My morning eggplant

What all that hard work was for.  *

I may be the only person west of the Mississippi that is unable to grow zucchini or eggplant. 

I ended up ripping out my lovely zucchini vines last week with nary a fruit in sight. 

Today I broke down and picked my only eggplant. If my photo had been better, I would have captioned it "I like my coffee like I like my eggplant - small, dark and dangerous!"

On the flip side, I do have a lovely crop of indigo and I am investigating cold indigo dyeing.

*(By the way, the mug is from Ohio Wesleyan University. I would have given almost anything to have one of my kids go there just so they could be a "Battling Bishop." I love their logo! As it is, we only toured the school and I bought a mug.)

Good and bad

Just a quick post to mention that my parents were visiting this past week from Pennsylvania so I really haven't had much time to think about blogging.

It was my book club week so I was trying to catch up on reading this month's selection, The Art of Racing in the Rainby Garth Stein. Not my favorite one so far this year - the narrator is a dog! - but a fair portion has to do with Formula One races and we do watch that around here.

 An almost full house at the Minnesota Knitters' Guild!

This was also the week of the Minnesota Knitters' Guild most popular meeting of the year - the State Fair meeting! That's the meeting where visitors bring items they exhibited at the Minnesota State Fair and then read the judges' comments aloud. Very, very funny! And there were so absolutely beautiful items on display. Congratulations to all who exhibited!

Knitting-wise, this week I also discovered that I wasn't getting the correct gauge anymore on the Mr. Greenjeans sweater. More importantly, I wasn't getting the same gauge as the other sleeve of my sweater. What changed? I checked my needles and pondered . . . why, no hand brace, of course!

So, I've ripped back the sleeve and started it again. With my hand brace on again! Slow going again but this seems to be solving the problem. I'll probably take a picture sometime next week.

I imagine I'll be having a lot of time at home in the coming weeks since I am relatively car-less, now.

Caught like a grape between your fingers!

Friday afternoon, I was driving to the grocery store (after dropping off the kids, thank goodness!) when I was rear ended by a "distracted" driver. I don't really know what caused the accident but he said he "just looked away for a minute" and he ended up getting ticketed. Youngest Daughter cracked wise that "it was probably a 140 character minute!"

His air bag deployed but mine didn't and neither did the bags of the people in the car in front of me that my car banged into. 

They were fine but their trailer hitch did a job on the front of my car. So, I'm not going to be gadding about town very much. Or at least not until the "distracted guy's" insurance steps up!

Lovely British Knitting magazines!

This week's Saturday Seven is more knitting magazines! Seven copies of Simply Knitting and Knitting Magazine. Both are fun British knitting magazines that I pick up every once and a while but I need that shelf space for my subscribed knitting magazines. 

These have also been dropped off at the St. John the Evangelist Huge Sale. 

Yes, me mateys, it's

Talk Like A Pirate Day 2010

And this year I can wish you a 

"Happy International Talk Like A Pirate Day!"

because they have gone International - whatever that means!

So, watch this and enjoyyyyyyy!

And to give a pirate edge to my Saturday Seven,  I thought I would translate my description using a "Pirate Translator." 

The pirate speaks,"I just sorted out me knittin' magazines and removed two weeks work o' Saturday Sevens. This week's magazines be Knit Simple - a fun series but not one I really wanted t' save. I be takin' them over t' t' Saint John t' Evangelist Episcopal Church's Huge Sale. It's comin' up on October 2, 9-1 p.m. "*

Yesterday, I spent the day over at the Textile Center of Minnesota helping out at their Family Day. A great time to learn about the other guilds meeting there and some new ideas for my Rigid Heddle Loom - all in all a fun day!

Like those pink knitting bags? We've got a ton of them at the Minnesota Knitters' Guild. $30 - just shoot them an email. Think pockets - lots and lots of pockets.

And this is what happens when you leave your phone laying about - 

*I just sorted out my knitting magazines and removed two weeks work of Saturday Sevens. This week's magazines are Knit Simple - a fun series but not one I really wanted to save. I am taking them over to the Saint John the Evangelist Episcopal Church's Huge Sale. It's coming up on October 2,  9-1 p.m.

A lovely fall day . . .

Due to the "Extreme Pumpkin Shortage of 2010", these things are like gold this year. 

If I didn't know that the alleged "pumpkin shortage" referred to canned pumpkin - as a result of harvesting problems last year  - not fresh pumpkin, I'd have been tempted to stage a bump-n-run for some pumpkin.

But it did remind me of my Mr. Greenjeans sweater.

Fall seems just around the corner when I'm looking at it.

I don't think I ever named a mannequin before but this pose reminds me of Scarlet O'Hara. 

"I do declare, Mr. Greenjeans, you make my little ole' heart beat faster!"

"I may have to check my pulse . . . "

These cables look a little more Yellow Pepper than Pumpkin but they have been very fun.

Tomorrow is a day full of fun - the Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour in the morning and a Minnesota Knitters' Guild Cruise in the afternoon. I'm hoping to learn the secret handshake this year!

And don't forget that Saturday Seven -

Three uniform shirts, a pair of sandals, a pair of tennis shoes, a gel bike seat and a really cute pink jacket. Ah, the choices one needs to make . . .

Have a great weekend!

Just biking around the neighborhood . . .

Just a quick trip to the grocery store on my aqua bike!

I've been unplugged quite a bit recently. With school starting before Labor Day for Youngest Daughter and just after for The Boy and, then, the Labor Day holiday, I've just haven't been around my computer.

I haven't neglected my knitting (I'm finishing up the second sleeve on my Mr. Greenjeans cardigan and there's an inch and a bit more on my Hedgerow socks), my reading (I'm on a mystery kick again!), biking (doing the Saint Paul Bike Classic on Sunday - will I see you there?) and playing my new obsession - Plants vs. Zombies on my phone. 

If you haven't seen this game yet - it is a huge time waster! But so, so fun.

I also am getting ready to make the Ruth's Adult Cap from Norwegian Handknits: Heirloom Designs from Vesterheim Museum by Janine Kosel and Sue Flanders.

This is a cute, simple cap that I'm going to make for the Minnesota Knitters' Guild's charity knitting project this fall. I'm thinking of using this great purple  yarn:

One last glimpse of our trip to Wisconsin this Labor Day weekend:

Mr. Daisy out for a spin.