The Season of Pumpkin Everything

We have now entered the season of pumpkin everything, so yesterday I made this scrumptious offering! Need (haha) I say more? Here's the recipe: Pumpkin Yeast Bread. I'm told this also makes fabulous French toast.

Notes

• I used White Lily bread flour instead of all-purpose flour, and it turned out great
• Dark brown sugar, because I didn't have any light
• Half-and-half, because I was too tired and worn out to go to yet another store on grocery day where they had small milk options
• Kneaded in my Bosch Universal Mixer with the dough hook for four minutes
• I put raisins in one loaf but when you cut it, it starts unrolling because the raisins weren't embedded when I rolled the dough. Will try again and put them in the mixer next time to see what happens.

New Beginnings

It's not January yet, but I'm starting over. Seven years I've been gone. Wow. Not even going to try and think I can go back and recreate any of my life for you during the silent years. So, let's let go of that thought and press forward:

• Going on a road trip this week
• The drought has produced a most beautiful Fall this year
• I'm knitting a Drachenfels shawl for myself, since I freeze in church year 'round
• I arrived at work this morning only to be reminded that Food Service is closed this week. I'll need to come up with a plan for lunch
• A few months ago, we started the Dave Ramsey debt snowball and are working on Baby Step 2. So thankful for Mr. Ramsey.

Happy Monday!

Cold, Damp and Dreary

Today is cold, damp and dreary. The weather can’t decide what it wants to do. We’re on the verge of Spring already with dark yellow crocuses blooming along The Promenade. I also saw a couple of forsythia blooms as well. It was quite a surprise when I noticed them yesterday. It’s still February! I wonder if I’ll ever get use to this sort of thing in The South. February means cold, and that’s the way it should be.









































I've completed about 18 inches of a shawl in Dusty Purple. Being my first cable project, I was excited to begin. However, I ran in to trouble at the get-go, because the instructions said to cast on 87 stitches--instead of 89. Later there was another snafu about repeating rows. I also learned the importance of knowing the “right” and “wrong” side of my work as well as how to use stitch markers. Despite many setbacks and having to frog the shawl close to 20 times, I’m definitely a more experienced knitter now. Yaaayyy! (I’m knitting the shawl for myself to keep warm in church all Summer.) Here is what it looks like at the moment:
























The shawl has three different looks: a seed stitch border, the stockinette stitch, and then the cable panel.
















A 20" Flexi needle by Clover. These are 20 inches long, but not rigid and unwieldy like regular "knitters" would be with a wider project like this.













Here is one of the stitch markers that helps me keep track of where the cable panel begins and ends. I've finally memorized the pattern of 9 rows repeated until the shawl reaches 69 inches in length.

A Full Life

My life is happy and full, because . . .

• Autumn has been gorgeous in the South
• It's fun interacting with Southern students in its Fiber Arts Club (What a great idea I had!)
• I'm growing in my spiritual journey
• My clothes closet and dresser drawers are organized
• Exercise is becoming less of a chore (I actually ran on the treadmill this morning.)
• Re-reading the book, Joseph, is an inspiration
• The Three Little Eunuchs make me laugh
• Visiting The Biltmore was a stress buster (click on the link to see my photo album, "America's Largest Home" )
• Discovering good gluten-free recipes has given me reason for hope
• Christmas is coming, and it's okay if I'm not ready, because all I want to do is see my family

Find of the Week: Real Men Knit

Find of the Week: Real Men Knit (Trailer)

Autumn on Glensara

With the arrival of Autumn each year, I'm reminded that even though sin entered our world a little more than 6000 years ago, God ensured that there can be beauty in death if we will just look for it . . .

Find of the Week: The Manly Art of Knitting

Find of the week: The Manly Art of Knitting

Recent Yarn Projects . . .

Kelly-Anne's Dollie Blanket (Christmas 2008)
I've done this project twice now, and it's fun. Short and sweet. It comprises 56 small granny squares sown together--eight rows, seven across. Took the equivalent of two weeks to complete. Used Vanna's Choice Baby yarn and a Size J hook.

















Moss Stitch Scarf (October 2008)
This "grass green" knitted scarf was for Southern's Fiber Arts Club and is for sale ($20). I used Lion Brand Thick and Quick yarn. It is also very, very soft.

The moss stitch is basically casting on an odd number of stitches to your needle. Then alternate knit and purl. Always begin and end with a knit stitch. No. 13 needles were used since the yarn was so thick.

My personal model isn't too sure about all this "do" with photographing my work . . .

RECIPE: Mardi Gras Slaw . . . Great Fall Eating

Slaw

1 small head green cabbage, halved and cored

1/2 head red cabbage, cored

3 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cored

Bleu Cheese Dessing

1/2 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2-1/2 to 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 ounces Bleu cheese, crumbled

Directions

To make slaw: Slice cabbages into fine shreds; place in large bowl; slice peppers very thinly lengthwise and add to bowl

To make dressing: place all ingredients in a quart jar; screw on lid and shake vigerously; pour half over slaw and toss; refrigerate remainder for future use

Source:Vegetarian Times, 2005-02-01

Enter: Ruben Duarte, IV

I've been working on this project for the last six weeks for Ruben and Ana-Carla's baby which came last Wednesday the 10th. Nancy found the pattern at Michaels. She did hers in pink, green and white. So cute. I had to have one, and fortunately an "occasion" in the family gave me an excuse to crochet this. I think I'll make my 8-year old niece, Kelly-Anne, one of these for Christmas. Her dollies will love it.



And here are the cables I taught myself how to do earlier this week during my lunch hour. I'm using the leftover blue yarn from the baby afghan (Vanna's Choice Baby). I learned last night that I can't really do anything like this at prayer meeting yet. I ended up frogging the five rows I completed due to a dropped stitch (that wouldn't do!). I'm still too attached to the pattern in that I have to check and double check my stitch counts.

Mom isn't doing well. Just spent six days in the hospital with another flesh-eating bacteria incident on her elbow. She is very discouraged about her multiple health issues, many of them due to the long-term Prednisone she's been on for the last year. She is having a hard time believing she'll ever get well again. I think I will get her some funny as well as some encouraging greeting cards to send over the next several weeks.

Tomorrow afternoon I have a 90-minute massage with Christy. Lord, I'm thankful.

Time for bed, so tra la for now.