Ready To Go, Ellen!

I've been busy as a beaver the past few weeks getting the children's sweaters ready to go to market. I deliver them to the store tomorrow. So I thought I'd give you a glimpse of some of them. Today I did the fibre tags and hang tags. So we're ready to go!

And, earlier this week I got a few snaps of the two blue jays that visit our back patio every now and again.

In the midst of the busyness, I've managed to knit a sweater for myself. We'll show you that one next post. Our weather has been rain, drizzle and fog (fondly known by the locals as 'RDF') for most of the past week, so as soon as the weather clears off, we'll get Ellen outside and get a few shots around town in my new sweater!

100% wool with stripes and pocket in Bunny Soft

100% wool with tiny heart buttons

Tied girl's ballet sweater (cotton/modal)

100% wool. The tiny buttons are Christmas lights.

100% wool with Bernat Boa as trim, collar and pockets.

All Over the Place, Ellen!

Last week we did a short (in duration, not distance) road trip to Grand Falls-Windsor, which is considered to be in Central Newfoundland. I was delighted to find that many trees still had their leaves, especially around the Gambo area.

Earlier this year when we were out that way, I noticed a beaver dam with a 'For Sale' sign on it in the middle of a pond beside the highway. At the time I first saw it we were in fast moving traffic and didn't stop. This time I took the camera determined to get a snap of it. I did get a shot, but discovered that it's now "Sold"!  The beaver must be building a new place! Everyone's into real estate these days! :-)

Then on Sunday, John, Ellen and I took a drive out to Baynoddy Farm, in Chapel's Cove. Linda and Bernard Lewis own the farm and Linda spins, weaves, sells yarn, and sweaters, among other items. We chatted with Linda for a while and had a quick look around the farm, spoke to the sheep and one of the llamas. They have two llamas, but the white one was in the barn.

Recently I've been keeping my eye out for a bag of fleece because I want to make a doll sometime before Christmas and stuff it with fleece. I lucked in and was able to buy a bag of washed and picked fleece from Linda. Yay!

While we were at Baynoddy, Ellen mentioned that it was a great place for her to help show one of the children's sweaters. This one is a boy's sweater machine knit using a pattern card in tuck stitch mode with Patons DK Superwash Wool. The neck is hand knit.

Busy, but fun week!

I like pictures of tall grass!

Gambo - looking right from the highway.

Gambo - looking left. Those trees are lovely!

Area of "sold" beaver dam. 

"Sold"

The tall, wispy birches of Central Newfoundland.

Ellen at Baynoddy

Llama in the doorway of the barn.

I love how when you speak to sheep, they look right at you!

I guess we weren't very interesting.

View at Baynoddy.

Barn and front yard at Baynoddy.

We Got 'Em, Ellen!

The blue jay that is!

A couple of posts ago in "Backyard Visitors" I mentioned that a blue jay had dropped by a few times for a snack from the bird house in our back yard, but I couldn't get a photo of him/her because he/she was too quick to grab a bite and flee. 

This week we bought a bird seed bell and put it in one of the flower pots. Sure enough, the blue jay couldn't resist and dropped by. Got a couple of quick shots but had to take them through glass. 

I have a couple more children's sweaters knit. 

The pink and white sweater is hand knit with Berlini Smile yarn, which is a wool/acrylic blend and super soft. The fuzzy white yarn is Bunny Soft. Knit that one a few weeks ago when Hurricane Leslie blew through and we lost our electricity for a day. It did take more than one day to knit, but I got a good start on it that day until darkness came.

The red sweater is machine knit with hand knit edges with Patons DK Superwash 100% Wool. This yarn is soft enough to put next to a child's skin and not itchy at all.

A Little Introspection, Ellen!

Those of us who knit know that all our thoughts get knit into the things we make. While knitting along many thoughts pass through our minds - some stick, some we let pass. I've noticed recently that my life has taken many different turns and brought many different people my way. I credit some of this to the process of knitting.

One of the thought lines that has stuck with me since I started knitting children's sweaters (which I never expected to be doing by the way!) is: What have I learned from my children? When I dug a little deeper and began to reminisce, I discovered that I've learned a great deal from them!  

Here's the short list (not necessarily in the order I learned them!):

1. A dog can be your very best friend.

2. Don't be afraid to travel alone. You learn a lot about yourself that way.

3. Beauty is not how large or small your body is - it's how you treat people.

4. Fight fair - no name calling. Don't stay mad for long.

5. Coffee shop visits can be good for the soul.

6. Anyone can wear red lipstick if they do it right.

7. A cup of fancy tea can make everything right with the world.

8. Have a nap when you feel tired.

9. Olive oil, salt and pepper is the best salad dressing.

10. When you are little, it's okay to wear your new boots to bed. (Maybe it's okay at any age.) :-)

11. Take lots of pictures, print the good ones and keep them.

12. It's super cool if your socks match your top.

13. Bright colours are the best.

14. Knees/legs with flowers water-painted on them look great.

15. You really can kiss the sting out of a scratch.

16. Take care of your skin. 

As you can imagine, that list could easily be twice or three times longer than it is, but those were the immediate things that came to mind and thought I'd share them with you.

The children's sweaters are slowly getting finished and Ellen is happy to participate in holding them for a photo. I've used Patons 100% Superwash wool for the two boys sweaters featured below. Very nice yarn and soft enough for it to become a kid's favourite sweater!

Sweaters...Autumn...homemade compote. It all seems to go together so well. This week I found a giant bag of fresh cranberries at the grocery store, so now I have to find ways to use them up. Today I made up a cranberry compote recipe. The end result turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Here's the recipe:

2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
2 clementines (peeled and sectioned)
1 teaspoon grated clementine rind
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
small piece of ginger grated (probably equal to 1/2 teaspoon)

Place all ingredients in a pot and place over low heat. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have popped and the raspberries are no longer whole. I like compote to be tart, but if you like it sweet, by all means add more sugar.

A bit of a long-winded post today but not as many pictures. There's an old saying that says, "A change is as good as a rest." We'll go with that for today!  :-)

Boys raglan sleeve.
Machine knit with hand finished edges

Boys square sleeve.
Machine knit with hand finished edges.

Cranberry compote atop brown rice cake with almond butter. Yum!

Busy Times, Ellen!

Ever get a bunch of things done, but nothing really finished? That's the situation I find myself in lately.

I'm knitting children's sweaters to sell for Christmas and have a few done, but some are being blocked (not quite dry), others are waiting on buttons and another is half finished.  I have another pattern almost finished for a pocket scarf and brim hat, but haven't had the chance to finish writing and editing it. 

I do have some pictures to show you though. When Ange and Blair were here, of course we had to go to the Ferryland Picnic! Alana, Ange, Blair and I went. It was foggy and windy but we ate outside anyway just for the fun of it!

Then when Ange and Blair left, Cooper came to stay for a week. So, needless to say, I've had a constant helper with everything that I do when he's around. :-) Ellen is not even afraid of him anymore. He just ignores her now.

I'm just doing a quick post today so you won't think I fell off the face of the earth. Will be back again as soon as I get a few projects completed.

Alana in our picnic spot out of the wind.

Seagulls hanging out in the fog.

Inukshuk

Salty splash!

Kelp flower under water in a tidal pool.

Blair and Ange

Field of high grass on the walk back to the car.

Cooper keeping an eye on the street! :-)
I took his attention for a brief moment.