When the going gets tough ...

.. the tough bake.


These are my new favorite brownies. Since this is a package, it's probably not really "baking" - more like "mixing". But damn, these are so good. Their scone mixes are awesome as well.

Then there are my favorite cookies. I believe that if put something healthy into cookies, you negate all the unhealthy things about them.

I give you Cereal Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies. Now, if you actually go look at that recipe you'll note that I have chocolate chips out and the recipe doesn't call for them. I also believe that all cookies should contain chocolate chips. So, ditch the raisins, add chocolate chips - 2 cups. Yes - cookies should have a lot of chocolate chips.

So grab your knitting, come on over and sit on the porch and knit with me for awhile. It's going to be a glorious day here.

See you tomorrow.

Fiber Friday

I have some recent fiber acquisitions to share this week. Amy and I made a trip to the Yarn Garage (yea - he's for real!) yesterday. It's a trip - both in terms of how far away it is from the western suburbs and the shop itself.

You could spend a the better part of an afternoon just wandering around the store, and still not find all the little gems they have packed in antique cabinets and dressers. Tons of hand dyed from the big guys and local artists as well.

I came away with this with no real project in mind (snicker):

Colinette Jitterbug Sock Yarn:

Colourway Alizerine #119

Since we had to pass through Burnsville on our way home we decided to stop at Zandy's for a quick look around. A polar opposite to Yarn Garage, it was an equally enjoyable shopping experience. Zandy is charming and personable and was actually sitting and knitting with a customer when we came in to the store. She helped me pick out and then eliminate colors for a project. Any guesses?

Tahki Cotton Classic

Various colors

And because Becky called me the other day to tell me that the new Interweave Knits had arrived at the shop, well there's this:

Classic Elite Sundance

Color 6204 Cool Blue

It's always good to have your summer projects lined up. Especially on the 11th of May.

A few parting thoughts for the weekend: Tigger would like to thank everyone for their comments yesterday. He'd like you to know that he was neither drugged nor hypnotized for the photo shoot. He was a willing participant in the modeling. From kittyhood he has enjoyed playing dress-up with Kathryn and her friends. He'd appreciate it if you'd all keep that tid-bit away from your cats.

If you know anybody in the San Diego area who might be inclined to watch the Padres baseball game this evening, my niece Dana, who happens to be turning 11 years old today, is singing the National Anthem at the opening of tonight's game. It's part of a Catholic School's thing and she is singing with group but I'm just sure she'll be the best. Have them tune in!

Have a great weekend. See you on Monday.

These Little Wonders

Jeanne posted recently about ungrateful recipients of knitted baby gifts. I suggested that she do what I do. Knit only for your husband's employees who have had babies. It's especially helpful during annual review time or when the company is being sold and people are doing anything to hold on to their jobs.

Kate and I took a trip to meet baby Brooke and her mom, Anne. Much to Anne's credit she recognized the gift as a bolero - not a sweater. While I worked on this, everyone would tell me "That sweater is way too small". I found myself yelling at people "IT'S NOT A SWEATER! IT'S A BOLERO! THERE'S A DIFFERENCE!". I even took the book with me, just in case Anne needed proof too.

Kathryn and Brooke

Brooke and Mom

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any photos of Brooke modeling her BOLERO. It's best to let sleeping babies sleep. However, before I left home I was able to find a suitable model to stand in.

Front View

Side View

Back View; note the intricate lace detail.

"Bib, schmibs - give me a bolero - I must have a bolero!"

The Tuesday Group Part Two

I introduced Brenda and Sue briefly last week as the newest members of the Tuesday morning knitting group. This week, it's the Founding Mothers.

I met Peggy (blue shirt) on Sanibel Island about 8 years ago. Conversation started and we discovered we were both from Minnesota, lived in the same area and went to the same church. Huh, small world isn't it? A few years later she would wander in to the knitting shop when I was working and we struck up a conversation and a friendship began. I met Sandy (white shirt) on a flight to Sanibel Island - in fact, Peggy was on the same flight. They've know each other for a long time through kids and school and life. She saw the I was knitting and pointed it out to Peggy. We shared a good laugh about how we knew each other. Sandy said she'd never be able to knit. Famous last words!


Cindy (foreground) and I met when she was taking an Einstein Coat class at the shop. There's a awful lot of knitting in an Einstein Coat so there was plenty of time to hang out and visit with the students. Plus - I wasn't teaching it! Cindy's mom and Peggy were also in that class - they were all so much fun. After the Einstein class, Cindy and Peggy decided to take a Fair Isle Jazz scarf class - again with another instructor, again a boat load of knitting. I think their class was on a day I wasn't scheduled to work but I kept finding reason to go in to the shop just to see them. Yes, I was stalking them. Yes, it was pathetic.

So I stole them. Plain out. When the scarf class was over and it looked like they were going to be gone, I asked them if they wanted to get together over coffee and knit. Thus was born the Tuesday Morning Group - two years ago in May. They laugh and say "We can't believe Deb wanted us to be in her knitting group!"

Yesterday, more than anything in the world, I needed you guys. Not just in my knitting group, but in my life. Thank you seems trite but I can't hug you from here.

See you tomorrow.

P.S. They had to approve the "spontaneous" pictures!!

True Confessions

Amy provided me with this little knitting game. Apparently, she and the Usual Suspects think I might be running out of blog fodder - and so early in the game!

I actually found this to be an a good check-in for me; a way to answer questions such as:

• Am I the knitter I want to be?
• Are there still things I need / want to learn or teach?
• Are there things I just will never do and I'm just fine with?
• Will Fair Isle Aways kick my butt?

The "real" rules for this game call for you to "Mark with bold the things you have ever knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest". Screw that. Not being one to follow the rules, I'd rather answer each one and provide some humorous* running commentary along the way.

Afghan - No, American but I have knit a big huge blanket thing.
I-cord - You cord, we all knit I-Cord; yes.
Garter stitch - Really? This was a question?
Knitting with metal wire - Does wire come in other forms? Pass.
Shawl - Lots of things could fit here but I know I qualify.
Stockinette stitch - See garter stitch.
Socks: top-down - Yes.
Socks: toe-up - Yes.
Mittens: Cuff-up - Yup
Mittens: Tip-down - I'm getting dizzy; no.
Knitting with camel yarn - Not while it was still on the camel but, yes.
Hat - No thanks, I'm warm enough. No.
Knitting with silk - Yes.
Moebius band knitting - Not on purpose.
Participating in a KAL - Failing in a KAL.
Sweater - Sure.
Drop stitch patterns - Too easy. Yes.
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn - Yup.
Slip stitch patterns - See Drop stitch patterns.
Knitting with banana fiber yarn - Hmmm - I got nothing here. Yes.
Domino knitting - They kept falling off the needles. Yes.
Twisted stitch patterns - Yes.
Knitting with bamboo yarn - I'm all about natural fibers baby! Yes.
Two end knitting - Yup.
Charity knitting - I am my own favorite charity. Yes.
Knitting with soy yarn - While using chopsticks.
Cardigan - How is this different from sweater? Yes.
Toy/doll clothing - I have a 10-year old.
Baby items - She wasn't always 10.
Knitting with circular needles - Yup.
Knitting with your own hand spun yarn - Not there yet.
Slippers - MINNESOTA!
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street) - I must be really out of it!
Continental knitting - I get the names mixed up but I'm bi-hemispheric.
Designing knitted garments - Does a poncho for a Beanie Baby count?
Cable stitch patterns - Do these get harder as we move down the line? Yes.
Lace patterns - Yes! Yes! Yes!
Publishing a knitting book - I'm the only one who hasn't.
Scarf - See garter stitch.
Teaching a child to knit - 10 year-old daughter.
American/English knitting - See Continental.
Knitting to make money - Ha!!!!!
Button holes - Not intentionally.
Knitting with alpacas - Yes; we have several in the yard with whom I knit every afternoon.
Fair Isle knitting - See intro to this blog post.
Norwegian knitting - I'm German, Irish, Scottish. We don't recognize Norway.
Dying with plant colours - Chemical dyer on-board.
Knitting for a wedding - Lots of little 1st Communion things; no weddings.
Household items - Warshrags.
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars - I'm a 1 circular girl.
Knitting with someone else's hand spun yarn - Isn't it all some else's? Yes.
Knitting with dpns - Yes. For the record I really hate that abbreviation.
Holiday related knitting - Which holiday? Yes.
Teaching a male how to knit - I hope he's a male.
Bobbles - Uhhhm, sure?
Knitting for a living - I live to knit.
Knitting with cotton - Yarn or balls? Yes.
Knitting smocking - Pass.
Dying yarn - The dyeing season is almost here and soon my friends will come!! YES! YES!
Steeks - Eeks! No.
Knitting art - It's all art to me.
Knitting two socks on two circulars - No.
Fulling/felting - Sometime on purpose.
Knitting with wool - Huh?
Textured knitting - I think so.
Kitchener BO - Yup; KOPO POKO is my mantra.
Purses/bags - Sadly, I must confess, yes.
Knitting with beads - They wouldn't stay on the needles. Sorry.
Swatching - Always.
Long Tail CO - Yup - sometimes.
Entrelac - Love it.
Knitting and purling backwards - Yup.
Machine knitting - Uh, no.
Knitting with self patterning yarn - Can't get away from the stuff it seems.
Knitting with cashmere - Only in the dark when I'm alone.
Knitting with synthetic yarn - There was a time.
Writing a pattern - Yep.
Gloves - Without the fingers??
Intarsia - Kicks my butt too!
Knitting with linen - Yessirre.
Knitting for preemies - Just small babies.
Tubular CO - Totally.
Freeform knitting - I'm stumped.
Short rows - Yep.
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers - Oops. I answered gloves wrong.
Pillows - Yes, but not the stuffing part.
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine - Sure.
Rug - No.
Knitting on a loom - Actually, yes.
Thrummed knitting - Looks silly to me.
Knitting a gift - Ask me about Swallowtail.
Knitting for pets - Sorry Holli and Tigger.
Shrug/bolero/poncho - Yes.
Knitting with dog/cat hair - Yes, it's in everything I knit.
Hair accessories - Have you ever scene my hair?
Knitting in public - OK at first I didn't see the "l". Yes; all the time.

*Use of the word "humorous" just means I think it's funny. Your mileage may vary. Laugh, chuckle, snort, giggle, or moan at your own discretion.

See you tomorrow.

This is where ...

... I live.








... I start every day.








... I "work".








... I play.
















...I knit.








...I sleep at the end of my busy day!

It's been a full week. Are you sick of me yet?

See you tomorrow.

Fiber Friday

I saw this idea over at Shannon's. There's a group of folks who post lots of pictures of their favorite yarns, yarns that are special to them, yarns they've spun.etc. I'm way to lazy to join that ring so I've just co-opted the idea and the title and plan to to the same thing but only here.





Noro Blossom; color no. 6. I probably have 10 skeins somewhere down stairs. They are destined to become this sweater. In fact, the rolled skeins, which you may be able to see peeking out below, were already the front and the back of this sweater before I realized that counting and keeping track of rows really did matter and no amount of blocking was going to get the pieces to match up correctly.

I love the texture of Blossom - but only after it's been knit into a fabric. It's as if you have to see it for what it could be, not for what it is as it sits in front of you. I often wish I could be as patient with people.

See you on Monday.

Play Misty - For Kathryn

I've never heard her scream before so perhaps that's why I didn't recognize it at first. Besides, it wasn't really a scream, it was more like a muffled squeal. She'll tell me later that she doesn't know how to scream. I hear her coming down the stairs and I flash to something that's been bothering me for a few days. I really should clean that contraption. It's been quite a while and It's probably my turn. But man, it's such a pain, pulling all that plastic apart, dealing with all that mess, trying to put all the pieces back together again. She's standing at the top of the steps into the kitchen with the little green wheel in her hands and I can see in an instant that my instincts were correct and my heart breaks. Not so much for the life of a small hamster named Misty, but for Kathryn.


Misty was HER pet. Unlike Holli and Tigger who are family pets, Misty was hers. Misty was her responsibility to care for. She lovingly provided food and water for Misty and played with her constantly. The cage cleaning thing required a lot of parental interaction and we weren't very good about that.



Misty was a good sport but Holli was an even better sport when it came to playing with Misty. Kathryn and Jon taught Holli this trick. Holli would literally quiver while standing with a hamster on her head. I think she was afraid of hurting the hamster. Jon always thought she was afraid she would eat the hamster and then get in trouble. Kathryn would roar with laughter.

We spent the better part of last night and all through the night going through all seven stages of the grieving process. I keep wishing I had found Misty and maybe taken a little bit of the pain away - she keeps seeing her tiny dead body.She's worried that it hurt her to die because Misty looked scared. I tell her it didn't. I tell her that animals instinctively go to a comfortable place (her green exercise wheel) to lay down and die and that they die peacefully. Nature then takes over with their bodies. She asks what we will do with Misty. I tell her Daddy put Misty in a safe place and we can bury her and have funeral or whatever she wants. No, she says, I don't want a funeral. That sounds babyish. Maybe I'll just bury her by myself. Now I'm choking back my own sobs.


It's morning. We've each had about three hours of sleep. Jon got more. It seems fair though. He usually has to clean up barf. I'll take the emotional clean-up. This morning over breakfast she's thinking of names for the new hamster. Bubbles,she says. Welcome to stage eight.

Misty

April 2006 - May 2007

The Tuesday Group

For nearly two years we have met every Tuesday at 9:00 am at 318 Cafe in downtown Excelsior. It's the best little restaurant in town. Awesome homemade soups and sandwiches and unbelievable coffee cake, muffins, scones, and cookies ... I could go on, but.

That's Jill. Jill works every Tuesday morning. She knows our names and our orders. She's a doll. Matty was being uncharacteristically shy when this picture was taken. He owns 318 and he loves the Tuesday morning knitters. Matty's mom makes all the delicious baked goods mentioned above. We love Matty's mom.

This is Brenda and Sue. They are the newest additions to the Tuesday Knitting Group - and by newest I mean they've been with us for about a year. Both wandered in to the shop at times when I needed a friend (they would say the same thing I think). And so, they became Tuesday Knitters.

You'll meet the rest of the Tuesday group as we go through the month. Perhaps we'll be able to take advantage of the outdoor patio at 318 next week!

See you tomorrow.

A Most Perfect Weekend

Waking up before 9 AM on a weekend morning is beyond unusual for me. When I was up, dressed and standing outside by 7:00, even Jon was amazed. I had big plans. He rattled off the long list of outdoor home maintenance chores he was planning to tackle over the next two days and bemoaned the fact that he wasn't likely to finish them. I'm usually not required (allowed) to participate in home maintenance projects - it's like having Kate do them. It usually requires a lot of explaining. I safely therefore, asked if there was anything I could do to help.

rhe·tor·i·cal [ri-tawr-i-kuhl,] –adjective. used for, belonging to, or concerned with mere style or effect.

"Sure - you could start by washing the screens". Start?- we have 33 windows!! After that I was allowed to power wash the porch and deck furniture and then the porch and deck surfaces. Kate helped for a while - she's a load though! It's really hard to get good help in a ten-year old. All the while Jon was planting his "garden-in-a-box" - little plants that came in a box with a map that showed him how to arrange them in the ground in dirt. Did I get scammed here or what.

Now that the hard work is over, the animals have a nice place to rest on the sparkling clean porch.

I have a nice sunny spot on the porch to sit and knit!

And Jon can look out the clean screens at his tiny little plants (through the middle window). They're there - trust me.

So what were the big plans that got me up so early? Sorry. I'm saving that for another post.

Thanks for all the great tips on making it through a month of daily posts. I'm really looking forward to it. I've got my camera in my bag, a notebook and my odd way of looking at the world!

See you tomorrow.

BBB Contest

I'm starting my own contest tomorrow, May 1st. In an effort to "Be A Better Blogger" I've decided to enter myself in a "Post-a-day-in-the-month-of-May" contest. My rules for myself are simple:

1. Post a blog entry every weekday during the month of May.
2. Weekends and Memorial Day are not included: I can post if I want though - cuz it's my blog!
3. I can post about anything I want on my weekdays.

My hope is that I can develop the blogging habits of so many of you to whom I turn every day for a dose of humor, knitting talk, cats, life talk etc.

I'm the only entrant in this contest - so if I'm successful and become a better blogger - does that make you guys the winners? Because if it does, I'm not inclined to send prizes out to all of you!!

Wish be luck, encourage me along the way, and if you have an tips on how to be a good daily blogger, please pass them on!!

See you tomorrow.

The Ins and Outs of Knitting

ALERT: If your name is Monica and you live and Columbus, Indiana, please move along. There's nothing to see here today. Come back in a few days. Say, after a package has arrived at your home. Move along now.....

This just in.....

and this...

I really should get these guys together!

It embarrasses me to say until a few minutes ago, like when I opened the package, I was a complete Socks That Rock virgin. Never owned any at all. Now, I own two precious skeins: one in "Foo Foo" the other in "Titania". And two new sock books. The possibilities are endless.

And this just out....

... on its way to Monica for winning the contest way back in February. I tried to make up for the fact that this was so long in coming by sending lots of fun stuff. I included some alpace yarn, hand-dyed by me, Misti Alpaca and Addi Lace needles for a Swallowtail Shawl, a mini-keychain sock blocker kit, a Lantern Moon black sheep tape measure, Minnesota-made cranberry chutney with rosemary crackers, a Frabjous Fibers felted trinkets pouch, and some beaded stitch markers. If I could just get myself to drop this off at the post office ....

Sockerella

Before heading off on our spring trip to Florida I had some time to kill one afternoon so I wandered through the bookstore looking for some good poolside reads. I spent a a good hour or so, going from section to section and finally landed in the Memoirs Section with two books: The Glass Castle and The Year of Magical Thinking. I'll just let you know that I loved one and strongly disliked the other but since this is not a book review post, that's all I'll say.

I paid for my books and set off into the huge parking lot and ... no keys. I've never lost my keys. I've lost my car (a lot lately) but never my keys. Back into the bookstore to ask the cashier if I left my keys at the desk. He tells me to check at Customer Service. The gentleman at the Customer Service desk says that, yes a set of keys has been turned in and asks if I know where I might have left the keys. "No, because that's where I would have looked first you idiot" is what I want to say but, I really need these keys. He laughs as he tells me that they were found in the "Memory and Brain Teasers Section". I laugh as I think to myself, I don't even remember being in the Memory and Brain Teasers Section.

Mr. Customer Service retreats to the back room to fetch my keys (had I really been gone long enough to have them locked up?). When he returns he asks if I can identify the keys. "Uhm, I think so. I mean, I guess so. They are keys, and they.... "

Suddenly. I smile as I whip this out of the pocket from which my keys must have fallen:









If the sock fits!

OK - Break Over

Here's a tip for bloggers: If you take a really long break from blogging, you'll have a lot to say when you come back. In all truthfulness, the break didn't start out to be a break, but then - life happened. First things first, there was a contest in the last post to guess the projects I worked on during our winter retreat. Since no one guessed all of them correctly, Monica from "Monica Knits ...A LOT!!" was randomly selected, by my able canine assistant, as the winner. She'll be receiving a terrific prize package in a much more timely manner than this notification. For the record, the projects were, the KISS bag from Sally Melville's third Knitting Experience book, Cookie A's Monkey Socks, and the Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits, Fall 2006. The KISS bag is 95% complete at this point, 1.5 Monkey socks are complete. Swallowtail is finished and was given to a friend for her birthday.

But so much else has happened. Jon and I went to Mexico for 5 days. Most of the time it rained; when there was sun, we took plenty of advantage of it. When there wasn't sun, we took plenty of advantage of that time too.

We celebrated Valentine's Day in our usual manner complete with the homemade, heart-shaped pizzas. The tiny one in the middle is Holli's. Valentine's Day is a big deal around here..

Jon's company announced it was being sold to it's fiercest competitor. When you're in telecom, everyone is you fiercest competition.You never want to be purchased. We have no idea what this will bring for us but we're looking forward to the adventure. After four years at the yarn store in town, I decided to take a break and am now a full-time stay-at-home mom. Lots of closets have been cleaned, refrigerator has been scrubbed, laundry is clean, dinners are planned and balanced. Kathryn and Jon are hiding for fear that will be scrubbed or thrown out with the old clothes. It's an adjustment around here for all.

Also on my mind is my dear friend and neighbor. She survived Hodgkin's Disease 12 years ago only to discover she had breast cancer last fall. A routine scan last week, followed by a needle biopsy, confirmed the presence of breast cancer cells in her liver. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

There's a lot more but not that I really want to bore you with or blab about here. Suffice it to say that our spring trip to Sanibel, Florida was a treasure this year. Ten days - 85 degrees, sunny, old friends and new ones - it really was something I needed this year.