Pumpkin "Ail"

Whiplash weather...last night close to 64, tonight down to 18 degrees!  Our muskrats are taking advantage of warmer days to haul extra cattails to their winter home.

My perennials are confused.  Is it time to bloom again, already?!?!

At least I'm still able to bring in more mini bouquets!

It will be an interesting contrast with the Christmas tree and decor that will be going up today (better late than never!).  I've already got Todd's advent calendar installed in the front secretary.  I love the color pop from the bags!

All Christmas knitting is done...woo hoo!  I also managed to finish a sweater (Pumpkin Ale) for my sister's 11/30 birthday.  It's a clever but complicated design from Scottish textile designer Ysolda Teague.

Three-quarter length sleeves, cabled arms, and the sides of the sweater grow out of a long cabled back pattern.

I like the cabled back and the wide garter stitch front panels, but oh, those shoulders!  The sleeves are set-in, meaning that you pick up stitches at the top of the armhole and knit back and forth, wrapping each end stitch so as not to leave a hole.  Gradually the cap of the sleeve is formed and the arm grows out, but I made mistake after mistake and even though THE ENTIRE SWEATER (with the exception of the arms) was completed, I had to pep-talk myself into not frogging the whole thing.  I had wanted to knit one for myself, but I need a long, long break from Pumpkin Ale! :)  

In dire need of a mini-excursion this week, Todd and I visited the rare manuscript rooms at Indiana University's Lily Library.  

The original draft of Ben Hur!

Peter Pan!

Gorgeous illustrations of diseases that you definitely don't want...

...pamphlets (1830s) that you only view IF YOU DARE (the parish Reverend does!)...

...impossibly tiny books...

...and heartbreakingly beautiful designs.  This was my favorite, from 11th century England.

I've been to Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where I saw many other examples of these illustrated manuscripts.  I can't get enough of them.  

A Latin sacrament page from from 12th c. France

Seeing their work really inspires me to get back to my embroidery...

An embroidered book cover, about 3" x 2", depicting Mary, Queen of Scots

...once the holidays are over and I have time to breathe again. Embroidered book covers are still being done today and are just as inspiring!  Courtesy of textile artist Jillian Tamaki...

...and Chloe Giardano...to name a few!

I would love to embroider a cover for one of my favorite children's books - The Secret Garden - but I haven't found the right illustration yet.  

Have a great week!

Cats in Sun & Valentine's Fun

I'm loving all the birds that are starting to come out, even though it's definitely not spring weather yet.

Carolina wrens are constantly singing outside my office window.

Our belted kingfisher is back!  He won't let me get very close...

...but he hangs out on a branch over the water.  I love to watch him skim the surface for insects, but I have to watch from indoors.  Even stepping out onto the back deck, a considerable distance from his perch, elicits a scold. 

We have lots of red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks around here, and the local crows have been mobbing them on a daily basis.  As soon as I hear the crows start up, I know that a lone hawk is nearby.  Sometimes I watch them chase him from tree to tree until he's safely out of their territory.

A brief respite...

...now he's on the move again!

Mostly I just see the little songbirds in the gardenia bushes outside.  Here's a dark-eyed junco tidying his feathers.

The local squirrels are tired of being in their drays and are scampering about, or doing some bathing.

The cats go out on the deck when the sun is out...

...but mostly they hang out in the back living room, under the couch.  We have a sectional couch in there which is directly over 2 heating vents.  It makes a nice warm place for an all-day nap.  Sometimes I'll just see a tail or a leg...

...but I always know they're there!

I finished knitting the socks I was working on, but I'm not very pleased with them.  They're a little loose on the leg, and I like a nice tight fit.  Oh, well, I'm not going to fix the problem, so I'll have to just live with them the way they are.

Valentine's Day is coming up, and this year I decided to do an advent-style calendar for Todd.  I really don't like mushy/overly sentimental messages, so I searched online for sentiments that felt more 'real' to our relationship.  I'm definitely more Spock than Cupid.  ;)  I used this tutorial to fold Valentine-themed craft paper into tiny envelopes.  Each envelope has a number to denote the date for opening.

Sealed with a sticker...

...and taped to a big piece of craft paper.

He opens one every morning.  I love the buildup to "the big day," even though we'll probably just play board games and watch The Walking Dead.  Maybe even a TWD marathon...now that's romantic!  :) 

Have a great week! 

Feeling Soup-er

It seems like everyone's enjoying the crisp fall weather that's finally arrived in the Midwest. From this female fox squirrel, who's taking advantage of the bounty of seeds and nuts in our yard...
...to Bosewichte, who rolls with exuberance at every opportunity. Of course, he still takes time out...
...to stop and smell the flowers.

Clarence is still coming around for snacks every day. I've been worried about him being outside in winter weather, but Todd is going to build a small shelter for him so he'll have a place to curl up, just in case he gets too cold.

I've been watching the ginkgo tree across the street with particular interest. I look forward to this change every year. First, the leaves develop a slight golden edge.

Then, whole swatches become golden.

Finally, the whole tree is aflame.

Alas, it only lasts a few days. Today, most of the leaves are a soft, brilliant carpet beneath the tree.
This particular tree is a male. Female trees produce a small, round fruit that have a very pungent smell, especially when accidently squashed underfoot.

Speaking of underfoot...I really have to be careful when visiting the kittens now. They're incredibly active. They have great fun with each other now. Climbing...

...kicking...

...wrestling...

..romping...

...and the occasional ambush.

The kittens are seven weeks old now. It's really important to socialize them with humans, and several different ones, by this point. Kittens who associate positive feelings with human touch from an early age tend to be much friendlier adults. Thankfully, these little guys get lots of love from lots of people!

Any little scrap can provide entertainment for them.

They are so inquisitive, too!

So angelic-looking...but don't be fooled!

I've been knitting a lot lately, as the weather provides the perfect atmosphere. I've felt particularly restless here. I didn't feel like knitting more mittens or hats. I didn't want to start on a sweater or another pair of socks. I decided to dig into my knitting binder for some seasonal motivation, and found this great idea. Tiny stockings to string on your Christmas tree, or even for an advent calendar. You can slip a small piece of candy and a note in each one, to be retrieved each day in December. What fun!

I made just one before realizing that I couldn't pull this together before December. I'll be working on it as time allows over the year, however, and hope to have an active sock advent calendar in 2011!

Meanwhile, I contemplated my sock yarn scrap stash. I've been collecting these mini-skeinlettes for months, through Ravelry swaps and outright purchases. They're about 10 grams each and I love the fiber and color variety.

I originally started collecting them for the purpose of starting a sock yarn blanket. Inspired by Shelly Kang's creation, I started stockpiling scraps. A blanket. Knit with size 2 needles. Sock yarn. Insanity? Perhaps, especially considering that each square takes 20 minutes to knit, and most blankets have around 500 squares.

Regardless, I'm diving in. My blanket contains seven squares, and I'm going to set a goal of knitting at least one square per day.

Todd has been sick with a terrible cold this past week. Of course, there's nothing better than a good home-cooked remedy. Fresh sourdough loaves...

...and the best homemade chicken soup! It's so easy to make, with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

What really makes it great is fresh sage, which I've harvested from my small kitchen garden. Dried sage will work too. Anyone can have good, homemade chicken soup in about 30 minutes!

Best-Ever Homemade Chicken Soup
Adapted from MissNezz, Food.com

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 (heaping) cup diced potatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
7 - 8 sage leaves, chopped, or 3/4 teaspoon dried sage
56 ounces of chicken broth
2 cups chopped chicken, cooked
4 ounces egg noodles
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
salt and pepper to taste

Saute carrots, onion, and potatoes in olive oil until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Add spices, chicken broth, and bouillon, and bring to a boil. Then add chicken (to save time, I just cook 2 chicken breasts on my little grill) and egg noodles. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Top with a sprinkle of parsley.

Can't you almost taste it? It's so good, especially with homemade sourdough.

Perfect for chilly fall days. Enjoy!