A Knitters Garden

 My garden these days is getting a bit rumbly bumbly.  The weeds are crowding around my perennials and veggies like ants to a lollipop.  The sun is scorching all but the most hardy of flowers.  See those Ox Eye Daisies starting to curl?

 The dill is starting to bend over - to tall to hold its own in this big mess of green.

Just on the other side of the rickety pickety fence, there is a nice shady place.  I spent a moment there today because I saw tiny red dots among the shade and green.

There was a decent breeze that kept these little raspberries dancing and bobbing about, which is why the picture is blurry.

Back up to my happy spot to work on my next project.

SUMMERTIME!!!

It's been so amazingly hot and humid.  The best part about living in Minnesota is that there is always a lake nearby to throw oneself into.   Here's a few shots of the best jumps caught on my camera.

Top the day off with a wee bit of heaven. . .

 Happy Fourth of July!!!

Knitting is back.

I was browsing through my favorite blogs when I came across some pretty little socks on We Heart Yarn and I found myself leaping to my feet and dusting off my box of knitting needles.  The crochet hook will have to wait.

Thankfully, my days of hoarding luxurious sock yarn has paid off and I indulged my urge to knit instantly.

Let's see.  This pattern is fun and playful.  I need a yarn with a good sense of humor.  Aspen green, no.  Not right.  Ah.  Here it is.  Madeline Tosh sock in "Beach Towel".

The pattern is called Toasty Twist Socks by Teresa Fox.  G from We Heart Yarn modified hers with a linen stitch heel and I liked it so much I'm doing the same.

Keeping busy?

 Hello out there.  It's me again.  And yes, I've become blasé about keeping the blog up to date.  This doesn't imply I haven't been busy at the needles.  In fact, if I have some down time, that's where you'll find me . . . merrily knitting or crocheting away.    I made these little plant pockets after I saw them here on Ravelry. 

 I'm using up old stash yarn and will have my entire porch surrounded in no time.  They are very simple to make.  Let me know if you want any specs and I'd be happy to share.

I have also been busy on Monstro - the ripple blanket from planet Acid-Trip.  Umm. I'm really not all that hip on the whole color scheme.  But in the end, this sham-wow of a blanket will bring a bit of racy color to my plain old family room couch which is a very boring beige.  The pattern and very easy tutorial is found right over there on Attic 24. 

Happy Spring!

Knitting on the Road

 We recently drove out to Montana for a family spring-break trip that took us 19 hours one way.  There was plenty of time to get the fiber fun-bag out and work a bit on my zig-zaggy blanket.  I can almost do this blanket with my eyes closed.  19 hours of crochet will do this to a person.

We spent the first part of our vaca at the local ski-bum hill.  They were having the end-of-the-year party, so we stayed after for the festivities which included a pond-skim competition.  I've seen this on tv, but never in person.  I could not believe the courage of these people.  Really.  They don't heat that water and it's about 3 1/2 feet deep.  This was the youngest competitor.

 This was the most graceful contestant.  I'd like to think that's what I'd look like.

The rest of the week was spent hunkered down at the cabin reading, crocheting, watching the boys prep for their little fishing excursions on the local rivers.

 Here are a couple of flies.  Teeny tiny.  They managed to catch a few fish on those little buggers.

I went to town and found this little sign hanging in a local cafe.  I don't know who said it, but it's good words to live by, don't you think?

The agony of guilt.

Those labs just can't control themselves.  It's genetic, I swear!

I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor. . .

I'm being swallowed by a by a big huge mother of an afghan, that's for certain.  I was dragging this cute little project around with me while I attended my duties as a mother - piano lessons, sporting events, etc. etc. etc.   

But recently, after two grueling 19 hour drives to Montana and back, the thing has begun to get a bit unwieldy.  Its proportions are not fitting into my little day bag.  I'm having to roll it up into a tube shape that's the size of a toddler.  But I continue on.  I'm not sold on all the colors I chose, but there is no turning back now.  It's still King sized and there it stays.

I'm going to have to choose a new project to be my 'mom's waiting in the parking lot' bit.  Something smaller, like a pair of socks.  I'm getting an itch to hold my knitting needles once again.  

I finished my slash-handled bag.  I returned the library book before I had a chance to read the pattern, so I fudged it.   

Here she is pre-felted on my front porch.

And here she is drying in the warm sun after a good washing.  

And here she is after I left her outside for a moment to go warm up my coffee.

Hmmmmm.

You wouldn't know anything about this, would you?

Specs:  Knit Picks Wool of the Andes (nice buy).  Chained 150 and worked a tube with two rows of double crochet for each color.  For the slash handle, I worked 25 stitches, chained 25 (and skipped 25 stitches), then continued dc for 25 stitches - repeat for the other side.  When I came around for the second row of that color, I triple-crocheted across the top of the handle and then fudged it when I joined the other side.  If you try it, let me know and I'll give a better description.  It was fast and fun.  Perfect bag for a gray spring day, don't you think?

Keepin' your finger on the pulse . . .

I just downloaded THE best album and I'm loving every damn minute of it. 

It's a new album by Lionel Richie called "Tuskegee".  The entire album is remakes of his hits but the twist is that he is singing duets with a whole slew of country singers.  If you ever had the radio on in the 70's-80's, then you will LOVE this album.  

Next post will have some fiber fun to share!  I promise!

Zombies! Run!

 I do not enjoy exercising all that much and from the looks of a lot of people around here, I'm not the only one.  So I have to tell you about what actually got me moving and . . . brace yourself . . . I enjoyed it!

If you have an iPhone (I don't, but my son does . . . long story) there is an app called "Zombies, Run!". You turn it on and go for a walk/run (for real) and zombies chase you (not for real).

It is so funny! If you slow down, the zombies will start to catch up to you and you can hear them moaning and dragging their feet. There is a storyline to go along and the background music is your own playlist. So fun!

Throw your running shoes and your headphones on and start the app.  You can turn off your screen and it will continue to play, so you can run hands free.  Each "mission" is about 25-30 minutes, which is a good length for a workout, don't you think?  

 

Here is the link:  Zombies! Run!

Taste the Rainbow

The kids made this chilly fella a few weeks ago. 

I went outside to take a picture, but he had entirely vanished.  You see, it's hot.  I mean, 70 degrees hot.  Not your average 35 degree March thaw.

Strange weather does strange things to people, so between stints of crocheting my rainbow-colored slash handled bag . . . 

and throwing the ball for ol' whats-her-name . . . 

I made this for my dad's birthday.  Straight out of the 1970's church potluck experience.  The original may have had some marshmallows in it, too, but I thought this was pretty enough as it was.

So here is what to do:

1. Buy 6 small boxes of jello in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple and a large container of sour cream.
2. Dust off your bundt pan.
3. Pour 1 cup boiling water into the first color and stir for about 2 minutes.  
4. Pour just over 1/2 cup into a bundt pan and chill outside (if you're cold enough) or the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Mix 3 Tablespoons (or a nice big glob) into the remaining jello and whisk until it smooths out all the little chunks.  
6. After the first layer has set for 15 minutes, GENTLY spoon the creamy layer on and set it in the fridge for another 15 and start the next color.  

HA!  That's it.  Add fruit or marshmallows or whatever your grandmother used to do. My grandmother would put shredded pineapple and pastel marshmallows in hers and I believe she used cottage cheese instead of sour cream. 

What to do. . .

I'm rippling along on my Neat Ripple blankie when I realize that I'm being swallowed by a boa-constrictor of a project.


 Ok.  I'll admit I thought the original chain I made seemed a bit short and wimpy so I may have added a few extra chains.  The throw is now large enough for a king-size bedspread.  No exaggeration.  To boot, I'm using a G hook which is like a US 3.  What the hell.  Do you see my little pink G hook down there?  T.I.N.Y.

What to do?  What to do?  Should I yank it all out and start again?  I mean, this will be a mother-F$%#er of a blanket.  And will I really make another one of more appropriate proportions once I've completely burned myself out of the whole ripple mess?  This may be my one and only.  What do I need with a King Sized THROW!?

What to do?  What to do?