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March 30, 2007

Eye Candy Friday

Snowdrops. Not from my yard but from the site of our upcoming and apparently controversial Civil War Living History. Now truly, if I were going to steal something from this spot, it wouldn't be shingles. It would be these lovely little beauties.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (32)

March 29, 2007

Things That Make Me Go Hmmm

*I had a dream the other night that I was at a fiber festival with Blogless Sharon and Lois. We were staying at a hotel and as I was getting ready to leave I said to Lois, "Listen, if you're not winning then you're losing and don't let anybody tell you any different." This is pretty far from what I believe when I'm awake so I'm intrigued by the fact that I said it so emphatically in a dream.

*Why is it that I can knit a pair of socks in 36 hours when it's for competition but it takes me more than 6 weeks to finish a pair that's not part of a competition? I've been working on these socks since February 16th and I'm just now getting to the gusset decreases on sock two. Sheesh.

*I came home to some junk mail on the kitchen table yesterday and Dale had edited the one from Sears just a little bit. I think he's still feeling bitter about the fridge.

*I've kept track of the books I've read for many years. I finished a book the other day and went to record it in my notebook and was shocked to see that it's the first book I've finished since January. This is pathetic for a librarian.

*I always listen to Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell at this time of year to psyche me up for Palm Sunday and Easter. Even after 30 years of doing this (I started in 7th grade) I never get tired of this music.

*After several years of talking about it, Dale and I have finally purchased a share in a local CSA. It will start in mid-June and I'm really excited to see what we'll be getting each week.

*I won a prize in a contest over at Lisa's and it arrived yesterday. I love prizes in general but a prize package that includes roving from dear Teyani and a book signed by the author plus chocolate - well, it doesn't get better than that. Thanks, Lisa!

*Last week at "quilt night" not one of the 6 of us was actually quilting - we were all knitting. And yet we still call it quilt night. Go figure.

*Dale and I are holding a Civil War Living History in our home town. This is the third year we've done so and you wouldn't think we'd have any problems. However, the committee who "oversees" the property is giving us a very hard time, claiming that we've left trash behind and stolen shingles off one of the buildings and then used those shingles for kindling. They say we refused to move cars that were parked on a septic system and that our guests were observed using the great outdoors for a bathroom rather than the portable facilities we provided. (That's my personal favorite of this entire list of ridiculous accusations.) I wrote a three page letter to our Board of Selectmen about this committee. I feel better now.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (60)

March 28, 2007

Walk With Me Wednesday

There are (counting today) 4 days left until April 1st. I've got 4.95 miles to go. I think I can do it!

I haven't been to the Y since the day I broke my toe. I don't think I ever told you about that but, yeah, graceful creature that I am, I stubbed my toe on the leg of the kitchen table and ~crrrrunch~ broke "this little piggy had none." Anyway, I've been nervous about the treadmill causing pain since that day so I've ramped up the other walking opportunities in my life instead. These last few weeks I've been doing mostly the walking videos available from my cable provider or I've been taking advantage of the better weather and walking outside.

The nice thing about walking outside is that it gives me a chance to take pictures of pretty things for you guys.

Like these crocuses. My crocuses, as you may have noticed, are all yellow despite the fact that I planted a variety of bulbs. My father-in-law's crocuses, on the other hand, are all purple. Go figure.

The walk to the river has been our regular walk of late. The dog can run free (and jump in the water!) and we get to wear our L.L. Bean boots to protect against the mud. It's a great chance for Dale and I to talk and catch up on what's going on in our lives. Plus, we get to look for signs of spring. There are teeny buds forming on some of the trees and bushes and there are green shoots poking up through the soil. I haven't heard peepers yet but I know it won't be long now.

It's still pretty winter-y looking but at least the snow and ice are gone!

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (38)

March 27, 2007

The Interview

I read an interview over at Knitiot Savant yesterday and decided that looked like fun so I asked Susan to send me 5 questions to answer for ya'll. Really, it had nothing to do with the fact that I have nothing else to talk about today.

1. Has spinning enriched your knitting experience? If so, how?
Now that I am spinning yarn and actually knitting with it, I can say that spinning has definitely enriched my knitting experience. There's something truly satisfying about knitting with your own handspun yarn. It may not be as perfect as commercially spun yarn but it feels like a great accomplishment. I'm prouder of the things I've knit with my handspun than any other things I've knit.

2. What's your favorite quilt block pattern?
Oooh, a quilting question! My favorite quilt block pattern is Log Cabin. It's so versatile and looks great whether pieced with scraps or newly purchased fabrics. There are loads of different layouts and I just never get tired of making Log Cabin quilts.

3. What's a 'comfort food' for you?
My favorite comfort food is mashed potatoes and gravy. I'm also big on homemade mac 'n cheese. Bring on the carbs.

4. Why did you become a librarian?
I became a librarian because I like research. There's nothing so satisfying as answering a tough reference question. Of course, most of what I do on a daily basis has less to do with libraries and more to do with management, but that's okay because I like management, too. I wrote a post about my childhood librarian and the way she inspired me here.

5. What's your favorite book and why?
Now this is tough because it changes depending on my mood, my age, my experience and my surroundings. I will say that the book I've read more times than any other is Pride and Prejudice. Honestly, though, I think my favorite book ever is The Time Traveler's Wife. Heartbreaking but satisfying.

Thanks for the great questions, Susan, I had fun answering them. And I hope you all had fun reading my answers. If you want me to interview you, just let me know and I'll send you five questions.

And, finally, because a blog post without a photo is like a day without coffee - dull and lifeless - I give you a photo of Hannah taken while we were shopping a week or so ago. She just lurved this shirt.

No. I did not buy it for her.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (52)

March 26, 2007

Sock Madness, Round Two

Sock Madness Round Two began on Thursday afternoon at 5 pm. I had my yarn all ready and I cast on before Dale got home from work. We went out to supper that night and I brought the sock-in-progress with me and worked on it between bites. By the time I went to bed Thursday night I had completed the cuff and leg.

Friday morning I got up early and knit the heel flap and gusset before work. I did the gusset decreases and much of the foot during lunch and sock one was finished shortly after I got home from work Friday afternoon. I immediately cast on sock two and worked on it throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening. I really thought I could finish it that night but by 11:30 pm I couldn't keep my eyes open and my hands and wrists were screaming for relief so I called it quits.

Saturday morning I was up at 5 am and sock two was finished a little after 6 am. I beat my opponent and I have now advanced to Round Three.

The pattern is called Madtini and it was designed by Karin Bole. I really love the cuff and the leg is a series of oblique spirals which work really well with handpainted yarn. The foot is all stockinette and it was nice to see how the yarn worked up in that as well.

The yarn I used is from Scout's Swag in the colorway "Snow Bunny" and it went so fast because it's sport weight. It's an excellent color combination and I found it quite entertaining to watch the blue, brown and white alternate. There was no pooling or flashing and, even though I have made my peace with pooling, I do prefer that it doesn't happen at all.

I've been rather surprised at how seriously I've taken this competition. Going into this I just thought I wanted to get past Round One and I thought I'd be satisfied with that. But once I did that I realized that I really wanted to advance another round and pushed myself way beyond my normal knitting boundaries, taking Tylenol for the hand discomfort and staying up late and getting up early just to stay ahead of my opponent. I'm telling myself that I won't do this when Round Three rolls along but, being the overachiever that I am, who do I think I'm kidding?

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (52)

March 23, 2007

Eye Candy Friday

Last week there was only one crocus. This week there is a whole bunch. Spring must be here!

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (33)

March 22, 2007

Seraphim Shawl

I finished my Seraphim shawl in record time - only 2 weeks from start to finish! I had the perfect opportunity to wear it Tuesday night as Dale and I were going to give a talk on Civil War reenacting at a local library. I insisted that we squeeze in a photo session before we left the house.

Here's a smirk only a husband can appreciate.

While I don't intend for this shawl to be exclusively for reenacting, I do think it goes very well with my red day dress. And because I know someone will ask, no I did not make this dress myself. My dear friend Wendy made it for me. I did put on the trim, though.

The yarn, as you may recall, is my handspun from an Indigo Moon blend of merino, silk and alpaca. I knit one less pattern repeat than called for as I was worried that I would run out of yarn - and I would have. But the shawl is plenty big as it is so I'm not sorry about making it a wee bit smaller.

The stockinette portion went very quickly and the lace charts are easy to follow and make a really beautiful pattern all along the edge of the shawl. Miriam is an excellent designer and this shawl is just one of many gorgeous patterns available on her web site. Just sayin'.

I really love the way it comes together at the point in the back.

It's very warm and very soft and very cozy. I spun it myself and I knit it myself and I absolutely love it!

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (135)

March 21, 2007

A Tale of Two Appliances

Sit back, kids, because I've got a story that's over a year in the making. I've contemplated telling you this one before but I never felt inspired. Plus, it's a really really long story. I've highlighted the important points for you skimmers out there.

In January of 2006 Dale and I went shopping for a new refrigerator. We went to Sears (cue scary music) because I read up on fridges in Consumer Reports and they liked a particular Kenmore model. It had an ice maker, which was about the only fancy thing I cared about, and it had some nice features like a digital read out of the temperature of the fridge and freezer. Most importantly, though, Consumer Reports recommended it. So, we go to Sears, purchase the fridge and schedule a delivery. Bad thing the first: Sears delivery isn't free and it will be 4 weeks before they can bring it to us. I get a look from Dale, who wanted to go to a local appliance store for this purchase, but this is the fridge I want so he goes along with it.

The day of the delivery comes. It's a Friday and I take it off from work. And I wait. And wait. And wait some more. Finally, I call Sears and ask them where the fridge is. After much time on hold I am told that the refrigerator they had to deliver to me was damaged so badly that it never made it on to the truck and my delivery was canceled. No one thought to call me and tell me this and I wasted a day off from work and still have no fridge. Bad thing the second: Sears delivery is unrealiable. After much yelling on my end, they miraculously locate another fridge and reschedule my delivery for the following Monday.

So, I take Monday off and wait for the fridge. It comes, it looks good and then the idiot delivery guy breaks the switch that turns the freezer light on and off. You know the one that automatically turns on when you open the door? Yeah, that one. But he tells me it's okay because it's under warranty and repairs are free. I'm furious. I don't want a brand new, $1000 repaired fridge. I get back on the phone with Sears and yell some more. They can't find another model like this one and it's going to be a month before they do. In the meantime, they want to order the part and schedule the repair and then I can decide. So, I schedule the repair for the following week.

The day of the repair comes but the part hasn't arrived. Neither has my new fridge. I wait. At this point my memory of this whole disaster gets a little fuzzy. There were at least two more fridge deliveries that were denied by me for various reasons. One had a big dent in the side. Another one arrived fine but they hadn't switched the handles on the doors to open from the right instead of the left and the delivery guys didn't know how to do it so the fridge had to be denied. I was supposed to receive a $50 gift card for Sears for my pain and suffering but it never came. Then they were supposed to credit my account $100 for my pain and suffering but that never happened either. Bad thing the third: Sears customer service lies.

In the meantime, the part for the light switch arrived and I figured fixing the fridge already in my kitchen was a better plan than relying on a successful delivery from these fools. So, the light was fixed and all was right with the world.

Except for one tiny problem. The ice in the ice bucket was melting and freezing into a solid mass. And the food in my freezer all had freezer burn and ice crystals. The freezer wasn't working properly. Grrr.

At this point, it was about May or June. I couldn't deal with Sears any more and I turned the problem over to Dale. I figured he had the summer off from work and he could be around for repair people and at least I wouldn't have to take any more time off to deal with fridge issues. So, Dale calls and explains about the freezer problems and he gets an appointment for some time in August. The guy that comes takes one look at the fridge, tells Dale there's nothing wrong with it at all, it's just not level. He levels it, tells Dale to defrost it, clean it out and it will be fine. He also suggests we buy a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the freezer. Yeah, buddy, okay. Let's got buy a thermometer so that we can monitor the temperature of our brand new $1000 refrigerator. What an ass. Bad thing the fourth: Sears repairmen don't actually know how to repair.

But we do what he suggests - except for the thermometer - and we clean it out and wipe up all the frost and empty out the ice block that is supposed to be ice cubes and we wait. One day later and we've got frost build up and a block of ice again. Grrr. We get back on the phone to yell at Sears some more and tell them to get a repair man out here who knows what he's doing.

By now Dale is back to school and he schedules the appointment for a morning when he doesn't have to drive the bus. And he waits. And waits. And waits some more. He finally calls Sears to ask where the repairman is and they give him the guy's cell phone number. Dale reaches him and the guy says he won't be over until 4:00 and what's wrong with the dryer anyway? Dale says, it's not the dryer, it's the fridge and the repairman says, I don't do fridges. Bad thing the fifth: Sears repair is unreliable.

Many of you have met Dale. You know him as an even-tempered sunny-disposition kind of guy. I have never seen him as furious as he was that day. He was so angry he was shaking. I think he even raised his voice. So he got back on the phone with Sears and he laid into them like nobody's business. He reiterated our problems going back to freakin' January and he told them that I would be home from work at 4:30 and a repairman who worked on refrigerators had better be in the driveway waiting for me.

Lo and behold, I get home and there's the repair truck waiting patiently. And this repairman actually knows what he's doing. He shakes his head in disgust at the story I tell him and orders 2 parts. A main control something or other, and something else. We schedule an appointment for 2 weeks later and I sit back and wait for the parts. And wait and wait and wait.

November rolls around and the parts finally arrive the week before Thanksgiving. So we call and schedule an appointment again and I ask specifically for the repairman-who-knows-what-he-is-doing but they tell me they can't guarantee who I will get and I'll just have to take my chances. The guy who comes isn't the one I wanted but he's okay. He installs the something else and then hits a snag. The main control something or other part, the part that we waited 6 weeks for, is damaged and can't be installed. But, he tells me, it's okay, because the other part is really the one we needed and the repairman-who-knows-what-he-is-doing was just being overly-cautious by ordering this extra part. I'm dubious but figure I've got no choice so I sign his slip and off he goes. Bad thing the sixth: Sears repairmen lie.

Things in the freezer look good. The ice isn't melting into a solid block and the food doesn't have freezer burn. For about a week. Yes, my friends, one week and it's all back to frozen blocks and ice crystals.

I get back on the phone and start yelling some more. I tell them to just reorder the part that wasn't installed but they tell me we have to have a service call first to determine what's wrong with the freezer. So, once again, I schedule a repairman to come out. And guess who it is? It's the repairman-who-knows-what-he-is-doing and he once again orders the main something or other and something else which is a different something else than the something else he already installed. And we wait for parts.

Four weeks later the parts arrive. It's now February 2007, in case you weren't keeping up with the time line. The repairman comes, it's not repairman-who-knows-what-he-is-doing, but this guy is okay. He installs the main something or other but says that the something else isn't the right something else for this model fridge. But he tells me it's okay because the other part is really the one we needed and the repairman-who-knows-what-he-is-doing was just being overly-cautious by ordering this extra part. I'm dubious (again) but sort of believe him this time because I'm pretty sure this is the part we needed, too.

That was one month ago and (knock wood) so far, so good. I still go into the freezer every day and shove my hand all the way to the bottom of the ice bucket just to make sure they aren't frozen together. And I'm actually stocking the freezer with things like frozen pizza and ice cream now and it's not melting/freezing/crystallizing.

That's the tale of one appliance. It's a long and sad tale, isn't it? The tale of appliance two is much much shorter.

Monday, our dishwasher died. It's been on it's last legs for a while so this was no surprise. Tuesday afternoon at 12:30 I went to Meserve Appliance, the place Dale wanted to go when we needed a fridge. I walked in and about 5 minutes later I had purchased a very nice Whirlpool dishwasher from the very nice lady at the store. She asked when I would like it delivered and I said as soon as possible and she said they can come this afternoon. By 2:45 pm I had a new dishwasher installed.

I told you it was a shorter tale. You know, I always say "trade local" and for some reason I didn't when it came time to buy a refrigerator. I learned my lesson the hard way but you can bet that I will never ever ever buy another appliance from Sears. I'll be trading local from now on. I suggest you do the same.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (81)

March 20, 2007

Spinning Decisions

With all the spinning wheels I have around here, you probably think I have all kinds of spinning projects going on. The truth of the matter is, I don't really like to be spinning more than one pile 'o fiber at a time. It's sort of like knitting projects - if you have too many going at once you never finish any projects. If you have too many wheels going at once (oh, if only!) you never finish any yarn.

That's my most recently finished yarn. It's 200 yards of Mama E's C*eye*ber Fiber in the Margene's Mountains colorway. I love the colors! It reminds me of Margene and it's perfect for Project Spectrum, too.

I shouldn't even show you this picture of the fiber drawer. How excessive.

When it was done, though, I was faced with a big decision -- what to spin next! That's when Project Spectrum really helps because I can use the color guidelines to narrow my choices. So when I came across two Grafton Fiber batts in this gorgeous shade of blue, well, the choice of what to spin next was pretty obvious.

I'm loving it! The blue is rich and deep and spinning these batts is always a pleasure.

And, as you can see, I'm not the only one who loves these fiber batts. Mason has obviously been talking to Miss Lulu about the comfort of a fibery bed.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (39)

March 19, 2007

Use Your Imagination

[I'm sorry to be posting this so much later than my regular posting time. I've been down with a sinus infection since last Thursday. I thought I'd feel better by today but I'm just so damn tired. Anyway, I wrote this post yesterday about the one thing that I actually did this weekend. Tomorrow, I'll be better. Or something.]

Do you ever forget that you're a blogger? Or not even so much forget as just have a brain cramp and not take pictures of stuff? Then when it occurs to you that you could have had a viable blog post if only you'd taken a picture you feel sort of undeserving of the title knit blogger. Yeah, me too.

Saturday I knit a washcloth. Not my usual ball band washcloth from the Mason Dixon Knitting book but the other washcloth from that same book. The one that's shaped like a hexagon. You know, the one with the bobbles. It's a great pattern and you can bang one out in an afternoon if you persevere. And you need less than one ball of Peaches 'n Cream.

It makes a great hostess gift and that's why I knit it. See, we were invited to a St. Patrick's Day dinner at a friend's house but she wouldn't let me bring anything. Wine seems so overdone but that's what I was planning on bringing until inspiration struck on Saturday morning and I decided to buckle down and knit her this washcloth. The yellow/white/lime green color combo was very cheery and spring-like and when it was all done it reminded me of those God's Eyes we used to make at summer camp. I steam blocked it and then threaded a white satin ribbon through the eyelets. I tucked two cakes of Blessed Juno's soap inside, drew up the ribbon and presto, a really nice hostess gift.

It wasn't until Sunday morning that I remember that I should have taken photos for the blog. I'm sure you can picture it, though, as you're a pretty clever bunch. And speaking of clever, I think I will get clever and knit up some of these every now and again. Then, next time I need a last minute gift, I'll be good to go. Maybe I'll even remember that I'm a blogger and take a picture. Don't count on it, though.

Posted by Carole at 8:35 AM | Comments (33)

March 16, 2007

Eye Candy Friday

Look what I found in the garden last Sunday! The first crocus of the year. What a wonderful spot of yellow in a bed of brown mulch. Of course, by the end of today it's going to be buried under snow. I love New England.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (30)

March 15, 2007

Forgotten Knitting

One day a couple of weeks ago I left the sock in progress sitting on my desk when I went home for the day. Arrrgh. At the time the sock was my mindless knitting project since the only other thing on the needles was the Cable Moss Vest. What's a knitter to do?

Whip up a couple of dishcloths, of course.

Here we have two new dishcloths from the ever-popular and oh-so-fun pattern in the Mason Dixon knitting book. I not only decreased my Sugar 'n Cream stash by a couple of balls but I wound up with some functional knits, too. And also a bit of blog fodder for a day when I don't have much else to show you.

Is it the weekend yet, Dave?

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (29)

March 14, 2007

Cable Moss Vest

Today is my dear friend Margene's birthday. Go show her some birthday love please!

As I told you last week, I finished the Cable Moss Vest for Dale. You want to see some pictures?

I'm so proud of this vest. As you may recall, this was originally to have been my Olympic Knitting Project. But after swatching, I realized there was no way I could complete a project of this magnitude during the time frame of the Olympics. So I set it on the back burner for, oh, about a year. Once I got going on this, though, I found that it went pretty quickly.

The fit is perfect. It's just the right length with just the right amount of ease. Dale has worn it several times already and he says it's warm and cozy and just what he wanted in a vest. There's nothing like that kind of praise to warm the heart of a wife and knitter.

Before I started I was quite intimidated by the cables. Truthfully, it was more the cable charts that had me worried. Unlike lace chart and symbols, the cable charts and symbols don't come easily for me and I had to refer to the charts throughout the entire project. I did color code them, as I showed you in my first post about this project, and that really helped. After the complexity of these cables I feel a lot more confident in my cabling skills.

The technical details:
Pattern: Lisa Lloyd Cable Moss Vest
Yarn: Classic Elite Skye Tweed, 9 balls
Needles: Addi Turbos size 5 and 7
Time: January 4 - February 26, 2007

Now that's a satisfied man. If only he'd stack that wood.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (86)

March 13, 2007

I Made It!

Thank you all so much for the comments to our kids moving to Florida. Some of the made me cry and some of them made me laugh but all of them ultimately made me feel better. Truly, hearing from people who have been on both sides of this situation really really helped. I'm still sad but I'm realizing that lots of people deal with this every single day. And I'm thinking web cams for everyone!

Now are you ready for some good news?

I finished my socks for Sock Madness Round 1 yesterday afternoon!

Here's how it happened:

We realized late last week that the radiator in the dining room was leaking so we called the heater guy to set up an appointment. That appointment was for yesterday morning and I figured he'd be here for an hour or so and then I'd go to work. I was excited to have that little extra knitting time and planned to make the most of it. Well, while the radiator problem was an easy fix, it involved a couple of trips to the store to get parts and heater guy wound up not being finished with the repair until almost 1 pm. Since I finish work at 4 pm it didn't make much sense to go in so late in the day. And that's how I wound up with finished socks and made it past Round One. Woot!

The pattern was very simple and straightforward even if it did involve two different yarns. I knit my first-ever short row heels, too. The first one (on the left) is pretty crappy but the second one turned out better. I modeled them for the photo but they are tight on my size 9.5 feet so these will be gifted to Jessica of the size 7 feet. I must admit that it's kind of cool to think that I can knit a pair of socks in a 3 day weekend.

Now I'm just hoping that there's a nice break before the start of round 2. I am ready to finish Seraphim!

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (39)

March 12, 2007

Sock Madness and Sadness

I've never considered myself to be a fast knitter. I actually think my time is rather average - faster than some but slower than some, too. And yet, with the pressure of Sock Madness, I managed to knit a sock in a day on Saturday.

That, my friends, is a new record for me.

And I woke up Sunday morning and thought: my progress is good. I may not be loving the pressure of knit, knit, knit, but I'm making progress and I'll get most of sock two, it not all of sock two, done by the end of the day. I was hedging my bets because I knew, what with church in the morning and our kids coming over in the afternoon, that I wouldn't have unlimited knitting time, but I still thought I'd have decent knitting time. And I still believed that it was a priority.

progress as of Sunday night

And then our kids (meaning my stepson Brant, his wife Heather, and my step granddaughter Ambrynn) came over and dropped a bombshell. They're moving to Florida in July. We're in Massachusetts, in case you aren't following this geographically.

Florida.

That's damned far away form Massachusetts. I get the reasons for the move, I really do. Massachusetts is expensive, they aren't getting ahead, they can't afford a house, Brant would have to work two jobs and he'd never see Ambrynn, Heather's mom and brother are in Florida. I get all of that, I really do.

And you know, you want your kids to be independent and self-sufficient. That's sort of the whole point, isn't it? You raise them to go out in the world and make a good life. This is what Brant and Heather believe is best for their family and it's exciting for them. But for Dale and I, it's just so sad. We managed to hold it together while they were here, putting on a brave face for their sake and self-medicating with a martini or two. And then we went to bed and cried together and felt miserable. We also realized that this is something new for us to face. A challenge of a new sort for our marriage, learning to miss such close members of our family. I know we'll figure it out and I know there are worse tragedies in life but I just keep coming back to this photo and thinking how precious few of these we'll be taking in the coming years.

Suddenly, competitive sock knitting just doesn't seem that important anymore.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (86)

March 9, 2007

Eye Candy Friday

Dale says I'm getting a good "eye" for photos but if I try and look for things to photograph I come up empty. I'm learning to wait patiently for my Muse. I took this photo when we were in Boston last weekend and we walked from the JFK to Fanueil Hall. Hello, Muse.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (24)

March 8, 2007

Comfort Food

As I may have mentioned a time or two, I take great comfort in serving delicious food to my family and friends. While this may account for my current XL size, there's no reason why you shouldn't benefit from my extensive research in this area. So, allow me to show you what we had for dinner on Monday night.

Chicken Tomato Stroganoff

2 lbs boneless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cans stewed tomatoes
salt, pepper, basil to taste
1 lb cooked pasta
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown chicken and mushrooms in olive oil. Stir in soup, stewed tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil. Bring to a boil and then mix with the cooked pasta. Pour into a casserole dish and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Simple and certainly not fancy but very, very good. Maryse, you really missed out.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (31)

March 7, 2007

Things That Make Me Go Hmmm

I've been trying for weeks to come up with a new Good, Bad and Ugly post and it's just not working for me anymore. So, I've got a new title for my random posts: Things That Make Me Go Hmmm.

And here are the things that have me hmmm-ing today:

*It's very very cold here. The temperature yesterday was about 14° but the wind chill made it feel like -27°. I was desperate enough to drive the Suburban to work because of three little words: heated leather seats. The thing is a tank and takes forever to heat up but I don't really care because my ass is warm.

*We had a snow squall on Monday afternoon. It only lasted about ten minutes but it covered everything with white stuff. I'm trying to like March, really I am, but this is so not helping.

*I finished Dale's Cable Moss Vest last week and he's been wearing it frequently. It fits him perfectly and he says it's very warm. We haven't taken photos yet but rest assured, they are coming.

*My dear friend Anne now has her own fiber shop, Wooly Wonka Fibers. Her stuff is gorgeous and the name is fabulous and I know she'll be successful. She could probably make it just on what I've purchased and plan to purchase but you ought to go check it out for your own self.

*Sock Madness starts Saturday and I'm really excited. I've got my yarn and supplies and I'm ready to go. I don't think my current sock in progress, pictured up above, will see much action for the next few weeks.

*I pre-ordered the new Interweave Knits Book Favorite Socks from Amazon.com weeks and weeks ago. I saw it in the store a few weeks ago but resisted because I knew Amazon wouldn't let me down. Then I saw it at SPA and again resisted because surely Amazon would be sending it to me very soon. They are still showing it as only available for pre-order with an expected shipping date of April 2nd. I finally contacted them last week at JessaLu's urging and they said the publisher hasn't released it yet. I explained to them that it was widely available elsewhere but they said they still wouldn't be shipping my copy until April 2nd. Sigh. I canceled my Amazon order and purchased it from Knit Picks instead. It arrived yesterday.

*Speaking of purchases, I scored a copy of Charlene Schurch's Mostly Mittens on eBay last week for $36. Amazon is showing it for $240. I'm going to have to start re-thinking my love of Amazon.

*One thing I don't have to re-think is my love of basketball and tonight we're going to my very first ever Celtics game. Granted, it's not the Dream Team of my youth, but Liz pulled this together and I think it's going to be lots of fun.

And those are the Things That Make Me Go Hmmm today.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (56)

March 6, 2007

For My People

As we all know, sometimes it's hard to come up with stuff for the blog. That's when it's nice to have friends that inspire you demand stuff from you. So, today is about satisfying 3 different friends. Hopefully the rest of you will also be mildly entertained, too.

For La.

Mason's feet. Aren't they just about the cutest kitty feet you've ever seen? Rich and chocolate-y brown and oh-so-fuzzy. I just love Mason's paws.

For Margene.

Here is Seraphim in her current state. Lots and lots of stockinette and just a tiny bit of lace so far. The yarn is the handspun I showed you last week and it is so soft and silky. I love knitting with it and I can't wait to finish it and wear it because it's going to be toasty warm and wicked soft.

For Scout.

My tattoo is on my right ankle. Damn, it's hard to take a picture of your ankle. But just because I love Scout (and all y'all, too) I not only took the picture but I shaved my legs for the occasion.

That should satisfy the masses. And if the rest of you want anything, get in line. Mwah.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (46)

March 5, 2007

A Fun-Filled Weekend

Presenting A List of Things I Did This Weekend That Were Fun:

Went to a Civil War swap meet. I didn't buy anything. In fact, I didn't even shop the room. I did, however, sit with my good friend Wendy. I knit, Dale shopped. It was fun.

Went to visit The USS John F. Kennedy. We didn't get on board because the lines were so long we figured we'd wait forever and get turned away because by then it would be too late. But we did get to admire it from a distance.

Went to Fanueil Hall and had Guinness at Ned Divine's Pub. While there we met up with Julie and her husband, Chris. I had met Julie at SPA but we didn't get much of a chance to visit. So, when I heard that they were coming to Boston for the weekend I asked her if she'd like to get together. And we did. We chatted and drank good beer and got to know each other better.

Went to Limoncello's for dinner. Julie and Chris had suggested this spot and the four of us had a wonderful meal. And more chatting and getting to know each other better. Julie and Chris are good people. If they come to your town, you should visit with them.

As for the rest of my weekend, I simply went to my couch. I sat and watched TV and knit on the Seraphim Shawl.

It really was a fun-filled weekend.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (31)

March 2, 2007

Eye Candy Friday

This feather and fan scarf knit from Koigu is one of the simplest scarves I've ever made. Yet I never fail to get a compliment when I wear it. Simple is good. Colorful is terrific.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (47)

March 1, 2007

The Ides of March

It's a well-known fact among my family and friends that I hate the month of March. It's a long and cold and miserable month. There are no work holidays to break up the monotony. There is still snow and ice. And if there isn't snow and ice there is mud. And, for the cherry on top of this pity-party sundae, my mom died in March. I think my hatred of March is justified, don't you?

However, a conversation I've been having with Margene has led me to look for things to like about March instead of focusing on the things I hate about it. Maybe, just maybe, if I focus on the positive, even March can become bearable. So, I hereby present . . .

The CaroleKnits Top 10 Things To Like About March

10. The goldfinches are starting to turn from olive green back to vibrant yellow. I observed this firsthand at the bird feeder this morning.
9. The red wing blackbirds are back! While I haven't observed this firsthand, I have it on good authority from my sister-in-law Mary, that they have indeed been spotted around town. It's only a matter of time before I hear their glorious chirp myself.
8. March is Women's History Month. This may sound dorky but I love women's history.
7. St. Patrick's Day. I'm not Irish but any occasion which encourages me to eat corned beef and drink copious amounts of Guinness is one I'm happy to celebrate.
6. Margene's birthday is in March. The only thing that's almost as good as a birthday of your own is the birthday of a dear friend.
5. March Madness. I'm a huge fan of women's college basketball and it's on constantly this month and that makes me happy.
4. Sock Madness. I'll have wonderful new sock patterns to entertain me while I watch all that basketball this month.
3. Daylight Savings Time starts in March this year. Longer days are definitely something to celebrate.
2. I will most likely be able to roll up the rear window in the Jeep before the month is over.
1. The arrival of Spring. It's my favorite season, you know.

Granted, all the things I really want to experience, like the true warmth of spring and blooming flowers and sheep and wool festivals are still yet to come, but they are only just around the corner, I suppose. Maybe March isn't so bad after all.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (58)