Whaaaaa?

Beef stew is a cool weather meal.  Good for when the wind is howling, and maybe even a chilly rain! I love beef stew.

temperature today and upcoming days

I picked the wrong day to make beef stew for dinner, didn't I? 

All "summer", we had cool weather, clouds, rain... we basically had autumn all summer long! And now, now that autumn is actually here? Look what that funny trickster Mother Nature does! Mid- to high-70s all week long! It's already been this warm since last Saturday or something.

ain't she a hoot?!


xxx

Happy Autumn!!!

Reason #264 that I love fall:

tiny cabbages

Brussels Sprouts! They are delish!

The first time I tried them was three years ago (about). And now I cannot get enough of them. I would eat them every day if I could!

Well, maybe not every day, cuz...well, that's a lot of sprouts. But every week for sure!

Do you like sprouts too?


xxx

Counting down

Hey! Did you know that today it's

days left until Christmas??!!

Is that all?! I tell ya, it's going to be here before we know it! I'm making my list.

Checking it twice.

Gonna find out who's naughty and who's nice.

Which list are you on?


xxx

Happy Birthday, KNITFreedom!

KNITFreedom is the website (company? person?) who helped me to learn how to knit. It’s run by Liat Gat, and she makes fanTAStic videos to help people become knitting superstars. Every. single. thing. that I know about knitting, I learned from watching her videos.

When I first started knitting, I tried to knit using straight needles. For some reason, I never really got the hang of them. I SO wanted to learn how to knit, but I was getting discouraged! I wanted to make mittens and socks and things too, so if I couldn’t master flat knitting, how was I going to ever succeed knitting round things?

And let’s not even discuss dpn’s (double pointed needles). Fuggedaboudit.

Then I found Liat’s videos on YouTube. And her website. And my personal epiphany video, the one showing magic loop, using circular needles. THAT is when how-to-knit really clicked home for me. I ordered some circular needles, and have not. stopped. knitting. since.


As you can tell from my previous bazillion posts.


So everyone help me wishing Liat and KNITFreedom a HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!

make a wish and blow out your candle

One year ago today she started her company and I, for one, couldn’t be more thankful. If you're on Ravelry, go wish her a happy birthday here, and on Facebook here.

Happy Birthday, KNITFreedom! Here’s to many many more years of success, and millions of Knitting Superstars everywhere!


xxx

Still addicted

Man, addiction is hard to kick, isn't it?

I should be cleaning, but I knit. I need to make dinner, but all I want to do is knit!

I eat, breathe and sleep knitting! It's an illness. Is there a 12-step program for knitters? Knitter Anonymous or something? I pretty sure I need it!

This is what I've been obsessed with working on lately.

red and white mittens

They are Smittens, by Knit Picks (linky). They're so cute, and so quick to make. Though, perhaps they're quick to make since I've made like 20 of them by now? I just might make enough of them to cover a whole tree! But the plan is to make enough to cover a wreath, an average sized wreath. The mittens in the picture above are for my mom, so I'd better get working on my own if I want to have them for this Christmas!

But I have another distraction, that keeps me from making tons of mittens.

squishy yarny fun!

The Hexipuff. I found the pattern on Ravelry just last week, and already I am obSESsed. The designer, Tiny Owl Knits actually made a whole blanket/quilt out of them, The BeeKeeper's Quilt. Go ahead and take a look.

I'll wait.

Isn't it great?! I just love it. I don't know that I'll be able to make that many, but who knows what I can accomplish in a year? These are just as easy to fit in between projects as the mittens! Now I NEVER have to be without SOMEthing to knit!!!

wheeeeeee!!!!

There are a few other things in my brain wanting to be knitted too. A scarf/shawl thing, the socks I'm finishing up now, popcorn garland, a new baby blanket (for my cousin)...

so many projects.

So little yarn.


xxx

9/11

I remember.

I remember where I was. What I was doing when I found out. What time it was. I remember the people I talked to about it. I remember the weather. The blue of the sky. The bluest sky I have ever seen. A perfect fall day.

I remember not hearing airplanes for days after. That was strange, since I worked near the airport in Pittsburgh. On a landing path, even (or whatever it’s called). Very odd.

I remember my aunt calling me to let me know that my cousin, who was flying commercial planes at that time, was alright. He wasn’t on one of THOSE planes.

I remember standing in front of the TV, watching the footage. Because sitting on the couch was too far away. Like if I got closer to the television, maybe I could...see it better? Believe it more? Understand it better? I don’t know. There is no understanding it better. It’s senseless.

I was off from work that day. I drove there anyways, just so I could be around people. And not be alone.

They play the footage here. The videos of the planes flying into the World Trade Centers. I get to see that all over again. Do they still not play it there on the news? Maybe now they do. 10 years on. There are just some images/sounds that I don’t really want to see/hear any more. They’re burned into my memory.

Dutch TV has been playing the movies (the Hollywood movies) as well as the documentaries. I haven’t watched the acted-in movies. I’m not sure I’d want to. It just seems...I don’t know, sacrilege? To watch actors ACTING OUT those horrible situations, when we’ve seen so much footage of the real thing. It’s sort of like when a book is made into a movie, and the book is much better.


8:46 a.m. ET

The moment that everything changed.

God bless America

xxx

One thing

There is one thing I don't like about this time of year.

the backside of the monster outside my front door

Thank God they're outside spiders (I've never seen one of these inside - *knocks on wood*). And generally just sit in their webs. If they walked around, stalking me, I think I'd have to move.

The entry walkway is full of these things. Maybe not all this big (it's probably 2 1/2 inches with it's legs?), but still... grody.

Sometimes they build their webs ACROSS the walkway. So that you unsuspectingly almost walk into/through them.

That would be the end. of. me.


xxx

Remnants

I think Hurricane Irene visited us yesterday and last night. Well, what’s left of her anyways. The low pressure system in our area made it really really windy here all day. Doors were slamming all on their own, and the howling coming from the windows made me think it was a blizzard out there instead of just a little rain. Luckily we didn’t have much rain to soak the ground, so I think most trees stayed upright. Further north in the country they had more rain. Bands of it. Just like a hurricane. Hopefully there wasn’t much damage.

After listening to the wind blowing all night long, I can’t imagine what living through an actual hurricane must be like. It wasn’t “scary windy” here, but sometimes I wondered if the things on my balcony were going to stay where they were supposed to. It’s hard to imagine wind so strong that it moves cars. Now that would be scary.

It's been cooler here the past few days. Fall is coming. Is everyone ready? We didn’t have much of a summer here, but I am still looking forward to that chill in the air. Wearing sweaters, scarves, mittens. Seeing my breath. Smelling the dead and dried up leaves on the ground, oh! and crunching through those leaves too! Gosh, I love doing that. Still.

I’m such a child.

Or more like immature?

Well, whatever I am, charmingly child-like or just plain goofy, I am looking forward to the coming weather. I’ve also started thinking of Christmas gifts that can be handmade. And planning how I’m going to decorate this year. I like to change things up each year, rather than do the exact same thing year after year after year. Sometimes I make new decorations (or buy them), sometimes I use the old ones in new ways. I’ve been working on some mittens for decorations since... forever. I can’t even remember when I started them. March, maybe? I will have plenty of them I am sure. I’ll be sure to show them to you when they’re ready. They’re so cute! I just love them, and they’re so quick! Whenever I am between projects, I whip up another mitten.

I’m still working on that little addiction problem.


Do you look forward to the end of summer too?


xxx

{catchy post title here}

I can hardly believe it's September already. August just FLEW by, didn't it? And I didn't even have to go back to school! Why did it go so fast for me, then?

One of life's many (MANY) unanswered questions.

And soon it will be the end of summer. We have had such a lousy summer here that it might not even feel like the seasons are changing much. I heard on the news today that we've had the wettest summer here since 1906. More than 100 years. Wow! No wonder people are complaining. 

Holiday weekend is coming up! Labor Day. Does everyone have big plans? Last BBQ of the season? Family get-togethers? We don't have any plans. It will be just another Monday here. And it probably will be rainy, so we can't even arrange a bbq. Hamburgers inside sound good though!

I wish had something exciting to tell you about, but there haven't been any hot air balloons this week so far. The week isn't over yet though, so I'm optimistic. I keep my camera handy! I know that lately my posts here have been all about knitting. If you're not into that, I'm sorry! I'm trying to wean myself of my obsession/addiction, but it's not easy. Knitting is so much fun...

Other than when I get frustrated with sock heels.

Anyways, if you want me to talk about something specific (or NOT talk about something specific!), just let me know! I'm open to suggestions.

I'll leave you with this.

strikefingerhut, or knitting thimble

Can anyone actually USE this thing? Effectively? Because Lordy Lordy am I struggling with it. I aspire to knit Fair Isle someday.

Some day. After I master this wire yarn guiding thingie.


xxx