Goof-off Day!

Don't we all need a good goof-off day once in awhile? Saturday was our goof-off day. We hopped into the car and took off for who knows where, deciding as we drove along- but first, we stopped at our coffee shop for liquid refreshment and enough caffeine to keep us going for a short while. Onward, we travel! Let's have some breakfast to compliment the coffee. Next stop- Cherry Creek farmer's market, located in Cherry Creek shopping area. This 'market' is held every Saturday and Wednesday through summer months. As far as farmer's items go, this market is on the upper scale--organic produce, fresh made dog food, flower vendors, gluten free baked goods, grass fed beef, free range chickens & eggs and lots of food vendors!
We spy the Denver Biscuit company truck. Yes, a truck that serves biscuits loaded with all sorts of goodies. Before we reached the Biscuit truck we passed the pizza man, who had his own special clay oven on wheels. He was making wood fired pizzas right there. Certainly looked delicious--maybe, that will be another goof-off day! Let's order! How about scrambled eggs, smothered with sausage gravy, on that giant biscuit? The next tent over had breakfast tacos and down the lane we found Venezuelan arepas! Must have one of those--nice crusty on the top & bottom and creamy soft in the middle but alas, no queso de manana so had to settle for plain mozzarella! The sign said the owner/baker was born in Venezuela but in our conversation he said he hadn't been there for 20 years. Well, the dude didn't look but 27! Anyway, moving along with the stream, we purchased a variety of mushrooms from the 'fungi guy'. Onward we go! Look there are tamales--maybe, one of those just to taste--pork with corn and green chili poured over the top. And the last booth--the chef was preparing a seafood paella. This was certainly a trip around the world. Our journey continues as we turn onto Colorado Blvd and pull into a small shopping strip which has hidden amongst its storefronts, Great Harvest Bread Company. Ahhh, the perfect stop. We hadn't been here for years. Step through the screen door into the bakery where aroma of fresh baked breads greet you. The best part about this bakery is the sample. Ask and you should receive a huge slab of fresh baked bread of the day; slap on some fresh butter, pour on some local honey and enjoy!! We couldn't resist purchasing two loaves--the special of the day (apple, cherry, berry) and Dakota, loaded with whole grains and nuts. These are no ordinary loaves of bread or air bread as we call them. These are hearty heavy loaves!!
Onward we continue--we had heard that the local children bookstore was having a sidewalk sale--why not stop in to see? The Bookies Any book lover would truly LOVE this place! Shelves loaded with children's books; pull out drawers with any title you can think of; need teacher supply books--they have them. Enjoy reading bios, mysteries, adult fiction, non-fiction--you'll find them there as well. It was hard to leave this store without at least two books in hand (as if we didn't have plenty to read!)
Homeward bound now--our goof-off day is coming to a close as we circle the block and head to the interstate. There will be other days to explore, feast and enjoy!

Quilt Coverings

The brown headed daughter requested a purple/green quilt to cover her bed. Do you know how much purple is NOT my favorite color?? Is it possible to bite the bullet and work with purple? Going to the quilt shop and asking for P fabric was out of the question--so, shopping online was the right solution. At least that way, saying the word "purple" didn't come out of my mouth! Browsing through several catalogs, this pattern from Keepsake Quilting appeared--magic! This was perfect! Green and p........ An order was placed for two kits with the thinking that two could be combined to make a nice queen size top. Kits arrived and sat and sat and sat. Okay, it was necessary to pull out that P fabric and actually touch and feel it. Time was running out to make the top and get it to the quilter. We would be leaving for summer home within three months and since this was to be a birthday gift for BH daughter the challenge was to finish on time.
The top was completed but didn't measure up to queen size with some drop down. Now, what to do? Oh for Pete's sake--must order more P fabric to make an extra border!! Darn it! Solutions on where to place the extra border went out to the expat quilter friends. And so, the quilt top sat around for another few days, waiting for the P fabric to arrive and when the P fabric did appear in the mailbox, it sat again in the sewing studio!! A decision was made on where to add the extra border and work began again. Oh, joy! It was necessary to work exclusively in P fabric!!
The bottom line--the top was finished and rushed from my hands into the capable hands of Sandy, the long arm quilter! Out of sight for now!! But, Sandy was quick with the quilting and it was back in my hands within two weeks. Now, to add that P binding and off we go to summer home with quilt placed in white plastic bag--out of sight again!

Now, that quilt is covering BH daughter's bed and she is quite happy to have an early birthday gift--just what she wanted--a P/green quilt!

Cupcakes or Muffins??

The question has been posed--what is the difference between cupcakes and muffins? The reason for the question? There are cupcake bakeries popping up everywhere. There are even cupcake trucks that roam the streets to vend their delicious oven treats to the masses that are willing to shell over $3-$3.50 a cupcake. This soul has been among those masses who have forked over big bucks for one small cake. So, the inquiring mind wants to know--what is the difference between cupcake and muffin? The best way to define that question is google it! Good ole Google. The world at our fingertips! The answer comes straight from one of the many cupcake blogs Cupcakes Take The Cake
"The quick-and-dirty answer on this is that cupcakes have frosting, whereas muffins do not. However, in researching, I found an excellent formulaic definition of the difference courtesy of Diana's Desserts: "A basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tablespoons sugar, 2½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 egg, ¼ cup oil, shortening or butter and 1 cup milk. When the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level." So, there lies your answer.
Let's make some cupcakes. Recently, there was a sale on the Bing cherries of the season--small and not dark in color but tasty anyway and since the price is right, why not buy a pound? You might ask--how can you tell if cherries are tasty before purchasing? Why you ask someone who works there or someone who is willing to give them a little taste on the sly.
Find a recipe--this one from Good Housekeeping and this is definitely a cupcake--look at the amount of butter and sugar. Pit the cherries and begin gathering ingredients. Mix according to directions. Fill cupcake liners. Bake and smell the aroma. Slap on some frosting when cooled and enjoy! For the small price of one dollar 18 cupcakes were made. Wow! There is a profit in selling cupcakes!

Memorial Day

We fly our flag proudly in honor of those who serve and have served our nation.

Blue Angels

Lace Sampler Continues

We are trying to keep up with the mystery lace sampler from Ravelry group . Each month, around the 15th, a different theme lace pattern is revealed. Of course, there are some faster knitters who want the pattern sooner. At times, the reveal has been as much as a week early! So now, we are working on May patterns--just one small problem occurred--a mistake in counting--isn't that the pits!! There is talk about placing a 'life line' in case you need to rip back. That would be a good thought and should be followed, especially while knitting these lace patterns. Do you think that this knitter placed a 'life line'? Of course not! Anyway, the knitting is back on track and into the second repeat of the pattern for May.
There are some challenges along the way which lead to learning new techniques and stitches. March pattern included adding beads and making nupps. April was just straight forward with yarn overs. Now, May's pattern includes decreasing 3 stitches while increasing 7 stitches! It's very interesting!!
There is another mystery lace KAL (knit along) on Ravelry beginning in June. This one is the fourth of such mystery challenges through She-Knits and there is still time to join in on the fun. Pattern is sold on her website for all the past mystery knits but now you can actually see the finished product.

We're on a Wool Roll!

Let's continue on the wool theme today. Finally, a handspun wool scarf has been finished! Hurrah!! It seemed that this was one of those never ending projects! First, you spin the yarn; then you knit. Then you run out of yarn and go back to the spinning wheel. Why this method? The yarn will run out with the completion of the scarf! No yarn leftovers to worry over and wonder what to do with them. But, there is leftover unspun yarn to contemplate over. We can tackle that with another adventure.
This was the pattern: Of course, why follow the pattern? Why not add more stitches than mentioned in the pattern? Hence, the reason for the never ending scarf--didn't count the stitches, but well over 300 and this was knit in the round. For someone who does not like to purl this was a challenge. Since you are knitting in the round, you must purl to get the garter look. So, periodically, why not turn back on the other side and continue to knit? Yes, there will be a small hole in that spot. But who is going to notice that in the scheme of the whole? Besides, you can always stitch that small opening closed. Can you see the hole? Up close and personal! and the finished wool scarf.

Long enough to loop around the neck three times--over three yards in length. All pure softness. There could be other ways to wear this creation--we are still experimenting. This was great traveling knitting--no reason to worry over a pattern, just knit like the wind!

Wool Musings

While we are on the subject of wool look what was discovered upon return to the summer home--more wool! Not wool fabric though but wool rovings which have been out of sight and mind. So can we say it has been properly aged? Why not? When we leave the summer home in the fall, every fiber related item is packed away in nice plastic bins and upon returning in the spring, it's a wild adventure to open the bins and enjoy these new found things! The first bin contained this lovely roving purchased from South Dakota friend, Marilyn. A former book wholesaler, Marilyn operates a farm called Black Hills Woolies (no website available). She markets the fiber of her own sheep, llamas and alpacas, selling yarns and roving (carded fiber) to spinners at various shows and other outlets, along with other fiber art products. We usually meet up each year in Estes Park and sometimes in Taos for wool markets.
That bin also included this wonderful black mohair roving as well as the next roving
red, white and black wool/mohair blend. This roving was bought on a field trip visit at Brown Sheep in Mitchell, Nebraska. Boy, was that fun--they let us 'dumpster dive' in the leftover yarns! The fiber retrieved from the bin was weighted and priced accordingly.
In another bin this white roving was rediscovered. This fleece was purchased two years ago at Maryland Sheep Wool festival--a springy corriedale breed. The fleece was sent to Ozark Carding Mill to be processed. It came back in this nice compact package.
And then in the last bin, this small bag of fiber was found. It's interesting that these fibers always write on my memory where they were purchased but never can remember that they need to be spun! This fiber was bought at Estes Park Wool Market The local guild hosts a vendor booth at the front of the vendor barn. And it's always a definite place to stop for shopping.
And in the midst of all those prepared fibers, look what was discovered!! a nice dirty fleece--this was one of those prize winning fleeces bought at wool market during the judging session. Another fleece to dye the one pot method!