Just in Case

you have been wondering what I have been up to...but you probably haven't been since you have your own lives and all...I'll tell you.

I have been working on this scarf:

It is called the 100 Grammi cowl, but I added a second skein of yarn and it will be a scarf instead.  It is made from 100% MINK!!!  It's so soft; I can't wait to squish it up and wind it around my neck on a cold day.  It's been cold---for Georgia---and I hope it lasts just a few more days.  I had to take borrow back the skein of mink I bought for older daughter, but I have already replaced it with a skein of 100% mink, navy blue (her request).  I did catch Baxter playing with it but I rescued it in time.

On Friday I made a half portion of Pioneer Woman's Perfect Potato Soup, and it is delicious.  The full recipe is for 12 people---YIKES---but as she cooks for a minimum of six people and I usually cook for a maximum of two, I thought that six portions were enough.  

I used a submersible blender to chop up all the vegetables in it and the soup was Perfect!  Just as PW's recipe promises.

Well, this is exciting---I bought a re-usable coffee cup from Starbucks.  It costs $1.00 and each time I use it, I get $.10 off the price of my beverage.  If I remember to carry the cup in the car with me.

In the bad news department, the moths got to my winter coat---AGAIN.  I followed all instructions to avoid this---clean the coat, put a cedar block in the closet, keep a light on 24/7 in the closet, and put lavender in the closet.  But the coat is toast.

I am not happy.

I have learned that I should not follow Pioneer Woman's stocking up list.  Again, she cooks for at least six people, and I cook for two.  The result is that stuff goes bad before I use it.

I can't not mention Christmas!!!  We went to older daughter's home in Austin and spent a lot of time with all of her family as well as with my younger daughter and her boyfriend from LA.  A great time was had by all, and as my grandson said when he came downstairs on Christmas morning and saw the gifts under the tree:  It worked!

Ella (12), Elizabeth (4), Lily (almost 10) and Campbell (6)

Yes, Christmas worked again this year---a wonderful time with family.  :-)

Mink Yarn, Nose Jobs and Bras

Knitting friends and I went to Stitches South yesterday and spent EIGHT hours wandering around, looking at yarn and knitting/crocheting-related, uh, stuff, accessories.

The find of the day was this yarn which is, be still my heart, 100% MINK!  Yes, mink!!!  It is s.o.f.t.  and then soft some more.  When I was paying for it, I asked the vendor if she was sure that this was the 100% mink, and not the mink/cashmere blend, because, well, THAT wouldn't be 100% MINK. Cashmere-pah.

I've done research this morning and found that the mink yarn is made from the fur that comprises the undercoat of the mink animal.  That's why it doesn't look like a mink coat.  And depending on whom you listen to, the mink like being combed/brushed occasionally to relieve them of the undercoat, or the mink are sedated in order to be brushed.  Also I have learned that mink yarn is fragile, and really should be knit up with a fine yarn---silk or ....cashmere.

I could have bought the mink/cashmere blend and saved myself a little work...

And lest you think that a yarn convention must be a snore, full of boring, little old ladies,we met these two interesting? women.

One (a vendor) asked YarnGurl if "that is your real nose."  Well, yes, she answered.  Then followed a ten-minute monolog about her life.  She is having a nose job.  She would have had one earlier in her life, but she just wasn't "superficial" then, but now she is.  There was a lot more, but we were rescued by Sallyknit who came looking for us.

While we were eating lunch, a woman in her 60s or 70s at the next table opened her shirt so that her friend could take a picture of her bra.  She explained that she never wears one, but had that day, and she wanted photographic proof that she does own one and does occasionally wear one, when she didn't want to look as if she "was swaddling a bunch of puppies in my shirt."

Alrighty then.