Busy Little Bee

It's been an exhausting week around here, at least for the pregnant lady. On Monday I decided that whatever else happened, I needed to can some applesauce for the coming winter. Upon finding only 6 apples in the 'fridge (have I mentioned how much I am loving apples right now?), I hopped in the truck and headed for the local orchard.

Upon arriving I found not only 3 varieties of apples I had to have, but also a bushel of #2 peaches. These are the ones that drop, get bruised, don't look just right. Well I couldn't just leave them there now, could I? So I picked them up too.

Needless to say, my week has consisted of making applesauce, canning applesauce, making peach puree, turning it into peach butter, and canning said peach butter. Had I had a bit more energy, I might have been able to sweeten the peach butter, but as it is, it's strictly the fruit and some spices; a bit sweet and tart all at the same time. Which actually will be nice for the two people in the house who can't have sugar. The rest of us can always add it in if necessary. And I swear by the crock pot. That makes the entire "butter" experience so much easier.

And I have been extraordinarily tired from the entire experience. I needed a couple of days just to veg in order to catch up with myself. I'm glad to have finally got some canning in though. We'll see just how long those jars of applesauce really last!

De-Stashing IV

Before my fateful yarn-buying-spree, I was able to create this lovely little sweater from my stash of yarns. (Baby knitting really is a great way to use up those odd balls of yarn.)

This is done in Berroco Comfort - and even though I tend to be a yarn snob, this Acrylic/Nylon blend is so soft, you would never know it's not a natural fiber. The pattern is the Inca-Dincadoo sweater by Sarah Keller, and it's all in garter stitch which makes it super easy. And I used the buttons from Grandmom's stash; I'm sure they came off a blazer of Gramps's at some point.

The sweater clearly needs blocking, but I was so anxious to share I thought I'd post it anyway. Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

And I Was Being So Good, Too

Ah, the allure of new yarn sucked me in and down the rabbit hole! It's not like I need the yarn. In fact, I still have a substantial stash to work through. But in the end, I discovered a new yarn shop in Plainfield, Nomad Yarns, and they had the most adorable book of baby patterns (which I need like I need a hole in my head) and the very yarn called for in the pattern. So I purchased them both to make a cabled baby vest.

Then, my regular shop, Village Yarn Shop, sent out an e-mail that all the cotton and summer yarn was going on sale. I tell you, it's a conspiracy! Of course, I had to go up there and get some supplies for baby knitting, because there's nothing quite so perfect as Blue Sky Organic Cotton for a baby. Of course I also picked up two other cottons. Come on, they were on sale. Oh, and I also signed up for a class to make these slippers (which the Yarn Harlot was nuts about - and rightly so) because they would make such great Christmas gifts. (I keep telling myself that, anyway. Let's be honest; they will most likely wind up in my own closet.)

Ah well, I slipped off my yarn diet. I suppose everyone drops a stitch now and again.....

De-Stashing III

Still using up that stash of yarn! Here are some future Christmas gifts that will be added to the gift larder:

Still thinking about felting the red one....

De-Stashing II

I have this habit of buying a ball or two of a yarn I find irresistible, and then I don't really have enough of it to do much of anything. I mean, really. How many hats can a girl have? I finally collected enough of these random hanks to make a shawl. And while I don't really see myself as much of a shawl wearer, I find myself reaching for it at night when I am watching TV and the house seems a bit chilly. And it's made up of my favorite yarns. What could be better?

Pattern: Odd Ball Knitting, Triple Triangle

De-Stashing

I have been on a tear lately to use up my yarn stash. (Probably because the basket is overflowing making no room for any new yarns.) In that vein, I decided to make these adorable little beer cozies. They don't use much yarn at all and I get to feel like I have made the best use of my stash. Win, win. And just in time for tail-gate season too! Notice these are in Colts colors.

I would never have come up with these on my own, but the first time my knitting instructor met my son, she asked him what project he might like to make. He stood by the bins and bins of yarn and thought. Finally he said, "I think I'd like to make a beer holder." Just like that. As if it was the most natural thing for an eight-year-old to say. Thank heaven Maureen is the mother of boys and thought it as funny as I did! So when I found this pattern in a book (Knitting with Balls) at Half Price Books, well, it was as if the Universe was telling me what I needed to do.

I used Jelli Beenz yarn, which is a wool/acrylic blend. Perfect for a wet surface. I also decided to do a different pattern on each one, so they would not only serve as insulators (for the beer and your hands), but also as a sort of marker, so you know which beer is yours. Here are some close-up views:

Perfect Morning

Yesterday was just the perfect morning. The recipe for a perfect morning, you ask? Fall must be just around the corner. It has to be cool enough (finally!) to sit outside and knit, barefoot, in jeans, with a mug of hot tea. And the mug really should be a mug you purchased in Disney World. It makes the tea, and you, so much happier. And you really should have your old-fashioned, transistor radio, tuned eternally to NPR. And the knitting on your needles would be a darling little baby sweater from the softest cotton ever. Because without any one of these components, the morning would be slightly less than perfect. And that just wouldn't be right, now, would it?

Jail Break Pants

These pants just might be my favorite baby item yet. I once again raided my stash of yarn - all acrylic hand-me-down, I'm sure - to produce these bad boys. The stripes just kill me! They are so "Oh Brother Where Art Thou," don't you think?

The pattern is from One More Skein by Leigh Radford. She has the most adorable baby things in there. I plan to knit them all by the time February rolls around. I opted to use an I-cord for the drawstring instead of a ribbon, as I felt it gave the pants a more unisex look. But seriously, are they not the most adorable little things ever? Hello, Baby!