Garage sale finds

Several years ago I walked into 'my' needlepoint shop and saw, on the wall behind the cash register, the most eye catching saying that I had seen in a long time. They had the canvas in the shop, but it was too expensive for me. I have been back to the store many times since, and the price has not gone down--in fact it has gone up.

Being the homemade housewife that I am [and having designed many needlepoint canvases before] I thought I could put pen to grid paper and replicate their canvas...well, I have that project, like, 4 millionth on my list of things to do--so it's been not, ever, on my mind--except when I go to the shop.

Yesterday, I stopped at 4 garage sales, 2 had nothing I wanted or needed. One had a bag of remnants of crochet thread for $1.00, and a bag of acrylic like yarn leftovers for .25c I could not pass them up. It is not that I needed the yarn, but it had a skein of crochet cotton that I can use, so I got it. The price was right.

Here they are, all pretty. You can see that most of them do not have too much cotton left. It will be just enough for a lacy edge.

Bag of yarn

The blue ball of yarn had 'something' inside, so I peeked. Under the beautiful blue, some pearl gray, not bad.

This sea green gem is a tightly wound WOOL...socks maybe? What a find!

This is the actual skein that I was after in this bag. Crochet cotton.

The last garage sale--YOU GUESSED IT--had the nice needlepoint saying on the chair next to the lady taking the money. I thought it was her back pillow [the chair was wrought iron] but, I thought, 'it does not hurt to ask'...sure enough it was one of the items that her friend had placed at the sale and she had to call her to find out how much she wanted for it. While the lady was calling her friend, an old elegant lady walked up and seeing the piece {which was made into a pillow} acted interested in it too.

All the while I was about to tell the elegant old lady that I had dibs on it, and she could not, even, look at it...but I displayed my dignity and smiled at the elegant old lady, politely; and with an air of condescension quickly turned to the garage lady.

She said, 'my friend wants $2.00 for it, is it too much?'...I had my hand in my wallet before I could say, 'not at all!' and handed her the $2.00 before she could tell her friend: 'she'll take it'

Good thing I was faster than the elegant old lady, and grabbed 'my' needlepoint piece in a flash!

This is a clever saying to have in such a shop. A shop owner must have come up with the idea.

I don't know where I'll put it...it is not a practical pillow...maybe I'll take it apart and frame it...then the project goes back to the 4 millionth place on the list...until then it will live in the front room somewhere...just decorative...a thing of beauty [I know, that is debatable]

I'll leave you with this:

"He hath made every thing beautiful in his time..." Ecc 3:11a

In His hands, ^__^

EZ's Baby Surprise sweater, and cord

The sweater

All the blue is one skein of worsted weight Bernat Super Soft (I think, already threw the sleeve away) and it was not enough, so I had to use an unknown skein of unknown contents in the only color that 'went' with the blue.

One sleeve appears and a front (EZ's instructions suggest making button holes on both bands, but I am not one to make extra work. So I figured which side was the 'boy's side' for button holes and went with it. Pardon me, EZ's family)

The knitting and arranging completed, now I'll sew the shoulders close and the buttons. Come back to see the finished thing. [almost forgot...this one is for 3f]

My very first CORD!

Had a little green wool, I thought it would look great with my little blue scissors. Diminished my bead stash by 3 beads. And, voila! it all goes together well.

I have always wanted to know how to make this cord, now, thanks to erleperle's August 24th post and yet another JoAnn's sale coupon....

I purchased this pretty little book of braids and cords.

The page that shows how to do it.

Very simple to do. I can hear all the little boys laughing 'because the lady did not know how to make this cord!' I think they learn to make this cord in Cubbies, or Eaglets, or whatever the first boyscouts are called.

It was very satisfying to make...and I thank erleperle for demonstrating the making of such a pretty one out of leather.

I'll leave you with this:

"And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. " Ecc 4:12

In His hands, ^__^

Ok, pies! and sunset

First the Ragullah that I make with the leftover pie crust. [sometimes called Rugulah, and/or Raghula]
You know, the regular stuff: A little butter, cinnamon and sugar...with a glass of milk, of course.
Berries pie: Cranberries, blackberries, blueberries, and red raspberries, with a can of condensed milk--I used Carnation brand.

This one is Dutch Appleberry. Mostly apples and the remnant of the berries.

This one is my 'much loved' Dutch Apple. I know they will bring much needed funds for the missionaries. Sometimes $25.00 each. (it's just that people want to give extra money to the fund)

Would you look at this sunset! Facing west into the last bands of Ike, and just 5 minutes before the sky was tomato red.

Like this...so breathtaking...so beautiful...so glorious...

Sweaters: *Everybody* is making and posting EZ's Baby Surprise jacket, here is the Knitters magazine Spring Issue, 14, from 1989

I'm working on one, but as easy it is to make I am continually counting stitches and rows. I will be making only this one.

That is too much effort for so little show...excuse me, that is my opinion. Give me tons of cables, fairisle, and lace, there is a bountiful reward with those.

Here is the page for the Adult Surprise.

I'll leave you with this:

[God] "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psa 103:5

In His hands, ^__^

Music...waaaayyy too annoying

I like the pieces that I chose but everytime I left the page and came back, the music started all over again.
It can be muted while on that page, but every time it would start again. I had those first 16 notes in my head all night. It is not so bad to have Handel's Water Music going around my head, but I choose not to have just a little piece of it.
By the way, our water department has Handel's Water Music for their 'while you wait for us to take your call' music.

On another note [no pun intended] I will be baking pies today. Our Missionary Fair is this weekend and they have a Pie Auction. Some ladies bake cookies, some bake cakes, some nut breads. They always ask 8 of us to bake pies--we make gooooood pies. I will be listening to Bruch's Scottish Fantasy while I bake.

Pie pictures later today or tomorrow.

I'll leave you with this:

"A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away" Ecc 3:6

In His hands, ^__^

Music for a while

from PLAYLIST...they did not have Concerto for flute and harp in A (allegro) by Bach--whaaaat!? The two listed do not work!
I considered posting the Soviet Union's (now Russia's) National Anthem...but it did not seem quite kosher, to do so. The melody is simply beautiful (don't know what the words are) I first heard it in the Hunt for Red October--yes, I have the 'edited' version--and I also have the dialogue mostly memorized. How many times did we watch it? At least ten (10) times. And the dialogue is not lyric, to say the least, but entertaining. It was recommended to us by our friend the Marine Corps B-Gen.
Digressing again, see what I mean?...The USSR's Anthem is just 'purdy Andy' check it out.

I shall see if it annoys me to have music all the time--tell me if it annoys you.

Some blogs have nice, peaceable musick, some have blearing, strident, shock-your-socks-right-off [and we knitters have lots of socks] kind of musick...

The pieces I chose are among my favourites.

We shall see how it goes.

I'll leave you with this:

"Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image" Dan 3:10

In His hands, ^__^

Attempting a baby sweater

This picture is temporarily borrowed from Tessituras. See the link below.

I just wrote an email to the blogger who posted the YouTube video of the sweater I want to knit. I hope she'll understand English. She is in Brazil, and all her posts are in Portuguese and all her comments are in Portuguese/Brazilian.

She has posted the stitch pattern but not how many stitches to c/o or the increases, or any of the directions on making the sweater.

I have already watched this video more than 10 times, freezing frames and counting...but something is not quite right. By the third yarn over increase row I have 496 sts. That cannot be right.

I am hoping she will get back to me. Or if any of you know how to make this sweater, you are welcome to help me--in English if possible.

I have been working on this for several days, and have had my attention plunged in getting this. Now I have to know how to do it...stubborn, I suppose.

I should learn how to post a video rather than give you the URL, but oh, well.

I'll leave you with this:

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Mat 21:22

In His hands, ^__^

Part II, Crochet, and first batch of bread in cool weather

You will have to scroll all the way down to see the sequin fabric.

I am a copy-cat. When Sunshine posted this book on her blog, I knew I had to have it. Then I forgot all about it. But...
When I went to Jo-Ann's for some black thread, I HAD to look in the yarn section, and sure enough, they had this book there...I had a 40% off coupon...the rest is history, as they say...there is more to come, 'cause they have two more 'Easy Edgings' books...maybe...next coupon sale...
Romanian Cord:
Does anybody remember Germantown wool from Brunswick? Well, I had part of a skein, an odd kind of green...leftover from something from long ago. I decided I needed to practice the Romanian cord and get it right. So, I did! with this Germantown...it is so soft...OK! I'm back. Here is a couple of feet of Romanian cord, and enough yarn to make a couple of yards. Then, I'll use it somewhere, for something...
The case for the hooks used to be a reading glass case, too pretty to dispose of, it has found its second job. The red background is the back of you-know-who's quilt panel. I was working on it a little while the bread was rising.

Bread:

This is the dough just placed in the bowl to rise. [It was so nice to mill the wonderful Kansas wheat and prepare the dough with Kansas honey, and Kansas butter...I am certain that your State's products are just as yummy...hmm]

Three hours later, the loaves are ready to rise.

One hour later, the bread is done. [30 minutes rising, 30 minutes baking]

A full view of the four loaves cooling on the rack.

Fabric:

Although it looks gray, the fabric is jet black. I placed the little piece of the braid on the edge as it is on the overjacket. (you may have to embiggen the picture)

You can see the fabric better but the camera's flash made it look lighter, and the sequins do not sparkle.
I have a lot to learn about taking pictures with the natural effect.

Well, that's all for today.

I'll leave you with this:

"Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it." Pro 8:10-11

In His hands, ^__^