Tiny Needle Tuesday 9/13/22

 Good Morning,

Another kind of grey day here.  I'm not complaining though as we went so long without any rain.  Jim, the mower, came on Monday for the first time in at least a month if not longer.  After last week's heavy rain, the grass grew quickly.  We had a bit more rain (or I should say mist) yesterday on and off.  Mabel went out at 3 this morning and when I let her in at 6 she was a little damp - not sure if it has rained or she was just going through the grass/shrubs/what have you.

We got our 3rd Covid Booster shots yesterday with no ill effects so far.  Fletch commented that his arm was beginning to feel tender last night, but I have not felt that and I slept fine.  He is still asleep at this hour, so I'll find out how he feels once he gets up.

On today's agenda is grocery shopping (minimal I hope) and getting a watch battery.  I went to the jewelers yesterday, but found out they are closed on Mondays.  I will try again today.

All of that brings us to Tuesday Morning and Tiny Needle Tuesday.  A bit of progress has been made on each sampler.  First  up, the BIG one (Ellen Harrison 1889 from NeedleWork Press):

Yikes!  Even enlarged this one is difficult to see.  The border stitches blend into the linen.  But...I made it fully across the top of the sampler (242 stitches) and just starting down the sides and managed to stitch her first name.  Here's a close up that is easier to see:

That's a fancy E at the beginning of Ellen

Next up is the Praise Sampler (Praise Loudly, Blame Softly) - a small band sampler from Eileen Bennett.  The acorns have been completed between the little birds and the next band has been started:

I'm having fun with this one and enjoying the different stitches as a nice change from just cross stitch.  There is a stitch coming up that I have never done before - Hollie Point.  I will need to practice that one for sure (it is a lace stitch that was popular during the 18th century).

That's it from me for today.  Hope you all have a peaceful and nice Tuesday!

Weekending 9/12/22

 Hello and Good Morning!

How was your weekend?  Mine was a good one.  Saturday was BOTH my birthday and the New Jersey Sheep and Wool Festival.  What's not to love about that?  I drove to Dee's and then she drove us over the river and into Festival territory.  It was crowded and it was also bigger than last year.  Lots of yarny things and lots of sheep.

Bonny was unable to meet with us on Saturday and I don't know if Bridget ever made it to the Fairgrounds...we did not run into her.  As I mentioned, there were plenty of sheep, so here's a sampling:

Look Ma!  I've got horns!!

Freshly shorn and getting ready to show!

This spotted guy was little and so cute!

Sheep in jackets!!

This one looked like a rag doll!

There was a new-to-me vendor and I did not buy anything from her, but I HAD to take a picture of her sign:

We walked around a lot and I was very restrained in my purchases!  Here's what I got:

A mini skein from The YarnSmith - colorway American Robin.  I thought this would be pretty on cuffs and heels and toes of solid color socks.

The middle skein is from Kints4Comfort and the colorway is Squash Blossom.  So pretty.

Last up, a skein of blue from Three Bunny Designs in the colorway Bunny's Got Her Blue Jeans On.  This skein is for socks for Fletch.

There is one last skein of yarn, but I did not buy it.  Dee gifted me this skein for my birthday!

Thank you Dee!  This is from Machete Shoppe and the colorway is Douglas Fir.  Beautiful!

After a lovely lunch out at Chive we headed back to Dee's and I picked up my car and drove home.  I was beat!  All that walking around (3 hours) on rough ground about did my feet and heels in.  Added to that is the fact that for 3 nights running I had not slept well.  But, it was a wonderful time and thank goodness we went on Saturday because it rained all day Sunday (and more today and tomorrow too).

I came home to a gorgeous bouquet that Fletch had bought for me:

Sunday, the rainy day, I did manage to do some knitting, some stitching and some reading.  I also paid bills and did some other "things."  And today we are booked to get the updated Booster Vaccine at 11.  We were hoping to be able to get this shot prior to our vacation (we leave 9/27).

Well, that's a wrap for me!  How was your weekend?

One Winner and One Loser

 Good Morning All,

How are you?  I'm well, though I'd like to sleep through one night without waking up at 3 a.m.!  And, I'd like to not wake in the middle of the night with a charlie horse in my right calf!  Geese Louise!  Or, rather, ouch.  Anyway, Mabel who had stayed in last night came up around 3:30 insisting that I get up to let her out, so I did that and then, luckily, managed to fall back asleep until 6:30.  Now I'm in the process of enjoying my first cup of coffee.  There's a little bit of a chill in the air, so the warmth of the coffee is especially nice this morning.

Yesterday I mentioned that I was making a new (to me) curry dish for dinner.  Well, that was the loser in the title of this post!

It's too bad as I love everything in it:  chicken, peppers, squash (yellow), peas, cilantro, red onions, peanuts, curry paste, coconut milk.  I really need to find a good curry recipe.

On the flip side I did make a winner!  The weather was perfect for cooking up a recipe I've made in the past for a chili sauce/artisinal ketchup. 

This stuff is so good - it has onions, peppers, a ton of tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and some spices (cinnamon, mace, allspice, nutmeg).  It cooks for 2+ hours on the stove and then has a 10 minute water bath to seal the jars.  It is chunky - not smooth like regular ketchup.  I did use my immersion blender to mash up some of it, but the chunks are nice.

No major plans for today - some laundry and a conference call at 11.  I'm hoping to find some time to knit and/or stitch.  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - enjoy!

Leading Up To The Weekend!

 Hello All,

How are you today?  We had another rainy day yesterday, but the sun is out today.  I've been up since forever (couldn't sleep after 4 a.m.), but on the positive side, all my Thursday reports have been run and sent out.  I'm betting I take a nap later.

It was another chilly afternoon on the patio for us (sweatshirt for me, flannel shirt for Fletch) and not very much bird activity.  When I went in to prep for dinner, Fletch decided to walk out to the garden.  This is what he came back with:

I hadn't even noticed the peppers growing - they must have been hiding under leaves.  And four figs!!  Fletch is betting that the rain we had will be encouragement for the figs to ripen a little more rapidly.

The dinner I prepped was one of our favorites - BBQ Shrimp.  Oh my!

I almost forgot to take a picture...so intent on filling my plate and mouth.  LOL  Tonight I am trying a new (to me) recipe for a green curry dish with chicken.  Yum!  If it turns out well, I may make it (without meat) when Colin is next here.  He will be up in 2 weeks for a meeting or two at work and will have dinner with us at least one night.  Can't wait to see that boy again.

Meanwhile...I can't wait for Saturday which is NJ Sheep and Wool!!  The only festival I go to now (Maryland Sheep and Wool is just too big and crazy for me).  Dee and I will head over in the morning.  We had hoped to meet up with Bonny, but she has other plans.  Bridget is planning to go as well, so perhaps we will be able to see her.

Before that, though, I need to get through work today and tomorrow.  And next week promises to be even crazier...not looking forward to that!

Hope everyone is doing well and having some fun!

Unraveled Wednesday 9/7/22

 Hello and Good Morning!

We ended up receiving roughly 3.5" of rain!  Woo-Hoo.  Yesterday morning I needed fresh parsley and basil for the red beans I was cooking.  I donned my wellies and rain jacket and walked out to the garden.  Or, rather, sloshed my way across the lawn to the garden.  The yard was like a pond!  It's looking back to normal now.  The rain finally stopped by late morning/early afternoon and sitting on the patio late in the day, Fletch had to put on a flannel shirt and I put on a sweat shirt!  It was wonderful.

Work was a little busy yesterday and then I spent the entire afternoon taking two required on-line courses.  One on IT security had to be completed by the end of September and the other on Wage and Hour laws had to be completed by the end of the calendar year.  I had already received multiple (as in over ten!) notices reminding me to take these, so I just decided to bite the bullet and do it.  What a PITA.  It's impossible to speed up the video training modules, so the courses take more time than they should.  Oh well, I completed them and have my certificates, so there is that.

And now we are at Unraveled Wednesday where we link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Wednesdays are always enjoyable.

First up, I finished my Corner to Corner dishcloth:

Obviously a little stretched out and unblocked...but it's a dishcloth for goodness' sake!  I'll just use it and then wash it and dry it.  The pattern is (duh) Corner to Corner by Purl Soho and the yarn is KnitPick's CotLin in the colorway Chicory.  I believe I used size 7 needles, but I've already put them away and can't really remember.  For the time being, I am finished making dishcloths (unless I decide to make some fancy/pretty ones to gift with a nice bar of soap or something).

I'm happy to say that the Cosmopolitan sock has moved a little bit on the journey to completion.

The heel has been turned and I'm almost finished the gusset decreases.  If I only had a few more hours in each day!  If you click on the picture to enlarge, you will see the cute bat stitch marker that Dee gave me on Saturday - perfect for Fall!  The pattern is Tidal Wave (had been free on Ravelry, but I don't see this particular version now) and the yarn is Barn Cat from Wandering Cat in the colorway Cosmopolitan.  I need to get a move on with this sock and the next.  They look like summer to me and it is feeling like Fall.  I want to knit something else!

On the reading side of things, sound the trumpets!  I finally finished Sorrow and Bliss and did not change my opinion of it!  Just boring to me.  But, I'm looking forward to our Read With Us Zoom discussion of this book next week.  I'm curious what so many found to like about this book - where I missed the mark or whatever.

Two books came in for me that I had requested from the library.  First up is The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim.  This is a slow read.  It has been described as charming, etc.  The style of writing is a bit dated (the author lived from 1866 - 1941 and this book was first published in 1922), but I've been reading it before bed and trying to get through it.  Araignee had mentioned that this was made into a movie (1991 I think) and I just found that it is available on Pluto TV (free) on Roku...so, perhaps I will watch it instead!

The other book I picked up is simply wonderful!  I'm only about a third of the way through it (see comment above about needing more hours in each day), but Remarkably Bright Creatures is sheer enjoyment!  I'm hoping to find a bit more reading time today.

So, curious minds want to know:  what are you making and reading these days?  Be sure to head over to Kat's for inspiration!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 9/6/22

 Good Morning From Soggy Eastern PA!

Yes my friends, we are finally getting rain!  It started lightly just around 5 p.m. yesterday and it has not let up yet.  I checked the rain gauge quickly and there is over 2" in it!!  It is supposed to rain steadily ALL day long.

I hope everyone had a nice Labor Day Weekend.  We did not do anything special, but it was nice and laid back...just the way I like it.  Finally I started my two new stitching pieces over the weekend.  First up is The Praise Sampler by Eileen Bennett.  This is the band sampler that incorporates 14 different stitches into it.  I love the saying which is:  "Praise Loudly Blame Softly."  Good words to live by if you ask me.  Here's what I accomplished so far:

This is a small sampler (the stitch count is only 57 by 115).  I'm stitching it on 30 count linen, but still only using one thread over 2.  I'm using the called for DMC threads and the Perle Cotton thread (that was used on the pulled 4 sided stitch at the top).

Here's an overall picture of what it will look like:

The second sampler I started is a large one (stitch count is 460 by 200).  It is the Ellen Harrison 1889 Sampler from Needlework Press.  I'm stitching it on 36 count linen (again one strand of floss over 2 linen threads).  I didn't get that far, but I started on another piece of fabric and decided it was way too large and light colored, so I pulled a darker linen from my stash and started over.  Here is what is stitched so farL

Kind of hard to see...you can click to enlarge if you like.  Here is what the entire sampler will look like:

So, a lot of stitching ahead of me!  I'm enjoying having two different pieces to work on again...keeps me from getting bored.

Along the lines of surprises, I was so excited to find that we have another lemon growing on our little lemon tree!  When I was watering house plants on Saturday I discovered it.  If I remember correctly, the first one took forever to grow and then it came off the plant prior to being ripe.  I put it on the buffet with other fruit and eventually it ripened and I used it in cooking!  Here's the new one (kind of like a little bean - lol):

My plans for today include making red beans (an all day affair - I did soak the beans over night), a conference call at 11:30 and possibly grocery shopping (if we care to dodge the raindrops).  It's not critical that we shop, but I prefer Tuesdays so that we receive the 5% senior discount (that adds up quickly).

I hope your day finds you easing back gently after a holiday weekend.  Have a good one!

TGIF

 Hello and Good Morning,

Happy September!  I intended to write that greeting yesterday, but then work got crazy/busy and suddently the day got away from me.  BUT...I also decided to take today as a vacation day to make a four day weekend.  Of course, when I was awake in the middle of the night I suddenly remembered a report that I needed to do...I took care of that first thing, so now no more work today, no conference calls, etc.  A lovely feeling.

The air this morning is so cool and refreshing.  Just about 59 degrees and it actually felt a little chilly when I let Mabel out at 4:30 this morning.  Poor thing, she is sneezing constantly!  The past 2-3 days have been filled with non-stop sneezing on her part.  She is not congested or stuffy, thankfully.

On Wednesday Fletch and I went to a new (to us) thrift store.  It had just opened in June.  On our way we stopped at the library for me to pick up two books that had come in for me.  As luck would have it, the thrift store's special of the day was five books for $1.  Of course I found five!!

I have not read any of these!  The top four have been on my list for about forever and then Cane River just looked interesting to me.  I don't NEED more books to own, but I couldn't pass up the bargain.  Once I read these, I will just donate them.

The best find though is a frame I picked up for $11.99.  For years (ever since I finished stitching it) I have carried the dimensions of a stitched piece in my little notebook.  The piece is A Parrot, A Leopard, A Lion from The Scarlet Letter:

It is the one piece I've stitched that Colin really likes, so I've been on the hunt for a frame and here is what I found:

Sorry for the glare and the dirt (and price tag lower left - lol) - obviously I have not cleaned it yet.  But, if I measured correctly, the stitched piece should fit perfectly in the center area of the frame.  Fingers crossed.

Wednesday also saw me making the Eggplant Caponata that I mentioned the other day.  OMG - so freakin' good I could have stood with a spoon and just eaten all of it out of the pan!  Instead I put it in the frig.  Yesterday when I was out I bought a baguette and lunch today will be toasted (with EVOO) baguette with Caponata.  I might have to be a pig!  LOL

Fletch is grilling wings for dinner and I will make potato salad and cole slaw to go with those.  Tomorrow I'll meet up with Dee for our Saturday session of knitting/chatting/sipping.  Other than that, no plans for the weekend.  Whatever you do, I hope you have a wonderful weekend - enjoy!!