Three things

First off, Happy Belated Birthday, Jamie! I didn't forget, I just got lazy... I hope you had a fabulous day Sunday!

Second, Molly has arrived! Along with 13 of her boxes, which were piled in my front yard yesterday when I got home... Third, the current knitting situation:

Two nearly finished projects, the first the the Lace Surplice Top I have been working on for a few weeks now. I have finished the back and about three repeats of the lace on the front finished. And they I got bored with it and picked up an old project... The Skating Sweater from Twinkle's Big City Knits. I stared this last February but was only about three inches into it before it got cast aside. It is made with super bulky yarn (Rowan Biggie) and size US 17 needles, so it is going super fast. I should be finished in the next couple days if, Molly allows me any time for knitting. I hear we're going furniture shopping tonight...

Last weekend I took a little road trip up to the Jemez Mountains, which are north west of Albuquerque. I hadn't been up there and there is a ton of stuff to do in this area, so I thought I'd take a little trip through and see the sights. I didn't venture too far off the road since I was by myself (and I forgot to bring a leash for Frazier. I'm a bad dog owner.). The mountains are beautiful, though; lots of hiking possibilities. I checked out a couple campgrounds and went on a couple short hikes. The wildflowers were in full bloom with all the monsoon rains we've been getting. It really was beautiful and I can't wait to get back up there sometime soon and do some real hiking. I'm excited for winter too; there are lots of places for cross-country skiing, and also lots of hot springs - a great combination, in my opinon! I didn't make it to Bandelier National Monument, which supposedly has a lot of really interesting Native American ruins. I definatley want to check it out another time. I drove through Santa Fe, but didn't really stop. That will be another trip, too.

I did stop at the Tent Rocks National Monument, though. Very very cool. All kinds of weird rock formations. I wish I had a geologist around to explain all this stuff to me... oh yeah, she'll be here in two days!

Preserving a little bit of summer

Can you believe it is August? I can't. But I am feeling the urge of the end of the summer... you know, when you think about all the things you had planned to do this summer and realize not many of them have worked out? When you think, man, I really haven't had a proper summer vacation, I haven't even been to the beach! (that one always makes me homesick and now that I live in the desert, its even worse). But I'm also thinking those thoughts about fall... you know, when you start dreaming about those cozy sweaters on the top shelf of your closet, when you crank the AC just so you can snuggle under a warm quilt, when you cast on for tweedy, cabley, rustic knitwear. The end of summer is always a contemplative time for me. To me, it represents the passing of time, the start of a new year - more so than the actual New Year does. This is probably because up until now, my life has - more or less- revolved around the school year. I can feel the passing of time during the transition between summer and fall more than any other time of the year. I like that feeling, thinking about the past and looking towards the future. But at the same time, enjoying the here and now - all the exhilarating sights and smells and flavors of the end of summer.

Listen: The End of the Summer



So to preserve a little bit of those sights, smells, and flavors of the end of the summer, I present to you my first adventure in canning:: peach/apricot butterscotch jam and beet pickles (both recipes courtesy of my awesome mom; fruits and vegetables courtesy of my awesome friends' gardens.)

Shattered Dreams

Early last spring I got a great deal on some JoSharp Silkroad Aran Tweed at my yarn shop in Huntsville. This is a pretty high-end yarn and it was 60% off, so quite a deal :) I bought a bag plus a few skeins and imagined a beautiful cabled, tweedy sweater. It is by far the nicest yarn I have purchased and I knew it really needed a fabulous pattern, so I have been on the lookout for the most perfect pattern. And I found it. I cast on last night and have been working diligently since then (with much guilt about not finishing any of the other projects I currently have on the needles, but this is SPECIAL). And then tonight I thought, 'hmmm, this looks kind of big - I better measure it'. It is 24". And it is supposed to be 17". Not good. I did a gauge swatch in stockinette before I started and it was right on, but I guess the cables change the gauge. So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about a 7 inch difference. I am thinking about going down 2 needle sizes and eliminating one repeat of the cable pattern. I hope that will do it, because I really want this to work!

In completely other news, I am looking for any beet recipes ya'll might have. Mr. Malone is sailing across the Pacific and I get to partake in the fruits (and vegetables) of his garden. And right now there are lots of beets. What to do with beets (other than dye yarn)?

Treasures

Have I mentioned my new-found obsession with picnics? Ever since I made that picnic blanket a few weeks ago I have been thinking about my next picinic blanket project. Have I mentioned that I love thrift shopping? Have I mentioned that the thrift stores and flea markets in Albuquerque are amazing? I had been frequenting one particular thrift store near my office because one of the employees alerted me that he had checked in a 'ton of yarn and craft supplies' the other day and they were about to hit the floor any time now. Well, I never saw any of that, even after going to the thrift store just about every day for a week and a half. Apparently someone else scooped them up when I wasn't looking. No craft supplies (not like I really need any, but still.... its hard to resist). But I found something even better. One day I found this:

A handmade quilt top. Its huge. And perfect for a picnic blanket! It looks like it was made from old shirts and has LOTS of character. And it also looks like whomever made it has about the same level of sewing skills as me (i.e., not that great). It needs a few repairs where it is coming apart, and of course, a back. But I can do that. I love that its totally random with seemingly no real pattern for the squares. Love it.

AND THEN, a few days later I found this:

Now this is a seriously awesome find. Another handmade quilt, this one completely finished and in really good condition. (There is one area that is frayed, but otherwise, perfect condition). It is backed with a really soft flannel fabric, has lots of batting in the middle (its gonna be really warm), and awesome fabrics:

Twist Collective

Have you seen this new online magazine? The patterns in it are beautiful. I really like Bonnie and Wisteria. You can download each pattern individually; it looks like most of them are $7.00.

Copy Cat Crimes

First, I couldn't resist making the clafoutis, and I didn't regret it either. It was delicious. Thanks, Jill! It is the perfect summer dish, not too sweet but very fruity. I used peaches, Blueberries, and raspberries. Yum! I made it for my friends Chris and Will, and we ate it with some wine which was a really good summery wine, too (I asked the guy at the store, I don't know about these things). I'd recommend it: moscato d'asti is the kind, and the brand we got was Bricco Riella. Its really light and citrusy, with a little bubble to it. Yum. You can see my guests waiting to get their hands on it in the background :)
In other news I found some yarn in my colors at a thrift store I stopped in on my way home the other day. All this for $2.35! Not a bad find!