Productive Day

Today was very productive. 

First, I opened my new Breadman bread machine. I have been trying for years to make a good gluten free bread with my old machine. The Breadman comes with a gluten free cycle. It only mixes once and has only one rising before it bakes. From start to finish bread from a mix is ready in 1 hour and 19 minutes. Woohoo!

It looks like bread, it smells heavenly, is soft and tastes great. If you have ever tasted gluten free bread you would understand the excitement. Most of the bread is so dry that the only way to eat it is to toast it. Sound contrary doesn’t it. Take something dry and make it drier.  Go figure.

Second, I was asked by a family friend to make more of the Cran-Apple Nut Chex Mix. So I spent the morning nuking, stirring, nuking, stirring over and over again. The smells coming from the kitchen was intoxicating.  

I am going to have to start Jillian Michael’s “Shred” again soon!

I even got some knitting done today.  I cast on Heather from Highland Handmades, La Vie de Bois Socks using Berroco Comfort Sock in the Invercargill on two size US 2 circular needles. According to Heather, La Vie de Bois is a saying in Maine that means “That’s life in the woods”. I think that Invercargill is a good choice as it is green and brown like the woods with some teal for the sky. 

The pattern is lace that is going pretty well so far. Each repeat  doesn’t take long at all. I hope to be at the heel of the first sock tomorrow. The yarn is nice and soft. These should be a great sock without being too thick to wear in shoes. These will fit the bill as I need some more handmade socks because store bought socks never fit and I only knit a few pair for me last year.  Some of those are too thick for regular shoes.

So back to my knitting!

12th Day of Christmas - Epiphany

Happy 12th Day of Christmas -- the traditional celebration of Epiphany. The day the wise men arrived to give gifts to the Christ Child. Throughout the world, this day is also the day that Christmas presents are exchanged. It is the day that our wise men arrive at the nativity scene in our home. They have been wandering all over the house for a month.

Christmas has been good this year. I received the trip to NYC and Pennsylvania, a new cookbook, an Our Lady of Guadalupe pendant and a knit kit and yarn from Indigodragonfly.

The knit kit includes a stitch counter, tape measure, thread cutter, scissors, stitch markers, crochet hook, darning needle and point protectors all in a small case.

The yarn from Indigodragonfly is the December shipment of her Nut-Free Sock Yarn Club. Nut-Free because she works with your allergies and dyes beautiful yarn that doesn’t trigger allergic reactions.  This allows knitters with allergies to knit with her great colors. Kim does have the most unique names for her yarn colorways. 

December Yarn Club Shipment including pattern, yarn and cute Splityarn notion bag  

Young Helpless Damsels in Damp Climates Colorway. Yummy!

Back to knitting!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2012!

We are home from NYC and Pennsylvania. We took the Amtrak train early in the morning of December 26th. We got a sleeper compartment and 15 hours later we arrived at Penn Station in NYC.  

Knitting December Socks on the Train

It was great seeing our daughter and her family. She had to work during the mornings of the week after Christmas, so her husband, Michael, their sons and Tom and I walked all over New York for 4 mornings. Joanna joined us for lunch each day and then we all walked to new and exciting places in the afternoons. We walked most of Central Park and most of Riverside Park. 

Central Park & Belvidere Castle

New York Skyline from Central Park

The Rock

FAO Schwartz Entrance and Doorman

Eating Lunch overlooking skating rink at the Rock

Enjoying the Windows on 34th Street

Window on 34th Street

Times Square

Statue of Liberty

After Sept 11th

Blowing Bubbles in Central Park

T-Rex

We visited several museums: Natural History Museum, Bible Society Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

The food was great all week. New York pizza, delis, Fishtag Restaurant and Cafe LaLo’s for dessert. Cafe LaLo is where Tom Hanks met Meg Ryan in “You’ve Got Mail”. The Creme Bulee was de-lish!

The weather in NYC was mild with no snow. Great walking weather. And yes, across the street from their apartment was the Yarn Company. I stash enhanced some worsted weight alpaca from Blue Sky Alpaca. Plan to make a shawl out of the crimson and to use the brown in my Alpaca Iceland Yoke Sweater.

On New Year’s Day, we rented a car and drove through New Jersey to Pennsylvania to visit our son and his family. On Monday, Jan. 3 it started snowing as we were heading out of town. It snowed some in Virginia. Just enough to be pretty but not enough to be treacherous.

Son's house in Pennsylvania - Built in 1830

Snow!

We had a great time and it is also great to be home.

Merry Christmas!

May the peace and joy of this season be with you and your family and may the new year bring happiness and good fortune.

Christmas is Coming

The last two batches of Cranberry Pecan Chex Mix are finished and cooling. Will take them to the farm today where my sister, Nancy, Mom and I will package them up for the Christmas baskets. 

Everyone in the family decided that this would be a more simple holiday this year. We are only exchanging food gifts. So, we have fixed fruitcakes, fruitcake cookies, fudge, penuche, regular Chex mix, Cranberry Pecan Chex Mix, wedding cookies, pecan nut logs, and cheese straws. Most of these are gluten free this year. I doubt anyone can tell. 

Okay, Okay, Get the Picture Taken Already!

Packages have been shipped to NYC and Pennsylvania and they have arrived!  The December birthdays have come and gone with lots of cake and ice cream and singing.  

The tree is trimmed, the few presents wrapped and the Christmas knitting done! Guess Christmas can happen now.  hee hee.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Peaceful Kwanzaa and Eid.

I am going to go work on my December socks. ;~)

Cowling, Cowling, Now We Go. Christmas Bell Are Ringing

Only 9 days until Christmas. Instead of caroling, I have been cowling. heehee. Four made with two more to go. I can hear the Christmas bells ringing. They are getting closer.

I am using bulky yarn and a size US 11 (8mm) 16 inch circular needle.  It takes about 4 hours to make a cowl. I am using the Thick and Quick Ribbed Cowl by Naomi Adams, a free pattern on Ravelry.  I like the cowls better when I only cast on 72 stitches.  Pictures are on my Ravelry project page. I will post them here after Christmas.

I also bought some beautiful shawl pins to give with the cowls. I also have finished a Mossy Pebbles Scarf and am still working on the Encompassing Midnight circular shawl. 

My Alpaca Icelandic Yoke Sweater is on hold for now. I plan to work on it on the train when we head to NYC after Christmas to visit with our daughter and her family.  Should have plenty of time as we are on the train for 15 hours. Have never ridden on the train, so this will be an adventure. We understand that all the stations should have their Christmas decoration up and we are looking forward to seeing them.

Even if you are not cowling, I hope you are caroling or at least humming as you go about your preparations for Christmas or the holiday you celebrate. In our busy lives we need to remember to find joy in the little things so that we don’t get overwhelmed. 

Preparing

Feeling better after being on antibiotics for 10 days. Can finally breath without pain or coughing. 

Good thing I feel better as I am on staff for a women’s retreat this weekend. The retreat is supposed to be a respite in the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas.  While that sounds great, it’s not much of a respite for those preparing for the retreat. I will spend most of tomorrow finishing and printing the booklet to be used as a journal during the retreat. 

Once that is printed, folded and stapled, I can work on my presentations. Thankfully, I only have three and the other presenters are great. Everything will work well once we get started. It’s just hectic getting everything in place before everyone arrives. 

I am looking forward to Sunday. We plan to start decorating the house for Christmas. This year, I have no other commitments (after the retreat) except attending parties, baking, buying and wrapping presents and enjoying the season.

Since I am doing no Christmas knitting this year, I plan to work on my Encompassing Midnight Cowl and my Alpaca Icelandic Yoke Sweater.

I hope your preparations are going well.