YoP Post #23

I have been making African Flower Motifs. I haven't done the white borders yet because I didn't know how they would be joined but I think I found a good tutorial to help me figure that part out :)

I finally found a pattern that I like for the Fingerless gloves for my Mom. Took me forever of searching but these will match the scarf I gave her for her Birthday and the shells hat too.

I want to post pics of something I tested for Marie at Underground Crafter. I'll wait though :) It's an awfully cute piggy. Which brings me to the Guinnea pig again. "Migdet" asked the Santa at the photo shop for one and he said "I'll see what I can do"! I was already going to try my hardest to get one but now I'll really have to bring my A-game. Oh well, I love Guinnea Pigs anyway. The're so sweet and cuddly and, most importantly, adverse to biting.

As to the changes in my YoP List, I want to be rid of the:

• Flowery Stitch markers (thread)
• Misty Shrug (nobody I know likes this)
• Crochet Socks (I like knitting my socks)
• Lace Gloves (thread)
• Swimming Hole (curls too much and I can't find a color for this I truely like)

And I'm exchanging these for :

•  Ivy League
• Snowman Ornaments (for next Christmas)
• Panda Silk Fan Shawl
• Renaissance Tunic 
• I Love This Wrap (2)
• Country Apples Afghan (for me!)
• Lacy Fingerless Gloves (this time for "Midget")
• African Flower Blanket (using this Tutorial and a different pattern)
• Kelp Forest Shawlette (if I can figure out these pattern directions)

I'm probably forgetting something but there always next week right?

Yop Post # 22

The hat is done! I wont show any pics till after Christmas. This is not, as some may think, because I want the finished hat to be a suprise for you guys too but instead it is because I was so excited to get it done I imediately wrapped it for Christmas. *sigh* I completely forgot to take a pic first.

I also finished the Leisel Scarf which only came out to 4 feet and a few inches. No where near long enough for a scarf so I sewed the ends together and made it into a cowl. I don't know if I will be keeping it or not but I really like it. It all depends on if someone unexpected comes to the family party and if that someone is a girl.

My  kid wants a Guinnea Pig fro Christmas. But not just a guinnea pig, Oh no, a guinnea pig from SANTA which makes it all a bit harder since I've no place to stash an animal for a few days to a week (which is when all the pet stores close for the holiday) nor do I have a cage and supplies for the thing either. Santa better get a move on! (^_^) What crazy things have your kids asked Santa for?

All in all no pics this week but Christmas is a very busy time for just about everybody so a little slacking off on the posting front is acceptable. Right?

Yop post # 21

This week has been pretty good to me :) Not only did I get some work done on the suprise H in the beginning of this week but I also got some work done on a few other things (school mwas out since Wed.) and I didn't have to cook dinner Twice! Yay!

Today is my day to cook. All Day. Then tomorrow we get to eat Turkey potpie (which I will call chicken potpie to make "Midget think it's not just Turkey again) and other variations till it's all gone :)

Here's what I've been working on.



I've started the decreases. Yay!

If she doesn't like it (unlikely) I'll wear it. I love this pattern. I did get quite jealous of the sweater and 2 hats someone else is knitting in this group. You know who you are :). But I got over that pretty quick. Especially when I saw that huge ball of ends she had to weave in. I probably wont ever be that fast but since it's the knitting I enjoy I can live with that.

I've gotten to the 3rd wedge of my sock heels. Lastly I've started a mystery/contest knit with my group. All I know so is that I need #2 DPN's and #9 straights and that Ethreal (?) is what we're going for. Plus beads. Can't show a pic till it's finished though :(.

Oh and I want to make something from this yarn I bought. It's a mesh but not like Katia with the thin and thick edges, just mesh. I don't really like the potato chip scarves, too dainty for me, but I would love to make some kind of shawl or wrap. Here's the yarn.


Brown, Beige, Cream, and Dusty Pink. though you can't tell from this pic

Next week...I'll detail the changes I've decided I have to make to my list. Till then...

Thanksgiving Crunch

Already beginning my Prep for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow my Gramdmother is having her T-Day lunch. Friday my Uncle, from the other side of the family, is having his dinner. Sunday My Family (in our household and Other Grandma) are having My dinner. That's a Lot of Turkey but it's also a lot of family time and that is never too bad :)

Here's the list of what I plan to make:
Devilel Eggs
Greenbeans and New Potatoes
Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Maple Glazed Carrots
Yams and Marshmallows
Rolls
Corn on the Cob
2 Pecan Pies
1 Cherry Cheesecake
3 Pumpkin Pies
And Turkey (Huge)

There's alot of veggies in there but that is to combat all the Pie. No really it's because nobody likes just 1 veggie I have 2 no-carrot people, I'm a no-greenbean person, and well corn is just so delicious that I couldn't resist.

I will be taking a couple pies to each party. Just so you know I wont be home stuffing them all in my gullet :) Each Day till Sunday will be a cooking day. The Turkey will need 24 hours to Brine in the fridge and all day in the oven. Sounds exausting, sounds like a long week, sounds.....

Like I can't wait!

P.S.

Did I mention they have a ton of Christian Books . Can you san "Candy Store" I love to read. Each of those waiting moments ( car rider line, bank line, practices) can be spent in a book. I especially love to be able to read aloud to my kid. I have read to her since, well lets say years. Before bed, before school(if we have a few minutes), after school etc... except now she gets to read to me after school :). Wonderful moments together all snuggly and quiet. When she was little, 3/4, I would gloss over any parts I didn't like but now she can follow along so she can see all those things/words I changed before. Big Uh-Oh moment the first time that happened let me tell you. I was in "BIG trouble" (her words). I love not having to do that! I think you will too. Check it out. Weather at the site or in a Christian book store near you, doesn't really matter there should be something you and your kid/s can get into and enjoy together.

You can find out more by visiting Life In A Shoe. Which is one of the Blogs I enjoy following or at Generation Cedar which I just found because of this giveaway but am already enjoying quite a bit.

Christian Living

Have you ever wanted to let your kids go crazy and pick a toy/book all on their own? I know I would love to. If I could just let her choose! So many of today's toys and books have references to unmentionable subjects woven into them. They're so subtle! Sometimes even I have trouble. I'll be reading a book and she'll ask me about it and I'll have to clean it up in order to tell her. I just don't realize how "bad" it got until I have to say it out loud.

Don't even get me started on Tattoo Barbie!, and those ugly monster/barbie/dracula dolls in all the stores around here. NEVER! I asked all the family to find "clean" toys but It's so hard to find affordable quality things in todays' TV fueled market.

Right now Vision Forum is having a giveaway through another blog I read regularly called Raising Olives. This is an unbelievable opportunity folks.
The prize is not just great in itself but If I win I could let my kid fun free and choose her own adventure. Plus for the first time I will be able to just watch and see what she really loves without her wondering if what she picks will upset me and me worrying I'll have to say no and explain another "fact of life". Have you ever had to explain why girls "like" girls to a 5 yr. old or why that guy on TV hit the woman? It's hard, to say the least, especially when you don't want to teach a child to hate or be mean but you really want them to understand.

Go on and check it out. I'm so excited about this!

Yop Update # 20

Absloutely no progress on my suprise hat! Someone has been home most of the week, sick, so not only no time for secret knitting but also I may be able to claim Insanity soon. I have had a bit of good/bad sock knitting this week though. I had to start over because when I picked up these socks to get started with them again I found a gaping hole. *sigh* but now I'm almost to the heel turn so Yay! These will be for me this time (I hope). I love this colorway.


I've actually gotten a bit further than this now. I'm into the darker blue again.


We've begun oue holiday decorating early this year. We just couldn't resist what with all the holiday music already on the radio stations. This is my major Holiday craft. It will take me about 10 years to complete by my calculations because I only work on it during the Christmas season and even then it has to share me with the knitting and present wrapping.

On a sadder note we (the family) have hit a run of bad luck. My Grandma broke her wrist just after last weeks Sunday post went out and The day before yesterday my sisters house burned down because of something with the clothes dryer. Lucky for her her 2 boys were at school and all she had to worry about was getting her and her daughter out. Now we're all going through our possesions and loading up the car for a trip down there to help out. Thanks to the Freecycle group I'm a member of we have much more than we could have collected alone and I think everything will be alright.

Hope everyone is well and happy. See you all next week.

Yop post # 19

I'm still plugging along on the hat though with the Veterans' Day school's out Holiday I didn't get as much done as I would have liked. I only got to put the border section on after the ponies and a tiny bit of the next chart, but not enough for anyone to figure out what it is so I didn't take a new pic.

I did start something new on the Holiday Vacation. Something I could work on with her watching (and drooling cause she wanted them to be for her). I think I love this pattern! So quick and easy. I only changed it a little bit to get rid of the big holes left when joining in the round.

And still working on the Leisel Scarf/Cowl. So close to finished now I almost can't stand it! I want to go ahead and put it on and prance around in it. The only thing that stops me is the thought of the needle falling out and all the tears that would follow.

Yop update # 18

Made it past the pony bit (^_^) There was some real doubt there too. I made it all the way to the ponies heads and tried it on. Almost complete disaster! It was too small. The black yarn I chose was too thin. The pattern calls for sport weight and the blue was perfect. The black said worsted weight and was too thin. Weird and soooo disappointing. It was so soft and snuggly and shimmery with little glittery highlights. I had to rip back to before all the color work. I'm telling you I nearly cried! I almost didn't pick it up again but I did and here it is.

To make the brim you have to knit 25 rows and then start the color work and at the top of the ponies you knit the row together with the cast on edge. Which I had already done when I found out it was too tight. *Sigh* 5 days to get that far and only 30 minutes to un ravel back to the picot edge.

The only other thing I had time to work on (if I wanted to stay on schedule) was my Leisel Scarf/cowl and I'm not going to post a pic of that as I only got about 8 more inches on it. I am down to slightly less than half a skein of this yarn left so I'm pretty sure it's gonna morf into a cute cowl just for me (^_^). About time I made something for just me and since I'm totally in love with it as a cowl it's perfect. Unless someone shows up as a suprise to our family Christmas party I'm keeping it.

Oh and a few revisements to my list but I'll detail them next week. I've been really trying not to revise because the whole point of this thing was to pick stuff you love and get it done, ya know, but I've found some things are just not going to happen. Like, well, anything with thread. I just can't seem to work with it without my hand and elbow acting up. Knitting with it is fine but not crochet so I'm gonna replace the thread crochet things with some of my newest favs. Besides I can't love it if I can't enjoy making it. I mean, that's why I decided to make Christmas presents in the first place. Some people enjoy going shopping for that perfect present (so do I sometimes especially for the men) and some people enjoy making the perfect present (lots easier for the girls and women in the family).

Have a lovely day everyone! I know I will because I won a giveaway from Underground Crafter. So excited! Still planning my giveaway. I believe I have decided to include everyone from the yop posters group if I can afford it because it just doesn't seem fair to not when they've been forced to read all my posts too. If you can will you tell me where your at (country) so I can inquire at my local post office how much it will cost.

Yop Post #17; Late!

Late! But with good reason I promise. I want to show you the start of "Midgets'" Christmas present so I had to wait till a school day :). It was so hard to wait too. This is my first real color work anything and I'm so excited about it! Only 2 colors but Eh, it's color WORK to me. I'm not very fast at any time but this is agonizingly slow going. I have been working on it during school hours and the first 25 rows were plain knitting (such a fan of that--Not!). Finally got to do some color rows and even though they take longer than the knitting rows (like 10min longer) it feels like I'm making so much more progress. Anyway here's a pic. I hope you love it as much as I do because till it's done it will be on this blog every week I think.

And then of course you've got the other present for the other person. Wen I decided to make these and put up that poll I had no idea my simply soft would look so gruesome in those patterns so I went back in and chose another pattern, a bit harder to understand so I might be asking an opinion on the meaning and method when I get to the base of thumb increases. Another Pic? Ok!

Finished another KAL. Pink thing all finished. Personally I hate it. Especially as a wrap/cape thing. Love it as a cute little scarf though.

I finished the Lavender scarf for my niece. It will go in the package with the Hat/Market bag and I think I have just enough yarn left for a pair of cute wristies.

I've also still been working on my Leisel Scarf. Gotten about a foot + longer. May turn it's self into my favorite ever cowl because it's looking like I may run out of yarn. But I Love cowls and I love not having those ends dangling and tangling in everything I have to get done outside. Most hated is the wet tipped scarf! :)

And this folks is my very first ever felted thing. I probably should have felted it farther but the pipe between the hot water spigot and the washing maching was leaking so I called it done. We usually only use cold water cycles so I just decided to be happy with it and move on. I did enjoy the felting process and the yarn (suprisingly) did not leak color everywhere, just on me during the knitting up. Next week--New KAL's YAY!

Yop Post #16

So most of my October KALs are over now and here is the first. I think it was supposed to be a hat for an adult but, kind of like a beenie but I don't like hats that don't cover the actual head :) so I gave it to a small girl I know who made good use of it on her "Baby". Cute pattern though almost makes me want to do another one in my size.

This is my Cheveron Cardigan. I made a guage swatch and everything but when I started to try the thing on I knew it was all wrong. It fits "Midget" perfectly. Evidently when I crochet in my rocking chair while watching TV, I tighten my stitches more than I ever thought possible. I decided to end it early so that it will be more "hip" and wearable for a younger person for Christmas.

Here is the scarf to go with that lavender marketbag/hat. If I have enough yarn I will be making some kind of wristies or something. Looks a bit thin but for an 8yr old it's just right.

This is a small bag. Small as in it might hold a skein of cute sock yarn and a little handmade booklet for making socks or a shawlette for a budding knitter friend of mine : )

My purple ribby turned out to be a wig! Very strange considering it's purple and all. I don't really like it but I do have a plan to turn it into something awesome. I'm gonna try adding a flap across the front and changing it into a baclava (?sorry spelling?)  It will still be purple but I don't think the chickens will care when I'm giving them their morning feed.



Just thinking

I was thinking about doing a giveaway here on this blog. I don't know much about how these things work except that shipping can be expensive and the post office doesn't allow some things to be shipped. O' there might be other things I know but lets assume I don't :) 

I have made it to my 100th post. This is something of a surprise to me because I started this blog in 2008 and promptly forgot about it. For TWO whole years!
I know that something must have been going on but for the life of me I cannot remember exactly what. Lots of bad and good things have happened between those years and I am sure I remembered a few times during that time but it is awful hard to get started again after stopping so completely.

Also I am about to see 1000 page views! Yay me! Considering that it's mostly you guys from the Year of Projects the giveaway will be featuring Knitting/Crochet I should think. Maybe some books? eh? Any advice you could give me about this would be welcome And thanks in advance for the support.

Yop Update #15

Tons of progress this week! Yay Me! Anyway I know your all just absolutely Dying to see the pics right :)



That pink bit of lace from last week.

 Yeah, the Mod from our group slammed us with a big clue. In order to finish before this weeks clue (which is "do it again!") I had to do 2 repeats of the pattern which takes roughly 3 hours for me. I'm just not very fast yet.


Shaping up

Another mystery. Maybe a cowl or hat? Still can't tell but it is beginning to look cute. Maybe I'll keep this one. I do like the earth tones.

I just started this 2 days ago. It will be the Chevron Cardigan. Not in love with this cardi but it's a group thing and Other people (family) seem to like it so at least I can gift it when it's done. That purple thing beneath the pink cardi is the 7 inches of ribbing from last week. Got that part done and already on to clue 3 which is decreasing. I think most of you will laugh when I finally get it done.

With the purple project has come a decision though. I will not be making the Spock hat. I refuse to go through another battle with ribbing it is one of my most hated tasks. Always makes my hands and elbow hurt! All that flipping back and forth.

A cute hat. Hopefully by Christmas will have a cute little scarf to match. This project got Derailed It was actually supposed to be a Market Bag. I was working on it when "Midget" had her dentist appt. and she wanted to try on my "hat" So it became a hat set for her cousin which is perfect because I had decided I did not want to make the bag anymore. Fate, yes?

Liesel Scarf

Still working on this scarf and loving it but it never seems to grow. Probably because I've been working on the pink thing so much  : )

It all adds up to a good week. For me anyway. Gonna go read, read, read. Won't comment much because my Comp wont let me but I'm sure you know I am enjoying all the awesome progress.

Yop Post 14: Uh-Oh!

Okay so I was sick for a couple weeks and didn't touch a atitch of knitting or crochet and I think it did something to me. I must have gone nuts! I have been starting projects right and left. I have got to stop! Here's what I've been lured into so far.


7 inches of ribbing? What was I thinking!

 I mean really. Not even half done with this bit. I dislike ribbing intensely. I thought hey since I have the yarn and needles why don't I join in this KAL and of course it's a Mystery so not only was the ribbing a suprise but I need it done by next week too.*Sigh* Already dug out the yarn so decided to try to keep up and get it done anyway.

Another Mystery Project: also spur-of-the-moment decision

 Maybe a hat or cowl? Really dont know but I love workiing on this one. Each clue has only taken me about half an hour. 9 rounds goes pretty quick when your using bulky yarn and #8's.


Liesel Scarf: KAL 

  Another group project but I couldn't help myself with this one. When the group Mod. said maybe something with leaves for a Fall KAL I went through my Fav's from Ravelry and sent her the links to like 6 projects the most people decided on this one and since I had suggested them all I knew I would love making it. Needs blocking in a bad way. Going to try to Block it so that the line in the middle shows and the edging is more straight.



Colors for my 8yr olds Hat

Blue is her favorite color right now and the black makes the perfect contrast. I will be starting the "Running Horse Hat" from my Yop list soon. Gotta measure her head and make a gauge swatch. This is going to be a suprise so I'll have to work on it during school hours or maybe while she spends the night at someones house.


Spock

I think I mentioned Spock in my last post. Well he is Finished! Very small guy so I decided he would be a stocking stuffer for my Father. My frist little stuffed toy! Not perfect (I just know I either lost or gained sts and made probably a bajillion other mistakes) but I love him. He's so tiny and cute! I also plan to make a hat for him with Spock ears. The pattern I plan to use is knitting but I think I will make the hat in crochet and add knitted ears to it. 


Lace Mystery

Another new project that I showed you the start to last week but not really. I did post a pic last week about this lace thing I was making but on row 9 of our 2nd clue I dropped the thing. I could not figure out how to pick up the sts that were lost. I ripped it back and started over! There was just no correcting the holes left when I dropped sts during the 9 Fishnet Lace rows. Oh well.
Last is the poll I put up last week. I gave 4 options and let you choose your fav. Memphis was the most loved and so I started them. They looked AWFUL the Mango yarn was a terrible choice for tha pattern and I could not continue with them when just looking at them made me sad and frustrated. I tried each of the patterns in the poll and they were all disasters. Too shiny, bright, bad stitch choice...you name it they were U.G.L.Y. Lucky for me I found a pattern on Rav. which looked good and behaved nicely with my slippery/shiny yarn. I'll get that pattern link for you guys soon. I think you'll love it like I do. Still elegant without being too much.

Told ya I'd started too much. Must have withdraws from my 2 weeks of no crafting. I still have 4 things OTN besides all these. maybe my urge to start things will deminish soon. If it doesn't I'll be swimming in projects with not a free needle in sight. Off to check out all your posts. Have a wonderful week.

Yop post #13: Getting Better

I am feeling much better these days. In fact I have acutally been crafting for about 2 days. Weird thing though because after almost 2 weeks my hands began to hurt in the first half hour so I've had to ease back in. Never happened to me before. Course I've never taken such a long break either :). Thanks to all who sent get well comments. Really brightened my days while I was awake!

Now for a poll. I have this scarf and this hat I think you remember them... The secret ones...well I need to make fingerless Mitts to match and I've chosen a few of my favs to put in a poll. Your answers will be taken into account when I choose the pair to make. Remember everyone that the color is Mango and I'll only be using 1 color.

Fall Mitts: Love these but must learn to Rib in Crochet

Garnet Fingerless Mitts

Wristwarmers: all in one style

Memphis Wrist Warmers: Very elegant but I'm not that great at crocheting in the round. I always gat that silly line curving up whatever I make when I join. Plus I only have 1 color.



Those are the choices. Please weigh in here and let me know what you think.

Now for some other things I've been playing with.

 A little Lacy Pink Mystery for my Mystery 220 group. Once again the pic went side ways. Gonna drive me crazy later but right now I'm getting tired again.

This little thing will be Spock. My dad loves Startrek and there will be a hat to go with it complete with Spock Ears. Chat again next week. Can't wait to go nap and then check out all your yop posts.

Yop post 12

Sick. No knitting, No Crochet. Feel Icky. Going to bed. Next week...

YoP post #11, Shh! It's A Secret

More socks this week. This time just for me... at least I think this pair is for me :) sometimes things just don't work out for me, too big-too little. But this time I WILL get it right! I just know it. Here's a Pic of the toes which are done so I can move on to the pattern rows. Yay!

One of my newer projects are these adorable tiny bunnies. This one is only about the size of a penny. The whole point of these is to lose them. I know crazy right? So you make a bunch then take them with you whenever you go out someplace and put them with a little note attached in unexpected places to brighten peoples day. Example.. library, grocery store, bank.....only since there so small be sure to put them out of childrens reach like the Non-Fiction section of the Library or the top half of the grocery shelves. You could of course make them with worsted yarn and leave them almost anywhere. The point is to make someone smile for a while. Most of my scraps lately have been from all those socks I'm churning out so all my bunnies are tiny. There's a whole Group about it on Ravelry so come chect it out if your interested.

A sweet find during my Saturday yardsale adventures. I do love to find something I want at a really good price and this was free! I'm using it for my crochet hooks :) Perfect right?

 

My very first Felting project. Don't know what it is but can't wait to find out. The color runs a bit (turned my finger greenish a bit while knitting) and I don't know what to do about that so if anyone has any Idea whats gonna happen when I try to felt it please let me know. If you've ever had this problem you could take away a quite a bit of my anxiety just by leaving me a comment. I really hope it wont mess up my washing machine.

Here's the suprise! I finished the hat I am making for my Mother for Christmas. Matches the scarf pretty well. Now all I have to do is make up the Wristies/fingerless gloves and the set will be ready.

Maybe for next weeks post you all can find out what I plan to make for my Father.

Crochet VS. Knitting

when I first began to knit 1 year ago (plus a few months) I was sure I would never Crochet. Not even a chain! I had been told and had read (in S. McPhee's book) that crochet was a waste of yarn and that it may be quicker but if you had limited funds for you stash building then each stitch in crochet used 3x the amount as a knit stitch. So as a beginner I decided not to waste yarn, at least not that way :) (there was a lot of wasting and longish ends and mistakes).

Then I decided about 3 months ago to do a patternwhich called for a *gasp* chain. I tried to do it without looking. Failed. Borrowed a book and read Only the How to Chain part. Failed. Then I bit the bullet and just read the durn book.

The patterns were fabulous-the language was jibberish. Really loved the patterns though! Borrowed a Video. I did much better with that. I know because the first of my Granny Squares was born (Shameful yes, still working on the same ones as my YOP project list) So I made a few washcloths and a baby blanket and I love to crochet. Still love my knitting too.

What I've gotten from all this? Well I firmly believe that Crochet is not a total waste. So okay I wouldn't use it for everything but really who would only color in say violet for the rest of thair lives.

Knitting is done nice and thin unless you purposely Double knit or add cables. If you are going to do that then your using just as much yarn as you would with crochet. So if I want a nice thick cloth I crochet and if I want a thin piece I knit and if it dosen't matter, I use what I like or what has the best looking pattern. I think if I ever wanted a really warm blanket I would crochet in sc all the way! none of tha washcloths was ever tighter and thicker than that and I tried each st I learned as a cloth first.

So tell me what you think Knitting VS. Crochet?

YoP Sunday Update #10

Haven't gotten to anything off my list lately. Too bust exploring my new love of sock making. 3 Pair down and 1 pair on the needles. I am trying to slow down and get back to the list so the pair OTN is going to be just "waiting/visiting" knitting.

I do have a question for everyone though. Do you take your on the go project with you everywhere or would it be considered rude to take it with you to...say a barbeque? I took mine and worked away at a pair of socks while chatting with the family and friends that my uncle invited. That is pretty much when I decided I may be knitting too much or at least too many socks.

I have been working on that uber secret matching set for a B-day present but I still can't show any pics yet and I have done a few rows of my other wip's (the mystery shawl and Cornfield stirt), started something new and quick too. I think I needed a quick project to make me feel like I was getting somewhere.

As to the Mystery shawl, I'm glad so many people like it, I had wondered if whoever gets it for their present was going to like it with so many different designs going on and absolutely no symmetry, so that bodes well :). I didn't mean last week that I wasn't going to work on it anymore just that I disliked that week's clue. I've moved on to the next clue now so once it's done I'll post another pic.

Speaking of Pics here's a couple to show what I've done lately. The socks without their ends woven in yet.

Another start to a baby set. 2 little mitts in a soft lilac color with shells added to make then girlier.

A Trip To Apple Country

I don't know about everyone else but I would rather take short Day Trips than go on a true vacation. For one thing your money spending is spread out, meaning we are more likely to be able to stop and look around if I see a good Yarn Shop or touristy place. Also each season has it's activity, at least to me. It's nice to go to the beach but if you have to drive more than 3 hours It's gonna cost ya (gas, hotel, food) which for us means fewer trips. I like to go only about 2 hours or less on our Mini-Vacations. Get off at 1 exit and both side of the road are littered with the Apple Orchard signs. We call this place Apple Valley because it's up in the Mountains of Western North Carolina


This Trip was to Hendersonville for some apple picking. There's this site I go to that lists a lot of Pick-Your-Own Farms. I have a garden and a tiny Postage Stamp Orchard but nothing is quite like going to a nice big orchard and exploring all the different varieties of apples (or any other P-Y-O produce). Rows upon rows of colors, flavors, and textures.

Last time we went apple pickin' (2 years ago at Coston Farm) I made homemade Jelly and Concentrated Apple Juice and a little bit of Dried Apples for baking and such. The jelly was good, the juice was perfect for taking on camping trips because I canned it in little half pint jars so it made a nice big glass of apple juice, just add water-style but the dried apples went awful fast around here.

See what I mean about variety! Some for eatin', some for Homemade Apple Pie Filling (recipe later) and the rest for Dried Apple Bits. I am kinda realistic about our fruit habits around here. Only got about 18 or so for eating and Gala is totally the winner there. All-in-all I think we picked 6 varieties (that big one doesn't count it's just decoration).

I want at least 4 pint jars of dried apple bits. We love having Hot Apple-Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Oatmeal especially come Winter. Sounds bad for you with the brown sugar but "Midget" likes to see me sprinkle a bit on, it's mostly for show since I  only put a Tbls in the pot while I'm cooking everyones breakfast.


The place we went this year was Grandad's Apple Orchard. It was awesome! They had a corn maze (I didn't get any pics of that because of the misty drizzle coming down) and some animals to feed and even a few scary Dinosaurs. Here's a cute pic of the hungry critters.

You can just see the tail of the Triceratops? dinosaur in the top corner :) and the Raptor in the other top corner.

One of my favorite kind of trips is just driving around until you reach a small town and then discovering everything it has to offer. All the little shops in Town and country roads leading to who knows where.

After all that excitement I got to stop by a Yarn Shop too! Got some fuel for my new Sock addiction. I get a little bored going up the foot (toe-up) but once I get to the heel I fall in love with socks all over again (thank you Sweet Tomato Heel and Cat Bordhi). Plus some nice black yarn, so black it gets red hints when the light hits it just right and some black with silver twined in. That's it for this post folks. If anyone from Ravelry-Yop is reading this "Hello from the other half of my life : )".

YoP Blog-A-Long #9

Not alot of variety around here this week but plenty of progress anyway. I said last week that my Sock KAL had started and for me it was soooo much fun! I even decided to make another pair right away. The first pair (Adult) were too big by about 1/2 inch so they went to my Mother and the second pair (child) went to my kid and are 1/4 inch too small. *Sigh* So someone might be getting a pair of colorful socks for Christmas. Slight variations on pattern and off with another pair for "Midget" this time in blue. You can see them at the end of this post. That should keep you reading :) I think. Fortunate for me my whole family (the ppl I knit socks for) like ankle socks so it's way more worth the price of sock yarn, especially since I only buy it "on sale". I still have enough of this color to make 2 more pair for only 3 bucks it's almost what socks cost at the store.

We re stained the floors this week as well. Just didn't feel the first coat was dark enough and the second coat really added the shine and texture we were looking for. You can see a little foot down there too, someone decided to go running across my picture. All in all a unique pic if I do say so myself.

I don't know what to thing about this weeks clue to my mystery Wrap. It keeps going but I've decided to stop right here I just see no point in continuing when I dislike it so much. I do love the leaf part but I hate it when they break up repeats like that with half a leaf at the bottom and the other half continued at the top. Still I do love this mystery in the all together.

Good! You made it this far :) Here's the newest pair of socks for my girl, cast on from memory and modified for rounder toes. They look bigger but really that's only an inch and a half of work for 2 hours of conversation/knitting multitasking. I'm doing these from 1 skein so pulling one from inside and 1 from outside the skein. I knew that this would mean I'd have to make 2 pair this way to get them to turn out the same but I decided "why not". Then I remembered that knitting with wool means a different texture from each direction as well. I rubbed the yarn one way and then the other way and there isn't much difference with this yarn and since I'm making 2 pair I don't think it would matter anyway but it did give ma a moment of panic. Can you imagine wearing 1 nice sock and 1 scratchy sock, Ick!

Anyway there's my week. I can't believe all of you have gotten so much done. Big things too! Blankets, Shirts, Shawls and here I am complaining about a couple pair of socks taking a whole week and a half. Beautiful work ppl.