Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains

Li'l Quilt

2012-01-24T10:36:00.001-05:00

The bluebird family that checks on the bluebird house just outside my kitchen window. Can you imagine a life this carefree and full of color? Oh no, I wouldn't trade places for anything, but I do appreciate their beauty.

I finished the little quilt I told you about in my last post. It's 36in.x36in.

I quilted it on the sewing machine and backed it with plain ol' muslin. Quilting seems to be easier on my hands so I think I'm going to stick with it for awhile.

I'm sure you've heard of the Scopes Monkey Trial that pitted the theory of evolution against The Bible. Goodman and I were recently near the town where the...er trial took place and stopped by the courthouse which I think is a beautiful building in its own right.

Hey, it's not the building's fault that happened or that it houses a tiny museum about the trial in the basement (which seemed so fitting somehow, lol)

This is a homemade suet made from a mixture of cornmeal, peanut butter, raisins and a bit of suet I had in the freezer is drawing a crowd. I put the mixture in the freezer for about thirty minutes then shaped it into a ball and put it in an old plastic onion bag that I had saved. This Carolina Wren and Chickadee think it's every bit as good as the suets from the store. ;)

Till next time, hope you're warm and cozy. :)

New Hobby, Maybe...

2012-01-12T14:43:00.002-05:00

Hi there! Uh huh, my bloggin' is sporadic at best, but anyways we've been offline again and will be for awhile. Meantime....I've kinda taken up quilting - in the most rudimentary manner, of course. I'm using what scraps I have on hand for the most part and winging my way to a small, baby-sized quilt.

Not perfect, but it's workin'.

All the squares are 2in. which is way to small to start with, but I usually do things the hard way. Sigh. More on this later.

This is the wildlife viewing point at the Hiwassee Refuge.

After hearing about the Sandhill Cranes over at Chipmunknits Goodman and I decided to take a roadtrip and get a look at them ourselves. (My camera wouldn't take a great pic so I'm in the market for a new one.)

The black bird in the pic is an Asian Crane. Nobody knows how it got to the refuge, but lots of folks are flocking to see it.

After viewing the birds we followed signs to a memorial to the Cherokee Removal.

Oh, what a sad, sad memorial. It's really hard to understand how that happened.

Hopefully it's a reminder, like the ones we see about the Holocaust, to never forget so we don't make the same mistakes again.
Hope your having a great New Year!

The Frugal Bugle, Pt. 1

2011-11-29T21:13:00.006-05:00

Hi there! I sure hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We did have a good, thankful dinner. However, our littlest granddaughter was in the hospital most of last week with "viral" pneumonia. 0.0

Um, I didn't know there was such a thing. Did you? She (and her mom) spent several days in ICU, but is home now and on the mend, and for that we are grateful.

I'm tryin' to be more frugal these days because it just seems right. I'm concerned about wastin' anything that I could use for another purpose, and I'm really concerned about paying the high dollars for cleaners that aren't even safe to breathe or handle. So, I've done some research and found homemade cleaners are actually easy to make. A few months back I read about a homemade cleaner that could be made with white vinegar and thinly pared orange peels. I love the scent of orange oil so I'm giving it a try.

I've put the peels of 5 or 6 oranges in this quart jar with enough vinegar to cover them well and set it aside to steep for 2-3 weeks. It's starting to smell very nice after 1 week.

If you'd like to try your hand at making this cleaner go here for full directions from the person who came up with this nifty cleaner.

October Medley

2011-10-27T20:50:00.000-04:00

Hope you're havin' a great fall, y'all! The weather has been really nice here in the foothills for a couple of months now. As a matter-o'-fact all our plants are doing better than back in the summer. This pineapple sage in my herb bed has gone wild. It's the first time I've grown this plant, and it really does smell like pineapples, but a tea made from it is reminiscent of weeds, for sure....bleah

These are my newest gal chickens. At the time I took this picture they were shyin' away from a li'l commotion in the chicken coop....

A swarm of three-band Italian honey bees showed up one afternoon and stayed around for several hours. There was a queen bee in the center there attached to the roof of the coop, and her subjects and were following wherever she decided to take up residence. They were gone by evening and nobody got stung so no harm. We've kept bees before so we weren't too surprised by them.

I knew when I ran across this pattern that I'd be makin' one for Goodman. He says it's toasty warm and will make workin' around the place warmer in the winter. The hat is Wool-Ease in avocado, and the beard is a strand of gray Wool-Ease and a strand of eyelash fun fur.

These flower and leaf washcloths were loads of fun to knit...reminds me of all the flower power stuff back in the '70s. ;)

The blue potholder I showed you a few posts back was so much fun I had to make another one.

I'll leave you with a picture from our fall garden - brussel sprouts. I think I like fall gardening way better than summer. The bugs aren't nearly as thick and neither are the weeds.

See you in a week or two or three or four, y'all - the Good Lord willin'. :)

Apple Orchard Tour

2011-10-05T11:49:00.002-04:00

One of our favorite places to visit in the fall of the year is Kyle Carver Orchard in Cosby, TN. It's a beautiful spot in the mountains and there's a restaurant where you can refresh yourself once you arrive. The food is really quite good, too. I had chicken and dumplin's again this year.

This was our view from our table in the Applehouse Restaurant. Notice the horses grazin' between rows of apple trees. Gorgeous.

After lunch we browsed the market.

You can buy apples in 1/2 peck bags, by the peck, half-bushel or......

or by the bushel.

Shelves are lined with jugs of flavored ciders....

Locally made jams of all flavors.....

There's fresh produce to choose from, too.

Pumpkins are in abundance in all shapes.

Indian corn for decorating....

Aren't theses gourds adorable.

Mums for potting or planting in your yard.

And fresh-squeezed apple cider processed on the premises.

I bought a 1/2 bushel of red delicious apples and a small bag each of these beauties for cookin'. From left to right are Pinova, Candy Crisp and Arkansas Black. They're all cookin' apples. We had fried apples at breakfast this mornin'...so good.
ETA: They are similar to what you get at a restaurant like Cracker Barrel, only better when homemade. ;)

Fried Apples
4-5 large apples (Golden Delicious are best)
4 T. butter
sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

Peel and slice the apples. Melt butter in skillet on medium heat and add apples. Fry until tender. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings.

Hope you're having a wonderful autumn. :)

Favorite Things

2011-09-24T12:39:00.001-04:00

Our favorite time of year. Leaves are beginning to turn color...

And we're makin' fried pies from fruit gathered here on the farm...

On the knitting front I made another round of fingerless mitts from the pattern I mentioned last time. Find it here.

This crochet potholder makes me smile. Another free pattern you can try here.

Now, I think I'll go check on our hot cocoa supply for the winter. ;)

Have a great weekend, Y'all!

Whoooweee

2011-09-10T15:19:00.002-04:00

I don't know when I've been so glad to see the end of summer. Yes, we're baskin' in cooler temperatures and downright chilly nights here in the foothills, now....thank the Lord. Isn't this ~~blue~~ black swallow-tail butterfly just darlin'. (I think they ought to mention the blue on it, just sayin'.)

I've been knitting a few pairs of fingerless mitts using this free pattern. Lime green, two-at-a-time on one long circular.

As soon as the green ones were finished I cast on for a purple pair...

and finished them in a few days...what color will she do next, I hear you ask. Stay tuned to see 'cause I'm still stuck on this pattern. It's easy and quick. ;)

Just exactly how chilly has it been in the foothills? This chili.

Have a wonderfully cool and chilly week, Y'all!

What's Been Afoot in August

2011-08-24T14:29:00.001-04:00

Hello from the hazy hills of Tennessee.

While the butterflies danced on the zinnias..

Our yellow watermelons ripened, and a few were consumed under the cover of night, lol. We think it was a raccoon.

I started this crocheted shawl.

And managed to make a successful batch of sauerkraut. The first try ended in the composter. Sigh. All is not perfect in the foothills y'all.

I finished the shawl just yesterday and blocked it overnight.

Our summer garden is just about finished. These cayenne peppers are just a fraction of what we've gathered and strung up to dry. While some other plants failed, they were abundant. I think that pretty much sums up what our summer has been like - heat in abundance.

Till next time, hope yours is way cooler. ;)

Jewelweed

2011-07-27T15:58:00.006-04:00

Jewelweed*, pictured here in a photo from the internet, is truly a gem of a weed. It grows in damp places, often near poison ivy. Youngest brought a bag full of jewelweed with her last time she was here for a visit. We dried it and put it in oil to steep for a month to release it's poison ivy fighting properties. A wash or salve or soap made with it will help lessen the effects of poison ivy on the skin.

Goodman gets poison ivy every year whether he is careful about staying away from it or not so we have tried lots of remedies including an elixir made with poison ivy. A small-town drugstore in a neighboring town sells the elixir made with a small amount of poison ivy to build immunity, and Goodman takes that, which helps tremendously, but he still gets a blister now and then, so I'm going to use the oil for a poison ivy soap as soon as it's ready.

We're getting lots of produce from the garden including cantaloupes.

I finished the socks for Goodman. I used Lion Brand Amazing yarn.

Life is just a bouquet of zinnias here in the foothills. ;) Have a great week, Y'all.
*Jewelweed is poisonous if ingested.

Jooo Lye Sho Iz Haht

2011-07-21T18:24:00.001-04:00

Greetings, Y'all! We've been in a heatwave like none I can ever remember. I hope you're staying cool. I've been busy preserving produce from the garden and enjoyin' the flowers, too. A Queen Sophia marigold.

A bluebird on the back fence line.

This is sweet woodruff, one of the herbs I like to grow in my li'l herb bed that is right outside the kitchen,

I grew sage this year in lieu of buyin' it at the grocery store. In this uncertain economy we're making an effort to grow as much as we can and not have to buy. I hope you're doing the same. Are you making your own laundry detergent yet? It makes me very happy to wash a load of clothes for about .02 cents a load. :)

I've been growing echinacea for several years. I plan to make my own capsules for immunity this year.

Just by-the-by, there was a bad car crash in front of our house this week, and one of the folks involved was airlifted to one of the local hospitals. They landed in our front pasture to pick up the patient, who is in stable condition now, thank the Lord. (I have to say it was kinda nifty to see the helicopter land in our field.)

No knitting lately as we're busy from dawn to dusk with other things that must be done now. Hope to visit with you again soon.

Piddlin' in My Hangout

2011-06-28T13:35:00.022-04:00

Preparedness Challenge

Hallooooo! Anyways, here's where I've been hangin' out lately - in the garden. The zinnias are finally in wonderful bloom.

And the vegetables are starting to come in - here is chocolate mint, cucumbers and mullein flowers. We'll talk about the mullein flowers in a bit.
See the beans on the section of fencing in the garden? They're asparagus beans, and boy howdy, do they get long.
Most of them measure around 20 inches. They're oriental and great in stir fry.
I've been freezing them in small batches and putting them in bags with other vegetables for stir fry mixes. (I recently noticed that some frozen vegetables I'd bought were all the way from China! O.O Ahem, no thank you! Ain't no need for that. I'm making my own now.)Have you seen any of these lately? They're mullein plants, and they are popping up in profusion everywhere this summer. It's a wild herb with wonderful health benefits. I dry the leaves for a tea to break up congestion...

and the yellow flowers make a great earache oil when....
steeped in olive oil, strained, and put in a dropper bottle till needed.

There has been knitting in the foothills, a pair of socks for Goodman. I've been refreshing my sock knitting skills with this tutorial over at Come To Silver. It's great for beginners & whoever needs a li'l jump start.
Burgundy stella d'oros. Hope you're having a great summer!

Thinkin' Cool Thoughts In A Southern Heatwave

2011-05-31T14:10:00.023-04:00

I'd never heard of moss roses until last year when our oldest put some out in her yard. Each plant has two or more colors of flowers on the one plant. Nifty. I looked them up and found out they are indigenous to our area, too, but I'd never seen them growing wild that I recall.

Grand-gals love old-fashioned ice cream from the Tic Toc Ice Cream Parlor.Long, long ago and far, far away Goodman was on a military tour in Europe. We found ourselves in a small village in Germany with a handful of other military families. I did a lot of sewing back then with fabrics that one of my sisters fondly called "bullet-proof polyester." Remember those from the 70s? I taught several friends how to sew, also and collected their scraps along with my own. A few years after we were back in the states I sewed those scraps into a full-size quilt top. I'm not a quilter so it's not the greatest and it's never been backed, but every time I look at it those days of sewing with friends while the husbands made the world safe come back clear as a bell. I still remember who sewed what and when they wore their outfits. Lately, I've been thinking about backing it, but what on earth would a person back it with now?
Youngest is making mints for some folks that are having a June wedding. I'm helping just a bit with 108 daisies. Two colored mints take twice as long to make. The upside; they taste like circus peanuts.

Chocolate/hazelnut boots will be on the menu, too.

Hope y'all have a cool week.

Back in the Blogging Chair

2011-05-25T15:33:00.011-04:00

Greetings Y'all! I don't know for how long, but for now and until our house sells I'm back online. Yay, my poor thumbs will get to take a break from blogging via phone...heh. Cable internet...oh yeah. ;)
I haven't knitted or crocheted in a while as I've been working in the garden a lot. Keeping all the plants alive has been a challenge with the alternate hot/cold spells we've had this spring. We have a couple of stock tanks that catch rainwater so there has been much carrying of water in the heat and also of covering the plants with buckets for the really cold nights to keep them from freezing.

I've sewn a few things meantime. Goodman likes to wear one of this type of scrub hat thing under his work hats and they were getting old.... so I traced one for a pattern to .....
make five new ones for him; he's good for a while now.

If you've heard any news at all lately you've probably heard about all the storms the South has experienced the past few months. We were a few miles from a tornado when the wind blew the roof off our old goat house. This is one of the boards that held the roof on the structure. It was sticking up in the ground when I found it. I'm glad I was in the house when it speared the yard. o.O

Poppy-ing In

2011-05-07T14:17:00.007-04:00

Hi Y'all, I'm just popping in to say hello, wish all the moms a happy mother's day and let you know I'm still offline so my posting is very sporadic and will be for a while yet. Isn't this poppy something. It's in a pot so I can take it with me when we sell the house. Btw, the sign is out and price is right so we're hoping someone will just love it.
Here's a bouquet of wild Cherokee roses from near our fenceline. They smell wonderful.
Keep smilin', Y'all! See you soon, the Good Lord willin'. :)

Dogwood Arts Trail Tour

2011-04-16T09:59:00.025-04:00

I've meant for some time to take you on tour of a Dogwood Trail that is part of Knoxville's annual Dogwood Arts Festival in April. The trail we toured this year is near the grandgals so I picked them & Firstborn up and off we went to see all the pretty dogwoods and all kinds of flower blooms on the trail.

Pink dogwoods are my favorite....

And I love old neighborhoods where they have sidewalks, so cool.

Tulips perfectly placed.

This is a wisteria vine covering/smothering a tree, lol.

Tulips in wonderland...

Some of the properties on the trail have a wonderfully wild aura.

What's prettier than a beautiful stone house? One with azaleas!

The different style of the homes are interesting, too.

This tree with yet a different wisteria vine must be about 80 feet tall.

Here's a look at the base of the tree & the vine growing together.

It was a beautiful day to tour, clear blue skies...

There's a Japanese-style garden on the trail, too.

The entrance...

An arched walkway leading to the pagoda...

Isn't this building gorgeous,.

The pagoda...

A rock wall surrounds the garden.

Side view of the walkway...

A view of the garden from the pagoda...and the last picture I took on the trail.

Firstborn directed us to another neighborhood to see this captivating stretch of trees arching over the road. That concludes my tour...hope you enjoyed it.

Have a great week, Y'all!

It's Been So Long, How Are Y'all?

2011-04-05T14:54:00.019-04:00

Howdy friends, I know it's been a while....the Confederate violets have bloomed in the yard.

The pear tree has bloomed, been pollinated and set-on tiny pears. The bluebirds are still considering which nestbox to use.This robin made up its mind to nest in the third sugar maple of our row of four... She went right to work gathering grasses...can you see her for the load of grass in her beak, lol? The nest was constructed and now she's a-settin'... Meantime I've had a trial with my knitting and decided to make another dishcloth to match the kitchen. A Flower Buds Cloth in royal blue. And look at this lil cutie pie flower pen. Yes, it's an ink pen topped with a happy duct tape flower! I used to hate duct tape because of the one yucky color available, but this is great duct tape. The free tutorial is over at the Seven Sisters blog. No, I couldn't stop with one...sure will liven up paying the bills, lol. This is my crochet shawl that I finished the border for, but the border isn't fitting like the pattern says it should so I'm shelving it for now.Spring is here and with it comes work in the vegetable gardens and the everlasting battle to get the house on the market to sell. Matter-0-fact, it's lookin' good enough we'd almost like to stay...almost. :) Hope you're having a wonderful spring, Y'all!

Spring Bling

2011-03-11T17:14:00.013-05:00

This bluebird is the latest trend in tree bling in my neck of the woods. I got this shot from my window over the kitchen sink.
I've been working on this shawl once again. I started it over a year ago, but I ran out of yarn, and had to wait to finish it till I tracked down some of the same lot number. Just about four more motifs, and I'll be able to attach this edging to the shawl.
Also, I've been working on a new spring purse. I'd never sewn one before so...
I picked out some fabric and gave it a whirl...A look inside...
Here's the final look. It matches several of my summer outfits so I'm pleased with it. I used a printout for the free pattern I found over at the Sew Mama Sew! blog.
Yard bling, I feel very rich, indeed.
Hope y'all have a wonderful week!

The Hangin' Tree & Renderin'

2011-02-26T16:16:00.019-05:00

The bluebirds are constant visitors around our place now that spring is near..I've done a bit of knitting on a new shawl, but I didn't like it and ripped it out. The only thing I've finished is this Lacy Diamond Dishcloth.

And I've done bit of dyeing with this wool rug yarn for an upcoming project.

Here's the result hangin' to dry on our "hangin' tree"...lol.

As you may remember from a previous post or two, I make all our soap. I got this beef suet from a butcher for renderin' down for soap.

I like to get it pre-ground, but this time it was in huge chunks so I had to grind it in my meat grinder. The smaller the pieces the more tallow you get when you render it down.

So I spent another day at the firepit adding water and suet and letting it boil till all the fat was released.

I had to strain all the bits of non-fat out, and I put that into pans to freeze for feeding birds. Suet, for the birds. That's how it's made.

I used the tallow for a pretty large batch of soap which I pour into all sizes of molds...

This is a batch of plain soap, pure and natural.

I make a lot of different sizes. It takes 2-3 weeks for it to dry. We're looking forward to using it soon as we were running low on plain soap. I used to make a lot of scented soap, but Goodman prefers it plain these days.

(Note: I've been having trouble with leaving comments at two or three favorite blogs that I read. As you know, I read them from my phone these days and sometimes the comments just disappear or I don't get a link to leave them at all. It's very frustrating after all the time it takes to text it in to begin with, and I hope you understand if that happens.)

(Edited to say: Thanks to A Joyful Chaos I found out that the fairly newly chosen embellishment to transform my quite dry sounding profile ID Tea to something more fun was strikingly similar to political events taking place around the country. (Well, how dare they use my new moniker! ;) Anyways, I don't watch the news or anything really since I don't own a television so I was in the dark about that. I'm happy this way so don't worry about me, eh. My tea events actually involve tea with milk and sugar and a lot of knitting besides. :) Btw, if you haven't visited A Joyful Chaos you might want to do that. The author Mary Ann grew up Amish and has gifted us with many wonderful stories about her childhood and young married life. I'm enjoying it quite a lot.

Here we are nearly done with February...

Have a great week, Y'all!

Sugar Trees

2011-02-09T12:00:00.022-05:00

Goodman & I planted three sugar maple trees beside our house about 16 years ago shortly after we bought our little farm. We knew it would be a long wait before they would be old enough to tap so we didn't expect to do that anytime soon. The trees have served us well shading the west side of our brick farmhouse from the afternoon and evening sun and providing homes for a lot of watchable birds every year that we've lived here. We've loved them just for those reasons until.... A couple of weeks ago we noticed one of them had a lot of woodpeckers and a yellow-rumped warbler frequenting it constantly. It was, also, dripping sap from an upper limb...really drippin'.

I consulted my Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery and found out the trees were just large enough to tap. And the sap was obviously runnin'. Eureka! o.O I was on the verge of a new-to-me, old-time adventure. I immediately enlisted Goodman to bore the tap holes with his trusty drill....

He used pvc pipe for the tap. I gathered buckets and containers to store the sap until I had enough to boil down. The ratio is 32 to 1.

From three trees it took 2 1/2 days to collect about 12 gallons of sap. How much time it takes has a lot to do with chilly nights and warm days which were perfect! I used large canning jars, empty pickle jars, etc. and kept the sap in the fridge and some in our chilly basement until we could start a batch cookin'. Squee.

We built a fire in the firepit and started the process of boiling down the sap.

The sap is clear and only slightly sweet to the taste when fresh from the tree.The sap boiled for hours as we kept adding more of it to the sixteen quart pot. We finally took it off the fire after dark and brought the remaining 4 gallons it had cooked down to into the house.

I finished boiling it on the stove in the kitchen the next morning...

It cooked waaaaaaay down....

to just 1 pint and a bit extra that I put in a tiny jar for just tasting. It has a light buttery maple flavor, very good! The result for several days of gathering and cookin'. Was it worth it? You better know it. A total thrill of a lifetime for this ol' homebody.

Knitting...I did another hat using the same pattern I used in my last post. I used some wool I'd bought at a flea market several years ago. This started out a tan color. I used Wilton's icing color to dye it a nice purple color.

This picture is dark, but truly the color shows about the same here as it is really dark purple.

Some locals are already scouting for homes this year.

Have a great week, Y'all!

Winter Doin's in the Foothills....

2011-01-25T14:09:00.012-05:00

Red sky at night....a beautiful sight... Another set of coasters made using the tutorial found here.

A flash from the past..Moda Dea Cache...um, not sorry it's discontinued, but it served to try out a new pattern....

A felted hat pattern from the Cascade Yarn Co.

It was huge before I felted it...reached from the top of my head down to my shoulders.

Three rounds in the washing machine it came out just right, didn't help with the colors, but the pattern works well. The brim can be worn up...

or down....I've another on the needles now, can't wait to see how it turns out using worsted wool in purple.

Here in the jar are the makin's for pineapple vinegar. The scrap skin and core from a fresh pineapple will make vinegar good for using in salads and other recipes.

I found the tutorial over at down---to---earth. A really interesting blog by Rhonda with tips on earth friendly/frugal living. Go visit, you'll love her website. (The chirps don't knit, but they're always interested in what's going on in the kitchen.)

Have a great, warm week, Y'all!

Winter Complete With Snow, At Last

2011-01-14T10:34:00.007-05:00

Finally. We had serious snow, six plus inches. The mountains get more, but here in the foothills we get left out of the good accumulations because we're in a valley. The chickens aren't too happy about it; they don't like walkin' around in it, but they will be okay as soon as it melts.

While Goodman has been busy with the last house improvement projects I've been knitting. I made this Thorpe with Wool-Ease Chunky in Walnut to match the gaiter I made last year.

He didn't want the flaps to have braids so I lengthened the flaps and added an i-cord loop on one and a black bone button on the other. I'm currently working on this scarf using baby alpaca sock yarn. The pattern is Gathered ScarfThese carrots are fun to make. The pattern is from the book 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet. Hope you're enjoying the new year. See you when I can, the Good Lord willin'.

Golden Goldilocks

2010-12-21T15:09:00.010-05:00

Greetings and hope you're warm and cozy this chilly afternoon.

I've not knit a stitch since I finished my sweater, but I'm watching some videos by Elizabeth Zimmermann...that almost counts as knittin', right? Anyhooo....

Blogger friend Susan did a couple of posts on her blog featuring Little Golden Books that I really enjoyed, and it got me to thinkin' about the ones I have kept to read to the grandgals. The stories are well done and really come alive when read alongside this cute likeness of Goldilocks. The doll turned upside-down reveals Mama Bear and Baby Bear...

Papa Bear is on the otherside of Mama and Baby.

I know you're dyin' to see both ends of the doll at once so here 'tis.

Just as a reminder...we're still offline, but I do have the opportunity to post now and then. Hope you have a great week!

Hello......

2010-12-05T14:04:00.013-05:00

Greetings from the foothills, Y'all! We're still offline, but I knew I'd have an opportunity to post today so I brought along some pics in hopes of getting you caught up with what I've been up to lately (other than the howse sale.) I made these coasters from a tutorial over at All Things Heart and Home. Actually, I did them last year but didn't get around to posting them. My sweater, Iced is finished! That is except for sewing on the buttons and making the button loops - it's blocked and ready though.

I found these cool buttons at JoAnn's, a turtle and a fish in case you can't tell what the shapes be.

Lastly, a baby hat using another free pattern here.

Final note this visit...I've been able to keep up with your blogs via my phone, and it's wonderful to be able to do that, but unfortunately I'm not able to leave comments using the phone. Until next time...have a great week and see you when I can...the good Lord willin'. :)

Fresh Apple Cake

2010-10-19T18:10:00.012-04:00

Mrs. Bumphrey's Fresh Apple Cake
Over twenty years ago, back before we bought our farm we were just beginning to awaken to the idea that suburban or town living may not be the best way to live for us. If you don't want to be dependent on the market and it's fickle prices for all you consume there is farm life to consider. We really had only a fleeting idea of how a farm should be run back then, but we wanted to learn all we could so we were pleased have the opportunity I write about today. It was along about the time our youngest was reading in the Little House books about such things as harvestin' and hog killin' time that my sister, Sam invited us down for a weekend to her house in the country. It happened that her husband, Monny was friends with a pig farmer, and knowing we loved learning about the self-sufficient lifestyle she phoned to say that on a particular Saturday we would be able to attend a real-live hog killin' down the road a piece from her home in middle Tennessee. We were pleased to accept the invitation.
Youngest was very excited over the prospect and looked forward to it until the agreed on weekend arrived. So, we journeyed to my sister's house on Friday evening then the next morning both families together started on our way to Mr. Bumfrey's house to watch our very first hog killin'. His well-hidden farm was miles into the backwoods, far away from any neighbors and their sensitive noses. Now, Mr. Bumphrey was a renowned pig raiser in those parts and proved it each year by producing healthy, great big ol' pigs. We were made immediate witnesses of that fact as we pulled into their driveway. There were hogs there bigger than our car (for cryin' out loud!) And I noticed as we emerged from the car that it truly did smell like it might be an infamously huge pig farm. We had definitely arrived at our destination.
Youngest and her cousin stayed outside to watch the doin's while Sam and I went in the house to meet Mrs. Bumphrey. We said our hellos and started to work helpin' her fix a hungry-man's dinner for all in attendance that day. There was meatloaf to bake, pork chops to fry and various and sundry other dishes to prepare so we lent a hand with the cooking as it was needed.
Meantime, it was a chilly day in mid-autumn so I would check now and then to make sure Youngest was still wearing her jacket. The first time I checked she was watching the skinning of an enormous, cadillac-sized hog. The air smelt of pig sweat and wet hair. Youngest and her cousin, Belle were obedient little girls, stayin' out of the way and all, so I returned to the kitchen for awhile. Then again, after about an hour or so, I went outside to see how the girls were faring. This time I found Youngest and Belle tossing an inflated pig bladder back and forth, laughin' and talkin' as they would when playin' with any regular balloon. They had been discussing how Laura Ingalls played with a pig bladder at hog killin' time and were feelin' mighty pioneer-ish themselves.
Back in the kitchen I noticed Mrs. Bumphrey had begun icing a freshly baked apple cake. It smelled so good! She said I could have the recipe after dinner if I found I liked how it tasted. I could hardly wait to try that cake. There was just something wonderful about the crisp autumn weather, the aroma of baked cinnamon from the cake and our upclose glimse of down-to-earth, nitty-gritty country doin's outside all rolled into one that comes back to me everytime I bake this cake, and it's always every bit as good as the first time I tried at the Bumphrey's pig farm. Here's the recipe so you can try it too.

Fresh Apple Cake
Grease and flour a Bundt or Tube pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped apples
1/2 cup oil
1 teas. vanilla
1/4 teas. nutmeg
2 teas. cinnamon
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 c self-rising flour

Beat eggs and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add vanilla and apples and mix. Stir in oil. Combine all dry ingredients including pecans in another bowl and slowly add to sugar mixture beating after each addition. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared cake pan. Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. Let set until just slightly warm then put in tight container immediately to maintain moistness.
Glaze: If desired drizzle with 1 cup powdered sugar , 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a few teaspoons of milk - just enough milk to allow it to pour in a thick stream over cake.

I'm a little further along with the one sleeve than this photo shows, but hey, it was already taken...lol. I should be finished with the whole thing in another week or two. The pattern is Iced. Just click on the name for the link to the pattern.
Now, I may not be able to show it then as most likely we'll be offline for a good several months by the time it's finished. Until then, take care, see you when our house is sold and we move and ..and, well see y'all later, the good Lord willin'. :)

Whoa, It's October

2010-10-10T20:28:00.017-04:00

Can you b'lieve it's October? Not me. The last of this years zinnias.

The garden is brimming with turnips and greens now that the weather has cooled down a bit.
eta...the Rhode Island Reds........ love turnip tops.I used twice as much banana as the recipe called for in this banana bread. It rose nearly twice as high as usual and tasted twice as good, too. Even Martha White on the tin behind it got all excited over it. ;)

I've set Frosted Diamonds aside for a while because I have a mistake four rows back, and I'm tired of counting each row two or three times. I intend to pick it back up and finish it as soon as I'm done with this stockinette sweater. The pattern is Iced, and it's free. It's worked with bulky weight yarn so it's going really fast so far. Love this mushroom colorway.Have a great week, Y'all!

Sweet September

2010-09-26T11:45:00.010-04:00

Feel that cool in the air! Thank the Lord!!!
Flower of the month...sorta.
Mmmm...roasted red peppers fresh from the garden.

This li'l dishrag was a mindless (from my li'l mind ;) knit with bobbles at each corner. Sugar and Cream yarn in Vintage Rose colorway.
Frosted Diamonds is slowly taking shape.
Have you heard there's a new hen house in town? There is. chuckles It's portable, and it's mine! It's been six years since I kept chickens. Goodman missed farm eggs. Did you know lots of cities have changed their ordinances so that folks can have their own fresh eggs. Folks are realizing that big business is not to chickens what chocolate is to cookies. o.O Nope, they're not. We found this little coop on Craigslist. It's perfect for up to six hens. (If the house sells we'll load up the truck and move it to ....where ever.) I promise I won't ride on top, stop worryin'. rofl
There's no door on the yard part nor a walkin' plank so we're in the process of modifying that before we put chickens in it. The girls are in the barn. I'll introduce them next time. Meantime, I'm happy as a chicken with a junebug to be back in the chicken business.

Walkabout the Weeds

2010-09-12T15:36:00.019-04:00

Ah yes, we're beginning to bid summer adieu. I will shed no tears for it, though, as Summer 2010 has been one hot summer. Our watermelon patch is nearly done producing. I haven't the heart to weed it now with this overtaking it. Mornin'glories.

No wonder they're called glories....
Butterfly Weed, also called Pleurisy Root. I'm diggin' this up soon to replant where it will be handy if I want to use it.

Seed pods on another butterfly weed that could be mistaken for pope's hats...chuckles.
A tea made from red clover is said to detoxify the blood.
This is not your regular morning glory. It's a Wild Potato Vine. Native Americans & early settlers dug the roots to supplement their food supply. See the red center? That's how to tell it's a tater vine.

Ironweed (spied this one in the neighbor's field) has been used in a lot of different herbal preparations to treat all manner of symptoms.
Did you know red pepper flakes.......... are proven to help lower cholesterol? Just thought I'd throw that in. :)
I've begun sproutin'. Truly! o.O This is a sandwich mix. WE ARE SO GREEN around here. lol
The wonderful chill in the morning air is tellin' me I could use one of these soon so I've begun a knitting project after almost six months without touchin' the needles.
Cool mornin' air - bring it on! See y'all later, the good Lord willing. :)

Ackk, Save Me...er Won't You Save My Sanity and Buy My House AS IS?

2010-08-31T19:46:00.015-04:00

Hey y'all. (she says in a li'l shaky voice) It's been a long, long summer. I'm sure it feels that way because every time we've started a new face lift project on this old farmhouse it grewwwww into two or three times what we thought it would be. Argh, and so we trudge onward. Ha, one good thing - downsizing - feels pretty good. I've sold two spinning wheels that I haven't touched in nearly ten years, among other things. Squee.... I can actually walk to the bookcase in my bedroom now. Smiles. Uh, no, I didn't sell any yarn. I'm not that insane; just a little less encumbered of things I don't need. That part is really heartening.

Now, on to fun stuff. Our garden is still producing nicely.

Woohoo, Peach croustade. You can get the recipe for a strawberry/blueberry one here. I've made this with just plain strawberries, too, and it's delicious. But the best part is it's tasty without a lot of sugar. ;)

I've dabbled a little in the dye pot/bowl lately just to clear the rotted-wood cobwebs out of my head.
I love this super soft yarn, but I wanted these skeins to be a deeper, bluer purple.
So I first over-dyed it with a heaping teaspoonful of Wilton’s Royal icing color in the microwave. Alas, it came out too blue.
Then I over dyed again with 1/4 teaspoon Wilton’s Black and 1 teaspoon of Violet. The true color is actually darker than the picture, and I’m really happy with it now. Destined to soon become Fetching.
Oh, I can't wait till Fall, Y'all. Bring it on! :)

Pushin' Fall

2010-08-06T19:26:00.013-04:00

Between working in the garden and the everlasting slow progress in the home improvement department I took the time to make a set of new coasters. They remind me of fall - I can't wait till fall, Y'all.
The tutorial for this great little craft project is here.
I'm not a huge fan of jello salads, but this one is wonderful in my opinion.
It's fresh, fruity and delicious, really, I wouldn't trifle with you. ;)If you'd like to try it for yourself here's the recipe.

Best Jello Salad Ever
1 large package orange flavored jello
1 jar (1lb. 4 ozs.) grapefruit sections, drained - this is in the fruit & vegetable cooler at your store
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
Add the correct amount of water (or use the drained pineapple juice for part of it) according to directions on the package. Add fruit. Chill till set.

Squarshed

2010-07-27T11:53:00.009-04:00

Poooh, poooh! Just blowing a lil dust off the keyboard. :)
We decided to put out a small garden just in case the house doesn't sell. Ha, it's not even ready to sell, yet, but this is a happy post so movin' on to another subject...we have squash comin' out our ears, well, okay just a lot of squash. (It's no wonder English is difficult to learn, huh.) Anyhoo, I had the stuff to throw this together so here's a new dish to share with you wonderful peeps.

Y'all-Come-Back-Now Squash Casserole

4 cups yellow squash, cooked and drained
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb. hot breakfast sausage, crumbled and cooked (I use Tennessee Pride, of course;)
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 med. onion, chopped
3 tbs. butter

Fry sausage just till done; drain, and set aside. Saute onions in butter. Boil cubed squash about five minutes, drain. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a casserole dish - add a few sprinkles of water if it tries to clump. Bake 20 minutes at 350 F. Serves 2 gluttons, 4 regular peeps, or 6 skinny minnies. Seriously, it's very good. We had it for supper last night with green beans and other vegetables from the garden.

Hope your summer is cooler than mine. :( It's hot in the South, Y'all. Lookin' forward to fall.

I Can't Help But Love This

2010-07-23T23:38:00.002-04:00

Robert Sheffey, Mountain Evangelist

2010-07-06T10:51:00.014-04:00

One of my all-time favorite movies is Sheffey, a biographical rendition of the life of the circuit riding preacher from days gone by. It was produced by Bob Jones University, and I have to say they did a good job of it. A few weeks ago we were in Virginia and had the opportunity to visit the church and grave site where he was buried. I know it's not really all that grand, but if you have seen the movie you know his life's work was indeed truly grand.

On the way to see the Sheffey historical site, this photo courtesy of Youngest...

Edited to add:
And where does one find the movie? christianbook.com or here if you want to buy it directly from the producer.

June Visit in the Mountains

2010-06-09T17:34:00.013-04:00

We went on a day trip in the Smokies last week and visited a few places we don't see often.
We actually wanted to show off Clingman's Dome to one of my sisters, but the road was closed so we went on toward the North Carolina side of the Smokies.
This pool of water flows icy cold from Mingus Creek. In 1872 part of it was routed......through a wooden flume to power the newly built Mingus Mill. I was enthralled by the flume, such crafty work!I won't tell you everything about it because it's an interesting place to see for yourself when your visiting the Great Smoky Mountains.
Just a peek inside the mill at the flour bolter.A few of you have mentioned that you'd like to see more pictures of our mountains, and I'm pleased as punch to comply. :)
There's a different view from every angle of the lens.One of my favorites from our trip. (Click for a bigger pic, y'all.)
Hope your week is a good 'un.

News From Our Li'l Wildlife Sanctuary ;)

2010-05-19T14:53:00.014-04:00

Hope you're having a great spring. You don't want to hear how the house fix-up is going (trust me) so let's head outside. This iris is indigenous to our region of the country. It's called Southern Blue Flag.
Carolina Wrens nested in our fire thorn bush this year. Here's a li'l one fresh from the nest. They made such a racket at the window I had time to run outside and snap this photo of one on the window screen. They're clingers. :)

In other bird news a family of Carolina chickadees took over one of the bluebird houses again this year. (It's a virtual Carolina bird invasion...lol.)
It takes a minute to get up the courage to fly for the first time....

Especially with the chance that first landing might be a little rough...We're good though...here's lookin' at you.

Iris you were here.

OutsideThis Week

2010-05-06T17:58:00.005-04:00

Pink Columbine.

Fushias, an early Mother's Day gift.

Baby chickadees.

Azalea, Sweet Azalea

2010-04-28T15:30:00.003-04:00

We took a minute aside from the mad rush to get our house on the market just to smell the roses - er - azaleas. We had a yard sale over the weekend and are plum wore out.

Takin' a Break, Y'all

2010-04-10T11:06:00.009-04:00

Howdy Y'all. I'm just poppin' in today to say we're fixin' up our old farm house for sellin' out and movin' to another country - okay, just kiddin' about that part, but we will be movin', we hope. Where to we don't know, yet. If you hear of any community that will accept a quirky knitter and her goodman let us know. You can use these pics for reference as long as you don't tell anybody they're from wanted posters...lol ;)

See you when the spackling, cleaning and brush piles are all behind us, the Good Lord willin'.

May All Your Days Bring Joy Like Spring

2010-03-17T09:42:00.013-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Y'all.....

I dyed a skein of off-white Lion wool with candy-maker's food coloring. I'm planning to knit a tea cozy with it.This little green project named Lichen was a fun knit in the ravelry group Knitting and Tea and Cookies. Thanks to group administrator and designer, Mary for a fun mystery knitalong. It's a kerchief, by the way. And now, I'll leave you with a youtube video that I think is befitting of St. Patrick's Day.

and may the jingle in your pockets have a solid golden ring. ;)

Victorian Shawl

2010-03-11T11:24:00.013-05:00

Howdy neighbors! Thanks so much for all the well wishes while I was out of commission for a bit. I'm all well now, but I seem to have developed spring fever already. For real, I can't wait to get outside and dig in the dirt! I'm planning on tryin' out some new seeds this year in the garden like these.They're Strawberry Popcorn seeds that yield tiny ears you can dry and place the whole ear in a bag to pop. I can't wait to try that!

I knitted this shawl as part of a knitalong in the ravelry group The Victorians. The pattern is here.

Eleven lace points on mine.
We took a lil trip with the grandgals to Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, and I took this video of the jellyfish just for you 'cause it's so cool. (It was impossible to get a movie with anyone talking - they were so excited. ;)

The tunnel was pretty cool, too. There's just nothing like watching sharks swimming above your head....
'til next time...may your yarn flow smoothly and your needles fly. ;)

Just In Time...

2010-02-22T18:53:00.005-05:00

...for another round of cold weather. The past week I've been working on this helmet liner for Goodman to wear when he's working outside.
We're a wee bit under the weather this week so see ya next time...the Good Lord willin'.

Tea Cozy Utopia

2010-02-08T17:29:00.004-05:00

Carmen Miranda....

It doesn't get any better than this in tea cozyland.Hope your week is the coziest ever!

A Frosty Tour of Cades Cove

2010-01-29T16:31:00.019-05:00

I know it's not the first time I've taken you on a tour through my favorite part of the Smoky Mountains, but this is the first winter tour so grab a cup of steaming coffee, cocoa or tea and enjoy the ride as over the winding road and along icy Little River we go.
Cades Cove is a valley between the mountains, a cove where several hundred mountain folk lived before the Great Smoky Mountain National Park came into existence in the first half of the twentieth century.
It's the most visited national park in the United States of America.
Cattle grazed here just a few short years ago, but now commercial interests are taking a forefront with horses to ride for a fee, of course.
A lone male turkey with a beard that touches the ground while grazing.
Those two doors speak of a bygone era when gentlemen and ladies entered the church through portals of a different gender.
Inside another church in the cove.
The Cable Gristmill where grain was ground into flour and cornmeal is frozen today, really frozen.
It was too cold to picnic at a table in the park so we lunched in the suv and watched the wildlife show from front-row seats.
A doe with her yearling fawn.
Bee gums, although there are no bees working them now.
In my mind the most wondrous man made building in the cove is this cantilever barn.
Every board is pegged together; not a nail in the structure.Hope you enjoyed this lil short tour. We'll talk about the cabins another time, the good Lord willin'. :)

Rosie Pretty Posy

2010-01-17T22:39:00.008-05:00

I'm still knitting (and crocheting) tea cozies, and I'm having the best time of it. This one is Rosie Posy Tea Cosy, my favorite so far. Click the link for the best free tea cozy pattern you will ever love to knit. And be sure and have a look around while you're there. This pattern is free at Loani Prior's site and also in her tea cozy book, Wild Tea Cosies. And lo, she has another book of even "wilder" cozy patterns soon to be released. Welcome to tea cozy utopia. ;)

I'm happy as a chicken with a junebug over how it turned out.Have a great week, Y'all.

Pouf Pouf

2010-01-04T13:01:00.002-05:00

What do we do when it's too cold to go anywhere? Crochet a decadent tea cosy. Goodman says the teapot has a big hair-do now. It's big, pouf-y and much ado; a very cool pattern. You can find the free pattern, Scalloped Tea Cosy here. I was curious about the number of trebles in this pattern so I did the math. 1,728 trebles.
Hope you're nice and cosy, too.

So Long, Farewell, Alas Goodbye

2009-12-31T11:56:00.009-05:00

2009 - twas a very good year- lookin' on the bright side, that is. (Did the title make you think I was leavin' the bloggin' scene? I might sometime but not just yet. You ain't that lucky...ha ha.)
Have a cheesecake truffle and think on the good things. Youngest made these and did pretty well, I think.
If you haven't had breakfast then have an apple pancake. They're good, too.
My stars, yes, this is another ditto post. Another round of six-point stars. This time in two colors.These stars are stiff as boards. I soaked them in liquid starch and pinned them to make the points sharp.
Who knew? Goodman sportin' his fingerless electricians' mitts. And here I thought fingerless mitts were exclusive to our lil knitting world. o.OA red-bellied woodpecker on a grey, gray day.And just like that woodpecker, I'm still hangin' around.
Happy New Year, Y'all!

Lacy, Starry, Flaky

2009-12-17T11:00:00.014-05:00

It's been a starry kind of week as I've been crocheting these six-point stars. The tutorial for five-point stars is free at The Royal Sisters. And you may want to check out the other tutorials there; they're very well done. I just added a cluster of doubles and chains on the base row for six-points.
I sprayed them with spray starch and blocked them to sharpen the points in a room-full of bad lighting...oh, it's bad.
Nine starchy stars in a stack.
Nine starchy stars not in a stack.

One hangin' a ways from the pack.Stringin' along, singin' a song, hangin' out with very frosty friends.... on my old Hoosier cabinet.Hope your week is goin' as cool/cold as mine. :)

Ditto My Last Post, Well...Sorta

2009-12-10T09:14:00.021-05:00

We were out-of-town over the weekend and missed our first snow. I hear we got about two inches. This is what was left on the deck Monday morning...just enough to blow the cover of a nightly visitor. 'Coon tracks; they are. :)
I whipped the bindin' on this baby animal print fleece for a gift. Whipped? You wonder. Uh huh, 'cause I've sewn for 40+ years. And I can tell you that even sewing gets easier as you go along; yes, it does. Just wait - someday you'll cross the sewin' bridge from Labored to Whipped just like I did. Tutorial is in the sidebar. See, I'm constantly repeating myself. I should just type ditto and leave. :P The fabric is from Walmart if you're interested in doin' one yourself. (I know, I'm tryin' to boycott that store, too, but I gave in for the fleece. Stone me softly, please.)
This is not the fleece from my last post. No. It's cotton fabric in the same print. Am I blessed or what? Now, to decide...whether we get out the sewin' machine again or...
finish this crocheted ____? You get twenty guesses for what this is going to be, and the first nineteen even don't count. _chuckles_See you next time..the Good Lord willin'. :)

This Blankey's Fer Me

2009-12-01T10:23:00.014-05:00

2 posts in the same week = Bloggin' Restitution
Oh sure, there is such a thing... chuckles.. makin' up for lost time, I am. There will be no rakin' leaves for me today. I'm ignorin' those maple leaves on the ground under that stubborn tree and bloggin' instead. Look what great, rich colored fruit and BIRDS (somebody pinch me!) on this fleece fabric.
I grabbed some blanket binding and...some thread and...in just a few hours I had a cozy blanket for my nest on the loveseat.
The tutorial is right there in the sidebar. --------------------------->Fleece & bindin' are at your local craft store.
By the way, two yards fits a twin bed. Go ahead; make a kid happy.
Sew, see you soon, the good Lord willin'. :)

Nick o' Time November Post

2009-11-28T22:24:00.011-05:00

Hi, Y'all. It seems like I blinked and missed bloggin' for most of the month of November. Really, it's not my fault. I'm blamin' it on these sugar maple trees and their siblings. Goodman and I have raked and raked, and the end of it just now in sight. One stubborn tree is still hangin' onto most of its leaves...lol.
I've done just a bit of knitting. This is the infamous (here at my blog, anyways) Scalloped Waves Spa Cloth knit with an autumn-y cotton yarn by Peaches and Cream. They named it Juanita Rose, Y'all. o.O No kiddin'. I'd have called it somethin' like pumpkin patch, but they didn't ask me. Ah, well. (Really, who's Juanita? & Where's the rose?)
I really enjoyed knitting this Scalloped Waves Spa Cloth and Daisy Options doily with Lion Brand Purple cotton yarn. Purple is good.
I trimmed the Mr. Flurry pattern down to about 2/3 of the original pattern to make this li'l guy. He has no eyes yet, but I think he's cute anyways. If you try this pattern don't be alarmed if he looks for all the world like a white birdhouse gourd when finished. The hat and scarf make a world of difference in the transformation from yarn-gourd to snowman. Here are his mug shots.Here's (not) lookin' at you. :)
We have a row of holly bushes in our backyard as a good neighbor fence. Goodman found this little bird nest in one so I snapped a pic to show you.
'til next time - Hope your nest is warm and cozy. :)

Two Down...UFOs, That Is

2009-11-10T10:57:00.019-05:00

Hey, Y'all. It's a rainy day in the foothills today, but we're busy inside so... let it rain, I say. :)
I've finished a few knitting projects that I had put aside in the UFO (unfinished object) bin.
This is a pair of black, Brown Sheep wool (camera makes them look gray) Fetching fingerless mitts.Toasty mitts from a free pattern. I know I really shouldn't complain about a free pattern, and they are cute now, but... See (below) how the thumb looked before I sewed the holes together using a tapestry needle and the yarn end. I think this is called an after-thought thumb. It's not a true gusset and a bit difficult to hide the holes after the thumb is added. Just my opinion, but I don't really care for this method of making the thumb for mitts. The thumb for Fetching is similar, but with that pattern there are more stitches in the thumb which kept the stitches from straining at the join and made it easier to finish. I do love this soft yarn though. I used a Noro silk/lamb's wool/cashmere yarn, and I'm glad I did. I love them now that the thumbs are under control.
We finally had a frost or two so I harvested my stevia plants.
I pulled off the leaves ready to be cleaned.
Most bugs don't bother stevia, but some li'l gnats do, and then there's the dirt factor so three good washin's after the leaves were stripped from the branches was a must.
I let the leaves dry for about three weeks then pulverized some of the leaves in a blender jar that I use for chopping herbs. I kept most of the leaves back to crush and steep as you would a tea. I'll make a liquid sweetener with those.
Lo, it's green! It's sweet, but really green. My first thought was..I sure hope Goodman will be okay with that. (I did grow the stuff for his sake, afterall.) The commercial stevia he's been using is white, and probably over processed so I thought..we'll see tomorrow mornin' when his coffee is set before him, but nah, he won't go for this. Little green thing-ys in his coffee. Nuh, uh. I better get to brewin' some liquid sweetener from the other leaves for his coffee. I bet I could hide this in something else, though... green cookies?..we'll see.Here's a link if you want to read more about growing, harvesting and using stevia to lower your sugar intake. Hope y'all have the sweetest week ever. :)

Cherohala Skyway Road Trip

2009-10-30T12:41:00.014-04:00

Goodman and I took a little road trip last weekend in search of some fall color.
The Cherohala Skyway is a beautiful two-lane roadway that stretches from Tellico Plains in Tennessee to Robbinsville, North Carolina. It runs through the Cherokee National Forest on the Tenn. side and through the Nantahala National Forest on the N. Carolina side. Can you see where they got the name Cherohala for the road? Cherokee is a Muskogee word that means "speakers of another language."The drive is just beautiful in the fall..
We started out from Tellico Plains on our side of the skyway.
All along the way we drank in the autumn hues.
We stopped at several overlooks to take pictures.
A very enjoyable little trip.
Nantahala means "land of the noonday sun."
The highest point of the skyway is in North Carolina at Santeetlah. By the time we reached this point the leaves were all gone so we headed back toward home with one more stop along the way.
On the way up the skyway we were talkin' and missed the turn to Bald River Falls so we went by there on the way back down. This picture was taken from our vehicle. It's a drive-by falls, Y'all. - Gotta love it.
I finished the Fetching Mitts and they're on the way to a new home. Now, I think I may have to rummage through the UFO bin soon and make myself work on something from there. My conscience is just tearin' me to pieces over so many unfinished projects. Ah well, we'll see if my conscience or what I want to knit next wins out. The grandgals were here visiting this week, and Goodman took the oldest along with him on a trip to Tractor Supply Co. Nearby is a pumpkin stand so he let her pick out a pumpkin to take home with them. Hmm...I don't know if I'm a fan of this "colorway" or not. o.O I'm glad I'd already gotten them a plain-jane orange one. Have a great week, Y'all.

Chronicles of Yarnia

2009-10-23T14:41:00.007-04:00

My DRT prize package arrived today so I thought I'd let everyone know how my team did in the Dish Rag Tag 2009 competition. Well, we did pretty good if I say so myself. Chronicles of Yarnia was a great team of knitters from all four corners of the USA, and eight out of ten members were able to send the box back out the same day they received it. That's pretty good. My team's box arrived at the finish point the same day another team's box got there. At that point it was out of our hands and up to the postman. Huh? Yep, that's what I said. We won second place instead of first because the postman put the other team's box in Emily's mailbox first. Ah well. It was fun anyway.
Here's the contents of my prize package for 2nd place. There's a knitting gauge measure thingy/key ring, a starbucks gift card and some 'fficial DRT stitch markers. Kelsey knit the dishcloth I received (in record time, I might add.) Thanks, Kelsey! It looks great. And thanks to Emily for puttin' on the best li'l knitting game around.
I've been busy knitting these fingerless mitts from this free pattern using the magic loop method of knitting in the round, (and yes, they will have thumbs where the red and pink stitches are when I finish the cables.) I do like this method of knitting two at the same time. There is no second mitt syndrome to suffer from. When you're done, you're done.
Hope your fall days are full of knitting, pumpkins and beautiful leaves.
'til next time..fare thee well. :)

Fruity, Just Fruity

2009-10-16T10:08:00.006-04:00

I've been knee-deep in fruit since our trip to the orchard, but I did want to show you these little gals. Sun-dried roma tomatoes from the garden for wintertime salads. I'd never grown them before, and I have to say they're much tastier dried than fresh. More fruits of labor with the apples from the orchard, fried apple pies. Btw, it's Kyle Carver Orchard in Cosby, Tenn. You can google for more info if you'd like to go there when you're in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. They have a very nice restaurant on the premises, and if you sit by a window you'll enjoy a bird's-eye-view of the orchard. I use a slightly stiff biscuit dough for the crusts, and talk about flaky...why, even Loretta Lynn would have been proud. ;) I'd offer you one, but they're all gone now. Sorry, maybe next time.
I don't recall ever havin' played with blocks as a child. I'd much rather have been makin' something...like soap, but stackin' is good. Plain, homemade soap for the Goodman.I've been knitting, but nothing to show, yet. And don't fall out of your chair over this, but I seem to have been bitten by the quilting bug. Egads. We'll see how that works out.
Take care until next week, Y'all.

Fall Y'all

2009-10-07T13:37:00.006-04:00

Greetings from the hills. We're finally catching cooler winds and temperatures.

I've not knit a stitch just lately, but I have plans for another shawl, and this one will be knitted rather than crocheted. Traveling Woman at Ravelry has caught my eye, and I want to use this yarn for it.

We made our annual trek to the apple orchard, and I bought some apples for making caramel apples with the grandgals and some for pies, but this Indian corn is my prize from the trip. I'm liking the colors and thinking about growing my own next year.

Have a great week, Y'all!

Flowers, Fly Swatters & Fasteners

2009-09-14T21:39:00.010-04:00

Another nasturtium finally bloomed. Did you know they're edible and can be used in salads? I haven't yet since I have so few of them, but next year maybe I will.
A little more Ivy League knitting...Checkmate by Emily it is.Try not to mistake this one for a pumpkin. lolI finished the little shoulder shawl. Details here.
About a year ago I broke one of my Knitpick's Harmony needles, a US #4 needle. I didn't want to just throw it away and kept it thinkin' I would find a use for it sooner or later. Last weekend I sanded the broken end with fine grit sandpaper, applied a little furniture polish to finish it off nicely, and now, it can be used alone or in combination with this bangle as a shawl pin. I'd rather have a nice plain circle, but I found this laying around..maybe one of the grandgals left it. Looks like it's mine now...chuckles.
A bloom from the genus fli swattus. ;)
Hope your week is full of blossom after blossom.

Oh, PaShawl

2009-09-07T12:13:00.010-04:00

Happy Labor Day, Y'all. Hope you're having a nice extended weekend.
This nasturium blossom is very late bloomin 'cause I planted a whole packet of them in part shade instead of in the sun. I won't do that again.
Isn't this sock yarn beautiful? Two skeins of this Koigu Painter's Palette was a gift to me from a very nice blogger. My new ball winder sure came in handy here. It's from Knitpicks, and can be clamped to a table or held by hand.
I'm crocheting a small shawl or large scarf with the yarn...don't know which it will be just yet. I'm using Lion Brand's Bridal Shawl pattern. Using sock yarn instead of worsted weight it will be much smaller than the model, but I love how the colors pop much better crocheting with it than the color strings knitting produces with this yarn.
Our pink crape myrtle is still heavy with blooms.
Well, I'm off to dig potatoes now, Y'all. See you next week, the Good Lord willin'.

Dish Rag Tag & Look, Some Knitting Here

2009-08-31T18:33:00.014-04:00

Hey, Y'all. The race is on! This time I was first on my team, Chronicles of Yarnia to knit the dishrag for Dish Rag Tag 2009. I'm a slow knitter so I had to give myself a jab to get the cloth knit and to the post office in three and a half hours, but I did. The box is on it's way to the next team member. To keep track of the race just look over there to the right in the sidebar and remember to cheer for Chronicles of Yarnia.

Here's a look at what I got in the DRT box: A set of lovely, handmade coasters fashioned by the queen of DRT herself, Emily of Yarn Miracle. A bag of candy kisses (aw) that are nowhere to be found now, and the ball of cotton yarn to knit the dishcloth that I sent off to Wendy. (I love this knitty race game!) Emily, thoughtfully, included her knitty, kitty callin'/business card, too. Love it. I will get a dishcloth at the end of the game..show it to you then.
My patio set and I agree, the coasters are just perfect!
Thanks, Emily!!! I'm lovin' these cool coasters!

Dish Rag Tag has been on my mind lately so when I went to pick out material for a small project bag I found this nifty states fabric to make it with. Did I ever tell you I love tassels. I do. Oh, you like them too? Well, don't fret; here's a nifty tutorial so you can make your own. The yarn is Summerset by Sugar & Cream (I think it's by S&C, anyways). The cord is a crocheted chain.Here's a look inside. I used this free pattern to make the bag. I especially like the name of the pattern, My Leetle Bag. I did add about an inch to the width for a bit more room.

How's this for a li'l ivy league knitting? Scalloped Waves Spa Cloth. The light cloth is Peaches and Cream, and Walmart still has P&C, albeit begrudgingly. o.O The dark is Midnight Magic from S&C.

See y'all next week, the Good Lord willin'.

Then...

2009-08-21T07:54:00.008-04:00

Zinnias make beautiful cut bouquets for sprucin' up indoors while still leaving the plants loaded with blooms. They'll never miss these. I don't know why I don't grow them more often.
Y'all, you may not have noticed, but I've been fed up with my internet service. Att dial-up is no picnic at best...then it began to take 20-30 minutes to load a web page (no, not kidding), then I lost the ability to reply to yahoo mail, then ravelry messages wouldn't open, then I couldn't download patterns, then, then, well, you get the picture, and then, this week I noticed our bill was $25 dollars more than usual. Then I called. There were charges for services we didn't ask for or want and then, very nicely, I told them Goodman was irate. Now, for no apparent reason, we get more kps every time we sign on. Suddenly, I can do things faster, a lot faster on the what?, the internet. Huh. ;0 Hmm..just sayin'. o.O

I knitted along on these for a while, but they're for cooler weather so I put them away unfinished 'til fall..talk about them later. I've knitted a ton of Scalloped Wave Spa cloths, but I just know you're tired of seein' them here. This week I've been knitting some uninteresting squares for a small throw. If I don't throw them out I'll show you those next time.

I'm enjoying my flowers an awful lot this year.

Oh, btw, would anyone like two Golden Retrievers? This is one-year old, curly haired, Duchess. She likes a nice game of fetch.And she's fast, really fast, just a blur really.
This is her buddy, Duke. He's getting older, but he's a very well-behaved guy. He was a rescue dog just four or five years ago. His coat is very silky. These are not our dogs, we're just keeping them temporarily, trying to find home(s) for them 'cause their owners moved and couldn't take them with them. It'd be great if they could stay together. They're friends.
Truly, these are the dog days of summer. See y'all next week.

A Pleasantly Competitive Diversion

2009-08-01T14:11:00.009-04:00

Emily of Yarn Miracle has, once again, swung wide the doors of her gracious cyber home to bid knitters of all fifty states to join in the crowned merriment of the season, Dishrag Tag 2009. After hesitating a full twenty minutes so as not to seem overly eager, of course, I sent along my R.S.V.P. Now with ankles appropriately crossed and knitting needles near I await the beginnings of the most pleasingly competitive game around.Won't you join us, Y'all?

Leather Britches and Mora of da Flora

2009-07-27T19:16:00.020-04:00

First da flora...don't you just love to speak Fwench?
Yes, I'm kiddin'. Of course. Of course.
A zinnia from the garden. Ze gardin. Yes, I agree, that's enough Fwench for one post.

Purple coneflower. I must have scared all the butterflies away with my Fwench. They usually love it...the flowers, that is. oO

I'm still pickin' beans from our two little seven-foot rows. I've already tired of canning them so I strung up about a peck of them. They're, now, called leather britches. Well, they're "leather breeches" north of the Mason-Dixon line, but here in the good ol' South.. leather britches. The flavor is different than when they're canned. They taste a lot stronger...and they're chewier. I'm a-thinkin' that's where the leather part comes in, but what do I know?

Would you like to see the inside of a blackberry cobbler? Of course, you're inquisitive and brilliant so here it is. After adding the top crust and baking...it was spectacular. Goodman and I like ours warm topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Have a good week, Y'all. :)

Signs and Times and...

2009-07-20T12:45:00.025-04:00

Gardenin' the old-fashion way. (Zinnias in one of our vegetable gardens.)Uh huh, I've been scratchin' and diggin' in the dirt and harvestin' way more (emphasis on way) produce than expected and lovin' it to pieces. I didn't mention this before, but heretofore, we'd never planted by the signs. Yes. The signs. I've only been a plant dabbler at best...random planting of any ol' seeds, any ol' where, any ol' time...just dabblin'. This year, however, with the economy wobblin' like a fresh egg on a brick wall in the Los Angeles earthquake epicenter Goodman and I decided to till and plant by the signs in the heavens. We used an almanac as our guide for the best days to till, plant, water, weed, etc., and the result is well... simply astounding. Now, hold on there, I have biblical backup lest you think I've gone around the bend. Check out Genesis 1:14. There are over 30 tomatoes on this plant alone. You can count nearly 20 if you look closely at this one-sided view.Did you know according to the signs of the moon, etc., there are days that are best or worst for a a lot of different gardening related activities? Have you ever heard that potatoes should be planted in the dark of the moon? Sound hokey? Well, I'm convinced it's not, now. As a matter of fact I think it would be better classified as much needed wisdom. Oh yeah, I was skeptical in the past, too, but truly, Y'all, old folks knows best. My garden, full of large healthy vegetables hangin' heavy on the plants speaks for itself...
So... call me anything you want, but call me recently enlightened in the gardenin' department of life. Tell me, do you plant by the signs? We took a lil trip up to Ol' Virginny over the weekend. Right near to where Youngest lives in Virginia there is a magnificent overlook view of Draper Valley. If any of you have the book, The Frontiersmen (Time Life or just look it up on the 'net.), there is a great, true-life story about the Draper family of Virginia in early American history.
Here's a picture of the historical marker (sorry about the angle) to offer a bit of the history.Hope your week is full of lots of plump, natural vegetables and everlastin' wisdom from above. :)

Summertime Doin's

2009-07-07T14:32:00.031-04:00

Hey, Y'all. I hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend. We had a good time, especially with the grandgals. Goodman bought fireworks (perfectly legal here) for them. They have some of the cutest things for kids like parachutes and colored smoke bombs..too cute. Otherwise, I've been immersed in the garden and more spring cleaning and..and...well, you get the picture.My four little ol' cucumber plants have blessed me with several dozen jars of pickles...well, I did the picklin' part myself, but the plants just keep makin' more cucumbers. These are lime pickles. I just followed the directions on the bag of lime I got in the canning section of the grocery store. They are quite good, but bread and butter pickles are my all-time favorite. I've made two batches of both kinds so far. I think I have enough to make a run of whole kosher dills this afternoon....Oh, my birthday was very swift. It's from Knitpicks and it works very well. And it looks like I got it in the nick 0' time. Goodman and I trekked up to Ohio on the 4th and met up with some friends at Treasure Aisles Flea Market just north of Cincinnati. We had a terrific time and found treasure after treasure. I found five skeins of this Irish Knittng Wool that is tied like most hanks of yarn are tied before they are twisted. I'm going to need the swift to wind it into balls for sure.Plus the same folks had these twenty packages of wool. Each package contains 2 balls of pure wool in worsted weight. 80 ounces of wool in the sealed packages. I'm still stunned over this find. I paid $9 for all of the yarn. Somebody pinch me. I found these very cool Japanese lantern style patio lights for $3 and this hinged-lid tin to add to my collection for $3.25.
I'm still working on the lace border for my shawl. I've go one last skein of yarn to go. I'm hoping I can finish it before the yarn runs out.
Hope your week is a good 'un. :)

Howdy Hoe, Neighbors!

2009-06-17T07:26:00.022-04:00

In the garden my favorite, burgundy daylily.And a double burgundy that I've had for about 5 years but never saw it bloom 'til now.A bird's eye view of one of our vegetable gardens. I got this close to this mourning dove with my camera. I must be livin' right, right? roflChocolate mint that I plan to sweeten with....
Stevia, a natural, non-caloric sweetener.
A baby cardinal...can you see the bit of red on its tail and wing?
I've been knittin' and crochetin', but nothin' picture worthy, yet...maybe next time...maybe. :)
Have a good, good week, Y'all!

Daisy Options

2009-06-10T06:38:00.009-04:00

Choose your colors for a pristine-white wildflower, black-eyed susan, purple coneflower, or gerber daisy. Options are good, eh. Crochet this worsted weight doily to use...why, any way you please, of course. ;) I plan to use mine as a coaster for a big ol' pitcher of sweet, iced tea. Sip, sip.

Finished size: 10.5 inches in diameter
Materials:
Size G crochet hook
Three colors of worsted weight yarn.
For doily shown use:
Small amount Color A (brown or yellow)- Center
Several yards Color B (color optional) - Petals (requires about an ounce of yarn, maybe)
Small amount Color C (green of any natural shade) - Border

Abbreviations:
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
sl st - slip stitch
yo - yarn over
beg- beginning
rs - right side
sp - space

dc dec - worked over two stitches as follows: Yo, draw up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook, yo draw up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops, yo, draw through all loops on hook.

Cluster stitch (last round) - Yo, draw up loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook, yo, draw up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops, yo, draw through remaining 3 loops on hook, ch 3, yo, draw up loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook, yo, draw up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops, yo, draw through remaining 3 loops on hook.

Directions: Using Color A Ch 5, join with sl st.

Row 1: Ch 3 (count as 1dc), dc 13 in ring. (14 sts) (rs)

Row 2: Ch 3, dc 2 in each st around to beg ch, dc 1 at base of beg ch. (28 sts)

Row 3: Using Color B ch 3, dc 2 at base of ch, ch 1, *sk 1 dc, dc 3 in next dc, ch 1. Repeat from * around to beg ch. Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch.

Row 4: Ch 3, dc 2 in next dc, dc in next dc, ch 1, *sk 1 dc, dc in next dc, dc 2 in next dc, dc in next dc, ch 1. Repeat from * around to beg ch. Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch.

Row 5: Ch 3, dc dec, dc, ch 3, *dc in next dc, dc dec, dc, ch 3, Repeat from * around to beg ch. Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch.

Row 6: Ch 3, dc dec, ch 3, sc in space, ch 3, *dc in next dc, dc dec, ch 3, sc in space, ch3. Repeat from * around to beg ch. Join with sl st in top of dc dec st.

Row 7: Sl st in space. ch 1, sc in same space, ch 4, *sc in next space, ch 4. Repeat from * around to beg sc. Sl st in beg sc.

Row 8: Sl st in space. ch 1, sc in same space, ch 4, *sc in next space, ch 4. Repeat from * around to beg sc. Sl st in beg sc.

Row 9: Using Color C sl st in space. ch 1, sc in same space, ch 5, *sc in next space, ch 5. Repeat from * around to beg sc. Sl st in beg sc.

Row 10: Sl st in space, ch 1, sc in same space, ch 5, *sc in next space, ch 5. Repeat from * around to beg sc. Sl st in beg sc.

Row 11: Sl st in space, ch1, sl st in same space, ch 1, sc in same space, *work cluster stitch in next sc, sc in next space. Repeat from * around to beg sc. Sl st in beg sc.
Weave in ends.
Block flat.
Copyright © 2009 Toni in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, All Rights Reserved

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2009-06-04T13:36:00.026-04:00

With a lot of work, that's how! Goodman and I have been gardening more this year than in the last few years. I do love my garden, but I say again, it's a lot of work! And hungry bugs are everywhere just waiting till you turn your back so they can chomp the young, tender plants. Oh, and if you're not used to it the bending, stooping, tugging, hoeing and watering makes muscles and joints scream for extra rest at night. We've been hitting the hay pretty early lately. All that to say that I'm sorry I've missed some of your blog posts. This is my wild red rose on the old walk-through gate post.I wanted to try crocheting another worsted weight doily to look like a daisy, but I couldn't find any green yarn without going out of my way to find some. Dying yarn is not my forte. I was forced into it. Then after all that..I found a ball of sage green hiding in a basket so I used all three shades for the doilies in the next picture.
Here's the results of the yarn dyin' and the daisy thought.
I'm not finished writing the pattern, yet. I hope to do that soon...maybe it will rain...I sure hope so. I figured out the border for the crochet shawl, but it's too much to work on at the moment. Here's to a wonderful week, Y'all!

It's Not Finished, Y'all

2009-05-26T20:04:00.014-04:00

Don Juan floating in a bowl of water. He's so versatile.It always amazes me to see this...
...turn into this. Well, I don't actually see it happen, but still. (Fuchsia, it is.)
I finished the main part of my crochet shawl and the picot edging on the long/neck side of it. The lower sides...that's another story.
Here's what it's supposed to look like after the edging is attached. I'm not sure if it's me being a lunkhead or if the directions are less than clear. We'll see if I can muddle through it in a few days. Meantime, lettuce dine (take out crochet related irritations) on wilted lettuce. I know you're just dyin' to know how to make this great tastin' southern salad, so roughly...a pile of leaf lettuce (torn in frustration), a sprinklin' of apple cider vinegar, dash of salt, bacon crumbled (up maddeningly), a green onion or two chopped with intent to...then wilt/kill the whole mess with some smokin' hot bacon grease. I have to go get the leftovers out of the fridge now...see y'all next week.

Blackberry Winter

2009-05-18T09:31:00.015-04:00

Last week's little chill was evidently just a precursor to cooler weather for us this week. Early morning temps here this morning were in the low 40s and even colder in the mountains. I sneaked and turned the heat on...TVA beware! Oh yes, those heating bills are costing us a fortune these days. These blackberry blossoms will become tasty berries in just a few months. Don Juan..a charmer of a rose. I bought this eighteenth century styled bird bottle at the pottery factory near Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia about ten years ago and hung it on the deck facing the morning sun, but in all that time I've never had a bird nest in it. Sigh.The crochet shawl (Bernat Handicrafter pattern Style No. 2343-220) is coming along, albeit slowly. I've made mistakes and had to rip back to correct them. This picture is current this morning, but I just found a mistake eight rows back, so I'll be ripping back again over a skein of yarn to correct it. Crocheting is faster than knitting, but correcting mistakes is deadly to progress since you have to ravel all the way back to where the mistake is to fix it. (I hope to be perfect and not make any mistakes someday...chuckles.)Lettuce just be glad there's forgiveness for our mistakes.
Have a great week, Y'all!

Enthrawlin', Completely Enthrawlin'

2009-05-11T18:38:00.016-04:00

Feel that chill in the air? We're having a li'l blackberry winter here in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. I don't mind it a bit, though; it sure makes a nice cup of coffee seem extra good. Here's a look at my purple clematis.Goodman and I went to Virginia to see Youngest and her DH over the weekend. We had a good visit with them and a very nice time taking in several of their area nurseries. We stopped at the first two and just enjoyed looking, but at the last one this beautiful hanging basket of petite petunias called Superbells caught my eye almost immediately. Youngest noticed how much I liked them and snapped it up for me for Mother's Day. (It looks even better in person. :)Truly, I'd planned to just look at all the nurseries' offerings, but this burgundy petunia was too pretty to resist. I do love burgundy flowers and petunias especially.
On the way back home we decided to take a back road near the mountains, and what do you think we passed right by? Uh huh, the Lodge Factory Outlet Store in Sevierville. It's one of my favorite places to browse. I could spend a lot of time in there. It takes a while to look at all their cast iron pots and pans and fireplace accessories, etc., but this skillet stood out right away. Yep, those bears followed me all the way home.
Remember the circular shawl I started a few weeks ago? Well, I've run into two problems with it. First, a disheartening mistake further back than the ones I'd already redone, and then..the book that the pattern is in has vanished. I'm at a loss as to what's happened to it and, frankly, I don't want to think about it right now. See, we took four or five boxes of books to the Habitat Thrift Store recently...oh, yeah. Sigh. So, pressing ever onward, I started crocheting this completely enthrawlin' little shawl. The yarn is CotLin from Knitpicks in their Linen colorway. I'm about one-third finished with the body of the shawl and will start the border very soon, hopefully.
Hope your week is a good 'un. :)

May Flowers & More Showers

2009-05-05T09:55:00.024-04:00

Happy May, Y'all. It's the best month for flowers around our place. A clematis that is supposed to adorn the deck likes to climb in the poplar tree. We're getting lots of rain lately. We burned a large brush pile yesterday evening, and a gully washer from heaven put the fire out for us. We felt a few sprinkles and hurried, but by the time we got into the house we were drenched! Ah well, that took care of our weekly baths. ;) This yellow iris smells like nutmeg...mmmm.
I've had these irises for years and years. They just smell regular-like.
Miss Frilly...not to be confused with the purple iris I showed you last week. This one is ruffled and lighter in color. Most of my irises are compliments of my neighbor-down-the-road a bit. She gave me two buckets of them last summer and some the year before that. Would we all had a neighbor like that. :) One of our favorite things to do is go yard-sailing (I know..chuckles) We went to several sales last week, and had the best time. The grandgals were here, so we took them along. Everyone found some nifty prize they couldn't live without. Mine was this very cool, little two-cup teapot. I paid a little sweet lady fifty cents for it and went happily on my way.Why is it so cool, you ask... It has it's own strainer! It's perfect for my home remedy, herbal tea infusions. Honestly, I don't think it was ever used as the label on the bottom was snowy-white and clean. Can't wait till my chamomile blooms...These honeysuckle blossoms are growing on a bush on the fence line. As soon as I put the bouquet on the counter of the old Hoosier cabinet all the peeps gathered 'round for a sniff. I've been knitting, yes, but not on the shawl, Y'all. We'll talk about it next week. :)
Hope you're having a grand week!

Sweets

2009-04-28T07:56:00.016-04:00

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. A beautiful day for...gardening, but first here's a picture of Muguets by Danielle Cote. Lilies in other words. No ma'am, this little knit will not be washing dishes or anything else for that matter. Lily of the Valley, so sweet smelling. Odiferously supreme, I say.
Sweet woodruff in the herb garden. It's scent is spicy and heady, but never high-minded. ;)
Sweet columbine....sweet like most everything in the South, Honey Child. :) Youngest gave this to me last year, and it seems to have adapted well after leaving it's home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Our sweet tater farm for this season is in full-swing. As soon as the sprouts are about 4 inches long I'll snap them off their mama and root them in sand before planting them in our for-real garden.Can you spot our male Towhee in the picture below? Isn't he sweet? Another of my favorite birds. The bird house with no floor or front to the left of Mr. Towhee is the housing for an electric fence box. A good reuse for an old birdhouse.These irises smell like candy. :) I-ris' you were here!

Purgin' & Paintin'

2009-04-21T08:05:00.014-04:00

Howdy, Y'all. It's a beautiful day in the foothills.
The sun came up, and the birds are singin' outside. That's outside.
Inside...I'll pour us both a stout cup of coffee. We're gonna to need it, see. In another room there's a deed that must be done.
History: The last time this event was attempted; we got nowhere. This time there's hope. We began last evening: Emptyin' the master bedroom closet of clutter. YEOW! Get out! Well, anyways, that part is in two trash bags, coverin' half the guest room and part of my bedroom floor. And I don't use the word 'coverin' lightly, either. Purgin' accomplished. Today, my mission, should I choose to accept it, is to paint said closet. I'm determined, I'm armed, and I'm goin' in. Well, I've dallied long enough. It's time.
Tweet, tweet, these cool clocks are at a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store near you, hopefully. That's where I got mine, anyways. See you next week, Lord willin'.

Interlopin' and Exasperatin'

2009-04-14T08:45:00.012-04:00

Mornin', Y'all. Hope you had a good Easter weekend.
This nest in my bluebird box is not a bluebird nest. It was built by a pair of interlopin', li'l fidgety birds! Carolina Chickadees. (Cute & friendly, but not bluebirds.) They waited till my bluebirds were out looking for worms and moved right in. Sigh. Most of the material used was moss gathered from the ground just below the box, actually. The rest is dried grass along with some green and white acrylic fibers. I have no idea where the fuzzies came from since I haven't put any out for the birds, yet.
Here's a look at the start of the circular shawl I mentioned last week. I made an exasperatin' mistake, then when I noticed it I couldn't look at it for a couple of weeks. I had to tink back eight rows and didn't do that until this morning.
In the meantime to divert my attention from the mistake in the shawl (I knit dishcloths when I'm exasperated, evidently.) I knitted this Vineyard Cloth by Danielle Cote. I changed the border and added a few rows to square it up a bit. See, I can knit after all...maybe, maybe not. We'll see if I get going with the shawl again.
Hope y'all have knitty good week. :)

Dogwood Winter In Tennessee

2009-04-07T12:50:00.010-04:00

The dogwood trees were just starting to bloom then our weather roller coaster sent us a light overnight freeze. It's rainy/snowy and in the low thirties here today with a hard freeze expected for tonight. But wait, tomorrow it will be back up in the sixties.
Not complainin' just sayin'.
Back in February Goodman and I trimmed our pear trees, and I saved a few switches for rooting. I dipped them in a rooting compound and put them in potting soil. I'm hoping they do well enough to set out later in the fall. We'll see. Here they are doing pretty well so far.
I've been knitting a few lacy dishcloths. This one is the Little Flower Buds pattern. I I tried to find a link for the free pattern, but I couldn't find it, sorry.This one is Lacy Diamonds from the Monthly Dishcloths Group at yahoo. I guess I'm on a lacy, purple roll, huh. The color is S&C Grape. I also started a circular shawl but forgot to get a picture. No, it's not purple...chuckles. That would have been a good color, though.
My spring cleanin' is goin' ever so slowly what with so many patterns to choose from. oO
Have a great week, Y'all.

Li'l Flora Here, Li'l Fauna There

2009-03-31T09:01:00.014-04:00

This little guy has been singin' his heart out everyday for at least a week now. He's been flyin' in and out of our firethorn bush, perchin' on a fence post and singin' like there's no tomorrow. Surely it's springtime in the South.
Speakin' of the South, the Confederate Violets are bloomin' now but only on the southern side of the house. Hmm...wonderin' if that has something to do with their name.
We have mourning doves all year long, a familiar sight for us. The tree is a sugar maple. No nest building yet, but the bluebirds continue to check on their lodging everyday. Seems to be okay with them.
I have a small collection of bird books, and one of my favorites is this old Field Book of Wild Birds and Their Music. The copyright is 1904. It's the only one I have that has musical notations along with the drawings of featured birds. Finally, the creeping phlox is in full bloom.I should be doin' a little spring cleanin' now.
Have a super week, Y'all. :)

Happy Spring, Y'all

2009-03-23T08:48:00.025-04:00

Spring is in full-swing here in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. The bluebirds have been scopin' out their new home on the fence post, and buds are openin' on most every tree and bush in the yard. Everything coming back to life after winter always seems that nature is testifying of our Saviour's resurrection and ours, too, someday.
Our Bartlett pear trees are just starting to bloom..thankfully, there are no freezes in the weather forecast for this week..here's hopin'.It's not that I'm havin' a hard time lettin' go of St. Patrick's Day..I just love this picture, so here. One of five of my Tea Time Doily workups. (Pattern in the sidebar.)I'm not going to bore you with all five of them..just three or four, maybe. A burgundy one paired with a Scalloped Waves Spa cloth in matching Sugar & Cream's Weathered Rose.
Yellow & Key Lime Pie colors , also Sugar & Cream.I thought I'd never finish the everlasting bathmat, but at long last, it's done. It's very simple, all garter stitch with a seed stitch band, a very classic look. The pattern is for double worsted yarn. If any reader here wants a copy, just holler...er, email me at foothillsgsm at gmail dot com
I won't go into the reason for this...

Hope your springy days are the best ever!

Gemstone Doily

2009-03-15T22:22:00.009-04:00

Another worsted weight doily for under the china teapot or other dish. Your yarn choice will decide which gemstone you make. This one is an emerald. (See amethyst at my ravelry page) Happy St. Patrick's Day...a little early.
Finished measurement: 9 inches in diameter

Materials: 1 ball worsted weight cotton yarn
Size G crochet hook

Abbreviations:
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
sl st - slip stitch
beg- beginning
rs - right side
sp - space

Ch 5, join with sl st in first ch.

Row 1: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc & ch 1) dc 1, ch 1(11 times in circle & over the free end.)
Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg st. (12 dc in this round) (RS)

Row 2: Sl st in sp, ch 3, dc in same sp, ch 2, *dc 2 in next sp, , ch 2. Repeat from * around. Sl st in 3rd ch of beg st.

Row 3: Ch 3, dc in next dc, *dc 2 in ch2 sp, dc in next 2 dc. Repeat from * to last ch2 sp, dc 2 in sp. Sl st in beg ch.

Row 4: *Ch 2, sk1 dc, sl st in next dc. Repeat from * around. Sl st in beg st.

Row 5: Sl st in ch2 loop, ch 3, dc4, *skip next loop, dc 5 in next loop. Repeat from * around. Sl st in 3rd ch of beg st.

Row 6: Sl st in next 2 dc, ch 3, dc 4 in same st, ch 1, dc 1 between shells, ch 1, * 5 dc in 3rd dc of next shell, ch 1, dc 1 between shells, ch 1. Repeat from * around. Sl st in 3rd ch of beg st.

Row 7: Sl st in next 2 dc, sc in same st, ch 1, * dc 5 in dc, ch 1, sc in 3rd dc of shell, ch 1. Repeat from * around. Sl st in sc.

Row 8: Ch 3, dc 2 in same sc, *dc 5 in 3rd dc of next shell, dc 5 in sc. Repeat from * to last shell, dc 2 in sc as in beg st.

Row 9: *Dc between shells, ch 3, dc in same sp between shells, sl st in 3rd dc of next shell. Repeat from *around. Dc in sp between next shells, ch 3, dc in same sp. Sl st in 3rd dc (at base of beg ch).

Weave in ends. Block.
Copyright © 2009 Toni in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, All Rights Reserved

Tea Time Doily

2009-03-12T07:35:00.012-04:00

A worsted weight doily to use as a hot pad under your china teapot or other dish.

Finished measurement: 9.5 inches in diameter

Materials: 1 ball worsted weight cotton yarn
Size G crochet hook

Abbreviations:
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
sl st - slip stitch
yo - yarn over
beg- beginning
rs - right side
sp - space

Cluster stitch in last round:
Yo, draw up loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook, yo, draw up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops, yo, draw through remaining 3 loops on hook, ch 2, yo, draw up loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook, yo, draw up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops, yo, draw through remaining 3 loops on hook.

Ch 5, join with sl st in first ch.

Row 1: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc & ch 1) dc 1, ch 1(11 times in circle & over the free end.)
Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg st. (12 dc in this round) (RS)

Row 2: Ch 3, dc 2 in ch 1 sp, dc in dc, ch 2, *dc in dc, dc 2 in ch 1 sp, dc in dc, ch 2, repeat from * around. Sl st in 3rd ch of beg st.

Row 3: Ch 3, dc in base of ch 3 just made, dc in ea of next 2 dc, dc 2 in next dc, ch 2, *dc 2 in next dc, dc in ea of next 2 dc, dc 2 in next dc, ch 2, repeat from * around. Sl st in 3rd ch of beg st.

Row 4: Ch 3, dc in next 5 dc, ch 3, sc in ch2 sp, ch 3, *dc in next 6 dc, ch 3, sc in ch3 sp, ch 3, repeat from * around. Sl st in 3rd ch of beg st.

Row 5: Ch 3, dc in next 5 dc, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch 3](2x), *dc in next 6 dc, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch3](2x), repeat from * around. Sl st in 3rd ch of beg st.

Row 6: Ch 3, dc in next 5 dc, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch 3](3x), *dc in next 6 dc, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch3](3x), repeat from * around. Sl st in 3rd ch of beg st.

Row 7: Sl st in dc, ch 3, dc in next 3 dc, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch3](4x), *skip 1 dc, dc in next 4 dc, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch 3](4x), repeat from * around. Sl st in 3rd ch of beg st.

Row 8: Sl st in dc, ch 3, dc in next dc, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch 3](2x), work popcorn st in 2nd ch of next ch3 sp, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch 3](2x), *skip 1 dc, dc in next 2 dc, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch 3](2x), work popcorn st in 2nd ch of next ch3 sp, repeat from * around. Sl st in 3rd ch of beg st.

Row 9: Sl st between 2 dc, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch 3](6x), *sc between 2 dc, ch 3, [sc in ch3 sp, ch3](6x), repeat from * around. Sl st in beg sl st.

Row 10: Sl st in ch3 sp, ch 1, sc in same ch3 sp, ch 3 *sc in ch3 sp, ch 3, work cluster stitch in 2nd sc from hook, ch 2, work cluster in next sc, ch 3, skip next loop, sc in next ch3 loop, [ch 3, sc in ch3 loop](3x), ch 3, repeat from * around to last cluster, work cluster stitch, ch 3, sc in 2nd ch3 loop, ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3. Sl st in beg sc of round.
Weave in end. Block flat.
Copyright © 2009 Toni in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, All Rights Reserved

Cedar Waxwings

2009-03-03T08:14:00.014-05:00

Recently, I was talking on the phone with a friend from church about birds, and she mentioned cedar waxwings. I didn't remember ever seein' any in person, but I was familiar with the bird from reading about them in my bird books. (You knows how I love birds.) Friend said they have a tree full of cedar waxwings, and that the birds like to eat hackberries. I have no hackberry tree. (Where can I get a tree like that I wondered, but little did I know.) Next day, what showed up at my birdbath? A. Cedar. Waxwing. It was very timid but it hung around determined to wait out the robins (that tried to discourage from getting a drink from "their" birdbath.) Soon the robins left, so the little waxwing drank and drank. Finally, it flew off, and I went pourin' through my books to be sure I was identifying it correctly. I was. After a little while it came back with a whole flock of cedar waxwing friends. My books say they are very sociable and live in flocks aside from the breeding season. I'm in bird heaven, I tell you, having spotted them here in my own yard and so soon after talking about them, but I still want a hackberry tree. ;) I took this picture of them at the birdbath to show you. Try to ignore the window screen and click for a big pic. They're cute as buttons.

I mentioned last week that I'd been knittin' and crochetin' a bit. I'm working on a couple of patterns, but the last row of this hot pad gave me a little trouble so that I'm not confident enough to share it, yet. I need someone(s) who crochets to proof the pattern for me, please. If you're interested, just email me at foothillsgsm at yahoo dot com with Crochet Hotpad in the subject line and I'll send it to you asap. Thanks!

Tin Can Abbey

2009-02-24T11:18:00.011-05:00

Hi! Welcome to Tin Can Abbey. snickers
I couldn't tell you when it began. All's I knows is how wonderful they are for holdin' stuff not to mention pretty cool to look at. Very few of these are empty. I use large ones as canisters and small ones to hold fiddly li'l objects like nails, all the tags from every bush, tree, etc. that I ever planted, etc. Yikes. Save me. Some of my favorites came with cookies in them and have windup music boxes in the lids.I've given several tins away, but I'm a thinkin' it didn't hurt me any.
The next three tins are old popcorn tins. Goodman loves his popcorn so I always get him one when they're fresh in the stores. This is my favorite of them. I could live in that scene. I'm keepin' dog food in it. I like the lid of this one.I keep bird seed in this one.This is the only tin that I keep yarn in, but it holds quite a few balls of dishcloth cotton. Um, no this isn't all the tins I have, but I don't want to overwhelm anyone. ;) If you enjoyed perusin' these pictures of my tins I can tell you I'm not the only person who collects them. Recently, as I was cruisin' Ravelry I ran across a new group called What's In Your Altoid Tin?. There you can find some nifty ideas on how knitters use and alter empty tins. I rarely alter mine except for the time I threw one in a fire to burn off the paint. It worked very well. Goodman used it for making char cloth and as a tinderbox back when we did living history reenactments.

I made this fleece blanket last week for Firstborn's birthday. The tutorial is in the sidebar.
Have I been knitting? Yes, some. Have I been crocheting? Yes, but I've been loafin' alot more. Truth is good. See you next week, the Good Lord willing!

Foothills Parkway

2009-02-09T13:27:00.016-05:00

Go for a ride? Yesterday Goodman and I went on a little Sunday afternoon ride on Foothills Parkway. We went by way of Calderwood Highway which is known to motorcyclists as The Tail of the Dragon. We passed Chilhowee Lake and Dam along the way. We're on the Parkway now.
There are lots of pull-offs for soakin' in the views and picture takin'.
The Great Smoky Mountains are known for their layers and layers of mountains.
A closer view.
Back at the house..it was to be noted that the robins had returned from points further south. We always have a few that stick around during cold weather, but they were back in droves yesterday.
Hoggin' the watering holes. Our bluebirds gave up and flew off exasperated to pieces. No worry, they know the this house is theirs, but they do like the birdbaths to be less crowded.
This here's Thorpe. (Can you tell I just recently watched Sergeant York?) I knitted it to go with the mittens I'd already given to Punkin #2. It's a balmy 72 degrees here today, but our weather roller coaster will surely give her a chance to wear it before spring. It seems like it was a dream that we had snow last week.

Guard those waterin' holes, Y'all. The robins are on their way, 'cause I'm shooin' them northward. _chuckles_

Goodman's Gaiter

2009-02-03T07:43:00.012-05:00

A neck warmer that is so easy to work up even the newest knitter will have it finished in an evening. The directions are very simple, but for those who prefer pattern format…enjoy.

Knit entirely in 2x1 ribbing using chunky yarn your Goodman’s Gaiter will be completed before the next snow flies, and your own good man will appreciate that it is entirely handsome, not-so-bunchy, yet quite warm.

Methods:

Long-tail cast-on

Stretchy bind-off

Materials:

1 skein bulky/chunky yarn. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky shown.

Size 10.5 circular needles, 16-24 in.

Cast on 72 sts.

Place marker. Join in the round.

Knit 2, purl 1 around.

Repeat until piece measures 8 inches long or until the skein is nearly used up.

Bind off using:

a. *Knit 2 tog through the back loops (or front, either or, but not both; just be consistent in which you choose.) Place this new stitch on the needle in your left hand and repeat from * until there is one stitch left. Cut yarn and pull the end through the loop & weave in the ends.
Poof. You’re done. Worn scrunched down, folded over or pulled up around the ears he will be comfy. Awwww.
Later, Gaiter.
Copyright © 2009 Toni in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, All Rights Reserved

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Another goodly event here in the foothills, we're under a beautiful blanket of freshly fallen snow. The heavens opened up yesterday and showered us with unmatchable loveliness.

Come On In, Y'all

2009-01-27T06:23:00.014-05:00

There you are. Come in, and have a seat. I'll pour you a cup of hazelnut creme coffee while we visit. Vanilla caramel creamer with your coffee?

Now that you're here I get to bend your ear a bit but not all of it about my knitting. ;)
See the ceiling in the picture below? Well, it had a few water stains from when our roof leaked...three years ago and a few little stains just above the stove from a very large batch of apple butter. (oops) Anyways, we got a new roof when the leak happened (Goodman did his part), but the ceiling just sorta hung there waiting to be freshened up. I never said I was quick, did I? oO Never mind. Now, voila, at long last, I painted it. So I rewarded myself with a new look around the top of the walls, blackberry vines at 50% off the regular price. Goodman even likes them. I keep lookin' up. The mitts are finished. I'm calling them Stretching Fingerless Mitts because I added to the length where the hand bones connect to the finger bones. Sing it. I knitted a couple of Scalloped Waves Spa Cloths. (Sugar & Cream Summer Splash from Hobby Lobby) Peaches & Creme Pink Lemonade from Walmart. Aloha, Yall!

Mitts, Pears & Pickin' A Winner

2009-01-20T19:00:00.020-05:00

Adknittingly, I've been working on these fingerless mitts. I'm using Lion Brand Wool, and tweaking as I go for a longer mitt than the pattern would make otherwise. I do like the cables so I'm knitting those according to the directions at the wrist and adding more at the fingers. I'll refrain from griping about having to restart the second one over because my knitting got tighter, making it smaller than the first one. I hope I'm not getting second mitt syndrome. Yikes. Guess who's been making more pincushions? Enter the pears...pincushions they are. I used this free pattern to make them. Um, I made four, actually, so I think I've gotten my fill of making those now....maybe.
Twenty-nine wonderful readers entered my Great Smoky Mountain Giveaway. Thank you to all for your nice comments. I appreciate that very much. And now, the giveaway results are in, and I'm happy to say the winner was chosen in the most stringent scientific manner. First, I printed out all of your blogging names and cut them apart.
I folded and piled all the names in the middle of this decidedly birdy fabric and..

Scientifically, from 2 feet in the air above the table, I dropped the burgundy-ish pear pincushion on top of them, scattering them to tomorrow and beyond.... Well, okay, only one hopped off the fabric, but as there could be only one winner that was good enough, I say. Sir Isaac Newton would have been proud, anyway, maybe... maybe not.
The point is we have a winner! Squinting at the out-of-focus picture reveals Lesley Ann of From My Left Hand blogging fame has won the Great Smoky Mountain Giveaway. (click for a bigger pic) Congratulations Lesley Ann!
Note to Margaret: Oh, you just missed the drawing! I think you must have posted your comment while I was working on this post which was after the winner was decided. I'm so sorry. Also, I've tried numerous times to leave comments at your blog (and the new one), but the type of word verification on your blog(s) will not load for me. I think the problem is my dial-up connection on AT&T. Grr.
Have a great week, Y'all!