Morning folks and happy Friday to you all :) A potpourri, a mélange, an olio of things today, not all of them knitting related :)
2/3’s of a sock and 1/2 a hat
The second set is coming along and I’m really tickled with the thick bands of striping the Meileinweit yarn is producing - looks pretty cool to me. However, as I work the sock and see what the colors actually look like, I do wonder about it’s suitability for a baby. Oh I know he or she could wear it even if the sock was fuchsia with puce polka dots so long as the size was right and the work of decent quality. But really, these colors look like a business suit! Maybe I should make a tie to go with it?
I love the way the yarn blends with the Fisherman’s wool too and I think the hat is going to look very spiffy. Now, to think up something interesting for the top…hmmm…
KnitPick’s Ambrosia
I received this lovely surprise this week from barb in east texas along with a beautiful pink teddy bear, a pretty little kalanchoe (with hot pink flowers!) and a box of wonderful chocolates. The yarn is 80% baby alpaca and 20% cashmere and I can’t wait to get my hands on it :) The baby set seems extremely dull in comparison but I’m committed to getting that finished before I pick up the Ambrosia. But oh baby - what a yarn! And the color is just gorgeous too - a fabulous rose that just glows - so nice! Thank you Barb - what a wonderful surprise!
Last night, I made orange beets to go along with dinner. It was something I remembered my mother doing a long time ago. Since I didn’t have any fresh beets, I used canned. Surprisingly, they worked pretty well - just remember to drain them and rinse them well to get rid of as much salt as possible. Then dump them into a microwave-proof bowl and add about 1/2 cup of orange juice. Nuke for 2 minutes, pausing at the 1 minute mark to stir them up. Absolutely wonderful!
Los tres amigos
Myria picked up a container and a box of pumice dust this week for the little ones. Dust baths are a part of their life in the wild (and for some animals - chinchilla, for example - are essential) and she thought it would be a good thing to make that available to the gerbils. It is supposed to be a bebeficial to their skin and helps to improve their coats. They certainly do enjoy the thing! We put it into their tank for about twenty minutes every afternoon (no longer than that because you don’t want them using it as a potty) and they dash in and out, digging in the dust and having a wonderful time. They also try to climb the ceramic dust-container. This is quite amusing because the container has a slick surface so they do a fair bit of tumbling around while trying to get purchase.
All of them and I wish you a happy and pleasant fall weekend!
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I think the baby set looks very natural and earthy, not business suit like at all. It should be just fine so long as it’s soft and warm :-)
I really love the yarn combination in the hat, it’s so cool. The socks are great for a boy too, I don’t think they’re *all* business.
I cannot thank you enough for being the one to introduce me to Knit Picks, the catalog is my ultimate wishbook. I purchased my yarn ball winder from them and I wouldn’t want to live without that ever again!
Kathy - You think? I’m glad to hear that! Dark blues and grays aren’t colors I normally use so it’s maybe hard for me to judge. The sock yarn is a bit rough feeling, but I’m hoping a wash and a bit of conditioner will change that :)
Colleen - I like the combination of yarns in the hat too :)
I’m glad you’re so pleased with KnitPicks. Believe me, I keep their most current catalog within arm’s reach too! You never know when you’re going to need something :)
A little knitted tie would be so cute! remember the 80s! LOL
Does the orange juice get rid of the dirt taste of the beets? That’s what they taste like to me. It saddens me to dislike such a vibrantly colored vegetable.
Happy weekend to you too. Our parish Fair was postponed due to Hurricane Rita. It’s on this week. I put a couple of knit items in extremely last minute. It’s pretty sad to see so few exhibits. No livestock either cause the state fair is going on at it’s usual time. Ah well, there is always next year, hopefully sans hurricanes—knock wood.
umm, if the crew i raised are any kind of example, those ‘dust baths’ are also essential for human children!
i am really amazed at the way the sock yarn has combined with the other yarn- very very innovative use-
hehe, i must have been in a real ‘think pink’ mood! i wonder if they make ‘pink chocolate’?
stay happy-
Aarlene - That’s too bad about your local parish fair but I hope you win blue ribbons all around!
Beets don’t taste like dirt to me but they do have a very…um…earthy quality? And yes, to a certain extent, the orange juice counters that both by adding sugar and tartness. Yummy :)
Barb - About the dust baths? Many, many years ago, my brother and I found an abandoned saw mill and spent a wonderful day exploring and playing around and, incidentally, getting about as dirty as it’s possible for a couple of kids to get. My mother was livid :) Lestoil baths and we were about scrubbed raw. Oh it was a glorious day, though!
Pink chocolates? Oh my….
That beet recipe sounds nice - I love beets! Do you eat this as a dessert or as veggie or what? I guess one could also simmer them on the stove? This chick doesn’t have a microwave, hehe…
Maus - It’s served as a vegetable and you certainly can cook it in a saucepan - my mother always did. I think she may have also added a bit of cornstarch to thicken things up a little.
cool word , that ‘olio’. I had to look it up, I thought it was like ‘oleo’ my grandmother uses for margarine and butter.
Always learning something here!
Aarlene - It shows up often in crossword puzzles (four letter word, lots of vowels!) to which I am addicted :) Even so, I had to look it up before I posted to make sure I was using the word correctly.
Bad Robbyn!
You made me go to the KnitPicks site to drool over the Ambrosia! LOL!
It’s so cute, about your “kids” taking their dust bath. I remember Giles used to love rolling in the sand, outside. He went from being black to gray. We’d call him “Gray” for the rest of the day. It was his alter ego. Everyone needs a bath, now and then.
Laurie - I don’t mean to be a spokesperson for KnitPicks but my experiences with them and their yarns has been very, very good - so I use their products and recommend them to others.
The Ambrosia is so special and the Mulled Wine color is just glorious! I guess I’ll just have to be bad :)
