Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Rambling!

I now have tickets to fly to Springfield MO. From Minneapolis, via Denver? Oddly enough, Mom will be on the flight to Springfield with me. Her ticket is more expensive than mine! On the way home, we'll separate and I'll fly via Chicago.

Nathan, put it on your calendar. Your parents are coming! Twice.

My hand is better, the bruising is doing the nicely weird color scheme. No, I still haven't figured out how I shut the 2 fingers and thumb of my left hand into the driver's side door, as I was getting in and closing the door. I thought I was doing really well to remember that I had to reach across with the right hand to grab the door handle to open the door back up! Of course, my first reaction had been to try to do it with the left...bad idea.

If I'm going to be gone for more than a week, I need to come up with some fiber things to take along. hm, complex or easy? I could take the brown variegated merino and the drop spindle... that should keep me busy the whole time. Not a good idea on airplanes, or in cars, unless I go with a support spindle. Hmmm, it isn't as if I don't have anything to knit: a jacket for me, Howard's sweater, a vest, another sweater, lace...the list goes on!

If knitting a Moebius strip, is it the same as knitting on the public side the whole time? I'm trying to wrap my mind (no comments) around the idea. It would seem that it would be as if knitting in the roung, the public side is always in front of you. Right? Someone help me on this!

Photos from California are being processed. More photos taken today. Probably will use up this roll on the Missouri trip.


Monday, August 30, 2004

Monday

Ah. Aunts Ivadell and Muriel are coming by tomorrow morning. They aren't staying for lunch, leaving me to wonder if I have a reputation for poor cooking or poor housekeeping. Whatever, I haven't seen Muriel for years, and look forward to it.

Had a brief moment on indecision, wondering whether I should clear all of the fleece and roving out of the living and dining rooms. Nah, might as well be honest. There is "just a bit".

Hand is doing better, I'll try knitting today. Really, for what I did to it, I'm very lucky!

This morning I made brudgies, goulash, ran the dishwasher twice, and various other insane things. Now I plan to sit still for a while, and listen to a book on tape. Probably "Dragonquest".

Tomorrow I will have to buy plane tickets for Denver, I guess.

Friday, August 27, 2004

Friday zzzz

Okay, 4 AM came, and I was wide awake. What is this? I gave up, and have been reading since. Decided to prepare for the day, as I don't seem to be going back to sleep.

Bread turned out really well. Minor difficulty that I forgot you can't use oil to grease bread pans. NON stick bread pans too, to add insult to injury. So one came out in bits, but very good. The other came out whole, so I popped it into the freezer for later. Anyone noticed that bread bins no longer fit home made bread? They are made for machine bread! sigh

Rough idea of the bread: steel cut oats, 1/2 stick of butter, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt covered with boiling water, stir, and let sit for over an hour. 2 cups of white flour, 1 1/2 tbsp yeast, then whole wheat flour until the dough is right. I was a bit overzealous with the water, so wound up adding 6 cups of ww flour. Let the mixer bread hook go at it until I liked the texture. Rise in the bowl until double, grease the pans and let rise again. Bake 350 about 40 minutes. Fresh bread for my dinner last night. Yum!

I know the mixer isn't supposed to handle that much dough. I left it on slow speed (1) and didn't push it. Checked it for heat. I was stuck, since I'd started off with too much water. Love my Kitchenaid!

I've noticed a child-like tendency. Decide that I can't start a new project until the last 2 on the needles are off, and the new projects call out to me, and the old ones seem boring. The lure of the new? I wanna start a new project! I need to remember that I can do whatever I want, but I am responsible to finish projects, not just start them.

Wow! We had a thunderstorm last night! Enough continuous low rumbles to warn me in time to turn off the computer, then an earth shaker! Don't know yet how much we got, but it certainly lasted a while! Radar shows we are getting more at the moment, but I don't see evidence here.

Thursday, August 26, 2004

Thursday!

Howard is flying home today. He'll be in tomorrow. Yay!

Something is in the air right now, sinuses are complaining. Good day to sit back and do little!

Started a loaf of bread, anyone want to come by when it is done? This one is going to be oatmeal, using steel cut oats that have been soaked in boiling water a while. No, I am NOT going to use the bread machine, it is still in exile on the back porch until someone else wants to use it. I know my limits -- bread machines are beyond me. Something about "exact measuring". Right.

Also made a crockpot of navy beans with turkey ham. I am wondering how making corn bread, but using cream of wheat would work as a substitute. Any ideas? Serena's suggestion about cheese spoon bread using cream of wheat is on the test list too. Been waiting for Howard to get home to try that.

Today is HOT with the chance of severe storms. Whoopie.

Sherrie has been by twice for the door code.

Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Whee!

I'm on a roll! Finished a sock last night, and today finished a purse that has been "so close" to being done for a long time.

Put in the mail today:
box # 1 the two socks to be photographed for a book,
box # 2 yarn for Serena
box # 3 Mom's vest
box # 4 package for Dianne Noe
box # 5 the purse
box # 6 thread
box # 7 the yarn from hell that is being returned to the store.

For someone that doesn't go to the post office much, this was a bit of overkill!

The pickup has some scent that gives me a headache. Good thing I don't need to go somewhere!

Completed while Howard has been gone:
1 soap sack
2 adult vests
1 toddler vest
1 sock
1 purse

The toddler vest and the soap sack are the only start to finish projects, though.

Visited someone today that has 4 sewing machines and a serger! Plus a spinning wheel made in the Amanas, a small loom, several drop spindles, and a Navajo spindle! A fiber fanatic, though more interested in quilting.

Monday, August 23, 2004

Monday!

It has been a MONDAY!

Phone has been ringing, people stopping by for visits.

During one of the visits, I almost finished my Sunset Vest! Just a bit more to go! I'd thought about trying to finish Howard's sweater before he gets home, but that may be a bit much. Soon though!

No comment from Serena on the cinnamon rolls, did you get any of them?

I am slowly working on translating a Danish pattern to English. I do as much as I can figure out, then send it to a friend in Denmark, who cleans it up. It is a good exercise in concentration. This is the second time we've done it, I got more this time than the last! I do it in bits, I can only puzzle out the abbreviations for so long. The knitting dictionaries don't use the same abbreviations that the writer did.

To be honest, I'm tired and haven't accomplished much of anything today.

Did refill the finch feeder yesterday, and gracefully dropped the last of the thistle seeds down my clothes when the bag slipped. I really should watch and see how Howard does it, I couldn't get it down, so had to hold the feeder down with one hand, while pouring out of a plastic bag with the other.

I need to do laundry. I don't want to do laundry. Somehow, it doesn't get done if I don't!


Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Why Do I Do this to myself?

Decided to try to knit 2 (count em, TWO) baby sweaters by tomorrow morning, so DH (also known as long suffering sweetie) can take them to a family gathering, and he can pass them on to Serena, for baby gifts. I think it is about time SHE started making her OWN baby gifts!

That puts the second sock for an upcoming book on hold, while the sweaters hopefully race on. First one is the famous 5-hour baby sweater. I'm making it of Sirdar Tiny Tots in a mustardy yellow, with a strand of Jamie Baby yarn in white. I'll let you know what I think when it is finished. The second is still out with the jury -- will it be red, or a variegated blues, or pinks, or... I need to decide FAST!

By the way, Nathan and Serena, do you prefer cinnamon butter rolls or plain butter ones?