RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
Life at Chez Earin's continues apace - a little sewing, a bit of knitting, some weed pulling, the picking of produce. It's been a dismal season for tomatoes but a banner one for melons and squash, both summer and the hard shelled winter variety. Hubby is often entreated to take a sackful of cantaloupes to friends and I've managed to foist more than one onto girlfriends. They are extremely tasty but my fridge is stuffed and frankly, I am tired of eating them. Next year: fewer melon plants.
The shift of the seasons is now very apparent and fall does not seem all that far away. The garden, with the exception of the weeds, is slowing down. Soon I will line up my tools and start rearranging a few of my plants that don't seem quite as happy as they should be where they are.
One thing that was moved two years ago was this clematis. It has finally settled down and started producing beautiful flowers. Typically, by the third season clematis have hit their stride and start taking off. I have high hopes for next year.
(No, we never seem to take our Christmas lights down.)
SEWING
I made another J Stern knit top. It's a good fit and I like it a lot but the neck binding is too loose so I will unpick it and do it tighter.
While off in Cactusland
The Enabler and I took a Patrick Lose class and we both picked up this table runner pattern. I plan to use it as a wall hanging in our newly painted, extremely cheerful (and colorful) bedroom. Cutting out the bits and pieces reminded me greatly of being a child using great big, but very dull scissors. I was yet again reminded that my aging brain does not deal with reversed images all that well. The good news is that as a Designated Adult I can run up and down my hallway with my very sharp scissors if I am ever so inclined.
I picked up this Simplicity pattern at the sew-in's RuMAge sale because I liked the little jacket. I did a prototype in fabric I wasn't crazy about to check the fit. Next I cut it out of better fabric and decided to line it. I have no experience in lining things so it qualifies as "a learning experience". So far I'm on the lesson plan that starts "Totally confused...."
My every way wrap continues. It is not quite mindless knitting but I can do it while watching TV. I know that I am going to like it a lot and it will certainly help keep the winter's chill off. It also seems to be quite the fur magnet and around here, well, there's a bit of fur. More to keep me warm?
JUST 'CAUSE IT'S PRETTY
I wish I had planted more sunflowers this year. They are so pretty and the birds have a great time eating the seeds. It's a pleasure to watch them from the front window.
BOO KAYS (continued)
THE DOG
Omar loves his sunshine. I love Omar.
THE KNITTING
There has been a small amount of success. I finally picked up the
Every Way Wrap again and now feel very comfortable working from the chart. It progresses and I think it will be a very nice thing to have when the weather turns cold.
Malabrigo on size 5's. Being a single ply the cables are not popping as much as I like but it's a nice yarn and will keep me warm.
Continuing to work on my
UFO's I picked
Pimpelliese back up. The photo doesn't do justice to the deep purple of the Tosh sock. I have had nothing but problems with this pattern and it has all been me - the pattern is fine. I just can't read. After doing the entire increase section I realized I must have done something wrong because it was short and steep. Now I can't get the decreases to match. To make life even MORE interesting I found a big hole back near where I started my decreases. Thinking it was a dropped stitch I dug out a small crochet hook but found that the yarn had broken in three places. No sign of cat attacks or Alien Intervention so who knows. I
frogged then
reknit only to remember (it had been about a year since I had last worked on it and I have problems remembering what I did today) about the decrease/increase situation. For now it goes back into its bag. We need to take a time out again.
A much happier situation: my winnings from Eat.Sleep.Knit. So luscious. I wish I had 15 of them. The damage I could do.
THE SEWING
Um, kind of the same as the knitting. Win some, scratch your head with others.
I made another pair of summer pj's and I am very pleased. That is, I looked at the print before I laid out the pattern pieces and said to myself, "Remember! It's a directional print!" And then I completely forgot about it. I had enough fabric to do cut singles but not on a fold so my
pj top has a seam down the front. Livable. I am just tickled with the prints. I feel like I'm 10 years old again. Cute little animals!
I have been fussing with adjusting a princess seam on a dress because there is a bit of a gap at the armhole and it is just not working out so that too is taking a Time Out.
Awwww
Isn't she cute? Then again notice the little pieces of torn paper. Paper from patterns!
ODDS AND ENDS
I am making sugar skulls for the Day of the Dead. Kate and I plan to have a decorating party in the fall. It should be a messy but fun time. I've had the mold for years so am thrilled to be finally justifying it taking up space in a kitchen cupboard. It's an overall easy process but the amount of water you put in the sugar and meringue is critical.
OUT AND ABOUT
Hubby and offspring have been off riding with friends for the last week. It's been very quiet at Chez Earin's. It's been wonderful! That said, I am eager to have him back. Looking at this photograph and I have to wonder at the difference in their attire.
I have a surprise for him which I'll blog about next time.
THE GARDEN
I discovered this morning that a gopher has started to wreck havoc in the garden so I must go set traps and destroy it. Five cats lounging round the place and I'm setting traps. I must be feeding them too much.
The garden still isn't producing a lot in the way of tomatoes but enough to enjoy most days. I am getting a lot of squash and green beans.
I eat some steamed and I make dilled, spicy beans with the rest. And give lots away too.
I continue to experiment with making gherkin pickles. So far: nice but not fantastic. The quest continues.
I've had about 5 heirloom cantaloupes and they were amazing. I am waiting for more to ripen.
Since our citrus plants were finally producing we decided to dig them up and put them in pots. (Really. Okay, it was to have them in a area we could protect from snow and frost.) After a rocky start and one death they have settled down.
It's a nice place to hang out and look beautiful.
