Knitting Ponderings

It's starting to look like a sock!

Knitting is very conducive to pondering.  At least the type of knitting I do, which leads to a pondering in itself. Take my sock knitting.  I have several patterns for socks which have some pretty stitch patterns knit into them.  Every time I start a new pair of socks, I get out all the patterns, look them over, and then decide to use the one I always do.  They're just plain and simple socks. That's what I like to wear--plain and simple socks, plain and simple clothes. So why do I have those other patterns?? Because I think I should make them because other knitters are making them.  A case for pondering.  And I think I've finally come to the conclusion that it's okay to just knit plain socks.  I am who I am! (She said with determination.) 

So, as I knit my plain Jane socks in all kinds of yarns, I can let my mind wander because I'm simply knitting in rounds, knit, knit, knit.  Not even any purl stitches until I get to the heel flap.  I'm free to ponder life, plan new projects, and even decide what to have for dinner.  It's my kind of multi-tasking.  As I said, I'm a simple person.  

I can actually relate sock knitting to life.  There are those times when all is well, which equates to those rows of just knitting round and round.  Then there are those times when more attention is needed to keep things going well, in life and in socks.  When casting on, the stitches are to be transferred to four needles and kept from twisting.  Care must be taken then, and so it goes when life throws in something new.  

As I knit along, every now and then I need to measure.  Am I getting close to where I need to be for the next step?  The same goes for life--a little stop and check now and then can keep us moving where we need to go.  

And then there's the heel--adding the heel flap, turning the heel, and then picking up the stitches for the gusset and working them down.  Adding and subtracting to make things come out right in the end.  We have to do it all the time as we move through life.  

And at last, we come to the toe of the sock.  We subtract stitches and then we have to do some intricate work to join the last stitches together so our toes don't stick out.  I find I have to talk out loud to myself, repeating the steps until all is done, sometimes loudly to block out whatever is going on in the background.  And don't we have to do that, too, when we come up against especially tricky times in life?  I think it's called prayer.  

A Fun Project

I subscribe to BH&G's American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, so somewhere along the line, I also liked them on Facebook.  Some interesting projects show up from time to time and I'm faithful to download them and stash them in a folder on my computer and promptly forget about them.  But a few weeks ago a cute and simple project appeared, and after downloading, I actually printed out the instructions and took them to my sewing room.  

There was a wedding shower coming up at church, so I decided on a themed gift featuring the project and sunflowers.  I already had an extra sunflower hot pad and I had recently finished a sunflower yellow dishcloth. Enter the project, a tea towel, and I would have a good start on a present.  I machine embroidered an appliqued sunflower on a white flour sack type dishtowel and added the trim from the project, bought a Pyrex baking dish and voilà, I was a happy gift giver!  And no, I didn't take a picture.  

But! When Dan had his knee surgery, our friend Tina came to visit bearing a huge basket of goodies for him--oranges, ingredients for chicken soup, a bag of coffee, and a baguette.  We've kind of adopted Tina since her husband Steve's death two and half years ago, and she wanted to bring her "Dad" some love.  I realized later that I had kept her basket and decided that it needed to be returned with some goodies in it.  So I made another towel and dishcloth.  Here's the towel:

And here's a link to the instructions.  The instructions call for cutting 4 1/2" squares to make the prairie points, which I did for the first one, but I thought they were a little big, so I cut 3 1/2" squares for this one and I like them better.  

When I first found the project, I went looking for flour sack type towels here in town and was dismayed to find they were rather expensive.  Three towels for $15.99 seemed to be a little over the top.  I searched on Amazon and finally found these.  I paid $16.99 for a dozen, but now that I check, I see that they are $21.99! Amazon's prices vary so much from day to day!  But even at that, they are much cheaper than the five plus dollars each they sell for locally.  

It's a fun project, and both the bride-to-be and Tina loved their gifts.  I'm excited to make more.  I can see Christmas themed ones, Americana ones, etc.  The prairie points are a great way to use up small scraps. Let the stitching continue!!  ♥

Saturday

I know that we're retired and all, but there's still something about Saturdays that makes them special.  I made a coffee cake this morning that I haven't made in quite some time.  Isn't it strange how some things just disappear off the mental menu list?  The recipe is from the quite substantial cookbook that came with my very first microwave, back about 1981.  It was a GE and of course it was huge.  Anyway, this recipe has stood the test of time and I'll share it with you.

Microwave Coffee Cake

1 1/2 c. Bisquick

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. milk

1 egg

2 T. oil

Topping:

1/3 c. Bisquick

1/3 c. brown sugar

2 T. butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix Bisquick and sugar.  Beat milk, oil, and egg together and add.  Mix well, by hand.  Pour into greased 8" round dish.  Blend topping ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over coffee cake.  Microwave 5-7 minutes (although in my newest one, 4 1/2 does it).  

Couldn't be easier, or quicker, and it's just perfect.  It's often made at Ann's house, too.

I finished my socks and they're on my feet today.  And that cute little knit pumpkin?  A present from Ann last Thanksgiving.  

And I've started another pair.  I think I'm in sock addiction right now!  I'm loving this Oyster tweed from Knit Picks.  

We had frost yesterday morning, and while the sun makes its appearance almost every day, it's cool, cool weather.  The trees continue to respond!

Dan invited me out to lunch today and we went to Subway.  We haven't eaten there in a long time and we discovered their rotisserie chicken.  We ate it on their flat bread and enjoyed every last bite.  What a fun thing to do on the spur of the moment!  

And now I'm taking my half-finished hot chocolate and heading for the sofa and my knitting needles.  Happy weekend!!  ♥

Just Stuff

It's a cold, damp day here at the resort.  The kind of day that makes me want to read for about five minutes and then curl up under my blanket and take a nap!  Which I did.  We have leftover Summer Squash Skillet for dinner made with the last of the zucchini and crookneck from the garden.  It wasn't a very good year for our plantings but we did get some squash.  

Meanwhile, the poplars in the backyard are in full fall color.  So beautiful!!

Carpet of gold!

The boxelder tree outside our bedroom has also burst into color.  It amazes me each year.

Inside, Dan has been continuing his exercises.  A visit to the orthopedist this morning left him with a big smile when he was told he was six weeks ahead of schedule!  Here's a photo I snapped the other morning of him working at getting the last degrees of straightness in that knee.  His right leg, the one with the new knee, is 3/8" longer than his left, always has been, and because of that and his knee problem, has probably not been straight in fifty years!  But Dan is determined to get those last few degrees (less than 5) beat!

He hangs his legs over the edge of the bed and then uses his left foot to push down on his right foot for ten minutes three times a day.  (He says it's very boring!)

We went to Keaton's soccer games on Thursday and Saturday.  They won both games and we spectators froze!!  There we all sat, huddled in our chairs under blankets, with heavy coats, mittens, scarves and hats. And it's only early October!  I felt bad for the boys out there in their shorts and jerseys. Keat did have on Under Armour leggings and long sleeved shirt under his uniform.  But still!!!  (Cam says it's kind of strange to just be an observer after all his years of playing.)

I'm just setting the heel in my second sock.  With all our cold weather, I've been wearing ones I've previously knit every day and they are keeping me nice and toasty warm.  

It's fall, y'all!  

Update on the Grandsons

Since I missed over a year in my blogging, I want to catch my readers up on my grandsons who are featured here now and then.  They are growing up!

Grandson Ryan, the oldest of our four, son of Matt and Amy, graduated from high school in May of 2017, and is currently a sophomore at Notre Dame.  Here's a photo of him giving his valedictory speech:

That same spring, our youngest, Daniel, son of Ann and Eric, graduated from kindergarten.  Here he is in his little graduation gown (be still my heart!):

And this year, Cameron, Ann and Eric's oldest, graduated.  He also was valedictorian of his class.  We have some bright grandsons!  Cameron has adopted an excellent British tradition and is taking a gap year and working while he ponders his college major.  

And lest we forget Keaton, Ann and Eric's second, here he is receiving an award at the Awards Ceremony last spring as he finished his sophomore year of high school:

And it hardly needs to be said that each of these boys (with the exception of Daniel--for now!) tower over their Grammy.  Waaay over!  I sure am blessed by each of these wonderful young men.  

From Soup to Socks

It's a gorgeous, gorgeous fall day.  The windows are open and I can hear the neighbors' rooster crowing and I can't stop telling Dan how beautiful it is and how much I love hearing that rooster.  It's a perfect day!

A blogger I have followed for years and years, Judy of Patchwork Times, has shifted her crafting focus from quilting to knitting.  (She's also the one who alerted me to the joys of the InstantPot.)  It's been a while since I picked up my knitting needles for anything other than an occasional kitchen dish cloth, but this week she inspired me with some links to a series of knitting videos.  I finished my last dish cloth and looked at my stash of sock yarn, picked one, and cast on.  

This was an, ahem, expensive yarn I ordered probably five years ago, and it's so soft and beautiful.  On a day like today, I love knitting in the sunshine so I can see all the colors this hand-dyed yarn has in it.  

I've been knitting away all week and have made much progress.  I turned the heel yesterday and am almost done with the gusset.  It's been at least four years since I've done a sock, so I'm sticking close to the pattern, which I see I downloaded in 2010.  Here's where I am today:

While I'm knitting, I can look up to my favorite corner of the living room.  It's decorated for fall, and I just love how it looks.

And here's a bright showing from one of our pots of gerbera daisies out on the deck.  

Wishing you all a beautiful fall!

Back in the Kitchen

I seem to move back and forth from the sewing room to the kitchen.  As you can see, life at the resort is very exciting!!  (Actually, it's just the way I like it.)  And now that fall truly seems to be here, both by weather and calendar, I deemed it pot-of-soup time.  

Monday morning I said as much to Dan and decided the soup of choice would be potato.  He immediately volunteered to be my potato peeler.  I think he was in the mood for soup, too.  Because I knew I was going to use my InstantPot, I told him we had some time so I puttered and he worked on his exercises.  His knee continues to do amazingly well, and I'm sure it's in part because of his dedication to the exercise regime his physical therapist has him on.  

About four-thirty I declared it potato time and hauled out my six-quart pot. Dan got out the potatoes and we went to work.  One of the sites I found when I first got my electric pressure cooker was Pressure Cooking Today (link on sidebar).  I was excited when she announced she'd written a cookbook and I ordered one immediately.  It has not disappointed!  Her recipe for chunky potato cheese soup is sooo good!  

As Dan peeled, I sauteed diced celery (used in place of onion) in the pot, then we both chunked the potatoes and added them and chicken broth to the celery, along with seasonings.  Soon, very soon, all was cooked and cheese, more chicken broth, half and half and bacon were added.  I use reduced sodium broth and fat free half and half. Mmmm...  We ladled it all into our bowls and practically swooned as we ate.  And then scraped every last drop with our spoons.  

It makes a lot and we'll enjoy our third go-round tonight.  As good as it was the first night, it, like soups seem to do, tastes better with each passing day. 

I can't recommend this book enough.  I've made many recipes from it and each one is excellent.