How's Been By You?.............

That was one of my father's sayings.  Anyway, how's been by you?  We're still in purgatory here.  Not Spring; not truly Winter; can't do much of anything; get bored or tired of the same ol' same ol'.  No money to break free of the monotony (like maybe a couple of days at a nice hotel - even in the next town over; maybe a fancy restaurant for dinner; a local diner for breakfast; take a ride to a recently heard-of fiber shop.  I don't care.)

Anywho.  I have been spinning and knitting.  Somedays, forcing myself to do so.  I have had no interest in the computer.  Hence, no blogging til now. I have 2 emails I really have to get out to a couple of friends.  They are way overdo. The emails.  Not the friends.  But I don't even feel like doing that.

Anywho.  On the denim blue sweater, I got to the armholes. And seriously debated about putting a FairIsle pattern on the yoke. Yes? No? Yes? No?.....this went on for a day or two.  The answer is "yes".  So that is on hold right now because I need to ply the white singles, skein, wash and "cake" the yarn.  All is spun...but there is a glitch.

As I wash spinning the last bobbin, the wheel was making this horrendous noise. Driving me crazy! ("that's not a drive; that's a short putt!") I checked the uprights, the wheel supports, the drive band, the brake band; the maidens. I know there is an issue with the maidens, but all seemed ok.  So I continued spinning.  I'll figure it out when I'm through.

I'm through. Taking the bobbin off, I notice there's a piece of circular wood at the front of the flyer.  What the Hell???? ...... Oh. It's the top of the bobbin.  It broke off the bobbin. And is stuck to the flyer. Lovely.

Ok. It came off. But I now have a hunkin' large bobbin of single with no top to hold it in place. And no way to ply off of it without everything turning into one big knotted, tangled mess.  I need a drink.  I need a cigarette. Seriously.

So, BH and I put our heads together and figure that if I cut some circles of heavy cardboard, enough to fill the space of the shaft on the Lazy Kate, with the separated wood bobbin top, maybe I'll be able to ply.

The thought also occured to me (and quickly was nixed) that I could just wind the single onto another bobbin. However. I always overfill my bobbins (probably why the top popped off, but that's another blog....), and I just can't bring myself to rewind what could be 600 yards by hand on another bobbin.

I know there's a simpler solution to all this. But my brain has turned to oatmeal. So....I have yet to attack the aforementioned solution.  I have busied myself with plying the errant blue singles that were found hiding some time ago.  That has taken all of the weekend and these couple of days.

In the meantime, a beret was started with the leftover black, beaded, Shetland.  And here's another problem.  There is about 5" knitted, when it occured to me last night that....I think I always added more cast-on stitches, giving 2 more pattern repeats.  Because the called-for stitches were never quite enough for a normal (large) head.  This I did not do.  Tried the hat on. It stretches enough to fit my head, but I don't like it snug. It is snug.

Does it get frogged....or do I pretend that...yes; yes; it does fit just fine?  I don't know.  My brain is oatmeal.

Anywho. I need to run to the store for milk.  There's a humungous storm coming in later this afternoon. Minimum of 8" of snow with high winds. We were supposed to get a like storm on Sunday. 5 to 8" of snow, they said.  Warned us about it all last week. We got.......2" throughout the day. No big dump.  Ahhh, but better safe to be sorry.  And we really do need the milk.  For the oatmeal.

Fassnaghts.....Must Be Lenten Season

So, last night we're watching the idiot box when BH says "ya know what you haven't made in a long time?  Fassnghts".  He proceeds to ask me what's involved, what the recipe calls for, blah, blah, blah.

"Ok.  I'll make you Fassnaghts.  I have some loaves of frozen sweet dough in the freezer; I think that'll work; I'll give it a try."   And so I did today.

Well, "shut the front door!!!" ........they turned out great!  As if I had proofed the yeast, measured out the flour, sugar and cracked the eggs.  Easy Peasy!  Alrighty then....we'll be having Fassnaghts more often.  Only we'll be calling them  "Fry Cakes".

My mother made Fassnaghts every Lenten season ---- all Lenten season.  Those and Hot Cross Buns.   Yummmmy!!  I used to make the little fry cakes from scratch when all the kids were young - and at home.

Since it's been just me and BH, not much of the heaving lifting (baking) gets done from scratch anymore.  I guess it's one of the blessings of being empty nesters.

Oh, and pardon, if anyone knows what I'm talking about -- I think I spelled "fassnaghts" wrong.  And I'm too tired to get up and look for the recipe.

Well, that took care of 2 loaves of sweet dough.  With the third I experimented and made a cinnamon bread, kind of like a "Monkey Bread" (I have no idea why it's called that. It doesn't look anything like a monkey), complete with a glaze of melted butter, honey and brown sugar.  Again -- yummmmy!!  Well, it's looks delicious and smells heavenly.  Can't wait to see if this goes into my baking repertoire.

This week the weather's been kind of up and down.  Crappy weekend and beginning week.  Today - beautiful.  Supposed to be nice til Monday or Tuesday.  They're saying more snow.  Geeezzz.

I finally got the mint green socks and the earflap hat washed.  Even made a tassle for the hat.  So they're put away now.  I've got about 10" done on the denim blue sweater.  Loving it!!  Can't wait to get it done.

Still haven't touched the wheel for quite some time.  It keeps sitting there starring at me, with the basket of stripped batt beside it.  I added irridescent Firestar to the strips.  Oh, but I told you that already - I think.

Granddaughter posted on Facebook, Monday, I think, that she was out walking her dog and some guy pulled up in a van and tried to grab her.  She was so scared and surprised that she never got his license # and doesn't know what kind of van it was.  All she said was he had long hair and was wearing a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes.   My heart jumped into my throat. I just felt sick to my stomach. 

Well,  I'm going to go read a chapter before dozing off for an hour.  My last of the 3 "Castle" books.  That'll make about 6 books I've read since before the holidays.  Gold star for me!

Wait a second......maybe no nap.  BH has just snuck into the Fassnaghts.....again.  By supper time, there'll only be a few left out of the 2 dozen....and he'll tell me "I'm not really very hungry for supper".  And I'll have to smack him.  "Little boys never really grow up; they just get older".

Hope winter is treating you all very nicely.  Every day is one more day closer to Spring!!

Update.......

The socks are done! Didn't have to change the toes.  They still need to be washed.  And the earflap hat still needs to be hemmed and ties sewn on.  I'll get to it one of these days.  Yesterday I started a sweater with the blues.  Only a couple of inches done.  I think it'll turn out ok. I'm kind of winging it.  You know -- a little from this pattern, a little from that.  That's how I roll.  Of course, it had to be ripped out once already, just after the ribbing.  Pattern didn't seem quite right.  Let's hope it's the last rip-out.

OMG!!  "Castle"  did not disappoint!!  What a great show.  I wish they'd do more like that.  BH and I agree that should the show ever close (tears welling up),  Kate and Rick would be great at a series based on the old time  "Thin Man" movies (William Powell and Myrna Loy).  Anybody remember them?  Those were great movies; lots of one-liners; very funny.  Anywho, they would be perfect as Nick and Nora Charles! Imho.

Putzing around today.  I haven't done any spinning in 3 days.  Just haven't had the spark.  Maybe tonight.  Nothing on the idiot box tonight for us.  Tomorrow is a run into WallyWorld.  I have come to hate that store, but it's a necessary evil for a few things.  Just a few.

You all have a great day.  Hope you get to do whatever it is you love to do.  Me -- I'm going back to my knitting.

P.S.  Lynn, check the replies on the last post.  I put the chicken wing recipe there for you.  I wish blogspot would let us post replies to replies back at the blogger instead of on our own reply box!!

Just Checkin' In.......

Not much to report.  Glad all the hoopla of the Super Bowl is over; glad the Giants won.  I'm not a football fan, but I will sit and watch with BH. 

Yesterday was also my oldest's birthday.  44 years old.  How the hell did that happen??  These kids keep getting older and I feel the same as 20 years ago (almost).  So we called in the morning to wish him a very happy birthday.  God, I miss him.  I'd pack and move back to NY in a..........NY........minute.  If I could.  I've missed a lot with him and the grandsons over the 20 years we've been here.  Lots of regrets; lots of guilt.   But I digress.......

Other son who lives nearby, never made it over yesterday.  He called Saturday night to say some kind of bug had him down.  Bummer.  But I went ahead and made the chicken wings and the chocolate cake anyway.  What the hell.  We'll eat it!  The wings turned out great!  Maybe because for the first time, since I stopped deep-frying them, I actually read the cooking instructions!  Who knew!  BH said they were excellent.  His complaint about wings is when they're too fatty and taste like they're not cooked all the way through.  But these were great.  Did I say they were great?  Sorry.

So we had a nice relaxing day.  And evening.  I did go watch the installment of "Downton Abbey".  What a great show.

A "head's up" if you're a "Castle" fan ---- tonight's episode is going to be the best! Apparantly, according to the commercial, it takes place in the '40's ('30's?).  They're all dressed in period costume; the boys are mobsters; Kate is the femme fatale; Castle is dressed like Sam Spade; his mom has platinum blonde hair and Alexis is dressed like she might be a nightclub songbird.   Hope you catch the show.  I know I can't wait!!

Did I tell you I received the "Castle" collection of books he "wrote", for Christmas?  I'm on the second one.  They're a hoot!!

Today we're back into the deep freeze.  So.  Not doing much today.  I finished the socks (can I get an "Amen"!!!).  But not so fast.  Somehow, the toe on this one doesn't look like the other.  I may have to rip. and. start. it. over.    Crap!!  I'm backing off from sewing the toe and see what the final verdict is.  I shouldn't do that.  I should just get right at it.  Yeah.  Maybe.  Today.  Sometime.

Well, hope you're all enjoying a peaceful, productive day with beautiful weather for all!

Is It Too Early to Start Spring Cleaning??..........

Wow!  This weather!!  It's starting to get to me.  I'm getting all giddy; itching to get out the scrub bucket and the gallon of Mr. Clean.  I want to paint; scrape old wall paper; put up new wall paper; change the colors of the bathroom towels; the family room curtains and shears need to be taken down and washed; the windows need to be washed.  I want to quilt, sew, spin, knit.  I want to sing.....dance.......
(slaps face couple of times....) Wake Up!!

It's the beginning of February, for crype's sake.  What is wrong with me!  But this weather has been totally awesome!  I found the name of a yarn shop on Ravelry.  So asked BH if he would like to take a day trip maybe next week to check it out.  Why, yes.  He would.  So this is penciled in.

That's one thing I love about him.  Though I can count on one hand the number of times I've gone fishing with him, he's always up for a wool festival or a new fiber shop.  Or my need to purchase such and related paraphenalia at any given moment.  Kind of sounds......like....an.....enabler!    Ehhhh.....yeah.

In other news, of course you all know that this is Super Bowl weekend. Yippee! (sarcasm)  So son who lives nearby will be coming over for the game.  This is a tradition.  Pizza and Buffalo wings; chips and dip; nachos and cheese sauce; other assorted snack foods; and Chocolate Layer cake.  That's my favorite.  And while I make myself busy cooking, serving and cleaning up, my evening agenda also includes watching the next installment of "Downton Abbey" on PBS.  What a great series!  Both BH and I have been hooked on it beginning with Season 1.  But of course, this Sunday there is something that will supercede our evening --- for him, anyway.  Thank goodness we have 2 TV's.

I was rummaging through my bobbin tote the other day and lawdy!! I found 3 full bobbins and 3 half-full.  Navy blue and medium blue.  I was thinking of plying each color with the white now being spun, but thought the better of it.  I am spinning the white for an intended project.  So, 2 bobbins of med. blue and 1 of navy it shall be.  What a find!!  And when they're done, it'll free up 6 more bobbins.  Funny.  Because on the last plying project, I was wondering where the hell all my bobbins went to!

Update on the mint green sock.......I have one more pattern repeat before starting the toe.  Good grief!!  It seems everytime I count the repeats, there's one more that needs to be done.  I'll be so happy when these are finally done!!  It seems like it's taking forever.  Maybe that's because I discovered that there are 2 other mint green pairs in the stash.  It kind of disenchanted me; took the spark out of knitting a pair of socks.  C'est le vie.

Well, I suppose I should get back to the spinning.  I decided to add irridescent Firestar to the white for the next couple of bobbins.  I love sparkle and glitz!!  Especially when it's the only sparkle and glitz going for me right now.  Ya gotta take it where ya find it.