The Stripey Hat Revisited

See this Stripey Hat?

I had originally tagged it for charity. I showed it to Chris just in passing, during our whirlwind weekend. I told him it's destination. He said thought it would really look cute on one of the grand boys. Margaret and I had knit the older three hats a couple years ago and I didn't even imagine that this would fit the youngest -9 month old. So we took it to see if it would fit .
We could not get over how cute it looked on the him. He is absolutely adorable anyway and then the hat just put everything over the edge!

A Stripey Hat

I am still knitting the red socks. I took a break and knit this little hat. Cute enough isn't it? It will fit an older child I think.
It doesn't have a recipient. Nor does one of the EZ heart hats that my daughter made. The brown tweed wool hat I made last winter needs a home as well.
Well, I am not the brightest crayon in the box.....so it took me a bit to decide what to do with these hats. Give them to charity Lou. I read an article about orphans in a far away land and how a couple of ladies started a charity to collect knitted hats, gloves and scarves.
So into the charity box they go.
I will be able to post a picture soon of the beautiful red socks that are currently on my needles.
My Christmas present this year....is about 5'11'' and will be walking through back door in a day or so.......but he will only be here for a little while and we have lots of family to visit while he is here.

Oh and just to fill you in on the picture.....the musical one in the house is Margaret.
Keeping my eyes peeled for a used accordian.....she is quite intrigued by them.

Christmas Socks Received

The socks have arrived at their destination. Virginia.

Thanks United States Postal Service.

Christmas Socks

Chullo Hat Kits are on SALE at Knitpicks

Scroll down after going HERE to the chullo hat, red or grey, and buy one while they are on sale....Very good price.

The Heart Hat

In her book, Knitting Workshop, Elizabeth Zimmermann shares a cute and quick heart hat. I passed it over time and time again as I looked through this book. The other day....it really struck me so I did a quick practice knit of the heart and I was 'off to the races'. It is such a cute hat when finished....I just don't have a small cranium handy for modeling. Of course the hat and heart can be the same color.

The directions call for longer I-cord tie, but I chose the 'fold it over and hook it to a button' method. :)

The pattern also says that the heart, when knitted as is, can be used as an elbow patch on a beloved's sweater. How cute.
If you are on Ravelry check out the EZ Heart Hat for different variations.

Until Next Time.

Losing Power Has It's Perks

We were quite fortunate when the recent sneaky little snow storm came through last Tuesday that our power was out only a little over 3 hours. Others had to wait for a few days. :(
During those three hours...Margaret serenaded Molly and I with non-electric instruments. The cello and piano.

Hallelujah Chorus -Quinhagak, Alaska

SNOW vs TREE

The Hat is Finished.

I really like the large cream colored alpacas, but I love the little brown ones...can you see them?

Thanksgiving

Granny, Lou, Margaret
we three ate roast,potatoes/carrots/gravy and homemade chicken fettucine alfredo. Pumpkin pie.

Wordless Wednesday-Inside Out

American Red Cross Museum

While poking around Ravelry this morning I ran across this link. If you are interested in WWII, knitting or vintage, you might like this page.
Go HERE.

Our Saturday

Saturday we three (Chris came home from NY for a couple days) had a busy day.
A birthday and swimming party for some 'littles', funeral home viewing, and a wedding!
Events seem to always happen at the same time so we would have to choose which one to attend, but these three were spaced out just right so we could attend all three (well I did anyway).
We all attended the first two, Margaret and I attended the wedding and I attended the reception.
After the party/funeral viewing Chris went home to rest before leaving at midnight to drive back to New York. That left Margaret and I to drive to the wedding. I had never been to Gaston before...and now I know why. You just can't get there from here!!!!
Well really you can but it is kind of touch-n-go if you can really make it or not.
Our directions were not strong enough for my intellect. But by the grace of God, stopping to ask for directions and a whole lot of laughter, we made it...with 10 minutes to spare.
After stopping to ask for directions at a gas station and putting the laughter on pause, we turned around to find this sign staring at us.
Have I missed something in the news about Hank? What's going on? To see this sign after driving on windy, bumpy, ill-paved roads made me wonder!

Or maybe it has something to do with the sign below it....'they sell real Tennessee moonshine".

Or maybe they just love Ol' Hank.

Until next time.

Oh and remember, anytime you need an "L" you can always use upside down "7's".

Well, I have since been brought up to speed on this issue. GO HANK!

History of the land our home sits on.

The land that I sit on today came from a land grant to a Miami Indian chief named Jean Baptiste (Wildcat) Richardville. He is number six on this list.

The 'land grant' came from President of the United States, James Polk. This site list more information about him. It states he owned more than 20 square miles of choice land. There are 640 acres in a square mile ( at least that is what I got when I googled it) That is a lot of land and this little piece I write from today was part of it. Kind of cool. But if you think about it all of this "Northwest Territory" was someones before the government came along. Must have been an early version of 'eminent domain'.

As I hold these documents, I think about how things were back then...peaceful? serene? beautiful?.....maybe/maybe not....you see people are the same in every generation.....

The Hat Continues

Sandwich Bread

Our first loaf of g-free bread. Not sure why it went down instead of up, but it is actually quite tasty. Margaret is thrilled.

Blueberry Muffins G-free

My daughter eats gluten-free.
We have struggled to find yummy g-free delights.
The boxed mixes are pricey and not so delightful. :(
We checked out a book from our library titled, "Cooking Free" by Carol Fenster
It has a flour blend that you make up and keep for general g-free cooking.
We mixed up a blend of:
1 and 1/2 C. of potato starch
1 and 1/2 C. sorghum flour
1 C. tapioca starch/flour
1/2 C. almond flour
Stir it really well and stored it in a lovely Tupperware container.
Then.....

we made blueberry muffins. (squeal)

2 and 1/3 C. flour blend
1/2 C. sugar ( we used raw sugar)
2 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin powder
1 tsp. salt

1 C. milk (cow, soy or rice) we used cow-whole milk
1/4 C. canola oil
2 large eggs or 1/2 C. soft silken tofu ( um...we used eggs)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 T. grated lemon zest-from a real lemon :)
1 C. blueberries- fresh or frozen.

Preheat oven 400° and grease 12-cup nonstick muffin tin. (we used 10 muffin cups)

Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixer. Mix the wet ingredients together and add to the dry ingredients. Gently stir in the blueberries. Scoop into cups and bake for 20-25 minutes (add 5 minutes extra if you use frozen berries).
Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.
While muffins are cooling, combine 2 T. powdered sugar with 2 T. fresh lemon juice (you saved it when you zested your lemon-I hope)
Drizzle this over the warm muffins.
Cool for 15 minutes.
Serve.

Be happy!

I Like This Picture

The Hat

I am doing it!!!!

Proverbsv 3:27-30

These words touch me in so many ways today.

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor,
"Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"-
when you now have it with you.

Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
Do not accuse a man for no reason-
when he has done you no harm.

Andean Chullo Hat-Kit from KnitPicks

I have admired this little hat for quite some time. The fact that it has alpacas on it only adds to my giddiness over it. :)
Working all of that color intimidates me.
But how will I ever know if I can do it if I don't try???
So, the red socks are on hold-I will try to knit those around Christmastime.

So for now I will dig in to this neat pattern. It is a first for me.

Aren't the colors pretty? They say you can get at least two hats out of the kit. Hmmm. We will see.
I have to finish up the green socks I was knitting in the truck when we went to North Carolina and then I can start on this. They are almost done.

That is about the only thing new around here.
The weather is turning cooler. We turned the clocks back (I think). That's it.

Until next time.

It's not Indiana, but it'll do. :)

From the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Black Mountain, NC (Red Rocker Inn)

Paul Washer

Be blessed by this.

The Yarn

My First Real Yarn Shop Visit - Black Mountain, NC

When the time was near to leave on our trip to North Carolina, I googled yarn shops in the area. They had one! We have been staying at the Ridgecrest Conference Center and after the Saturday sessions were over, Chris and I jaunted into town for a little grub. Much to my "surprise" the yarn shop was in the Black Mountain Historic District...which was quaint and cute. My husband being the ever-kind creature that he is obliged my request to stop and off we ambled.

It just looked cute from the outside!

It was cute on the INside! It was really almost more than I could bear. Beautiful hanks of yarn arranged in little color-coded boxes lined the walls. A spinning wheel adorned the front windows and ladies were knitting and finishing garments as we arrived. There was excitement in the air. I asked the gentlemen who was there for sock yarn and he directed me to the softest and prettiest wool I had ever seen or felt. Awwww. He said one hank would make me a pair of socks. I had to wipe the drool from my mouth (well almost).

Have you ever seen the animated movie 'Jungle Book'? That mean ole snake was always trying to get Mowgli. At one point the snake was trying to hypnotize poor M. His eyes had twirly things going in a circle to help the process. Well, at one point I know my eyes were twirling like that. It was like I was hypnotized by all of the wool.

After I had picked my beautiful yarn I told Chris..."get me out of here"! I knew I would want everything I saw. So like the ever-kind obliging man that he is.....he got me out of there!

It is Well with My Soul

I had originally thought against posting our big trouble on my blog. I didn't want the blog to be a sad place for people to visit. I tried to keep my posts 'general'. But then I thought again. I don't always express myself well with the spoken word. Actually I tend to clam up when given a direct question. But when I can write it out I have more time to put down more precisely what I am feeling. I am glad I did. The kindness of my friends who have commented is so very heartwarming and encouraging.
My spirit is being renewed with great joy.
I know we all want to be on the mountaintop!
But let me tell you friends.....when the God of the Universe is with you in the valley....it seems just as good as being on the mountaintop.
My past has taught me that when I am havin' some big bad troubles....God is always there to walk with me through them.

So thanks again friends....I love you all.

Until next time......

The Bridge

Those of you who know me........know how scary bridges are for me. Riding in a vehicle is just as stressful. So.....combine a vehicle and a bridge and you get a real scaredy cat.
This was my last half-way calm moment before we hit 75 South. Rain and tons of semis and less than courteous drivers made me..........well........a little stressed. It finally stopped raining around Knoxville, TN, when we hopped on to 40 East.

Here is the creepy bridge over the Ohio River.

Hi Mom!

A Pretty Day

Molly riding the golf cart.