First Day of Fall

Happy first day of Fall.
I took yesterday off from the volunteer overtime project. I wasn't feeling all that great when I woke up, so I decided that I needed two days off in a row. It was nice to get the house in order. I had lunch with my dad. I got a new hair cut that is darn cute. I was inspired by Caitlin and Danny to have a more modern wash & go type of style. Dustin and Tate had been encouraging me to grow it long. But, it was driving me crazy, so now I'm sporting a new chin-length razored do. I was considering coloring it again. But my hair stylist insisted that my natural silver was pretty and that it simply needed a few things for extra Oomph. So, maybe I'll have him even out the color and add some dramatic streak or something.
I was thumbing through my recipe books and tumbled upon The Complete Book of Breads. I think my brother got this for my birthday some 25 years ago. I used to make Sunset White Bread for my kids when they were little. So, I thought I'd make it again. It didn't rise well and was a flop. I figured I could use it for croutons or something. We made Hot Browns for dinner last night using the bread. It is a Kentucky favorite open-faced sandwich made with toast, roast turkey, cheese sauce, and bacon. It was simply awful. I couldn't even eat mine. It looked like a big brown pile on the plate. Yuck.
In the past, when Fall arrived, I used to spend most of my knitting time in a hurried frenzy making gifts for Christmas. After I figured out that this took a considerable amount of joy out of knitting, I decided to stop. There was no need to make a gift for every person. Nobody else makes each gift. Now, I make things throughout the year. This year, I'm not sure that I will even cast on for another gift between now and Christmas. Better to get the things I have started completed.
I finished reading our book club selection, "Wait Till Next Year." I enjoyed the parts about history very much. However, the first part of the book about her early childhood told through rose coloured glasses was a bit boring. And, I found myself skimming over the play by plays of particular baseball games.

I spoke to Dustin yesterday. His cat, Willa, died Thursday night. He seemed to be taking it fairly well. It's so hard when you help a four-legged friend die.

questionnaire

I found this questionnaire on a blog of a blog of a blog.

I’ve done it
I want to do it
No interest

• Afghan (Does the crochet blanket count?)

• • I-cord
• • Garter stitch
• • Knitting with metal wire
• • Shawl•
• Stockinette stitch
• • Socks: top-down
• • Socks: toe-up
• • Knitting with camel yarn
• • Mittens: Cuff-up
• • Mittens: Tip-down
• • Hat (too many to count)
• • Knitting with silk
• • Moebius band knitting
• • Participating in a KAL
• • Sweater (Yes, very much so)
• • Drop stitch patterns
• • Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
• • Slip stitch patterns
• • Knitting with banana fiber yarn
• • Domino knitting
• • Twisted stitch patterns
• • Knitting with bamboo yarn (wool-bamboo blend)
• • Two end knitting (???)
• • Charity knitting
• • Knitting with soy yarn
• • Cardigan
• • Toy/doll clothing
• • Knitting with circular needles
• • Baby items
• • Knitting with your own handspun
• • Slippers
• Graffiti knitting (???)
• • Continental knitting
• • Designing knitted garments
• • Cable stitch patterns
• • Lace patterns
• • Publishing a knitting book
• • Scarf
• • Teaching a child to knit
• • American/English knitting (almost every day)
• • Knitting to make money (no, that’s why I’m in law school )
• • Buttonholes
• • Knitting with alpaca
• • Fair Isle knitting
• • Norwegian knitting
• • Dying with plant colors
• • Knitting items for a wedding (as a wedding GIFT)
• • Household items
• • Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
• • Olympic knitting
• • Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
• • Knitting with dpns
• • Holiday-related knitting
• • Teaching a male how to knit
• • Bobbles
• • Knitting for a living
• • Knitting with cotton
• • Knitting smocking
• Dying yarn
• • Steeks
• • Knitting art
• • Fulling/felting
• • Knitting with wool (virtually all the time)
• • Textured knitting
• • Kitchener BO
• • Purses/bags
• • Knitting with beads
• • Swatching
• Long Tail CO
• Entrelac
• • Knitting and purling backwards
• • Machine knitting
• • Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
• • Stuffed toys
• • Knitting with cashmere
• • Darning
• • Jewelry
• • Knitting with synthetic yarn
• • Writing a pattern
• • Gloves
• • Intarsia
• • Knitting with linen
• • Knitting for preemies
• • Tubular CO
• • Freeform knitting
• • Short rows
• • Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
• • Pillows
• • Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
• • Rug
• • Knitting on a loom
• • Thrummed knitting
• • Knitting a gift
• •Knitting for pets
• • Shrug/bolero/poncho
• Knitting with dog/cat hair (Ick, on purpose?!)
• • Hair accessories
• • Knitting in public

~tired~

I guess I was really tired. I worked 11 hours and 45 minutes yesterday and was simply beat. Every particle of me was tired. We watched a couple of programs on the Travel Channel. I must admit that I liked Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and enjoyed it. We also watched some Jackass eat all sorts of gross stuff in the Middle East. I was pushing it to stay up after I ate dinner. But, going to bed early did wonders.
No knitting tonight. Just resting on the couch.
However, I made roast chicken, mashed cauliflower with horseradish, and corn off the cob for dinner tonight. Tomorrow, Pot Roast. I hope to publish a recipe I made up this weekend. BLT salad. It was a total hit.
Early bed time again tonight. I hope I feel more like myself tomorrow.

One sock completed. I should have made the cuff longer. And they fit a tad too tight on me. These will be a gift for someone with teeny footsies. I can't wait to see if the Magic Loop method is even better.

We bought a new stock pot. It's friggin YUGE. We made stock yesterday and I used all the veggie and chicken scraps I'd saved in the freezer. I think I'll make some gumbo later this week.

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. Maybe it's because everything was so peaceful and orderly when I had time off. I definitely had more time to do fun stuff when I didn't have to work 40+ hours per week. I feel like I haven't accomplished as much as I'd like to and everything is half-finished. This could be caused by hastily casting on for the fuzzy feet AND a sock. Or maybe I'm just tired. I'm glad that the pets are settling down somewhat, but I sure do wish I could sleep in a little later on the weekends. Or maybe it's because it's been cold and gray.

There's a new Knitty issue out there. I really enjoyed David Demchuk's article. I keep checking to see when I will be accepted to Ravelry. There are over 8,000 people ahead of me. This is an incredible idea.

I'm so glad the weather has been cool enough to have the windows open. It makes the house smell so good, and the Boyz are happy all day long.

The sock is coming along swimmingly. Now, I'm on the foot section of the sock. And only after one week! I'm glad I have years of making socks on double-pointed needles as the mechanics are easier for me to picture.

Here is how you nab your sister's chewie. Ever so slowly. Oh, and in the end, Daisy was successful. I'm glad that they are getting to the point where they can snuggle. Once they really start sleeping together, it's going to be much easier.

I smoked a pork loin roast today and will serve it with a Carolina style Cole Slaw. I used the electric smoker, so it was pretty hands-off.

Pretty good, for a Monday

The XPen training went much better today. Maybe everything seemed to go better since I slept like a Rock last night.

The pets have been having little moments where they all get along.

Socks made on two circs definitely does move a ton faster.

I'm done with the cuff and started on the heel flap. And I didn't have much time to knit this weekend, what with the puppy. That's darn good for 6 days. I'm using Addi Turbos, which are very different from bamboo double points. That's what I've been using for years. The Addi's are slick. The bamboo hugs the yarn. My first attempt at socks on two needles, I dropped a bunch on my first round and had to start over. But, it seems to be going well. I'm not too whippy on the resting needle. It seems to get in the way. After this pair, I'll try the Magic Loop. When I attended my class with Sally Melville, most of my classmates were knitting socks using this method. Although, I'm not quite sure what you do when knitting the flap. I guess I'll find out.

I started knitting when I was probably about 12. And knitted (if you can call it that) until I was around 15. I picked up knitting again, after Dustin was born. My Xhusband's cousin was totally into knitting socks. Nancy said she liked knitting socks because it wasn't expensive, there was a lot of knitting, and you could really use what you made. Keeping in mind that this was 25 years ago, there was very little yarn to choose from and the same goes for needles, etc. The yarn was much bulkier and there were only metal needles. I remember when I took my first class and brought my socks in. The teacher was wistful when I showed her my socks. She told a story of how she made custom Argyle socks using the Fraternity colors for her college boyfriends (including their initials) until she figured out that they were simply dating her for the socks.

And so it was my second return to knitting where I learned to love making socks. Lots has changed. I was a tried and true double-pointer until a few days ago. And there is a ton of beautiful sock yarn out there. The yarn is much thinner, so you can wear them with shoes. And there is a nylon content to help them wear well. There are even clear plastic boots specifically made to show off your hand made socks. But, they sound hot and unhealthy for my tootsies.

Sam made blue cheese burgers for dinner tonight. Excellent. Go, Sam.

Dead Tired

3:30 a.m. I am awakened by the television. I go to the Living Room and tell my husband to shut off the TV and go to bed.
3:40 a.m. I go to the couch to sleep because of snoring.
4:00 a.m. The strange noise starts. I wonder if it is the puppy waking up. But, I do not hear any whining. The Strange Noise goes intermittently until
5:00 a.m. The puppy wakes up. I take her outside to do her business and then put her back to bed. We are done by 5:08 a.m.
5:15 a.m. The Strange Noise is coming from the kitchen. The Boyz are trying to rip open the bag of puppy food I left on the counter top. I put the food away and shoo the Boyz off the counter top.
5:30 a.m. I shoo the The Boyz off of the couch.
5:40 a.m. The Boyz have a Kitty Kung Fu fight. I sequester them to the basement.
6:15 a.m. The Beagle wants to go outside.
7:20 a.m. The Beagle wakes the entire household up with her loud beagle barking.

We went to Teocali yesterday. It was okay. I was hoping for something a bit better. I got some cleaning done, too. I made the Beef with Lemongrass over Rice for dinner last night.

Tonight is Book Club. I'm sure I will try to get to bed early tonight. My attempt to take a nap this afternoon was a bust.