Knit Knews

I haven't talked about knitting for a while, but it is not from lack of knitting activity.  This past spring I finally got around to purchasing some blocking wires.  Consequently, I was finally able to block the shawl that I finished a year ago last June.  Even with the blocking wires it was a slow process, but much less so than trying to lay it out with the billion t-pins it would have required otherwise.  Here are some pictures of my latest, fully completed projects.  (Self-portraits with the iPhone aren't the best way to display, but it was the best I could do at the moment.)

The first is the Misty Morning shawl.  The crocheted edging is what would have required all the pins in blocking.  It is a nice, lightweight shawl that can work for any season. 

Secondly, here is a scarf I made from a single skein of worsted yarn that had been hanging around in my stash for a while.  There wasn't enough for a shawl, but the colors didn't seem well suited for a hat.  This scarf pattern was a good fit.  

I am getting close to completing my current shawl.  It is going to be big and very cuddly.  For something new, I thought I would try my hand at socks, but found I just wasn't enjoying the process.  While considering an alternate project, I realized that what I didn't like was dealing with gauge, working with the double-pointed needles, and knitting in such a small circumference.  Not really wanting to do another hat at this point, I decided to use the sock yarn for a cowl.  The pattern calls for a heavier yarn, but I liked the design and decided to experiment a bit.  So far I am pleased with both the process and the results.  There are still new adventures ahead.  My next shawl project will include beads in the design.  

Taste of Fall

It has been hot, hot, hot, and dry, dry, dry around here.  At least something is happy in all this summer weather:

Our bougainvillea is blooming away--a happy spot of color.  The crepes are starting to bloom as well.  Now, if we can just get some rain to green things up a bit, it would be quite pretty in our back yard.  

In my last post I mentioned my "pumpkin pie" that is one of my two snacks.  It is an easy recipe and very tasty so wanted to share it with everyone.

No-crust Pumpkin Pie

1 29 oz. can of pumpkin puree (not the pie filling)
6 eggs
1 cup maple syrup
1 14 oz. can coconut milk (full fat)
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Break eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat well.  Add remaining ingredients, mixing well (a whisk works well for this).  Pour batter into two 9 x 7 baking dishes.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour and 10 minutes (set for 1 hour and then test to see if it is done).  Let cool. 


I divide each dish into six servings and place each serving in a small container.  This recipe also freezes well, making it a very convenient snack.

Better and Better

There have been moments in this past year when I wondered if I would ever reach this point, but I finally seem to have eliminated all the major problem foods from my diet.  While I am not 100% reaction free, I am only dealing with very mild reactions, which is about as good as things can get for now.  Here is the list of foods I can eat:

Beef
Chicken
Eggs

Butternut squash
Acorn squash
Sweet potatoes
Potatoes
Pumpkin

Broccoli

Asparagus

Green beans

Spinach
Kale
Chard
Bibb lettuce
Romaine

Carrots
Onion
Bell pepper

Apples
Pears
Peaches
Nectarines
Plums
Cherries
Watermelon

Raisins
Prunes
Dried apricots
Dried apple

Canola oil
Non-iodized salt
Herbs, spices, and blends that are only herbs and spices

Maple syrup
Honey
Unsweetened baker's chocolate
Cocoa powder
Coconut milk

Apple cider vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
White wine
Mustard (Eden's Food)
Arrowroot starch

While it is not a huge variety, there are enough options to keep my meals from being totally monotonous.  Everything is pretty plain and simple, but still tasty.   I have my "pumpkin pie" and chocolate pudding for afternoon snacks.  I am generally not hungry between meals.  My energy is good most days, and overall I feel well.  I am very thankful.

My current challenge is supplements, but so far that is going pretty well, too.  Tests from my annual appointment showed that I was deficient in vitamin D, and I was able to find some drops that didn't have a lot of extra ingredients.  My bone scan results were not good, but that really didn't surprise me since my calcium resources are so few.  Not wanting to go back on the bisphosphonate drugs, I have spent the last couple of week looking for other options.  After a couple of more trials, I have a calcium supplement that so far seems to be working for me, and I decided to do a strontium supplement to help with the bone loss.  Add in the probiotics, and I feel like I have these various concoctions I have to take during the day.  Ah, well.  Better that they are just supplements at this point and not a myriad of medications.  I am thankful once again for the internet.  What a tough journey this would have been without it.

Intoducing.....

I begged.  I pleaded.  I gave gifts.  I sought professional help several times, but to no avail.  Bernie just refused to free motion quilt except for one particular brand of thread that I didn't particularly want to use.  J.Jr. will do in a pinch, but not something I wanted to free motion on for the long term.  There was only one thing left to do.

Introducing Mr. J!

Mr. J

Mr. J's full name is the Juki TL-98Q.  He is a light industrial level machine that only does straight stitch.  The throat area is extra large both in length and height, allowing for lots of room to maneuver a bulky quilt.  He is also faster than a domestic machine, so there has been a little bit of a learning curve with the foot pedal. Nevertheless we are getting along famously.  Things are humming right along with the baby quilt.

Bernie is still around for piecing and general sewing.  In order to have both machines set up, I had to rearrange my studio.

Though the feel of the room is less open with this set-up, functionally it is great.  Having the two tables together gives me a large space for the quilt while I am working on it and the cutting area also works well for laying out the quilt for marking.  I move my chair around to wherever I need to work.

I look forward to showing the results on Dot to Dot.

First Harvest

Well, we didn't get a lot out of my potato plantings, but it was still a fun experiment.  I definitely plan to try again next year, and hopefully will figure out better what to do.

First potato crop

The garden is winding down.  The bell peppers were pretty much a bust.  We had a nice harvest of zucchini and yellow squash this year, but unfortunately I had to add them to the "can not eat" list. (more on that in another post)  The green beans are still going and the onions will be harvested later in the summer.  We are getting a few tomatoes now, so my hubby will be able to enjoy those on his salad for a few more weeks.  I love that the garden is mostly finished by this time of year, before things get beastly hot.  Early garden is the best garden for me. :-)

In the next post I will share some exciting news on the quilting front.  Until then...