WHAT NOT KNITTING !!! YES SEWING

Usually I knit but on this trip I have been working on projects for my friends home. Last year I got a good start, with a ton of things done and this was what was left for me to do. I did the shower curtain and matching valance for two bathrooms. It was a real project but lots of fun. While we were here we helped finish installing the tile and sinks and all of that. Then spent a few days searching for the perfect color of towels, rugs and the like. I thought you might like to see my sewing efforts for this trip. Now back to knitting.....

What have I been doing?

I am on a working vacation, a bit of knitting and a lot of sewing going on. First the knitting and tomorrow the sewing. I started if you all remember making a sock from the "flat sock" blank that I purchased. I knit on the trip to Florida but I must admit I did sleep a lot. Great relaxing thing to do. Listen to the I-Pod while hubby drives. You gotta love it! I did do a bit of knitting on the sock and then every chance I had I worked a few rows. That is the wonderful thing about a sock, pick it up, put it down and soon a shock is finished. I love to read the Yarn Harlot and all about her sock travels and the pictures of the sock so as a salute to Stephanie here is my finished sock!!

Hope there was no body attached to this sock!

Good Food Today

No pictures as I am still on my working vacation. Hopefully there will be new pictures tomorrow but in the meantime here is a wonderful different potato salad. From my very talented daughter who cooks as well as knits>

Warm Green Bean & Potato Salad


Ingredients:

4 Cups - potatoes sliced approx. ¼” thick
2 Cups - green beans – cut up
4-6 slices of bacon

¼ Cup - olive oil
¼ Cup - white or balsamic vinegar
¼ Teaspoon - black pepper
¼ Teaspoon - salt
Dash - garlic powder
¼ Cup - minced red onion

Preparation:

1. Boil the potatoes for ten minutes. Add the green beans and cook another 5 minutes.
2. Drain and cool the potatoes and beans after cooking.
3. Meanwhile, fry the bacon; drain and reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings.
4. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil and bacon drippings slowly into vinegar.
5. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder into the liquid mixture.
6. Pour the vinegar/bacon fat mixture over the cooled potatoes and green beans.
7. Crumble bacon strips and spread over top of salad.
8. Add red onion and gently toss not to pulverize potatoes.
9. Serve salad slightly warm or at room temperature.
10. ENJOY

Makes approximately 6 servings.

TRAVELS OF A SOCK KNITTER!!!

Now I have started my "Flat Feet" I am using the Jaywalking pattern for these. I enjoy having socks on my needles in the evening when watching American Idol, or tonight for my favorite Project Runway. Need to keep up with the world you know. Just the small amount I have knit with this yarn was pure joy. Absolutely wonderful, flows onto the needles and I can hardly wait for more time to work on them. it seems like the fact it was pre-knit makes the stitches just put themselves around the needle. I am using 2.5 mm needles as suggested on the yarn label. No yarn ball running across the floor.



I have left the cold and snow of the hills of Pennsylvania and arrived in sunny Florida. Lots of knitting time in the car. I finished the Patriotic socks for Louis while riding along. They are just basic socks in yarn from Joselyn Fibers out of the stash of many years ago. Nice and warm and heavier than the regular sock yarn I use. It was great to knit away and watch the snow and ice leave and as we traveled things got greener.

Yesterday was spoil myself with a pedicure followed by a nap. Sure did make that foot that caused so many problems in December feel oh so much better.


There are two kitties where I am staying and as yet they have not discovered that I knit. Whitey and Ducey both don't know about cats and yarn as their owner does not knit. Let me tell you I will have them all educated before I leave here in a few weeks.

I do have the ongoing mitten projects I need to get back to work on. Mittens seemed great fun in the cold but seem to have lost their magic as the days are warm and sunny. I always bring more yarn on a trip so I shall not run out of things to do.

I have not started the sewing projects as yet but soon we will do some decorating and sewing. Pictures to follow.

MITTS PICTURE

LOOKING FOR WARM WEATHER

Since we are leaving the cold tomorrow and heading south I thought these mitts would make a nice transition. From full extra warm mittens to just almost mittens. Just finished these fingerless mitts. You can find the pattern on Knitty. From out of the stash, Kimet Croft Fibers Softie 25% Angora and & 75% Rambouillet. The yarn band says it is sport weight but I have quite small hands and I just followed the directions and needle size and the fit is perfect.

The yarn was lovely to knit and it has bloomed since I gave it a nice bath. I am sure with wearing it will be even softer and fuzzier. How cool that will be.

I do have a hint for all of you who love cables. On the final row as I bound off I knit 2 stitches together twice at each cable. This pulls the cable into a nice tight tidy look. I always do this when binding off cables. Most patterns cast on a particular number of stitches and then increase to allow for the cable. Why not my mind says take them out at the end? I find this makes for neater items. Try it sometime you might just like it.

I just returned home this morning after being at my daughters and depositing the yarn making disaster Sam. He will be spending some time with is friends Murphy and Braden. Now Kathy knits so she best keep her eyes on her yarn. We all know what the Sammy can do. He had a fine time last night as only dogs can running like wild men in the house and begging for our attention. Sammy loves to visit with his friends so there is no guilt in leaving him while we search for warmer weather.

This provided me with a short but wonderful grandchildren fix. We went out to dinner and spent some time together. How blessed I am to have them.

First light in the morning we are headed south. To Florida to spend some time with our friends. It is always a great time with great friends out of the cold and snow. It was - 2 this morning on our trip home. It has snowed all day. Enough we say.

I am sort of packed, the yarn is in the car a whole basket full at which hubby rolled his eyes and said "all of this" well you never know what you might need. There is no yarn store in the town we are visiting. I don't want to have any empty needles on this trip. Nice thing is I get to knit and sleep and sleep and knit in the drive down which will take us two days. Are my clothes packed well not exactly. Am I all ready not exactly. It will happen I promise.

This year I will be able to blog on the trip as we are supposed to have wireless internet the entire time. I shall keep you posted.

Have a great weekend everyone.

2 DOWN 10 TO GO

I promised myself a pair of socks a month for the next year. Got a bit behind in January but now I am caught up. These socks I call "Summer Socks" the yarn is a cotton blend Fortissima Cotton and the best part is that it comes from the STASH. I am working hard not to add any more yarn after what arrived here lasst week. I wanted socks to wear in the warmer weather (wishful thinking on my part) so I did a cuff that will turn down.

The cast on is crochet. I chained 56, joined with a slip stitch, then worked the following around. *chain 3, slip stitch into the base chain, slip stitch 3 times into the next 3 chains of the base chain. Join the end to the beginning with a slip stitch.
Using your knitting needles pick up 56 stitches along the other edge of the base chain and away you go. I am not a big crochet person and so the directions are the best I can do with my lack of experience. At least you can start a pair I hope from these directions.

I did a cuff pattern, a row of yarn overs, knit 2 together and then ribbed the length of the cuff so that when you turn it down you have something to hug the ankle and hold the cuff up. Finish as you would your favorite sock.

Now to cast on another pair and get a head start on March. I am also making progress on the "mitten caper". Have a bit of finishing on the Poetry Mittens from the latest Piecework Magazine.

In the mean time I decided I needed some fingerless gloves for the less than stellar weather we are having here. Used the pattern from Knitty and some wonderful angora and wool blend from Kimmet Croft fibers. Will give those a bath tonight to let this wonderful yarn bloom and then tomorrow pictures of these.

It is so cold here that it makes me want to sit inside where it is warm and knit those mittens. How many pairs to go before May. Shall we say 8 or more. We shall see how I do.