Einstein-ing along

Teresa and I are moving right along on our Einstein Coat knit-along. The dark blue knitting in the picture is hers and the black is mine. (Sally Melville, the designer, was one of the instructors we took a workshop with at the Knitter's Connection last month. She was a great teacher and it was inspiring to see and touch all the design samples from her books.) We got together earlier this week and moved from the everlasting knitting on the bottom section, to the moving-along-much-faster upper right front! It's possible we might have these done before the snow flies here in Kentucky (which seems like a very long way off from today, since it is in the 90's now).

I have heard there are actually people who do not like garter stitch----what's with that? I love it and already have several more garter stitch items in the queue. The Baby Surprise Jacket is already on the needles and maybe an adult version will be next. Also, the Shepherd's Jacket pattern from Peace Fleece has been waiting for a long time to become part of my wardrobe. I have always loved that jacket and last winter when I was still in the yarn store business, a customer came in wearing one she had knitted many, many years ago. It reminded me to be thinking about yarns I might already have in the stash that could be used for it.

I've been thinking about Christmas knitting, too. In fact, there are a few gifts already on the needles. Do I seem to be using the phrase "on the needles" a lot? I would be mortified if anyone had an accurate count of just how many projects on the needles are stashed away. I don't even know how many, but it's a lot! I am making an effort to finish things these days....at least one finished object for any new one that I cast on. I know that only amounts to maintaining the status quo, but as the calendar gets closer to the holidays, I will step up the finishing business. (Please allow me this delusion for a few more months.)

Porch knitting

Lately, I've been getting together once a week with friends to spend the afternoon on a breezy porch knitting, talking and laughing. Could there be any better way to spend a summer afternoon? I sure don't think so. We usually start by having "show and tell" because we all like to share progress on our current project(s). Next comes confessional time---new books and/or yarn purchases..........not that this is part of any planned agenda. This get-together has just evolved into it's own little routine. And it's amazing how quickly those few hours slip by and how much knitting can be accomplished when you are enjoying the company of like-minded friends. Many months ago, my friend, Teresa, and I started a two person "knit-along" for the "Einstein Coat". Let's just say I lost momentum after knitting back and forth, back and forth, over and over again. Mine has been languishing, out of sight and out of mind, until last week, I realized that she was nearly finished with the bottom part of her coat, and ready for the next step. So, I got in on mine again and worked to catch up. At last week's porch knitting session, I got a lot of knitting done and the time just flew by. The "Einstein Coat" is the perfect project for knitting and talking at the same time, because the whole thing is long stretches of garter stitch. I, for one, am not capable of knitting any lace project in the presence of others. My brain simply can't count out a lace pattern and carry on a conversation at the same time without a train wreck happening. Believe me, I know this from experience! So, I stick to socks, plain stockinette, garter stitch, and maybe, if I'm feeling brave, something with a simple cable or mitered pattern.

You've got to love an activity that is useful, productive, creative and can be enjoyed in solitude or while socializing. Why there are women (and men) still out there who haven't discovered the joy of knitting, is beyond my comprehension.

And speaking of men knitting----two of my grandsons were here over the weekend and actually requested a knitting lesson! Can it get any better than that? Do I have a future brooklyntweed in my family? I can only hope!

Baby of mine

Well, here is one of my little lambs, with her head in a bucket and food on her face. Isn't she cute? This is Teeny (formerly known as Bitty Baby), one of a set of triplets (Teeny, Tiny and Mo). Teeny barely made it through the birthing process. It took me forever to get her to breathe on her own and then she required tube feeding the first few days and was one of the last ones to come off the bottle, just a few weeks ago. My husband, ever practical, says she will never amount to much and I should not keep her, but it's too late. She's completely won me over with her quirky personality. The reason she is having her breakfast outside the pen, with no competition, is that she's still so small she can't really reach the feeders and gets shoved around by the rest of the lambs when they are eating. Teeny knows the drill now and comes to stand at the gate to be let out into the barn aisle for a private dining experience. Once she finishes her grain, she trots over to the dog's water bucket, helps herself to a drink and has a little look around the barn before she is ready to go back in with the rest of the gang. I know engaging in this kind of behavior indicates I'm not a "real" farmer, but having a few special characters around makes it all so much more fun.

It's a jungle out there

Way back (2 whole months) when I was planting the garden, everything looked so nice and tidy, if a little sparse. I always think I need to keep putting out plants or adding more seeds to help things fill in more. Above is how it looked back then......... and this is what it looks like now. Big difference, don't you think? After getting a rough start (mostly because Mr. Dandy kept picking off all the leaves), everything is growing like crazy now. I'm so glad I was able to put out a big garden this year. I heard on NPR this evening that food prices are going up again, because of fuel prices. Mainly, though, I just love the idea of growing so much of what we eat and being able pick it moments before I cook it. We had the first corn and green beans last night and finally the tomatoes are ripening. Naturally, zucchini and cucumbers are already getting ahead of me. I see pickle making in my future! And, if you live within 50 miles of me, don't be surprised if a bag full of zucchini mysteriously shows up outside your door!