Summerific Tote

 A new tote for Summer.  Big enough for knitting, a book, a snack, heck maybe I'll even remember the camera!  Whatever we may need on our bigger excursions.  This is the Multi-Tasker Tote by Anna Maria Horner.

 Lots of pockets.  Pockets are such a necessity.  One can never have too many pockets.

 I finished this lovely yesterday in time to bring it on my Parent's Night Out.  The library does a Parent's Night Out program as part of their Summer Reading.  The Bug has a lot of fun.  Crafts, activities, food all at her favorite place; the library.  Mr. Gnome is off on his annual concert mini vaca. so I took myself out for pizza and quiet reading. 

Here is the bag properly pinned with shorter straps.  Last night walking around; not that I did much it was still 100F at 7pm, I realized I wanted the straps even shorter.  I'd already shortened them by 5inches.  Four more inches chopped off and I think it may be right. 
I got the fabric and pattern at a cute relatively new (their coming up on one year) fabric store.  I recently took an Embroidery class there and hopefully I'll be finishing that project up soon.  It's an adorable space with some Great fabric, the kind you usually just drool over through the computer. 

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
As inspired by SouleMama.

 

Catching up. A little

 Still haven't gotten a photo opportunity with Mr. Gnome.  Or at least not one at home.  The Bug offered to step in. 

 Here is Peaks Island Hood finished, gosh, over a month ago.  Not worn at all.  As you can well imagine.

Yarn is Dream in Color Classy.  I haven't put on buttons and I don't think I will.  Maybe.  I don't know.  We'll see.  It kind of looks better on me than a hat. 

Interupted

There has been knitting happening and spinning and even a bit of sewing.  There are even finished things I'd like to show off.  But on the very few days Mr. Gnome has been home this past month we've been a bit busy for photo taking.

 We've played in the backyard.

Grilled-First time making grilled flat bread and Oh will that be happening again!

 Creating an Art Installation at the Contemporary Art Museum.

Trying out some locally made ice cream.  The Bug had Strawberry, Mr. Gnome had Black and Tan, yes Guinness in ice cream and I had Chocolate Orange Habenero, gave just a bit of kick going down.  So GOOD!

And playing.  I did mention the playing right?

Vampire's Worst Daymare

Finished digging the garlic this morning.  About 2 weeks early.  Everything is two weeks early.  Most of it is bigger than in years past.  This is my third year with garlic.  I've been keeping a few heads back to plant in the fall.  Every year it's better. 

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
As inspired by SouleMama. 

June Dyealong

Remember these?  I used to do them all the time.  This month's was Dyeing with ice cubes.  Most people were doing this as solar dying too.  Both techniques I've wanted to try.

The Bug and I made the ice cubes with Orange Kool Aid and Orange, Green and Pink Easter Egg Dye.  The Bug picked it out thus all the orange. We plopped the ice cubes in the dye pot, which happens to be black I'd hoped this would help with the solar dyeing, put the lid on and left it on our very sunny front porch.  The magic temperature for the yarn to set is 180F.  The yarn never got there, it go to 110F.  So I put it on the stove top to get it the rest of the way. 

And here we are.  You can really see where the ice cubes were laying.

A bit muddy looking like this; wonder how it'll look knit up.

The Newest Member of the Family

Well he is to me.

He arrived Thurday.  A new to me Double Treadle HitchHiker Spinning Wheel.  Isn't he cute?!  I'd ordered some getting to know you fiber that didn't arrive until yesterday.  I guess this was good as it made me practice treadling without trying to spin.

Yesterday I gave him a go with some fiber and oh what a mess!  I'm not the most coordinated person.  My hands wanted to keep spinning like I was using a drop spindle and my feet were confused that they had to do anything at all.  Much less everyone working together in a semblance or rhythm.  Then I slept on it.  Gosh a good dream about how things should be always makes things better.  Not wonderful by any means!  But not an over-spun, back-peddling, two left feet and two left hands sort of way.  Went a little under spun for a time.  And some even looked fairly decent. Keeping my footing even and consistent is by far my biggest challenge.
The Bug has day camp next week and I bet you can guess what I'll be doing while she's away!
I'd been thinking pretty hard about a wheel for some time.  But gosh are they pricey!  And the space!  And well you know.  I'd been watching the used groups on Ravelry and was scared by even a used price for most wheels.  I stumbled across the hitchhiker.  Totally by accident, and ok the name caught my eye as I loved the Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy books.  But he's small and doesn't take up much space and can go anywhere.  The orifice is nice and low, this was important to me as I'm short. He's made if Vermont, Mr. Gnome's home state.  And was developed by a guy who makes canoes and who's wife knit and spins.  And he's a good price!  Especially if you can find one used as my little guy is. 

Dinner- Or We Still Have Peaches

Last night's dinner.
I'd actually eaten half the burger and carrots before remembering I wanted a picture of all of these yummies.  Lucky for you I took a picture of this half. 

Peach (I think Mr. Gnome is getting concerned about the number of things I'm putting peaches on), lettuce (from the garden) and tomato on a Beet Burger.  These are leftover Beet Burgers.  The freeze well but then kind of fall apart upon reheating.  But they almost wanted to fall apart when they were first made.  They have been my first adventures into Beets.  The burgers are very earthy as the beets aren't cooked much.  Not in a bad way just in an earthy sort of way. 
The carrots are right from our garden picked moments before a light steaming and then eaten.  Best carrot year so far. 
And last roasted baby fingerling potatoes. 

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
As inspired by SouleMama.

Lavendar Mystery

I finished these days ago. Could have sworn I'd posted about them....but no.  Now where did I put my brain?

 So yes Kniterati Mystery for May is finished.  Yes.  

 Kind of looks like sprigs of lavender climbing up the leg.

Little ones on the side with some neat lacey bits. 
It's always sad making socks this time of year.  They just go straight into wooly storage world. 

Blueberries and Cherries and Peaches Oh MY!

 So what started out being a plan to get Blueberries with a friend turned into getting a crazy amount of fruit and me in the kitchen all day yesterday.  I'm really not complaining you know I love doing this.  And at the same time am thrilled that I won't be doing anything like this for months until apple season.

 We had two dozen muffins.  Almond Cherry and Spelt Blueberry Ginger.  Had quite a few have been eaten already.  

 A peach Pie with the letter P carved into the top.  This has naturally been topped with Vanilla Rice Cream when eaten. 

And just a few jars of preserves... yes well.  I think we're good then.   There are two 8 oz. jars of blueberry, one didn't seal so it's in the fridge instead of the picture, preserve time out.  Four 8oz. jars of Blueberry Cherry, really looking forward to trying that out.  Three 8oz (just realized one of these isn't sealed, grrr) and three 16oz jars of Peach Strawberry; I remembered this year!  And last 5 16oz jars of Peach preserves. 
I still have quite a few peaches that will be eaten I'm sure.  They've also made an appearance in a stir fry on the day they were picked.  And will perhaps do so again.   Oh and there are also about 20 peaches in the dehydrator. 
There may be Blueberry pancakes, they may all get eaten before that happen.  Really these are some amazing blueberries; great depth of flavor. 
And I have a plan for the last of the sour cherries that involves stuffing them inside of french toast with some cream cheese.  It may be great; it may not.  I think it will.

Knits at Sunset

Or at least after the sun has gone behind the trees so I can get a semi decent picture.  But that makes for a long title.

Starting on the left in the red and black is the second Da' Treehouse sock, the Sock Madness Optional Round.  The Big blue blob in the back is Trousseau.  The purple socks you'll recognize as the Kniterati's June Mystery.  That little bit of pink is a hexipuff.  I joined the 30 in June thread to see if I can up the count for June.  That little guy will be number 6.  That that tanish thing is the second Roosling of the final round of Sock Madness.
So five if you count the purple socks as one and I do.  Three are socks....yes, well two are not.  So there.

Which is the Mystery

The Kniterati patterns came out over a week ago.  On the cover of the mystery is a bunch of lavender bunched and hanging on a blue door.  So pretty.

 

Clue 1

I dyed this yarn with easter egg dye.  A blue, then a red, then a purple, then a blue and red mixed together before being put in the pot.

Clue 2
I'm pretty happy with the result. 
Now is the mystery what the next clue will look like or how I can knit more socks?

Raspberries!

The Bug and I went Raspberry Picking this past week.

Then we made this amazing Raspberry Pie; the secret ingredient: Balsamic Vinegar.  Ooooh.  Even took the time to make it lattice.  Fancy.

8 cups of raspberries became almost five jars of Raspberry Preserve and one broken, thankfully empty, jar.  First time breaking a jar.  Amazing considering everything else I break. 
We also made Raspberry pancakes and munched on lots.  The raspberry bushes in the backyard are doing great as well and The Bug picks a handful every day. 

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
As inspired by SouleMama.