Again???

Winter just isn't letting up for a minute this year. Another foot or so of snow is headed our way tonight and all day tomorrow. It has been brutally cold these past few days, so at least it has to warm up a little to snow (I'd be happy to hit the mid 20's!). The snowblower is getting quite the workout this year!

Dad's mittens are progressing quickly, as colorwork seems to do! I am just about done with the top, and then I just have to pick up and knit the thumb, then one will be complete. The pattern is showing up very nicely in the colors I chose.

I like the little braid detail between the cuff and mitten body too. A very, very cool technique! Once this first mitten is complete, I can move on to the second.

Poor Otis was back in surgery yesterday. His tail didn't heal from the last time and pretty much split back open where the stitches were. They had to take off a bit more and stitch him up again. I feel so bad for him.

He is getting lots of loving and special attention while he's healing.....

Sunny Sock!

We got hit with another blast of winter weather this past weekend - another foot of snow (luckily more light and fluffy stuff that's easy to move) and more bitter temperatures. This week seems to be a break in the pattern of snow every few days though. Sunny and bright all week, though this weekend the temps are supposed to plummet again. When does Spring start?

In order to warm the mind (and the feet) I finished up the first Gent's Shooting Stocking for Naomi. The pattern is really easy to memorize and makes for a really textured and super duper stretchy sock.

I'm really happy with how the yarn is not pooling at all. None, zippo! A very pleasant surprise! I decreased a bit more in the toe to add a few rows of length where I needed them, other than that, it's knit to the pattern.

In the mitten department, I scrapped the design I was working on. Frustration led to real annoyance with the pattern so I just put it aside. It's on a big time out for now and maybe I will pick it up again in a few weeks. So, instead, I turned to the miracle worker again - Nancy Bush. Kalev's Mittens (Rav link. Flickr link here) struck both my sister and I as a pattern we thought dad would like. Plus, to me it looks like little coffee beans, and his winter walks often take him to Starbucks, so I thought they'd be perfect.

So I have plenty to work on right now in the knitting department (yes, for me two WIP's is plenty!). Plus, I have to fix hubby's first sock (that will make it three!)which will involve ripping back to the heel and making the foot longer.

On Saturday, Ace and I headed to New Hampshire for an AKC agility trial. Just one day indoors with single digit temps outside all day. It was a fun trial, although it ran a bit long (the trials with only one ring tend to be very long even though they limit the entries). We did our last run around 6pm. I am proud to say that Ace came away from the day going three for three with a second and two first places! He also got his Novice Standard title which moves us up into Open. He is so much fun to run - I get really nervous and excited before every run! Thinking about it, we've only actually had 9 runs together so we are still in the infancy stages, but I can only imagine where it will go from here! His speed is also coming along too. As he gains confidence out there, he has gained some speed too! Our next trial isn't until March. We tried for one in February, but got wait listed. Boo.
Open Jumpers (1st Place)

Novice Standard (1st Place)

Pile on the Woolies!

It is cold. Beyond cold. Way beyond freezing even (heck, if it was 32 degrees, we'd be breaking out the shorts!). Yesterday was cold. Single digit temps, with a bit of a breeze. This morning, it was just brutal.

It actually dropped to -7, but my hands were too cold to get out the camera again. It hurts to breathe outside. The air is so dry that the snow is now "squeaky". I piled on all the fleece and handknits I have to make the trek from the parking garage into work (about a 6 minute walk). I was still cold. Luckily today there is no wind.

The dogs (except Ace, he is Arctic dog!) only go outside when they absolutely have to. Poor Otis - his paws were so cold yesterday afternoon, he plunked himself down in the snow and lifted his feet off the ground! He'll get booties on this afternoon. It is a big day for him - he gets his stitches out! He'll still need to wear the E-Collar for a bit longer, but I'm hoping he can get back to normal soon!

With the chilly temps outside, evenings have been confined to inside activities - like knitting and, for Naomi, spinning!

This is some superwash Merino in Blue Raspberry she got from Jessica's Esty shop! Since she has pretty much spun up all the fiber she had, she bought some different things to try. She also got some BFL in a beautiful yellow. Anyway, my holiday gift to my mom was a cowl. I wanted to let her pick the pattern, and Naomi offered to spin the yarn! This is her first attempt at spinning thicker than fingering weight. She's really, really good at spinning thin - she can spin cobweb weight if she wanted, so this is a great challenge for her! The thickness of Malabrigo is what she's going for, along with the same, single ply (it's the yarn used in the pattern my mom picked). I think it's coming out great, and the color is just amazing! It's a bluish-purple with hints of a dark pinkish-burgundy color. Dying genius!

Her sock is coming along well - I'm into the gusset decreases The last two socks I did had short row heels. Not my favorite. Heel flap, I have missed you! Short rows are just not my thing. Never have I gotten them to come out really nice. Many methods have been tried, there is just something about picking up the wraps and that whole second half of the heel. Just not pleasant for me. Give me a good 'ol heel flap any day!

The mittens I designed are another story. The corrugated ribbing was done, I had the pattern designed and tweaked and started knitting. Ick. Double Ick. Super Ick. It was just nothing like I wanted and it was not fun to knit.

The previous mitten and cuff are now two balls (beautiful center pull balls, may I add) of yarn again. The cuff will be changed to a ribbed cuff (better for keeping out the weather as my dad is a walker in all sorts of temps) and I have to re-work the design again. Back to the drawing (Excel) board.....

Bitter

Need I say more? (it has actually gone up a few degrees - my car thermometer said 3 on my way into work.) Time to layer up the handknits!!!

Comfort in the Familiar

When things are up in the air and seem hectic and unorganized, we find comfort in the familiar - be it a dinner we've loved since childhood, a cozy blanket or even, in my case, socks. I have been trying to start a sock for my sister. I've tried the Herringbone Rib Socks, but the pattern and I just didn't click. I also tried the Stansfield 304 pattern, but no luck there either. Things just were not jelling and it was getting frustrating. I finally took a deep breath and went back to what is comfortable and familiar. For socks, that means only one thing - Nancy Bush. I pulled all the books by her I had out and thummed through them. After showing my sister a few options, we settled on the Gentleman's Shooting Stockings. The texture in these socks is wonderful.

It's more of a texture than a pattern, so I think the variegated yarn is going to work ok with it. It's knitting up nice and cushy, and Naomi would like some longer almost knee socks, and with about 500 yds on the skein, I should be able to do that. I have knit so many of Nancy Bush's patterns that the language, her pattern style and everything is just so familiar and comfortable. It feels good. Eventually I hope to knit most if not all of her sock patterns. I'm making my way slowly through them!

Today is also an anniversary of sorts. Four years ago today I learned to knit! It's truly amazing how much I've learned and how many fabulous people I have met both on line and in person. A hobby that has really changed my life! From my first project to the most current, I have to say I have learned something from each of them. Here's to the next four years!

First FO of 2009!

I'm trying to start the year off with a bang. My knitting momentum seems to be up right now - I'm really enjoying it and am itching to cast on quite a few new projects. But, the monogamous knitter in me keeps things in check. One sock and one other project on the needles. That's it. I'm not too good at multi-tasking my knitting!

The first hat I knit my dad turned out a bit too big. So, I cast on again (coincidentally in the same colors!) and knit him up another. I went down a needle size and did not do the increases after the ribbing. The whole base of the hat is 96 sts up to the point of starting the decreases. It came out pretty cute.

It is snug on me, so I'm hoping it will fit him better. It was quick and easy - a nice mindless knit with almost instant gratification! I'll probably knit him a few more if it does fit. He wears hats every day inside in the winter! He also needs another pair of socks...hmmm....

To brigten up the dreary days we have been having - snow and freezing rain for pretty much 24 hours straight, and today is just very windy and cold - I cast on for Naomi's next pair of socks.

The yarn is from Ellen's Half-Pint Farm - a whopping 500 yard skein! I knit just the cuff over 60 sts, but am going to I think rip it and start over. It kind of fits, but not great, so I'm thinking of going in a different direction. Originally, we had picked out the Herringbone Rib Socks from this winter's Interweave. The handpainted yarn seemed to go nicely with it. But she's inbetween sizes. I may just delve into a sock book I got and have barely even looked through it. New Pathways for Sock Knitters - book One looks fascinating. New construction and entirely new ways of knitting socks! I'm pretty sure we can find a pattern in there that she will like, and it will be fun to knit socks in a new way!

I'm also still contemplating which yoke sweater to do next. I owe hubby a sweater, so his may be first. The current sweater on the needles for him isn't working gauge wise. A simple yoke sweater with some nice stripes may be a good option....

A Bit of an Unintentional Break

I didn't mean to be away for that long without a post. It's been a bit crazy around here lately. Tucker and I went away for a long weekend up to New Hampshire to an agility trial. There were so many entries that they actually had to cancel some classes. The days were very long - starting around 6:15 and going until about 7pm each night. Days were busy too. Five runs per day for us - kept us on our toes and a bit tired. It took a few days to recover from that!

Otis was healing up pretty well, but in a flash, he had the bandage off and the stitches ripped out. Back to surgery and we are starting the healing process again. I feel so bad for him. I know it must be miserable!

There has also been some knitting. A new, smaller hat for my dad as the last one was a bit big on him. I went down a needle size and did not do the typical increases after the ribbing. Here's hoping for a better fit this time.

Whitney came up with a brilliant theme for 2009 - The Year of the Yoke! Yoked sweaters are perhaps the easiest and quickest kind to knit. They also lend themselves well to all sorts of customization. I joined up and now have to find a pattern to start with. I'm eyeing Aftur (lots on Ravelry here) as well as a couple of others. I'd like to pick one that will use up some of the single balls in my stash. One of my goals for this year is to try and streamline the stash and get rid of the odds and ends.

We are in the midst of a big snow/sleet/freezing rain storm right now, so it's not pretty out there. At least it isn't the coating kind of freezing rain like we had last month - this stuff is bouncing all over the place and it sounds like someone is throwing gravel at the windows!

Last Post of The Year

I can't believe 2008 is coming to a close already! Like usual, time has just flown by. Summer seemed like just yesterday! Mother Nature has managed to keep us on our toes right until the very end. We are getting quite a bit of snow today - right now it's coming down at a frantic rate, and the winds are very gusty too. Makes for some nice sideways falling snow.

Of course, Ace loves being outside in it. Tucker is curled up on the couch, and Otis is recovering from his minor surgery yesterday.

He got the last two vertebrae of his tail removed. He had an injury at the end of his tail that would just not heal. We have tried for months with no luck. It hurt and was very irritated, and it's all he thought about, so in his best interest, I decided to just have the end removed. He seems much happier and much more comfortable already. His tail isn't running his life anymore! I'm hoping for quick healing and he'll be back to normal in no time.

I have been managing to do some knitting also! Hubby's sock #2 is now complete.

I'm still not 100% happy with the ribbing or cast off. I did 1x1 rib, but it just doesn't seem "elastic" enough. It doesn't bounce back the way I'd like. I went down a needle size also. Would 2x2 maybe have been better? Sock #1 is going to get mailed back to me as I needed to do a couple of modifications to make it fit just right. I was pretty close on the first try though! It just needed a few more rows in the foot to make it a bit longer, and tighter ribbing.

The mittens have also been cast on and the corrugated ribbing complete.

I'm afraid I won't be able to show much more of them once I start the fun colorwork part, but I hope to have them done quickly so I can begin work on some other projects waiting in the wings! Socks (of course), along with another Turn A Square hat for dad (the first was too big) and a scarf/shawl for mom. Lots to do in the new year!

I wish everyone a happy, healthy and craft filled New Year! See you in 2009!

Spinning - and some Mittens!

My sister Naomi has really come a long way in her spinning. She is mostly, if not all, self taught and I think the yarn she has made so far is amazing! She started a year or so back with some Alpaca she got at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival. It was a very short staple, and that is what she learned to spin on. Not the easiest. Now, she is flying through ounces of roving at a crazy pace! In just the last months she has spun and plied both Merino roving as well as three hand dyed colors of Merino/Tencel. The Merino is beautiful. A pale light blue, it is super soft and springy.

The Merino/Tencel was handdyed by us at the dying weekend we had at Sarah's back in August.
The first is a beautiful steely purple color.

The second is a beautiful silver - it looks like spun metal!

The third is a great tone of blue. It is still on the wheel, so pics of that one to come later. Now, since she did the spinning, I get to do the knitting! Any ideas for these lovlies? They are all from 4 oz of fiber and spun to about a sport/heavy fingering weight yarn. I think one may become a Lace Ribbon Scarf for my mom. Naomi is also looking for sources for more fiber! Preferably Merino, BFL or blends. Anyone with great sources, let me know!

As for knitting, I had to keep up with her spinning! I finished a pair of Peekaboo Mitts (Rav link) for Naomi. She has long coveted the pair I made a while back, so I gathered together some scraps and made her a pair.

Not even thinking, I matched her Sherbrooke Cowl perfectly! The stripes are kind of hard to see, but there are light blue, pale pink and white in the middle as well as the green. They were a super quick and fun knit.

More snow on tap for us today mixed with some freezing rain and rain. Pretty much everything Mother Nature could throw at us! I hope everyone has a safe, happy and festive holiday, whichever one you celebrate!!!!!!!

Snowed In!

We didn't get quite as much as the weather people predicted, but we did end up with about 17" total from the storm Friday and Sunday. It was all light, fluffy snow, so it made for wonderful snowblowing and playing in.

This was after Sunday's snowfall. The snowblower died about 1/3 into removal of Friday's snow - Naomi and I ended up shoveling the rest of the driveway. It took a couple of hours and we were exhausted! Luckily it was just a faulty spark plug and we ventured out and got a replacement on Sunday.

The boys had a great time. We had to drag them inside - they would have stayed out there all day playing and running in the snow.

Ace especially - it seems like he is immune to the cold.

The woods were beautiful. The snow stuck to all the branches and made it very quiet and serene. It is a brutally cold day today - temps only in the low teens and winds up to 40 mph. Not fun. All the snow we had blown off the driveway was back on it this morning! Looks like I have a project for when I get home from work!

Being that we were pretty much snowed in this weekend, we made a TON of cookies for gifts, and I got a bunch of knitting done! More on that tomorrow......

It's coming.......

Not like the ice storm we had last week was enough, we are about to get slammed with a huge snowstorm!

See that "Higher Amounts" area - well, we are right in the thick of it. In a way, I'm actually looking forward to it. I came into work super early at 5am so I could leave around noon before it really hit. With nothing planned for tomorrow, I plan on letting it snow to Mother Nature's hearts content and dealing with the cleanup on Saturday. It is supposed to be light and fluffy - perfect for the snowblower and even more perfect for maybe doing some snowshoeing with the dogs!

I have plenty of knitting to work on. My sister will be the recipient of a pair of Peekaboo Mitts (Rav link). She really liked the pair I made a while back. I also have the test pair of mittens to work on, along with coming up with a knitted gift for mom for the holidays. My sister and I have a pile of holiday cookies to make along with some more marshmallows. The bunch I brought into my office disappeared the first day! All in all, I think it will be kind of a fun weekend! Ace is supposed to have herding, but we will see if she can clear her pen for the sheep.

Everyone enjoy whatever weather they are having!

More Stripes!

While the weather outside is frightful this morning, the knits continue! We had about an inch of snow overnight, then this morning it turned to a wonderful freezing rain and sleet combination. Made for a slow and long commute into work. The weather people are saying we get a one day reprieve tomorrow, then should expect about 6" of snow during the day on Friday. Ahh, the joys of winter in New England. At least the snow will cover up all the brown dead grass everywhere.

Power is still out all around us. Friends who live about a mile away are still in the dark. Phone, cable and internet were restored last night, but I found that I really wasn't missing them. I managed to keep busy other ways.

Another hat! This pattern has proved to be the perfect fit - I have tried many hat patterns that just don't fit right. I like my ears covered, and I want it to come down low enough that it covers my forehead. A nice snug fit also. This, I believe, is the holy grail of hat patterns for me. I plan on making more! They are the perfect stash buster. Just use what you have! Solid, stripes, whatever!

Now, Lolly and I can be stripey hat twins!

What do you do without power? You knit!

This past weekend was quite the adventure. We got hit full on with the ice storm that pounded the entire central Massachusetts area. We lost power on Thursday and didn't get it back until late on Friday. We are one of the lucky ones. The kennel still does not have power. A generator was hooked up to give heat and water for the dogs but it's just bare bones. There are still many trees down and the power lines at the top of our street are still laying across it. We still have no phone or TV, but we have heat. That is all I can ask for! It is amazing to drive around the area and see the shear number of trees and limbs down. Driving over the weekend was like an obstacle course. I am truly thankful we escaped any damage to our house.

So, stuck at home Friday with no power, I managed to crank out the knits. I finished the Boyfriend Socks aka Hubby socks.

I love how they came out. It has been mailed down to Hubby in Georgia to see if it fits before I start on the second sock. There is a lot of ribbing in the sock, so I'm hoping its a bit of a forgiving pattern if I didn't size it correctly!

I also knit a hat for my dad. He was our savior this weekend. He and my mom drove out on Friday with a propane heater to help keep us from freezing! We didn't end up needing it, but I think it was the mere presence of the heater turned ours back on! So, I knit him a new hat.

He works from home in the chilly basement, so he wears a hat all day in the house. Right now, he wears the Fake Isle hat I knit a while back, but it is a bit big. I'm hoping this one will fit him better. It's the Turn a Square hat - thanks to Sarah for letting me try hers on! It was a really quick knit. I finished it in less than a day and have now started a second one for me! It needs a good blocking at the decreases, but I like how it turned out. The yarns are Lang Polar and the burgundy is Patons Classic. Both leftovers. A great stashbuster!

Sunday I took Ace herding. We haven't been in about a month, so he was super excited! He did remember some things from before, and once he settled down, he did very well.

We go back again on Saturday, so I'm hoping that going more often will help focus his mind a bit more so we can get down to working quicker and not have as much "frantic" time. It is a lot of fun though, as Ace's enthusiastic barking confirms!

My other adventure was on the culinary front. A while back, I tried to make my own marshmallows. Let's just say it was so much less than successful. The cold weather and need for cocoa warranted another try. This time, I had a much better result.

They came out perfect. I love the taste. Not sickening sweet or grainy like packaged marshmallows, but creamy with a subtle sweetness and nice vanilla flavor. I used this recipe, but there are a bunch out there. Next I want to try peppermint flavored ones - I think they'd be perfect in cocoa!

Can You Believe It??

Four days in Boston was wonderful. It was all dogs all the time. Everyone had a great time, and it was really nice to be able to hang out with the dogs for four straight days! Ace and Tucker ran agility. Ace got his Novice Jumpers title - we now move up to the next level! I only entered him one day as the crowds and noise can be a bit overwhelming and I didn't want him to have a bad experience.

It was a lot of fun. We got to also watch Deuce win the breed every day, and compete in Best in Show on Saturday. She didn't win, but was a close runner up!

I also managed to get in a bit of knitting. The knitting groove has been in full swing. I feel so much better and relaxed at night now that I have picked up the needles again. The Komi mittens from Mostly Mittens. This is pattern #25. I really love how they came out, especially the colors.

You will notice that the cuffs are a bit different. The first I did with a corrugated rib. I love it. The second I thought was a corrugated rib, but obviously I followed the directions a bit differently! I still love them. I tried to get some modeled shots, but at 5am, there was not much light or creativity going on. We are supposed to get a bunch of snow on Friday, so some weekend shots will be likely of the mittens in their natural habitat.

I'm still working on hubby's socks and am a few rows from the heel. I really hope they fit! My next project is already laid out. A mitten pattern I designed was accepted for publication in the Fall of 2009, so I have to get moving an knit up a pair and write out the pattern so it can be test knit. Pretty exciting!

Now with Knitting!

Believe it or not, knitting has been happening at a pretty good clip around here lately. It helped to have some motivation on Sunday when my sister and I trucked down to Sarah's and had a fun craft day. Her sister Jeanine got to do her talent as well - check it out!

Both Naomi and I were pretty sick of our hair - it was long and for me, just getting really annoying! I had Jeanine chop it off and give it a nice new winter color. Both ponytails are getting donated to Pantene Beautiful Lengths which is the same type of organization as Locks of Love, they just require only an 8 inch long ponytail, not 10. Hopefully my ponytail can make someone happy somewhere! I love my new cut - very easy and it feels about ten pounds lighter. She nailed the color - perfection! Thanks again Jeanine!

Like I said - there was some knitting going on also. I had finished the first mitten back in July, and with the cold weather here, I really needed to get cracking on the second one. I'm always amazed how fast these go - the rows of colorwork just seem to fly by!

This is after about 3 days of sporadicly working on it. I'm hoping to finish it very soon so I can wear them! They fit absolutely perfect. Colorwork is definitely my thing. My hands, even after all this time, just naturally fell into the rhythm and were pumping out the stitches.

I also cast on a new project - socks!

Get out the sunglasses - these are going to be bright! The pattern - Boyfriend Socks - I'll just rename them the Husband Socks....yep - these will be for hubby. He really loves all the socks I have knit him, he wears them constantly, and that makes me very happy. I have yet to make him any socks with cables, so these will be his first cable socks. He is working away in Atlanta for the winter (wave, wave - Hi sweetie!), so I am missing him terribly. I can't wait for Spring......

The pattern is pretty simple - the repeats are easy to memorize and I'm liking how the yarn is knitting up so far. No pooling and the color is just spectacular!

There may not be another post this week as Tucker, Ace and I are off to the Bay Colony Dog Show in Boston early, early Thursday morning for the weekend. Four days of doggie fun! I'll be taking plenty of pictures and video though.....

Breaking the Silence

I know it's been a while - somehow the time slips away and before I know it, weeks have passed! There is still little knitting progress to report, though I am slowly but surely making an effort to get the needles clicking again! I did finish a cowl for my sister, and I hope to get modeled shots this weekend. It is soft, comfy and extra long.

There is big news on the four legged front though. If anyone watched the National Dog Show last night on TV, you saw Ace's mom Deuce win the Herding group again and strut her stuff in Best in Show. Alas, no one was going to beat the Pointer that won. That dog is amazing. I think she has about 95 Best in Shows this year alone!

Last weekend, Ace had his first agility trial. All the hard work, hours and hours of training and practice proved well worth it. It was in Springfield, Massachusetts in a huge venue. The biggest agility trial in the country! It is indoors with four rings of agility going on at the same time. He remained focused and did exactly what I asked. I couldn't be more proud! This is his Jumpers run on Saturday. Pretty flawless.

And Standard on Sunday. Another great run.

All in all, Ace went 4 for 4 qualifying in every run he ran. Sunday was extra special. His sister Gracie was also competing! We managed to get a quick family shot of proud dad Razz (center) with his two kids.

I was beaming. It was so amazing to see all the hard work we put in really pay off. He was just perfect. I couldn't have asked for it to go any better! He is a blast to run and I think he will just get faster and better. I can't wait! Our next trial is the huge, fun Bay Colony Dog Show in Boston next weekend. This will be the last year it will be held in Boston as they are tearing down the Bayside Expo Center. Sad. It is such a fun show with so much going on. It is always one of my favorite agility trials of the year. Especially since I get to watch Deuce show in the breed ring as well!

If the weather cooperates I hope to get some pictures of the second mitten I'm working on as well as some socks I may start - nothing like casting on a few new projects to get the knitting juices flowing!

I hope everyone had a wonderful, food and family filled Thanksgiving!!!

The last of the garden - and Cake!

I'm still getting back into the knitting groove, but I did manage to cast on something new. The Sherbrooke Cowl pattern written by my good friend Lauren. My sister got some yarn at Webs the last time we went - super soft and cuddly Valley Yarns Colrain. She got white, but dyed it a really pretty green. Two skeins are just enough for a cozy cowl for the ever dropping temperatures! Naomi looked through all the cowl patterns we could find in Ravelry, but she wanted something solid (lacy holes = cold!)but not too ornate or fiddly. Sherbrooke was the perfect pattern. I'm about 2" into it and it goes pretty quick as it's an easy two row repeat to remember. Hopefully I'll have it off the needles soon!

The chilly temps also brought to a close the gardening season for me. I was waiting for a few good cold nights to harvest my Brussel Sprouts. They sweeten up a bit after a few light frosts. I got a good amount, and they were pretty easy to grow. I did have an issue with some cabbage beetles, but it wasn't so severe. They mainly concentrated on eating the leaves and not the Sprouts.

They will make a wonderful side dish to dinner browned in some butter in a frypan. Yum!

I've also been baking. This weather and the fall apple harvest lends itself perfectly to all things baked! I have a wonderful apple pie recipe that I'm holding off on making until hubby returns home from chilly Buffalo, NY but I did make a delicious apple cake the other night. The cake was really moist and not too sweet. Great for breakfast or dessert!

Apple Cake

4-6 apples, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a tube pan with removable bottom liberally with non-stick spray. Toss the apple chunks with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla in a separate bowl. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Add eggs, one at a time and mix until combined.

Pour half of batter into the tube pan. Spread it out evenly. Put half of the apples on next. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and spread until they are covered. Sprinkle the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean and it pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let it cool for about 15 minutes, then remove the cake with the bottom of the pan. Slice and enjoy!

Stripey!

I am happy to say, I think, just maybe, I have found some knitting "umph". It may have something to do with casting off and finishing these.

Pattern: Basic toe up sock using Magic Loop cast on. I didn't increase at all for the calf. I knit straight up and decreased after 10 rounds of ribbing.
Needles: #2 KnitPicks 32" circulars
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock #185

I used every single last little bit of this yarn. Literally, I think I have 1/2" leftover from trimming ends I wove in. I do admit, I did run out on the second sock. My scale is not as accurate as I would like, so I believe it didn't split the skein exactly equally (this scale would be more what I would like for the future - it's accurate to 0.1 grams), I ended up with not enough of the dark green for the second sock's ribbing. Not a big deal though. I may use some leftover green sock yarn from a different sock, or just leave it. For some reason (I believe it is because one of my legs is definitely shorter than the other) the same amount of stripes landed me with a longer sock on one leg. So, in the end, the sock still fits fine, and with no increases for the calf, it is nice and snug and not going anywhere!

It was such a nice day yesterday, my sister and I decided to do the photo shoot at the orchard while picking apples. It was very strange. All the trees in the area we were picking in were just about picked clean. We had to hunt for apples! I don't mind hunting for blueberries when blueberry picking, but hunting for apples? I think the orchard was saving their really full trees for this weekend - a long holiday weekend - when the masses will be out. Lucky for me though, the orchard is only a few short miles away, and I can go anytime after work and grab a small bag to hold me over. I plan on looking through my many apple recipes today to see what I can make. There will always be apple pie, but I like to broaden the apple horizon a bit and try something new.

We got home and it was just so nice out we couldn't go inside. The dogs entertained us for a while with their antics, and Ace gladly chased after his Jolly Ball. His most loved and favorite toy ever. He literally screeches in delight when he plays with it!

You can see Tucker in the background looking thrilled. He spent our time outside grazing. He's not so much into the playing, but loves to just be with me. Otis, on the other hand, was feeling rather playful!

Tucker and I are off to New Hampshire for a trial this weekend, then Monday off for a nice relaxing day. I think I am going to get some knitting done.....

Thanks to everyone for hanging in there while I went through this little knitting and blogging slump! It really helped knowing you were out there looking for me!

As Promised....

I know it's been a while. Lately, I've been making a conscious effort to start knitting again. Even for a half hour before bed, just knit a little. Try to get the motivation back again! I didn't have much more to go on my Noro stripey knee socks. In the "old days" they would have been done weeks ago. They have languished with only a few inches left of sock two. Sad. But, last night I was bound and determined to finish them. I knit a bit on the second sock at lunchtime, then sat down last night and started the ribbing. I was done faster than I thought. I ran out of yarn. Ideally, the ribbing on both socks would be the same length, but it was not to be. I'm about 15 rounds short on sock #2. Oh well. I managed to squeeze a pair of knee highs out of one skein of Noro sock yarn! Pretty good! If anyone has any scraps of dark green Kureyon (or even dark purple) that they may be willing to get rid of, let me know - like I said, I only need enough for about an inch and a half of ribbing.

It was dark and late by the time I was done, and I was tired, so I plan on doing a proper finished sock photo shoot today if all goes well. The weather better cooperate - it was raining when I came to work.

In other news, I do have hubby's Brick Pullover (rav link) on the needles. Only about 10 rows have been done, but it will make good knitting for the many hotel stays I have coming up for the end of the year.

The fall agility season is winding down a bit. Only four more trials left for the year. Ace is officially entered in his first trial the weekend before Thanksgiving at the biggest AKC agility trial in the country - right here in Springfield, Mass. He has been coming along really nicely. I think he will be a lot of fun! Tucker has been trialing also, and had a great weekend last weekend. A bunch of ribbons and qualifying runs. What a good boy!

I'm hoping this will be the start of more regular blogging. The crisp cool (cold actually!) weather has brought on the need for cozy socks and sweaters, and nighttime couch knitting.

I am Alive.....

Just a quick post to say thank you to everyone who has been emailing and asking where I am! Life has managed to take over and one of the first things that has seemed to suffer is the blog. Especially with Socktober starting, the crisp fall weather taking hold, and a pair of socks nearly complete, I promise to post this week.....