Monday’s How Does Your Garden Grow?

Pumpkin Peeking from Behind The Leaves

Pinky & The Brain are doing well. I’ve been asked by several people just how big the pumpkins are so I’m showing them in comparison to my hand. They are a lovely jack-o-lantern size. The Brain’s pumpkin is already orange and Pinky’s is in the beginning stages.

The Brain's Pumpkin & My Hand

Pinky's Pumpkin & My Hand

Raisin came out with me to take the photos so I snapped some shots of her playing in the leaves. I also took two videos. One of her playing in the leaves and the other of her first reaction to Pinky’s pumpkin. Last year, every time I took her out by the pumpkin she would jump and act scared worse than what this video shows. It’s silly how she is scared of something that can’t move but she’s fine to play in the leaves that move in the wind.

Raisin Playing in the Leaves

The Peppers are growing slowly but steadily.

Peppers

As for the rest of the plants, The basil has mostly died, the two hanging plants have died, the chives are hanging in there, the oregano is doing great, the volunteer tomato is still blooming, the three sad tomatoes are still sad but do have knotty little tomatoes on them now, and I’ve given the hubby permission to mow over what is left of the monster tomato plants. The slugs and grass have taken over them and they are being eaten by bugs before they are ready to pick. Mostly all that is left on the vines are small walnut sized tomatoes anyway.

Friday FO’s

I finished the Christmas stocking that I made for the shop. There will be a class for this felted stocking in October & November. The first two classes will be knitting then felting the stocking with the third class being taught by Beverly on needle felting embellishments.

Holy cow, this stocking is ridiculously big pre-felting. I held it up to myself and it reached from my chest to my knees. (I wish I could have had a stocking that large as a kid… or maybe now if it was stuffed with $100 bills.) The post-felting size is much smaller; from chest to just below belly button.

Stocking Pre-felting

Wednesday WIP

The fingerless mitts that I’m making to match my Crochet Bobble Beret are almost done. I just need to put a thumb on the second mitt and weave in all the ends.

Mitts to match my Hat

I picked up the Hedera socks again today. I really want to get these finished soon.

Hedera Socks still a WIP

I started the little elephant from Cute Little Animals forever ago and put it aside. My hope is to have this finished by Friday. It’s not a difficult pattern or anything but I just can’t get into it for some reason; even though it is so cute when finished.

Elephant in the works

Zoe seemed unimpressed by today’s WIP’s… or maybe he’s giving me that look because I wouldn’t let him play with the strings.

Zoe is unimpressed.

Monday’s How Does Your Garden Grow?

The pumpkins are huge! The one from “The Brain” is starting to turn orange at the top. Pinky’s pumpkin is completely hidden by leaves and I had to hunt for it to take the pic.

Pumpkin #1

Pumpkin #2

The rose bush has another random bloom on it.

Random Rose Bloom

And the peppers are getting bigger. I can’t wait to eat them!

Peppers

The tomatoes are being taken over by tall grass but I do still have plenty on the vines. I pick them when they start to turn. The sad tomatoes still have small knobby tomatoes on them but they are slowly getting bigger. The volunteer tomato has a couple of tomatoes but they are also pretty small. If it is the same tomatoes that I had last year they will get pretty large before they will be ready to pick.

Friday FO’s… on Saturday.

Oops, sorry! I had date night with my hubby last night and got carried away watching movies. I totally forgot to post!

Anyway, I felted the clogs and they are awesome. They are taking forever to dry but I’ll be able to wear them soon enough. I’m waiting until they are completely dry before I will put the puff paint on the bottom to add grip.

Fiber Trends Felted Clogs

Fiber Trends Felted Clogs

I finished the cashmere crayon socks. I weighed the remaining yarn and the socks and I used exactly half of the skein. I can make a second pair 😀

Pagewood Farms Cashmere blend in Crayon

I also made the Crochet Bobble Hat from Knitscene Fall 2009 in Blue Sky Alpaca Sport. Since the color is charcoal, it’s kind of hard to see in this pic. I added two red buttons. I have one skein plus a bit of the charcoal and one of my co-workers gave me some of her left over in red so I can make a matching pair of fingerless mitts. It will be so nice to have a matching set.

Crochet Bobble Hat in Blue Sky Alpaca Sport

Wednesday WIP’s

While organizing the loose patterns at the shop Sunday, I came across the Fiber Trends Felted Clogs pattern. Though I’ve seen this pattern many times, it suddenly hit me that I NEEDED a pair of these. I picked out a happy pink wool yarn and headed home to get started. I made the first one (less the outter sole) in about three hours. I completely knit up the second one Monday and finished the outter sole of the first one last night. (I know what you’re thinking, isn’t that a finished project not a WIP?) I’m posting these as a WIP because I haven’t felted them yet. You’ll see the felted finished clogs on Friday. I think these things look so funny before they are felted. They look like clown shoes.

Fiber Trends Felted Clogs pre-felting

Fiber Trends Felted Clogs pre-felting

I’m also working on a pair of simple toe-up socks because I needed a break from the brain drain of the pink lace socks I’ve been working on for weeks. They’re made from Pagewood Farms sock yarn that has a bit of cashmere in it. I always think of the insurance commercial anytime I hear anything about cashmere socks and usually end up saying “I like cashmere socks!” in the same manner as Flo. I’ll probably finish these up this evening and then cast on my new skein of Socks That Rock in Kroppi.

Crayon Cashmere Socks

I’m still working on the pink Hedera socks and the Big’o Braid scarf. I’ve put the Marlene socks on hold and will probably frog them so I can use the needles for something else. I’m also getting ready to make a few things for the shop; a felted christmas stocking, a toy elephant, and an Owls cable afghan square for the block of the month club.

Last night I organized and prioritized my WIP stack & some of my stash. I hope to finish going though my stash tonight. I divided my WIP’s into two bags; one for personal projects and one for shop projects. Some of my WIP’s moved into my studio storage unit because they’ve been on hold for a very long time and I don’t see myself knitting them anytime soon but they are nice patterns and I don’t want to frog them. My goal is to get the shop projects finished up in the next week or so and then slowly work on getting my personal WIP’s finished up.

I was given enough yarn (by a really awesome friend) to make the Corona sweater which I plan to cast on soon. I also really want to make the Sylvi Sweater from Twist Collective and I’ve already picked out my yarn for it, though I haven’t bought it yet. I’m not casting on for either of these until I’ve finished up some things; I probably won’t even order the yarn for Sylvi for awhile either.

I’ve some how accumulated a bunch of acrylic again. I swear I didn’t buy it but it’s some how lurking in my stash bins. I’m planning on turning it in at the next yarn amnesty day at the shop for store credit so I can replace it something awesome. I thought about keeping it and crocheting a bunch of baby blankets to donate somewhere but I don’t think I’ll have the time to do that. At least I know that it will be eventually made into some type of charity project when I turn it in on yarn amnesty day.