Deb on the Web

Fun and cool in the knitting world

A new ezine! This is a different style mag.  I'm looking forward to really checking it out.
Did you hear about this contest?  Anyone entering?
Check out Violet's new project--I got mine!

Now in my world--the boy has sadly returned home.  Not a long enough trip, but a fun one:)
Next time we gotta get the whole family over!  (okay Cyndi?)

I am getting weeding done today now that it is getting sunny (always happens the second guests leave town).  We are bonding with goats and bunnies.  Oh have I mentioned that my darling Isabelle is actually a guy named Izzy!?!  The siblings have been separated and we are hoping for the best in the incest area.  Amazing how much happier they are apart. 

Knitting on Lizard Ridge, a baby blanket, the mini sweater from Duet and a pair of socks (two on two needles).
Spinning on the wheel is the multi-colored merino/silk/ angora blend and on the spindle is a black and white Jacob fleece.
Reading Vogue Knitting magazine (this new one is a great issue), Shear Spirit, Barnyard in the Backyard, The Last Empress.
Listening to lots of podcasts including this (new to me) one.

Starting tonight Gino's is getting a face lift.  We will be closed for 3 days to do some serious cleaning and painting.  A new stove too!!

Don't miss this

Tina has a Blue Moon blog!  I'm going to wait a few days to post a photo of my Rockin Sock club July installment.  I don't think everyone has gotten their's yet.  But it came on my birthday!  How cool is that:)

Photos of the boy when there is one...they are about to build a goat fence.  I don't think he realized he was vacationing on a "dude ranch".

Link, link, link

I keep seeing a tinyurl in web addresses lately so I checked it out today.  Pretty cool idea.

Pink Lemon Twist has new sock patterns available in her elements series.  So does Portland's own Knit for Joy (woo hoo Cindy!).  Cindy was mentioned on the Chum this week:)

You are going to be reading some of my thoughts on food politics in the near future.  Right now I have ideas in my head I'd like to share, but they are still pretty random. Becky's site has some good thoughts on eating as well.  And go read this book

Sites I've been hanging out at

Now that the garden is up and running again I'm back at Dave's Garden.  I joined this garden community about 5 yr ago, but really haven't had a garden for the last 3 to play in.  I have already taken part in to plant Coops (hosta and iris).  Members host coops so that people that are all interested in buying the same plants can get great bulk prices.
This morning this site was brought to my attention--GreenThumbr.  I created a profile and have yet to look around a whole lot, but it seems like a fun site.  Anyone else on there?
I found that through Twitter.  And also found through Twitter was Plurk.  Anyone playing with that?  Several knitters are over there--including Wendy and Violet.  I like that I can have the twitterings up on my blog and they are connected with Greenthumbr so I probably won't hang out there a lot.  I do like the setup though.

It is so gray here today I can't get any photos of...the next prize!  The angora booties I knit last night.  The finished Needle Felted Bucket bag.  Sweet little bunnies.

I am so happy to have reached the original goal of $300 for the CCFA walk!! woo hoo!  Thank you everyone:)  Since there is one more week to go (and I have not posted my own donation) I want to see if $500 (!!!) might be a reachable goal.  I'm already happy why not try for ecstatic!  You can now scroll back to past posts to see the prizes that will be awarded (randomly) on June 28th.  Once the 10th prize is posted (in just a couple days!) I will post them all together for a last hopeful push towards the new goal!!!  Really, as not a lot of people have donated the odds of winning a prize are pretty darn good;)

Doodling about on Etsy

Etsy gets even more creative!  What would you request?

What's a new needle felter to do?

What could you do with this pattern?  Think of the yarn possibilities!

Purty!

All this looking about is helping my brain get resituated.  We had a wonderful Father's Day/Birthday dinner for 16 relatives yesterday.  Today I am going to clean, organize and get things back to normal.  I don't anticipate much more excitement for Summer (knock on wood).  I've had my fill over the last couple of years.  I would love to have a boring (creative) Summer.  Since it is looking like I will be back at work full-time in the Fall I am going to enjoy what I have up here while I can!

I have some old bananas on hand so I'm off to find a banana bread recipe.  I love the stuff, but haven't made one in years!  The Tiramisu yesterday--to die for!  No brandy up here so I had to borrow a little cognac from my FIL.  Wow!  That and using really good eggs had everyone asking for seconds.

Remember to donate for my CCFA walk!  I will be posting more prizes this week, but you can look at previous posts to see what there is so far:)

I'm not shopping but...

It doesn't mean you can't:)  I am trying to only buy yarn for specific projects that need to be knit right away (ie the baby blankets).  But I love some of the new finds out there!  So I thought I'd share them with you all:

The Plucky Knitter
Her colorways are great.  And I love all the cowls she knits.  You can really see her yarn in action.

Sunshine Yarns
I love fun colorways, but I am starting to be pulled back to more intricate patterns that look best on solids.  Here are some beautiful ones.
(I would add here that I am starting to think "Kettle Dyeing" for when the weather warms up).

Sundara
Yes, I think everyone knows her fabulous yarns.  All I can say is YUM!  But I haven't actually ever seen them in person much less knit any.  I do trust all the oohs and aaahs I here.  This may have to be a treat for me when I knit down some of the sock yarn in the bin...
You all can get some now though;)

There will be a picture post later today.  I got some adorable buttons for the BSS I need to sew on first.

A quick post before the drive in

Wednesday is work day.  But it is also catch up, run errands and knit day.
I am a guest diner for a cooking class at lunch today, then I have a few errands before heading to Twisted to meet up with Michelle, Tammy and Kim.  Of course I'll be at Gino's tonight for work. 
Tomorrow I'll be showing some finished photos of "Marina" and beginning photos of the "Slipstitch Baby Blanket".  I started it last night and I'm really pleased with the look.
Let's have a few other blog links today (as I'm not really saying much that is interesting):
PDX Knitbloggers now have a ring to surf!
Now that I'm back to my garden I'm back to Norma:)
Two random knit blogs from Knitting Friends.
One more chicken pic.  Not one that we ordered, but someday...heehee

Current projects

I started my first Baby Surprise Sweater (created by EZ and found in her Knitting Almanac) last night.  Yes, I am the last knitter to make one.  And actually this is not the first time I've started one.  Just the first time I am figuring out how to knit it correctly!  These BSS notes (I can not remember how I first found them) are amazingly helpful. 
It was brought to my attention yesterday that I have 3 (current and past) employees that have 3 ladies that will be having 3 babies (all boys presumably as that is all any of my employees have ever had while working for me) right in a close time frame this Summer.  I've got to get a move on (as in quit procrastinating!  One of those babes already has a knitting "auntie" that is working on a blankie so I thought a BSS would be fun with lots of booties and a Funky Monkey too.  For the other two I've got to get to AYD today and start looking at blanket yarns and patterns (from my library).

As I was packing in town this week I found a box of seeds from 2004!  I'm not quite sure what they were doing in town and not out at the farm.  But they will be the big Summer science experiment.  I'm going to plant most of them (no point in bothering with tomatoes at this point) just to see if I can germinate them and get some fresh seed produced.  Some seeds are ones I had saved from 2003 and there are lots of them!  Anyone else want to try out the sprouting experiment?  Lots of lettuce, kale and miscellaneous...

I received an Amazon order a few days ago--Cheese making!  Now I'm not getting crazy enough to go out and buy a goat, sheep or cow (but you know I want to!).  This book talks about making cheese with milk bought at the grocery store.  Yogurt too!  I do love me some yogurt with honey and warmed walnuts...

As I have a couple nights a week where I am home alone (whoopee! yahoo! weeee! ahem, I mean poor me....) I am getting creative with cooking for one.  Last night was all about roasted veggies and basmati rice.  I use a cast iron pan and start the veggies (baby turnips, golden beets, garlic shoots and mild garlic cloves) on the stove by sauteeing them a little with olive oil and salt.  When they have some color I pop them under the broiler to finish cooking.   Toasty brown in a bowl with rice and a little herb salt is a perfect meal.  It also cleaned out last week's veggies so I am ready for the Farmer's Market again this weekend.
Being home alone on a Friday night is a wonderous thing to a restaurant worker:)  It means watching Dracula movies with yarn and sewing (read sewing buttons back on DH pants) projects spread out.  Yeah, I'm not quite ready to go back to work full-time yet.

Blogs to read today..Claudia (yep still pimping her--as I have a very good friend with MS and this subject has become much more important to me), Spunky's auctions, Knitting Friends (I have found so many new (to me) and interesting blogs since I started paying attention to this site.  And wow!  I was mentioned yesterday and my readership soared.  Steph turned me on to this blog.  Really fun!  Give me some more blogs to read.

Need a little inspiration?

Photos from the forest floor.  Yes, I am back to green!  I have always loved the color green.  But living in the city brings out my urges for browns, blues and of course lots of black in the wardrobe.  Being up here (especially in Spring) I just can't get enough green in my life!!  So many different shades:) This is one of my herb beds before clean up.  It looks ever so lovely now (just way too rainy to show) I still love this photo for the varieties of color and texture.  I've planted some bronze fennel at this end to add to the textural variety (and my salad bowl).

If you know me personally then you know I had a blow out! 40th birthday party (thank you again Marc, Gina and Michael!).  A 3 day bbq at the farm with live music, great food and almost all my favorite people (I missed you Cyndi!).  I haven't known anyone to match the fun that we had on their 40th(it actually was a week with the pre-planning party added to it).  But the Harlot is doing it!  And in fabulous stlye:)  That is a party I would love to crash. 
You really need to read these posts today as well--Franklin, Claudia (yes, I will be bugging you all to visit her until she reaches her MS Ride goal) and Ysolda (because, really, who can pass up a post titled Brownies and Lace).
I'm off to town for some moving (yes I did move just me and my fiber room), some knitting (meeting up with Michelle and maybe Tammy and Kim) and then working at Gino's in the evening.  I am hoping by the time I get home tonight the rain clouds will have passed and I can enjoy a sunny day in the garden tomorrow.
Tomorrow's post will include the knitting and spinning progress of yesterday...

Outside is calling

Well, I feel there were enough posts from me yesterday that I'm not thinking too hard about it today.  It is lovely out and the weeds are calling.
I do want to bring to your attention that Summer of Socks 08 is upon us.  And today is the last day to sign up!  Also, Wendy has a contest where you will receive a copy of Lynn Rosetto Kasper's new book.  Today is the last day for that as well.
Make sure to stop by Claudia's blog and donate to her MS ride.
Okay, carry on...