CLee

The red bud syrup was actually a failed attempt at making jelly. LOL We use it on muffins, pancakes, ice cream, you name it. It's really good with a delicate flavor. And yes, he is definitely a keeper!!!

Hubby was busy this weekend canning! He managed to can 2 dozen quart jars of beef, a dozen quart jars of pork, and I don't know how many jelly jars we got but he carmelized then canned 9 lbs of vidalia onions. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm Oh yeah, he also did a small batch (about 10 lbs) of applesauce. It was his first try at applesauce and he did a good job on it. Had some unexpected stuff come up or he would have made a batch of mint jell too. He made some red bud syrup and jelly last weekend. Maybe next weekend we'll get to the mint jelly. Trying to gear up for the coming tomatoe season this summer.

Haven't looked at it yet, but just "bought" it. I'll take it for free! Never know, might have something in there we need. Thanks for posting the link!!

Okay, had a tick and pulled it off successfully. It was intact, head and all, no parts were left behind. No red ring has shown up or anything like that as of yet. (it's only been 4-5 days since pulling it off) But, the site where it was it itching like crazy!!!! There is a small "lump" at the site too. Should I be concerned and is there anything I can do for the itching? I've tried hydrocortison cream and nothing. Help!

Congrats on your wheel! I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with it. Do you know if you have a local guild to join? They can be a great resource and lots of fun too. I love my Minstrel and love spinning. It's so relaxing and soothing. Although I have to be careful what kind of music I listen to when spinning, if it is too upbeat I get going too fast with my wheel and my spinning kinda gets away form me sometimes.

Awwww, hope they can figure it out. I'm a doxie person myself, just love the breed. We have one who seems to always know when you aren't feeling good and sticks with that person too. I have fibro myself so he tends to be with me a lot. Always seemed to know when I was/am going to get migraines too - he seemed to "bird dog" me and I finally figured it out that it happened prior to me getting migraines.

Miki, so sorry to hear about Bud. Sun morning our beagle rescu that we've had for a year had a seizure. Scared the heck out of us! It lasted about a minute and she came out of it okay. She took it really easy most of the day and by late afternoon/evening she was back to being her normal self. We let her take things ate her own pace that day and have been keeping a close eye on her since. Hoping she doesn't have any more but if she does we'll have her checked at the vet. Was good to read some of the info posted here for you, I'll keep it in mind for Angel.

Yes, grands are the best! Sure are having fun having her around for now. She'll be leaving in a few months when her husband comes home from deployment. House sure will feel empty then. My best friend's daughter just found out she is pregnant last month. Between my grandbaby and hers it's nice having little ones to knit for again. I've done a lot of charity knitting, but it's different when you know who it's going to, ya know?! I've never used elastic in my socks. You may want to play around with your stitch count for cast on, that can make a difference in how well they stay up too. Sometimes it's finding that magic number for you. My husband likes his socks really tight and I like mine a little looser. Make some test socks to play around with that as well.

Would love to see that top! Might be one to put on my long "to do" list. I hope to get the time this year to knit this sweater for my mom for her birthday in Dec - Buttercup Sweater Since they live in FL she can wear it a majority of the year. I was showing her some sweaters on Ravelry when visitng them last year and she liked this one.

Congrats Arby! Our daughter had her baby and I've been busy here. Had to make some covers for the baby bed she bought since Jamie was only 5 lbs, 5 ounces. It's kind of like a Moses basket type thing. She'll be in that until Mandi feels comfortable letting her sleep in the crib in the next room and until she's going longer between bottles. Right now she's wanting to go anywhere from 1-2.5 hours between feedings. She's full term and is just fine, just a small baby. Since she is small she needs help keeping her body temp regulated. Well, store bought socks swallow her so it's a good thing "Grammy Lee" knows how to knit socks! I've been knitting little socks for her to help keep her little tootsies warm. They are the only socks that stay on too. I've gone through all the scraps I had on hand and can't really afford to buy a bunch of full size skeins for 1/2 ounce for different socks for her. I found a few listings on Etsy for mini-skeins that will work. Found one that the lady had 10 different skeins in the sale all in rainbow colors so Jamie will have socks for just about any outfit whe wears now. Can't wait to get the yarn to get knitting again! Can't wait to get back into some sort of routine here. I know it will take a little bit for Jamie to hit a routine and then hoepfully we'll be able to hit a routine too.

Way to go Arby on the sock knitting! It's not so hard and once you get through one you wonder why you were so scared to try in the first place.

Praying for her and for you too. It's rough to see a loved one go through something like this and not be able to help them.

Good old corn bread and navy beans or corn bread and pinto beans. mmmmmmmmmmm When we got married I had to teach my husband that it is a complete meal and you do not have to have meat. He eventually got to where he could forgo the meat and eat just beans and cornbread for a meal.

Arby, he spent most of his time in Sig. Made it to Iceland once, got all around the world, but the majority was Sigonella. So cool you know exactly what I'm talking about, he was an AW. Our SIL is currently a mech working in P-3s but is in the process of cross rating to CTR. Socks are great projects because you can take them along to work on in the waiting room at doctor's appts and in the car if you aren't driving, etc. Much easier to carry around than some larger thing like an adult sweater. Too bad I can't carry my spinning wheel or loom around like that. LOL They are portable enough to go for guild meetings and for demos at fairs and such, but that's it. Will be doing more baby items now with the grandbaby on the way. Trying to get my daughter to let me teach her how to knit, crochet, sew, something, but she doesn't seem to have any interest in it.

Last night my husband made a yummy beef, veggie, barley soup. Perfect with the cold rainy weather we had. Especially for him when he came in from hunting. I made some bread to go along with it and it came out good, but I need to "tweak" it some. I was watching Top Chef Just Desserts and one lady made Parker House Rolls with cheese and other stuff in it but made it as a loaf rather than as rolls. I made it like you would for the rolls, and then when I punched it down after the first rise I stretched it out into a rectangle had softened butter that I smoothed on and rolled it up like cinnamon bread, put it in the pans and let it rise the second time and then baked. There were spots where the bread was a little "soggy" and I think it the butter may have been too thick there? I want to keep that in there though because you coat the rolls in melted butter when you put them on the baking sheet, that's part of what gives them that distinct flavor. I think next time I'll melt the butter completely and brush it on more evenly and give that a try.

I've seen some tri-looms at sheep and wool festivals but never have seen one with a shawl "in-progress". I have a rigid heddle loom and just the brief explaination I heard on the tri-loom had me scratching my head. LOL I'm sure if I could watch someone I could pick it up but it sounded a little confusing. Hope you'll post a picture of a project once you're done!

He was Navy and was aircrew, flew in the back of the P-3 Orion. If you remember back about 10-12 years ago now the plane that went down in China? That was a P-3. Last deployment was in Iraq and it was really rough on our daughter. She was 18 at the time. I'm kind of a "hybrid" lefty. LOL I eat left handed, but cut meats and stuff with my right hand. When I play baseball/softball I play the field left handed but bat right handed because if I bat left handed I pull it foul. I bowl right handed, frustrated my husband to death with that. (He's also a lefty) When I was little I would color with one hand, get tired and switch tot he other hand. Didn't settle to the left for writing until I hit kindergarten. I do a lot of things right handed because I have to - cut right handed because I never knew there were left handed scissors out there and now I don't have the dexterity to cut with my left hand as well as my right. When my husband went out to CA for SERE School (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) he took 2 pairs of my hand knit boot socks with him. While they did their navigation phase out in the desert he would change his socks when they took a break and hang the other pair on his pack to dry. He was the only one in the group that did not get any blisters and he swears it was because of the socks and making sure he switched out for dry ones constantly. Well, I need to go get some bread going here to have with dinner this evening!

I got myself into knitting socks when the wool socks my husband wore with his flight boots got to be $20 a pair. Back then I could get a nice wool yarn (and enough of it for a pair of socks for his big size 13 boats) cheap enough to make 3 pairs of socks for what we paid for one. I had never knit socks in my life but stupid me I pipe up and go "I can knit those cheaper!" LOL I get myself into a lot of trouble that way. Of course I also find out I can do a lot more than I think that way too. It took a lot of hit and miss, lot of reading and fumbling but I finally figured it out. Unfortunately this was before Youtube. I didn't know anyone where we lived at the time who knitted either. bummer Here I'm lucky enough to be close to a weavers and spinners guild and most of them knit and crochet as well. So if I get stuck on anything someone if bound to know the answer. It's nice to have so many knowlegeable women around at monthly meetings. I don't get to as many meetings as I would like, but we have fun when we get together. Whenever we move I hope I'm able to find another group like them. My problem with trying to help teach someone is I'm a lefty so it's hard for me to show anyone how to do it. I've tried with a couple of people having them sit directly across from me so it was mirror image and one picked it up somewhat but had better luck with a righty and the other one was completely lost. Even when I try to learn something from someone I struggle sometimes to turn it around in my head. I can make easy things so much more difficult sometimes. LOL

Heres a sewing tip - If you have a pattern you know you want to use repeatedly like a pattern for pajama pants iron it onto intefacing and then cut it out. It will last much longer for you and give you years of use. I have a pj pants pattern I have been using now for 12 years. I try to catch all my pattern on sale for 99 cents, but if it is something you have to pay full or even half price for you don't want to have it rip or ruined right away.

C4C - actually making something for yourself???!!! We so rarely do that! LOL I have a pair of socks I started for myself about 2 years ago with only half of the first sock done. I put everyone else before myself on projects though. Maybe I'll pull them back out and work a little on them again here and there. My mom keeps "hinting" for a new pair of socks from me. Her feet get cold so easily in the winter and I keep telling her to buy wool socks. They live in FL and she always buys cotton socks to wear with her sneakers. I have explained to her that even in the summer wool is better because it wicks the moisture away and can prevent blisters much better than cotton socks. sigh Anyway, I need to make another pair for her to help keep her feet warm when it's cold. (which for her is anything under 70 degrees!) Part of my problem is I tend to do intricate patterns/cables/colorwork and/or things of a smaller guage, so they take a lot longer to knit up. I need to start going with projects on larger needles. Would love to see your shawl, the colors sound beautiful.

Part of my problem is time and part is this d**m fibromyalgia. This winter is gonna be a wash with Mandi moving in and being due with Jaimie Lee the end of Jan. Then Peter getting married beginning of April. I think my crafting will be taking a backseat this winter too. sigh

I have a Kromski Minstrel spinning wheel and a Kromski Harp rigid heddle loom. Also sew, knit, crochet, pretty much all the fiber arts. Some of my earliest memories are sitting in my grandmother's kitchen with a scrap of cloth, threaded needle and a box of buttons sewing buttons on the fabrics. I know it was her way to keep me busy while she was cooking, I was just having fun at the time. I love being able to create for friends, loved ones, and clients. I just finished a Smurfette costume for a friend's daughter for Halloween. Knitting a materinty sweater for our daughter, will be working on baby items now that we know it's a girl, and tons of other ideas swirling in my head. Anyone else suffer from the problem of too many ideas and not enough time and/or money for supplies to get everything done? LOL CLee