Flavor of the day

Having just returned from a visit to Mankato, I again seem to be ill, chest congestion, I think it is the environmental changes of air etc. I am also getting better and decided it was a vegetarian chili day.

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 small or medium onion chopped fine

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp herbs de province

1/4 tsp. tumeric

1/2 tbs. seasoned salt

4 C. water

Bring above ingredients to a boil

Add 3/4 cups rice.

2 C. pinto beans or beans of choice hydrated

Boil for two min. and turn to simmer until rice is cooked.

may not sound like much, but tastes very good.

I have been finishing project, talking about them but not posting them, so here are some of my finished objects. along with dog pictures, I apparently have not taken pictures of my Narvik sweater.

These are the felted flip flops I made my niece.

A few pictures of Abella, here she is in a basket.

Here is Abella

in a vase with my Red

cable sweater in progress beside her.

My finished Red cable sweater

Sadie and Abella at Heidi's with a sippie cup.

 The Dolls House in Owatonna.

Happy Stitches

seeing lookalikes

When I was in my late teens and walking all over town, I would sometimes see someone who would begin calling me by the wrong name until they got close enough to see I was not who they thought. We have all seen someone who looks like someone else we know, sometimes the resemblance is uncanny and/or eerie. Today I had one of those experiences, I saw a man, who not only resembled my father in looks, bit stature as well, he was wearing clothes like dad did with those brown eyes. My nephew agreed he said he almost called him grandpa, the problem is I think we made the poor man uncomfortable because of how we were looking at him.We spent most of the day at the dog park, the morning wa quiet, but the afternoon was full of people and dogs my nephews and the dogs loved it, Bella was not as out going as usual, a bit intimidated by all the really big dogs.
It got a bit warm in the sun this afternoon, so of course the dogs had to get their clothes off, it is very odd to see them naked, I think they were a bit taken aback by being without clothes in public, but when the pack started to run Sadie was in heaven and happy as could be. Ah, to be free, running with the pack, ears flapping in the wind as you run, I think she was smiling.
I finished my red cable sweater and I am working on a mohair cardigan, it is top down and I am past the sleeves, working down the sides.
It was a good day and we will be out and about tomorrow having fun.

Happy stitches to all.

skype

Ok, so now I have discovered Skype. One of my cousins uses it and she does not have a camera, so you can use Skype without it.

A lot of people I guess use it for international computer to computer calls, it will cost if you call phones but it does work that way. I just downloaded the program last night and began talking to my cousin, it was kind of cool, talking and using the computer at the same time.

If I get brave I can make a video blog post, but I don't really like my pictures. Don't know that anyone needs to watch my goofy face in motion, but it is a thought.

I have one flip flop ready to felt, just have to make the thong on the second one. My cousin put in a request for a pair for herself, she is making necklace dog collars for the girls. I use harnesses to walk them so the collars are just to hold tags, and now they will be pretty.

Sadie, Bella and I had a nice visit yesterday, it was a long day, but fun. we talked, the birds seemed happy to see us and Greta even decided that one of the dog treats was for her.

I am taking red yarn skeins for my sweater to Jenny tonight for winding, she is such a good friend to do this as the flying fibers from winding cause me to have a reaction.

I want to finish the slippers today and felt tomorrow, I am taking them to show people tonight.

Hope everyone is having a good day. Keep your sticks clicking!

Happy Stitches

A cat reincarnated as a dog?

Last Summer out cat Monika passed away, she was a cleaver and resourceful little dilute calico that liked to steal socks and make herself little nests to sleep in. At one point in time I was befuddled at how few socks I had and could not figure out where they were going; even losing them to the dryer in mass quantities did not make sense. One morning I awoke to a strange scratching sound, I opened my eyes to see Monika laying on top of the dresser pulling the sock drawer open with her little claws, she hooked a pair of socks, got it in her teeth and took off with me in hot pursuit of the sock thief, I found her nest and regained my socks.

I have not thought of that in a long time, until today. Last night I took my socks off in front of the bed, this morning I see Bella grab a sock in her mouth, I told her to stop but she ran faster, nosing the door to her kennel open to get inside with the sock. I grabbed my sock, she followed me out of the bathroom and when I turned to look at her she ran back in the kennel, I had to laugh.

Is my new puppy a reincarnation of the cat? maybe just the same soul group. Who knows but, apparently she likes socks and cares little if they are not clean.

Lesson: do not leave dirty socks by the bed, the dog will take them.

In knitting news I am several inches in to my second red cable sleeve, I am working on soul number two of the flip flop slippers and I have my Pattern works order so I can make little socks for the two sock blocker key chains I ordered. There is no further progress on the top down sweater and I will need more yarn wound for the red cable sweater. 

Bella is on the desk whining at me, I need to keep her from attacking Sadie and using her as a chew toy, because she possibly injured Sadie's ear, the vet and I are not sure; time to go play with the dogs.

Happy Stitches

Me and My shadows

As I move through the house doing different things, I have little shadows following me around, looking at me funny at times. Sadie and Abella keep me company in all things about the house. I am not sure what they would say if they had their own blogs but, I some times wonder and funny little things run trough my head.

I have not made a bunch of little knitted things for Abella, I will make her some things though. She seems to fit into a few of Sadie's original things with the help of the harness to pull it in a bit. We had a vet visit the other day, as I was brushing the dogs out, I found that Sadie's' ear was bleeding. at first I thought it was an ear infection. I carefully cleaned her ear out and called the vet's office. It was not an ear infection, the inside of her little ear was scratched up, perhaps from Abella our little land  piranha, who seems to make Sadie her favorite chew toy. Behavior modification plan being implemented.

The first red cable sleeve is now complete and I am working up the second one, which is being waylaid for my attempt at making felted flip flops. Felting and I have not done so well together, but I will be diligent and stand over my washer, shaping as it shrinks. I think I can do these in a week so, here I go courage of faith in hand to deliver me to the promised land of fabulously felted things.

I was given a directive to have the Red sweater finished by this coming Wednesday, maybe I can work a miracle and do both, ha, miracles are us is closed this week so I guess I am on my own.

So I stitch on in bliss to whatever the week has to offer.

Happy Stitches!

Sixteen Women With Pointed Sticks, No Injuries

Our Nokomis knitting group went on our first knitting retreat adeptly planned by Lisa. Kathy Heidi and I rode up together (thank you Kathy for driving), we stopped a Grubbers Quilt shop, which sells yarn and quilting supplies, this is where I found the lovely pattern for the French Felted Slippers, we stopped at Bonnie's Spinning wheel, lots of delicious yarn to touch and buy there as well. Unfortunately I did not turn out to be an adept navigator, we did reach our destinations and found our lovely accommodations at the Bug Bee Hive Resort in Paynesville.

Our names were on our doors and after a quick unloading of the car, we quickly set about knitting. I was able to complete the lovely Birch shawl, which I knit up using the Kidsilk Aura yarn I won at the Textile Center Rowan event and was able to complete a pair of toddler socks I also had in progress. Heidi completed a hat. On Saturday a spontaneous knit a long of the February Ladies sweater, I did not join in on those festivities, I went back to working on my red cable sweater sleeves. 

Kathy worked on and finished a pair of socks, there were many other projects in progress. Heidi graduated in to the knitting world, as Christina and Jenny leaped in to action to rescue her from a skein of Red heart yarn, that I had been letting her practice stitches on; it was explained that "Friends don't let friends knit with Red heart" and quickly replaced her practice skein with non acrylic yarn for practicing. Heidi was told that she had accomplished a hat and had graduated, making it necessary to only use non acrylic yarns, and Heidi was also given a certificate to prove this.

Meals were well organized and we all ate well with plenty of time to knit and visit. A few people enjoyed walking and using the pool at the lodge. 

It sounds as though this will be a repeat trip next year as everyone enjoyed themselves very much, the time moved quickly and as all good things do, the weekend ended and most if not all of us felt like it ended much too soon.

As usual I am sadly behind in pictures and will have to post some later, unfortunately I did not get any of the retreat.

We did go into New London on Saturday to visit the many little shops, which of course included a yarn shop, where I found a felted flip flop pattern, Yeah! Something for my niece who likes to live wearing flip flops.

Happy Stitches

Narvik complete and more

I not only completed the Narvik sweater, which I made longer and added button holes for buttons, I have been finishing a few other things. I stitched together the Narvik, sewed linings for two purses and I am working on the Birch shawl pattern using free yarn from the Rowan Retrospective event at the Textile Center. The yarn is four balls of Kidsilk Aura which is 82 yard as compared to the over 200 yards on the regular kidsilk balls of yarn, so I altered the pattern, I cast on 109 stitches  and I believe that I can make it with the four balls since the shawl will be smaller and the pattern called for 3 balls of the regular Kidsilk. Finger Crossed.
 
I had wanted to complete the Narvik Sweater and wear it to the event, but at the eleventh hour I needed to steam and seam as it were. My pink rowan cable sweater was the ticket and my picture may be in the textile center newsletter. Not really a like my own picture person, but I let this one slide.


Kathy, Jenny and I went to the Rowan event together on Friday, then we took a yarn shop road trip on Saturday. We visited the Doll house in Owatonna, found Smitten with Knitting in Waseca closed, so continued to Mankato to have Lunch with one of my sisters after visiting Mary Lue's in Mankato. After lunch it was The Tangled Skein in St. Peter and then home again. The route is a nice little day trip and was fun, Kathy found an out of print Rowan book I found the baby moc-a-sock pattern and Jenny found a Rowan book as well.
My red cable sweater is still waiting for me to finish the sleeves, and I am working on sock two of a pair of toddler socks. 
Keeping busy, keeping the doggies company and knitting away.


Happy Stitches and keep your needles flying through the fiber.