WHERE SHOULD I START......?

....since I last wrote on Monday. How about Tuesday?

Tuesday was my knitting get together night. I really look forward to going to them. Imagine meeting in a bookstore and knitting. KNITTING and KNITTING BOOKS. How perfect can that be?
Shelagh gave a demonstration and instructions in how to do the Russian Join for those that didn't know how. AND, of course, there are photos of her doing that. Trust my handy dandy camera to know when it is needed. There is a link to the Russian Join on my sidebar. AND, of course, here are photos of some of the other gals Tuesday evening.


I didn't come home empty handed either. It seems I never do. I wonder who in the many many swaps I am in will get one of the magazines. The other will be mine. AND the book is mine all mine. I even have plans for several of the tea cozies and who they will be gifted to. There was something else purchased BUT I can't show a photo as that would give it away.

I did go to the doctor and had my head checked. I was told I could have a bruise on my skull. A hairline fracture and a subdural hematoma couldn't be felt. The twitching eye was another problem possibly but as the time is passing since I really banged my head the twitching of my left eye is slowly diminishing, I still think there was a correlation between the smacked head and the twitching eye. The area on my head is still sore especially if it is touched. I could feel a very small scab or something but I never got a goose egg and it never bled. I feel lucky that after hitting it so hard and almost loosing my balance, I didn't actually loose my balance and end up falling in my old fashion bathtub and knock the other side of my head.

Oh and on Thurday I mailed out my Monkey Sock Swap and my whoduknit Trick and Treat Swap.

Knitting Goodness

Thursday I received my second puffy from Susan L in the addictedtoknitdishcloth exchange where we send small exchanges to each other monthly for three months.
I received a lovely dishcloth she made with yarn I previously sent her in her first package. The pattern she chose is from the 365 Perpetual Calendar date October 24 called waves. I also received three packets of instant grits and four different teas. I have already had the first, a Jasmine Tea by Stash and it was yummy. Susan included some free patterns also.

Friday I received my third of four packages from Sharon in the yearly weluvknitting exchange. I received many items including three skeins of a wool blend yarn from Joanne's, a large cat calendar to hang on my wall and a mini size of the same to carry with me (sorry but I left it out of the photo). There was a fairy puzzle and some scrap book goodies but since I haven't opened the puzzle yet I don't know what they are. Sharon also send me Halloween candy (some wrapped to look like body parts but they sure tasted good) and some of it missed the photo but not my mouth. There were treats for my Solara to eat and play with.
I received a sewing tomato pin cushion with pins. Funny how I need these pins and good straight pins are very expensive. I told Paula she also needed pins when I was at her house last weekend. In the box were some Halloween spider tea lights, an autumn pumpkin candle in a tin, a board to put up and stick items in, and several postcards from Texas from when she visited family. I also got corn and soybeans but they were dried and dead. The last two items represented the part of the swap where she sends something from where she lives.
Here is a close up of the yarn I received from Sharon. I have been busy working on my Harvest Sock for my pal. I am knitting a Yukon Leaves pattern and here is a photo of how much I have completed so far. AND here is a close up of the sock leg. It is not a difficult pattern and reminds me a little of the monkey sock pattern. I hope my partner will like the pattern and the color choice and enjoy knitting the matching sock. I should have them competed soon and will then start the fun process of shopping for her. I have ideas. No hints.

I even have picked out my project for the whoduknit group October book Slipknot project. I have decided on what I will be making for Nancy who is part of the birthday club in the addictedtoknitdiscloth group. Her birthday is in December. I hope she likes it. I am ready to start on my Purl When Ready Socks. I even have decided on what is going in my SP 11 gift package #3. Oh and I have been slowly gathering goodies for my other swaps.

Friday I went out and delivered some Avon orders. I have only a few more to deliver. The weather wasn't that great yesterday either but I knew I needed to get it done and I waited until later in the afternoon when it had stopped raining. It may have been cool and drab out side but it was definitely not cool inside. Cooking soup certainly didn't help with the heat in my apartment. I had the window wide open. The radiators were blasting the heat as if the temperature was already 40 below zero outside. It really was a soup day even if was hot in the apartment. I made tomato hamburger macaroni cabbage soup based on my basic tomato macaroni soup. The recipe for the basic soup is below and you can adapt that to how you want.

Tomato Macaroni Soup

3 tbsp butter
2 large carrots “grated”
2 large onions diced
6 cups ripe tomatoes skinned and chopped
or
1 28 oz. can tomatoes diced (if whole need to break them up)
1 tbsp basil or to taste
oregano if desired to taste
¾ tsp sugar to taste
salt and pepper to taste
dill weed if desired
veggie or chicken bullions mixed with 6 cups water
(I have been known to use six packages of veggie powder and always more water since I tend to make a pasta dinner if I don’t add enough liquid)
¾ cup elbow macaroni*
OPTIONAL chick peas, hot sauce &/or even curry seasoning
(be creative and after you have made it once adapt it to your liking with other spices and veggies. I have even added some barley but then do add more broth.)

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven,
Add onions and carrots.
Cook till onions and carrots are soft.
Stir in tomatoes and seasonings.
Bring to a boil.
Simmer about 15 minutes.
Add broth mixture, hot sauce and bring to a boil.
Add macaroni.
Simmer until macaroni is cooked.

* If you add to much macaroni you will have a pasta dinner and not a soup.
**You may need to add more water.
*** You could even add hamburger and turn it into a hamburger soup.
The possibilities are endless. Believe me I know as I have had this recipe for years and have had it many different ways.

For the version I cooked yesterday I sautéed the onions and carrots in white cooking wine and the liquid from the onions. I did add hamburger and browned it with the carrots and onions. I also added a few shakes of hot sauce when I added the can of diced tomatoes. I used three of the double sized herb and garlic flavored bullion and I used nine cups of water. I added an entire small cabbage cut up. Then last minute I put a few spoons of pasta sauce in. I didn't have macaroni so I used penne pasta as that is all I had on hand. I even tossed in the remainder of a can of baked beans I had left after my dinner. So you see it is an all purpose type soup. It smells so good and tastes even better.

Genie came over last night while we gabbed and watched TV (Ghost Whisperer and Moonlight) she crocheted and I knitted on my Harvest Sock Pal's sock. We had some soup just to make sure it was tasty.

So now we are up to today. Today I cleaned the flatwear and draw in the kitchen, played on the computer and went out for dinner. My friend Lori picked me up and we went to Casa Grande to use up the last coupon for that restaurant in the 2007 Entertainment Guide. It gave us $17 off and we split the bill. We had the G-dfather pizza, the extra large hugh big giant size. Want to see it. Here it is. You can't see it clearly and need a larger closer up photo. I can accomodate that request. AND what we didn't finish we had the waiter divide it in half and took it home. I love left over pizza.

More knitting news
I have been accepted into The Hand Dyed Yarn Swap 2. This will be my third time dying yarn with Kool-Aid. I found a new swap the Winter Wonderland Coffee Swap. I have put the button and also a link on the side bar but sign ups aren't until Tuesday or Wednesday. It is by the same hostess who had the Fall Felted Bag Exchange and the Knit One Tea Too Color Swap. My questionnaire will be next in a seperate blog.

Last week I managed to share in some treasures that my friend Janice found. Look at the goodies and check out the prices for them. This first photo is of some Kid Mohair. There were five 20gram skeins in each package and I got two packages. They were $4.99/package of five.

This next photo is one of sock yarns. Now I must admit they were divided among two bags and the bags contained other different yarns (sayelles and fluffs) but the bags were again only $4.99 each. The top row of sock yarns in the photo are wool with some nylon and the top right also had a card with matching thread. The two bottom grey tweed sock yarns are a cotton blend. There were several balls of acrylic sock yarn and also several skeins of cotton that appear to be "Grace". All in all, I think it was a great bargain. Thanks Janice for finding it. This was not all she found. There was a rich blue mohair and I think an alpaca yarn but the color of that was just NOT me. Of course, there was yarn she kept for herself which was good it was in plastic or I may have drooled all over it.

Now before I close I want to thank you Andrea for your comment on why I couldn't get my photos uploaded. Here is what she found out and sent me

Blogger Status
Saturday, October 20, 2007

Blogger engineers are currently investigating problems with photo uploading, which is manifesting as the “bX-9pjt6o” error code when clicking on the image upload button.
Update, 9:00PM: This has been fixed. Photo uploading has resumed to normal operation.
Posted by Pete at 19:59 PDT

Closing with a photo of sleeping Solara. She is under my bed (a futon), lying on my linen which is in a zip up container where the zipper is broken. I have put a sheet over all the contents of the container as after I discovered this hiding spot I also discovered it was covered in cat fur. Now I only have to wash the top layer. I pulled it out enough to take the photo and I didn't even wake her when I pulled her out, took the photo and shoved her back under the bed.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID TO MYSELF

Last Wednesday morning I stood up from bending down to pick something up and I smacked my head into the medicine cabinet door, the pointed end no less. BOY did I hurt my head, the left side of the top of my head. I went and got an ice pack and kept it on my head as I got ready to go out. I was off to pick up soap from Hilltop for the study I didn't make this morning and I didn't have a lot of time to baby my head. More on the Hilltop study further down on this blog. BOY OH BOY did my head hurt. I really didn't feel a bump though. It still hurts and it hurts almost as much now again. The pain had subsided for a while. I noticed a short while after I smacked my head, my left eyelid started twitching and it is still twitching. NO I didn't go to the doctor. Maybe I should have but what could the doctor do? I had just seen the doctor October 3 and will be going again around Oct 31. Maybe if the pain is still bad in the morning I will call and see if he is in. It is just the eyelid twitching is driving me nuts as is the head pain again!!!!! BUT ask me if stopped me from knitting? Do I really have to answer that. I am still knitting but not as fast or for as long at a time but I am still knitting.

Today I had an appointment at Hilltop to try out for a study testing products on the lower legs. BOO HOO I didn't make it. An area on my left lower leg was too dry. I did sign up for another. I will pick up soap for it on October 23 and it starts October 28 going through November 3 for a total of 18 visits. There are more visits and it is more time consuming but it also pays more. I certainly hope I am able to get into this study. I really could use the extra money.

I just sent my questionnaire in for the Hand Dyed Yarn Swap which you can find here: http://www.thehanddyedyarnswap.blogspot.com/. If it is not filled and I get in I will put a button on my blog. Last years swap was a lot of fun. Last year my partner sent me yarn she dyed using Knit Picks Bare and I dyed Briggs and Little Dura Sport yarn for my partner. It was a secret swap. I loved the dyed yarn my partner made me and have already knit it up into a pair of socks. It was only the second time I dyed yarn. This will be my third. So if that is something that interests you hurry on over to check it out and sign up.

Harvest Sock swap partner I check my yahoo bulk folder daily and have not seen any emails from you there. All I can say is keep trying. I have changed my mind on the yarn I am using for your socks. I found another I like better. I think it will make a nicer sock in the same pattern. I should be starting it by the end of this week.

I am finishing up some flowers for my striped bag. I am on the last flower and have the leaves to do. I hope it looks as nice as the photo on the pattern.

Also, I have added to one my Knitters Coffee Swap 3 questions that I also enjoy Dunkin Donut coffee. AND I have corrected it as it is swap #3 not swap #2

More Swap Questions

Again from the Felted Bag Exchange:

It's a crisp, cool, sunny Sunday in October - the sky is clear, there's a bit of a breeze, and the leaves have already started to change. How would you spend your day to best celebrate and enjoy the season? Are you at home curled up with tea and a book and a window open to enjoy the breeze? Do you head out on a long drive and hike through the mountains to see the trees? Go find pumpkins and colored corn to decorate? Tell us about your special day!

That day was just like this past Saturday when I was invited for dinner at Paula's. We sat outside in her screened porch before dinner. Paula read and I knitted. I did need to wear a light jacket but the weather was just lovely. The leaves were falling from the trees and there was a gentle breeze.

After dinner Paula wanted me to help her redecorate her bedroom. She purchased two table cloths she wants me to glue to her Roman Shades and make a cover for in front of her TV. She also has a flannelette duvet cover she wants me to use to cover some pillow cushions. I told her if she lets me know ahead of time I will pack up my sewing matching and bring it to sew her cushion.

I see the Knitters Coffee Swap 3 is having their first contest. We are to post a photo of our favorite place to sit and knit and have a cup of coffee. This is what I will be putting in. I would love to have a glider and an ottoman glider to sit in while I knit but I don't so I have to sit on my couch. Not that it is so terrible. I just think I would find a glider and glider ottoman more comfortable.

Goodness but not knitting

I received my pen pal swap from Emily today. She sent me a package of five mechanical pencils, an oven mitt and dish towel, two doilies and a small notebook. I am member of the month in the group and this was one of my gifties.

Here is the little miss sitting in the sink which is a favorite spot of hers.

I CAN'T BELIEVE WE HAVE SUNNY DAYS AT LAST

What a difference the sun makes. The last two days have been not only warmer than all week but sunnier also. I hope this continues for several more weeks. It would be nice if it stayed like this for Halloween for the kids. BUT we have been known to have snow on Halloween. I even remember a year when it was more blizzard than just a some snow on Halloween.

It is swapping time again. I have received my Knitters Tea Swap 4 and Knitters Coffee Swap 3 partners. A while ago I received my Harvest Sock Swap partner and my Knitting Around the World partner. I have contacted them all.

My monkey swap package is ready to go and here is one of the treats I will be adding to the socks I made along with the other goodies I am sending. This pattern can be found at Yvonne's etsy shop here: http://www.yvonneknits.etsy.com/ AND for another swap I am sending this. LOL It is a roll of toilet paper. AND here is a side view showing the knitted roll the knitted toilet paper is wrapped around.
You can find the pattern for the toilet paper roll and toilet paper here: http://mochimochiland.com/weblog/?p=169. Thank-you Anna for this fun pattern. I hope my swap partner likes it as much as I do. I did alter the pattern a bit in number of stitches.

Now on to answering swap questions.

From the Fall Felted Bag Exchange which I hope I am not to late in answering.

How often do you change the purse or bag you're carrying? Do you change based on seasons? Outfits? Something else? What's your favorite bag in the world (and it doesn't have to be a knit/felted one!)?
I tend to change my bags frequently. In fact, very frequently especially since I sell Avon. So I do change way more than just seasonally. How often I change depends on what is new and exciting at Avon, what season it is, maybe even where I am going and what I am wearing. I tend to carry my personal items separately in a pocketbook from my knitted items in a tote. Yes, that does mean I have to carry two bags but oh well. I have a lot of favorite bags. My favorite bag is the one I am using at the moment which today is the pink tote I have received from my SP11 partner for my knitting and a really nice new pewter pocketbook from Avon that is no longer available. I even sometimes end up carrying two totes and the second one I have been using is the one I received my angel in the ITE4. I sometimes carry my knitted items in just a plain tote and other times in a knitted &/or felted tote bag. I have a couple of really really large tote bags when they are needed and one is from my partner is the whoduknit tag sale swap. Believe me when I type I have a lot of bags. I am an original bag lady in more ways than one. Some of you who know me know what I mean by that.

From my Secret Pal 11 hostess Robyn:

Contest Number 4 will run until October 21st, 2007. You will have to post a picture of your first finished object and your most recent finished object and talk about how you feel you've improved in your knitter since the first!
Unfortunately I can't post a photo of my first project since I did it way back when I was in school decades ago. It was a pillbox hat with little round things but they weren't sequins. Those things that change with the light. For the life of me I can't think of what they are called. I thought is was awful and too stuffy but that was required of us nubby knitters. After that I knit a grass green wool v-neck sweater for myself but couldn't wear it. It was wool and very itchy. The wool then wasn't soft like the wool now. I didn't knit much after that again until I was married. My latest finished objects are shown above. I enjoy knitting much more now. I understand it better, the yarn choice is better, my stash has increased immensely, my tension has improved and I find it much more fun.

To end here is a photo of my knitting kitty Solara in her Psi Felted Bed. It was taken after her Thanksgiving dinner which was a treat from one of her aunties.

1000

First let me apologize for not putting an entry on my blog earlier as promised BUT blogger was not being very co-operative. I was able to put comments on other blogs but not access my own blog.

Yesterday (Thursday) was a busy day cleaning before my Avon order arrived. Yes I do try to clean my apt occasionally, usually before Avon arrives except for the bathroom which it seems I am always cleaning. I much rather be knitting or playing on the computer.
AND my Avon didn't arrive until 10:30PM. We have to be home for 4:30PM on the day of delivery as that is when it could arrive and usually up until about 9PM to 9:30PM. I felt sorry for the delivery guy as he still had eight more deliveries to make after mine. He told me the person who was to do the deliveries on my route decided he didn't want to them. This also happened with the last order delivered but the girl who delivered it came much earlier. I only had five boxes the last time. I live on the second floor with no elevator. She told me no one wants to deliver this route. They only get $2.00 for each order they deliver. I don't think I would want to deliver for only $2.00 an order. This time I had seven boxes and two were brochures boxes. The rest of the flyers and there were a lot were scattered in the remaining five boxes along with the Avon products. Our items come in boxes and we need to pack into customer's orders. I am taking the weekend delivering orders and dropping brochures off unless customers want to pick theirs up. Tuesday before my Avon was delivered I called Avon venting as I had read my invoice online. I felt bad for the guy I was speaking to only I don't know what to do and who else to contact. AND yes I was polite after all it isn't his fault when items don't come. I have tried writing higher ups, sending emails and telling my manager. I hope that when reps phone their messages get to higher ups. Apparently, the phone staff do have meeting with Avon personnel I was told and the messages do get relayed. I guess I am not the only one calling to vent. BUT sometimes it works in my favor and the person on the other end will find something I have been told no longer is available. No luck this time. It is the same old thing. I didn't get any of my Halloween earring I ordered for my customer. NO they were not shorted they are no longer available. GHEE it was the first time in the brochure and like last year and most holiday items by the time my district's order is packed aren't available to ship. They also didn't send the beautiful Pewter Bag my customer ordered. It was shorted when she ordered it in the previous campaign and in this next campaign it is now sold out. I had several other customers sitting on the fence deciding if they wanted to order one. With Avon you don't sit on the fence you order or you may not get what you want and even when you order you don't always get the item. This same customer also ordered two of the Branch Wall Sconces and they also were shorted. In this second campaign, it now says they won't be available to order until C#24 which is the one after this one. Those weren't the only shortages. A friend told me she is now waiting three campaigns to get a demo item, the African Mask Set. She wanted it but a customer wanted to see it also to decide if she wants to order one. What good is purchasing demos AND yes we have to buy them if when our customers order them they can't get them!!!!! I am in my 10Th year selling Avon and in all this time I have had one order delivered that had NO SHORTS!!! Well enough of ranting and venting here on my blog. On to more interesting news.

WOW when I looked last night I noticed 1000 people had viewed my blog. I hope all of you find it interesting. I am sorry I haven't been able to put anything I have designed on my blog BUT maybe one day when I finally do design something. In the meantime, I will link to other designs I find interesting.

Knitting Goodness

Tuesday I received a puffy from my secret pal. This is three hours after I have started writing this and I can finally upload the photo and continue with my blog. What you see is a book on Americana crafts. I found a couple of items in the book I would like to make. There is a nylon back pack with the seal of the president on it from Washington DC, a skein of red, white, and blue stripped cotton yarn and a bag of red, white, and blue M&M's. My partner wrote in a card this was an early Thanksgiving gift. It was mailed on Sept 29 from Toronto and I got it the day after Thanksgiving on Tuesday October 9.

The very next day I got another puffy from my secret pal. Strange this one was mailed on Friday Oct 5 also from Toronto and I received it Wed October 10. Go figure the postal system out. I received more lovely goodies which included a really neat pink plastic tote bag with an attached small bag, pink large M&M's I thought would have nuts in the center but they don't. They have a cherry flavor, a Noni pattern for the Year of the Pig Felted Bag and a skein of Artful Yarns Fable which is 85% Pima Cotton and 15% Silk. Now I have to admit I hadn't been eyeing this particular Noni felted bag pattern but it is really cute and different. I like to knit things that are different so it is now on my to do list and I know just who is getting it. First I will have to get some pink wool that will felt to use for this project.Here is a close up photo of my Fable Artful Yarns but the yarn is actually a little lighter than the photo. It is a quite luscious yarn too. So thank you secret pal. The neatest news from my secret pal is that she is planning on visiting my lovely city the first weekend in November and wants to hand deliver my my third and final secret pal 11 package. Now how neat is that? She also want to go and see what Mona has at Woseley Wardrobe. I have something interesting to look forward to next month.

HMMM it seems that this blog didn't get published. My friend came by and I just left the computer and later shut the computer down. So it is now Saturday and I want to publish this now. I will put more in that didn't get in this blog later. I am now going to get ready to visit my friend Paula. She wants me to help her make something with fabric. She doesn't sew but "glues". I don't know what it is but I will let you know what we do after I get home. I am staying for dinner. She put a pot roast in the oven or slow cooker and I am bringing some potatoes to mash.

Here is my fur toddler sitting on the toilet. Maybe she thinks she is doing whatever it is I do when I sit on the toilet. LOL AND you have to push her off the toilet. She just won't get off. She also likes to hide and sleep under the tub. I have one of those old tubes on claw legs. Only there are no claw legs on mine but it is on bricks which I painted gold to go with my red tub and Americana red, white, blue bathroom.

KNITTERS COFFEE SWAP 3

I joined the Knitters Coffee Swap 3. It is not a secret swap and I will know who my partner is. AH another interesting swap.

Here are the answers to my questionnaire.

1. Whole bean or ground? Both as I have a very nice grinder.

2. Fully-loaded or decaf? Fully loaded.

3. Regular or flavored? Both but I don't care for Irish Cream flavored coffee.

4. How do you drink your coffee? Cream/milk and sugar or Splenda sometimes I will use some form of coffeemate flavoring either liquid or powder. AND I love iced coffee both flavored and non-flavored and of course, lattes.

5. Favorite coffee ever? Starbucks, Tim Horton's, Second Cup, Gavalia makes a good coffee also. I love eggnog flavored, hazelnut flavor and other flavored coffees. I do enjoy speciality brand coffees. Oh and an addition I also enjoy Dunkin Donuts coffee.

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? Not extremely fussy BUT I do like a good coffee so I guess not just any old coffee bean please.

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? Cookies I love cookies AND have a really bad cookie tooth. I am a real cookie monster BUT I do like cake and pie also with coffee.

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?

9. Yarn/fiber you love? Usually what I can't get here locally. I am turning into a real yarn snob. I love sock yarns, alpaca, soft squishy merinos, and feltable yarns. I love to try yarns made from strange sources (soy, milk, corn, bamboo etc) and would love to try yarn with sequins and beads or other items in them.

10. Yarn/fiber you hate? PHENTEX and I don't need any acrylic at this time.

11. What's on your needles? Socks socks socks (several pairs), HA HA HA knitted toilet paper and holder, flowers for a felted bag, a pair of gloves, two scarves, another bag and I am sewing and stuffing a knitted monkey which I hope turns out okay after it is completed.

12. Favorite colors? Pink, red, blue, purple, black and white

13. Allergies? Wasps but I doubt anyone is sending those.

14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest? Please no lime green, yellow, orange or brown yarns. I am not crazy about those colors. I do not like anything with black licorice (anise) flavoring. I do not smoke and so I live in a smoke free home BUT I do have a feline furchild who likes to knit and add some of her fur to items in my home.

FLASHING MY STASH

My secret pal 11 hostess is having Contest number 3. Here is what we have to do .."you will have to flash your stash. Post a picture by Monday, October 8th, 2007, to win a prize." I am not posting all my stash just a small portion of it.

So here goes, photos of some of my stash.

Blue Sly Alpaca 50% Alpaca and 50% Silk (3 skeins) in an eggplant color
Cascade Yarns Cotton Rich (2 skeins) in a pink purple color
Cascade Yarns Sierra Quatro 80% Pima Cotton and 20% Wool (2 skeins) in pink tweed
Classic Elite Wools Mackenzie silk- wool tweed (1 skein)

Crystal Palace Yarns Cotton Chenille a pale lilac color ( 2 skeins)
Elizabeth Lavold Silky Wool 1 skein (lighter than this photo)
Four assorted mohair yarns
Hand Maiden Sea Silk (2 skeins - color C005 Berry)
Ironstone Yarns has more purple than photo shows (4 oz)
Italian Kid Mohair a bit deeper blue in color than photo (it is actually one skein)
Jaeger Alpaca 4 ply (3 skeins) off white color
Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Infusion Kid Mohair (1 skein) grey and cream variegated color
Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Infusion Kid Mohair (3 skeins) beige, tan and light brown variegated colors
King Cole Luxury Mohair (3 skeins) blues, purples and red variegated colors
Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud (2skeins each of Peppermint and Horizon)
Knit Picks Andrea Silk in Cranberry color (4 skeins)
Naturally Merino and Fur 10 ply (30% possum - 70% merino) 2 skeins in black
Rubi + Lana 100% pure wool lace weight in deep red (2 skeins)
RYC Classic Yarns Cashsoft Aran - a pale lilac (3 skeins)
SRK Ovation 75% Kid Mohair and 25% Silk (4 skeins) variegated colors
Misty Baby Alpaca in pink (1 skein)I decided to put photos of my smallest bag of stash. Now I will have to figure how to put these on Ravelry. I think I first need to put these on my flicker account and from there I can get them on Ravelry. A job for another day this week.

The next stash photos to put on Ravelry will be my sock yarns I think but I won't put them on my blog. You will have to check out Ravelry for them but as I previously wrote these photos will go on first. I need to take the photos of my sock yarn. You can find me under pennala if you are interested.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Today in Canada it is our Thanksgiving Day. I hope everyone is having a good one and lots of turkey. Yesterday I had dinner at a friends. I made and brought brought my Cranberry Compote. I got this recipe from a friend's son who got it from a book. It is very easy and tastes yummy. If I am having cranberry from a can I want the jellied kind as I don't find the berry style very good BUT when I make it I want the berry style. Enjoy the recipe.

Cranberry Compote

- 3 ripe pears peeled and chopped
- about 18 - 22 dried apricots chopped
- 2 cans of mandarin orange segments (juice and pieces used)
- 1 bag of cranberries
- 1/2 cup sugar

Drain the oranges from the juice in the tins and save the orange segments.
Add water to the canned liquid to make a total of 1 1/2 cups liquid.
Put liquid in a large pot along with the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Add the pears and apricots to the liquid in the pot and bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for five minutes.
Add the orange segments to the pot, return to a simmer again and simmer for another minute now.
Add the cranberries, return the mixture to a simmer and cook over medium heat for five to ten minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally.
It will thicken as it cools.
You can make this up to a week ahead with no loss of flavor or freshness.

When I am alone on a turkey meal occasion I tend to make a cheating turkey meal which will make a couple meals or a meals and turkey sandwich depending on how much turkey I use. I season the turkey as I would a whole bird and put it in my slow cooker. I usually use turkey breasts but have been know to use thighs or legs. Then I add one large scrubbed yam and a can of turkey gravy. Remember this is a cheat meal!! Turn the slow cooker on and voila later you have a turkey dinner complete with the smells of turkey cooking in the oven. To complete the meal I will nuke a piece of broccoli and make some stove top stuffing. Again remember this is the easy cheat method. Normally I would open a can of the jellied cranberry but since I made some real cranberry on Friday I had some of that with my dinner. For dessert tonight I had a piece of apple pie that Darlene brought over today with a cup of tea from my tea exchange.

It is not nice out today. It is grey, rainy, drab and cool. The end of last month the bush down at the end of my street looked liked this:
Tomorrow I will put photos in my blog of what they look like now.

I have been busy working on different knitting projects.
I washed my monkey socks and OH NO!!! They stretched. They ended up an inch and a bit more than they should be. So I had to go swimming at the frog pond and take out the kitchnering, the toe decreasing and one pattern repeat of 11 rows. I added five plain rows and then did the decrease again. It again measures what it should. I hope it doesn't stretch out again. I wonder if it is yarn I am using or is it b/c I used a 2.5mm needle to knit them with. I am leery about rewashing them again. Any suggestions out there? Has this happened to anyone else?
I have also been working on my knitnplay bag. Here is what it looks like so far before it is felted. The single skein of yarn is to show how big the bag is.

I also changed the yarn I added on the my Mixed Jelly Bean Socks. I wanted to make the socks a little longer in the leg and I ran out of yarn. The first yarn I used was too dark. This next yarn seems okay. If it too light my eyes haven't seen it yet and I hope they don't or it means more rip rip ripping. BUT so far they seem fine.

On Saturday I went to Ram's Wools for a Jane Ellison workshop. B/C I take the bus I was there early. I was there even before the shop opened but I was let in and got to do some extra browsing and petting of the yarns.

For those of you who have to order online or via the phone here is what Ram Wools looks like. Yes it is very plain on the outside but it is very very very large on the inside.
Here is a photo of Lorna who works at Ram and Jane with a couple of her knitted items from the Marisol book. AND here is a close up of Lorna and Jane. There were 12 of us taking the workshop. Several of the ladies thought she would be older than she is. I guess that is because she has been designing knitting patterns for quite a while. She designs for Noro and Debbie Bliss also. She is working with Diamond Yarns for the Marisol project.
Here is 1/2 of the first glove I made at the workshop. They are knit in garter stitch from the pinkie to the thumb four times and then two are sew together to make a glove. The first photo shows one half of my knitted glove on the page with the photos of the knitted gloves in the Marisol pattern book and the second photo shows my glove on the cover of the Marisol knitting pattern book.
Everyone at the workshop got to choose the yarn color they wanted to use.
While I was talking to Jane I asked her about my Cavendish Blanket that I call a serape shawl I am knitting from one of her Noro patterns asking her why I was needing more yarn than called for. I even brought it with me. She looked at it and said I was knitting too loose. She also told me she liked the way I was using different colors of the Noro Silk Garden and thought they were blending well. Jane even knew the names of the colors of the Noro Silk Garden yarn I was using and could pick them out in my serape. I was amazed. From my conversation with the gals at the workshop it seemed everyone had a good time. There were even familiar faces at the workshop.

LOTS OF KNITTING NEWS PART 2

Lets start with a funny cartoon today. I am sure some have seen this before as I have but I though I would share it again. Thanks Jo-Anne for sending it to me.

I can't believe I've been doing it wrong all these years. We must get the word out.
AND here are other items finished that I didn't get to include in my previous post.

I finished my felted bag for the Fall Felted Bag Exchange and have mailed it off. I do hope my partner will like it and be able to put it to good use. I tried to make one for a specific use she wants it for. I guess in a couple weeks I will know if I succeeded. Here is a photo of it. I made the bottom with a heavy insert that could be removed but OOPS when I tacked the straps down I accidentally tacked the straps to the insert. I thought if she didn't want it with the heavy bottom she could just untie the bottom piece and remove it but now if she doesn't want it she will have to snip a few threads and maybe re-tack the bottom strap.

I also mailed out today my weluvknitting swap package #3 of 4, my addictedtoknitdishcloths package #2 of 3, some Kool-Aid to Vigdis in Norway except for yellow (lemon flavored) which I couldn't find and took care of my secretpal package #2 of 3 also. It was a busy day.

Knitting Goodness

Here is a photo of the fall cloth I received from Diane which I opened a couple days late. I love the scrubby in the center. There is one on both sides. I will make some like these.

I also received my Knit One Tea Too Color Swap package. It was from Emily in Toronto. What a package she sent. Not quantity but quality quality quality. WOW did I ever receive wonderful goodies. It came on Wednesday but I wasn't home so I was left a card and picked it up on Thursday.

I received the following wonderful treats.
- 2 packages of organic green tea (Jasmine Green and Moroccan Mint Green).
- the neatest key ring with a lip balm attached. It smells so good I want to eat it.
- the most darling tea cozy. I was so hoping I would get a tea cozy as the one I have is so very old and ratty looking and I have been just too lazy to knit one for myself.
- 2 candy bars both organic and one is one of my absolute faves. It is Green & Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate (how I love dark chocolate and this brand is superb and one of my faves. The second bar is Matcha Green Tea to match my green tea and yarn.
- 2 skeins of organic yarn. I never had organic yarn before. It is green but not an ugly lime green a lovely muted green with some white. It is by O Wool and is 50% merino and 50% cotton. My very first organic yarn. It is so soft to touch. Very yummy indeed. I will check on Ravelry to see what has been knitted with it. I noticed a business card from Lettuce Knit so I guess that is where the yarn came from.
- of course, there was a card with tea on it and a hand written note.
- last but not least the absolute neatest take along mug for hot tea or coffee. It does say coffee but it can be used for loose tea also. Why is it so neat? It is a Bodum travel press mug from Starbucks. Imagine having a traveling Bodum. WOW! I feel so spoiled to have received such wonderful treats. I love swaps. They are so much fun. The best tea, the best yarn, the best knitted item, the best candy and the bestest accessory treat ever from the best partner.
Now you know why I feel as if I was spoiled.

On the Fall Felted Bag Exchange there is a contest going on so I guess I should answer that now. The question is: The colors of fall tend to be oranges, yellows, crimsons, and other 'leafy' colors - what is your favorite "Color of Autumn" and where do you see it?
My favorite colors are the combination of all colors and the cranberry color for an individual one. I see it in the leaves as they turn color. I also see the color in Thanksgiving dinner which we will be celebrating this Monday. The cranberry and cranberry color adds pizazz to the turkey dinner.

I am so excited as tomorrow I am going to an all day workshop at Ram Wools given by Jane Ellison who designs for Noro. She has a new line of yarns called Marisol. There is also a catered luncheon included. In the morning we will be knitting the gloves in the book and the first skein of yarn is included in the cost. Then there is lunch and in the afternoon Jane will be giving a lecture. The lecture is open to more than just the 12 that the morning workshop portion is limited to.