My Sock Part I

"Never quit. Don't
 ever, ever quit.
 Recognize that
 stopping now,
 regrouping to try
 a new approach
 isn't quitting. If
 you quit you'll
 regret it forever."

~ Rudy Ruettiger

Everything was going along
so nicely...

and then I came to the heel.

I'm not sure what happened
or where I went wrong...

oh, so terrible wrong...

but I am not quitting...

I am not stopping...

I am regrouping...

trying a different approach.

I have a fantastic book...

a wonderful knitting group ...

and YouTube.

I will not regret this...

I hope. xx

Sleepless

"A flock of sheep that
 leisurely pass by one
 after another;
 the sound of rain,
 and bees murmuring;
 the fall of rivers, winds,
 seas, smooth fields,
 white sheets of water,
 and pure sky-
 I've thought all by turns,
 and still I lie
 Sleepless..."

~William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"

Not a lot of sleep happening,

but my socks are coming

right along.

It is going to be a long week.xx

Failure

"Failure is success
 if we learn from it."

~Malcolm Forbes

I learned from
my failure.
Success

Not Following Instructions

"Discoveries are often
 made by not following
 instructions, by going
 off the main road, by
 trying the untried."

~Frank Tyger

I spent every spare minute

for a week working on this:

I didn't exactly use the

right size needles :

[I used a size 8]

I didn't exactly use the

right yarn :

[I used a soft cotton]

I didn't make a guage

swatch:

[waste time and yarn?]

So, I didn't exactly follow

the instructions:

I went off the main road

and did my own thing:

And now I have a hat

that could fit two people

at one time.

I love the design of this

hat so I have decided to

start again:

this time with the correct
size needles:
with the recommended yarn:
I even made a guage swatch
and counted the stitches.

I am going to follow the
instructions:
this time.

Kiwi

"Let us learn to 
 appreciate there
 will be times when
 the trees will be
 bare, and look
 forward to the
 time when we
 may pick the fruit."

~Anton Chekhov

A bumper crop this year~
A nice consolation to the pecans~
Very appreciated.

I usually just peel and eat,
but this looks like something
I need to try.

Fabric Flowers

"Flowers really
 do intoxicate me."

~Vita Sackville-West

Instead of touching the pile

of work that really needs

to be addressed I have

spend the afternoon

making these little flowers

to attach to a knitting

bag for my daughter:

intoxicating.xx

Beet Salad

"For all things produced
 in a garden, whether of
 salads or fruits, a poor
 man will eat better that
 has one of his own,
 than a rich man that has
 none."

~J.C. Loudoun

I am so thankful for the fall garden that

continues to fed us so well.

My new favorite salad:

Beet Salad

Cut the tops off three beets and roast the
beets in the oven for 3 hours at 350 degrees. Cool, peel and slice.
[Can do a day in advanced]


Blanch the beet greens in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain
and squeeze water from greens.


Caramelize a sliced onion in a little butter on medium heat until soft and
tender, at least 15 minutes.


Slice a fresh mango or drain a small can of Mandarin oranges


Mix 1/8 cup red wine vinegar and 1/8 cup olive oil together.


Mix all the ingredients together and let sit an hour.


Top with salt, fresh ground pepper and crumbled goat cheese.

The steps to put this together seem long, but it really isn't hard and
the results are worth it.

Enjoy.xx