Showing posts with label Spiral Tube Socks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiral Tube Socks. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Update

I am still plugging away on the easiest baby blanket for Melissa’s new baby. I should be done tomorrow.

I also have been working a little on the Spiral Tube Socks. They are very slowly coming along.
Nothing else is new for the moment.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Books and Knitting. What could be better?

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. That makes a total of 17 books read so far in 2009. I don't know what I am going to read next. I have to take a break for a while though and work on some knitting.

As I said in my previous post, Princess Ivi has requested a blanket. I have decided to make the afghan that is in the Leisure Arts #4165, Quick Knits with Speed Stix book. (I don't recall the name but it is purple.) We picked up the yarn for it on Saturday.

I also want to work on the Spiral Tube Socks and the Feather and Fan Shawl.

Monday, February 2, 2009

I haven’t updated my list of books read lately so I thought I would do so now.

Recent books read (actually, re-read):

Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


I was missing Harry so I thought a re-read of his adventure was in order.

Due to all the reading I have been doing lately, my knitting has fallen to the back burner. But not for long, I expect to work on either the Feather and Fan Shawl or the Spiral Tube Socks tonight depending on my mood. Since I have to wait until Saturday to pick up the final two books in the HP series I need something to do. (When I read the books before I borrowed my sister’s but now since we are so far apart, I feel I must have them)

I have had a request by Princess Ivi for a bigger blanket. (She has a small throw but she is growing so fast that it doesn’t do much to keep her warm.) Before I can tackle a project like that, I need to sort my yarn and see what I have to work with. I was thinking that I may be able to hold multiple strands together so that it works up quick but I guess it depends on whether she sees yarn that she approves of. Another option is to go by Walmart on Saturday and pick up some more. I know that they have a purple-ish yarn and as that is her fave color it might work. If so, I will make a 6 hour throw and consider it part of her birthday present. The blanket will be done though because it is not often that I get a request for a knitted item from her. Normally, she is too "cool" for them.

This weekend was pretty uneventful. On Saturday I slept a little late, went grocery shopping, made homemade chili and guacamole, read while Princess Ivi watched Peter Pan, took a nap, made tapioca, and talked to my sister. (Since my brother-in-law works nights on Friday and Saturday, my mom and I talk to my sister until he gets home. Mom has Friday night and I take Saturdays. Most of the time, I am off of the phone by 1:30 a.m.)

On Sunday, I slept late again and then did laundry. I also stripped the sheets and pillow cases and sprayed the bed and pillows down with Lysol. (I am waging a war with my cold germs.) For dinner, I made baby-back ribs and potato salad.

Princess Ivi spent the day watching Anne of Avonlea. She really enjoyed it.

Then we watched Sense and Sensibility on Masterpiece Classic. What a good movie. Even Princess Ivi is loving it. She can’t wait for the sequel next week. She can’t wait to see what happens between Elinor and Edward and Marianne and Willoughby. She is rooting for Willoughby. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that Willoughby may be dashing and handsome but he won’t love Marianne for the right reasons. She thinks the age difference between Captain Brandon and Marianne is "gross". I suppose by today’s standards a 35 year old man marrying a 17 year old girl is pretty "gross" but then it was acceptable. I, of course, know how it all ends because I have read the book but I won’t give anything away.

Princess Ivi is amazed with how things used to be done Like the age difference between husbands and wives, the fact that so many marriages were just for money not emotion, and the fact that relatives married each other.

There was a scene in Anne of Avonlea where Pauline told Anne that Morgan never should have married his cousin. Princess Ivi and I quite agreed. Her words were "Ick." Of course, Pauline didn’t mean they should not have gotten married because it is gross or morally unacceptable but because the two were not matched well.

Last weekend when we watched Wuthering Heights and Princess Ivi realized that both Lynton and Hareton were Catherine’s first cousins and she married one of them and was in love with the other. It was quite a shock for her.

It is interesting to see her maturing to the point that she recognizes all the complexities of older books.

Princess Ivi worked on her birthday list. In addition to a camera and a stuffed panda bear, she has put in a request for a "real, live puppy" which, hopefully, is in the works.

She also requested a gourmet meal of hot dogs, french fries and macaroni & cheese (and she suggested Easy Mac - yuck. I think I will make homemade mac and cheese and if she wants, I will pick up the powdered stuff for her but not for me.) For her cake, she wants a red velvet cake with white chocolate frosting with chocolate drizzles and shavings.

She is even happy to have a birthday party with just mom and I and then grab a movie over the weekend. I think it helps her to know that on Saturday (the 28th) we will be going to the Northeast Florida Scottish Games which is always a fun treat for all of us.

As an aside, with respect to the retail therapy in my post of 1/23, Princess Ivi was pretty disappointed because she was unsuccessful in finding a pair of shoes with an acceptable heel height. She found many that she liked but none that weren't too high of a heel. She did get a really cute bag though. (And I got two pairs of really cute shoes.)

Monday, January 5, 2009

Lazy Long Weekend

I had a long weekend this weekend due to New Year’s. I read a lot. Which is good because I joined the 52 Books in 52 Weeks group on Ravelry.

I read Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin. This is a wonderful book. I especially liked this book because it was set in Brunswick, GA and mentions St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island and even Jesup, GA. I find this interesting because my daughter was born in Jesup, GA. I liked this book because the story is wonderful, the detail is awesome and the characters were lovable.

I also read When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin. I liked this but not as much as Chasing Fireflies.

I finished The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd as well. This was enjoyable and I love the thought of living with "colorlessness".

I just started Home to Big Stony Gap by Adriana Trigiana this morning.

Princess Ivi read quite a bit too. I love that she likes to read. She started Twilight last night.

The rest of the weekend was spent resting as I have a severe sore throat, and watching movies from the DVD shelf. I did a little knitting on the Spiral Tube Socks but not much as I was so achy that it hurt to lift my arms.

I made banana bread with the pile of over-ripe bananas which were sitting on the counter. It was good (although I don’t care for Banana Bread). Princess Ivi and Mom both enjoyed it. The recipe was from Mom’s old Joy of Cooking cookbook. I love the simplicity of the recipes in the book. Although there are some that have strange ingredients like cow’s tongue.

I did make a yummy quiche. It was a ham, potato, broccoli and cheese quiche. Mom made the crust for me since I can’t make pie crust to save my life. Instead of shortening, she used bacon grease so the crust tasted like bacon. It was very good and I will definitely make it again.

Here is the recipe if interested:

Ham, Potato, Broccoli and Cheese Quiche

3 to 4 medium potatoes, cut and partially cooked,
1 to 1 ½ cups frozen broccoli, cooked
3 cups cheddar cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream (or milk)
4 large eggs
3/4 cup cooked ham (or bacon)
Basil
Parsley
Salt
Pepper
1 uncooked pie crust

Whisk together eggs and cream. Add potatoes, broccoli, cheese, ham and spices. Stir well. Pour into pie crust and make sure level. Cook at 350 for 1 hour or until done.