Daily Post

Did you post every day in November? If so, congratulations!

Hard Pretzels And Whole Milk

One of my favorite snacks is hard pretzels with whole milk.

Shown in photo are Martin's Pretzels, a very good pretzel indeed.

Yarn Purchases

Today I went to a local yarn shop to buy some sock yarn for my SP9 and I found this for myself. Soon it will be a hat for T.











Artyarns - Supermerio
100% Superwash Merino Wool
color #114 - burgundy, gold, brown and magenta

Wallaby Progress

Here's the Wallaby, almost finished and on T. Doesn't she look great in it? I'm psyched.

I only have to knit the hood, weave in the ends and graft a couple seams to complete it.

I remember one of the things I like so much about this pattern - there's hardly any seaming to do. Once you're done knitting, the sweater is intact, the only seams to finish are at the underarms and hood.

Knitting and Coffee

I enjoyed knitting at the coffee shop again this evening with a friend. These outings are becoming more frequent and I like it. Can I go so far as to say these outings are essential to my life? My friendships beome closer. I have the opprotunity to engage in adult conversation. My knitting improves.

So, the next time I say, "No, I can't go" or I do not pick up the phone because I think everyone else in the world is busier than me. I am going to come back and read this post.

Sweater On The Run!

Just after finishing the crocheted edge and before cutting the yarn, I tried this sweater on my little one. In the photo with the ball attached, she's probably wondering, "Why is this ball of yarn following me around?" Later in the day we were out and about in the sweater (completed) and she got many compliments.

Pattern: Minnow Knits - Sweetie Pie
Yarn: Manos Cotton Stria - melon #205
Needles: US 5
Button: Zecca - 1 1/2" black & white swirl
Adds: Single crocheted egde around the neckline and bottom edges to give more shape.
Start date: 5/11/ 2005
Finish date: 11/25/2006

Humble Stitches

My grandmother has been in poor health lately. She is 94 years old. Today during a visit with her I was reminded of what Gram always called "humble stitches". Years ago my mother told me that Gram always referred to those little mistakes in her sewing or quilting as "humble stitches". Next time before I rip out my rows, I will think of Gram.

Gram is not able to follow much of a conversation these days. But today, she did smile and answer "yes" when my oldest daughter asked "Do you like to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse"?

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful for my daughters and my husband.

This year my pecan pie turned out beautiful. Not only did it look good, but it tasted great and none of the filling leaked through the bottom crust. I baked it at 365 degrees for 20 minutes uncovered, then I put foil around the edges and baked for another 20 minutes.

The Day Before Thanksgiving

Obeservation: On the day before Thanksgiving, people are not out buying children's shoes they are buying groceries.

A Thanksgiving Feast To Remember

Today I attended my daughters preschool for a Thanksgiving Feast. I did not realize there'd be a stage program too - her first performance! She was dressed in a fringed vest and feathered headband as "Princess Hopping Bunny". Her class sang several songs. The most memorable was to the tune of the I'm A Little Teapot.

I'm a little Indian on the go,
Here is my arrow.
Here is my bow.
When I go a'huntin, hear me shout,
Bears and Buffalo, you better watch out!

Teaching Atrocity

Recently, I heard about these lessons being taught by the language arts teacher at an area middle school.

Lesson 1:
Direct and Indirect Objects
1. She wrote on the blackboard - "Lable the DO and IO.
The fish was swimming to the land."

Lesson 2:
Vocabulary word "vitality"
Sample sentence - The turkey was so full of vitality we weren't sure that he was dead when we ate him.

Now what do you think of that?

Dishcloth Complete In 2 Days!

Honestly, complete in two days - that's a record for me.

Pattern: From my Mom years ago - will add details later

Yarn: Sugar and Cream - 100% Cotton - beige

Needles: US 10 Straight Aluminum

Cast On - 11/15/06

Cast Off - 11/17/06

Moebius Scarf Lesson

It was a dark, windy night. All day heavy rains poured and as night approached, there was a tornado warning threatening our area. We ventured out to our thursday night knitting group. Hey, it was the night to learn the Moebius Scarf. I wasn't going to miss that. It was wonderful to learn that cast-on. After several stitches were cast-on, I fell into the rhythmic movements. I am hooked - this will not be my last moebius scarf.

Not everyone there shared my experience. One woman flung her needles down in frustration over the Moebius cast-on. The needles slid across the table towards me and just missed my jugular vein.

Thank you P & E for a great Moebius lesson.

Dishcloth

I started a dishcloth for my sister today. Small and simple. However, I do have a deadline. I want to give it to her as a birthday present.

November Calendar Photos

I'm in just under the Nov 15 deadline to enter Chappy's Contest. I do not think that any of the photos from my 2006 calendars will be chosen as winners, but I want to post them anyway. Happy belated birthday, Chappy's Mom. Maybe next year I will make my own photo calendar and be sure to have a bright, sunny photo in November for you and all my loved ones who celebrate November birthdays.

This photo is from the calendar in our kitchen:


This photo is from the calendar in our office:


Now I realize how much I dislike both these photos. I'm replacing both of them in the morning!

Blocking Ann's Scarf

This weekend I tried to block my Ann's Scarf. It just isn't going well. It keeps curling on the edges - curling alot.

Look at it - it is curly, curly, curly.

Hopefully I can get some help from knitting group Thursday night.

Herb barrel

I hope you do not mind that I'm cheating a bit in order to post every day in November. Some days I do not post and some days I save a few drafts of subject matter so that I can later go back and edit and post. Ok?

Here is a photo taken on our deck on October 1, 2006. I want to remember 2 things for next year's planting: 1 - this barrel looked great as late as October 1 and 2 - the mint looked so much nicer planted with the vinca, purple hyacinth vine and lemon thyme than it did when planted alone in the barrel. That hyacinth vine was my prize plant. I bought it late in the season when I went to a local nursery for some morning glory. There were just a few of these viney-type plants left on the table and I must have spent at least a half hour there untangling the vines. I bought the hyacinth vine because I felt sorry for it (my husband just rolled his eyes at me). But look at it - it was so happy on our deck!

Don't Clap, Wale

I've never been much of a fan of corduroy, but today it was interesting to learn that the The Corduroy Appreciation Club celebrates today, 11/11, as the date which most resembles corduroy. I heard it on NPR.

Stomp

Tomorrow we go to NYC to see Stomp.

Red Scarf

I frogged my red scarf project. I'm going to modify the pattern I was following from One Skein by Leigh Radford to make a wider scarf. It will have several additional k2p2 ribs and a 6x6 cable instead of a 4x4 cable.

Knitting Night

I enjoyed a night of knitting with friends, coffee and pastries last night. Read all about it at my friend Marsha's post.

Election Day

Please remember to vote today. You could take your knitting with you, just in case there is a long line at the polls.

Wallaby Pouch

I started the Wallaby pouch. It was so fun to pick up the stitches and see how seamlessly it attached to the front of T's sweater. Try it sometime.

I hope you can see it in the photo - the pouch is being knit on the bamboo straight needles (with a seed stich edge) while the main body of the sweater waits on needles (approx. 4 inches above) to be merged with the pouch.

Upcoming Movie

Check this out The Friday Night Knitting Club.

Go Take A Nap

The day after Halloween, I fell asleep on the couch in the middle of the day. My youngest was asleep in her crib and my husband was working from home. My older daughter was playing right next to me and at one point said "Mommy you sleeping?" and kissed my cheek. Next thing I know she says it again and kisses my cheek - this time I smelled chocolate. I wake up to discover she had finished the Kit Kat bar we opened Halloween night. No big deal.

The next day she walked up to me with a full size Snickers bar in her hand and says "Mommy, you go take a nap!"

One Scarf

As a kid, there is one scarf I remember being in the box of winter hats, mittens etc. My Mom made it - a small off white scarf in seed stitch. It was so simple and beautiful. Noone knows what became of that scarf. I've been planning to make one like it and finally ordered the yarn. Today the yarn arrived. Wrong color. It didn't look celery green on my monitor. It's time to reorder.

A NIght Out

Tonight my Mom and I went out for a nice dinner and an evening at a local bookstore. I bought a special issue of Interweave Knits Magazine - Holiday Gifts 2006. I almost missed it because it was with the crafty holiday magazines and not the knitting magazines. Will I ever knit anything from it? Probably not. But, the Backyard Leaves scarf pattern and the Brioche Gaiter are future possibilities. Just in case I run out of things to knit.

Needle clutter solution

I'd like this Kable needle case by Berroco to be one of my next projects.
Thanks, E, for telling me about this free pattern.


Is it really "post every day" month? If so, can I post twice today to make up for yesterday? please.