Deb on the Web

What a weekend

I am posting this without photos as they are just taking too long.  I'll add them when I head into town later today.
It was a fabulous mail week-end.  So how is that for a tease.  I have lots to show from Woolgirl (Spin Club), Loopy Ewe (Malabrigo worsted) and A Swell Yarn Shop (the beginning of my Lucky Lurkers project).  I also would love to show you the current progress of my spinning of the Dicendra roving for the Tour de Fleece.  A fun project.  I have decided to Navajo ply this and knit Cindy's beautiful scarf pattern.  I am hoping the stripey-ness doesn't cove up the pattern too much.
In the animal department we are having to put back the Pygora pickup for a week due to a funeral that Darlene is helping with.  Even if I'm disappointed we totally understand how these things go.  Our godson will be spending next week visiting here so he gets to have quite a farm adventure!  As if the Skateboard park in HoodRiver wouldn't be enough.

Saturday was such a food day.  I started the day early so I could get to the Farmer's Market as it was opening.  I was hoping to beat the crowds.  No chance at this point in the year though.  Even though it was packed I managed to get the berries, corn, peppers and tomatoes I was looking for.  A small batch of canning has already started up here at "The Cedars".
As I headed in to work I had lots of food ideas running through my head.  A slow braised pork sauce for pasta, rabbit (not ours) in pepperonata and a great antipasti plate that included a great veggie tart filled with chickpeas, Cardoncello mushrooms and chive marscapone.
After work I tossed a couple of produce bags in the car (all the scraps that get added to my compost at home) and headed over to the grocery.  I am able to get all the produce at the farmers market, but there are still things like popcorn and coffee I need from the store.  I loved opening up the back of my car at home and seeing all the bounty (even the scraps) that were from pretty darn close to home.
Local is the important thing these days!  Organic yes, but local is becoming so much more important.  Reasons?
Support your local community
Eating fresh foods is healthier
Carbon Footprint
Knowing how your food was raised will cut down on deadly bugs ending up in your food
I'm not saying that I wouldn't jump at organic foods at every chance, but if I know the farmer is working his property in a natural way, but doesn't want to pay the price to be certified I am going to support him 100%!
Okay, climbing down from the soap box.

(husband was just heard to say--you are a dead fly walking)  I end with that...

A new prize! And some FOs

Prize #9 for the CCFA walk fundraiser!!  Is a little something for you spinners out there This beautiful fiber is from Capistrano Fiber Arts.  It is 60% Merino 40% Bamboo in a limited edition colorway.  Just beautiful shades of green.  And as we have had a lot of rain here in the Northwest it is looking very similar to my surroundings right now;)  You have to make a donation (in any amount) right here to have your name in the prize hat!  All prizes will be awarded on Saturday June 28th (And it is coming right up.  CCFA is a very deserving charity.  Colitis and Crohn's Disease really gets very little mention and fundraisers like this go a long way to raise important money to help those afflicted.

In the I have finished department-- A finished Needle Felted Bucket bag!  I really love the way it turned out.  The pattern called for design on the sides, but I liked the fact that I can see a little bit of the decrease pattern there.  I do have to sewn the handles on a little better.  After a very heavy load at the Farmer's Market yesterday there was fraying of stitches (I am so not a seamstress!).
For the first baby shower of the Summer we have Angora baby booties I just had to use that German Angora/merino right away (from BSG).  It felt wonderful to knit with and will look darling on the feet of this Mama's baby
I have been roasting a chicken with Morel mushrooms, beets and turnips while typing this.  It is not time to steam the greens from that veg.  So more tomorrow with pics of our mini farm:)

A full weekend

No urge to open the laptop (past checking emails) yesterday.  It was one of those glorious days up here.  I'm not talking about nice weather (god forbid we have sun on June 1).  No it was glorious because the husband and I had the day to ourselves to work on outdoor projects (moving firewood in and scrapwood to the burn pile) and indoor projects (much more fun to look at)-- I love days where it is just the two of us (we get a lot of those now) and there are snacks like this.  Dinners like this and knitting like this This is the needle felted bag I'm working on from my class Saturday.
--Yep, we are working backwards on this weekend post--
It was not the class I was expecting as Marta McCall canceled at the last minute (night before), but it was a fun knitting date with Michelle and Rodger.  Everybody else canceled so Michelle and I have Rodger there to wind yarn and keep us entertained.  We both have felted bags before so we can carry on until the last session where we are both excited about learning the needle felting techniques.
--Okay this is actually going to be a jumping around the weekend post--
Friday night's knitting talk by Catherine Lowe was followed by a visit to Knit Purl to see her new yarns and garment samples.  I had expected a talk with more details about her techniques (those will be covered in a Fall workshop).  This was an unveiling of her yarn (only to be sold at Knit Purl).  I did buy one skein of the blend which I am working up into a short scarf Her yarns are very interesting.  Catherine wanted a parallel yarn so she created a line of her own to work her designs.  She is now selling the yarns in kits and a few on there own.  She has a merino, Royal baby alpaca, silk thread and mohair.  You can request to have a combination of any of these at however many strands you want (5x merino or 2x merino and 3x silk whatever you like).  She also has some made up ready to use.  The blend I purchased is 3x merino, 1x silk and 1x mohair.  It also has a bit of sizing so that it lies flat and doesn't give you a false sense of loft.  Colorwise she has the yarns available in all colors so it is easy to mix and match your fibers.  I am using Black violet.  I love the feel and color!  Eventually she will have 40 colors!  Right now it is a limited palate of very rich colors.  I was worried that the strands lying side by side would both me as I knit--being too easy to put the needle in the wrong place.  It was a problem the forst couple of rows and now I'm flying along on bamboo straight needles.  I don't think this is a yarn you can use while watching TV, but I also feel at the price and with the wonderful feel of the yarn it should be your sole entertainment!
I don't know that will jump out and buy a ton of this yarn as it is spendy.  We were given a discount for being at Catherine's talk on Friday night.  But I am going to take her technique classes in the Fall so I may change my mind at that point.  I do feel that finishing is my weakest point.  So this is a going back to school kind of class for me.

I think I'll finish the rest of the weekend at another time.  There is actually some sun coming in the windows.  I've got to get outside!

Endings leave room for beginnings

As in I finished two projects and a book last night.  My wrists were sore from the vest edging so I decided to wait until this morning to share.
First up--the perfect buttons for this Baby Surprise Sweater I hope these show up (Peter Cottontail wearing a blue sweater gathering carrots--this is for a cook's child).  This is an adorable little sweater.  I'm planning on knitting some booties to gift along with it.
Next up on the finishing list is Marina While I loved knitting with Taiyo (cotton, wool, nylon and silk blend)  I just don't care for the end look on me (sorry about the photo).  It doesn't gather in the way a 100% wool yarn would in a rib pattern.  So that my medium feels like extra large.  This was mainly going to be something to wear in the yard for gardening this Summer (I like to be warm).  Now I doubt I will wear it anywhere else.  Oh well, lesson learned about cotton again.  One thing I would mention about the edging.  I had talked to Michelle about using the green for the front edging (it is around the arm holes).  In looking at the buttons I had picked out I decided the brown would be perfect with the brown rim of these cream colored buttons
I've gotta tell you it felt so good to finish two knitting projects (complete with seams and buttons) in one day.  My life for the last two years has been a work in progress and so my knitting life has been a shadow of that.  I am looking forward to pulling out a few old projects and getting them finished too.
However, I do have more babies on the way so the Slip Stitch blanket has begun The yarn is Debbie Bliss, pure cotton.  I have to say it changes my mind about 100% cotton.  I love how soft it is!  And the twist makes it hard to split the yarn (a problem with cotton yarn I hate).  I'm totally into knitting cotton blankets as you don't have the fitted problems.  Besides this is an August baby.
Also on the new knitting front is this Summer KAL I realize that the last time (as in last Summer) that I was trying to keep up with a mystery stole kal I failed miserably.  Part of that was my schedule part was that I didn't care for the way the design was working with the yarn I had chosen.  I still haven't decided what to do with that project, but with this one--I ordered the recommended yarn.  I love Brooklyn Handspun yarns --that was how I found the KAL.  Care to join in?  Michelle?  Tammy?

In other finishings--I finished reading Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs last night.   This isn't a usually genre for me, but I loved it.  Was totally unprepared for the ending though (won't ruin it if you haven't read it).  I don't know why knitting themed books have never interested me.  I guess they just seem like two separate subjects to me.  Who knows maybe I'll find another I like down the road.

The next book on the night stand is Three Cups of Tea.  Several people have told me they think I'll enjoy it.  I'm looking forward to diving in.

Chickens on board!

These are my kind of babies:)
We ordered 25 chicks from Sand Hill Preservation Center this morning.  They will be hatching in a couple of weeks and then sent off to us.
Golden Campine
Americauna bantam
Black Australorp
We chose birds that were good layers of brown or colored eggs (our preference) and that were good foragers (they will be living in the orchard).  These varieties all have mild temperments and are good mothers.

In the food department the husband made a terrific salsa this weekend.  We bought a couple of every hot and mild pepper at the store and he roasted them all.  Adding to them some chopped tomato, red onion, shallot, cilantro and grapefruit juice (delivered by bil from his Palm Springs garden).

Did I mention that I have Summer house guests.  uh yea

In the gardening department--I really wish it would stop raining! 

Which leads to the spinning department--current project is merino from a Spunky Club  offering (February I think) named "Mud".  It was just too appropriated not to work on right now.

In knitting--I am just about finished with the Noro vest.  I hope to be wearing it tomorrow.  Baby blanket will be cast on soon after.

Baby on board

Well a Baby Surprise Sweater that is Elizabeth Zimmerman really is amazing!  It was really hard for me to see what this was going to look like until completely finished.  I love this pattern!  I will definitely be making more of these in the future.  Who can turn down a three day project.  ad the Cascade 220 Sperwash was a great yarn for this project.
Next up there are two baby blankets in the planning a very soft Debbie Bliss cotton for a slip stitch blanket.  This is for baby #2 which may be a girl or a boy.  None of my employees (at either restaurant) have had any girls.  And for the third babe arriving this Summer a stripey blanket is in order Heather had a great example of daughter's GGH Samoa blanket.  I'm going to be borrowing her idea (with permission of course).
I'm not usually a great lover of knitting with cotton.  But these yarns are so very soft I'm actually looking forward to these projects.

On this Memorial day I've been thinking about grandparents and old aunties.  I even found my Aunt Maureen's sweet green pickle recipe today.   I have memories of eating entire jars by myself as a child.
Yesterday I listened to several families reading tributes to members of the Armed Forces lost in the war.  I think it is so important to remember what these people have done for us.  It has nothing to do with agreeing or disagreeing with politics; this is being human (thank you Michelle).

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.

Do I need a specific title...

Can't really think of one...but
The weekend was beautiful (if a wee bit hot)!  I didn't take any garden photos as I was knee deep in weeds and herbs with garden gloves on.  I will take some photos this week.  In the now cleaned up herb bed I planted--Nepitella (an Italian herb I am excited to have found), bronze fennel, Italian oregano, oregano thyme, lemon verbena, pineapple mint, orange mint, bergamot, fino verde basil, rosemary (we lost ours in the snow last Winter), lemon balm, mugwort, Chinese motherwort (the last two are favorite medicinals), golden sage, rose scented and Prince of orange scented geraniums, tarragon and Genovese basil.  I haven't decided where to put the woad as I want to create an area for a few specific dye plants.  But over all yesterday was very productive!
When it got too hot we went to work on my studio/sun room (I am trying to share the room in the mornings with the husband).  There were a lot of boxes belonging to my mil which led to me not being able to unload any of the boxes I had trekked up.  Also a bed that while lovely had no use.  We went to work (as others wee at the Obama rally) and took out all the books, bed and extra hooha that had no use for us.  Plus a run to the recycler with 8 boxes of magazines (just in case someone wants to collage).  Now the room is shaping up A lovely spot for knitting or tea and plenty of room to keep the wheel on a permanent basis.  There is a work table to the side that now permanently houses my ball winder and swift (something I have wanted to do forever!).  The book shelves are behind the couch and need to be filled and organized more.  In the bins under the window you can now find all of my fiber.  I love that.  Now that I can see it I am itching to spin it--also realize that I will not be doing much shopping here or here this year. 
We have a room mate up here!  We've been watching the nest being built (on top of an old one at our bedroom door) but we weren't sure she would stick around.  There is a lot of activity around her.  So far she is persevering and we may see some babies yet!
On the knitting front--
Meet Marina This is the back of a quick Summer vest in Noro Taiyo.  I love working with this yarn.  I'm not much for knitting with cotton as it has no give, but this combination of cotton, wool, silk and a touch of nylon.  I hope to have this finished by mid week as I seem to have a long line of projects just tapped their feet staring hard at me.

Speaking of Noro, check out some of the pics from his site.   Makes me want to knit with his yarn exclusively!

Also, do you Twitter?  I am loving this tool as a way to throw up a comment or short thought when a post here is kind of silly.  They are updated in the top right hand corner or you can go directly there to see a full list of comments I've made.  And if you're Twittering too let's connect.  It has been fun to read others' Twitter comments.

Oh the sadness

Don't worry I won't give you my top 50 here.
I just like to feel that places like yarn stores and fiber festivals are free from outside interlopers.  But the trouble caused at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival shows that we are part of society not an island disconnected.
My other (quite little) sadness is that I left my camera in a friend's hand on Sunday and we have yet to reconnect.  I have sad socks to show--boy did I screw these up!  And acquisitions I made yesterday at Twisted--a vest project, a gift project that involves some knitting and embroidery (you'll see that one on a different blog soon) and a great Japanese embroidery book--oh the ideas I'm getting from that!
I was at Twisted to get signed up for Fiona Ellis's talk on Friday night (I'm getting really excited for the weekend!).  I haven't been there for so long.  I couldn't believe the owner even remembered my name.  As I was browsing about I heard her greet someone else.  Michelle and I have been trying to find a time to meet up at Twisted since I got home (actually since before I left).  It was great to catch up, shop together a little and I got to pet those beautiful Yarntini socks she just finished.  I had to head back to work so I couldn't stay and knit, but it was so great to catch up Michelle!

Knitting in Portland

This coming weekend you can find me Friday night at Twisted to hear Fiona Ellis speak.  And then over the weekend I will be taking all of her classes.  My brain is so excited about the creativity coming!

Knit Purl is starting their own yarn club!  I know I just can't join.  But all of the projects will be based on a "Rose City" theme (Portland's nickname).  I know I'm whining.  I won't join though--yes, now I am pouting.

Later this month Marta McCall will be teaching a class on needle felting at Abundant Yarn and Dyeworks.  I am definitely taking these classes.  Michelle is too!  I have had needle felting supplies for a while.  I even have ideas in my head dealing with these supplies.  I think this class will bring up some fun, creative ideas.  Plus I am so excited to meet Marta!  I wonder if I can finish the weekend satchel by then to show her?

Let's not forget that TKGA is coming to Portland in the Fall!  I checked out the classes yesterday.  They are pretty expensive, but there is one each day I really want to take.  I've decided I have to decide--shopping at the two fiber festivals this year or taking classes at the convention.  We'll see where I end up with that.

Ongoing Portland knitting events--Portland Knitter's Guild meets this Thursday at Tandem coffee house.  KnitPurl has a Monday night sock knitting group now.  Twisted has a RSC group that gets together every other Wednesday night.  Abundant Yarn hosts a spinning group all day on the first Tuesday of the month.  There are so many more!

Where do you meet up with your knitting peeps?