Lend Me A Tenor

Girls Night Out last night...at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre to see Lend Me A Tenor with Jamie Farr (from M*A*S*H)!!
The play was fun. The dinner was great. And the company was the best!

Let's do it again!!

Class of 2012

Veronica is wearing her Senior t-shirt today!

You get it? Ones Two...Class of 2012...12...now, you get it?

Joey, of course, said, "Ones Two...that's stupid." So Veronica shot back, "Oh yeah, let's see your class come up with something good for 14!" That's be a toughie. Maybe "The Ones Four Success"? I'll keep you posted.

Needles on Fire!

Hello.

My name is Brenda and I'm a small project addict.

No, really!

It started this summer when I wanted to do some small projects instead of socks, waiting for the Six Socks in September Challenge to begin. I looked back at my project pages on Ravelry and was really surprised to see what I'd completed. Here's the list...

Sunray Cowl

Roku Mitts

Peridot Mitts (I did these in Madelinetosh dk, brown.) Really liked this pattern, it was quick and they look kinda old fashioned, the way the cuff is all bumpy. And it has one of my mom's favorite stitches...trinity stitch! Sorry I don't have a photo of my FO (a few of these don't have a photo yet). I'm hoping to have Joey take some photos this weekend and fill in the "blanks".

Darkside Cowl

Grayhaven Cowl

Packer Socks for theBecky (Beck...send me a photo!)

Thermis Cowl (I may frog this...not super thrilled with the outcome.)

Honey Cowl (This is very nice in Malabrigo!) Photo to come, sorry! I did a shorter version than the pattern shows.

THEN I knit my Six Socks in September and a beret from the new Coastal Knits per-order package. I'll post photos of that one next time.

And I still feel compelled to cast on more small projects! Here's what I'm thinking of next...

Paper Moon (new socks JUST came out with Knitty Deep Fall 2011) in bright pink Madelinetosh sock (oh my!)

Oak Grove Mitts (ordered some sport yarn from knitpicks in a charcoal gray...Ooooo)

Soleus (Madelinetosh Sock...burgundy with blue and pink)

Laurel by Jared Flood (I have a deep royal blue Woolease in my stash. I cast on last night at knitting, but dark yarn made it tough for me to see. I think this will be a daytime project only...darn you, old eyes!!

I'm making this with Woolease by Lion Brand. I know some of my knitsibs might frown upon making this in a "low end" yarn...but this yarn is really great. I made a Brambles Beret from some cream colored Woolease and it turned out beautiful (can't wait to wear it with my red coat this winter).

This one is a deep royal blue...with my red coat, it'll look great too!

Xenia (with my newly acquired yarn from the Florida Fiber In...the green stuff)

I have one sweater going...one lace weight shawl (well, two if you count the languishing Bridgewater that needs to be finished) AND I have a KAL starting in October with a friend to make the Plum Frost Cardi. ACK! These little projects are stopping me from my bigger projects, but I....can't........stop.............casting on!!!

THEN last night Justine asked me to knit her a SWEATER!! This almost never happens, you know, a family member of mine requesting a knitted item. I made her a green sweater out of Crayon from Knitpicks in 2008, and she still loves it, but it's getting a bit small. She wants basically the same thing, but a different color.

Here she is in her greenie...I love this picture!

Lucky for her, I have three shades of Crayon in my stash, enough of all three to do sweaters. Except for the brown, that's mine...I'd like a pullover in that, just a big, soft, comfy, wear-around-the-house type sweater this winter. I think I'll do a top down raglan for her (maybe an EZ sweater)...this time she wants yellow. Or was it orange? I better check.

So needless say, the needles have been on fire and will continue to be from the looks of things!

A lot of these small projects will become Christmas presents...probably. I'm using all my yarny resistance not to cast on two or three new projects!

Help! Someone talk me down!!

Yarny Goodness from Florida Fiber In

Anzula "Breeze"...hand dyed lace weight, 65% silk, 35% linen, 750 yds!

This will probably become a lace shawl someday. Maybe this or something from this book (if I get it for Christmas). It looks very pink in the photo, but it's really more of a salmon pink. It has that brushed look you get from silk...very pretty and soft. The vendor was Four Purls yarn shop from Winter Haven, FL. Her booth was one of the best...plenty of yarn, kits, accessories, notions and other goodies. Three of us bought yarn from her.

Ewephoric Fibers, kettle dyed Indigo, 450 yds, fingering weight (superwash) merino. Probably will become this shawl by Picnicknits. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the color changes from deep indigo to deep green...it's very subtle and quite beautiful.


This was my STEAL!! I got it at the auction at the Fiber In (for probably $10 under retail). It's Wollmeise, color is super deep navy called "My old blue Jeans" (the color is more like new-new jeans), 574 yds, fingering weight (superwash) merino. This is the first yarn I've owned that I'm just giddy about!! I feel compelled to wait for the "perfect" pattern to come along...so I'm in no rush to find a project. I'll just ooh and aah over it for a while!


This yarn is only available in the USA at The Loopy Ewe in St. Louis, MO. (I believe, someone correct me if I'm wrong.) I went to their website to see the actual retail and they're sold out.

This is hand dyed and spun yarn by Funny Face Farms...the label reads "A little urban farm filled with chickens, geese and an entire yard of lil bun buns" (thoes are bunnies for you city folk). The gal who I bought it from was a joy to talk to, I just had to buy a skein of her work. No idea what I'll do with it. The content is a combo of merino wool, organic wool, colonial wool, superwash wool, BFL, bamboo, firestar, silk, mohair and angelina. Yeah, I don't know what they all are either. I think some of the names are a kind of bunny (angora). It's about 100 yds.

This is another Ewephoric Fiber yarn (sorry for the upside down label in the photo), kettle dyed, sport weight merino, 500 yds. This will be my next project, called Xenia. I've been wanting to cast this project on for a while...just waiting for the right yarn to come along!

We all decided that there wasn't enough yarn at the Fiber In. You wouldn't know it by my haul, but it's true. There was TONS of fiber (duh). If I were a spinner, I'd be very thrilled by the selection. They also didn't take credit cards. I, of course, had plenty of cash...I don't take chances when it comes to buying yarn!

Florida Fiber In - 2011

I went to the Florida Fiber In with some of my knitsibs last weekend in Orlando!
Christine...sporting the tea-cozy of tomorrow!

Stacey's "not tonight honey" hat! (Or "time to milk the reindeer" hat. Which ever you prefer.)

Shevon & Jodi!

Lunch at Uno!

The spinners going to town with their fiber!

Taking a break after visiting the vendors (and buying yarn)!

There was a "fashion show" where all the gals wore hats, some hand knit, some just crazy! It was very fun. I think crazy Christine should have won a prize with that Union Jack tea-cozy on her head!

Kitchen Adventures

I had to make cupcakes today. Just had to. Dessert can't come soon enough...but first dinner:
Chicken Pot Pie for dinner tonight! Here's the filling.

The crust.

The Godzilla. Yeah, I dropped the flour container. Thank God it was only about a third full. The flour made a huge "poof" and as you can imagine...flour got everywhere! Godzilla lives!

Dinner's ready!

Gracie says, "When is daddy coming home?"

Half way to Six Socks in September!

First sock of Pair #1
Ditto, Pair #3

Half way there!!!


I just talked to my friend in San Diego and they have power back. Not sure if it's back for all of that blackout area or not, but good ole La Mesa is back on the grid.
I read that the blame could possibly fall on one person not doing their job right. I feel so sorry for that person, we all screw up on the job once in a while...but most of us, fortunately, don't have that screw up effect 5 million people.

Very Cool...and dry!

I just came in from my morning run. First time out on a weekday morning in a while due to school starting and adjusting schedules and all. What a shock to walk outside (before sunrise) and find it cool and dry. Cool. And dry! Monday's run was very hot and humid, so naturally, I expected more of the same. After all it was only two days ago. I think it was in the mid 60s. It felt like October. I felt like I could run forever. As the sun rose, it broke through the trees and hit me in the face...full brightness and warmth...it was blinding, but it was great!

I'm still knitting away on my socks...I have one from two of the pairs done (half a pair?) and on the third pair, I'm about 1/2 way through the first sock. I just picked up my gusset and am working the decreases. (Beck, these are your socks and do they ever look nice!)

I'm thinking about starting a shawl or socks or something. Getting antsy to start SOMETHING, anyway. I bought the cutest fair isle sweater pattern yesterday. Its called Plum Frost Cardigan by Elinor Brown of Exercise Before Knitting (funny, huh?...I almost never, I mean ALWAYS do this!) I'd like to start it soon, but I need the base color (not enough in stash of the main color). Here's what it looks like:

Sunday Ride

So I'm taking you along on my Sunday ride today. I wish it had been a sunny day, but it's cloudy and overcast in anticipation of some outer bands of rain we're supposed to get this afternoon courtesy of Tropical Storm Lee.

I'm on the Black Creek Trail...strap on your helmet and let's ride!

There are a few other bikers and walkers along the trail. If I got before noon on a Sunday, it's never too crowded (everyone is in church). The serious riders usually go on Hwy 17 which runs parallel to the Black Creek Trail.
A couple of planked walkways, too.

Not too much "vegetation" where I took the photo of this sign, but you'll see in other photos...there is a nice buffer of plants and trees all along the trail. Too bad there's no way to cut out the traffic noise.

Pine needles make a nice cushion.

In Jacksonville they say 'there's a church on every corner'...no joke, there is. And they're equal opportunity as well.

With the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 coming up soon, it was nice to see this sign.

Towards the end of the trail, the path becomes very woodsy. There are some dirt trails like in the photo...even a bench to rest on. This little spot is at the top of a little hill.

Top of the hill, looking down. This part of the trial has those giant lubber grasshoppers all over. They are so gross!! Thankfully, they are also slow moving. Running over one in your bike is a bad idea...nothing like trying to scrape grasshopper guts off your leg while riding your bike. ugh!

Let's race down the hill!! GO!

The trail ends here. There's a little park, a bathroom and parking lot. You can continue toward Black Creek on a dirt trail if you want. In the interest of not being eaten alive by mosquitos, I'm turning around and heading back.

These bring purple berries are all over this time of year. Don't know what they are, but they sure are pretty!

What's a Sunday ride without a picture of a church.

Let's go left and ride through Eagle Harbor, ok? There's lots of water to pass maybe we'll see some wildlife! Look, an egret! (He was still in that same spot on the way back, too. I guess he's taking it easy this Labor Day weekend.)

A nice spot to take a rest and have a drink of water. That's my mountain bike.

The path through Eagle Harbor is really pretty. The only thing bad about is, it's very narrow and people with their ear buds in and music blasting usually don't her my 'on your left' till I'm shouting at them. Luckily, it was pretty empty today.

Another resting spot ahead. I love the reflection of the woods on the water.

A quick stop at Doctor's Lake. This is usually a busy area with folks putting their boats in the water and getting ready to have a grand time on the water. Sounds like fun to me.
If you're a resident, you can use this private dock. Isn't the Spanish Moss pretty.

Hard to believe this setting is in the middle of a huge residential development. It was very well thought out. The long stretch home!

Thanks for coming along with me today.

One down, five to go!

I sewed this fab sewing machine cover yesterday. No more dust! I used scraps in my fabric stash and an old pillow case for lining. I followed the tutorial here, but not completely...just kinda winged it, really. I'm very happy with it!
This is one sock of my Six Socks in September. The pattern is Hayrick...really lovely pattern. I modified it with my standard heel (pattern has a short row heel, not my fav). It's only 54 stitches around (smallest of three sizes given) but it fits my size 8 foot great.