Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it or just plain Merry Day! See you after the holidays... Wishing each and everyone of you a joyous and peaceful season...

A test drive...

Hey ya'll! I am finally back among the living. I have been so sick with something really icky and have had 3 shots since Sunday. I think I turned the corner today though.

I did decide to begin my Christmas Cookie baking so started that yesterday and finished tonight. Also made a large batch of peanut brittle and some of my childhood favorites - cut out cookies. Yummmm.

I am knitting on a sock, toe up, and using some sample yarn I just received in the mail yesterday. It is from a vendor that I currently already have but is a new yarn for her - a 3-ply super spongy, springy merino yarn base and I am in love. Be looking for this in our shop hopefully within the first couple weeks of January. This skein weighs in at a hefty 5.5 ounces.

We also just got in the brand new 9" bamboo circular Hiya Hiya needles in sizes 0 and 1. Can't figure out what to get that hard to buy for knitter/crocheter and you can hear the clock ticking louder? Join the crowd and get them a Yarn Grove gift certificate .

Well the gang starts arriving tomorrow and I cannot wait. I'd like to take this time to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas - or whatever you may celebrate may it be a joyous time for you all.

Oh you better watch out, you better not cry...

Santa Claus is coming to town!!!!! Today is exactly one week from Christmas Day- its crunch time people!!!! Have you gotten your all your gifts???
Ok, don't panic- here are a few quick knits I gathered from Ravelry.com just for YOU!


For the Fashionista- Fingerless mittens worn over store bought gloves are VERY trendy right now!












For the Sports Fan- Use your team's colors in this simple but stylish hat.










For the coffee lover... I love this mug jacket from MK Carroll. It buttons under the handle!

For the baby...Meet Bubby the Bear from Knitty.com

For the girly girl... a Christmas Tree bath mitt ..try it in silver or white! (and fill it with bubble bath or body wash)

For the music lover... a felted ipod cozy from Knit Picks

I hope this inspires you! Now get to work!

The Biggest Loser- Canine Edition

Well folks, Spottie Dotttie (my precious rescue pup) had her annual wellness exam this morning. The Vet praised her temperament, her healthy coat and her parents' attention and care. There was only one little problem...she was up 14 pounds from her last visit- a whopping 57 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!! We couldn't believe it! She gets the expensive food with no corn meal, she doesn't eat table scraps, we walk faithfully for almost 2 hours a day! What could it be?? Well, the Vet thinks she has hypothyroidism. I didn't know dogs could have that! My poor puppy!



We will get the official results of the blood test next week. Spottie's ultimate goal weight is 44lbs. Stay tuned as the pudgy pooch weighs in each week on...

The Biggest Loser- Canine Edition

Knitting Club Christmas Party

On Saturday, the Cast Aways sponsored their annual Christmas party at Jill's house. There was much merriment and gingerbread house decorating AND the church down the street was having a live nativity scene, so Jill's street was lined with lumineras! The nativity scene had two live sheep and the whole club went down and paid tribute to the wooly creatures who supply our hobby. We had a great time, despite a few gingerbread house structural disasters. In this picture, you can see my darling husband who was completely covered in frosting by the end of the party, and had no house to show for it.

Mystery Shawl

My first Mystery Shawl A-long. I am using Ornaghi Filati in Cream (100% Merino) and should have plenty. It is a generous skein. Right now it just looks like a blob of lace but I keep stretching it to see the pattern coming out! It is so much fun. I got Clue 2 yesterday but I still have a few more rows to finish on Clue 1.

Thank you Cheryl for posting about the new Knitty. That is the cutest photo of a dog I have seen in a while. Well almost the cutest... Just showing off my Junior in his new bed... Now they all have one but Woolly Boully (cat) sleeps in all of them - anytime he wants too!

Well, I'm done! Finished shopping and wrapping. Now my baking will begin although I still have those Mexican wedding cookies that are fermenting in their secret location. Well, I thought it was a secret location. Looked at them the other day and half of a batch is gone! When I questioned my hub - he just said, "who me - looks like someone else has been in them". Next up - my mother. She fessed right up! They are both guilty.

Hope your holiday shopping, wrapping and baking is moving right along. I did a lot of my shopping on line this year (again). It's always fun to get packages at your door... We hope to have some new items up this week - just waiting on deliveries... Stay tuned.

New Nitty...I mean Knitty!

Knitty.com has posted their new winter "issue"! Mittens, socks, sweaters and hats galore- and they're ALL cute! I like the tams that are knitted in a "fake-out fair isle", using a varigated yarn to give the illusion of a very complicated pattern. Ha! So tricky. I also love this very posh pooch sweater. I'm not sure Spottie would wear a shrug...

Is it Friday yet?

Burda Style Advent Trivia Contest

Calling all seamstresses (or anyone who knows how to google!) Burdastyle.com is having a sewing and fashion trivia contest open to anyone! Everyday until Christmas, they will post a trivia question. The first person to answer correctly via email wins that day's goody bag from the Advent calendar. The first question was "how do you tell if a fabric is silk?" Aparently you burn it- it should smell like burned hair. Ew. Anyway, tune into to Burdastyle.com tomorrow!!

Click Away ...

So you're making that list and checking it twice? here are a few ideas for that hard to buy for person.

1. Ewesful Pin Cushion. Versatile, fun and hand made in the USA. Great for knitters and sewers alike.

2. Candy Scarf Kit from Hand Painted Knitting Yarns. Cute yarns all packaged up with instructions for the knitter.

3. Lorna's Laces Little Can of Paint - socks in a can. 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces scrumptious sock yarn along with their basic sock pattern. Also , from the Yarn Grove, for a limited time, you will receive a free set of Colonial 5.5" DPNS (size our choice) with each purchase of the Little Can of Paint.

4. PurlPod - The most unique knitting bag I have ever seen. Tangle free knitting - Made in the USA. Click above to read all about them.

5. Namaste Needle Binder - Fun to carry needle tote that will hold *lots* of needles and hooks. Refill pages available as well.

6. Hiya Hiya Needles - we're having a hard time keeping these in stock. You have all caught on to the beauty of these needles - from the bamboo dpns, bamboo circs, stainless steel dpns, and stainless circs.

7. Gift Certificates - Now that is always fun and easy!

8. Miss Hawklet HandMade Journals - Adorable and fun to give, these handmade journals from Miss Hawlet are sure to put a smile on your face!

9. Sock Knitter Stitch Marker - Brand new! Mark those places in style...

10. Give to a charity in honor of your friend or family member. My holiday gift from my kids is they give to an animal shelter/foster parent / humane society in lieu of a gift for me. Chris, Cheryl and Stephanie's love of animals is as great as mine. It is their choice who the recipient will be.

So there are a few ideas and as this wonderful holiday season progresses, I'll post a few more ... Keep that ho ho happy smile on your face and remember - your gift purchases are just a click away...

Pokey Little Puppies

Look at the cute needle felted dogs my friend Jill found on Etsy. The artist makes each little one of a kind pooch from photos of your pup. Aren't they precious???

I Took the Pledge!

Hiya! It's been a busy month, huh? There's always so much to do to prepare for Christmas! This year, I'm shopping the easy way. I took the Handmade Pledge, promising to buy or make handmade gifts for my friends and family. I also requested that only handmade gifts be purchased for me. Yep this year, I've been browsing Etsy from the comfort of my own pajamas. It feels good knowing I'm helping another artisan and purchasing a one of a kind gift!

Sterling Silk & Silver

This yarn has caught my attention. From Kraemer yarns, Sterling Silk & Silver is composed of 63% superwash merino, 20% Silk, 15% nylon and 2% Silver. Yes, Silver. Real silver. It adds just enough sparkle and panache and I love it. These can be knit into socks, shawls or just about anything. It is a relatively tight twisted yarn and is approximately 420 yards on a skein. It is spun in the USA in Nazareth, PA. Currently, only available in 2 colors - White Veil and Tuxedo. Perfect names for this decadent yarn.

My husband who does not get excited about many yarns - only really one other line in the past - saw these bags sitting in my office last night and said *wow*. He especially loved the Tuxedo and wanted to know all about it. Imagine that. I was thrilled to chat with him about it. I believe I caught the sparkle in the photos if you go to The Yarn Grove and click to enlarge the photos.

Currently *not* OTN, is a shawl pattern named Cozy from Knitty.com which I have ripped out (feels better saying that than frog because I was so annoyed I screwed it up so many times). No fault of the pattern - just the knitter. I cannot knit, talk and watch tv at the same time when I am working a pattern. Every single time I came to the next pattern row and had the wrong number of stitches. Poof! It's gone now...

OTN now are simple little gifts. I need to knit up some little projects for certain peeps for holiday giving...

What's on your needles? Still whipping up gifts ?

Black Friday

All week, I was resolved to stay in my warm apartment on the day after Thanksgiving, eating leftovers and watching movies, but at the last minute, Chris and I decided to brave the chaos and experience Black Friday. We left around 8:30 and hit the mall, then ate a quick B-fast at Atlanta Bread Co, then headed to Circuit City, Old Navy, Kohls, Home Depot and Hobby Lobby. We got lots of great deals, finished up our Christmas list, AND got killer parking spots at every store! As you can see from the picture, it was an exhausting day- I guess the pets felt it too!

Craftster Contest

Hey everyone! I hope your turkeys are thawing and your fat pants are ready! This year, Chris and I will attempt to roast our first turkey...well just the breast anyway. Chris wants to be in charge of the bird, so I'm making mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Can't wait!

In other news, craftster.org is hosting a contest called "Super Ugly to Super Awesome." Contestents must purchase an incredibly ugly object from a thrift store, and turn it into something awesome. I'm thinking about unraveling a horrible sweater and recreating it into a cool tree skirt. Or perhaps reconstructing an outdated blazer into a cute cropped jacket. Anyways, its always fun to look at the entries.

Well, my lunch hour is nearing its end, and I must get back to the grind. Have a wonderful and safe holiday everyone!

For the love of Lace...

Finished my Branching Out scarf. Loved this pattern. It is on the blocking board right now and I would love to hear how some of you block your lace. I have read hints before but I don't like the little nubs along the side of this that are sticking out. Probably where my pins were? Anyway it was a fun lace knit for me. Again, this was knit with Nature's Palette Lupine and the true color of this is so hard to capture but it is gorgeous.

My next project? Well, I'll have to wait for the UPS man to bring it. I have ordered gobs of the new Kraemer Sterling Silk & Silver yarn in their only 2 currently available colors. White veil and Tuxedo. This yarn has actual silver in it. Gorgeous stuff. Generous yardage - approx. 450 yards per skein. I think I might be feeling adventurous and start a shawl or wrap...

Another new yarn is coming in the New Year as well. I have had several customers requesting this one and if you don't already know - you too can win free yarn. Yep, free! If you suggest a yarn you would like to see in The Yarn Grove and we begin stocking it, you get a free skein of that yarn! (if there are multiple requests for the same yarn, I will put all names in a bowl and draw a winner). It's that easy.

I survived the football game Sat. night and arrived back home Sun. am around 2:30am. It was fun and I had a great time with Orange Boy. Some losses are harder than others and this was one of those. We lost 20 v. 17 to Boston College and it was a tough one... But there is still a small flicker of hope that we will go to the Peach Bowl here in ATL - but just a small one. The right teams have to win and the right teams have to lose...

Cheryl did marvelous at her first Vintage Marketplace on Sunday. She was even interviewed by and published in the Chattanooga Times! Way to go, Cheryl! She really knows her vintage stuff (for my lack of better wording this early in the am).

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I will probably be silent here for several days because my baby girl is arriving this afternoon! This morning, as my Branching Out finishes blocking, I will be starting my holiday preparation - veggie lasagna - one of her favorites with fresh ricotta cheese from non other than Trader Joe's. Tomorrow is a fun filled day too - she gets her haircut and highlights -. Then a little shopping and just hanging out... Sometime between now and Sunday is our holiday kick-off with the viewing of Christmas Vacation movie with Chevy Chase. Honestly I can say I have seen this more times than I can count and can quote it. It still makes me laugh... Now, my thanks to all of you, my family and friends....

added comment: Last night on the local ATL news, a couple had 2 dogs(yorkies, I think) stolen from them while moving into their new home. Which brings me to my soapbox: Last holiday season, there was a heartwrenching story on the news about a local man and woman here in ATL who had left their 2 dogs in their vehicle while they went in to shop at a local department store. When they returned about 20 minutes later, their car was there but the dogs had been stolen. Police believed that the thief/thieves were after the dogs to sell. These 2 dogs, however, happened to be 8 years old. This couple was devastated. I cried with them. I have not forgotten that story.

I go to the post office daily - sometimes twice a day. I see people leave their little critters in their vehicle to run inside *all* the time. I did approach a lady the other day who had left a cute little white dog hanging out the window. I told her about last year's story. She told me she never even thought of that *and* thanked me for the awareness. Protect your animals. Don't leave them unattended, especially during the holidays when police say theft of animals is even higher, even if you have a name brand dog or not... And give yours an extra hug today...

Hit the Road

Well tomorrow at 5am, I will be on my way to Chattanooga for The Vintage Chattanooga Marketplace! I've got 6 rubbermade tubs of clothes, 1 disassembled mannequin, 85 coat hangers, 2 clothing racks, 1 table, 2 baskets of vintage patterns and a baker's rack crammed into my car. I'll be glad if I can make it in one piece!

My husband, "Orange Boy", and Jane are at the Clemson game. Clemson is winning by 7 in the 2nd quarter, so fingers crossed, the team will stick with it until the end. Jane sent me a picture via camera phone of her bundled outfit- I sure wish I could upload it to this blog!

Well off to bed. Gotta get up at 4am...ick!

A FO and the Michelin Man...

FO: One finished scarf - poof! - done. This was the one I was working on - plain garter stitch with my hand dyed from Koolaid Thirteen Mile Farms worsted weight (marvelous) and the left over Woolly Boully Red Robin: Bird, Nest and Eggs from my Chevron Scarf. I added the pom poms because I had just enough left of the Thirteen Mile yarn and only 7 inches of the Woolly Boully. This shall be a gift.

Michelin Man: That would be me tomorrow night. At the Clemson v. Boston College game. It's a biggie. It will determine whether we go to the ACC championship game in Jax FL or not. I'm going with Orange Boy who, of course, holds season tickets to Death Valley. We will tailgate with some of his buddies and kick-off is 7:45pm. Speaking of Death Valley, his tickets are very scenic - meaning they are waaaaaaayyyyy up there which means I will be wearing layers upon layers of clothes and may not be able to move. Cheryl will not be able to be here because she is in a vintage clothing market show this weekend with all her wares and I know she will do fantastic...

For starters - long underwear, jeans. Long sleeve t-shirt, College sweatshirt, orange quilted coat, orange/purple scarf (borrowed from my darling Cheryl), fleece non matching gloves (the only knitted ones I have are fingerless and that won't get it tomorrow freezing night) and my O~Wool Sideways hat with flashy bauble. Oh yeah, and my new football bag (perhaps you remember my ebay meltdown in which I was bidding on something and secretly hoping I didn't win - well guess what, I won) which will conveniently and easily handle my knitting needles and yarn. I'll hopefully bring back pictures...

Get those needles clickin'. Time is tickin' for those homemade holiday gifts. Have a fabulous weekend...

Lace ... oh boy what have I done...

Yep, I am loving it, my friends. This Branching Out is going to branch me out into more lace, I can see now... For the sake of boring ya'll, I won't take a picture of the growing Branching Out Scarf. I'll be looking for my next project. Any suggestions from more experienced lace knitters?

Yesterday I spent baking in the morning. Christmas cookie baking. Yes, already. These are called Mexican Wedding Cookies - why I have no clue - and is a receipe that has been in my family for longer than I have been alive. They have been known to keep up to a year but in my house in order for that to happen, I would have to hide them. Of course that is exactly what I have done. I made 3 full batches of them - each batch yielding about 4 doz - and they won't even be really good until next week. After they sit a while.

Which brings me to next week. Tuesday to be exact. My baby girl is coming home! Yippee! I cannot wait to see her. She will be winging in here from Key West at approx. 4:16pm which is currently 6 days and 2.5 hours from now. But who is counting... She will be here for a few fun filled frolicking days. We'll have a blast and of course I will be making the best - you better believe it - vegetarian Thanksgiving meal this side of Seattle. My mom will make a turkey for herself and my hub ( I do not eat turkey) but I am still working on the rest of the menu...

And speaking of husbands ... let me share with you... The other night I was in husband's chair knitting and he was upstairs. Figured he was working in *manland* (his almost finished room with 33 remote controls, a big honking tv that I couldn't even begin to turn on, and other man devices). I heard water running. Hmmm, wonder why he is in the shower. Maybe got paint on himself? Keep knitting... Water still running ... Since we are in a severe drought here in GA, we all pay lots of attention to water consumption. I went upstairs only to find the water in his bathroom sink running. I shut it off - he has done this before. I tell him about it and he says, "man, I do that all the time". I said, glad there wasn't anything to stop up the sink!

Next am - he goes to work - I go to take shower and notice that in his shower stall there is one of the bathroom rugs, 2 towels and last night's clothes. Hmmm. Why are they all wet? Well, I find out that he had left the water running in the same sink while he took a shower and *this time* it overflowed. Yep. . I smiled while I called him a funny name...

This could be trouble...

Lace. And this is just the beginning. I am knitting Branching Out by Susan Pierce Lawrence (whose patterns I *love* anyway). I am knitting this on Size US 8 and am using Nature's Palette Fingering Weight, Lupine. It is so hard to get a good photo of this color since it leans towards blue when I photo it but it is gawgeous.

This is a fun pattern for me. Now since it has more than 2 rows, I would not be able to knit it in a crowd ... like at my Noble Knitters group ... and lots of my friends there are knitting lace. Now I get it. One problem I have is that I keep tugging on it to visualize what it will look like when it is blocked. Can't wait. This is one project I haven't been able to put down for long...

How about you? Do you knit lace? What was your first project? Normally when I start something new - it is huge. Not something small like a scarf. I am loving this...

Scarves ... and more scarves

I can't walk and chew gum - thus I cannot talk and knit at the same time. Apparently I've been doing a lot of talking lately because I decided to cast on a plain vanilla garter stitch scarf. However, I am using up Woolly Boully Red Robin: Bird Nest and Eggs (left from my Chevron scarf) along with Thirteen Mile Farm - Worsted Weight yarn which I just happened to spill some Raspberry Blue Kool-aid on (oops - how did that happen). I'm dangerous with Kool-aid. I start looking around for any and all yarn that I can color.

I love this Thirteen Mile Yarn. Made from organic fibers in Montana, "it is the elasticity of well-processed, minimally-altered natural fiber" that I absolutely love. If you want the sheep in your living room with you, this is the yarn for you. Wonderful stuff. A little vegetation in my yarn doesn't bother me at all. Also their roving is super soft and ready to take dye. I think I will leave that to someone who dyes with non-Kool-Aid.

Finished my Chevron Scarf and it is gorgeous. It too was a hit at Marketplace last weekend and several people wanted to buy it. I did manage to convince some of them that they should knit it themselves. I loved this pattern and would knit it again. You can find it in Last-Minuted Knitted Gifts book. I also cast on Branching Out by Susan Pierce Lawrence which I found on her website and then realized it was in Knitty.com sometime ago. I am venturing into lace and I thought this was a good place to start. I love Susan's patterns .

The other scarf pictured is the Candy Scarf which comes in a kit. It is from HandPainted Knitting Yarns and is adorable. This was a sample we got from them for our show last week and I can say, it was a hit! Great gift to give just like it is or knit it up yourself .

Seems as though Orange Boy is coming in next weekend for the Clemson v Boston College game and I'm going with him. Already planning my outfit because his season ticket seats are way up high, it's a night game and it will be cold up there in outer space. I'm going to check into seeing if I can hire a helicopter to just drop me in there by a line... I think that would be a hoot...

Wrap your arms around your gift lists. I've already started. Gonna mail order some stuff this morning too... Lists work well for me... If I don't forget 'em.

Lily Purl & Marketplace

Marketplace was great and we met so many new knitters, crocheters and just wannabes. It was also nice to see friends from last year as well. We had a table set up in the middle of our double booth with several samples of different yarns and needles so anyone could test knit, sample or just plain rest their feet!

Congratulations to Joy of Gainesville GA who won our drawing which was a ball of sock yarn, Cat Bordi's book: Socks Soar on 2 Cingulars and 2 - 24" Hiya Hiya bamboo circulars, size 2. These are so new I do not even have them up in the shop yet.

Lily Purl was also a hit. Cheryl had sent Lily Purl a Suzy Perette Vintage Leopard dress (fake fur of course) with a cool patent leather belt and pearls. She was all decked out and invited a lot of people into our booth. After Marketplace however, Lily Purl was delighted to be able to go back to her SockWalker(tm) form...

The holidays are coming fast and furious. I'm currently knitting a plain old garter stitch scarf with a hand dyed skein of Thirteen Mile Yarn (koolaid dyed by me) and leftover Woolly Boully Red Robin: Bird, Nest and Eggs... It will be a gift.

Tonight is Noble Knitters. I've missed them for 2 weeks and can't wait to hear all the loot some of they got from SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival). Next year - I'm there!

As for your holiday gifts. Are you in panic mode yet? I'm just curious. Would love to hear from you.

Craft Swap

Here's my finished entry for the Free People Craft Swap. The theme was Fairies and Fairytales, so I made this "Woodland Fairy" make-up tote. I lined the bag with a vintage linen with little owls all over it. My partner just happens to be the gal who writes the Free People blog and coordinates the craft swap- no pressure! I really hope she likes it...and I can't wait to see what she send me!

And I'm off!

So it's arriving tomorrow. Marketplace. November 1st. Which means that I will be away from the shop from Thursday, November 1 through Saturday November 3. We will remain open and all your orders will be mailed on Monday November 5. Sadly, I will not have access to email so all correspondence will be addressed on Sunday, November 4.

All orders today will ship first thing in the morning.

Have a great weekend! And get busy on those holiday gifts...

Lace ... yummy Lace

I have not ventured too far into the lace world yet but it is slowly grasping my attention. Since we are carrying Aurora Yarns Hand painted Merino, it has really sparked my interest. Also it doesn't help that my darling enabling friends at Noble Knitters, namely, Diana, Nancy, Pat and Ellen, to name a few, are knitting some dynamite things. I am in awe of their pieces. I'm not exactly sure which of these went to SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival) this past weekend in Asheville NC but I know Nancy and Diana did and I cannot wait to see their loot. Next year - no one is going without me!

Here I show you a delightful, delicate lace scarf my darling friend, Paula, knit for me. Paula had called me to ask if there was anything else she could help me do to get ready for our show this week and I gladly said yes. I had started a toe up sock with J. Knits Palm Springs sock yarn and had put it aside. So I sent Paula the following:

Evelyn A. Clark's Oak Leaf & Acorn Scarf Pattern from Fiber Trends
The entire beginning of my toe up socks, dpns included with an adorable stitch marker.

Above is a photo of what arrived in my mail Saturday. This scrumptous, lace scarf! I love it! I am blocking it right now (I put the white paper under it so you could see the design) and my poor blocking board is only so big so this is Day 2 of blocking. But I will have it done before Thursday. Thank you my friend! I will gladly pay you on Tuesday for the scarf today (you know what I mean hehehe).

Applesauce started and finished Saturday. Put up 17 pints, all chunky this year- with just a small interruption. Here's the scene: I am up to my elbows in apples and applesauce.

Peeling, dicing, cooking - phone rings. It is noon.

Son: Hi Mom! How are you? What's for lunch?
me: Hi honey! lunch? what? Where are you?
Son: I am just on I-285 in Marietta on my way to Savannah for a conference. Want to do lunch? I have my boss, Rebecca with me too.
me: Ummm, sure, of course I want to see you. Where do you want to meet? No need to come by the house.
Son: Yea, we'll just stop by. I want her to meet you, John and Mimi(my mom).
me: (voice escalates) Ummm, house is a disaster. Apples and applesauce everywhere. Never mind the fact that I am packing The Yarn Grove for Marketplace. Christopher, there is a difference between a mess and a disaster. This is the latter. There are boxes, bags, apples everywhere. Besides Mimi just hung all her freshly laundered bras all over the kitchen, ceiling fans - it's a dangerous situation.
Son: (laughing). Ah Mom, Rebecca is gonna love you guys.


Ya gotta love him. They came, they saw, they laughed, they left. I also told her she wouldn't recognize me next time without all the apples on my face, hair, glasses, and shoes. Yep, all over my shoes. But we had a nice visit and a quick lunch at the local deli. I did smell delicious though.

Gobble gobble...

Where have I been? I have been busy getting ready for our Marketplace next week. No more procrastination. Oh, but a short trip up to the GA mountains yesterday to forage for apples doesn't count. I'm a little late this year for making applesauce but tomorrow will be the day. Bought 3 1/2 bushel bags which look like they should yield about 100-110 apples each. The photo is deceiving. These bags are huge... One whole bag will be for apple pies. I just prepare the filling - freeze it - and poof! It's ready for me for pies. I usually only get Winesap apples - they make excellent applesauce and they freeze well and great in pies...

Finished my turkey banner so thought I would post a picture of that since I have no knitting to show. He was a lot of fun to make. Mine looks like he is jumping up in the air and I noticed the sample on the front of the pattern shows his legs should be at the end of the 'white' area. Oh well, he's like me... Always in a twirl!

I am knitting - working on a pair of Opal Rainforest Tiger socks, just plain, toe up and also working on my Chevron scarf. I really enjoy that.

That's about it right now. Have a wonderful fall weekend...

The Tweetest Thing!

My friend Jill has two of these precious little creatures perched on her window, and I knew I had to have one too! The pattern is "Birds of a Feather" by Hannah Kaminsky. This little chirper took about an hour to crochet with Lorna's Laces. They're so cute, I think I'll make a whole flock!

Feathers and a Cap

This cap is the O~Wool Sideways Cap and the only modification I did was I did not put the buttonholes in it because I knew I wanted to put this gawgeous bauble on it. Just a 'little' sparkly for Lily Purl. She will be wearing it at Marketplace. This is a fun, quick pattern and makes a super gift. Uses one skein of O~Wool Classic Organic wool and we do have more colors of that in and I will put it up on the website shortly...

Well not real feathers, of course, fabric turkey feathers. Yes, sewing and knitting can go hand in hand because in order for me to get a nice point on the feathers, I used a bamboo knitting needle. I took a class on Saturday at my local LQS for a turkey banner and I'm almost done. I'll show finished product soon.

We have in Lorna's Laces Little Can of Paint which is a minature plastic paint can and comes with 2 skeins of LL Shepherd Sock and their basic sock pattern. This is great packaging and would also make a great gift - for the sock knitter or you knit the socks and put them back in the Little Can of Paint.

It's raining here in Georgia today! Yay! I swear I saw the little birds outside smiling a minute ago...

She knits, she sews, she's...

Wonderful! Happy Birthday to my sweet, fun, loving Cheryl. Cheryl is my daughter-in-law and she is a blogger here with me and Lily Purl. I couldn't have picked a greater match for my son, Chris if I had found her myself. She is a breathe of fresh air ...

They met at Clemson. She graduated with a degree in Costume Design - talk about talent. And creativity. She amazes me. And she is thrifty- searching those estate sales, thrift shops for the next great treasure.

Cheryl's greatest love is vintage clothing. She has quite the eye for it too. Cheryl sells her wares on FashionDig.com and the name of her shop is With a Twist. Oh but she also teaches knitting classes, sewing classes and sews for others, on request, like puppets for theaters, costumes, and clothes.

So enjoy this day, Cheryl, you are so loved and may all your wishes come true...

Anticipation ...

More Kaffe Fassett Collection Line from Regia is in here at The Yarn Grove. We were sold out of several colorways but all are back in stock. Right now we have all the colorways. The sock shown here is one that Regia sent to me as a sample. This is Landscape Fire #4259. This sock yarn also makes great knitted toys, bags, gloves and hats.

On my needles is a Sideways Hat from O~Wool in their Coal. I will show that very soon as I am almost done. Instead of buttons on mine, I'm putting a 'gawgeous' bauble on it.... Stay tuned.

Finished the quilted Bargello tree I showed last week. Put the finishing Swavorski crystals on that and I must say... it has just the right amount of sparkly on it. We'll use it at our show in Nov. Yikes! November? OMG. It is coming so fast. Time for a little procrastination again. No wonder I pulled out an unfinished Santa door hanging I took a class for almost 2 years ago. The teacher of that class went so fast and I was completely lost. I do not like unfinished things. Yesterday I decided to tackle it - head on - and I am having fun with it. It is one my mom will love.

Had to show this picture of my Junior. He loves Peanut Butter. We gave him this empty jar (which is frequent in my house because I *love* it too) and he knew what it was. Big Girl (aka Lucy) got a lick too...

Tonight is Noble Knitters night but I have a girlfriends date with 3 of my oldest friends. Well, not old ... just known for many many years. It'll be a nice fun evening of a little sip sip (as one of my friends calls it) and laughter and solving a few of the world's problems.

Has anyone out there started getting a little frantic on holiday gifts not finished / started / planned? Yikes!

A Busy Weekend

Well, when I began work on this green cloche, it was going to be for me...but when I felted it, it shrunk to the size of a small child's head! So I went with it- needle felting an orange flower and brown band. I may just tuck it away for my own little fashionista some day...Yarn is Karaoke and flower was done with the Louet Needle Felting kit.

I hit a huge sale at Belk today. This Belk was closing because the Parisian on the other side of the mall is becoming the new Belk. Confusing...Anyhoo, I got a French Connection shirt for $5, a Kenneth Cole shirt for $2 and Paper-Denim-Cloth Jeans for $5!!! It was a very successful morning!

Chris and I are carving a pumpkin, and the seeds are roasting as we speak. I love autumn!!!

2 Hoots ...

One Hoot: I just received my copy of a new book by Laurie Perry aka Crazy Aunt Purl: Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair. For those who don't know her, Laurie has a popular blog titled Crazy Aunt Purl. I have only started the first few pages of this book but I already know it will be entertaining.

Two Hoots: Check out these lovely socks knit by my friend Paula in Opal Rainforest - Owl. Great socks. Fun yarn.

Cooler weather here ... High in the low 70's during the day ... night time 50's. Have a great, safe weekend and hope it involves fiber...