Pumpkin, pumpkin, who gots the pumpkin?

I finally got around to adding the leaves and segment lines to my Giant Felted Pumpkin. Not quite sure if I did the lines the right way but they look okay - and I love the leaves and vines. I was working on my BTS Vest while watching Elizabeth Zimmerman's "The Knitter's Almanac" dvd but my eyes kept closing . . . must . . . stay . . . awake.

Well, I lost that battle for awhile but since my daughters are at a school dance tonight, I'll have to knit awhile while I wait for them to come home. Yep, we're those kinds of parents.



The Saturday Seven was a mixed bag. Some patterns and needles that I'm sending on to the Interim House Knitting Ladies, as well as some pants and a turtleneck that just didn't work out and a yoga mat bag. That really sucked because I spent about $20 on it but it just didn't hang right. I just ended up carrying my own mat to the Y. Ah, well, back to watching "The Phantom of the Opera."

More than enough for a pie . . .

I finally got a move on and felted my giant pumpkin. I was a little hesitant because I have a front loading washing machine and they don't always work well for felting. A lot of the techniques for felting in a machine (pausing the routine with a full drum of hot water, draining but not spinning the drum) just don't work with a front loader. But, it's only knitting so I just threw caution to the wind (and the pumpkin in a zippered pillow cover) and went ahead with the load. I sent it through twice with a break in between to shape and poke and that seemed fine. After spending an hour or so stuffing it through the teeny tiny hole in the bottom (plenty of time to watch "Torchwood!"), I sewed up the pumpkin and left it to dry. Once it is dry, I'll put on the leaf and vines as well as the traditional pumpkin "score lines." I think I'll skip the Jack O'Lantern grin, however.



Felting the leaf was really fun as well. I simply got it wet and soapy and then put it in a zip top baggie. After that, I carried it around and massaged it. Then I walked on it. Then I put it on the floor of my car (we had to go to the mall) and rubbed it with my foot as we drove around town. I think the ribbed rubber car mat did most of the work. Although, it did look a bit like someone's forgotten lunch . . .



The Saturday Seven continued the Halloween theme - to some extent. Five of the items are hand-me-downs from my daughters and, in the past, these always went from daughter to daughter. From large to medium to small - there was always a spot for outgrown clothing. Now, the girls aren't outgrowing anything but their tastes are definitely different. When one daughter wants to get rid of something, there isn't always a willing person to take it. So, off go the swim suit, polo shirts and tees to a local rummage sale. I've had the two "gold" necklaces since I was in college but I haven't used them in recent years except for Halloween costume duty. And, since we don't really trick-or-treat anymore - off they go to become part of some other little girl's Halloween costume. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for little girls dressed up as gypsy fortunetellers. Or mermaids. Or robots. Or cats. Now, I am living in the Boy Costume World of race car drivers and Spiderman. Sigh.

By the way, I hope all you out there in Blog Land have visited Knittymama's blog and read about her contest to raise money for the flood stricken organic farmers in southern Minnesota. She has only three steps for contest entrants:

"1. Make a donation to Sow the Seeds. You can donate online or send a check. If you are in the region you can can also donate at your local co-op. Donate $5 or $100, any amount will help!!

2. Send (her) an e-mail (knittymama AT yahoo DOT com) letting (her) know your donation amount so (she) can keep track of how much we knitters are collecting for the farmers.

3. Create a link on your blog to this flood relief contest so we can let others know about the need for help.

4. If you do the above three steps, you will, of course, be entered in a random drawing for yarn. (You knew there was yarn coming, didn’t you?)"

Her contest has been slow but steady and there is still much to do. The rewards (for the contest winners) are Fleece Artist and Spunky Eclectic Tough Sock yarns. Knittymama is also posting a running total so it's worthwhile to stop by her contest site and see how things are going. With regards to the work Sow the Seeds is doing with local farmers, check out their website for more information. Peace Coffee is also creating a "Sow the Seeds Blend" coffee as a fundraiser for their flood relief work.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Read This Or Else! (a.k.a. Revenge of the Giant Pumpkin)

Here I am, shuffling along with my Giant Mistake of a Pumpkin, and this guy is putting me to shame. He started this Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark in SeaSilk just about the same time as I started my blue shawl and it is gorgeous. And then - he gave it away. Yes (well, he is a guy and it might look funny on him) - off it went. I would have a hard time giving away anything so pretty.

This Boy Knits: Heh, my bad

Oh - here's the flat version of my pumpkin. I loved making the leaf and vines but the pumpkin - eh, not so much. It was just too big. The pattern was great, however, and I recommend it to others. Just give up your social life as it will soon revolve around giant squash.

Sister Scores Big Time!

So, Oldest Daughter was at work recently and began discussing knitting with a co-worker. This older women mentioned that she was going to be moving and needed to get rid of her spinning wheel. Well, yesterday Oldest Daughter came home with the spinning wheel, an Ashford Single Drive Traditional wheel, and a big box of spindles, accessories and dyes. All for $50 cash!



She needs to get things adjusted and spend a little time restringing the wheel but then, she's good to go. What good fortune!



And, now I don't need to share my spinning wheel!

On the knitting front - I am still finishing up the Giant Pumpkin. This is moving from a "Fave" to an "Ugh" as they call it on Ravelry.

I may not be able to grow zuchinni but I will have the Pumpkin to beat all pumpkins!

Remember this?




Now, this is what it is becoming.




But it is STILL on the needles! This better be the best pumpkin I've ever seen. Or I forsee Pumpkin Pie on the menu.

As for the Saturday Seven - it was more of the same. The last collection of clothing for the Fairfield Children's Home went with a young lady from our church. She is going to study and work in Zimbabwe this fall and is collecting items for use in the home. I can only hope the shorts and teeshirts are what they are looking for.

This weekend is the Irish Festival in Saint Paul and we had the dickens of a time finding a parking spot near our designated biking spot. Despite this, we had a great ride up and down the Missippi River. It was just gorgeous! Sometimes, I miss Pennsylvania (my home state) but there just isn't the same attention to outdoor activities there. Very few bike trails. Not a whole lot of lakes to swim in. Cross country skiing? What's that? We are very lucky here in Minnesota.

Settling in for the long haul . . .

I've been spending more time than usual in Chez Daisy knitting and spinning but really, there isn't much movement. Things are slow. The spinning is more of the blue ("Blue Skies" is the colorway) for Youngest Child's sweater. It's lovely - blue with a bit of a sheen but I'm having a bit of trouble mastering my new plying head. Good thing the yarn is for a sweater.



My poor pathetic pink sock. I didn't bother to reskein the yarn and steam out the kinks left by my last sock. Somehow, it seems ever sadder today. It's a good stop on the road to the last resort of knitting.



At least the giant pumpkin is still growing. I swore it would be done last week - I guess I'll have to give Rumplestilskin my first born child now. Or do I owe it to the witch who grows the rapunzel? Some fairy tale creature better show up and finish the pumpkin soon or I'll have to keep it in hibernation until next fall. Since I bought this yarn and patterns last year, I'm pretty sure my fall decorating will survive without it!



I've got some knitting company tonight - Die Kinder scattered as soon as we fed them ice cream (Ben & Jerry's "Steven Colbert's American Dream" Yum!) - but the Old Man and the Dog stuck around. Until the liver treats run out. Then, I'll be on my own.