BACK AGAIN

I'm home again from my trip to the east, and had a terrific time.  Among the visits: four days with my BFF from college days, including two of those days at Lake Michigan with just perfect summer weather; four days with my cousin Joan and her hubby and those days included a cousins' reunion at which I saw four cousins whom I hadn't seen for over 40 years, one of whom was recently remarried after being widowed, and two adult children whom I had never met; and finally a week with #1 daughter who was recuperating from a burst compression fracture of the L1 vertebra that happened the middle of May.  Such a rewarding, worthwhile time!

While travelling I was able to knit a pair of socks for DGS#3, who turned 16 this past week.  They just need to have the threads woven in and to be mailed.

I've often noticed that variegated sock yarn, even from the same dye lot, does not produce identical socks.  That's simply beyond a knitter's control.  The Dear One received his new pair of black socks that I had been saving for the sock knitting class, which is now postponed until next February/March.

The next sock pair, for my brother-in-law Wayne, are well on the way.  From toe up, the first sock is up to the top cuff.  And this morning I caved to the temptation to begin another project: An attractive cowl.  I'll show pictures pretty soon when there is a bit of length to it.

It always seems that the first few days after a holiday are just chock full of "catching up."  This was no exception.  I drove Jim to three different appointments, two for preaching in Rocky Mountain House and one to the oral surgeon in Red Deer to have a molar removed.  That amounted to a total of 10 hours on the road in just 8 days.  Seemed like we were always on the go.

But this week our helper S. and I dealt with apples and corn.  She picked them all and then helped me wash them, cut off the blossom and stem ends and cut them in half.  After that

they went into Dutch ovens and were cooked to a mush, and then put through the French mill, producing a lovely, sugar and additive-free applesauce.

The total: 13 quarts for the freezer and some to eat with Monday's dinner.

I didn't take a picture of the corn, but there are now 20 cobs of corn in the freezer for enjoyment later on.

There are not so many appointments left on the calendar before we leave for Arizona again.  Jim is preaching in Red Deer this coming Sunday.  We need our prescriptions updated and pick up 6 months worth before we leave.  The car needs to go to the mechanic for a complete check up.  There are two meetings of the quilt club, and then we're off!

MORE KNITTING

I did finish the big, double thread mittens.  They turned out well, big, warm and masculine.  I usually write everything down as I knit, especially for socks and mittens, since there has to be a matching sock or mitten.  But I didn't write down how many rows made up the thumb after picking up stitches for it.  It looked like 17 rows, so that's what I knitted.  But when the mitten was finished it was obviously too many.  So I had to take out the weaving ends in and remove a row.  That was so hard to do because of the black yarn. 

However, I had a handy weapon: this magnifying lamp that I've had for decades.  Every now and then it comes in so handy, as in this case.  With the lamp I can see the individual stitches and remove them.  After that it was easy to finish the mitten.

Here's the pair, all set to go.  Someone's hands will be nice and warm this winter!

The next pair of mittens is on the go, but not even the first mitten is finished.  I designed a two colour section, and that slowed me down quite a bit--especially as this is the 5th time I'm knitting that section, trying to keep it loose enough not to shrink the circumference of the mitten.  I'll show them when they are finished.

I will be travelling for the next 2 1/2 weeks, so there will be a prolonged silence on this blog.  I'm going without my laptop, so I'll catch up when I'm back again.  In the meantime, I'm looking forward to visiting friends, relatives and our daughter in Ontario.  See you later.