Pumpkin Patch Socks!

My camera didn't pick up on the vibrant colors....but the orange is a true vibrant pumpkin color!!

Makes me anxious for Fall!! Cooler temps and all the pumpkins, mums, hay bales and cornstalks that magically appear all over town and on front porches!!

I love to cook with pumpkin too!! Just have to be sure and keep my toes covered!! LOL!!!

NEVER Cook With Naked Feet

ESPECIALLY when it lands on your foot.......and you are wearing flip flops!!

If it can go wrong in the kitchen it has gone wrong in mine....as a matter of fact I'm going to write a book one of these days on what NOT to do in the kitchen! But back to my TOE!!!

As I was unsafely moving a potato from a boiling pot of water with a skewer to the cutting board mistakenly (in retrospect) placed on the OPPOSITE side of the kitchen the potato fell apart....and landed in part on my big toe.....I have a BLISTER!!! I am in pain .....I'm talking PAIN here!!!! I can't decide which hurts worse....the heat of the burn or the pain of the cold from the ice or the humiliation of being so STUPID!!!

I can NOT believe I am even admitting to something so stupid.....but I will be a big person and put my embarrassment and humiliation aside in hopes that someone will benefit from my injury.....if not....perhaps you will have a good laugh! LOL!!!

Note to self: Best to knit instead of cook!!

Bloggers Meet

(This picture was taken at the local coffee house.....NOT at Velma's bar.....and NO I am NOT drunk....I only look that way...HONEST!!)

I was so tickled that Ginger was able to attend Chicks With Sticks last night!! Ginger and I have been blog buddies for several weeks. I found Ginger's blog through Emily's blog under her Alabama Knitters button.

I'm not very good at meeting strangers......I'm pretty awkward.....well, VERY awkward when I meet new people but meeting Ginger was like being reunited with an old friend! First thing we did was hug....(I'm a hugger).....and I immediately knew she was as precious as her emails!! What a SWEETIE she is!! When you have time.....and you will need time......go through her archives! Ginger and her DH travel all over the south to all the out of the way, unique places that make the South so special and shares info on where to stay, great places to eat, etc. PLEASE check her site out....your are in for a treat.....oh.....and did I mention she is a Craft Queen as well as a knitter? She brought me this!



Among all the crafty projects Ginger undertakes she made this sugar scrub! It has a GREAT scent and is right up my alley as I am a bath product junkie!!

Feed The Stash!!!

I needed some eyelash to add with yarn purchased awhile back for a couple of scarves. I ended up with this:

The lighting isn't very good but this is a GREAT variation of greens that I LOVE.....just couldn't pass up!

I just love this color combination!!!

This is for two scarves....not sure if they will be Christmas or Birthday gifts!

SOCK yarn!!

The blue is a boucle yarn that I have never seen and I am going to attempt to make a very small shawl/very large scarf! The other two skeins are for triangular scarves knitted on size 19 needles (Thanks Jan!)......these go sooooo fast and everyone that sees them has asked for one!

A Blatant Case Of Bragging!

I would like to invite everyone to bookmark my nephews blog and follow his journey through Spain beginning today until he returns mid December. Please feel free to comment and let him know you are a friend of mine.

http://thereandbackasemesterinspain.blogspot.com/

Brent is a phenomenal kid....um....I mean.... man! He has worked very hard to get where he is in life and I could not be more proud of him!!!

On the knitting front: The purple "thang" is gone. Even the cat wasn't interested in it......just looked at me like PULEASE, whipped her tail as if to say humph ....and sauntered off!! I would have posted a pic but it was just too sad to show! LOL!!! After I gave it a "trim" I realized it was a good thing I went in the medical field rather than the hair dressing venue!! LOL!

Working on a sock.....will post pics later! I appreciate your support of Brent's travels and his blog!

What Makes a GREAT Saturday?????

What could be better than a Saturday????

The mail lady bringing a box.......to your door........from KNITPICKS!!!!!! Oh happy, happy, joy, joy!!!

I saw the Holiday Knits book at In The Making.....but they only had the shop copy....good for me because I found it at Knit Picks.......CHEAPER!!!!

The fall colored hank of yarn is Memories, Redwood Forest, the blue is Memories, Yukon, the Simply Stripes is Autumn, got a couple of size 2 circular needles.....Tonni (bless her heart) is going to show me how to make socks on circular needles.....hope it will be the end of the dropped/lost needles!!!

Another Blue Sky Saturday

Another Blue Sky From Trussville!! Early this morning the temperature was actually below 70 degrees!! Woo Hoo!!!

Raimie Noodles On Acid............Scarf!

I received a comment on my last sock post about my "spaghetti" yarn.....which reminded me I didn't post a picture of my scarf I named "Raimie Noodles On Acid".....looks like ramie noodles doesn't it???

I had to promise Max a bisquet to pose....but....just like me he will do most anything for food!! LOL!!!

I DID discover that I made the scarf wayyy longer than I wanted it to be!! I finished the scarf at a recent Sticks With Chics gathering.....I tend to get distracted....guess that's where that extra 24" came from!!! LOL!!!

I'm thinking about trying to "undo" back about 2 ft....but not sure if it will "undo" without a major hassle. Hmmm....have to think about this one!!

Sock...........NOT!!!!

WELL......a funny thing happened when I cast on for this sock!! You know when you have a pattern that says cast on.....oh.....say..... 56 (62) (72)?

Apparently, when I cast on I glanced at the largest size sock to cast on for rather than the smallest size! UGH!! Needless to say I knew it wouldn't fit.......and now I have THIS!!!


THIS!!!!!!!



NOW I have to start all over! I figured out what I did when I went to make the heel flap and discovered all the "extra" stitches! (Wish I had been bright enough to catch on earlier....but NO.....even with the occasional stop to be sure I had the correct number of stitches on my needles did it dawn on me that it was the WRONG SIZE SOCK!!!

Waaaaa, Waaaaa, Waaaaa!!! What I get for being in my usual rush to get things done!!

Oh Well.......at least I know what my "next" project is going to be! LOL!!!! Why....yes.....it will be a SMALL sock thank you very much!!!

If Your Purse Needs A Trim Do You Have To Make An Appointment?

Remember this?


WELL.......a funny thing happened when I felted it....the purse pretty much disapeared and I was left with this, this, moppy, looking thing!! I used a rasberry colored yarn with the "fur"...BUT apparently the person helping me choose yarn didn't realize that everything else would felt down and the fur would appear to GROW!!

I used the same pattern for my first purse and it didn't turn out like this AT ALL!! The bottom part of this bag pretty much felted completely away!!!

Sooooooooo.......do I give this shaggy mess a trim and see if I can salvage this or just give it to the cat to "kill"?

Currently On My Needles

I have started another pair of socks....probably for Princess Cupcake. I also needed to give my hands a break and started a scarf. For some reason my hands have been sore these past few days....I have not worked on anything but socks lately and I'm sure my technique of holding the sock could most likely be improved on and has contributed to this.

The picture doesn't look very impressive but the yarn for the scarf is really nice....albeit a bit more expensive then I would normally put into a scarf for myself! Serendipity had this scarf on display and I couldn't resist! I discovered when I started the project that the black yarn is only 78 yards so it may end up an expensive disapointment by being too short....hopefully it will work out!

I felted my purse last night and it is currently in the drying phase.....NOT sure how it is going to turn out.....the lighter purple "furry" type yarn I used sort of reminded me of the way my cat looks when wet! LOL!!! The jury is still out on this one.....may end up being a basket for the cat to sleep in if she can fit inside! LOL!!

UFO found in Trussville!!!!

While digging through my UFO pile....(shoving the vest I started two years ago to the bottom of the pile)....I found THIS.....this.......purple...... "thang".......I know it is a purse to be felted.....just not sure why I was making a purple purse or for who! I took a class at the local A.C. Moore and I remember buying more yarn for another purse...don't get me wrong....I LOVE purple......just not sure why I wanted a grape purple purse mind you! Nevertheless, I'm going to dig out my pattern, work on an I-chord for the handle...or may investigate my options and hopefully have a pic posted in the next few days. Man....I had forgotten how big these suckers are before felting!!!!

What's A Girl To Do?

What do you do when you have a friend over for dinner and the power goes off.....and STAYS off? Why you have a bottle of Mad Housewife wine of course!! Hee! Hee!


And because it has been awhile since anyone has seen Gracie kitty....myself included....here she is. Picutre was made last night. Amazingly made during an intense thunderstorm...she who is terrified of breathing in general was calmly lying next to the window while lightning was popping like crazy.....while Max was petrified and cowering under the bed!!!

I have pulled out some UFO's will post tomorrow and hopefully get one purse felted and posted in the next day or so.

:) WHAT in the WORLD is this you ask????? I am calling it a Wookie Fruit.....discovered at Publix in the organic fruit section! There was quite an interest in the small crate of these weird looking little guys!! Just HAD to buy a couple to see what it tastes like......after all.....at my age (Which I am NOT stating thank you very much).....there just aren't too many "new" things left to experience!!

I had been warned by Mr. Produce Man that it looked like a fish eye when you cut into it and to not be too grossed out..and to be careful when peeling as the insides sort of "pop out"...and he was right. When cutting through the center it DID look like a fish eye!! I took the other Wookie Fruit to Jasper for Princess Cupcake to see and taste....she wasn't too sure at first!

We cut the end off, then the thick, prickly outer skin peels off easy...the fruit almost "pops" out!! Contains a teeny tiny seed that is hard like a peach pit. The fruit...what fruit there is....(about the size of a large grape) has a weird rubbery texture but very easy to chew!! Tastes SWEET, not not like any sweet you have tasted before......unfortunately it would take about 3 doz. to get a small bowl......this is one of those things that is fun to try but not something you would add to your regular diet!
Finished my second "adult" size pair of socks!! Still have a few issues where the stitches aren't joined QUITE tight enought at certain points. But still better each time I make a pair so I'm just darning as I go!! LOL!!! I am going to start my next pair for Princess Cupcake!!




Not the best picture.......but I made this baby cap this weekend for a cousin's baby that is due in September, also making 2 of the M/D baby bibs, and the M/D Kimona. LOVE making the little caps!! Made from Cotonade, 100% cotton yarn...so soft!!

I present to you........(drum roll please)......my FIRST PAIR of socks!!!! Please note how I chose ON PURPOSE not to have these socks exactly match up.....it takes WORK to make this happen!!

Oh ....Alright.......I didn't even THINK about matching up the yarn till I put the darn things on last night at which point it stood out like crazy!!!

Oh well.......I had planned on these being worn around the house so I'm not going to rip them out and reknit to match!! These are made with Knit Picks yarn. 75% wool, 25% Nylon......after wearing for awhile they are sort of itchy.....I mean they ARE itchy.....not in the "where's the Calamine" capacity....but itchy enough that I notice it.....I'm hoping this will get better after I wash them? I'm Hoping? Someone please tell me this is so???!!!

Be just my luck after all the "cryin n cussin" to FINALLY make a pair of socks only to discover I can't wear the darn things!!!!

Today's Saturday Blue Sky.....FINALLY can actually see some blue sky and white clouds....with a few hopeful rain clouds thrown in! Taken at 2:00 from my office window.

Still working on my green sock mate.....will post a pic tomorrow. In the meantime.

Friday Five For Five

5 Things Always In My Purse

1. My Checkbook

2. A tiny bottle of hand gel disinfectant

3. A Brighton ink pen I got a million years ago...very pretty!

4. Sunglasses

5. wadded up paper....I never litter.

5 Things Always In My Wallet

1. DL

2. Debit Card

3. Gas Credit Card

4. A list of book authors I like because I get overwhelmed when at the bookstore and can't remember names!

5. Insurance card

5 Things Always In My Fridge

1. Diet Cokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Pitcher of tea

3. Sugar Free Jello Pudding (I love that stuff!)

4. Milk

5. Cheese

5 Things Always In My Closet

1. My tote bag that contains all the books and magazines I have read so I can pass them

along to my mom.....we swap!

2. My knitting bag

3. Birkenstocks

4. My purse collection

5. Sewing kit

5 Things Always In My Car

1. Flashlight

2. Garage Door Opener

3. Umbrella

4. Cooler bag for groceries

5. Phone book

5 Things On My Desk (At Home)

1. Hand Lotion

2. Lip Gloss

3. Coffee Mug

4. Remote Control

5. Oh.....and mounds and mounds of work to be done!

Look What Came Yesterday!!!!!! The Knitting On The Road book looks pretty complicated...maybe I'll be good enough before I'm too old to knit to use this book! LOL!!!

Ta Da!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

O.K. so it's not a MATCHED pair of socks but it IS a PAIR of socks!!!! I started my second green sock several days ago but put it aside to make the brown pair....er sock. I accidentally dropped too many stitches to know how to repair (when will I remember to stop leaving my knitting out where the cat/dog can get to it?!)....so I ripped out about 25 or 30 rows on the 2nd green sock......will hopefully get the second green sock going again tonight.

Worked on my sock this weekend....almost finished this one!

For some reason I can't seem to get the top row of the socks to be even....see that little spot at the top where the white seems to disappear and "dip" down? I have made 4 mini socks and 2 regular size socks and every one is like this. I can't figure out what I am doing wrong! I still have a bit of work to get my technique to where all my "joins" are as tight as the other parts....seems like no matter how hard I pull or hold the needles together there are several spots that the stitches are very loose.....but again.....I'm thinking the more I do this the better this will get.....or perhaps it is the type yarn I am using? I'm not sure about the mini-sock yarn (not sure if I still have the label)....but this sock and the green one are both Knit Picks yarn. Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

As soon as I finish up this sock, make it's mate and make the mate for the green stripe sock I'm going to start working on the toddler socks for CIC (www.childrenincommon.org). I can't wait to start this project and hope I can get a lot of pairs done and on their way to Russia!!

Happy Saturday Blue Sky!! But WAIT.....what is that??? Perhaps a UFO????

Well....sort of.....it is MY second UFO!! I seem to enjoy this sock thing now that I know what the heck I am doing.....unfortunately once I finish a sock I am ready to go on to the next one....but I guess in order to make sock(s)....I need to actually make the mates! LOL!!! As soon as I finish this sock I'll go back and work on the mate for my green sock.

But back the Blue Sky.....temp. is 90 degrees in the shade....heat index is about 439 degrees! It is just TOOOOO hot and it is barely lunch time!!!!!! UGH!!!!

Update on the sock I showed on my last post...I had just cast on and only had one row knitted at that post.

I worked on this sock last night at Chicks with Sticks. It may still be an issue of "practice makes perfect" or possibly the yarn??....but it seems the top of my sock is "waivy"...anyone got any ideas? I typically knit tight....although I force myself to knit loosely and I think I am doing a good job if I do say so myself.

When I am working on the ribbing which all I have done so far is K1, P1 ribbing....it seems no matter how tight I pull it is still loose......I'm open for suggestions!

Currently on my needles and future projects on my mind.


I'm not sure what exactly has "gotten into" me.....I seem to have "startitis". I who usually likes to start and finish a project before moving on to the next thing.....not counting of course the vest that I started.....oh a year or so ago that I am sure I will finish some day.....in the far distant future when I have lost weight and the "girls" are back to the size I was when the pattern was written! Hee! Hee!

I am so in awe of those that knit clothing......but I fear I have KADD, (Knitting Attention Deficit Disorder). I do love those short n sweet, immediate gratification type projects!!! Gee....wonder what that says about me.....oh well....let's not go there shall we???

I have finished one green sock, started the mate, got excited about another yarn that required a smaller needle, cast it on, felt in a wild mood and started the funky multi colored scarf......sort of looks like raimee noodles on acid don't you think?? LOL!!

THEN.....I run by the LYS....spend money (O.K, O.K., I KNOW I didn't need to spend money on MORE sock yarn)....and bought not one, not two, but 6 skeins of yarn to make socks with!!! I still have sock yarn in my stash....but THIS yarn is for a specific sock project so it really shouldn't count against me!!!

Must be the weather, a full moon, all the planets are in some cosmic alignment.......or maybe I just have no self restraint.....yeah...it's the weather.....it IS.......REALLY!!!!!

Yessiree.....that's a sock on my foot!!!


I would like to think that the stripes going around is what is making my foot look incredibly wide....but alas....I have a wide foot....triple E width....so WHAT THE HECK was I thinking with this self striping yarn!! Gee....wonder if I can knit a sock with the stripes going up and down rather than round and round??!! LOL!!!

Must admit this sock was WAYYYY easier than my first attempts....helps when you know what you are doing!! LOL!! I love working with the self striping yarn....it is so much fun to watch the pattern emerge! This sock only has a couple of small issues....this yarn was so bad to separate and there are a couple of spots with the yarn looks pulled from not getting the entire loop on the needle....and a place or two where despite tugging hard the stich still looks loose.....but I'm not going to rip it out because of that! I blame part yarn and part just needing a bit more practice with my joining. I made these on # 3 dp needles and want to learn to use circs. I hope to set up a "knit date" with Tonni soon and see if she can help me with this.....oh...by the way Tonni....I'll be emailing soon! LOL!

Hope to finish the mate this week.....lot's of work to do this week so we'll see how much I get accomplished!!

Saturday Blue Sky LATE!


Yes I do realize it is Monday and I am just now posting my Saturday Blue Sky Entry!! It was a busy Saturday! I went out of town Saturday and didn't get home till late....then Sunday was...well...a busy Sunday...and here it is Monday! This pic was made from my yard...sky doesn't look too impressive but it DID rain later in the day!! YES....finally some much needed rain!!!!

Here We Go Again!!


Yes Indeedy....I am workin on another sock.....this one is a real live, genuine adult size sock!!!

Feeling OH so much better with this one....although the first row isn't as nice and tidy as I would like at least I HAVE a first row!! LOL!! Did you notice the one long needle? That would be the 7" replacement needle for the 5" needle that Max chewed up!! So that makes three 5" needles and one 7" needle.....I never do anything the easy way!! Ha! Ha!

Have a busy weekend ahead....hope to have some time to work on this little jewel this weekend.....remember many posts ago where my DH was giving me such a hard time about making socks????? WELL.....this just MAY be the socks I make for him.....to wear to work......because he is such a Darling Husband.....but mainly because he is colorblind and it is time for PAYBACK!!! LOL!!!! Come to think of it I have the same yarn in a LOVELY pink/purple combo that I bought with Princess Cupcake in mind......ohhh....have to think on this situation!! LOL!!!!

It's Another One...Sort Of Like The Other One!!

O.K. I am done with the mini socks! One is going to be a Christmas Ornament...the other one I'm going to stuff with cat nip and drive Gracie Kitty even crazier (if that is possible)! I follow Marguerites' blog, Stitches of Violet http://stitchesofviolet.blogspot.com/. Marguerite participates in a project called CIC (Children in Common) http://www.childrenincommon.org/ .
In a nutshell, this is a project where knitters can donate socks, etc. to be sent to Russian orphanages. Take a look at Marguerite's website....she has made SO many beautiful children's socks! I think this is a great project to contribute to and I am waiting on instructions for a basic children's sock pattern so I can start working on my contribution. The mini socks knit up so fast and fun to make I think the children's socks will be as enjoyable to knit and best of all will be donated for such a wonderful cause!!

It's a Sock!

It's a MINI sock!!! YIPPEE!!! I am working on a "mini-mate" for this one....then I'll jump back on making a pair of regular size socks. I'm thinking a pair of these little "mini's" will make cute Christmas Tree ornaments!

Got to work a bit on the top where I join...seems like no matter how tight I pull I still have that little gap....but hey....I'm just proud to be able to make this little fella.....maybe there IS hope for me making socks!!!

Can you guess what kind of cake this is???

This is a GREEN TOMATO cake....and yes it does have green tomatoes in the it, 2.5 cups to be exact!!

I found the recipe in the Paula Dean magazine and couldn't resist making this for my Dad's birthday cake!! Pretty tasty too!!

We spent the day celebrating my Dad's birthday...played some dominoes (Dad won by 5 points)!!

Enjoyed a good visit with everyone, including my cousin's sweet little daughter!! Have you seen a cuter little girl?????

My Saturday Blue Sky was an overcast, rainy one for the better part of the day! Which we needed badly!! We live on wooded property and so many of the really big, old trees are showing signs of distress from all the heat and lack of rain!!!

Also been baking today....I'll have to post a pic of the cake I am baking for my Dad's birthday tomorrow. Have you ever heard of a GREEN TOMATO CAKE???????? YUM! YUM? YUM!