Added Another Row

At my craft group the other night, I attached the bottom row of octagons and granny squares.

I did the math by weighing the 4 x 6 blanket and the remaining yarn and determined there was more than enough yarn left to make 6 more octagons to create a fifth column for the right side. I've done two and have four more to go. It will make a very cozy blanket. 

This afternoon I'm heading to the theatre to watch the new Downton Abbey movie and we'll go out for supper afterwards. Should be fun.

Yesterday was my first Zumba class in about 10 years. I am so out of shape it was necessary for me to sign up for something to get my butt out the door and doing some exercise. I like the dance aspect and the Latin music. It's great cardio - lots of fun - and the hour went very quickly. It was challenging but I'm pretty proud that I did OK. Additionally, weekly yoga sessions start the second week of October.

• I finished watching 'Deadwater Fell' on Amazon Prime. Anything David Tennant is in is excellent. I recognized the other two actresses. One is Anna Madeley who played Mrs Hall on 'All Creatures Great And Small'. The other one took a bit of Googling before I realized she is Cush Jumbo, who played Lucca Quinn on 'The Good Fight'.
• I then started watching 'Acceptable Risk' (whilst crocheting, of course) and stayed up way too late. These British mysteries are so well written. I also like that not everything is focused around car chases and gun fights. They rarely even show someone getting shot. I will be searching out more series like these on Netflix and Prime.

Some Progress

I've only been stitching on Monday mornings lately. I've made a small bit of progress on the Bees in the Greenhouse piece. I attempted to do the 'ironwork' in the roof of the second motif and much to my relief, everything matched up. I'm so paranoid about making mistakes on this 40ct fabric. Also, when stitching with a group, I don't have 100% of my attention on my work.

I didn't even try to stitch another one of these zinnias. The counting is very challenging and I need extra magnification - using the magnifier on my lamp PLUS my magnifying reader glasses.

 I love the different colours - some of which I'm changing. It doesn't make up to anything useful; just a pretty 3D hexagonal stitched piece. The holes in this fabric are quite closed. I'm guessing the linen fibres bloomed during the dyeing process. 

I've finished four more octagons and three more granny squares for the Persian Tiles blanket. 

I'm just randomly picking ones to repeat to provide contrast. 

Each octagon weighs 30g. Technically, I have enough yarn to make over 36 octagons so I could try and squeak out 6 more for down the right side so the blanket is 5 x 6. I am trying to find a local source for yarn that would work for the border. Michaels seems to be divesting itself of Patons Astra yarn. I may have to find a compatible Loops & Threads brand that has similar colours to what I've been using.

I'll take it to my craft group tonight and attach the new pieces.

I have really enjoyed making this blanket and am seriously considering making another one. Not that I need any more of them but I'm sure I know some 'crochet-worthy' folks who might want one for themselves. With acrylic yarn, they're pretty inexpensive to make.

• I've been watching 'House' on Prime and am into the second season. The main character's rudeness is kinda getting to me - behaviour that wouldn't be tolerated in real life. Not sure I'll keep watching it.
• Just started watching 'Waterfront' on Prime last night. Lots of flawed characters. Not sure how things can ever work out for the family as they're so involved in underhanded/illegal activities. Kinda like 'Breaking Bad' at the seashore.

A Wee Bit of Knitting

Last week I saw this adorable Christmas cardigan on Facebook. I knew Daisy had to have one.

I had the green Shetland wool in my stash - Jamieson's of Shetland Shetland Spindrift - left over from a previous project. 

Starry Nights designed by Janine Bajus - Shetland Spindrift yarn

The white yarn is Karabella Gossamer yarn - from back when I used to teach knitting for a luxury cruiseline. This line of luxury yarn was available for purchase at my classes.

It is a sparkly mohair/nylon/polyester blend and perfect for the trim on the sweater.

Initially I made the cardigan too long so cut the bottom border off, ripped back several rows and grafted the bottom back on. I guess I could just have reknit the garter stitch border but I didn't want to waste any of the beautiful, mohair yarn. The pattern is the 'A-line cardigan' from Little Cotton Rabbits. The patterns are available on Ravelry or Etsy. It was already in my stash from when I knit Daisy the blue cardigan.

It steam-blocked beautifully. Working with Shetland yarn is a delight even if the garment is itty bitty.

I still have to knit the collar and do the embroidery but couldn't resist having Daisy model her new sweater.

An added bonus is that it went very nicely with her sheepy dress.

Scooter is coming from The Big City for a visit today but later on I hope to finish knitting the collar and get a start on the Christmas motifs.

I've also crocheted two more octagons to add to the Persian Tiles blanket. Will do two more and the corresponding granny squares. Then will sew together and decide if I'll stop there or try to crank out 6 more to add to one side to make it a 5 x 6 blanket.

The alternative is to order more yarn and make a second one. The Stylecraft Special DK is lovely and soft. Interestingly some colours are softer than others.

The new Downton Abbey movie came out last Friday so we're trying to decide when we'll go see it.

Making Yard Sauce (Roasted Tomato Sauce)

A few years back I watched a YouTube video on making roasted tomato sauce from our fresh tomatoes. Priscilla Blaine of ‘The Real Housewives of Cross Stitch’ did this post explaining the process. They also did a YouTube video showing the process.

Skip used to grow fabulous Roma tomatoes and I’d make tomato sauce that would see us through to the next summer. Last year I had a total tomato crop failure, probably because I didn’t fertilize or do anything special for the few tomato plants I did plant. I decided this year I would buy tomatoes instead.

I headed to our local farmer’s market and bought a half bushel (a peck?) of beautiful Roma tomatoes at their peak of ripeness. There were several vendors but the guy I bought these from had the nicest ripest ones and the right quantity ready to go. And the bonus was he spoke Spanish! I told him (in Spanish) that his were the best looking tomatoes of everyone’s at the market. Then I staggered away with my purchase. I’m guessing it was over 20 pounds worth.

Back at home, I washed them, dug out the stem bit, quartered them and put them in lightly oiled pans. They don’t even need to be skinned as they’ll be puréed in the blender after they’re cooked and cooled down.

I added some sliced onion and a few basil ‘pucks’ ** from my freezer.

Sprinkled salt, drizzled oil, and slid them in the oven.

As I write this my house smells like ‘Geri’s Italian Kitchen’. Wish there was smell-o-vision so you could enjoy as well.

In the past, I’ve also roasted them on the barbecue. It saves heating up the house.

Once the roasting is done and the tomatoes have cooled I purée them in the blender. Then insert a freezer bag in a 2cup measuring cup and pour about 2 cups worth of the purée into each bag. 

Press out most of the air and seal. They can go in the freezer laying flat.

I only have a small chest freezer so I freeze some and can the some. This involves canning supplies and extra work, but the sauce preserves well on a shelf until needed.

I got 13 two-cup bags and 6 jars of sauce. A seventh jar broke in the canning pot and I got it out of there before about 2/3 of the sauce leaked out. I continued canning in the tomatoey boiling water after removing most solids from the water with a sieve.

Here’s the recipe I use: (quantities will vary)

YARD SAUCE 

Preheat the oven to 425F

• Tomatoes
• ~ 1/2 chopped onion
• Fresh basil (handful or so)
• Salt (Kosher if you have it)
• Olive Oil

Drizzle oil on bottom of the pan. Add quartered tomatoes, onion, and basil. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle more oil over top.

Bake for 45min to an hour or until the tomatoes start to look dried out and some onions are a bit toasted. Let cool and purée batches in the blender. Store in containers in the freezer. 

When going to use, you can add more basil, plus Parmesan or Romano cheese and a pinch of sugar.

This tomato sauce can be used for soups, pasta sauce, bloody Mary’s or anything else you’d use tomato sauce for. 

** Basil Pucks

Here’s a way to preserve your fresh basil to enjoy all year round. Wash and dry fresh basil. Put it into a food processor and drizzle a bit of olive oil. Process until somewhat mushy. Press the mixture into mini muffin tins until about 3/4 full or in regular muffin tins half full. Freeze. Pop out of the tins and into ziplock bags and store in the freezer. If using regular sized muffin tins you might want to break the ‘pucks” into smaller pieces. Now you can use the basil for all your cooking for the rest of the year.

Buon apetito!

A Beautiful Day - Joyous Things

Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining and the blue skies are almost cloudless. I did a bunch of laundry and have it drying out on the 'passive solar dryer' (sounds fancier than 'clothesline' LOL).

I'm really looking forward to crawling into bed tonight and smelling all the 'fresh air' on the linens.

I procrastinated too long this spring planting things from seed. I have a couple of kinds of sunflowers whose seeds never made it into the ground. Fortunately one seed made it into my garden. Maybe an errant one from a feeder or one from the bag of random garden seeds that I spread around.

This one finally started blooming last week. Its green foliage had been bending with the sun. However it bloomed so late that it faces south - away from where I can see it from the house. Regardless, I love coming out and seeing how it's doing. Often there is a bee greedily taking pollen from it.

Over by the fence is a patch of black-eyed Susans and some chocolate joe pye weed. Skip planted those a few years back and the pollinators love them. The solar 'wiggler' in the bird bath doesn't get much sun these days; I need to move the bird bath out from the fence more. The sunflower sculpture was made especially for me by a former colleague, Anne Marie, who has a garden sculpture business called 'Annie's Glass Flowers'. 

The coreopsis has bloomed steadily since July. 

It and the bachelor's buttons/cornflowers add a riot of colour to the garden.

They, too, were part of the package of annual seeds I spread on the garden last June.

Skip's friend, Bob, dropped off a bunch of NY Times Sunday magazines yesterday. I love the challenging puzzles and occasionally read an article.

Poppy gave me this hibiscus a while back and I've managed not to kill it. It offers endless blooms. I'll take it inside this fall and see if it will survive in a sunny window.

Last night I added the bottom row of octagons and granny squares to the Persian Tiles blanket. There seems to be enough yarn left to make more octagons. I'm trying to decide if I'll add 4 more to the bottom or 5 more onto the right side. If I do the latter, I'll have to remove the triangle I've already attached to the right side between the top two rows. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed crocheting this.  I might even do another one. I have spent a ridiculous amount of time sitting on my butt in front of the TV working on this but hey, at my age and in my situation, if it gives me joy, why not?

I can't express enough how enjoyable it is to spend some time each day to focus on the good things in my life. The crappy things are there - I just don't spend a lot of time fussing about them. This gratitude practice does wonders for my mental health. That, and spending time with fun folks, pursuing my absorbing hobbies, and dwelling on all the good things in my life. I am so fortunate in so many ways.

I Have No Idea Why

I just checked the number of hits on my latest blog post and there are over 100! Not sure why so many folks have found me all of a sudden. Facebook posts? Ravelry posts? Instagram posts? I rarely get comments so if it isn't too onerous, I'd love to hear how you learned about me - if you'd be so kind to leave me a comment.

I took Persian Tiles to my crafty group last night and did more seaming. Then more at home. 

I have the next 4 octagons and 3 granny squares done so will attach them later today.

Barb and I wanted to take Line Dancing with the Whitby Seniors but the class we wanted filled up immediately upon registration opening up. Oshawa has space in their seniors' line dancing classes but because I'm not a resident, I can't sign up for their classes. I was going to take tap but decided to do Zumba instead. I'm all signed up and it starts next Wednesday. Thursday morning Yoga doesn't start until the second week of October - after our guild's stitching retreat so no conflict there.

I saw this adorable Christmas sweater on Facebook that would look splendid on Daisy.

The embroidery would be so fun to do and I think I have some fuzzy, white yarn that would go well with the green wool.

Looking at the Shetland wool sweater I knit her during COVID, it wouldn't take much to adapt this pattern to the Christmas sweater. (old blinds - they've been replaced with white ones and my kitchen renovated to match).

I'd just make it a little longer so there's lots of room for the embroidery.

I just signed up for a Spin Day at Windreach Farm this Sunday. A couple of my crafty friends volunteer there in the wool and riding programs. Windreach is a wonderful place for folks of all abilities. It is a working farm with sheep and horses, a swing folks could roll a wheelchair onto, a big ramp onto the barn, dwarf apple trees so the fruit is reachable by folks in wheelchairs, etc.

Last night, with my crafty friends, I got Liz' spinning wheel working so Hanna can learn on it. Initially we thought a part was missing but we figured out that the tension just needed to be adjusted. The new drive band is working quite well. I gave her a bunch of beautiful Blue-Faced Leicester fibre - some of which was pencil roving which would be easier for her to learn on. We determined that the drafting - the action between the two hands - is the most important factor. 

It's too nice a day to sit inside. Time to get outside and do some yard work.

Starting to Put It Together

I finished all the octagons, squares, and triangles. I'm starting to sew everything together. In my stash, I found a large ball of white, Mary Maxim Mellowspun DK yarn, the same weight as the Stylecraft Special DK used in the afghan which I'm using to sew things together. Using the hidden seaming technique, the white yarn is not visible. Basically, the edges just butt up to each other for a smooth join.

Aligning the 'x's helps keep the edges even with each other. Supposedly there are the same number of stitches in each side of the adjoining shape but I do a bit of easing when things don't seem to be lining up.

I'm this far in the process:

I gave it a light steaming to smooth things out a bit. Acrylic yarn doesn't like high heat as it can 'kill' the acrylic and make the fabric floppy. I dampened a linen tea towel and used it as a pressing cloth. 

I've also started making more octagons and have two finished. I'll also need to do three more granny squares and two more side triangles.

Yesterday was our monthly stitch day. I worked on a couple of projects but mostly gabbed with the other stitchers.

Then I came home and fully finished the Teresa Kogut 'Jingle Bells' ornament with the bells I had purchased the day before at Kimat Designs' booth at the Quilting at the Lakes quilt show in Buckhorn. I also ordered some '2025' charms which will arrive tomorrow. I like to affix them to ornaments as I finish them. If course I couldn't just order a couple, rather there are dozens coming so I'll share the surplus with my fellow stitchers. 

Jeanette has made it a goal to FFO something every week. That's a bit ambitious for me but I'll definitely be doing more fully finishing for the next little while.

The bells themselves don't 'jingle' but the effect is there. I have two other patterns in this series:

and

that I haven't stitched yet. I did, however, complete her other star ornament  in 2022 which I need to locate and FFO.

XS149 Star Shaped Snowman

Looking back on my blog post on the subject, I mused about adding 'bling' to it. Great idea. Maybe on the tips of the boughs and on its eyes.

• I watched the rest of the first season of 'Departure' on Netflix. I found it to be a bit contrived but do enjoy anything Archie Panjabi is in. It's also probably one of Christopher Plummer's last roles. The second season starts with another transportation disaster. Of interest to me was it starting at Union Station in Toronto and involving crossing into the US at Windsor. Once the disaster happened, I determined it to be pretty similar to the formula in the first season. Lots of 'red herrings'. Sometimes I get confused/frustrated with too many of them.
• I also started watching the Netflix docuseries on the Dallas Cowboys. Skip was an avid NFL fan so it's kinda comforting watching it. I remember him talking about Jerry Jones and have seen Jimmy Johnson interviewed. He was a bit of a dick in the early years with the Cowboys. Skip would have enjoyed the doc and would have filled me in on a lot of the public's response to the various events depicted.