Another Fall Dishcloth topic

How about you? Are there any recipes you especially enjoy having in the Fall? Any foods that are seasonal that you especially enjoy?

Hmmm, let's see. I love food. A lot. Some of my favorites for fall are my husband's sweet potato waffles and pumpkin bread. I like to make roasted butternut squash, which is painfully easy but really good. It is also a good time for soups and stews. I'm a vegetarian so sometimes it is hard to find a good, filling vegetarian stew but one of my favorites is called San Franciso Corn and Black bean stew! It is so good!
I'm happy to post recipes if anyone is interested! Now I'll have to go surf the other blogs for more food ideas. Happy Eating!

Fall Swap Topic of the Week

Autumn has now officially begun here in the States!! What is your favorite thing about Autumn/Fall? Why?

My sister and I have a tradition that we've had since we were teenagers that we still do to usher in Fall. We go to the Yankee Peddler Festival.
It's a period arts and crafts festival. All of the vendors and artists are dressed like pioneers or at least that time period. We eat lots of food, check out the art. Then we go home and watch a really old version of the Legend if Sleepy Hollow. It is the one with a very young Jeff Goldblum as Ichabod Crane. Dick Butkis and the principal from "Welcome Back Kotter" is also in it. Yes, we are dorks. But, I love it and that is my favorite thing about fall!

Topic of the Week-Fall Dishcloth Swap

When you knit or crochet dishcloths, washcloths or face cloths, what do you use? What size needle or hook? Wood? what type? Metal? Plastic? A specific Brand? Why do you love that needle or hook so much? Is there one you are dying to try? Is there a particular yarn you love and use all the time for cloths? What is so special about it?

So far I've only used Peaches and Cream and Sugar and Cream. I started knitting them on my bamboo straight needles but lately I've been knitting them with my Denise interchangeable ones. The cotton moves easier in the plastic (or whatever those are made of) than they do the bamboo. I usually use a size 5-7. I saw some nice organic cotton yarn at my LYS yesterday that I'd like to use call Inca cotton. I'd like to try that for some face cloths. The colors were very subdued and earthy (no dyes). Very soft, very pretty.

Fall Dishcloth Swap: Topic of the Week

Now that in some geographic locations the weather is starting to turn cooler, do you change the type of yarn(s) you knit/crochet with? If so, what do you now knit/crochet with instead and why? If not, why do you not switch and what do you knit/crochet with?

Well, I have only been knitting a for less than a year. But I do seem to be changing it up. I try to get a season appropriate project done but my daughter's cotton summer dress is only half done. Now that it is getting colder I want to start my Christmas knitting.

Dishcloth Swap Questionnairre

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been doing it?
I can crochet, but mainly I just knit. I only know the very basics of crochet.

2. Have you made dischloths before? Do you use them yourself, give them as gifts, or both?
I have made them before and I think I've given them all away as gifts.

3. What's your favorite cotton to make cloths from? What cotton would you like to try that you haven't before ?
My favorite is Peaches 'n' Cream. I would like to try a nice organic cotton for some face cloths sometime.

4. If you knit, do you prefer circular or straight needles? For all, do you prefer wooden, metal, or plastic needles?
For dishcloths, I tend to use straight, but circular are probably more versatile. I suppose overall I prefer wooden, but I love my metal addi needles and my plastic Denise needles. So, I guess, I'm easy to please.

5. What are your favorite colors? Any colors you don't like much?
I love lots of colors. It depends on my mood. The only colors I'm not crazy about are baby pastel like colors, olive drab type colors, or colors that I tend to associate with country crafts, like dusty rose.

6. What do you like best about Autumn?
I like the way the quality of the light changes, of course the leaves changing colors, and fall festivals! I love the festivals we go to in the fall from arts and crafts to pumpkin patches. It makes me happy and ushers in the holiday season!

7. Pies: Pumpkin? Apple? Pecan? All of em? or No Thanks!
Pumpkin, Apple and our family's traditional Raisin Pie!

8. When you were a kid, were you the one who couldn't wait to get started with school , or the one who overslept on the 1st day?
Hmmm, probably somewhere in between. I definitely hated getting up early after sleeping in all summer but I was excited to see my friends, etc. Plus my mom was a teacher (my french teacher) and my dad was the superintendent so it wasn't like I had much choice!

9. Do you celebrate Halloween? (The real key here guys is especially knowing if you have an aversion to the holiday or little goodies/decorations associated with it, given the timeframe of the swap)
I do celebrate it! Not just the fun trick or treat aspect but also the fall equinox and older traditions of the holiday as well. We try to observe the changing of the seasons and the origins of the holiday seasons with our children. It creates fun traditions and gives the holidays more meaning for them.

10. If you had to choose just 3 edible 'goodies' to eat for a full year, what 3 would you choose?
Only, three? Well, something chocolate and probably with peanut butter in it. Some kind of good cookie or brownie and for the halloween season, candy corns and salted peanuts mixed together!

11. Do you have any pets? Kids? Husbands who seem like kids? ;)
I have a husband, and together we have 5 kids, 2 together, 2 are his from his first marriage, and 1 from my first marriage. They range in age from 2 to 13, four girls and one boy. We also have 2 cats and 1 angora bunny.

12. If you were to describe a particular yarn that shares traits of your personality, what would it be and why?
I'll have to get back to you on this one. I tend to agonize about personality questions like this.

13. Do you use your cloths mostly for dishcloths, or as facecloths?
I use dishcloths that other people have made me as dishcloths but would to try to make some face cloths as well.

14. Favorite Fall Holiday: Halloween or Thanksgiving and why? (Feel free to share another fall memory if you do not celebrate either of these holidays)
It has got to be Halloween. It is just more fun and seems like more to do, more traditions, etc. The best thing about Thanksgiving to me is that I'm allowed to start listening to Christmas Carols and watching It's a Wonderful Life after the the parade.

15. Do you have any allergies or aversions your pal should know about?
No serious allergies. I just don't like licorice flavored things!

Poor Bunny

Last spring we got two Satin Angora rabbits. This made my daughter very happy, she had been wanting a pet rabbit for a long time. And I thought I could learn to spin and use the wool. Well so far I haven't learned to spin but have been saving their fur. Last week one of the bunnies, Rudy, was definitely not well. He let me pick him up and hold him with no struggle at all and even let me put him on his back and just lied there. I took him to the vet and we suspected wool block because he wasn't eating or drinking. After a few days of doing everything the vet suggested he seemed much better. We went out of town overnight and when we came back Sunday, he was dead in his cage. I feel terrible. Poor little bunny. His brother seems depressed now, they were litter mates. Sorry Rudy

Secret Pal 11 Questionnairre

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I feel like I am still experimenting with so many new yarns. There are so many that I haven't tried yet. But I do like natural fibers better than the acrylic and novelty yarns. I just made a felted project with some Kettle Dyed Malabrigo that was beautiful and felted great. I really loved it. I would lik eto try some of the interesting yarns made form plant-based materials, like some "sea silk" that someone had at a convention I was at that was gorgeous!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a canvas paint brush roll that I use and I also found an old silk needle roll at a local vintage clothing store that I got for a few bucks. I am yet to find something that works well for my circulars.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? My stepmother taught me to cast-on and knit stitch when I was a teenager but I didn't stick with it. Then I tried to teach myself and was discouraged by bad yarn choices and some other beginner mistakes. I finally took a class at my LYS last November and have been obsessed ever since. I guess I'd say I'm somewhere between an advanced beginner and intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? just started a wist list! It is on the sidebar.

5. What's your favorite scent? I don't like strong artificial fragrances, they give me a headache. But if the source is natural, like from an essential oil or something then I love citrus type smells, vanilla,cinnamon, lots of herbs like basil, rosemary, pineapple sage. Just about anything woodsy and earthy like that and food smells!

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? That is about all I have! I love chocolate. Especially dark. I love chocolate with peanut butter and other sweet and salty combinations. I love cake, cookies, brownies, candy....the only candy I really don't like is anything licorice or jelly bean like. Hate mike and Ike's and stuff like that. I also don't like marshmallow or biscotti with anise and amaretto flavors. Anything else is a pretty sure bet!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I do not spin but would like to learn. I love to needle felt, I make casts of pregnant bellies, faces, and pretty much whatever out of plaster, I also enjoy drawing although I don't make much time for it these days.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I have very eclectic taste in music. I love jazz, you know old jazz, stuff from the 40's, big band, Sinatra, Billie Holiday,... I also love John Denver, Indigo Girls, Sade, The Red Hot Chili Peppers,Tracey Chapman, Partridge Family, James Taylor, Beastie Boys, Harry Chapin, The Beatles, Loreena McKennit, Broadway showtunes, and the list goes on and on and on.... The only things I don't like are most country, christian pop/rock and pop music that is played every time I turn on the radio.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? Can't pick a favorite...I love reds, blues, and greens, Pinks and oranges. Yellow is probably my least favorite. I like earth colors too. I like jewel tones. Not crazy about pastel shades or country crafty shades. I also don't like navy blue, forest green or burgundy. Love teals, turquoises, raspberry reds, lime green, mango....I don't like real muddy colors like drab olive tones.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Well, I'm married and the kids are his, mine and ours. Between the two of us we have five kids. I have two stepdaughters and three of my own kids. A 9 year old girl, 4 year old boy, and 2 year old girl. The youngest are ours together. We also have two cats and two angora bunnies.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Haven't worn a poncho since I was about 10 but I definitely wear the others.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I don't know yet. Ones that I finish I guess. I have enjoyed some of the felted bags that I've knit. Dishcloths are always fun since they are fast. I jsut did my first pair of socks which was cool. I have so many projects to try...

13. What are you knitting right now? I am trying to finish a cotton dress for my two year old, I just started a bib and baby blanket for my friend's baby and I have a sock on my needles somewhere.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Love to!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I like the versatility of the circulars, and I have the Denise Interchangeable kit. But I don't use them exclusively or anything. I use bamboo, aluminum, whatever the addi's are made of...I'm not that picky.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No, but I wish I did.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? My sister taught me to crochet years ago and I started this big acrylicy, brown is, ugly afghan. For good reason, I think it shall forever remain unfinished.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Gonna have to say Christmas, Halloween is a close second. I also love beltane (May Day) and we try to recognize the solstices and equinoxes with our kids.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Not officially but I am drawn to card decks, like tarot, animal spirit cards, the Osho Zen card deck. I like to use them for daily meditations and I just love the art of some of them. I also love fantasy things like fairies. And I have lots of books, especially reference type books like cookbooks, gardening, decorating, knitting (obviously), and other craft type books.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? No knitting subscriptions. I would like to get a good classic Knitting book like something from Elizabeth Zimmerman, there is a cute one called barefoot knits, Knitting for Peace, Fitted Knits...Too many yarns to list but I'll think about it. As for needles, I'd like to try something that a more experienced knitter loves. I'd like to try some of the Fleece Artist yarn sometime.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I just took a mobious knitting class which was really fun. I'd like to learn to spin and dye someday. So many other things to learn.....

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Just started with socks. I wear a size 9 shoe (US) My feet are long and narrow. Ball of foot is 81/2 inches, Heel to toe is 10 in.

23. When is your birthday? March 26, 1975

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? I signed up for an invitation but am somewhere around number 15,000 on the waiting list.