Stitch Marker's recieved

I got five sets of stitch markers In the Stitch Marker Exchange and am posting them here as well. The picture leaves something to be desired, but it's close up shows them a lot better.
The Prayer Shawl in the background can be found at http://chevronscarf.blogspot.com/ if you want more info on it.

This came in my mail today

This was in a package in my mail box today. It isn't part of any exchange, it is just a gift from my mom. I thought I would show it to anybody that wants to look. She sent me two cotton chenille washcloths; a pale blue one, and a cream colored one. I have never had chenille washcloths of my own, I just have made them for other people, including her. Yep, it is the same pattern that I used when I learned how to knit, but I started with Peaches and Cream.


She did not just learn how to knit BTW. She is one of those crazy people who decides they want to learn how at some point in life, and starts with argyle socks, probably on DP's. I am sure they were very cooperative socks and came out perfect for her. She is very lucky that way. I don't think she knits argyles any more though.

Something that occured to me

As Hubband and I were talking, we realized that there may be a few folks in our family reading this that are not as computer/blog savvy as some others. So I am going to let you know that you can click on any of the pictures and see a larger image of it. Oh, and if you put up a comment, you might want to check back in case you get a response from me (or maybe someone else for all I know). Just thought you might want to know these things.

Something Besides Knitting

Last evening we were watching a movie, when this started. We had sheets of rain and the rain gauge measured about 2 3/4" after it was all over. This rain was a good thing as the lawn needed the water, and I am sure the corn down the street needed it too. It was a great relief to this dessert raised person too. Yesterday's weather forecast had included the terms "heat index" and "dew point" within about fifteen or twenty degrees of each other. "Dew point" was not something I had ever heard growing up in Southeast Idaho and Utah; I had heard "heat index," but not very often. I hear them both here in Minnesota, there is always something to learn when you move to a new place. It has been nice enough to day that we have had the windows open all day and the air conditioning off.

Last night one of the plants in the porch pond had one bloom on it like this.



This morning it looked like this.

And this. I have had this type of plant in the pond every year, but they haven't bloomed this early in the summer before, and they have never had this many blooms at once. They always make more plants as the summer goes by, but don't survive in the house over winter very well. I have been giving them to the Biology teacher at the high school for their greenhouse and it turns out that turtles absolutely love them and the other plants I give them!

Dog Days Dish Cloth answers

(I am sticking this image up twice, this one is for my mom.)



Ok, maybe some folks that read this blog, know a lot about me already, but with any luck, I am going to virtually meet folks that don't through this blog. (I am hoping these are real people out there, not virtual ones!) Thus, I am going to answer these questions so they can get to know me a little. Maybe those of you that think you know me will learn something new!

Do I knit, or crochet, or do both? Well, I knit and weave, to be honest. I have tried to crochet with beads, but it never works and just makes me mad. Now, what is the point in that? There are so many other ways to play with yarn and beads, and I don't like being mad, so I don't crochet. (Maybe if I tried again without involving the beads while I am trying to learn how...)
How long have you been knitting\crocheting? Knitting has been a happening thing for me for about eight or nine years now. I think my mom tried to teach me when I was little, but that was a lost cause because there were trees and fences to climb. Not to mention the bikes to ride, brothers to chase, and kittens to get dressed.
Have you knit dishcloths or dishtowels before? Well, knitting dishcloths is the best way to learn how to knit, or so I was told when I decide I had time to learn how to knit. Oh, and it is WAY more portable than weaving while waiting for three kids at various music lessons, scouts, appointments, and stuff.
What are your favorite cotton yarns? Is there a cotton or linen you've been dying to try but have not? Well, I have knit a lot of dishcloths out of Peaches and Cream, cotton chenille, and similar yarns to those. I have woven towels with cottolin, but never knit with it. So, it would be fun to have something different for knitting dishcloths with. I can't say that I have ever thought of using the cottolin to knit with, but now I might have to look down in the stash to see if I have any around. Oh, and I have wanted to try bamboo and soy yarn, but I don't know how they are for dishcloths.
Are there any cotton yarns you don’t enjoy knitting with? Well, cotton/metallic blends make scratchy dishcloths.
What type of needle do you prefer using? (Metal/Wood/Plastic) Well, that winds up depending on the yarn. If it is really slippery, I tend to prefer bamboo, but if it is a bit sticky, I like metal better. I am not a real big fan of plastic needles.


(If you are a knitter you probably understand this. If you aren't, your eyes have either glazed over by now, or you gave up on this post several questions back.)
What other projects do you enjoy knitting or crocheting? Well, you already know by now that I don't enjoy the crochet thing, so this is all about the knitting. Scarves, sweaters, shawls, bookmarks, socks, hats, baby blankets, etc. I am pretty much up for learning/trying something new or different.
Do you have other hobbies or enjoy other kinds of crafting? Oh, I guess this is where I was supposed to mention the weaving. Well, I weave (I guess you know that by now), dye yarn (you might have noticed that about me already), cooking, reading, beading, sewing, playing in the dirt with plants, hanging out with my family. Umm, I am sure I have left something out, but I am not sure what at this point.
What kind of treats do you like? Chocolate? Candies? Nuts? Garlic stuffed olives, spanakopitakia, dolmathes, home made bread and jam, gingerbread, chocolate covered cinnamon Altoids, weird stuff like that.
What colors are your kitchen and bath decorated in, if any? Umm, the kitchen isn't really decorated It is black and white, so I try to throw any color its way I can.
What are your favorite colors and what colors do you dislike? I don't think I could say that I have a favorite color, or that there are any that I dislike.
Do you drink coffee? Tea? Other beverages? Coffee of the dark and greasy variety (such as French or Espresso roast, preferably craft roasted). I also drink tea and am quite fond of Earl Grayer. Now that it is hot, I am drinking a lot of iced tea. I also drink Guinness, wine,and I like Talisker.
Do you have any kids (human or pet variety!)? I have three kids and two basset hounds. We used to have cats, but you can read more about that in a previous post.
Do you have any allergies? Weird and strong perfume smells, some cleaning products, dust, stinging nettle, cottonwood pollen, stuff like that.
Please share 3 tidbits about yourself that you think your pal and other swappers might find odd or interesting.
Well, I have known my husband of 22 years for about 37 years.
I am a huge sap and cry and lots of stuff, this makes my family giggle at me, but they say they wouldn't want me any other way.
My youngest child leaves for college this fall, and I am still getting them a new children's picture book every year for their Christmas Eve bedtime story.

Well, I hope that everyone has learned at least a little bit new about me, and I hope a lot a folks have learned a lot more.

Hogwarts SKS 2 answers

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? Ravenclaw

2. List your favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length. Or would you prefer circulars? I have knit socks all on DP's, except for one pair currently on circulars (of course, they got lost for a little over a year, so I have to remember how to do it that way... If I finish them now,do they count for SoS?) But, as for the DP's:
a.Brittany Birch 2 or 3 (5inch)
b.Clover Bamboo
c.Chrystal Palace

3. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length? Sure, I am always up for trying new stuff in knitting (thus the unfinished and /or lost projects around. So easily distracted by something new/different...)

4. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference? No particular preference.

5. Do you have any allergies? Smoke and strong perfume smells.

With a little help from my DTE

Well, with help from DTE, I have learned how to add buttons, links, and multiple pictures to the blog. Now that I have the knowledge to run the technology, I have to be able to remember the knowledge! Now to work on the new camera issues a bit more and there will be all sorts of pictures of stuff most folks probably couldn't care less about!

For those few that mentioned it; thanks for the anniversary wishes, and yes, we had a wonderful time!

I'm in, and we're off

I got into the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap 2 by the skin of my teeth, and I am very excited that I made it! Hubband and I are off to The Twin Cities until tomorrow to celebrate our anniversary. (It was yesterday, but today is Friday, the 22nd, and it is our 22nd one, so it works for us. Who else matters in these things anyway?)
I just have to say regarding my post about naming thing, either only one person reads my blog (and I know that person already knows all the answers to my hints), or folks don't make comments when they do read it. Oh well, maybe Hogwarts traffic will generate curiosity about name relationships.
Now I am off to have fun!

I don't usually name things, but...

I just want to say that I am not the kind of person that names objects in my life. I don't name my car(s), my bike, or any of the appliances in my house. I have named my children and pets (and I did name my dolls and stuffed animals when was little). I have recently had to change this non-naming of inanimate objects in my life with the introduction of "my" own computer, as opposed to a "family shared"computer. (Please note that this computer is used by the whole immediate family, as well as the recent visiting family members, but it is still "my" computer.) I needed this computer to have a name so that it could communicate with the network in the house. Because I am the one in charge of running this machine, I named it "Kaylee" (I will point out to those of you paying attention, I already have a name). This week I got a MP3 player; this is a nice compact device and is an awesome electric pink color. (No, it is NOT an iPod; I am too much of a NPR junkie to bother getting something that would need an extra piece of stuff to make it useful to me.) Because this is such a cool and pretty little device, so closely connected to, and needing to communicate with, Kaylee, I have had to name it as well. Thus I have another named inanimate object in my life; this one goes by the name of "Shiny". (The network in our house has a name too; it goes by a particular class of spaceship.) I don't think this naming of things is going to have to go much further in my life, but I will add that if my next dog is the Newfoundland I have been wanting for over thirty years, don't be surprised if her name is Serenity, or maybe Serenity River.
Yep, you could learn a lot about me from just this post and I could learn a lot about the folks that read my blog based on any comments they might choose to post. If you feel a little lost about these names, it might become a little bit clearer in the next few days. I am going to figure out how to show you all what I got for Mother's day, and tell you why there are now three of them in our house. I am off to see if I have any perfect strawberries left in the refrigerator.

The Tomato Basil Cabbage Head...

 
This is a Tomato Basil Cabbage Head that I had mentioned previously and someone had asked what it was. It is a cube of mozzarella cheese, a basil leaf, and a grape (or cherry) tomato, all on a frill pick, and then stuck into the leveled head of cabbage (apparently for DTE's open house, we stuck them into melon halves). Very easy to make, tastes awesome, and always gets lots of compliments and rave reviews. Can't beat it with a stick (but if you are going to have a lot of folks, make two).
The last of our many and varied house guests went home today, so I am hoping to have a few minutes in the next few days to catch the rest of the world up on DTY's graduation, the party, and the bit of knitting I have actually been able to do this week (want to guess how much of a scarf one can knit during a HS graduation ceremony?).

Friends

This is DTE's cat, Kitty, and Miss Sadie Rose. Sadie is kind of DTE's dog, kind of my dog, but in a lot of ways really seemed to be Kitty's dog. When Kitty first came to our house, almost eight years ago, Sadie was afraid of cats. That was because DTY's cat had always let her know that she, Jodi Cat, was in charge. In charge of the stairs, of the hall, of the food dish, pretty much everything. ("Stop. Who would cross the Cat of Death must [get an escort], ere the other side he see," MPSHG.)Yep, in charge to the point of getting up from her sleep to go park on the stairs when it was time for Sadie to go up or down them for bed or food. Sadie would have to whine for an escort to rescue her from Jodi, so another cat in her life was not really what she needed. Not only was another cat what she got, but it was a cat that she had to (gasp!) share with HER girl! Do you realize how close you have to get to a cat to get a belly rub while the cat gets an ear scratch? (The answer would be, "Scary close.") Kitty had no problems with dogs, anybody could be her friend because everybody could give her attention, even dogs four times bigger that her. Over time the two of them got to be pretty much best friends and would take turns washing each others ears, sleeping together, etc. When Sadie and Kitty would be on the porch, Sadie would always tell me when Kitty got off and then get really stressed when she got out of her sight. (Sadie is a much better baby sitter than one might have expected from a Basset, she also used to tell us when Mr. Simon would leave the yard. Him, he's just useless.)
Two weeks ago Kitty was diagnosed with advanced cancer and she died this morning. Sadie snuffled her body in the box gently and looked confused, then she followed me to the deck when I carried the box there. At that point she parked herself next to the box and wouldn't leave it until we carried it out to the yard for the burial. I am grateful for the life Kitty and DTE had together for all these years and that they had time together after she got home from Greece. DTE will miss Kitty most of all, the rest of the family will miss her too. And Miss Sadie? Who really knows for sure, but I think Sadie will miss her too.

First day of finials for high school seniors

So, this is what the first day of DTY's, and six of her friends, last finals for high school looks like. Seven folks having a LAN party at ten in the morning at our house. You get the image, the sound winds up being mostly silence punctuated by groans of defeat or laughs of victory. The smell is that of a lot of really hot electrical things all in one room; yeah, you really have to be there to get the full effect. A few hours latter the image was lunch, a round of Frisbee, and then another game round at the computers. (Their HS has a deal that if the senior has a grade of "A" going into the finial, the don't have to take the last test. Works out well for a lot of them, obviously all the ones here today!) 

Senior breakfast is tomorrow and then graduation is two days after that. Friday night after graduation is the "Senior Party" at the school, and Saturday we are having the traditional Mid-West ritual of the "Graduate's Open House" where family and friends all come to visit for a bit. There winds up being a certain amount of coordinating between friends as to day and time of these parties; can't have too much overlap. DTY had four or five last weekend to go to, several next weekend, and maybe one or two the following weekend I think.
DTE is helping me plan the menu and will help with the food that we need to fix (most importantly the awesome Basil Tomato Cabbage Head!!!). Tonight we get to finish putting the house back together from having the annual carpet cleaning done.
I did get the flowers planted and then DTY and I got herbs at the Farmer's Market on Saturday, but it rained all weekend, so I need to get them into the dirt tomorrow. I got a bit more of the prayer shawl done, but I have about ten inches left. DTY's scarf yarn came in, so of course I had to cast that on right away and get a bit of it in. I did start both of the ones I am doing on the same needles. Fifteen feet of garter stitch is going to be kind of boring after a while and I don't really want to finish one and have to do it all over again. Kind of like knitting two really, really big socks! I have been known to have trouble doing that second sock after all. Which leads me to the fact that I am getting really antsy about my "Sock Club" yarn and pattern that aren't here yet. I know other folks have gotten theirs by now (even ones in Australia and New Zealand!) and I haven't! Maybe if I knit really fast and get the shawl off the needles, the socks will show up. I can always hope, or just call the store and see if they have shipped it yet. I will get up some pictures of knitting pretty soon, as well as more pictures of the yard and stuff.