A Finish and a Start

Last Sunday I attended the annual hook-in at Joan's in support of her local Adams County Animal shelter.  The pictures of the rugs have already been posted twice on Joann's Snippets and Scraps of My Mind and Kathy's Rugs of Mine...in Time, so I won't post them again.

I just wanted to mention that I love going to this hook-in!  The setting is so lovely.  Joan lives along this beautiful little trout stream near the South Mountain and it is one of the most relaxing places a person could be.  This is the driveway going in.  It was a cloudy day to begin with, but it cleared in late afternoon.

Joan made us a scrumptious lunch (with donations from a few other people).  I wish I had gotten a picture of the buffet.  There was a lot of hooking, talking and eating.  Hookers seem to excel at all three!

Jill found a   day-old kitten abandoned by it's mother in her barn and brought the tiny one along so she could feed it regularly.  I have never seen a kitten so small.  I don't know if the little guy has survived the week or not.

There were games and prizes, a raffle, secret auction, and show and tell with two special guests who are working on a secret project that will soon be unveiled in Rughooking Magazine.  So keep an eye out for some amazing hooking of...hint!  It starts with an A and involves fur, feathers and scales.

I had a wonderful day!  Boy, was I exhausted when I got home!!!

In addition to the monetary donations, and proceeds from the raffle and auction,
Look!  we Filled the Truck!!!

It has been rainy and dreary here for days (weeks???).  Where was this water when we needed it so badly for our garden earlier this summer?

Zip and I have had a lot of 'indoor time' to work on our favorite hobbies.
As many of you know, Zip is a flyfisherman.  He Goes most evenings of the week when the weather is good. Right now he's trying to get in as much fishing as possible before the weather turns cold.

He ties his own flies.  He has help.  Just can't do it on his own!

Notice the little white paw on the flytying tool.  Also check the difference in Zip's hair in the two pictures.  Is he becoming frazzled???  Ha-ha!

With all the tempting feathers, fur, and threads, who could resist!  Penny is resting while Isabel takes over the harassment.

Check out the crossed tails!  Is that like a kitty high five?  Kinda a 'look what we did to Daddy now!!!' kind of thing?

And now!  Ta-daaaaah!!!
The sweater is finished!  I am so happy with this pattern from Deb Gemmel at Cabin Fever.
It is knit from the top down, all in one piece, with no seaming at all.  When you are done knitting, you're done!  It is done with A-line shaping for larger women and it fits beautifully.

I had trouble finding buttons.  Our Joann store has such a tiny selection and when I did find anything I thought would work, there was only one or two cards left.  And darn, I needed more!

So after reading about other knitters who had purchased really pretty handmade buttons on Etsy, I decided to make some from polymer clay.  Working with Fimo and Sculpey is not my favorite thing to do but I bought the clay and went home with three different colors to mix and create the perfect button (ha!)

This easy little project took HOURS!  I tried using all sorts of things to get texture on the darn things.  I even tried stamping them with a piece of burlap.  Finally I used the blade of my serrated tomato knife to make a woven look.  Then the baking had to be done twice because I thought they were still too pliable after the first round.  And still not the right color!!!  Yikes.  So back to Joann's for some acrylic paint and sealer.  Finally a finished product that is acceptable.

Here they are!  Half a day's work and two trips to Joann's worth of buttons!

Now you may ask (as I did) will they hold up in the wash???  They did!  And the dryer too!

I needed a project to take along to Joan's last weekend so when I got up I quickly drew up this little mat to take along.  As soon as it's finished there will be a give-away for my long overdue celebration for 100 Followers.  More about that in a future post.

Have a good week, everyone.
Happy Hooking!

Hooking with the Blue and Gray

Nothing exciting has happened here for quite a while.  It rains, we sit at home!  Thus there isn't much to post about.

On Monday the sun was shining and it was a glorious day for a road trip down through the Adams county orchards to Biglerville where the Blue and Gray Rug Hookers meet.  When I first walked in there didn't seem to be much of a crowd, but by lunch time the room had filled up.

Of course we had 'show and tell'!  This beauty was hooked by Marian who as you can see is an expert hooker.

Here is a closeup of some of the center portion.

She just creates one masterpiece after another.  This is what she's working on now.

Doris is another of our expert hookers.  Usually she works in the very fine wool strips, but her primitive lion is done in 8 and 8.5 with some smaller cuts used for detain in the face.  Isn't he a joy!?

Here is Marian M. with her fall rug featuring pumpkins, leaves and a cute squirrel.

I think Brenda hooked this cute little guy.  If I'm wrong about whose rug this is, I'm sorry!

Here is Joan, hiding under her new wig!  Her rug is a large abstract that is actually a hugely enlarged FINGER PRINT!  It really makes a fun rug.

Violet is working on this lovely old-fashioned pictorial.

I especially liked the effect of the tiny little flowers.

Violet also brings some of her luscious hand dyed wools for us to enjoy (and purchase) each month.  It's very hard not to leave without at least one special piece!

There were so many rugs that I did not get to photograph, all of them unique and interesting.  I just couldn't resist this primitive kitty!

Our featured Hooker of the Month was Naomi.  This dear lady has been hooking since before I was born and so you know how long that's been!!!  Most of her rugs, and there have been MANY, have gone to family members and friends.  Here is just a small sampling of all her work.

Thank you, Naomi, for sharing your wonderful rugs with us!

At the moment I'm rugless.  On Sunday Joan is hosting her annual 'Fill the Truck' hooking event in support of her local animal shelter. Hopefully we'll get a great group of hookers and lots of donations for the critters. And I need to get a rug drawn off so I have something to work on.  Though I guess in a pinch, I could just sit and talk!!!  Haha!

I have not been totally idle.  I have tried making the mango mousse cake with some success.  This is not the pretty version, only trying to get the flavors right at this attempt.

Here's what I did.  I used a regular yellow cake mix and added a can of coconut milk instead of the water, plus an extra half cup of sugar, mixed it up and baked as directed on the box.  The cake came out moist and with a slightly denser crumb that normal.  I did not want a crumbly cake and the coconut milk did the trick and did not add too much coconut flavor.

For the mousse, I used a bag of frozen mango, thawed and pureed in the blender.  I whipped up a pack of Dream Whip topping, but a small container of Cool Whip or about 2 cups of real whipped cream would work as well.  I used 2 packs of plain gelatin in a small saucepan with about 3/4 cups water.  Let it soften for about 5 minutes and then heat and stir till it all dissolves.  Let cool and then pour into the mango puree.  Fold in the whipped cream.  Let cool in fridge till starting to jell before putting between cake layers.

I used a 9 by 13 pan for the cake.  

NEXT TIME will be the prettier version, I hope.

 I think I'll use a springform pan and if there's excess cake batter, make cupcakes.

I'd like to cut the cake into three layers.

I may also try a different cake.  Maybe a chiffon.  Several recipes I read used pound cake.

The mousse was a little more jellified that I hoped.  Next time I'll try one envelope of gelatin.

And to make the lovely topping that I didn't bother with this time, I'll hold out about 3/4 cup of the mango puree with the gelatin in it and spread it on top of the cake.

All in all it was a successful first effort.  The flavor was good, just not as pretty as I would like.

My sweater is finished!

No, Kathy, I didn't put a label on it!  LOL!  Or buttons yet.  Haven't gotten out to get any.  And there are a few ends that need woven in, but the knitting is done....I think.

I'm still debating taking out the sleeves and making them not-so-snug.  When I started on the sleeves they were wider and I took them out and made them fit tighter.  Now I think I may want the wider sleeves after all.  The joy of knitting is that it can be ripped out and redone without any ill effects to the finished project.

I posted this picture on Ravelry and someone commented that I have no head!  I was so excited to have finished that I had to try it on right away and take a picture so I didn't take time to put my wig on.  In fact I had just gotten up in the morning and done the binding off.  So....major bedhead!

The beauty of this pattern from Cabin Fever is that it was knit from the top down and there were no seams to finish, NO sewing together!

I love this pattern and want to make another one.

Did you make it all the way to the end of this looooong post???

Maybe I should just post more often and keep them shorter.

It's Nice to be Kneaded

We had one wonderful week of delightful weather and then the rains came.
Anyone who lives on the east coast knows how bad it was.  I hope most of you have made it through without too much damage and inconvenience.

We are lucky to live in an area where flooding seldom occurs.  We did have a nice trout stream (Zip wishes!!!) running through our front yard.

With the cooler weather, the cats have been VERY active.  The earlier hot weather had them laying low under the fans.  Now they are in high gear, running wild through the house and jumping on the furniture.  Though once in a while they do take time for some "Mommy Moments'.

Penny loves to knead on my arms while I'm sitting at the computer.  But an arm covered by clothing will NOT DO!  She will knead on my hand if it the only part uncovered.  Those little feet can do some pressing!  I've been left with bruises several times.

Look at those lovely copper eyes.  Perfect for a girl named Penny

Hiding in the trash can after we put in a clean bag.  Those eyes are looking a bit wild and excited.

Isabel had loved Deiter from the moment she came to live with us.
He wasn't sure he wanted to be friends with a pesky little female, but finally he had surrendered to her charms.  She is charming, isn't she?

 They like to lay in the sewing table and keep me company while I work.

In the evening there is the excitement of watching for moths on the window screen.  Reggie and Isabel are having a little stand-off to see who gets control of the window sill.

There are times when living with cats boggles my sanity.

I used to have a little sage green wallet.  It was small and thin and didn't hold much because it didn't need to.This was back in the days when the only cards I had to carry were my driver's license and social security number.  Way before credit cards, bonus cards and three forms of picture ID were necessary.  I hadn't seen this wallet in probably thirty years and had no idea what had become of it.  If asked, I probably would have said that I threw it out long ago.

This was laying in the middle of the living room floor yesterday morning when I came downstairs!

Where they found it, I have no idea!!!  They can't open dresser drawers.  They hadn't been to the attic.  I can not imagine where they were digging around!  It just blows my mind!

And more crazy-making, only not so mysterious.  Our faucets on the bathroom sink recently went bad beyond repair so last weekend we decided to go to Lowe's and check out the options.  We came home with a nice attractive brass set.  While Zip was taking off the old faucets, I kept hearing grumbling about how darn heavy the old sink (an antique) was.  So I finally asked if he would rather get a new pedestal sink and install it along with the new fixtures.  Another trip to Lowe's.

We got home and unpacked our purchases.  Zip sat the basin on the treadmill until he was ready to install it.  Guess what!  It fits!!!

Doesn't it look great??? 

The strip of wood along the back is to hold it tightly in place so when the 20-lb. monster jumps up he will not cause it to wobble.  It's also fastened to the wall with a sturdy bracket.  We keep a stool beside the sink to discourage him from jumping directly on the edge of the sink.  We will be painting the strip to match the wainscoting.

We also installed a Biffy Bidet on the toilet.  I've been wanting some kind of bidet device for years and have finally found this fairly inexpensive one.

And yes, after a week of using it, I love my Biffy!

In my spare time, I've been working on the sweater.  I'm below the underarm on the body and I have one sleeve finished.  It's kind of fun to work from the top down so it can be tried on for length as I go along.

No rug hooking right now, but am going to start on a project for a friend which I can't show yet and I want to do something for fall.

I'm getting tired of typing!  I think it's time for a break.
Have a good weekend everyone!

Salad Days

Even though the tail end of the hurricane is still circling over south central Pa, we have only mild rain and moderate thrashing of the trees.

The weather for the past two weeks has been heavenly!  Daytime temps have been in the low 80's with lovely cool nights that make sleeping a pleasure.  The curse has been lifted and we are getting some much-needed rains.  The garden, what's left of it, is recovering from the drought of the last month and a half.  We've been getting enough fresh veggies to make some tasty salads.

This is the way summer is supposed to be!  It makes getting up and viewing the sunrise a joyous occasion.

The only unhappy note is that my dear friend, Willa, is moving back to Missouri.  She and Chuck have been planning this for about a year, and now the time has arrived all too soon.  On Thursday evening, her last night here, we went out to eat together at Biscotti in Shippensburg.  I will eventually be updating my restaurant review page with the pictures, but for now I just have to show you the dessert.

This is their mango mousse cake.  In my sixty-plus years I have tasted many cakes.  Some good and some left a lot to be desired.  May I say that I have found the PERFECT cake?  Oh my goodness, is this cake DELICIOUS!!!  The mango flavor is sublime!  I checked for recipes on Google and found several.  I can't wait to try reproducing this wonderful treat.  It was the perfect ending for the farewell dinner.

My legs have recovered but the trips to the hospital for wraps continue twice a week. These doctor visits are seriously cutting into my free time.   On Tuesday I will be measured for the compression stockings that I will be wearing from then on.  Then back to the fun stuff like day trips to interesting places instead of sitting in a waiting room for 45 minutes.

But I have not been idle.  While sitting around with my feet propped up (NOT!!!)  I started a knitting project.  This is a knit-along group that is beginning on Ravelry on Sept. 10 with Julie from Knitting at Large.  Last weekend I found myself without a current project.  The yarn began talking to me to get my needles and start playing with this sweater.

 
It's a Cabin Fever pattern by Deb Gimmell and is knit from the top down.  There is no seaming necessary to finish the sweater, which means the pieces don't have to be BLOCKED before it can be put together.  Sounds ideal for me because I HATE blocking!

I've been knitting like a madwoman!  The obsession is to get an area done so I can see how the next part works.  Will it fit???  I just couldn't wait to get to the underarm part to very carefully try it on.  I am using an acrylic yarn in a worsted weight that is knitting up into a very sturdy fabric.  I'm thinking of making it into a jacket by adding a matching plaid wool lining.

This is the progress so far.  I started on one of the sleeves to check how the decreases would work.

I love the pattern of the collar and the front bands.

Since I haven't quite decided how the lining idea is going to work, I haven't put in any button holes.  I think the buttons will be sewn on the outside on top of large snaps for closing on the inside.

Isabell has been a close companion.  She loves when I knit.  Do you think she has a rather devious look???  She's waiting her chance to run off with the yarn ball.

Hope all of you have survived the hurricane with a minimum of stress and damage.
Until next time, happy hooking, or whatever creative endeavors you enjoying.

They Gave me the Boot

First, an update on Zip.
He got the report from his 24-hour heart monitor and it was fine.  His heart is only skipping a beat occasionally.  He's quit smoking and has cut way back on the caffeine.  I just wish more restaurants offered decaf iced tea!  The doc says he is good to do whatever he feels he can handle.  Mostly playing the guitar and fishing!

This past month has been soooo hot.  Ever since I was pregnant with Brad I have had problems with fluid retention and varicose veins in my legs.  It's worse in the summer heat and because of it I wear generic low cost support hose.  This year has been particularly bad because the heat has made me so sluggish and unwilling to do anything that amounts to the tiniest bit of exercise.  Through that high 90's stuff I sat in the house in front of the fans trying just to breathe.  Also my legs were so swollen that I could only get my most stretched out support hose on, which totally defeated the purpose. 

My legs have paid the price.  They became so infused with fluid I began getting blisters.  When the blisters began to seep, I was freaking out over the chance of infection.  Sooooo....I bit the bullet and went to the doctor, knowing that I would not like what I would be told.  He made an appointment for me to go the wound clinic in Chambersburg right away.  Yikes!!!

The looked at my legs and were very positive about the outcome.  They have the cure!  But first....they had to SCRAPE the affected area.  With a SCALPEL!  Discomfort is a gross understatement.  Excruciating is more like it!  But then a soothing gel was applied and several layers of nice tight leg wraps that felt wonderful.  This treatment is called the unnaboot (pronounced uni-boot).

 
I go twice a week for a rewrap.
The swelling is way down and the seepage has stopped.  I think I'm on the way to recovery.  They told me I can go about all my normal activities, but must take time out periodically to put my feet up and sleep with my legs elevated.  I actually feel so much better that I've been using the treadmill and spending extra time walking around in the grocery story.  At least I may end up with two thinner body parts!  Ha-ha!!!

As part of my recovery, Willa, Diane and I went out to eat last evening.
Our pick for this month was the Cafe d'Italia on the square in Chambersburg.

We've eaten here before and enjoyed it.
Our appetizer was baked brie on fingers of Italian bread with a topping of fruit chutney.

Diane chose the special of the day, chicken and spinach ravioli topped with cream sauce and more spinach and chicken breast.

Eggplant parm is Willa's favorite.

For me, chicken salcicci with chicken breast, spicy sausage, spinach and onion in an oil and white wine sauce with lots of garlic.  Yum!!!

It was a huge portion so half of mine went home for Zip and I to share for lunch.

The desserts:  a frozen pistachio pudding with swirls of chocolate and nuts on top and in the back is limoncello.

They have an open kitchen so that you can see the food being prepared.
It's one of Chambersburg's nicer places to enjoy a meal.

Several weeks ago Lauren from Rugs and Pugs visited our town.  She showed a picture on her blog of our lovely fountain in the center of town.  You can see the fountain from the outdoor dining area of the Cafe d'Italia.

There are two other fountains in town which most people don't know about unless you have grown up here.  One is at the Chambersburg power and light plant near the firehouse on south Second Street.

But my favorite is the fountain at the intersection of King Street and Glenn Street in the lovely early 1900's residential area in the west end of town.  It's a little treasure!

I want to thank Sharon from Moosecraft for the wonderful book I won in her give-away.  It's the Rughooker's Bible written by Gene Shephard.  I don't know why I haven't already purchased this book because it's so full of useful information.  Even though I try to be a primitive hooker, I'm still interested in being able to do shading.  This book has so many wonderful pictures and instructions
for things I've been wanting to learn that I've decided my next project will have to be designed around some of these techniques.

Thank you, thank you, Sharon!  I love it!!!

The weather has been a bit cooler the past few days.  The sky is clear and blue and the breezes are mild.  Perfect weather!
I hope it's as pleasant where you are.