Gift Ideas......

For once I'm getting an early start with Christmas gifts.  Since I seem to be having so much fun making these small tote bags, I thought that it would be fun to place more gifts inside.  I'm thinking some homemade soap, hand knitted spa cloths and a pair of hand cranked socks. Who wouldn't enjoy receiving that!

This little bag with the ladybugs all over it will be put away in my "Christmas closet" and filled later on.

This "project bag" is about to go into my Etsy shop.  Kitties are always a hit, right?

Since I have so many sock projects going on all the time, I better plan on making myself a bag, too!

Our Newest Pattern......

The charts came through just fine the second time around and our new pattern, "Mrs. Crumpet's Flock" is now listed in our Etsy and Ravelry shops.  You can take a peek by clicking on these two sites at the right.

 

This is our newest pattern in our "Crumpet and Tea" collection and is a child's pullover written for sizes 4 (6, 8) with finished chest measurements of 25 (27, 29) inches. 

 

To me, working Intarsia patterns is like doing jigsaw puzzles - totally addicting! 





Sheer Cuteness.............

The sweater is done and little Carter loved modeling it for me.  And he was thrilled when I told him that he could keep it!

This morning I finished typing up the pattern, but encountered problems when trying to add the charts.  I did the front and back charts on my Mac with Adobe Illustrator and then saved them in my little GB thingy.  Then I took that to my PC and placed them into the clipboard.  It was when I went from the clipboard to the Word program that the charts became difficult to read.  And yet, I did the very exact thing with the sleeve charts with no problem.

I've spent hours doing everything that I could think of to remedy the problem - but no luck.  So, now I'm totally re-doing both charts which will take me a few days.  Once that's done, we'll get this pattern in our Etsy and Ravelry shops.  Patience and fortitude!

Lots of Watering & Temps on the Rise......

There hasn't been a lot of time for knitting with the garden in full swing now.  This weekend our temps will be in the 90's which is pretty hot for Tehachapi. 

Each morning I've been deep watering the pumpkin and squash patch and it's now thriving.

The corn is over a foot high and I've started another corn patch in another section on the property.  The girls absolutely love corn on the cob, so two good size sections will be necessary to keep them happy.

With it being so hot now, it is snake season and I don't go outside at all without my old boots on.  They're starting to crack and show the many hours that they've been worn, but they're comfy and I'll wear them to the end!

We had a mole in our garden so I placed this planter on top of where he kept coming in at.  I guess it discouraged him because he hasn't been back.  But, the small lizards that are everywhere have claimed it as their own habitat.  And that suits me just fine because they share it with a few small frogs and I figure they're all keeping the tiny insects down in the garden.

I just finished watering about 1/4 of the property and decided to give the pump a rest (and me, too) so I'll just sit myself right down and knit a few rounds on the neck ribbing of the upcoming sweater.

I still have 3 sections to water in a bit that we call, "The Forest," "The Park," and "The Orchard."  I found that by giving these sections names, it's much easier for Rick to grasp where to water when he helps out.  Today he's in Bakersfield, so I'm on my own!

Hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful weekend.

Another Project Bag....

Knitting may be my first love, but sewing is sure holding my attention these days - "Project Bags" to be exact.  I just think that these small totes are so perfect for holding knitting and crocheting projects.

I find myself constantly on the "hunt" for fun and whimsical cotton prints.

This one really caught my attention with all the darling kitty cats on it that is combined with a sewing theme.  Cute, cute, cute!

In knitting news:  I'm half way done with the sweater front and then will work the neck ribbing.  I'm watching my youngest grandson next week, so I hope to use him as a model for the photo that I'll use with the pattern.  I just hope that Carter is a size 6!

He was here a week ago so I was showing him the two sleeves and the sweater back.  I told him that I would begin the front next.  And do you know what he asked me?

"Are you still building it?"

 Isn't that so amazing how a child's mind works when it comes to the construction of a sweater?  And actually he's right on because a sweater is constructed piece by piece.  Lots of math calculations, layout, etc, etc.  

Next week is my goal to have the pattern listed in our Etsy and Ravelry stores.

Normal Routines are the Best.....

All is quiet on the home front - just the way I like it!  Lucy wanted to pose for the camera this morning while the other girls were in their hen house laying eggs.

I snapped this photo the other day of a small low that was going through our area bringing high winds.  Yes, even the turbine had to be shut down for the night.  Today tho, no wind and the temps are finally climbing.

Bo, on the other hand, never likes his photo taken and always turns his head when I try to get a snapshot!  He got in a bit of trouble the other morning, too.  Around 6 a.m. I heard the girls making really strange sounds - sounds that I hadn't heard before.  So I stepped out onto the back porch to see a lone coyote standing next to our back fence staring at the girls.  And where was Bo?  He was on this side of the fence standing there wagging his tail at him!  Now what kind of watch dog is that?  Honestly, I think that Bo thought the coyote was a dog!

With our really dry winter, the critters seem to be coming out more and in to the lower elevations.  The other day I was going down our dirt road and watched as a 3 foot rattle snake slowly made his way across.  That sure made a believer out of our son, because that was the first rattler he and I have seen up here.  When they pose no threat like that, we totally leave them alone because they definitely serve a purpose.  The rodent population would be out of control without the snakes.

The pumpkin and squash patch is a month ahead of schedule which I'm thrilled about.  Although this morning I noticed that two plants were totally gone with a fresh mound of dirt nearby.  Obviously an underground visitor - Mr. Mole!  I will get my husband right on this tonight!  Lucky him!

And as the sun was setting last night, my husband noticed this lenticular cloud to our east.  They are absolutely amazing to see and with our crazy wind currents up here, we witness them frequently.

Most of my outside chores are done for the morning, so it's now time to work on the chart for the sweater front for awhile......

One Last Peek.....

I was going to wait and show you the back of the sweater once it was totally done.  But, I'm not very good at keeping surprises.  So, here's the back of the child's pullover called, "Mrs. Crumpet's Flock."
One more sheep has been added that's not in the picture.

Remember in the "Crumpet and Tea" storyline, Mrs. Crumpet owns her own yarn shop and doesn't have to dye her yarn because all her sheep come in various colors.  The only sheep that is white is "Tea" because he was never part of Mrs. C's flock, but a small baby lamb that she found in the woods.  What makes "Tea" unique tho, is that he always has cold feet and must always wear hand knitted socks!

I think that you'll really love the sweater front and I hope to start work on the chart on Tuesday.  Tomorrow our grandkids will be here and we will celebrate Memorial Day together.

I've been sewing away on more "Project Bags" and even made a run out to the desert this morning to buy more fabric!  This darling print with cherries all over it has a matching lining only in pink.

This one was just added also to our Etsy shop and more are ready to be cut out and sewn.  I'm already thinking ahead to Christmas and will make some up for the girls in the office where my husband works.  I'll tuck a pair of hand cranked socks in each bag along with some wonderful soaps from Tehachapi Soap Company.  Shhhhhhh, don't tell 'em tho!