Santa ornies

Here's the first of my Santa ornaments. Usually......I mean always, the first of something ends up as part of our family decorations. That's because most of the time there's something wrong with it. When I finished this guy, I decided maybe he needed a little trim of his bangs. And it was late and I was tired, and I kind of cut through his hat. It's impossible to see in this picture, since I positioned him just right. But it's definitely not up to craft fair standards. He has 2 green felt holly leaves on his hat, with a few small red beads sewn on for berries. I will get a better picture when he's hanging from our tree in brighter light. I do think he looks more handsome with a little hair around his hat. I haven't decided what to use for a hanger, but maybe fishing line. I have some on hand and it's pretty much invisible.

So here is a look at how I made Santa. I started with muslin, which I ended up lightly tea-dying. I traced around a cardboard pattern for his head, and then stitched on the line. As I mentioned earlier, I left the top open for stuffing. This worked well, as the hand stitches I used to close it with are hidden under the hat. What a great idea! Sometimes I surprise myself....

Then I moved on to making the hats. It seems Blogger doesn't want me to post this nice, red colorful picture. I used the same process with a cardboard template that I traced around and then stitched on the line. I wasn't able to get the hat to hang down on its own, so I helped it a little with a few hand stitches. I could have used glue, but I've been doing more and more handstitching when possible. If I'm selling something, I like to feel confident that things won't come apart. I've heard stories......

Maddie asked me a while back how I attach the beards. I use small hand stitches with white sewing thread. The wool locks tend to hang together, so just a few stitches holds it in place pretty well. I don't have to be too careful sewing the hair on his head because, again, the hat covers all the sins of the seamstress.....

The back of Santa's head remains hairless, so I've printed with red pen "Christmas 2006." I always enjoy knowing when I bought a new ornament for my tree, and I like to think others do too. And I also have no shame. Doesn't it make sense to lead the buyer of a nice handmade ornament to consider the possibility that there might be another equally nice one for Christmas 2007? I'm just saying is all......

Sheep redux

Here is Mr. Sheep modeling his new duds. I was thinking of naming him Sherman. I used to work with a man named Sherman, and the receptionist in our office used to affectionately (?) call him Shermy. So I think I'll write Sherman on his tag, but while he's here in the treehouse awaiting the big craft fair on Saturday, I'll call him Shermy. He has been very patient with me while I've tinkered with his clothes and his body parts (hands and feet only!) I've grown quite fond of him.

Here is a close-up of his face. The hair is real sheep's wool and I sewed it on by hand. His nose and mouth are embroidered and his eyes are painted. I knit the scarf out of left-over sock yarn. I cast on 12 stitches with #4 needles and knit garter stitch for about 18". It was fun knitting with the self-striping yarn again, but not as fun as knitting socks where the colors seem to change more often. The boas go faster, but I'm not sure about a sheep in a boa. Hmmmm......

So this morning I went out and hung two Christmas wreaths by the front door. I used to buy the real ones, but a few years ago I bought some artificial ones on sale at Michael's. They look real enough and they don't turn brown and drop their needles. When I take them down at the end of the season, I throw them in a garbage bag and store them on top of Mr. G's pile o' tires in the garage.

Soon after I was done, Mr. G. mentioned that maybe he'd go out and put lights on the little tree in the front yard. I offered to help. We used to put lights on all of the bushes along the front of the house, but that was back when we were younger and much more energetic. Now we just put lots of lights on one little tree. It's festive enough to be neighborly, but doesn't cut into precious knitting and football-watching time. We've decided that as we grow older we should slow down the pace.....and read more cruise brochures......

Primitive Santa

Now that the Thanksgiving guests and their respective menageries have departed, and I've vacuumed up the pumpkin pie crumbs, cat hair, bunny hay and pellets...and the occasional bunny poop, I've moved on to craft fair preparations. Well, there was that one short interruption when I assisted Mr. Gadget in getting the boxes of Christmas decorations down from the garage storage area. It seems that our neighborhood (mostly the newbies on the block) have already begun decorating in earnest. Mr. G. assures me that he isn't going to start putting the outside lights up today. He's only getting them down so they'll be easy to get to when he feels like it. I'm guessing in an hour or so......

So in my effort to get organized for the big fair next weekend, I retrieved this prim Santa from the top shelf where he's been sitting since last year. I made him from my own pattern, but was never completely satisfied with him. His outfit is just slightly too long and since I put the hem in with my sewing machine, I haven't been in a big hurry to rip it out and re-do. Now I'm thinking maybe someone would be happy with him just as he is, long robe and all. The little tree is made from muslin that has been stuffed and painted. I did a running stitch with gold thread for the garland and put colored beads here and there.

I'm planning to do a few more Santas next year. This one was a good learning experience. I really enjoy needle sculpting the faces and I'd like to get better at it. It's really impossible to plan on a particular expression, so the character that emerges is always a surprise. Some of you may remember these.....faces I did for practice on potato rejects from my veggie-making phase.

As I remember, I named them (l - r) Ray with the bad toupee, Marian the librarian, and Lou who sells shoes. And speaking of Marian, doesn't she look like one of those old-fashioned librarian ladies who used to work in the library back in the day when libraries were actually quiet? Isn't that just another one of my pet peeves! Noisy libraries. And the librarians in my local library are the worst offenders. I didn't used to like those Marian types, but now I wish there were a few more of her kind around.

But I digress. I probably should stop writing and start sprucing up the other characters I want to take to the fair. First up is Mr. Sheep. He needs some new feet (not so pointy) and a new outfit (not so wrinkly) and a new scarf (not sewn....knitted, of course!) I know, I know. I should probably just start all over with Mr. Sheep! But he's got such a cute face and such a nice head of hair. He'd make a great companion for someone who loves to knit, and best of all, he'll need no vacuuming-up-after.

Sick leave

Sorry for the blog break. I've been spending lots of time with these guys....who I've affectionately named Ny, Ty, Zi and Rob. As friends go, I must say they've been very supportive. And now that I'm almost over the awful cold that came upon me, very fortunately on the day after the cruise, I've put them all back in the closet where I hope they'll be happy for a very long time.

So Mr. Gadget and I returned from the west coast last Monday and have just spent a very nice Thanksgiving here at the Connecticut homestead with Tech Guy and his two cats, and Big City Girl and her bunny. The cats shared a cage on the way over in TG's car, but had to return home in two cages since they got into some sort of disagreement and one started hissing non-stop at the other. TG seemed to think they'd be fine once back on their home turf.

Bam Bam the bunny and Big City Girl made the trip up on the subway and the train and arrived in fine shape. Bam Bam, unlike the cats who hissed and hid under the couch, was quite social. He won the award for "most cute." Here he is with his front paws on my bird socks, while BCG offers him some food. Aaahhhhh!

So now that I'm feeling better, the crafting will be starting in earnest. Next Saturday I'm planning to do a craft fair, and I must get organized. Not only that, I have a few dolls to finish up, and a few to dust off and spruce up. And I hope I can get a few of my Santa ornaments done in time. But before I can do any of that, I need to unpack my suitcase. Yes, it still sits. I'm so ashamed. Mr. G. got his unpacked the night we got home. But at least I have a good excuse this time. Those four rascals tricked me......

Reality sucks, I mean returns

Mr. Gadget and I are back from our cruise, and the laundry basket overfloweth. Mr. G. already has his suitcase unpacked and has separated out his dirty clothes. Mine still sits on the floor, but it is opened and I'll get to it eventually. He's a prompt, efficient person. I'm much less efficient and I procrastinate. We've been married 25 years because of the old saying that "opposites attract." Well, that and the fact that neither one of us would look forward to going through the horrid dating scene again......Just kidding Mr. G!

Here are a few highlights of our cruise. The sunsets are always wonderful and this cruise was no exception. This picture was taken early in the cruise as we sailed south out of Los Angeles harbor.

Another favorite cruising activity is the eating. There are endless ops to put on pounds. This guy poses near the pizza counter. Just a few steps away is another guy with a hamburger. And if this wasn't enough, there were the regular 3 meals available in the dining room, the almost-always-open buffet, afternoon tea, specialty buffets on the pool deck throughout the week (Mexican, sushi, and desserts to name a few) and the ice cream place. And don't forget room service, just in case there might have been 5 minutes with no food available elsewhere. Mr. G. and I were disappointed (but not surprised) to find that our sailaway clothes didn't fit so well on the last day. He's off to the gym this morning, and he very thoughtfully invited me to go. I politely declined however. I'm having coffee and chocolates for breakfast. After all, tomorrow is Monday....

Why yes, there were even a few knitting ops. Here I am working on the gray striped socks. Notice the cruise bruise on my left arm? I have no idea how that happened. I assure you it was not Mr. Gadget's doing. It must have been one of those pushy people in the buffet line. Someone who might have thought I was about to beat them to the chocolate eclairs or the strawberry tarts. I thought I had learned to recognize and steer clear of well-seasoned cruisers who have mastered the art of buffet-line interruptus, especially when it comes to sweets, but I must have let my guard down for a moment.

So now I guess I should go unpack and think about starting the washing machine, and maybe I should make a short grocery list. I suppose I'll have to make the bed too. Where the heck is Jeffrey the room steward? I guess it's time to get back to reality......but maybe I'll just have one more chocolate first.......

Happy hour approaches

Mr. Gadget and I will be sailing off into the sunset Saturday on a Princess cruise to the Mexican Riviera. This is a trip we've taken before, but this time our good friends from Connecticut, who are winging their way west as I type, will join us. They've never cruised before, but I'm sure they'll catch on quickly. One of the first orders of business on a ship is the lifeboat drill. This happens after boarding but before the ship sets sail, which means that most folks have had a little bon voyage cocktail, so it's always an interesting photo op. Everyone must put on their life vest and show up at their muster station to listen to instructions on what to do in an emergency. The ship's staff has no mercy for those who plead, "But I've done this before!"

We will spend two days at sea before making stops at Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. I love the sea days. There's no place to go, no errands, no housework, and no dishes to do. We aren't usually ones for lots of excursions, since most of them have a shopping stop that's much too long and much too touristy, and we aren't big shoppers. But Mr. Gadget thought it might be fun to tour a tequila factory, so that's what we have on our agenda in Puerto Vallarta. I've heard there's tasting involved, and I'm sure there's a nice gift shop on the premises. Let's just hope we can find the bus back to the ship.....

Mr. G. was quite amused when I told him I'd blogged about his playgroup at the gym. And since he went again this morning, he informed me there were a couple of new characters I might want to add. There was Mr. Exercise Lite--the guy who wears expensive workout clothes, stomps out a cigarette on his way in, spends a couple of minutes on a few machines, then lights up as he goes out the door. And there's the head roller. This is the man who walks a long time on the treadmill all the while rolling his neck around. So far, the German yoga lady has been a no-show. He says even though she's quite elderly, she is able to contort herself into all sorts of weird poses--the strangest one being an apostrophe.

I'll be taking a blog break for a week or so. Cruise lines give their frequent cruisers free internet, but we aren't there yet. I may have some pictures when I get back, but I'll be sure to delete all of the life vest/tequila ones. So in the words of Arnold, who I understand is coming back for an encore performance here in California, "Hasta la vista, baby!"

Downtown

Here's a view of downtown L.A. from up on the hill where my dad's nursing home is located. Last time I was in town, the whole area was covered with clouds, so I decided to take advantage of the photo op. Dear ol' dad isn't doing quite as well as last time I saw him. A couple of months ago, hospice came onboard to help with his care. I was surprised when one of the nurses suggested it to me; I always thought hospice was just for the end of the journey. But I learned this isn't always the case. If a person meets certain criteria, hospice can intervene earlier to provide comfort to the patient and support for the family members. They've been able to manage pain he somehow couldn't tell me he had. Apparently, it's not unusual for someone to find it difficult to admit to pain--especially an elderly man who has always been extremely independent and self-sufficient. Yesterday he seemed agitated and uncomfortable during my visit, and when I asked him if I could do anything he told me he didn't know what he wanted. So I'm thinking some med-tweaking may be in order.

So while some would turn to elderberry wine to soothe their souls, I've been knitting on this....the Green Mountain Spinnery's basic pullover sweater in Mountain Mohair - color: elderberry.

It's so easy to knit and it's on circular needles, so no seaming required! My kind of project. By the time I get home to Connecticut, I should be all calmed down and ready to tackle the Noro shawl-collared sweater finishing project.

So while I'm not in much of a humorous mood this week, I should let Mr. Gadget write a blog post. Every other day he goes to the condo gym to work out, then he reports back to me about the interesting cast of characters he encounters. While he's on the treadmill, I'm sure he's thinking up good names for them all, so he can tell a good story. There's Billy two-shoes who must get up before dawn because his shoes rarely match. Then there's the spitter....no explanation needed, the puffer--a lady who exhales loudly and often, and the slapper who slaps her legs while she works out. Maybe it's just a circulation-enhancing maneuver. I wonder what they say about Mr. Gadget? Maybe I should embroider his name on his t-shirt so they'll know who they're dealing with.......

Fall follows me

No, I didn't pack this in my suitcase.....or carry it along on the bottom of my shoe. Fall happens here too.....I had just forgotten. There just isn't enough of it to warrant the purchase of a leaf blower....at least not in this neck of the woods where there is hardly an inch of land that someone hasn't built something on.

We did arrive safely yesterday, although I wasn't able to sit in 17A. I had to settle for 17F instead. I wasn't too annoyed. It was still a window seat with plenty of leg room and a nice view. And what did I see out the window? Lots of jets passing us going east. I can't remember ever seeing one so close that I could tell what airline it was, but yesterday there were several. I had a good book and my knitting, so I tried not to think about it. The pilot had one of those calm, confident, I'm-in-charge kind of voices, so I had to trust that he was fully qualified and duly certified.

Mr. Gadget and I always rent a car for the trip from the airport to the condo, and yesterday we got one of these:

It's one of those Chevy HHR's with the retro look. One time they gave us a PT Cruiser. We usually keep it overnight to get our full days' value and drive it out to dinner. I always get a pass on cooking the first night because of jet lag. So late yesterday afternoon we took a little spin in the HHR down to the beach to show Mr. Gadget's brother and our nephew Mr. G's old neighborhood--from his single days. We parked on the cliff above the ocean and I decided to stay in the car while they took a short walk. It wasn't long before an old lady who looked a little like a bag lady---possibly someone still in her Halloween outfit----and an old man stopped next to the car and looked at it like it was an alien spaceship.

"What is it?" she asked. "Hmmm, I don't know," he replied as he put his nose up close to the window and peered in. "Looks like something I used to see a long time ago," she said. They walked all around it for several minutes, all the while playing their guessing game which I could hear very clearly. I was very surprised they weren't trying to get my attention to ask questions about it.....until I realized the windows were darkly tinted and they couldn't see me. Now I know why Tech Guy had his VW windows tinted, even though we strongly suggested he reconsider. All the better for chick-watching.

Now that the stealth fun car has been returned and the jet lag is subsiding, I guess I'll have to do some grocery shopping and a little laundry. No curmudgeon sightings to report yet, but it's just a matter of time.....

Santa ornament

Here's my Santa ornament-in-progress. Actually, this is just the prototype (aka the ornament that will hang on our tree.) There are many of these decoration experiments on our family tree. They are one-of-a-kinds and always whimsical....

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, there are some things about him that need tweaking. I want the hat to hang down on its own. And maybe there should be just a little white hair showing from under the hat. The eyes might be a little smaller.....well, maybe the same size as the one on the left. Talk about whimsical. I'm always looking for ways to hide the opening for the stuffing so that the finished item looks....well.....more finished. It occurred to me that I could stuff this guy through the top of his head, since the stitches I use to close it with will be hidden under his hat.

One year I made some similar Santas that I sold as ornaments and pins. A year or two later, I happened to be browsing in a cute little shop a ways from my home, and the clerk who waited on me was wearing one! It's just so funny when I see one of my crafty things out in the world. I know that's where a lot of them end up, but to actually have an encounter is always a pleasant surprise.

So, since Mr. Gadget and I will be out of town on election day, we filled out absentee ballots. I made the comment to him that one of these days I'm going to refuse to vote for any candidate who trash talks his opponent. Then we both laughed when we realized there would be no need to vote. It continues to amaze me how the behavior of many people in business and government has failed to progress further than the kindergarten playground.

I guess I'll stop now and attend to the business of packing and the politics of sock-knitting. I've finished the left sock and now I'm working on the right.....

Angels

Today I finished the two angels and sent their pictures to the lady who ordered them. She was very pleased, and plans to pick them up on Friday. I guess she was happy with the carrot-top hair. When I picked out the fabric for the outfits, I had the auburn hair color in mind. But I think they look fine with the brighter shade. I've actually gotten pretty good at justifying all of my color combinations. I just call them "whimsical."

I was about to clean up the treehouse after I did the last bit of stitching on the angels, and then I decided to do a little more fiddling with the Santa ornament. He's coming along, but still needs tweaking. His hat doesn't flop over on its own, which is what I had in mind. I'll try a little different design. And the wired holly isn't going to work for the hat trim....it's too big. I may be able to find it in a smaller version, or I might just cut a couple of tiny holly leaves out of green felt and sew on a few red beads. I'll post a picture next time; Blogger must be sleepy tonight.

So Mr. Gadget and I will soon be closing up our respective shops here in the Connecticut homestead and getting ready for another trip west. We'll be leaving on Saturday morning for two weeks, the last of which will be a 7-day Mexican cruise. My sewing machine will get a much-deserved rest, and I'll take back up with my sock knitting. Blogging should continue, uninterrupted, for the next week or so from the west coast. I can only imagine how you all must be looking forward to a curmudgeon update.......

Halloween happenings

I noticed these big guys yesterday on my walk around the neighborhood. I don't think they were destined to be jack o'lanterns, since I'm sure the carving job would take several days. When the kids were living at home, we always carved two. One for each kid. Fair and square. Seems I usually ended up getting the innards out, since that was an icky job they didn't like. But then us moms usually find most of the icky jobs falling into our laps. It's in the job description.....somewhere.

I'm feeling sorry for a couple of my neighbors. They're new to the neighborhood and went all out with their decorations. Lots of jack o'lanterns on the porch and lighted luminaries along the sidewalk. We've had a grand total of 5 kids at the door....up from last years' 2. Maybe next year they'll be more sensible and buy a $1.77 (on sale) package of Snickers and just turn on the porch light. Maybe I've become a party pooper. I used to think it would be fun to dress up like a witch and sit out on the porch in my rocking chair doling out the goodies. I'm glad I didn't get into my witch garb tonight and drag out the chair. It would have been lonely and boring. Maybe just me and the bats, and a little knitting....

So Tech Guy did dress up in the scary-man-with-the-box costume for work, and I made a special trip over to take his picture.

Here he is holding the box with the real arm on his left and the fake on the right. You can see him poking his fingers out of the box. He wisely decided not to gore it up too badly, since there would be little kids coming around and he didn't want to give them nightmares. He actually hand-sewed the gloves to the box and I was impressed with the nice job he did.

He sewed the fingers in such a way that they look like they're gripping the box. It will be fun to hear how his evening went, and whether the paramedics were called for someone who may have been overcome with fright.....

So I asked Big City Girl if she and her boyfriend were dressing up for Halloween, and she said they were and that they would be taking part in a parade in the village. Oh, that BCG! She's talking like a native now. That would be village as in Greenwich. They were planning to dress up as Scully and Mulder from "The X Files." Never having been a watcher of that show, I have no clue, but she said a red wig was involved. Thankfully, she didn't ask me for help with the costume. I'm always happy to consult, as I did for Tech Guy. I just no longer want to have myself or my sewing machine involved. Or my glue gun or my fabric stash. And definitely not my yarn.....

Angel wings

Here are the wings for one of the angel dolls. It's butterflies for Katherine; the other one, for Brynn, will have bees. I've learned a few helpful hints for dollmaking along the way....mostly from my own mistakes and not being happy with the finished doll. I used to cut a slit on the back side for turning the wings (they are sewn right sides together with a layer of batting thrown in.) But then I realized that the back side will show, and the middle of the front will be up against the doll and won't show at all. It always seems crazy to be cutting into the side I've just finished all that hand-stitching on, but it works well in the end.

I've been fiddling around with ideas for the Santa ornament. Here's what I have so far. I think I'll use black beads for the eyes instead of drawing them on with pen. I'll make a hat that will hang down a ways and decorate it with a small gold bell. I'm not sure about the hat trim. I do have some small holly leaves on wire that might work nicely and it would be easy to attach. I've used this in the past for Santa ornaments I made with driftwood. I kinda stole, I mean borrowed the idea from some Santas I'd seen done on oyster shells. I think I mentioned once that I'm not one to buy things at craft fairs, but I had to have one of those! So cute. I'll try to remember to take a picture.

Mr. Gadget did indeed go out and blow leaves today, in spite of the windy conditions. It won't be long before he'll be looking out the window and noticing that lots of his work has been undone. And I did see that the man across the street--the one who blew his leaves into a huge pile around his tree--is out raking those leaves onto a tarp for dragging to the wooded area behind his house. I guess he wasn't saving them for his grandkids after all.

So I bought some Halloween candy last week so we'd be ready for the crowds of trick-or-treaters on Tuesday night. If we're lucky we'll get two or three. That was the count last year. But you never know, and it's good to be prepared. I asked Tech Guy if he was going to dress up in a costume for work and he wasn't so sure. Then he perked up when I reminded him of a great costume he wore one year. It was jeans, a sweatshirt and a pair of work gloves. He stuffed one of the sleeves of the sweatshirt and attached a glove. He carried a box....with one real gloved hand and the phony gloved hand taped or glued on somehow. He had cut a hole in the side of the box so he could put his free arm and hand inside and he gored it up with fake blood and a nasty injury. I only hope his boss has a sense of humor......

Mr. Gadget informs me that we're well prepared for Halloween this year. He made a trip up to the attic a couple of days ago to stash a window fan and noticed 5 bats hanging out up there. Here's hoping they don't find their way inside for another close encounter. Things are batty enough around here.......

Carrot top or auburn?

So I'm making a couple of angel dolls for a lady who requested that they have red hair and blue eyes. They are to resemble the two little girls for whom they will be Christmas gifts. While at the fiber festival last weekend I was on the lookout for red locks (not to be confused with roving) and found the bright red on the left. Then, just before leaving, I found the more muted shade on the right. I was so happy to find it because I was thinking the other one might be too much. Then I asked the lady who ordered the dolls whether she wanted a carrot-top look or more of a reddish-brown, and she said, "definitely carrot top." So I guess I'll stick with my first find.

The lavendar yarn has nothing to do with the angel dolls. It was a gift from a friend of mine who also loves to knit. She's a dear lady who has had some health problems in recent months and just doesn't get out and about very much. But she knits lovely sweater sets for babies (for which she doesn't charge nearly enough) and she can hardly keep up with the orders. Yesterday I was going to be in her neighborhood and I offered to pick up some yarn for her....seems there's been lots of boy babies born lately and she was running short of blue. So I took her the two skeins of blue she requested and included several more skeins in pink, yellow, and a pretty varigated blue as a gift. She was so thrilled that she sent me home with the lavendar, and a copy of a pattern for a cute little rolled-brim baby hat. Not only that, she gave me a lesson on seaming. Not that I needed it......

We've had lots of rain today and finally the sun came out this afternoon. Here's a fall view from the treehouse....dirty windows and all. Looks like Mr. Gadget has his work cut out for him and his leaf blower what with all those leaves on the ground. A little while ago I spotted about 300 grackles out there on the lawn, but of course they were gone by the time I found my camera.

So I've decided to do a craft fair the first weekend in December. I usually do a few during the fall, but this year I just couldn't get energized to go through the process of applying, making stuff, packing the car, and then schlepping it all in the wee hours. I think I'm getting too old for it. But then I thought maybe I could do just one, and I could take all of the various crafty things I've got stashed. Maybe I could just call it a "stash reduction project." I've promised myself I won't make anything new. Well, maybe I'll make some Santa ornaments out of those snow-white locks I bought last weekend. And maybe a snowman or two. But that's definitely all.......

Million Dollar Baby

When Big City Girl was very small, I made her a pair of pink rompers and embroidered these cute little bears on the front. I do believe it was the last time BCG wore anything this colorful.....until now. Yesterday I received an email from her in which she informed me that she had just purchased some pink boxing gloves. It seems she's taking boxing lessons down there in the big city, and she says she's pretty good. And it seemed reasonable for her to get some gloves of her own, since the ones at the gym get pretty grungy what with all the girls having to share.

Strange as it seems, I'm not too upset by this boxing development. Well, I am assuming it's taking place at a respectable gym where they require head protection and mouth guards and all, since these days we live amid lots of litigating lawyers. She's getting some good exercise, has a great outlet for her stress, and she might be able to bop an unruly subway rider if one should cross her path. I just hope Mr. Gadget and I don't receive an invitation to an actual match. But I sure would like to see those pink gloves. Maybe I can ask her to bring them home for Thanksgiving.

Here's another pair of rompers, sewn in a more neutral color to better show off the giraffe. I haven't been able to part with these. I'm not sure what I'm saving them for, except that maybe Big City Girl will have a little romping toddler herself one of these days and would like to have these for old times' sake.

So today I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. Somehow the basement treadmill didn't seem too exciting. The fall colors are still beautiful and they will be gone soon. It's a little blustery today. Not a good day for raking leaves, but definitely a good one for gathering a little firewood for later and making sure there's hot chocolate mix in the cupboard.

It might even be a good evening for tackling second sock syndrome, or doing a little swatch for the elderberry pullover. Darn......now that nagging Noro guilt is creeping in.....

A few things about Rhinebeck

On the way into Rhinebeck for the fiber festival on Saturday, we passed this montrosity, I mean house. You will notice that the paint job is not quite complete. Maybe they are reconsidering....do you think? It makes me wonder why I bought a can of red Rustoleum for my mailbox. I could have just bought some of this color and painted the whole house, and never would have ever again had to worry about pizza going to the wrong address.

Blogger Bingo was a big success. There was lots of meeting and greeting, and much picture-taking. Shrieking was minimal. Hand-knit sweaters were plentiful, as were scarves and shawls.

Here is my friend Marcia in the center of the picture. She is probably involved in a very interesting conversation with the other bloggers about spinning. When going to a fiber festival, it is helpful to have at least a small knowledge of "spinish," or at least to have taken a night school class in "conversational spinish," so you won't miss anything interesting. I didn't think to do this, so I was rather embarrassed after going into a vendor's booth to purchase "washed locks" for Santa beards, and mistakenly referring to them as "roving."

These two fellas were walking through the crowd, probably for the entertainment of the children. I'm sure the spinners were having visions of the wonderful yarn they could spin from these guys. It's all just doll hair to me. Well maybe one or two santa beards. And see those leaves? There was still lots of color around. Just the right kind of a day for a fiber festival. Cool enough to keep us running from one barn to the next, and not so warm as to have us searching for a bench and iced tea.

So I should probably share about my loot. I did pretty well in sticking to my shopping list. I bought some Mountain Mohair from Green Mountain Spinnery in elderberry to make their basic pullover sweater (pattern purchased on an earlier yarn crawl). I also bought some roving, I mean curly locks.....some in green for witch hair and some in red for the two angel dolls I'm planning to make for a special order. I also bought some purple sock yarn. I passed up the Socks that Rock booth when I noticed the 1/4 mile long line. I'll be happy with my STR Toucan socks from last year. Maybe someone can tell me what makes sock yarn worthy of such a long wait. Then again, maybe if you knit socks while waiting in line for sock yarn it isn't so bad.....

Bingo Blogging

I suppose I've always been a little square, but tomorrow my being square will have a whole new meaning. I've signed up to be a square in the big game of Blogger Bingo that will be taking place among the fiber enthusiasts attending the New York Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck, New York. Being a Bingo square means that all day I will wear this cute little pin that I made and allow myself to be discovered by those who have taken on the role of "player." These will be the fiber-loving folks who have decided they want to hunt among the throngs of attendees to find the bloggers (all wearing squares) whose blog names appear on their game cards. I figure that since I've never been able to walk and chew gum (or talk while driving through freeway interchanges....just ask my cousin) being a square will allow me to shop for fiber while I play. It should be fun and there will probably be lots of shrieking....

I did have fun making my square badge. This is the second version. The first had the mini penne pasta pieces hanging down in a fringe effect. It was just too much. This version is much simpler and should not get tangled up in any of my fiber purchases or those of others in the event that there is a crush of shoppers converging on any one particular popular fiber vendor.

My camera batteries are fully charged and there's good weather in the forecast for Rhinebeck tomorrow. I should have a few pictures, not to mention a few stories to tell, when next I post. And did I mention, I'm riding with Marcia who is threatening to drive her husband's truck? There could be quite a fiber haul.....

Niagara Falls

I've been away from the blog for a few days, and enjoying a road trip to Niagara Falls with my cousin who was visiting from San Diego. She'd always wanted to see it, and offered to treat us to a suite on the 33rd floor of the Embassy Suites with this amazing view. Before we checked out yesterday morning, she suggested we drive around to the long narrow parking lot and stop for a few minutes for one last close-up look. Fortunately we checked with the hotel people first and found out that it was $18 to park there, so she wisely decided that the view from the hotel was sufficient.

We had a wonderful visit and did some touristy things. A must-do is the Maid of the Mist boat ride that goes right up close to the falls and requires the wearing of a plastic slicker. Not terribly fashionable, but very helpful in staying somewhat dry....well, I guess I should say less wet.

My cousin is now winging her way back to San Diego as I type. I delivered her to the shuttle pick-up point this morning at 3:30, and returned home for a few more hours of sleep. I can only hope she is able to catch a few winks along the way. She did confess to me that one time she fell asleep in the boarding area and a nice airline employee woke her up before her flight departed without her. It's always nice to get a little extra service.....

So now I'm going to gear up for the big trek to Rhinebeck on Saturday. The Noro shawl-collared sweater is still sitting in the time-out area, and I will finish it up before starting something else....I promise! But I will be looking for some yarn for the next project which will probably be a pullover sweater. I picked up a pattern at the Green Mountain Spinnery on an earlier fiber crawl. I'll also be looking for some roving for doll hair. I just got an order for a couple of angels with red hair and blue eyes. They'll be gifts for young girls and I've been asked to embroider their names on them. One will have bees on the wings and the other will have butterflies. And after that, another red hat lady. I may only have time to fondle my fiber purchases for a while.....

Friday the 13th

"Did you do a blog post today?" asked Mr. Gadget.

"No. I don't do them everyday," I replied.

"But today is Friday the 13th. I thought for sure you'd put some scary-looking witches up there."

"I've put a lot of witch pictures on the blog lately," I told him. "I'm sure my scores of readers are getting tired of looking at them."

"Hmmmmm," he said, obviously giving this some serious thought. "Maybe I could go get my chainsaw. You really shouldn't let this day get by with nothing to show for it."

So off went Mr. Gadget to get his really big scariest of gadgets from the garage. With the hooded sweatshirt and Big City Girl's collaged paper mache mask from her high school art class the look was complete. Good thing he didn't start that sucker up is all I can say. Now, if I'm just able to convince him to stand in the front window on Halloween night, I probably won't have to bother buying any candy.....

Back roads

So today I had my yearly appointment with the lady doc--you know, the one who's concerned with my southern hemisphere. And as I headed down my driveway, I decided to take the back roads.....since the fall colors are so pretty and all. Mr. Gadget thinks I'm silly not to take the highway (a/k/a freeway) since it would, after all, get me there 3 minutes faster. But I like the back roads and the slower pace and the lack of traffic......and the chance to take in nature. Not to mention, I figured my blood pressure would be somewhere in the normal range by the time I got there.

Now I probably shouldn't fess up to taking these pictures while driving, since I've already made my feelings known about those irresponsible driving cell phone users. And you probably wouldn't believe me if I said it was my imaginary friend taking these photos. I will say I put the camera down the minute I noticed other cars on the road. And I promise not to do it again.....well, at least not until winter. I did notice some awesomely-decorated houses for Halloween along the way. Fodder for a future post.

Here's a drawing of one of my witch dolls. It was done by my friend Sandi, for whom I made a doll. She was so pleased with it, she sketched it and sent me the drawing. At one time she mentioned sketching up several of my dolls with the idea of creating a calendar, or some note cards, or what-have-you. Then her grandson got married (the big Block Island wingding) and her house flooded, and she took a little tumble. You might say she got sidetracked. But things are much better now and maybe she's back in a sketching mood.

So Mr. Gadget just intercommed me up here in the treehouse (I think that's a word) and he wants to give me a lesson on operating the GPS system (a/k/a Carol). Did I mention that my cousin is coming for a visit and we'll be driving up to Niagara Falls next week? I'll be taking careful notes during this important tutorial. I'm sure there will be a few references to "thingies" and "whatjamajigs." I can already see Mr. G. scratching his head......

Mitzi and the hags

Here are the 3 witches I just finished, plus Mitzi. She didn't sell on eBay, so she's joined the coven. I did a Google search to see if I could find the names of the 3 witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth, since that would have been an easy way to name them. It seems that Hecate was the head witch, but I'm not sure if she was one of the three. At any rate, Mr. S. did refer to them as the "black and midnight hags" and some of the other characters called them the "weird sisters." Apparently they were known for their "eye of newt and toe of frog" recipes. I'm so sorry I can't share one with you.....

So yesterday I answered the phone and it was Melva looking for the Sweethart bus. Melva was an elderly person and the Sweethart bus is part of our municipal bus system that has been set up to provide rides to the elderly. Our phone number is very similar to their number and it's easy to transpose two numbers. We've been living with this for over 20 years. Melva understood that she had the wrong number and told me she didn't have a pencil when I offered to give her the right one, so I suggested she try again. She did, and she got me again. I took down her info, which was fairly simple. She didn't want the bus to pick her up today. Then I called the bus company on her behalf and canceled the bus. Good thing I didn't get a busy signal. Mr. Gadget thinks it's funny when I do this for people, but I just tell him that we'll be old and confused one day and I hope I'm fortunate to get someone on the phone who's friendly and helpful.

So as if the phone number wasn't enough of an issue, we also have an address issue. There are two #4's on our street. It's a long, boring story about how this came to be, so I won't go into it. This is our mailbox....which I suggested painting red so as to make giving directions much easier. We've even added a 4th line to our address for shipping purposes by putting "red mailbox" right under the street address. Sometimes this works and sometimes not. What we hate to miss are those pizza deliveries....

You might notice that the mailbox post is a little beat-up looking. That's because Mr. Gadget has had to resurrect it many times because of mailbox vandals who like nothing better to do than to drive through neighborhoods in the middle of the night with baseball bats. Some folks have encased their mailboxes in concrete or bricks in their efforts to outfox these rascals. We haven't gone that far, but I must say that things have calmed down since the teenagers grew up and moved out.

So now I'm going to start a big pot of veggie soup. It's gotten a little cooler here in the northeast and can now officially be called "soup weather." I'll throw in some carrots, celery, onion, tomato, cabbage, and pasta. And maybe I'll check the cupboards to see if I have any eye of newt.....

Weekend sky

At first glance, this might look like a picture of the sky, but it's really Mr. Gadget's latest project. He was doing some work with his spackling gadgets in Big City Girl's room over the weekend. When I went in to check on his progress, we both remarked that BCG must have thought every square inch of every wall was her personal bulletin board. I should mention that two of the holes he spackled were actually ones left from her actual bulletin board. Maybe this was her revenge for the times we said she couldn't go to those co-ed sleepovers, even though every one of her friends' parents said yes. We can only hope she has teenagers herself one day....and plenty of walls to spackle.

In my last post I promised the cookie recipe, and here it is. They're chocolate chip by the way.

• 1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 c. Crisco
• 2-1/2 c. flour
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1- 12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips

Cream the butter and Crisco in mixing bowl. Add 1-1/4 cup flour, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, baking soda and vanilla and mix well. Add the remaining 1-1/4 cup flour and mix. Add the chocolate chips and mix til blended in. Drop on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 10 min. My family likes soft cookies rather than crunchy, so I take them out of the oven when they are just barely browned on top. I also use milk chocolate chips rather than semi-sweet.

So the three new witches are coming along nicely. They've been assembled and are now being accessorized. I decided to give them shorter hair so as not to get all tangled up in the boa. I'll leave the naming up to their new owners. I'm hoping they'll be ready to fly outta here by Thursday or so. After that, I'll be getting ready for a visit from my west coast cousin. I'm sure she'll want to see the treehouse. I can only hope the characters will be on their best behavior......

Happenings in the 'hood

It's a very beautiful and quiet day here on our newly-paved street. As you can see, the leaves are "gettin' on with it," although there are still lots of green trees. Now matter how hard we try to predict the peak of the color, it seems to always happen about the 15th of October.

Now that the totally disappointing and grossly overpaid Yankees have finished their season, Mr. Gadget has been watching football and I've been doing some witch construction and cookie baking. We thought it might be a good time to go say hello to a couple of new families that moved into the neighborhood months ago.

I was able to use my new Hefty plates with the neat and clever locking mechanisms. They are just the right size for a friendly, neighborly gesture. Unfortunately, no one was home at either house, so now I must put them in the freezer for a day or two. Too bad for them. They were still warm.

These cookies are very easy to make, and they've been shared at all kinds of occasions. They're from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook--the one with the red and white checks. There's no sifting involved; you just throw everything in the bowl at once and mix away...well, just about. I always keep the ingredients on hand because I just never know when my cookies might be needed. I will share the recipe in my next post.

So while we were out trying to deliver the sweets, I noticed something strange going on across the street. Our neighbor--the one who mows his lawn several times a week--has been blowing his leaves into a pile around this tree. And since I enjoy trying to solve the neighborhood mysteries, I'm guessing he's saving this for his grandchildren. They are young, and I'm sure they would like nothing more than to jump in this pile o' leaves. Grandpa will no doubt have his video camera ready to record the event, and will happily clean up the leaves...again....after they've gone home. Twenty years ago the same thing was happening on our side of the street...heh....heh.....Rest assured that I will let you know what happens to this pile, as I'm sure you're just as curious as I am.....

So Mr. Gadget is wearing a couple of bandaids on his left cheek--evidence of a little mishap that occurred a couple of nights ago. We were at the home of some friends who have two Jack Russell terriers. They always greet us warmly. Mr. G. decided to pick up the smaller of the two to see if he would give him a friendly lick on the cheek, but the dog had something else in mind. I'm happy to report that he's recuperating nicely though, and no doctor visits were necessary. Now that I know bandaids aren't just for home repair jobs, I guess I'll have to start carrying bandaids in my purse. Poor Mr. Gadget. I just can't take him anywhere......

It's about the garbage

I'll get to the garbage, but first....here's a cute little ceramic pin I bought when I was in California last. It was one of those impulse purchases. It reminded me of the bat stories I've shared. Thankfully there haven't been any more, although Mr. Gadget did report there were plenty of bats flying around when he went to take out the garbage last night. Well, I guess I am feeling a little batty now that I've delivered two special-order witches which somehow acted as advertisements for my witch factory here in the treehouse, and now I have special orders for three more. I'd better get to crackin'.....

So before I get to the garbage story, here's what finally happened on our street yesterday. I didn't see any cops, maybe because we're a cul-de-sac and not a regular street, but there were plenty of worker guys and plenty of coffee drinking. Mostly they were drinking their coffee right on their equipment as they worked. Apparently, like the youth of today, they've mastered the art of multi-tasking whereby they can drive, talk on the cell, drink Starbucks coffee, smoke, change the CD and chat with their friends all at the same time. That's all ok I guess.....as long as they aren't driving behind me.

So Mr. Gadget and I have a long-established garbage tradition. On Wednesday nights, after watching Jeopardy, we kick into gear. He gathers the trash from the wastebaskets around the house and I clean up the dinner dishes and eliminate anything old from the fridge. Then I stack up the old newspapers and tie them up. This I only do every other week. I'm always happy when I realize it's on off-week. It leaves more time for knitting. Then Mr. G. takes everything down to the street, refusing my offers of assistance. Retrieval of the garbage cans the next day, however, is not a task that has been permanently assigned. This morning I took it on when I noticed one of the cans had blown into the street....the nice, newly paved street. Neighborly neighbors will sometimes rescue an errant one, but you never know. And God forbid that we be one can short when next weeks' garbage event rolls around.

Some couples have real issues with garbage. Not us. We're secure in our roles when it comes to garbage. Now, if I could only get Mr. Gadget to stop squeezing the toothpaste tube in the middle.......

Bad hair day

Here's glitzy Mitzi with her jewels and her bad hair. Notice that spider on her cheek? I don't think she knows it's there! I noticed a little spot on the fabric after I got the head stuffed--maybe something from the tea-dying process. I debated about whether to just leave it, make it into a mole, or stitch it into a spider. I think the spider makes her a little scary-looking, just in case the eyes and the hair aren't scary enough. I'm working on her hat and will probably sew it on tonight while I'm watching a baseball game. I'm a big Yankees fan.

My eBay auction closed this afternoon and the primitive cat and pumpkin are going to a very nice lady in the Boston area. She already owns one of my other cats--Henry who was pictured in an earlier post sitting on the piano. She has lots of real cats and I can only hope they've been kind to Henry.

So here are the results of the water drinking. The blood test started out well, but then turned nasty. The nurse blamed it on her equipment. She said I did fine with all the drinking, and she apologized. At least she got it on one try, which is a big improvement over many previous tests when the entire nursing staff took a stab at me.

And as for Weight Watchers, I lost 2.5 lbs over the last 2 weeks. I was really hoping for more, but I'm happy the numbers are going down and not up. It's kind of depressing though, when I realize how hard it is to lose it, and how easy it would be to wipe out that loss with one good day of cruise eating.

So Fall is here in the northeast. The trees are turning color. There are a few pumpkins appearing on porches. The hummingbirds have left. We've cranked up the kerosene heater in the mornings to take the chill off. Mr. Gadget changed the oil in his leaf blower. And the highway people still haven't re-paved the street, although they tease us by sending out the street sweeper every few days to clear the leaves. They'd better hurry if they want to beat the snow. If it's like the usual road work around town, there'll be two or three cops to direct traffic, a couple dozen worker guys, and lots of coffee breaks......

Clair (de lune)

Here is my latest witch. I've named her Clair for clair de lune....the French term for "moonlight." She has moons all over her outfit. I wasn't sure what to name her, but I was pretty sure I wanted to steer clear of "Looney." A few days ago when I was on the treadmill in the basement, I noticed a couple of my old college books on a shelf and realized they might be helpful when writing the blog. One is Webster's New World Dictionary and the other is The Synonym Finder. So as I was perusing the synonym book, after a quick look in the dictionary for the proper spelling and meaning of peruse, I saw the reference to clair de lune. But I have to be truthful, they didn't actually call it "moonlight"...heh...heh.....they called it "moonshine."

It's too bad I have such a fondness for seeing my dolls in purple. It's just a you-know-what (might just rhyme with witch) to photograph. And the tweaking gets frustrating. Once the purple is good, the rest of it looks like pond scum. Maybe I should just take myself across the street to see the owners of Clarence and Henry who are professional photographers. Maybe they would give me some neighborly advice. I'd pay handsomely for this kind of advice too.......chocolate chip cookies.


So a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I was going to start trying to drink more water. I bought myself a 1.5 liter bottle of Poland Spring and I've been carrying it around with me. I'm happy to report that most days I've been able to down the whole thing. So far, I've noticed two benefits. One is I haven't been very hungry in the afternoons....which is when most of my grazing usually occurs, and the other is that I've been very happy with just one cup of coffee in the morning. I haven't even thought about the usual afternoon cup, or three or four. I'm counting on a couple more benefits too. One will be an easy blood test tomorrow at the doctor's office. The nurse always nags me to drink more water before the test to make it easier on both of us. And on Tuesday, I'll check in at Weight Watchers with hopes that two weeks of eating well, and all that exercise I've added from running back and forth to the bathroom, will be nicely reflected on the scale. After all, I need to get in condition for my next cruise.....

So you don't want to know about the Noro shawl-collared sweater. I started taking it apart a couple of nights ago when I was tired and in a bad mood. Not a good idea. A major repair must now be done to one of the sleeves. I'm hoping to just frog it back a few rows and re-knit it. So while it sits in a time-out for a few days, I'll revisit my sock knitting, and drink some more water......