Up a Creek in Lower Slower Delaware

I Forgot

November 21, 2007

I got TWO comments yesterday. I am so excited!! Someone actually read what I wrote and had great things to say in return. Thanks Sara. Thanks Anne. Love ya.

Tags: comments, thanks
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Here it is, the day before Thanksgiving. I have things to do, but it is so beautiful outside. I managed to cook up a small batch of rolls this morning before walking the dog. They’re gone now. Sweetums washed and hung the sheets so I guess I will have to bathe tonight. I am sure the neighbors will appreciate it.

Here is a picture of me with the neighbors house in the background. I didn’t like this sweater when I first made it. It sat on the closet shelf for a good year. I am finally starting to like it. It seems to look better. I think all those dog walks are paying off. Do I look brain dead! I was trying to explain the camera to my husband and this was the best he could do. At this point, I probably was brain dead.

The pattern is from Sally Melville’s Purl Book. The yarn is Rowan California Cotton. I really love this yarn. I still have enough for at least three more sweaters. It’s also wonderful for wash cloths. I am making my daughter a tunic with it. It is taking me a while because it is crocheted. It’s hard on my hands and I can’t crochet for hours on end like knitting. On the other hand, her knitted gloves are done and I have started on a matching lacy scarf.

Back to reality. I’ve got to go peel apples.

Tags: apple pie, knit, rolls, Rowan, Sally Melville, sweater
Posted in Knitting | 4 Comments »

Refrigerator Rolls

November 20, 2007

I made the mistake of making scones for breakfast this morning. They took too long. I had other things to do. But, they were really good.

Now, it’s after 4PM and all I have done is get the mashed potatoes out for the rolls. I am really dragging around. I didn’t go to the market until 3 PM. I needed really stupid stuff. The worse being nutmeg. I know I have nutmeg around here somewhere, but neither of us could find it. The good spaces were all gone in the parking lot and I wasted a lot of time waiting for LOLs to get by. Daddy always told me to have patience, but there are times. As soon as I finish this, I will go make up the rolls and put them in the refrigerator. Tomorrow morning, I will make 5 or 6 to try out.

It’s a good thing I will not be making everything for Thanksgiving. I don’t think I could handle it right now. The neighbors invited us and am bringing rolls and apple pies. I couldn’t find the right kind of apples around here, but fortunately, my daughter did. I picked them up when I went over there last week. I think those pies are the main reason my son is coming here for Thanksgiving.

Tags: apple pies, rolls, scones, Thanksgiving
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Rain, Rain, Rain

November 20, 2007

I woke up late due to the rain. It rained all morning so I decided to drive down to Salisbury to get a haircut. Monday’s a good day to go, but I took some knitting just to be sure. Well, I breezed right in. Of course, if I hadn’t taken anything, I would have had to wait. Then I went over to TSC for horse treats. No, I don’t own a horse, but I do walk my dog around a horse farm. Next stop was Michael’s Crafts. I needed green pipe cleaners for a Christmas display I am hoping to make for my daughter for Christmas. They don’t call them pipe cleaners any more. The sales person looked at me like I had three heads. I found them on my own. They are now called chenille stems. That store gives me a headache, but I did find some tiny presents to put in Santa’s tiny sleigh and some cookie sheets. I’ll post a picture if and when my husband finishes painting the wall and I dare open my sewing machine again. Hopefully, I will get a chance to finish knitting the gloves tonight and start on the scarf. I want to do something different, but my brain isn’t in creative mode currently.

Tags: Christmas, haircut, horse treats, knitting gloves, pipeclaeners
Posted in Knitting, my pets, Sewing | 2 Comments »

New Bulky Sweater

November 17, 2007

The other week I was rummaging around in my stash looking for bulky yarn. I was going to make a cat bed. I soon realized that I had enough for a sweater for me and several cat beds. Well, I still haven’t gotten to the cat bed, but I have a new sweater. I used a pattern in an old Vogue Knitting magazine. It called for heavy worsted on size 11 needles. Since my yarn was really bulky, I used size 17 needles. I did a gauge swatch–Yes!! I always do a gauge swatch. I cast on half the number of stitches for size Large and only did about half the number of rows. I had to fudge some of the decreases at the armholes, but I am very happy with the end result.

Since Jenn did all the driving Monday, I was free to knit. I started on a pair of gloves for her. I used Paton’s SWS. It was pretty and felt very nice. I got most of one glove made. It went very quickly on size 5 needles. The yarn band said size 9, but I always go down a few sizes for gloves. I also gave her a pair of socks for Christmas. They were Lorna’s Laces in red, white and green with a mitered square design. I gave them to her now so that she can wear them when she is feeling Christmasy. Is that a word? I forgot to take a picture.

Here are Jenn’s gloves and some yarn I picked up over the weekend. My first thought was gloves, but there is enough for socks. I was also thinking about a scarf with the leftover yarn from Jenn’s gloves—something open with perhaps little flowers at the end.

Tags: , gloves, Patons, sweater, Vogue knitting
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Pickle Run

November 16, 2007

Monday, Jenn and I went on our annual “Pickle Run”. We didn’t get any pickles this time. A friend of hers wanted some pickled beets and it seemed like a good excuse. We also got chow chow, peaches and cranberry applesauce to fill up the case. Allgyer’s in New Holland, PA make the best bread and butter pickles and pickled beets I have ever tasted. When the local market stopped carrying them, my daughter wrote to the address on the label. Mr. Allgyer replied with directions and asked that she call before coming. He said to let it ring for a long time. I assume the phone was in the basement where the business was and not in the house. It was sold to the Smuckers a few years ago, but Mrs. Allgyer assured me that they would be using the same recipes. And she was right.

We went to Gap to the Mennonite Thrift Store. I got some Christmas fabric and Jenn got some decorations. We always find something there. Then we headed back to Intercourse. I bought strawberry rhubarb preserves, red raspberry jam, black bean salsa, apricot scone mix, cranberry nut muffin mix and buckwheat pancake mix at the canning store. We crossed the street and went to the meat market where I got dried beef, German bologna, Lebanon bologna, smoked turkey, Swiss cheese, smokey cheesers and pretzel crackers. We decided it was time for lunch and went to a little restaurant nearby. I had a hot turkey sandwich and Jenn had pork barbecue on a roll, our usual. We stopped at two quilt stores, but I didn’t buy any fabric, just books. We also did some antiquing. I found an embroidered hankie which I will use on a blouse. Jenn got an embroidered doily. That’s it for now. My cupcakes might burn.

Tags: beets, Intercourse, pickles, quilts
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Girls Day Out

November 15, 2007

I went up to Hampstead to have lunch with some of the “girls” I used to work with. We have been doing this for several years. It started out with three and now it is up to seven of us. We are mostly retired now except for Diana and she’s goingout at the end of the year. We talked about all the usual bull crap that you would expect.

I was a bit surprised when Joan talked about the one thing she would never forget about me. A man from another division asked me if he might look at my files. I told him, “I don’t give a shit.” I don’t remember this incident, but it certainly sounds like me. This was probably the last thing he ever expected to here from me. I am sure I did it just to see his reaction. It’s good to be remembered.

I made everyone key chins with “Girls Day Out” on the backs. I was going to take pictures, but I forgot. I guess I am becoming senile. Here are pictures that I took earlier of the chains.

I started this entry last Friday, but the computer I was using began to act weird. Also, in order to add pictures, I would have had to climb under the desk, and I wasn’t about to do that. I tried to call my friend, Deb, but no one was home. I left a message, but she never called me back. I think she is mad at me again. She has been mad at everything and everyone lately. She stopped seeing her shrink a few months ago and it has really started to show. I can only take so much and I get depressed, too. I have had depression and been through it with family and another friend. I hope that her family and friends can help her. On to more pleasant things—

I spent a lot of time with my son on Saturday and Sunday. He has to take care of the house on his own now and there are a lot of little things that he needs to be aware of. He has really grown up since he started college and I will be extremely happy to see him graduate this year. We went to Cheeberger Cheeberger. I had the best burger and the fries and onion rings were excellent! I regretted it the next day, but what the hey. We had a good time and we talked a lot.

Tags: friends, key chains, son
Posted in Sewing | 3 Comments »

Renewed Elvis

November 6, 2007

My old man is feeling better. He hardly sneezed at all last night and he even went out into the front yard this afternoon. It is full of pine trees and a great place to do what needs to be done. He does not care for standard time. By the time he gets around to sunbathing on the deck, there is only about one hour of sun left.

I can’t decide what to do with my daughter’s tunic. I do not have enough yarn. I had substituted yarn, but I do that often. I reran my calculations and I still should have had a ball left over. I do have more of this yarn in three other colors so I am going to take all of it back with me. There are a few options that we can go with so I want Jenn to decide which idea she likes best. It is so aggravating. The pattern was in a magazine that I was unfamiliar with, but Jenn really liked the design. In case you are wandering, my gauge has been right on.

Tags: cats, Elvis, Knitting
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Elvis

November 6, 2007

I took Elvis to the vet today. It took both of us to get him in the carrier. By the way, Elvis is a 17 year old cat who has never been sick a day in his life. He says it is because he does not believe in jumping or running. The end of my son’s bunk bed has scars to prove it. Elvis and his siplings were bottle kittens. I always fed Elvis last because I could put him on my bed while I fed the others and he wouldn’t go anywhere. Now, he is the only one left. He ain’t no dummy. He got a shot of penicillin and liquid antibiotics to take. He peed on the way home. My cat carriers all have thick fleece pads that I made so there was no real mess. Elvis, however, was embarrassed and hid under the bookcase until after the others had eaten. I hope Doug will be able to give him his medicine when I go back to Reisterstown for a few days. If not, I will have to take him with me. That means no stops for me along the way.

Tags: cats, vet
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Tired Hip

November 4, 2007

We walked all over the horse farm yesterday morning and went out for another walk late in the afternoon. We didn’t walk nearly as much today. My groin muscle started to holler so I just walked around the first paddocks. I also knew exactly where my new parts were. I really don’t mind. This time last year, I could barely make to the end of my street. I have had bad knees for years, but when my hip started to go, I was devastated. I am really happy with my new hip and I am really trying to take care of it.

I finished the scarf so that’s one finished Christmas present. I used a simple one line pattern. Cast on an odd number of stitches. I used 23 stitches on size 10.5 needles. Purl one, then (yo, P2tog) to end.

Tags: hip, horse farm, scarf psttern
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