Purling Oaks

I think cats can read...

Look what my twin, the Marvelously Evil Stacey, sent me!  She's so creative.   I love the stitch markers!  They are very cool (or should I say hot?) and quite seasonal with the "bite me!" and the SOS08 markers.  Here's the whole package with the very clever handmade card and hollyhock seeds.  Thank you, Stacey!  I know exactly where I'm going to start a few this week. 

I think Black Dot can read.  She was VERY interested in Stacey's stitchmarkers.  And here is what she was trying to do to the black marker..........

It was a lovely day on Monday.  We had very low humidity, blue skies, and temperatures right around 80 degrees (F).  I made a bunch of calls and emails for the basement-related reconstruction, read through the great studio re-organization contest entries, and then ran errands and did some shopping in Madison in the afternoon.  When I returned home, I wandered around the yard, camera in hand, primarily to properly blog my Stacey-gift.  The cats were following me and DH as we discussed the chain-sawing of several large trees that fell in the recent storms.  Blue and White Dot were wrestling, as they do regularly, and I was able to capture the fun with the video feature on the little camera.  Watch for the hanks of fur on White Dot's paws.  Fuzzle enters into the video near the end to check out what the boys were up to.

Please enter the CONTEST!

Weekend happenings

I'm starting the Summer of Socks 2008 with an adventure.  My first top-up sock using Judy Becker's Magic Cast-on with the assistance of Cat Bordhi's YouTube video on the technique and the Knitty article by Judy Becker.  I'm also going to try short-row heels since all the cool knitters do them....besides, technique expansion is a good thing.  The yarn is loot from Joan that I won a little while ago at her blog:  Silky Sock from The Great Adirondack Yarn Company.  The toe was a little bit of challenge but I really like it.

It was a busy weekend full of chores, travel, gardening, and the bit of knitting I've told you about.  I drove up to Oshkosh on Saturday to have a good time with a mop and some bleach.  Yeah, the cottage basement had (at one point, not now) about 4 to 6 inches of water in it from the recent flooding.  Mom gave me a big hand to haul out the wet stuff to the curb for pick up and move things so the bleach would have a clear field.  I'll have to have the mechanicals looked at, but the structure is still fine.  Just a wet June, eh?  No wonder I have been having water dreams.  We drove to Leon's to have a chili dog and soda for lunch, which was fun since it is a drive-in.  No custard cone this time.

I had a fun surprise in the garden....one of my hollyhocks is blooming!  I purchased these plants at Felly's Greenhouse but the blooms indicate there is hope for the hollyhock seeds that Stacey is sending. *g*

These are actually pretty short hollyhocks but since they are in a raised bed they show up nicely.

Here is one of my favorite photos from the weekend.  Blue enjoying the catmint/catnip. I thought I had planted cat mint but the cats enjoy it so much it may be cat nip.  I'll have to pay attention when it flowers.  I love the goofy little face on this cat.

Hot date Friday

DH and I had a hot date this afternoon. 

We burned a brush pile!  I just couldn't resist the funny.  We have a burn permit but you can only burn between 6 PM and midnight.  Probably because it is more likely that the volunteer fire department members are home and not working away from the area.  DH has been battling buckthorn in our woods.  It is an invasive tree species that will take decades, if not forever, to eliminate but he's making great progress in the woods behind the house.  Buckthorn saplings pulled up last fall made up a big part of this brush pile.  What did I do?  Well, I enjoyed the fire. 

The cats enjoyed running around today in the lovely weather.  (Yes, I'm still knitting the brown bag project so no knitting photos.)  (You get cats, instead, like any good knit blogger would give you.) 

Fuzzle and Blue in the violets and a Fuzzle Glamour shot, just so Fuzzle's girlfriend knows she is still around.  And the pear tree is blooming.......

Squirrels, Sun (or not) and Spinning

The sun attempted to make an appearance this morning. Although it showed up for what seemed like a brief moment, it was pretty through the light snow and haze of clouds. A nice start to the new year, I think.

DH is still under the weather with his cold or whatever. He usually toughs his way through colds but this one has really sapped his energy. I really hope I don't catch it. He has been (really) pretty easy to care for unlike the guy in the clip at Norma's today. If you haven't seen it yet, it is very funny, especially if you are a female.

Squirrels have been a constant sight at the birdfeeders the past couple weeks. Today, Blue watched while this really big squirrel worked his way through the bird seed. Hmmm, how did that squirrel get so big, I wonder? *g*

Today Jen and La published their Fourth Annual JenLa Knit Blog Awards. Purling Oaks won the Home Away From Home Award!!!!!! Whooooo! I was so surprised to see this blog listed when I read through the awards this morning. Thank you, Jen and La!!

I'm participating in NaSpiMoMo this January. I plan to spin everyday, if only for a short while, even if I'm traveling. I haven't spun in a long time and my wheel and I are barely acquainted. So this will be a good opportunity to develop my spinning skills some more and maybe even produce some yarn. *HA* This is where I'm starting today.
I'm using a Nina dropspindle and merino top that I purchased from the Weavers' Cottage when I was visiting my brother in California. It's been in the bag for *ahem* over two years now, so it is about time I spun up the fiber.

Engaging Plan B

The first item on my to-do list today was driving south to Madison to start my holiday shopping. The snow wasn't going to start until noon and if I left the house about 9:15 AM, I would have time to buy a few items and drive home in light snow. However, I started out about 45 minutes later than planned and the snow began falling about an hour and a half early.

The Jeep and I had traveled about a quarter of the distance to our first stop when it appeared prudent to engage four-wheel drive. After another quarter of the way, I turned around when the thought occurred to me that driving home in two hours' time on even snowier roads would really be unpleasant. The turning around included some slipping and sliding, which confirmed I made the correct decision. Thus, I am back home, engaging in Plan B.....on-line shopping. I've made good progress on my the list with the snow and sleet tapping on the window accompanying my keyboard tapping. We are expecting (according to the forecast) about 3 to 5 inches of snow and not more than a quarter-inch of ice for Columbia County.

Blue has been engaging in his normal routine of bird-watching and napping. Right now, he is snoring on the chair cushion next to me. This weather means nothing to him as long as crunchies continue to appear in his dish.

He is such a handsome fellow!

Gardening, Contest, and a warm furry kitty

The weekend flew by and all the important and necessary tasks were accomplished. The camera batteries wimped out needed charging so no photos today. The bills were paid, the laundry was cleaned and put away or re-packed into the ever-ready suitcase. The cats were groomed and loved and given special treats. Blue-kitty spent several hours last night snoozing in the hollow of my neck and left shoulder. Nice & cozy. I hope he does that when we have the really cold weather. *g*

I spent time in the garden both Saturday and Sunday --- tearing out the frosted tomato and pepper plants, putting away the tomato cages, and digging the carrots. The carrots were a cool and generally successful experiment but I don't think I'll plant them again next year. DH is not really fond of carrots. I'll probably make a carrot cake for my birthday then share the rest of the carrots with my Mom. You know, one of the best things about carrot cake is the cream cheese frosting! Yum! I also did a bit of trimming and cleaning in the herb garden. If anyone needs/wants any lamb's ear next year just let me know. Mine spawned numerous little babies that I'll be transplanting or thinning next Spring. I think lamb's ear is an appropriate plant for a knitter or spinner! Don't you think so, too?

Contest! Low work contest! Since my birthday is this week (on Thursday), I'm having a contest. Well, really, no major effort will be required on your part -- outside of a comment (or two). I am going to send out a yarny prize to two randomly-selected persons who comment anytime today through Sunday night at 9 PM Central time. Fun, right! Low stress? Of course! *VBG*

Yes, I'm on the road again. (Willie Nelson, anyone?) I'm going to see if I can strike a balance between blogs and knitting. No, I'm not taking any bets.

Cats and Carrots

Today is my every other Friday free of "work" and, so far, free of any adverse moon influence that has been going around and touching me this week in ways better forgotten. Friday has been a pretty productive day as of posting time. *fingers crossed*

The four kitties were transported to the vet for their annual check-ups and shots, first thing this morning. Blue's on the right and Fuzzle, White Dot and Black Dot also in their transport boxes but black cats are very difficult to photograph. Take my word, they're there. There was a symphony of protest all the way into town to the vet's office. DH thought they sounded like frogs in a pond just after sunset....MEOW, meeeeooowwww, Meow, MEeow, meOWWWW, and so on. I'm glad it was only five miles. Everybody passed Dr. Ron's inspections. We had scheduled this event for last week Saturday, but my DSIL's mother passed away so we attended the wake last Saturday. Rachel was too young at age 67 to be lost to cancer. She leaves her husband, two daughters, two son-in-laws, and four grandchildren.

After a haircut and some laundry, I made my way to the garden. It has been a good week since I've been able to get out there. It shows. Here's my micro greens....well, *ahem* er, rather, my MACRO greens.

But, they will still be fine for a salad tomorrow night with grilled pork chops. I harvested my Kolasco Paprika peppers that were ripe. I'll dry these and grind them for a yummy paprika for cooking. I'm going to try to save the seeds since I can no longer find this variety. The original seeds came from Shepherd's Seeds but Renee Shepherd sold the company and the new company hasn't carried them since. I'm hoping the seeds will work next year but I'll be on the look out for more. (hint, hint) I also pulled a few carrots to sample this evening. Yes, you are seeing purple carrots. I think they are "Purple Haze" but I'm not sure because I didn't make good garden notes this spring.
Fresh carrots are very flavorful and beat out "store-bought" bagged carrots for flavor every day. The purple carrots look different but taste the same as an orange carrot.

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And for knitting progress, here's the Baby Kimono as of the typing of this post. I intend to finish and block this tomorrow. I hope everything else cooperates so it happens.

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I'm going to save the bread baking photos for tomorrow. However, I can tell you, the bread smells delicious as it is cooling.

Catmint love

Whew. I'm glad today is almost over and Friday is coming up. I'm back on the road, sort of, up in the Appleton area of the Fox Valley here in Wisconsin. I grew up in that general area and I'm working close enough so that I had dinner with my Mom last night. (Yum...venison roast on the grill, new pototoes with onions, and garden tomatoes.)

Sonnet's finishing is taking a little time out due to my extreme tired-ness in the evenings this week. (I'm feeling okay--work is just taking a lot of energy.) All the knitting is finished and I've seamed all the seams. However, I really, really need to apply grosgrain ribbon around the inside of the neckline and both sides of the button band due to extreme stretchy-ness of the knitted fabric....and my desire to not expose too much (read as "any") lingerie when I wear it. However, despite my tiredness, I am very motivated to finish Sonnet because I'm chomping to start on Williamsro and a little baby kimono from Mason Dixon for a friend's expected first grandbaby. Based on what I heard today, I better get that kimono started...... (The mama has three weeks to go before predicted delivery but the baby is currently estimated to weigh 8 pounds. I think I can take a hint.)

I'm growing catmint next to my herb garden and the cats seem to enjoy it. It is in bloom right now. Here's a few photos of Blue and the catmint from this past weekend.

Anticipation

We've been the happy recipient of a nice level of rainfall during the past week and it really made a big difference in the garden! The basil planted from seed (late) in mid-June has finally shot up and the tomatoes...oh, the tomatoes! We may be eating cherry tomatoes this weekend! I'm growing several varieties of cherry tomatoes as well as other heirloom tomatoes because I exercised absolutely no control when I ordered from Seed Savers Exchange this past winter. Here is a comparison of the currant tomatoes (left) and the cherry tomatoes (right). I've never grown the currant tomatoes before so I am not sure what they will taste like. Of course, anything out of the garden can't be bad. *g*
For comparison, here's one of the larger heirloom varieties.

White Dot helped me inspect the peppers. They are varieties of paprika that I'll dry and grind for spice.

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The breakfast bars were good. Probably too good. They are delicious and really more dessert-like than healthy-breakfast-like. They'll be outstanding with vanilla ice cream. Yum. So, I'm still on the lookout for a good and healthy breakfast bar.

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I attempted a "self" portrait with Blue. Blue was not inclined to have his photo taken at that time. No humans were injured in the taking of this photo.

Friday's morning update

Friday morning sky at Purling Oaks.

It's a lovely morning here, well, at least weather and temperature-wise. I'm endeavoring not to cough up a lung and DH came home from KC (Kansas City, not Knights of Columbus) last night exhibiting the early symptoms of the same plague I'm currently enduring. We're going to have quite an exciting Memorial Day weekend, yes? *g*

Here's a progress report on Sunrise Sock number two. Next step is the heel flap.

I've been remiss about posting my most recent stash enhancement. This lovely lilac skein arrived on Monday from Dave at Cabin Cove. I'm not sure what pattern I'll use for socks yet, but whichever one, these are going to be yummy soft socks!

Blue inspected the yarn and sock this morning and pronounced them acceptable for a human but where's the catnip?

I'm going to do some research on HTML code. I know a little but I need to add to my vocabulary if I want to have this weblog look like I want it to.