Caviar for my Chickens?

Slug Caviar....that is.

This picture was borrowed from Ask website.

The Frank Tree.

I made this up as I went along to make The Frank Tree.

This special tree is a countdown to his birthday.  

I loved the Christmas Paisley as the background to the Silk Dupioni tree and ornaments.

The Moose was recreated out of wool felt.  

He made that with his bare hands and foot when he was almost three.

The back has a huge Houndstooth pattern (with wings).

Next time, I'll sew this a little different.

Again, no pattern, just my imagination and knowing my son will love the back.

There is also a dowel pocket at the top.

I made this for him because it was to be all about Frank.

A Christmas I'll never forget....

It was 1990.  I graduated from the Reserve Police Academy that summer as an Officer;  money was tight as I worked for minimum wage to make a living for my one-year-old son and me; and I was going through a divorce.
It was December 24th and I was finishing up a sweater I was knitting as a gift for my son when I got a late phone call from one of the office gals at the PD.  She said someone left some boxes of presents in my name and asked me to come get them.  I looked at the clock and saw it was after 10 pm but told her I would right away.
I got my son and bundled him up and we drove the 13 miles to town.  When I walked into the PD, no one was there but the 2 big boxes full of presents for my son.  I packed them into my '87 Toyota pickup and we drove back home.
After tucking my son back in bed, I hauled the boxes into the house and placed them under the tree and finished up his sweater.  I cried and cried with the thought that someone cared enough about us to do this.  I still had no idea who did this.
Morning came and my son (about to turn 2) jumped around with excitement at the colorfully wrapped gifts under the tree.  I soon found out they came from the Radio Shack store that was owned by Keith Mercer and his wife.  Keith was a police officer there.  I did not think of Keith this way as he was very serious about his work.
This was the most memorable Christmas ever and I reflect back on it every year.
I am ever so grateful to him and the PD for giving me so much.....not only the gifts for my son but the gifts I learned as a Reserve Police Officer.
Merry Christmas to all.....

The chicken named Princess Pea

Princess Pea in the roost

I just came in after locking the three girls out of their huge run so I could dig up some carrots.  They wanted in badly because I had the tool that digs up worms.  Oh, yeah!
I caved and let them in  and dug up some worms and such.  Princess Pea ran to the roost and I thought, Ah, an egg will soon be here, and went back to digging for #1 and Tattie.  Lo and behold, Princess Pea was back.  Hmmm, I know she didn't have enough time to do her job.  She must have thought, I have a few minutes before I have to.
Never mind, I thought, and went back to digging.  Oh!  There goes Princess Pea running to the roost, again!  This time she didn't come back.....not even for worms.  I'm still laughing at how she thought she could squeeze in one more worm before squeezing out one more egg.  LOLOL

Leftovers? Easy way I put mine to work!

First, prepare a piroshki dough you make the night before.  Don't have a good recipe?  Email me and I'll send one to you....Check my profile for that.

Then chop up your leftover turkey and place in one bowl, stuffing and mashed potatoes in another bowl, vegetable of your choice and some grated cheese.

 The assembly line is ready!

Filled pastries are ready for their egg wash.

I used parchment paper for easy clean up.

Last time I used the piroshki dough recipe, I used cooked sausage and scrambled eggs for the filling.  It's a great way to start the day by taking one out of the freezer and placing in the microwave for only 30-45 seconds.  Yum!

Knitting with friends and my cardigan

 My knitting girls.....

 Go, Allison, Go!

 See Elizabeth knit?

 Look at Jenni knit with double pointed needles for the first time!

You go girl!

My very own Lupine Cardigan blocked and drying.

I realized when you knit your own clothing, no one will have the same one in your town!

What have you all been knitting?

Tatting thread in the mail and knitting baby booties

 It felt like my birthday finding this in my mailbox!  Thank you, Diane, for sending me some Perfect Quilter Thread to try out.  You are so kind and generous!

As you can see, I'm tatting the Spinning Wheel and it's going to be gorgeous!

Kim sparked a knitting frenzy in me to knit these baby booties up.  These are knit with Dale Baby Ull in Inox US sz 0  double points.  I've got two pair finished.  I am going to do as Kim did and knit an I-Cord for the lacing's.  Mine will be cranked out on my Antique Circular Sock Machine.

You can find the pattern for the Jane's Baby Booties on Kim's website as well as some great notes and photos as she knit them.

Lots of knitting.....and canning Bread & Butter pickles....

 Hemingway Boyfriend Cardigan with my version knit in Andean Silk in the Barn Red color.  Took about 13 skeins.  Elizabeth Zimmermann would have you notice the "dreaded frontal droop".

 This is called Caireen and is a beautiful Celtic wrap I knit with 3 skeins of Briggs & Little Regal in Forest Brown.  It took me 10 days.  Should be dry tomorrow.

Sometimes I want something sweet in a pickle and these hit the spot.  These Bread & Butter pickles couldn't have been easier to prepare and can.  I was able to get into them the next day.  Yum!

Tat, dig, weave and eat

 August Be-Stitched pattern.  I suggested a 2 round square pattern that can be tatted into a tablecloth and this is what Nancy Tracy came up with.  

I used Baroque Thread.

 Not a good year for the garden....only a little over 2 1/2 pounds from 6 seed potatoes.

 This is a cotton blanket I wove for my son and sewed a blanket binding on.  Just look at those mitered corners!

Breakfast.  Two poached eggs from the chickens on my homemade sourdough bread lightly toasted.  Yes......I like pepper.  :)

Knitting......and Tatting, too

 EZ Camping Pi in Salsa Dancing lace weight merino

 Round and round I went with this tatted "Occasional Doily" with Ecru sz 10 thread.  The blocking was a challenge (ALL those picots!!) and dried at 9 1/2" x 15".

Can you tell I like to take pictures?  ;)

It's a Boy! It's a Girl!.....

It's No. 1's FIRST egg!

Time to celebrate!

Mystery Doily Tatting.....

First Round from Be-Stitched.

The next round will be in two months.

Flight of the Wild Silk Moths

Did you know this is National Moth Week?  

Well now you can celebrate it with this wonderful pattern released just in the nick of time!

It's designed by Denise of LostCityKnits in her lace-weight 100% silk.

You will now see what I've been busy test knitting.

 A ball of  Wild Silk Moths all knit up with a little left over.

{photo used with permission from Denise of LostCityKnits}

 Falling softly into place.

{photo used with permission from Denise of LostCityKnits}

Smooth landing.......

Peas and teaching knitting

Peas growing above the canopy! 

....and Kim's knitting.  First time ever knitting.

It was fun as she learned not to put her knitting down 

until she knit the entire row.  Why?  So she wouldn't have to guess which direction she was going.  :)

Needless to say, she caught on very quickly.

More No-Knead Bread.......and Pickled Eggs

 This No-Knead Bread is 1/2 wheat flour and 1/2 all purpose with 3 Tablespoons Black Strap Molasses added and a couple other things.  It is a beautiful dark bread.

 Left over pickled beet juice is perfect for boiled eggs!  Just look at that color!

This is what it looks like opened up.

Tatting and peas

 Ahh, the Occasional Doily in the process of being tatted with sz 10 thread.  I was afraid of using such a big shuttle but find I rather like it.  Did you know it holds about 210 yards of sz 10 thread?  Wow.

Shelled peas from the garden.

This is the one thing that is growing nicely.  The carrots, beets cukes, zucchini and onions are not doing what they are supposed to be doing.

Unknown, to me, plant......

This was left on the lot.  Does anyone have any idea what this plant is?

Tatted Star Fish

I could not wait to show you this beautiful and quick piece of tatting!  Still need to hide a couple of ends and then block it but it was fun to do!

First time use of shuttle without a removable bobbin.  I also had to use one of my crochet hooks as my picots were too small for the tip to sneak in and bring the thread through.

Thank you, Nancy Tracy of Be-Stitched!!

Tatting ideas

Diane, Lace-Lovin' Librarian is a tatting friend that I've never met....yet, we encourage each other with tatting and even knitting through email and blogging.  

She and I both love the Spinning Wheel Glass Mat.  I told her I had the idea to use a green color for the chains and floral colors for the rings.  Well, Diane obviously has a nice stash of thread and came up with a gorgeous combination.  She's even knitting some tatting for her grand daughter.  :)

I had some blue and white in sz 40 thread.  This little beauty is 4 inches wide unblocked.  You can really see the direction of travel!

Thank you, Diane.  This was fun.

PS:  Notice that the camera made the ruler look curved!

Flying Disc Tatted Doily

 Blocking with some thread here and there.

Blocked with thread tails cut off (eek! except for one which I have cut since this photo)

Pattern can be found in 'Easy Tatting' by Rozella F. Linden.

Size 20 thread by Flora

La Chickens (aka: The Girls)

 Their new home.

 One came down the ladder wayyyy before the other 3.

 "What is that noise beneath us?  It sounds like something is eating and drinking!"

No-Knead Bread

So you see.....There's more going on than knitting, lately.

My garden groweth!

 Just LOOK at those pea plants!  They have loads of flowers here on June 5th.

A baby pea pod and a few more found after I noticed some flower petals on the garden soil below!!!

There was also a strawberry ready to eat.....um, I failed to take a photo before it was eaten.

Flowering Peas and a Tangled Mess

 This is the first flower I saw.....

 ...then I saw these!

Oh, what a tangled mess.