!  And, welcome to the New Year!!  After two days of rain and drizzle (AKA:  yucky weather...:), the third day of 2011 dawned bright and beautiful...albeit a bit on the nippy side (still in the 20's at 9:00 a.m.).  This photo (right) of an Eastern Bluebird was actually taken with Mr. T's new BirdCam last week/last year, but I still thought it was appropriate to the title.

We spent yesterday watching the pro football games on TV, while taking down the tree and packing up Christmas around Casa 3917.  It may take us a week or two to de-decorate the outside, though, since we'll have more of the same type of weather throughout this week, with snow expected again next weekend.  Having reindeer in your yard on Valentine's Day isn't too terrible, is it?  We could start a new trend in Sailing Point.  Hey, if one of my neighbors can have a live goat, who could possibly object to a couple of lighted, white-wire reindeer?

You'd think we'd be sick and tired of football after watching multiple bowl games over the past few days, but you'd be wrong.  At one point, we had two going at once, using the picture-in-picture feature to swap views on the Alabama game with the Mississippi State game.  SEC 2, Big Ten 0.  Hoo-rah.



Masa Mittens for Me -
First Finished Object for 2011!

 I actually do love watching football games, 'cause you couldn't ask for better knitting time.  On New Year's Eve, I started a pair of mittens for myself with some yummy-soft Ultra Alpaca in a warm yellow color called Masa.  I had picked up this skein in the Orphan Skeins bin at Common Threads last week for 25% off regular price...a find!  As it was basic pattern, modified in length to fit my short, stubby hands and worked on US 7 double-points over 40/41 stitches, from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns, made for warmth and utility more than for show, I was able to finish them in a day (photo, left).  Now, my hands will be warm on my walks. 

BTW, I find it a wee bit humorous to report that I purchased the 5" double-points I used for these warm, (alpaca) woolen mittens on my trip to Arizona last year.  They are the perfect length to use for mittens and gloves...so what if they came from the desert?

We made sure to welcome in our New Year with all the foods that are supposed to bring good luck and financial rewards throughout the coming twelve months:  sweet rolls and grapes with our Mimosas for breakfast; then for dinner, black-eyed peas (out of the freezer, packed from our own garden!), pork chops (seared then slow-cooked), turnip greens (or cabbage-slaw for Mr. T, who won't touch either greens or sauerkraut), rice, and sweet corn muffins.  As a child of the South, I grew up with the peas, greens, and pork lucky triumvirate, but we've added the sweet rolls (as a substitution for the sugared donuts, which would be acceptable but require more attention to detail early on New Year's Day...:), rice, and grapes over the years and the moves we've made to other parts of the US.  I sure hope we covered all bases with our menu!

I'll make this post brief (well, brief for me...:) as I want to take advantage of the sunshine and get my walk in this morning, wearing my new mittens of course.  Before I leave you, though, I'll share a couple more of the BirdCam shots:  the one on the left (below) is a Northern Cardinal and the one on the right is...well, you recognize the biggest "bird" we have at our feeders, don't you?



Northern Cardinal at feeder

Guess who?  Grrrrrrrr.

2010: That's a Wrap!

Welcome to our world, Dixie girl!

It's that time again.  Time to say goodbye to the old year...hello to the new one.  As we prepare to welcome in 2011, we are also welcoming a new Drool Gang member into the (extended) family, so I thought I'd lead this post off with a photo (right) of Dixie.  She is such a cutie-pie and is joining Missy M and Ella Rae (who I'm not supposed to refer to as my grand-dog...:) in L'ville.  She's 2 1/2 years old, with red and white coloring (she looks a lot like Elmo, don't you think?).  And, she's got a big voice for such a little girl.  I haven't met her in person (canine?), but I have heard her bay over the phone.  Woo-woo!

So, it's New Year's Eve.  Most people celebrate by going out on the town, putting on party hats, and toasting with champagne at midnight.  Us?  Well, we are such party animals (NOT!) around here that our agenda for the day has been a bit different.

We have been enjoying the results of Mr. T's BirdCam that he got for Christmas.  We've taken lots of pictures (which I'll post at a later date)...or, I should say it's taken lots of pictures, and we are trying to refine the results.  Oh, the camera itself is working great, and we are loving the pix we've gotten so far.  We do seem to be getting more than our share of bird-butt shots however, either because of the shape, size, or location of our feeders.  Solution?  Get some new feeders...and put them in some new locations!



N/M/E is all smiles at Tractor Supply
in Oak Ridge, NC

 So, we spent the last day of this year in Oak Ridge, NC, at the Tractor Supply (our other home-away-from-home), loading up on new feeders, as well as gluten-free dog food and dog treats.  Hey, around here, it's all about the birds and the dogs!  That's a shot (left) of Nana/Momma/Edith in the back seat of Mr. T's Outlander as we were leaving the store.  He's on the other side of the vehicle, trying to tie-down the 4 new feeder poles on top of the car.  Tee hee.

After our little shopping spree, we headed across Highway 150 to J.P. Looney's for a celebratory lunch...and a little bowl-game-watching time on their big screens.  N/M/E was still bummed out because her Tennessee Vols had lost a tough one to the UNC 'Heels in double-overtime last night in the Music City Bowl in Nashville.  No comment about that.  Sure, we'll pop the cork on a bottle of bubbly at the stroke of 2011, but we'll also be happy to stay home for the evening and off the roads.  (I guess you might say we'll drink, but we won't drive...:)

Before we close the door completely on this busy year, I wanted to take a few moments to put some projects in the record book, marked as "finished."  So, here goes for the FO's:



Mr. T in his Christmas Cable Vest

 As I've posted before, I completed the Cable Vest for Mr. T in super soft Tahki Stacy Charles Savoy yarn (a 52/48 silk/wool blend) in a rich red (photo, right).  Got it all wrapped up and under the tree for Christmas.  He seemed geniunely surprised when he opened the package, saying "when did you do this?!"  Of course, the answer is, as always, "when you were out-of-town, dear."  One reason I have so many projects going at a time (I tell myself...:) is that I can work on one that is unrelated to the giftee when he/she happens to be in the same room with me; then, when said giftee is away or goes to her own room, I can pull out the project related to that person.

Case in point:  N/M/E's afghan.  She also seemed surprised when she opened the big Santa sack that was nearly full-to-overflowing with the Galaxy Ripple Afghan in Natural, 2 colors of Periwinkle Blue, and Velvet Night (which is a beautiful Royal Purple) Bernat Berella 4 yarn (photo, below/left).  "When did you do this?!"  I'd worked on this project whenever she was in her room and late at night after she'd gone to bed...and I had also taken it with me for the long flights to-and-from Hawaii.  She did walk in on me as I was crocheting the strips together, but I was able to cover up my work before she realized what I was doing.



N/M/E's Christmas Ripple Afghan

 I've posted about this pattern before, so forgive me if I'm repeating myself here.  I completed the "original" Ripple afghan for N/M/E over 31 years ago, using a kit with 4 shades of olive green I got I don't know where.  I took so long in finishing that first one (I was going through my counted cross-stitch period, when knitting took a back-seat...:) that she had changed colors in her living room (as well as changed locations of the living room from Covington to Barlett, TN...:).  I had to get creative and add two more strips along with crocheting a border in her new color (peach).  I had originally sewn the strips together as the pattern directed, but taught myself how to crochet the strips together after I'd repaired that first one so many times.  She still has it, by the way!

Since then, I have made I-can't-even-begin-to-count-how-many afghans using this wonderful pattern, which...wonder of all wonders, I still have the original directions.  You may have gotten one from me!  It is knit in strips (usually 8, two each in 4 colors) with a 6-row repeat, so it is easy to memorize, easy to take with you anywhere (I've knit the strips in my chair, in the car, at sporting events and symphony concerts, and on flights all over the US and Canada, as well as to-and-from France, the UK, and Brazil!), and easy to pick it up and know where you are in the pattern.  I don't think the pattern is copyrighted...if it ever was, it has probably expired by now.  I've searched online for it without success; if you search for Galaxy afghan, you get links to a crocheted pattern.  I thought I'd share this jewel with you, so check the bottom of this post for the particulars, if you are interested.



Missy M's Traveling Woman Shawl -
a 2010 Christmas gift

 I finished knitting Missy M's Traveling Woman Shawl on the last leg of those long return flights home in September.  I had wanted to honor the spirit of the pattern, so I used a bamboo-blend Seacoast handpainted yarn called "Rain" from New Hampshire via Louisville, and I did most of the work while I traveled...with the Traveling Shawl.  That photo is of the shawl (right), in progress, on the lanai of our room in Maui. 

After the knitting came the blocking.  Good grief!  What a chore, when you don't have a blocking board or wires.  So, guess what I asked Santa for this year?  You betcha!  And, because Missy M is really getting into lace knitting, Santa made sure that she too had a blocking board and more T-pins.

For my beautiful sisters-in-law, I did a "Just Enough Ruffles" scarf in Ultra Alpaca/Blueberry Mix (for SIL J) and a "Magical Moebius" cowl (with a pattern from Cat Bordhi), in a "Kentucky Blue" chunky hand-dyed Araucania wool yarn (for SIL LaD).  I loved doing both of them...and I forgot to snap a shot of either before wrapping them up.  Well, I do have a photo of the Ruffles scarf around SIL J's lovely neck, but she is wearing the Silly Santa Hat we gave Brother J in the same photo...and I've promised that I won't publish those pictures unless provoked.

I also forgot to get a photo of the Sophia "Wise Woman" Cowl (from a pattern in the One Skein Wonders book) that I knitted for N/M/E's BFF AW.  I had just enough yarn left to try out a mitten pattern called Smitten, that Missy M shared with me, for a gift-tag .  M found it on KnitPicks.com, where it was originally designed as an Advent-type garland.  She had knit several as ornaments for her tree, and they looked so cute.

Amazingly, I also had time during the Holidays to finish my own Picchu-Picchu sweater, knit in Berrocco's scrumptious Ultra Alpaca yarn!  I'll save the photo and description for another post, however.

That's the wrap-up of the FO's...and the wrap of 2010.  Hope you and all of your family and friends have a safe and happy New Year!  See you again in 2011!!


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The Pattern for the Galaxy Ripple Afghan (for Bernat Berella 4 yarn) - approx. 48" x 60" finished

• CO 16 stitches.  [Bernat Berella 4 is an acrylic yarn, developed especially for afghans.  You'll need 8 oz. each of 4 coordinating colors of worsted weight ("4") yarn; this used to be 2 skeins each color when Berella "4" weighed out at 4 oz.  Now, since it weighs out at 3.5 oz per skein, you need 3 skeins each of 4 colors, especially if you crochet the strips together and add a border to finish.  It knits out to a gauge of 16 stitches = 4.5 inches, using US 10.5 needles.  I knit fairly loosely, so I've found that I need US 10's to get that gauge.  However, I do use a larger needle when I cast on and when I bind off, so it won't be too tight.  Try a US 11 for this only.)
• K 8 rows (4 ridges) in garter stitch.
• Begin the 6-row Pattern Stitch (below) for 50 patterns.
• K 8 rows (4 ridges) in garter stitch.
• BO loosely (remember to use a larger needle to bind off).
• Make 2 strips each in 4 colors.
• Sew strips together as follows:  Color A, Color B, Color C, Color D (center of the afghan), Color D, Color C, Color B, and Color A.  (I have found that I prefer to crochet the strips together with a simple slip stitch; it makes the seam/join so much more sturdy.)
• Steam-press lightly to relax the seams.
• Either crochet a border around the whole afghan, or add a fringe (knotting ten 10-inch strands of yarn in every 4th st across the two short ends).
• Enjoy!

Pattern Stitch for the Galaxy Ripple Afghan:

1. K4, * wrap yarn around needle TWICE, K1, repeat from the * to last 4 sts, wrap yarn around needle ONCE, K last 4 sts = 33 stitches
2. K4 *, drop 1 wrap st, P2, repeat from * to last 4 sts, K4 = 24 stitches
3. K4, K2tog, K12, K2tog, K4 = 22 sts
4. K4, K2tog, K10, K2tog, K4 = 20 sts
5. K4, P2tog, P8, P2tog, K4 = 18 sts (this makes the "bump" or ripple row)
6. K4, K2tog, K6, K2tog, K4 = 16 sts

Repeat these 6 rows for the pattern stitch.

Pause for News from the Homefront

It's time for a little break in the Chronicles of Maui for a post from the Real World.  Since I last reported from HPNC, it has gone from Summer to Fall....at least on the calendar.  After several weeks of unseasonably hot, dry weather, we got over 3 inches of rain last night...although nothing like they received Down East in Wilmington (nearly 9 inches of rain...and still coming down at last report), and the temps have dropped from the 90's to the 70's.  Gee whiz...feast or famine.

Go Panthers! 

Mr. T and I have been to three football games since my last report...with no joy generated by any of them.   We have season tickets to Duke (a lot easier to obtain than basketball season tix, for sure...:), and so far we've watched the Blue Devils get whomped, first by Alabama and then by Army.  Then, Sunday we headed to Charlotte for our first of two Panthers games this season, with this one against the Bengals. That's a photo of us (right) at the beginning of the game...and yes, we are wearing rain gear and trying to stay dry...an almost impossible task.  As one of the other fans muttered "It hasn't rained here in over a month, and it has to rain like this today?"  Oh well, we've enjoyed tailgating on all three occasions.

A Peck of Picked Peppers

Back here at Casa 3917, the garden has been surviving on sprinkler-applied moisture...until this week, that is.  The tomatoes are still producing, although the fruit is smaller.  The peppers have just gone wild, with the cayennes on a rampage in the heat...and the green peppers producing loads of smaller, firmer fruits. Even after sharing some with our neighbors, I put up three freezer bags of diced, sliced, and whole green peppers (for stuffing) yesterday, and packed three quart jars full of the cayennes before pouring hot vinegar over them and sealing them.  Oh, yeah...they will be good in chili...and veggies...and those greens...and just about anything that needs a little kick this Winter.

The Greens are Growing in the Garden

We cleaned up the last of the summer squash and re-worked that section to put in lettuce (3 different kinds) and 57 onion sets (!).  I've got another row all ready to put some spinach in, too, hopefully this weekend if we get a break in the weather.  Across the center path where the corn used to grow, I've got a nice stand of turnip greens (Seven Tops, right, grown just for the greens) and some broccoli.  The Purple Hull peas are almost finished for the season, but the English peas are just starting to produce...hooray!  The lima beans have had a difficult time surviving the heat and lack of rain, but I still hold out hope for a limited crop.  The strawberries continue to produce a bumper crop of runners and will soon be ready to be moved to a more permanent location in a week or two. And, the sweet potatoes continue to grow larger and larger; I hope they can stay in the ground until the first frost, so they'll be even sweeter. 

I read somewhere that Fall was some gardener's absolute favorite time of the year.  While you can't grow corn, melons, cukes, or summer squash then, there are so many things that like the cooler temps, like lettuce, spinach, broccoli, greens, peas, etc.  Plus, and this is a big plus in my book, the pests are at a minimum this time of the year.  Well, this is the first year that we've put in a Fall garden, so I'll keep you posted on how it's going.  So far, so good!

And, in response to a faithful reader's comment that I haven't mentioned my knitting in ages, I'll add a report in this post.  Over the summer, when it was just too hot to work with wool, I did manage to finish a pair of socks for Nana's BFF AW.  She's such a good friend to our whole family really.  I hope she'll enjoy wearing them when the cooler weather arrives.

I called these Chasing Cables...and if the yarn hadn't been so scrump-dilly-icious, I may never have finished 'em.  I got this hand-dyed yarn called Princess Rose on etsy.com, and I loved it from the moment I first touched it.  But, I did a foolish thing by casting on just one sock...instead of the two-at-a-time that I've been doing.  I almost developed Second Sock Syndrome, an affliction that knitters get, causing the inability to complete the second sock after the first one has been bound off.  But, I finally managed to get that second one done, thank goodness.  Whew!  And that's it for my Finished Objects (FO) report.  [Actually, I've finished a couple more projects, but as they are going to be Christmas gifts, I can't mention them here.  Ask me about them in a few months...:)]

Now, for the Unfinished Objects (UFO) line-up...as usual, this list is much longer than my FO list:

1. A pair of socks using the Plum Tones Panda silk yarn by Crystal Palace that I got in Hillsborough, NC.  These will be for CW, BFF AW's daughter, who has reportedly threatened to "borrow" her mom's new socks (above, left).  I'm making her a pair of her own.
2. A vest in a really red Savoy yarn by Tahki Stacy Charles...which is a lovely blend of 52% silk and 48% merino wool...so soft.  It's another gift, so I won't say any more about that yet either.
3. A lace wrap using a Feather-and-Fan pattern, size US4 needles, and Andrea yarn by Schaefer.  This is yet another silk yarn, so it appears I'm on a silk kick this Fall.  [I must say that this is my least favortie project at the moment, as I find lace-weight yarn to be "fiddly" to work with.  Is that a word?  It certainly should be.]
4. Oh, and lest I forget:  a sweater in Blueberry Mix Ultra Alpaca by Berroco, using a pattern called Picchu-Picchu.  This one is for me (!), so I can talk about it all day long.  The yarn is so soft (although not as soft as that Savoy silk blend!), and the pattern is really different.  You knit the back and the back of the sleeves, all at the same time; then, you knit each front and the front of each sleeve; then, you three-needle join the tops of the sleeves and add cuffs.  Can't wait to see how this one turns out!  Right now, I'm on the back/sleeve portion, with 267 stitches on my needles...whew!  Thank heavens for Addi Turbo circulars!!

OK, that's all the projects that I'll admit to, for the moment.

Before I close this post, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Nana/Momma/Edith.  Many of you have asked about her latest health issue (torn rotator cuff in her right shoulder).  She has the proverbial good days and bad; fortunately today is a pretty good one.  While the heat and humidity of Summer are hard on her, making her breathing difficult, she says she's not looking forward to the cold, damp days of Winter, with those stiff joints.  Could we just have Spring and Fall, please?

Ah well, so much for the Real World report.  Come back in a few days and join me back in Maui, when I post some more about our trip and eventually get us back to the Mainland.

Start of Something New

I really don't want to jinx anything ("You're not superstitious, are you Leon?"  "No, I'm just a little 'stitious."**), but has anyone else noticed a touch of Spring in the air?  I trimmed some branches off our one forsythia (side yard, under our bedroom window...:) and popped them into a vase of warm water...along with some King Alfred daffodils that had opened this weekend...all for the dining room table.  Of course, about an hour after I did that on Saturday, it started to HAIL (English pea-size).  Ah yes, the joys of Spring:  flowers, rebirth, and changeable weather.  It's always something new at this time of the year.

Last Friday brought another "something new" into my life.  I started my volunteer job with the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), a part of Old Salem in Winston-Salem.  It was raining and dreary outside (as you can see in that photo over there that I captured with my phone), but I fell in love with all the beautiful things...and the lovely people...that were inside.  I received such a warm welcome...I got the Grand Tour by two enthusiastic staff members...and I was shown all the "off-Tour areas," too. 

I love that part, don't you know?  When we lived in the Memphis area, I used to be a docent for the Mallory Neely house in Victorian Village (which is closed now, I'm sad to see), and my favorite part was to explore the off-Tour areas (although it was sometimes spooky).

Anyway, I'm excited about helping with the Textile Seminar that starts this week.  I'll also get to attend all of the workshops and sessions, so it's best of all worlds.  I have a coverlet that was woven by my great, great grandmother, Nancy Elizabeth Dudley Holland, who lived in middle Tennessee in the mid- to late- 1800's, and I'm hoping to get some more information on it from the instructor of the session called:  "From Home Looms and Store Shelves: New Considerations of Southern Backcountry Textiles".

An update on Elmo's eye...

He's doing remarkably well, thank goodness.  He keeps both of his eyes open now, even though he only has sight in the left eye.  That means that the pressure in both of his eyes is under control and not causing him pain just to open the lids.  He continues to "get lost" sometimes, walking behind an open door and bumping his nose on the wall.  He just adjusts his journey...sorta like a Roomba...and retraces his steps!  Still doing the drops daily (different kinds in each eye, three times a day.)  Amazingly, he looks "normal" when you look at him, as you can see in this photo of him enjoying the rest of Gus' breakfast.  One thing's for sure, he hasn't lost his appetite!

Have I told you about my new March Madness committment?  No, this has nothing to do with the NCAA Tournament, starting this week.  I doubt I'll even do a bracket since my own Memphis Tigers didn't make the cut...they'll be heading into the NIT, playing St. John's on Wednesday...sad to say.  Anyway, I joined other About.com knitters in making a commitment to resolving our UFO's this month...and not starting any new projects until April 1st. 

So, how's that going, Patricia?  It's killing me!!!  I've recently unpacked all of the boxes of yarn that we moved from MO (...whoa!...:), so I was keenly aware of just how many projects I had on the needles...and just how many were in the wings.  Seemed like an excellent idea at the time I read about it.  But, now, that I'm holding myself to it?  Painful. 

BTW, "resolving" means to either finish the thing...or frog it.  I've finished knitting N/M/E's Entwined Shawl (still have to weave in the ends), and an I-cord necklace with buttons (I'd done the I-cord/knitting...I just had to sew about 20 buttons on it for decoration).  I'm working diligently on a belt for Missy M (sock yarn on US 1's...going slowly).  I also have a baby blanket that I'd started crocheting a couple years ago that I've been working on.  Actually, I have two of these baby blankets started; but, in the spirit of things, I'm trying to finish one before I pick up the other one again.  I've yet to frog anything, as I'm putting the ripping out off until the last week of the month.

And, where are the pictures of these things, you ask?  Well, it appears I've misplaced my camera...yikes!  I wish I could ring it up like I do my cellphone when I "lose" it temporarily.  No such luck.  Soon as I can put my hands on it, I'll be back in business.  Until then...stay tuned.



**A great line from NCIS...Special Agent LeRoy Jethro Gibbs to Director Leon Vance, followed by his response.**

Let's Begin Twenty-Ten

It's the first full week of the New Year.  As is most of the country, we are experiencing a Cold Snap here in the Piedmont of NC.  As I write this post, the Magnificent Seven Squirrels are having a fab time in the feeders (yes, there are 7 of them at once in the backyard...:), storing up for the predicted evening snow that is currently making its way across the mountains.  That photo to the left is from Missy M, who writes that she still had to go to work this morning anyway.  B-r-r-r-r-r.

I think this is one of my favorite times of the year.  The Holidays are behind us...along with severely hectic schedules.  Spring, with all its wonder and work, is far ahead of us.  This lull before Lent is just right for catching my breath and doing a little catching up.  So, let me get started already!  (I can't even do s-l-o-w slowly...:)

Before I get going with what's happenin' now, I should close the files on the Finished Objects for 2009.  As I said in an earlier post, my needles were clicking on several gifts (pictured to the right).  I knitted up yards and yards of 4-stitch I-cords for 8 Knitted Necklaces.  The knitting was really easy (almost boring) and could be done mindlessly while the football games were on TV.  I purchased pretty metal, wood, and glass pendants and got silver clasps and charms for accents.  The hardest part was attaching the findings, which I didn't have to do, but which I wanted to add for a little more pizazz. No fingernails left after that.

I also knitted a belt for SIL J, using tee-niney US 1 needles (think:  tooth picks) on sock yarn, then attached D-rings and a brass-toned charm, following a pattern from a box of To Go knitting patterns she had given me last Christmas.  Turn about is fair play, right.

And, then, the "fun" stuff.  I made these neat Ice Scraper mitts for the Men in My Life (T, J, and T) + one for Missy M and one for moi.  The Encore yarn (75/25 blend and in "school colors") is a much better choice than the recommended all-wool yarn, because...hey, news flash:  Ice Scrapers get wet!  The hardest part of this gift?  Finding enough ice scrapers; I bought all that the local Ace Hardware had.  Cornered the market.  Good thing too, since the Weather Channel says we're gonna need'em.

And, last but not least.  Missy M's Ripple Waves Afghan in her new furniture colors of cream, olives, and teal (the red is from the afghan draped on the chair)...and the Duck, Duck, Goose Socks.  That's a shot of her and Ella Rae (right) enjoying the new fu (our family name for an afghan...don't know where it came from, altho N/M/E says that's what I called my blanket when I was a tot) when they were still here at Christmas. She's gonna need that blankie and those socks (left) tonight, too, as she just called to say that she now has about 3" of snow, more or less, and still falling.

OK...that's about it for the FO Round-up.  As for what's on the needles now, I just finished the second sleeve on Mr. T's Shawl Collar Sweater.  It was the last piece left...and I'd lost it in the move...yikes!  Found it the other day...whew!!  Now, it's all about the blocking and assembling.  So, I guess you can still call it an Unfinished Object (UFO)...technically.

Other UFO's:   I did a few rows on my Woven Stitch Scarf (which I also "found" recently).  That one required more thinking than I was able to muster, as I was recovering from a particularly nasty bout with an intestinal virus.  Virus 1 - Patricia 0.  I was fine when I got up last Friday morning...queasy by noon...and KO'ed by three.  Took a day to get the fever down...and several more for me to be able to face solid food again.  But, right as rain now, thank goodness.

After yarn crawls to High Point, Greensboro (see photo, left, of Stitch Point), and Charlotte with Missy M over the Holidays, my stash is bulging with new and intriguing yarns and patterns.  Which to choose?  I decided on a rayon-with-copper-thread yarn called Water Hyacynth and a shawl pattern called Entwined Shoulder Shawl that I got at Charlotte Yarn.  I really fell in love with that shop, located in the Dilworth historic neighborhood, and will return...if I can borrow the GPS to help me find my way there again. And, I think this will be the perfect shawl for N/M/E to wear at her 90th birthday party...more on that later.

OK...gotta run to the store.  Bread and milk, you know.  Snow's a'coming!

Finished Objects...In More Ways Than One

Ted E. Bear's showing off the latest knitted Finished Object: a skinny silk scarf in Colinette's Tao colorway "Mardi Gras." The yarn (mentioned in my last post about my trip to Cary, NC) is a gorgeous 100% silk from Wales...in every color of the rainbow. And, did I mention that there are only 117 metres (not quite 128 yards) in a skein? And, that the shop only had one skein in this colorway?? And, that I could only afford one skein of 100% silk yarn from Wales???

I could see this yarn becoming a skinny scarf...one that can be worn with all manner of tops. At all times of the year. And, when the shop owner suggested that I use a dropped stitch, garter stitch "pattern" for making the skinny scarf, I thought: problem solved. I'll be wearing this beauty in no time.

Not so fast.

I cast on for a garter stitch scarf and immediately saw a problem. Garter stitch (all knit stitches) create little "bumps" where the stitch loops are formed...very visible, and very annoying in that the bumps were disrupting the "flow" of rainbow colors...destroying the entire rainbow effect, actually. Didn't like that at all, although I did like the dropped stitches in stockinette (where you purl on the reverse side of a knit stitch). OK...frog it (which, to you non-knitters who are still reading this post, means rip it out), and try something different.

I found a pattern for a chevron lace scarf. Cast on and knit a few inches. Nope...the lace pattern just got hopelessly lost in the busy-ness of the rainbow colors. Frog it...and find something else.

I cast on a limited number of stitches using an afghan pattern that is designed to create waves (sort of like a feather-and-fan design). Nope...pattern was lost, and it was also taking up way too much yarn. If I'd continued that one, the scarf would have been about a foot long, max. Frog it...and find something else.

Ah well, Necessity...better change into your Mother of Invention clothing. I finally decided I would have to design something just for this yarn...and for the scarf I wanted to wear. So, what are the parameters, I asked myself? Well, Number One, it had to be long enough to go around my neck and tie in front...at least 4 feet long. So, that meant I needed to keep the number of stitches per row to a "minimum."

Number Two, the scarf needed to look as good on the reverse as on the front. Pet peeve of mine. It doesn't have to look the same, just as pretty. And, I may be prejudiced, but I think stockinette is ever-so-much prettier (or, hangs more gracefully, maybe) than garter stitch. But, unless you are knitting in the round (which requires a lot of yarn), you can't have ALL stockinette on both sides, so I would have to design a rib pattern. And, because I liked the effect of the dropped stitches, I wanted to include those in the body of the scarf.

Number Three, the pattern needed to be easily memorized. I wanted this project to be repetitive to the point of not having to have to look at a pattern. I'm working on another project that is killing my eyes, since I have to look at a (%#^!*) chart ALL of the time to get the pattern right. I certainly didn't need anything like that.

Number Four, since there wouldn't be enough yarn left over to fringe the bottom edges, the pattern would have to have some kind of "flourish" at the bottom...a modified "ruffle" maybe...both for looks and to help keep the scarf from rolling up (as stockinette will do on its own). That's a close-up of the ending border or modified ruffle (left).


Voila! I did it. I finished my 3.5 x 55 inch skinny scarf (photo, right) yesterday. I was so thrilled with the results that I took the time to write down what I had done (hey, what a novel idea!)...and then, I created a Adobe PDF version and attached it to my blog. Now, I can share my La Grenouille Skinny Scarf with other knitters who have the same idea about their pretty but precious-scarce yarn.

So, why the name, La Grenouille? Heh. During a large portion of the time, while I was knitting and frogging and designing and knitting and frogging and redesigning and knitting and frogging, etc., I was watching an NCIS Marathon on TV (they have them on USA network quite often...you should check 'em out!). And, one of the more mysterious characters (until a couple of seasons ago) was named La Grenouille. That's French for The Frog. Thought the name was most appropriate for my new scarf and pattern.

Anyway, in order to share my pattern with other knitters, I have created a link over there in the left column <---. If you are interested in the pattern, just click Menu and Download...or follow this link right here. All yours! Wear your La Grenouille Skinny Scarf in good health and happiness!