Happy Halloween

I carved two of my pumpkins. The third one was a little moldy so I chucked it. I wish I had a catapult so I could have really done some pumpkin chuckin, but I do not. Therefore, I just tossed it in the trash. Here are my carved masterpieces.





One is of Tinkerbelle and the other is the Cheshire Cat. I got both patterns from a Disney pumpkin carving kit. When I was carving the Cheshire cat face it was a little scary because I thought the mouth was somewhat big and that it was going to fall into it’s self. Luckily, it stayed put.



We picked up a bag of peanut M&M’s to hand out to the trick or treaters. We live on a cualdasack and it is very spooky at night just on a regular night. Last year we only got one trick or treater. We are expecting the same turn out. I prefer the regular M&M so that is why I picked the ones with the peanuts. I do not need that kind of temptation sitting around. Now if they were the regular M& M’s that bag would not have a chance it would be gone before Thanksgiving or even sooner. Chocolate is my weakness.

This weekend there is a huge celebration that goes on called THE DAY OF THE DEAD. Mexicans celebrate it and since we are very close to that culture here, many of the festivities take place in our town. I will tell you more next week after I learn more about it. From what I understand so far, it is celebrating in honor of loved ones that have passed. It looks interesting.


Many Bloggers I read have some changing events taking place in there lives and I too have some major things going on. Change must be in the wind. I think that might be a good sign. I will talk more about the upcoming changes in my life next week. I am starting to feel like a soap opera. I am leaving with just a glimpse on Friday hoping you will tune in next week to see what it is all about.

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

P.S. Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour Saturday night. 8)

Trick or Treat

I pick treat. How about some

Halloween Brownies



Just grab a box of your favorite brownie mix and a bag of tollhouse Halloween shapes and Morsels.



Follow instructions on box of brownies then mix in morsels. Pour into pan and bake. Walla, Yummy chocolate spookiness.




Favorite Halloween symbol

I love witches. When I was a kid, I would read all the books on magic and witchcraft. I so wanted to have magical powers. I thought it would be wonderful to snap my fingers and my room would be sparklingly clean or blink and I would be dressed and done up in the latest fashion and looks. I have always thought black cats were lucky.

I do not know about you but I am in the mood for a little artsy literature spookiness.



Here is an excerpt from Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Act IV scene 1

A dark Cave. In the middle, a Caldron boiling. Thunder.

Enter the three Witches.

1 WITCH. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
2 WITCH. Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin'd.
3 WITCH. Harpier cries:—'tis time! 'tis time!

(1 WITCH). Round about the caldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.—
Toad, that under cold stone,
Days and nights has thirty-one;
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot!

(ALL). Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

(2 WITCH). Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

(ALL). Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

(3 WITCH). Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf;
Witches' mummy; maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark;
Root of hemlock digg'd i the dark;
Liver of blaspheming Jew;
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse;
Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips;
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,—
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,
For the ingrediants of our caldron.

(ALL). Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

(2 WITCH). Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.

I LOVE That!
I remember back in grade school saying the reframe over and over with my girl friends “DOUBLE DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE, FIREBURN AND CALDRON BUBBLE. Yes, I was a nerd. I am OK with that.



I am also a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe. He is the master of dark poetry. Since this is a happy blog I thought it would be best to not share his work. But if you are in the mood check out one of his books in the library. He has many short stories and long poems. Great Creepy Stuff.

On a Happy Note
Here are some cool pet Halloween costumes from Brands On Sale






You can find these costumes and more right here.
Have a spooky day!

The Creative Weasley

This weekend I was getting a little bored with knitting on my Weasley sweater. There is not many fancy stitches and I think I am more excited to get it done so I can wear it then I am excited about knitting the simple pattern. Therefore, I was inspired to make a miniature Weasley sweater for Rosey. I just kind of made up the pattern myself and it worked out luckily. It gives me an idea of how mine is going to come out. I really like the two colors together. Mine is still coming along still working on the back. If I could just not get distracted with other knitting adventures, I think I could get more done on it. I have a bunch of new knitting projects I would love to start. They are calling to me taunting me to start them. I am really turning into a selfish knitter. Here it is 9 weeks before Christmas and all the knitting on my list are things for me. Maybe next year or maybe I will do what I hear a lot of knitters do they pull an all knighter on Christmas Eve and whip out several scarf presents and socks for unexpecting family members. Enough about Christmas, let us talk about HALLOWEEN!




Favorite Halloween Movie

My favorite Halloween movie is Tim Burton’s Nightmare before Christmas. Oops I brought up Christmas again. It is tradition in our house to watch it on All Hallows Eve. I never get tired of this movie. Tim Burton is a creative genius and I love his work. Some other movies that Tim Burton did that were awesomely picturesque are Beetle Juice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Sleepy Hollow, and Big Fish. He is currently working on a remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka.



This time of year, I tend to skip around the house singing lyrics from the movie Nightmare before Christmas. Of course, I do not know all the words so I just sing the parts I remember like I will blurt out;

THIS IS HALLOWEEN; THIS IS HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN.
PUMPKINS SCREEM IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT

IN THIS TOWN WE CALL HOME
EVERYBODY HAIL TO THE PUMPKIN SONG

MAKING CHRISTMAS, MAKING CHRISTMAS, MAKING CHRISTMAS



Here is a Nightmare before Christmas fan site. All Photos were taken from the screen savers available on this site.


Last Night my husband (Chris) and I watched a Halloween special on Home & Garden TV. It was called Extreme Halloween. It was an hour special showing different people that go all out for Halloween and decorate their homes like haunted houses and have great parties and such. This picture is of a woman that is a lunch lady by day and plans all year for Halloween.



She turns her yard into a spooky place and people come from all around to see it. There were many stories like hers. The show will air again on Halloween. The show reminded me of my own early experiences with Halloween. Customs I had worn as a kid such as a clown, Raggedy Ann, Hobo, punk rocker, and a Bum.

One memory I will never forget is when my Dad dressed in black rags and put a big lump on his back. He had a metal bucket with a wooden spoon. He also wore a black ski cap and dirtied up his face. Once it was dark he hid behind the car and when the kids would come up the driveway he would hobble out banging his tin bucket and moaning all hunched over. The kids would take off screaming dropping their bag of candy running down the street. We did not know our Dad was doing this until after awhile we had been trick or treating and rumors started to circulate. Eventually we started to here about a crazy guy that escaped from the mental ward and was down near our house. I was like “THAT’S MY DAD! Parents had to bring their kids back to our house to show them that the scary guy was just a man dressed up to scare them. My dad was a little over the top with some of his ideas. That was the only year he tried that stunt.

There is a chill in the air early in the morning and Haley is very sensitive to cold weather. We have brought her sweatshirt out and put it on her in the morning until it warms up a bit. Here she is with her red sweat shirt.

Silence of the Pumpkins

I picked up these lovely, unexpecting, Orangey innocent little lovelies at the grocery store. “It rubs the lotion on its skin as it is told”. Cackle Cackle! I plan to carve these up next week. Brandy loves it when I carve pumpkins. I have to keep an eye on her because I usually will put down newspaper and carve them on the rug in front of the TV if I turn my back she will gulp down a mouth full of pumpkin seeds goop and all. Strange dog.



I found this cool banana plant at the grocery store while I was getting the pumpkins. My MIL has one of these but hers is huge. I think hers towers over me. Maybe mine will get that big. It says on the tag it is a real banana plant but if grown inside it probably will not bare fruit.



I picked up this book after seeing Aron Ralston on Oprah. He is the guy that was hiking and got stuck with his right hand behind a rock. He was stuck there for 6 days and had to cut his arm off in order to survive and find help. After seeing him on Oprah, I knew I wanted to read his book. I think I can learn from a man that has faced such a hellacious and deifying situation, alone with his thoughts, and prevails even though every circumstance is stacked against his survival. He comes through it and has a positive outlook on life. This man is an inspiration.

The Lone Knitter
Well this week our very small knitting group was due to meet at 7pm at the local bowling alley. There is only a handful in the group that was set up through meetup.com. I made it to the meet but I was the only one there. I had never been to the bowling alley nor would I have chosen it for a place to meet up with several knitters. If you can picture a woman sitting with a bag full of knitting in a full bowling alley sitting alone. Yea it was not the best experience. Oh well I thought I would give it a shot. I wish I lived in a city that had more knitters out there that want to get together. Maybe next month will be better. I am definitely going to suggest a different meeting place, like a coffee shop or something.

This weekend I plan to work on my Weasley sweater and look for some yarn to make that bag I like from the Rebecca pattern book. Three cheers for autumn and sweater weather.

Strange moments of a strange cat
Here is Cosmo sleeping in the sink. I am not sure why he is in the sink. Maybe he is going to wash that grey right out of his hair. 8)

Missed Moment

I cannot believe it. I missed John Cusack at the New Mexico State University. He was doing a political rally for the students on campus. I am sick to my stomach over my loss. I am a huge fan of his and think he is a stud muffin. Even though he was giving a political rally, I sure would have been the first out there to get an up-close glimpse of him. This just goes to show if you are not an active member of your community there is a chance you might miss something great. I am going to be one of those old ladies that go on and on about back in the day in 2004 where I missed my one chance to meet John Cusack. Sigh, Sigh.



After going on and on about how I missed my moment, my husband was not feeling to great about himself. I decided to make his favorite pie. He loves Key Lime Pie. It is one of the easiest pies to make. Here is the recipe



Key Lime Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust
3 egg yolks14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk1/2 cup Key lime juice (available bottled at specialty food shops) or fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)1/3 cup sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.Combine condensed milk, egg yolks, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into the piecrust. Bake for 10 minutes. Let the pie stand for 10 minutes; then refrigerate it until chilled. Just before serving, top with whipped cream and garnish with lime slices.

It is Monday Already?

An update on Weasley
I was not able to work on it that much this weekend. I did manage to add another 2 ½ inches to the back. It is coming along great. So far so good, no complications.



Driving to Ruidoso for the Oktoberfest was a beautiful ride. Living in the desert, we do not see many trees. Looking at all the greenery up in the mountains is extra special for us. Here is a shot taken on our way.



The weather could not have been better. We went to the Oktoberfest first because by the time we got to Ruidoso it was lunchtime. I had the polish sausage with sauerkraut and Chris ordered one Southwestern style. We each had a German draft with our meal. We sat and enjoyed the band. It was great fun watching people get up and dance across the floor. We then shared a piece of black forest cake and some apple strudel. There were about 40 booths selling crafts and stuff. Nothing that I had to have.



After awhile we decided to head out and walk around the shops in Ruidoso.
Ruidoso is kind of a little ski town. It has several shops on both sides of the road. The shops are great. One of my favorites is called No Bones About It. It is all cat and dog stuff. Here are some of the things I picked up while I was there.







So many things I could have bought but I wanted to take it easy on my wallet. They had a real cute terry bath robe with a ducky on the back I thought Haley would like for after her bath. There was also a pair of dog goggles I could picture Brandy wearing. That store is great.

Here is Cosmo playing with his bathed mouse. He loves it.



I finally planted all of those plants. You know you are out of shape when you exert your self a little and can barely move the next day. My muscles are slowly recuperating from all the gardening I did. I still feel like I have Popeye forearms but it is not stopping me from knitting.

Weekend Plans

I went shopping for plants. My local Garden Nursery is going out of business. This makes me sad because after they leave I will not have a place to find specialty plants. The good news is everything was 70% off. No joke 70% off. I also stopped at Home Depoe and Lowe’s to see what they had. Here is what I came home with.



The trees were around $10 to $15. I would have grabbed more but most of them I could not lift and put in the back of the SUV. The first time I went through the line I do not think it really registered to me that everything was 70% off until I got the total. I put that stuff in the car and went back through for another load. I am tempted now to go back and load up again, but the place is such a mad house and there is no help available and getting through the line takes forever.

The trees I bought were a weeping mulberry, crabapple “Sping Snow”, Desert Ironwood, and a Sumac “Scarlett”.

I am real excited about the crabapple although the variety I got does not produce fruit it will have a beautiful white flower display in the spring. The Sumac I know is from the Poison Ivy family. I am not allergic to any of the plants in the poison Ivy family. I did hear once that you could become allergic to it. Anyway, I am planting that one near the neighbors I do not care for. The Desert Ironwood people use this wood for carving animal shapes and things. The wood carvings are suppose to bring you luck. Well maybe having the whole tree in my yard might bring lots of luck.

I bought two different types of honeysuckle vines. One is a Japanese variety. Some bushes I bought were Fire power Nandina and a dwarf burford Holly. I also bought two different creeping roses. One with a white flower and one with a pink flower. I also bought a dwarf fountain grass, two perennials I have no idea what they are but they have spikes of tangerine flowers. I also grabbed two six packs of some ornamental Kale and cabbage for some fall color in the garden.

Well that is one of the things I have planned for the weekend. Get all of those plants in the ground. Unfortunately, my husband does not share my enthusiasm for gardening and I will be doing it alone. I do not mind so much. The worst part is trying to find the irrigation pipes under the ground, I am usually pretty good at remembering where they are but some times, it takes several holes strategically dug to locate them.

On a Knitting Note
The UPS guy stopped by last night around 8:30pm. Can you believe how late they work? When the doorbell rang I was afraid it was a politician. I have had a couple of them just come right to my door and solicit themselves. Thank goodness is was the UPS guy. He dropped this off for me.



Yippee! It is the Rebecca #28 pattern book.
I ordered this thing about a month ago. I think it was on back order. It is the new edition that is written in English. The patterns are in centimeters but I am starting to get use to that. This edition has a ton of great patterns. Here is a couple I would like to make.




I Love this bag, I am not sure if I am skilled enough to make it but I will give it a try.


I like all three of these sweaters.

In addition, this weekend we will be driving to Ruidoso for their Oktoberfest. I cannot wait. Ruidoso is up in the mountains and I will be able to see all of the fall colors.

Intarsia Excitement Dwindles

Remember how excited I was about starting the intarsia on the butter bear sweater. Well that excitement went away about two rows in to it. Intarsia is very frustrating and the more colors you have the harder it is. I think I am finally getting the hang of it. What a mess with all the strands of yarn hanging from the back. The one thing I learned is it is important to twist the yarns around each other when picking up a new color otherwise there will be a whole were the new color begins and the old one ends. I got much better at it as I went along. In addition, you need to read the chart correctly. I designed the chart of the bear myself and knowing what I know now, I might have made it a little easier. I think it helped me that I use to do cross-stitch. The part that makes my stomach turn is I have to do it again on the other arm. I told my husband that I might just have it on one arm and consider it like a patch. He said no you have to put it on the other arm also. What a stickler for the rules. I might consider using duplicate stitch for the second one. I think that when I do the Weasley sweater it will be easier to intarsia for the letter because there is only one color change. Here is my progress so far.




Here is the back.

October Garden View

Here is a chickadee at sunrise.



Cannons are still blooming. I really like these, and think I will get some more. The colors of the blooms are so vibrant.



My lilac has one little bloom. I am not sure, if it is suppose to be blooming now or if it is confused.



Here is my pomegranate bush. I have had it for a year and a half and it has not bloomed yet. This time of year, they sell pomegranates at the grocery store. I wish mine would start growing fruit so I can use them in holiday crafts. Maybe next year.



This is my lemon tree. It is a variegated lemon. When I first bought it and put it in the ground, I was told I would need to dig it up and bring it inside for the winter. I decided I wanted to leave it in the yard to see if it could make it through the winter. It has made it through two winters. It is not very tall yet bought I have high hopes I will be making fresh lemonade one day.



Haley loves it when I go outside and walk around the garden. She loves to explore the yard. The temperature is finally starting to go down into the 70’s during the day and 50-60’S during the night. I plan to get some plants this week or next to plant in the garden. It helps the plants establish roots better if you plant in the fall instead of waiting for spring. We only get about 4 inches of rain a year so it helps the plant if it has a good root structure.

Weekend with Weasley

I have been working on my Weasley sweater. Starting with the back I have knitted 7 inches. I like working with the tweed

Here is a recipe I found I thought appropriate for this time of year.

Pumpkin Milkshake from family fun recipes
INGREDIENTS
1 frozen peeled banana, broken into pieces
3 tbsp. orange juice concentrate
3 tbsp. pumpkin puree
1 scoop vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream
1/3 cup water

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and mix until smooth. Serves 2.

In addition, many Blogs are showing pictures of their sky where they live. Here is a picture of my sky in New Mexico outside my front door early this morning. Not one cloud, just blue skies as far as the eye can see.

50 Questions

Webshots photo

Good Questions from Brain Candy
These questions are perfect for conversation starters

1. After you die you are given the chance to be reborn as an animal, which animal would you chose?
I think I would like to come back as a sea turtle and try life in the deep blue ocean.

2. If you knew that there would be a nuclear war in one week, what would you do?
Spend time with love ones and plan my survival.

3. Given the ability to project yourself into the past but not return, would you do so? Where would you go?
I would not go back into the past. Life for Women has only gotten better and I would not want to give up anything. I would like to project myself into the future I love all of those sci fi shows and would hate to miss anything in the future

4. Imagine you got hit by a car and could be saved only by a special operation. The operation would give you a normal, happy life, but would unfortunately cause you fifteen minutes of terrible, stabbing pain every morning when you awoke. Would you want to have the operation?
I am a survivor and I could handle much more pain than 15 minutes worth for a normal happy life

5. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one ability or quality, what would it be?
A life time of wisdom

6. After you die, you are given a chance to be reborn and chose your gender. Would you be the same sex you are now?
I would stay a woman. I love being a woman and revel in my femininity

7. If you could pick any age and stay there for the rest of your life, what age would you pick?
42

8. Should animals be used for medical research?
Research is necessary unfortunately I would say yes

9. What are some of the things you would do if you could become invisible whenever you wanted to?
I would people watch much more closely.

10. Would you like your spouse to be both smarter and more attractive than you?
Yes, I would want him to be all he could be

11. If you could replace reality with the world as it is on any current TV show, which would you choose? Which character would you be?
Seinfeld, I would be Elain

12. Would you feel unfaithful if you had frequent fantasies about someone other than your partner? If your partner were having such fantasies, would you want to know about it?
I would not feel unfaithful. I would want to know what type my partner likes

13. How many beauty / health products do you use on a daily basis?
Deodorant, perfume, soap, Chap Stick, face cream

14. What is the most important thing you've accomplished in your life?
My bachelor of science in psychology

15. What was your most disastrous trip or vacation?
I have never been on a disastrous trip. Maybe a family vacation were we drove cross country in the family station wagon

16. If you could choose only four things to eat or drink ever again, what would they be?
Bagels & cream cheese, tea, M&M’s, cheese

17. What was the most recent movie you cried at?
I just watched Forest Gump the other day for the hundredth time and I cried watching

18. A person you don't particularly like has food stuck between his teeth. Do you tell him?
NO

19. After your death, an author will write your biography. What will the title be?
A moment in time

20. If you could script the basic plot for the dream you will have tonight, what would the story be?
I am shopping and I find the perfect pair of shoes and they are on sale, then I find the perfect bag that matches the shoes. I end up buying too much stuff because the prices are to great to pass up. I run into a tall dark gorgeous guy and he helps me carry my bags. Then there is a flash and the guy and I are dancing cheek to cheek floating across the dance floor. He is holding me as if he cannot live with out me, and I feel loved.

21. What is one vacation destination that many people think is fabulous, but which you personally have no desire to ever visit (or revisit)?
I can not think of a place that is fabulous that I would not want to go to. Maybe Africa?

22. An eccentric millionaire offers to donate a large sum to charity if you will walk down a busy street - completely naked - for four blocks. There is no danger of being arrested, or physical abuse, would you do it?
No! If it was in the woods, I might. Or on a beach, I would. But not on a busy street.

23. How do you picture your funeral? Is it important for you to have people mourn your death?
It is not important to me for people to mourn my death. I picture my funeral on an autumn day under a large tree with a gentle breeze tickling the faces of those that have come to say good bye.

24. What things are too personal to discuss with others?
Like I am going to list them here

25. Can best friends become lovers? Can lovers stay best friends?
Yes, and yes

26. What three adjectives other people might use to describe your personality?
young at heart, optimistic, kind

27. If you could choose only five people to ever be/talk/associate/whatever with ever again, who would they be?
My husband, Oprah, Ellen, John Cusack, Ben Afleck,

28. How would you react if you were to learn that your mate had had a lover of the same sex before you knew each other?
I would be interested in hearing the whole story

29. Describe a perfect romantic evening.
Candles, rose petals, warm fire, good food and lots of cuddle time

30. If you had to name the one thing that most frightens you about growing old, what would it be?
Loosing control of my body

31. Do you feel uncomfortable going alone to either dinner or a movie? Would you go on vacation by yourself?
I love doing things on my own. I would jump at the chance to go on vacation by myself

32. If you were to be recognized by posterity for one thing, what would you like to be known for?
She never stopped learning

33. If you were guaranteed honest responses to any three questions, whom would you question, and what would you ask?
I would ask my cat what goes through his mind when he runs around like an idiot. I would ask my parents to tell me there entire life story. I would ask my sister why we are not close like we were when we were kids.

34. Given the ability to project yourself into the future, but not to return, would you do so? Would you go if you could take someone along?
Yes, I would bring my husband

35. If you were to be cremated, where would you want your ashes scattered?
Some where in the Caribbean over crystal blue water.

36. Five hundred years from now, only one book which exists today will still be available. Which book should it be?
Lorax by Dr. Seuss

37. If a movie were made about your life, what would the theme song be?
Pocket Full of Rainbows by Elvis

38. For $20,000 would you go for three months without washing, brushing your teeth, or using deodorant? You could not explain your reason to anyone. (Assume that there would be no long-term effect on your career.)
No! For no amount of money would I stop washing or brushing my teeth

39. If you saw someone shoplifting in an exclusive store, what would you do?
I probably would not notice. I would mind my own business.

40. Have you ever been disappointed by a person you looked up to as a role model? Has a hero ever let you down?
My Dad's second wife whom I called Mom for the majority of my child hood has disappointed me greatly. I choose to keep her out of my life now.

41. If you were to have a one-night stand with a current celebrity, whom would you choose?
Nickolas Cage or John Cusack

42. What was the happiest year of your life?
This one

43. If you could make love one more time with someone from your past, who would you choose?
I would choose not to

44. Have you ever disliked someone for being luckier, more successful, or more attractive than you?
No

45. Is there anything you'd willingly give your life for?
No

46. If you could have had a child with a famous person no longer living, whom would you choose?
Clark Gable

47. Have you ever genuinely wanted to kill someone, or wished someone dead?
No

48. If you were God for a day, what would you do?
I would spay and neuter all the stray cats

49. If you could be the parent of one famous person, who would you want it to be?
Dakota Fanning

50. Have you ever stayed home from work or a social event because you were having a "bad hair day"?
Yes

Mexican Cantina

We stopped at our favorite Mexican Cantina yesterday. Mexican food is not only tasty but it is fun too. First thing they bring you is chips and salsa. It makes you feel like the festivities have all ready begun and I have not ordered anything yet. I usually order either a Chicken Chimichanga or the Sour cream enchiladas. This time I felt like trying something new, so I ordered the Chicken Taquitos. I was not disappointed. It was very good. Of course the perfect compliment to Mexican food is a Margarita to drink. That just adds to the fun.



Yarn of the Month Club
I received Octobers package yesterday. The yarn samples are very small but just enough to knit a swatch to see if you would like to make something in that yarn. It came with a pattern to make an Autumn Shrug. Also came with info on using natural products to dye yarn. Overall, I am pleased with the package. There is one yarn sample that I would definitely use to make a sweater, there is one sample I would definitely never buy, and the other two are maybes. Since I am new to knitting, I believe this is a good way for me to learn more on what types of yarn I like to work with. I plan to stay with the club

Three-Needle Bind-Off

Last night I finally finished the back of the Butter Bear sweater. It was my first time doing the three-needle bind-off method. It was easy and the seem looks awesome.



I am not sure I like the 1 inch ribbed collar look. I might rip that out and do a different collar. I will leave it for now and see if it grows on me. I am so excited to start the intarsia on the sleeve. I cast on for one sleeve and worked right up to where the intarsia chart begins. I put it away because it was getting late and I wanted to be bright eyed and bushy tailed when I start my first intarsia.

I plan to start my Weasley Sweater on Friday. I plan to work on the Weasley sweater during the weekends and post about it on Mondays. I will be working on finishing the Butter Bear sweater on week day evenings. I am hoping to finish the Butter Bear soon so I can start some Christmas knitting.



Here is Cosmo sitting with me while I knit. He looks so sweet and innocent. Do not let him fool you. I have caught him several times with a ball of yarn. He has realized he can not play with the yarn while I am using it so has now taken it upon himself to rummage through some of my knitting bags and grab balls of yarn to play with. Just this morning I saw him get into my Weasley bag of yarn and take off running with a ball of tweed hanging from his chops. I yelled and he dropped it in mid run. Looks like I am going to need to find a better way to keep my knitting while not in use. Cosmo is no yarn snob either he will grab acrylic just as fast as wool. He is lucky he is so adorable it is too hard to stay mad at him for long.

I found this on Hayden's blog. What kind of yarn are you? I could not resist. Here is my results.


You are Shetland Wool.
You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a
little on the harsh side. Though you look
delicate you are tough as nails and prone to
intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are
widely respected and even revered.


What kind of yarn are you?
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