The weekend went too fast

So, I've been a blogging slacker. I'm trying to reform my evil ways. This past weekend, I had plenty of fun. I knitted a plethora of baby hats and visited a pumpkin patch and some farm animals.

I made a trio of cabled baby hats. Two for Steve-o's coworkers and one for my coworker. Pink, sage green and blue.

I usually dislike the way cables end up looking when you decrease, but I thought this pattern made a nice flower petal-looking top.


Without Mika's pumpkin party, we are going to have to roast our own seeds this year. The horror! But we did get to see some farm animals, and eat caramel apples, but we skipped the hayride....you know - allergies. The second goat looks like he's taking a nap in a really funny position, but he was just going after the good hay on top.


Steve-o and I in the field:
Eeeek, Pumpkin head guy!

I've also been doing a little scientific experimentation in dye world. To make reproducible results, I decided I need to be a bit more exact in my mixology. After all - a little of this, and then some of this, and now a bit of this other one, isn't really terribly accurate. So, I dyed some samples and created a chart of the basic stock colors. Now, I just have to get started on mixtures.

And also on the topic of dyeing yarn, I'm looking for someone to do some graphic work for me. To help design a logo for my handpainted yarn business/side job thingy. I have a concept, but I need someone to put it into whimsical form. If you, or someone you know might be interested, get in touch. $, or other services (no, not that!) to be provided by me.

T-ball, sugared dough, and showering with strangers

My little sis is getting married - Aaawwww. Okay, she's only younger by 17 months, and she's always been just about my height, but still... I went home this weekend to do my sisterly duties at my younger sis's bridal shower. I was in charge of running the games! Man, can we ladies be competitive when mysterious 3 dollar gifts wrapped in tissue paper are involved! And wow - can those old ladies talk and talk and talk and not shut up when you're obviously trying to tell people something and then they all say - what??!! - and you kinda wanna kill them. I mean - it was lovely.

It was a busy weekend. It started off with delivery by the mailman to my nephews' house. They like cats (and chinchillas for what it's worth) but they have a rather rambunctious dog, so owning a kitty is out of the question. So, I knit them cats based roughly on the Kate pattern from Knitty. But their cats had to have tails because - well, if I'd made them cats with pants and no tails, they'd tell me I was silly cause cats don't wear pants. Duh. Luckily, there was no fighting about who got which one, and they pet them, and slept with them that night. Ah, now that's what appreciation means for a knitter!


Following the mailman, there was a good ol' fashioned game of t-ball for my nephew. I forgot how amusing t-ball is. 2 innings, everyone bats, no one gets out, and neither team wins. Ahh...to be 5 again. My younger nephew is too young to play, so to amuse him, I let him walk around with my camera and take pictures. My nephews are actually very adept at handling cell phones (they know they can press just about everything except the green button) and cameras. Plus, my younger nephew had a death grip on the camera that probably made it safer with him than with klutzy old and busted, here. Anyway, he took some seriously artistic shots. See?



The rest of the weekend was spent making centerpieces and shower favors, assembling cookie trays, and eating church picnic food. Tasty tasty pizza frita (kinda like a big round poof of churro) and potato pancakes. I think they only do this is PA. I've never seen it anywhere else. Fried food is my weakness....along with ice cream...and cheese...and.....pizza and....well, you get the idea. I like eating.


The shower was fun (even though I had to endure Steve-o repeatedly asking me why I was showering with strangers - engineers [think they] are so funny), but I had to leave straight from there and do the 4 hour drive back home. Then, I got to be the first knitter guest to a friend's new house. Now I'm recovering from the past few days. I missed spending time in my garden, so I have to get back to that. I have green tomatoes and little baby beans waiting for me.

In my spare time, I'll be finishing my list of house duties, dyeing some yarn, planning a vacation, and finding a new job (fingers crossed). Busy, busy. busy.