The Busy Knitter

Well, since I haven't started my job yet I have been very busy knitting! I finished a pair of cotton baby slippers using a pattern from Adorable Knits for Tots by Zoe Mellor. I used a wonderfully soft yarn from KnitPicks called Shine Sport.

I also went to a nearby church. It is a Unitarian Universalist church. Does anyone know anything about them? Today's topic was "Being Alone Together" based on a chapter of the book A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer. It was an interesting discussion, and I think I will go back, but I left there feeling like I still needed to go to church. There was no prayer or talk of God, which was strange to me. They talked today about the soul and the idea that our soul is in perfect form when we are born and throughout our lives it tries to call us back to that state. I imagine I'll go back again. During the summer they have a different format than the rest of the year so it could be a very different experience starting in the fall. I think the members have varying beliefs about God, religion, and spirituality. One misson of the church, as near as I can tell, is to support everyone in their search for the truth. They are big into peace and justice and service to the community and those are all things that I can support.

Pumpkin Hat

I finished Cheyanne's poncho...picture to be added later. I also made a pumpkin hat which I hope to make more of and sell around here in the fall. I used Patrick's Pumpkin pattern from Fiber Trends. It was fun to see it take form!

Somewhat Employed

I finally found a job! Okay, so it is just part-time, but it is definitely a good job and one that I think I will enjoy. I'll get to work with kids birth-age 5 and their families and make home visits...everything that I look for in a job! Now I just need to find another job so I can afford my own place again. Having one job figured out definitely makes me feel better and I'm excited to start!

Pretty Things

I've been helping my brother and sister-in-law unpack boxes at their new house. They have lots of space, especially now that I'm not living in their basement. The girls have enjoyed exploring the house and it is right down the street from a creamery where they serve ice cream! We had a bit of excitement when it started to pour rain and the van windows were down but Rodney and Carmina weren't home. My mom and I quickly wrapped all the windows in 3 rolls of plastic wrap. Sorry, no photo.

I'm back at the cottage and had a job interview today. I'm also working on my current knitting project which is a light purple (actually "wisteria") poncho in Shine Worsted cotton yarn from Knit Picks. It is for Cheyanne to wear to first grade in the fall. I showed it to her and she said it is "too soft." She's very particular about how things feel, so I hope she'll wear it when I'm done.


I also have to share photos of an old quilt that is at the cottage. I have always loved this quilt. If I recall correctly, it was in the cottage when my parents bought the place in the early 70's so we don't know who made it. My mom reminded me that my first boyfriend and I used to fight over it when we'd stay here.

It has so many tiny, colorful squares that I imagine were scraps of fabric that had been used to make other things. I wish I could tell the person who made it how loved it has been.

Eating Food From the Side of the Road

I had to stop at the side of the road today so my mom could jump out and pick some elderberry blossoms. She just fried them up with a fritter recipe then dipped them in maple syrup and they tasted quite a bit like pancakes. I wasn't so sure but, when she reminded me that they aren't like eating cicadas, I tried them. The kids loved them.

We All Scream for Ice Cream

I just realized that it has been quite awhile since I've included a recipe on my blog. I supposed it is to be expected, with my recent move and all, but I have been cooking. I have also been making frozen treats! I have to recommend an entire book this time: The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein. I can also heartily recommend the Cuisinart ICE-30BC 2 Qt. Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet and Ice Cream Maker. It doesn't use salt and you can make ice cream on your kitchen counter! This week I made the Raspberry Ice Cream...yum! We also really like the blueberry sorbet (especially in our smoothies) and the Chocolate "Lower-Fat" Ice Cream. The recipes are a bit cumbersome the first couple of times until you get the hang of the process but the results are quite tasty!

A Little Place of Our Own

A little tent in the sunshine, with a cool breeze and the occasional thrill of a drizzle...glorious!

You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs...

My parents are here along with Ember and Cheyanne this week while their house is being packed up. This morning we picked over 30 pounds of sweet cherries and another 25 pounds of sour cherries. The sweet cherries were so plentiful we could pick big handfuls of them at a time. The girls didn't want to leave the orchard but I don't think any of their cherries made it into our boxes. They have also had alot of fun looking for frogs. They even like to kiss them. Is that healthy?

Oh, the Tears

As promised, here is the picture of me crying when the Knit Wits surprised me with my un-birthday scarf.

The Knit Wits

Okay, so today is Sunday. Usually I spend at least 3 hours knitting at the coffeeshop with the Knit Wits, but I've moved away. One of them posted a comment on my previous post saying that I must not miss them one bit, but I very much do! They made me a gorgeous un-birthday scarf, with each person making one or more squares and then they pieced it all together. I'll post a photo when I get one. They made my cry. :(

I hope they all want to be posted on the internet, because here they are...the Knit Wits: