My Sweet (Savory) Valentine

Here's what Paul and I did for Valentine's Day:

Heart-shaped pizza!  Yum!  And since it was Valentine's Day, I'll gush just a tiny bit about Paul.  He is the cat's pajamas of husbands.  He's great.

I went to a postponed-because-of-that-huge-October-snowstorm girls weekend at The Red Lion Inn this weekend. It was so much fun and so nice to catch up with all the girls (hi girls!!!!). We all know each other from living/working in Connecticut but now we are spread out in Mass.,Vermont and New York too.

Before meeting them at the Lee shopping outlets, I stopped at Colorful Stitches in Lenox. Couldn't help picking up this:

Kathmandu Aran in a pretty purpley-blue. Love this yarn-I made my first cardigan with this in the oatmeal-y color. And sock yarn from Into the Whirled. She has been at most of the local fiber festivals and I picked up some of her roving at the Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival.

Then it was on to the outlets where I got this cute little thing at the Coach outlet on super-sale:

Once we had exhausted all the buying options there, it was on to the inn for chatting and wine and nibble-ies (and sock-knitting for me). There were 7 of us so we rented one of the little cottages on the inn property. Very cozy. Then, a yummy dinner and watching some karoake. What a bunch of local characters .... One who was quite toasted, fell down several steps, got back up, unhurt, and fist-bumped one of my friends. And the other who went up to sing in an arm cast and neck brace, then proceeded to tell "those of you who don't know me" to be careful of his left side because he had several broken ribs. (apparently all due to a recent snowmobile accident). In past years of this get-together I have missed this part since I didn't stay over (needing to work at the shop)-- what a riot.

On to the Lion's Den at the inn to watch the last set of the band there, and finally back to the cottage to sleep at 1:30 am. Whew!

The next morning was a yummy breakfast at the inn and saying goodbye. We had such a nice time and are looking forward to the next one.  Before I left, though, I had to stop at the gift shop to pick up this:

The yummiest salad dressing...Maple Dijon Vinaigrette.  The Red Lion Inn's own recipe.

For me it was then on to my mom's in CT to visit. We watched lots of "Chopped" on Food Network (a real treat for me since I don't get that channel at home) and more sock knitting.

Got home Monday and finished my socks!!!:

Froot Loop socks. I. Love. Them. But, I will NEVER make them again! The pattern is quite tedious and I like things to move along a little quicker. Especially socks.

Now, it's on to my Umaro blanket:

 But, since this blanket is huge, and has a chart to follow, sometimes you just need something a little easier to work on.  So,  I'm going to wind yarn and cast on for my Infinity Scarf today:

It will be knit using these yarns, in this order, from left to right.  Pretty and denimy.  Can't wait to see what it will look like.

A Present!

The other night, Paul and I were watching tv and Phoebe came into the room.  She had just come up from the basement (where her food and litter box are) through her cat door.  I didn't really even notice her come in but Paul had and saw her go sit by the window looking outside.  Then she turned around and walked back through the room.  Paul said "What does she have, one of those dust bunnies in her whiskers?" (Which she often gets from the basement.)  I looked, and my heart jumped to my throat when I realized she had a MOUSE in her mouth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  She had been sitting by the window, just holding it.  UGH!!!!!

Paul got up to go see, and Phoebe dropped it onto the carpet. Luckily it was dead.  Then Paul ran to the garage to get some gloves and  a bag.  In the meantime, I think I was still screaming, "Ewwwww!  Ewwwww!"  Then Phoebe went to pick it up again so I "pssssssst"ed her away, which got Mandy going, so she went over to investigate.  Then I was yelling, "Leave it!" to Mandy, which usually works but this didn't so I had to physically pull her away.  Paul finally came back in about an hour later (real time: 30 seconds) and he "took care of" the mouse.  In case it needs to be said one more time: ICK!!!!!!

It was only then that Paul said, "Aren't we supposed to praise her or something?"  As I held the carpet cleaner spray and a paper towel, I tried to pat Phoebe but she didn't want anything to do with me.  I'm sure she was pretty proud of herself for giving us this present, and we totally burst her bubble with our reaction.  Her new name is Mouser, by the way.

In knitting news:
The Sycamore Vest is done, Done, DONE!

I absolutely LOVE. IT.  It doesn't have buttons but you don't need them because it hangs just so.  Comfy and fits great (sorry, no pic with me wearing it yet - maybe I'll get one this weekend).  Using the Cascade 220 Sport is perfect because it makes for a nice, lightweight vest that can be worn three seasons (maybe even four!).

And, I got to work on my Froot Loop socks, on the heels (pardon the pun) of having finished my Socks of Kindness.  I had one sock done all the way past the heel turn, but because the pattern is so fussy, I decided I better start the other one, so I wouldn't NOT want to knit the second one when I was done with the first.  So, I got crack-a-lackin' and got the second sock knitted to match the first:

Now, I just need to do the foot and toe sections on each one.  The second sock took a lot less time once I actually had the time to put into knitting it.  The first one limped along during my 1/2 hour lunch breaks when I was working at Indian Ladder Farms.  Then the whole thing got put on hold during the holidays and my knitting for classes I'd be teaching.  So, I think I'm going to have another finished pair fairly soon!

Since I'll be getting a UFO (un-finished object) done, I'm going to start a new project! Stay tuned......

I'm hoping to have a book review soon.  I'm reading a book on my Nook but having a hard time getting through it for a couple of reasons:  Lately I've started reading when I'm really tired, but also, for some reason I'm having a hard time keeping track of the story line and so that slows me down a little.  More on that when I review it.....  good story line though.

Lastly, a pretty view out the window the other day:

Catching up

I didn't mean to take such a long break from the blog -- it's been so busy this past almost two weeks!  Three days of Christmas, several days of home improvement, two nannying days, and New Years.  Whew!  Luckily, there was no last minute shopping or knitting mixed in there, since I/we got that done ahead of time (for once).

Christmas:
On Christmas Eve Paul and I went to my sister's in Connecticut:

 with Mandy in tow:

I worked on my long-neglected cabled sweater (started in March) in the car:

More on this later (hint: I finished it!!!).

Knitted gifts were all a hit but only got pictures of the mukluks for my nephews:

They loved them, immediately putting them on and then disproving my attempt at non-slippage by sliding across the kitchen floor (after I told them I had put the stuff on the bottom so they wouldn't slip).  What can I say?  I tried.  And left them with a warning to be particularly careful on the stairs.  But they wore them all day and that leads me to believe that they were warm and comfy.

Lots of cooking going on at my sister's:

Making sugar cookies (and adding sprinkles to look like Aunt Liz)

More sugar cookies...

More sugar cookies (we all took turns at icing and sugar)

The biggest food hit - pigs in a blanket

Mmmmmm.....dessert! (including a yummy gingerbread trifle)

Christmas day we spent at Paul's mom's opening presents and having dinner with some of his family.  Forgot the camera, but she liked the knitted dishcloths I made for her!

Home Improvement #1:
Paul wanted to tackle a couple of projects during his time off from work.  The first was changing our fireplace into a wall-with-mantle-and-heat-shield-so-we-can-use-the-stove-and-put-the-tv-on-the-wall.    Here it is when we first moved in 4 years ago:

That white section used to have a piece of metal over it. Blech.

We got a wood burning insert,  painted the walls and then we painted the brick so we could live with it until this day came...

Another use for the level

Paul put up some framing things so we could attach drywall:

ANOTHER use for the level (straight edge for cutting drywall)

Top on Paul's priority list was hiding the tv wires...

And now it looks like this:

Just a little bit left to do... putting in some side wood to complete the mantel and then, after heating season, putting stone or tile over the brick.  We. LOVE. IT!  (That black thing directly under the mantel is the heat shield that is required if you have a wood stove that sticks out of the fireplace. We might take it down in the summer.)

Home Improvement #2:

The stairway. Ugh.  We've been dreading painting the stairway/hallway/ceiling area since it is very high up and required changing the light fixture.  We are both a little leary of heights and don't have a ladder tall enough etc.  So, Paul built this:

Which meant we had to hurry up and get this done unless we wanted to keep climbing under this in our pajamas for several evenings.  It was fairly sturdy and we cranked out the light change and the ceiling and wall painting in about 24 hours.

That's the new light.

Knitting News:

In the car on the way to xmas eve and then in the several days after, I finally finished my Brigid Jacket from Vintage Modern Knits: Contemporary Designs Using Classic Techniques:

Sans buttons, of course... and the sleeves ARE the same length.  They just don't look it in this picture....

 I love how it came out.  This book has several patterns that I'd like to knit eventually. BUT... see my ramblings later on in this post.

And at The Spinning Room on Saturday a new knit-a-long started, which I joined in on:

These will be the Socks of Kindness and I'm making them with the Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors sock yarn in the Rhinebeck 2011 colorway.

And finally, I started the Sycamore Vest by Hannah Fettig using the Cascade 220 Sport:

I thought it would be a great springtime piece.

Here's my problem now:  I've started two more things.  I have many other things started.   Those of you who are knitters will likely be able to relate.  So, I feel the need to come up with some sort of plan.  Something like.... work on these for a little bit, then work on something already started.  Like my Dahlia Cardigan.  Which i love!  And I've only gotten the back lace piece done.  And my Froot Loop socks.  I love them too! And of which I have the leg of one sock done.  And my Umaro blanket by Jared Flood.  I have almost one repeat done of that.  And I love it!  But I love these new things too.   Ugh!  Decisions decisions.  Any suggestions?

I also read two books recently but will save those for the next post since this one is already ten years long.
Happy New Year!

Another Recipe (Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars)...and some other stuff

I discovered another very easy and incredibly (resisting the urge to use "totally") tasty treat over on the Cookies and Cups blog, where I found the recipe for the Melted Ice Cream Cake (remember that? mmmmmm).  I read it yesterday morning and immediately went and got the ingredients that I didn't have: crescent rolls and cream cheese.  Already had the butter sugar and cinnamon. That's all you need and....

Wa-La!  Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars  (I know, it's supposed to be oila, with an accent thingy, but I don't even know if I spelled that right...):

I can't even tell you how good these are.  And SO easy. Nice sweet, creamy, cream cheese-y middle, between two layers of flaky cresent roll dough and topped with melted butter, cinnamon and sugar for a little crunch.  O. M. G.  Go. Make. These. 

(Some of you weren't able to use the link to the recipe on the last post, so here it is without all the nice pictures from Cookies and Cups.  For those who don't care, scroll down for the rest of the post!):
Ingredients:

• 2 cans Crescent Rolls
• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese (room temp)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Unroll 1 can of crescent rolls and lay flat in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stretch the rolls to cover the bottom of the pan. Pinch any seams closed.
3. In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until combined and smooth.
4. Spread this over top of the crescent roll.
5. Unroll your remaining can of crescent rolls and lay this on top of the cream cheese mixture, again, pinching closed any open seams.
6. Pour your melted butter on top of the crescent roll.
7. In a bowl mix the remaining sugar and tablespoon of cinnamon together and sprinkle that evenly on top of butter.
8. Bake for 30 minutes until top is golden brown.
9. Let cool for approximately 20 minutes and then put in refrigerator to completelychill before cutting into squares.

So, then I was all, "Hey, I have some time while this bakes, why don't I sew the buttons on the hats I made for Benjamin and Michaela?"  If you know me at all, you know I'm terribly impatient, and sewing buttons on is a dreaded activity for me.  I'm all done knitting - I just want it all to be done.  I have procrastinated for MONTHS putting buttons on.  Once, when I owned the shop, I had finished a knitted coat for quite some time and we were going to take it to a festival to display, and Yvette took pity on me, took it home and put the buttons on.  I have also made several cardigans that have button holes, but I've never put the buttons on, instead using a shawl stick to hold it closed at the top!

I have even offered to PAY people to sew buttons on for me (thanks to Joan, who sewed the buttons on my Baby Surprise Jacket, and didn't even want the $5 I said I'd give her for doing it!).  Now, when someone is paying ME to put buttons on, since I do take on finishing projects through The Spinning Room, I gladly do it.  No problems there.  Money is a big motivator which is why I offered it to Joan.  She happily took on the job and didn't even want the green.

Why I suddenly had this urge to put buttons on, I can't explain but figured I better capitalize on this enthusiasm while it lasted.  So, what's wrong with this picture?:

Need another view?:



The buttons are on the wrong side!!!!!  How are they supposed to button it?????

Here's what it's supposed to look like:

Threw me over the edge, I tell ya.  So, snip , snip and I had to re-do them:

And now they are done and delivered to Benjamin and Michaela.  The hats look a little funny now, and are much cuter when worn by adorable babies. (P.S. There are two buttons because the hat is nice and stretchy, so when the baby gets bigger, they use the lower button and it can fit them for longer.  Pretty clever, huh?) (P.P.S. Aviatrix baby hat on Ravelry)

And after all that procrastinating and telling you about procrastinating, guess how long it took me to put the buttons on these?  Five. Minutes.

How about some updates?

Knitting Update:
Here is the progress on my Froot Loop socks (the ones I knit during my lunch breaks and when I get assigned to the apple barn on a very slow, rainy, cold day -- this past Thursday):

I love the pinks in this and the pattern has been pretty easy to memorize.  When I get a little more knitted, I'll show you anothe picture so you can actually see the "froot loops".  Very cute.



And I started the Boogie Vest for the knit-along going on at The Spinning Room (starting today):

I know, doesn't look like much.  Click on the link up there and you can see what it will look like.  I'm using the Ella Rae Chunky Superwash which I love.  Very nice to work with and not scratchy even though it is wool.
Homestead Update:
The chimmey is done!:

However.   See those light colored drips running down it?  They were in a hurry to finish up on a very rainy day and didn't give it enough time to dry before they took the tarp off.  They have to come back and fix that -- and I hope the cider donuts and apple crisp I gave to the guys makes them feel guilty enough is an incentive for them to come back quickly.   The important thing is, now the chimney won't crumble and fall apart this winter. 

And, look what Paul did a few days ago:

The first wood-stacking of the season.  Today it is only 47 degrees so we might need it soon!

Stay tuned for the next post where I show you another, very special, item I received to keep me warm this winter....