Yarn Along

It's Wednesday again and that means it is time for the weekly yarn along.  I'm joining with Ginny and everyone to share books and yarn!  I love this weekly update and I seem to have been a slacker of late.  I did a quick pair of fingerless mitts last week, but have mostly been working on Hanorah and my September square for the Ravelry group.  I thought once I was almost done with the group and come to find out I have to make a square for October too!  Ugh.  I just want to knit for myself.  It's ok, though, once I finish the September square I'm going to crochet a cute little square for the October person and then I'm done!  

Isn't this pink lovely?  I just received it in the mail from Quince and Co.  It's chickadee in pomegranate. It will become a baby sweater.  It is for the same new baby that I made the last Aviatrix for.  I am loving these non traditional pinks for a baby.

As for reading, I finished Girls in White Dresses.  All I can say was it was OK...ok not really.  Most of the main characters annoyed the crap out of me and I wanted to shake them and tell them they were idiots.  The book follows them from college to work to wedding showers (and bridesmaids dresses) to baby showers.  Maybe I don't get it because the world they were living in is not my world.

Now I'm reading a book by P. D. James called The Lighthouse.  I'm only a little way in so no opinion on it yet.  But I do love a good murder mystery.  I just downloaded a new Michael Connelly book onto the iPad.  It's called The Closers.  I'm trying to read all of the middle of the series books that I haven't read yet and now some things from the later books are making sense.

Happy Yarn Along Wednesday!

Fingerless Mitts and a Vintage Swing Coat

A couple months back my mom bought me this really cool lime green, vintage swing coat.  It has three-quarter sleeves and I thought some fingerless mitts would be really cool.  (Karen had just made some cool mitts which gave me the idea).  I went to my LYS and was trying to match yarn to the coat.  The yarn shop lady suggested a contrasting color and picked up this gorgeous purple!  I immediately said that's it!  I used Cascade 220 superwash in Royal Purple!  

After a quick perusal of Ravelry, I found this pattern and like it's simplicity.  The pattern said to cast 28 stitches which was going to be way to small.  I made the right one and I worked them up in a night.  It was about two weeks before I started on the left one.  Thinking I remember how many I cast on for the right, I cast on 36 stitches and knit away.  Later than day when I was finished, I  then realized that I  must have only cast on 34 stitches for the right mitt.  And apparently I can't count either  because the left mitt is longer as well. 
I like the way the left mitt fits better so my plan is to frog the right mitt and cast on again with 36 stitches.  But first I need to make an aviatrix with the left over purple.  I am making a newborn size so shouldn't need all of the yarn.  And once I rip out the right mitt, I can use that yarn as well.  I'm hoping it will all work out.  That's what I get for thinking this was an easy project!!!

This Moment

This Moment
A Friday ritual
A single photo-no words-capturing a moment from the week
A single, special, extraordinary moment.
A moment I want to pause, savour, and remember.
This moment this morning at 6:30.
Joining with SouleMama.

Fall Time



It is most definitely fall!  I love this time of year.  It has most certainly gotten colder.  Right now it is only 36 degrees out.  We may hit 40 today.  In light of the much colder (than last week) temperatures it is time.  Time to change the bedding from the cool summer bedspread to the warm winter down comforter.  Time to get out the kitties box.  It is an old fruit box lined with a wool blanket.  It sits in front of the heater vent in the dining room.  They are happy little kitties now.  Time to put away the shorts and get out the jeans and long sleeve shirts and sweaters.  Yay,  it's sweater weather.

The leaves are dropping here in town.  The maple tree in the front yard is turning a pretty shade of red.  Up in the mountains a lot of the leaves just turned brown and fell.  Too much rain in the last month plus some early season cold and snow.

For the most part the garden has been put to bed for the winter.  We'll leave the carrots and dig them as we need them.  I'll use the leaf blower/vacuum and suck up the leaves to spread in the garden.  Then I just need to spread some compost on the garden and rototill it in.  I love working outside in the cool weather!




41/52


A portrait a week for a year.
This week- Corrine helping in the garden.  She most concerned for her worm family.  This is daddy worm (because he was the biggest).  She relocated him from one side of the garden to a new home.  

Pie Pumpkins

Note to self: always write down what is planted where.  

I have 62 New England Pumpkin Pie pumpkins, 2 (rather small and mostly still green) Jack o Lantern pumpkins and no butternut squash.  
What does one do with 62 pie pumpkins?  Give them all away, of course.  Why, you ask?  Because hubby and I don't like pumpkin anything.  Corrine might like it, but she won't get it here.

I have started baking them down for some people who want pumpkin and won't do it themselves or don't know how.  Even though it's super easy...I just cut the pumpkin in half, clean out the pumpkin guts, put each half upside down in a baking dish, pour water in the dish and bake in the oven at 375 until it's soft.  Then I scoop it out and puree it in the food processor.  I'm also going to bake down some pumpkins for my food swap next week.

I may have to put some on neighboring front porches (with a note on how to prepare it), ring the door bell and run like crazy!



Homemade Tomato Sauce

This past Tuesday I made tomato sauce.  There is nothing like opening a jar of sauce made from your own tomatoes!  Especially if it is in January or February and your eating tomatoes from South America that have been flown into the US.  

I know I've been complaining about it all summer, but this has been a strange garden year, at least for us here in the Denver Metro area.  We had unseasonably cool temps in July and August and a boat load of rain most of it coming three weeks ago.  These two jars are the total of the tomatoes that were in my garden, and I had to buy some to actually make this much.  
I froze some of the Roma Tomatoes as they ripened so they wouldn't go bad before I had enough to make some sauce.  The beefsteak tomatoes rotted with all the rain.  I also grew some Green Zebra tomatoes, but they did not peel well enough to get any sort of meat for the sauce.  (Hubby says they are good in salads though).

I'll list the ingredients that I put in (because I don't measure, I just taste)-
*Tomatoes, peeled and seeded.   I like to use a variety because my cousin says it is "like symphony in your mouth"
*brown sugar
*salt
*balsamic vinegar
*fresh (or dried) basil
*fresh (or dried) oregano and thyme
optional-
*roasted garlic
*red pepper flakes
*any other fresh or dried herbs to taste

A quick, easy way to peel tomatoes is to cut an "X" in the bottom of the tomato, drop it into a pot of boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Immediately plunge the tomatoes into ice water.  The skins should peel right off.  I squeeze the tomato a little to squirt out the seeds.  Chunk the bigger tomatoes and put them into a food processor or blender.  I pulse to keep it on the chunkier side.  Add tomatoes to a  nonreactive pot.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients to taste and bring to a boil.  Stir occasionally, reduce heat to a low-medium and cook for 60-80 minutes or the desired consistency is reached.

While the sauce is cooking, prepare canning jars.  Spoon 1T lemon juice into hot, clean jars.  Using a ladle, spoon sauce into jars leaving one half inch head space.  Wipe jars and adjust lids.  Process in a boiling water bath.  I boil the jars for 20-25 minutes, but we above 5000 feet.  Remove jars from water bath and listen for that satisfying "ping" to indicate the jar is sealed.  If you don't hear the ping, test the lid but pushing down in the center.  If it "pops" try to reseal it or use in the next two weeks.

I found the original recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  But I have since changed it and added things based on what is in my kitchen at the time of canning.  And I've never made a batch that is the same.   I'm debating whether to buy more tomatoes at the local nursery or buy sauce as needed this winter when my lone two jars are gone.

Yarn Along

It's Wednesday and that means it is time for the weekly yarn along.  I'm joining with Ginny and the others to share updates on books, knitting, and crocheting.   This weeks I've been working on C's Hanorah sweater.  Once I got a new set of knitting needles to replace the broken bamboo needles, it's been smooth knitting!  I got quite a bit done during the Bronco game on Sunday.  C was playing with the girls where we were watching the game so I didn't really need to check up on her since the older girls came and got me when I was needed.   I'm also working a pair of fingerless mitts.  I'll show those when they are both finished. 
I finished Needles & Pearls by Gil McNeil.  I enjoyed the story and am eagerly waiting for book number three, Knit One, Pearl One.  I may have to buy it.  I'm getting ready to start Girls in White Dresses.  I'll let you know how it is next week.

Happy Yarn Along Wednesday.

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