Hello, Fall!

Apparently there's some debate as to whether today or yesterday was the first day of fall. Either way, the season of pumpkins, spices, and Halloween is definitely here now!

 

I made these lovely little flowers from coffee filters. They were so fun to make! I had some brown basket-style filters just sitting around because I use the cone style filters now

I used Kool-Aid to dye the filters. Mostly strawberry flavor, with some petals in black cherry. It was very easy, I just soaked them in cold water and Kool-Aid mix for about 15 minutes, squeezed them out (wear gloves!) and laid them on paper towels to dry. Whenever I play with Kool-Aid dye, I like to use Knitty's handy post as a color guide. I knew the brown paper wouldn't turn out exactly the same, but it helped to have a guide anyway. And the stems are dried grape vines from our property.

For putting the flowers together, I found this great video tutorial at Two Shades of Pink. Instead of masking tape, I used scotch tape (closest thing I could grab,) and in the end I was glad it was clear. I taped them to the twigs. If you look close enough you can see the tape, but it isn't too visible.

Little H really likes the grapes. Every time we walk by he says "pick it!" and wants to go eat them.

 

H's Grandma knit these little socks for him. I love the fall colors! He's pretty excited to wear them, too. Hoping we'll get some cooler weather soon so he can.

Happy fall! Enjoy the pumpkin everything :)

Pumpkin Time

We're almost back to my favorite time of year; there's a slight crisp in the air (well, almost, if you use your imagination) and rain on its way (it sprinkled the other day.) Time for spiced cider and pumpkins!

Today at my weekly S&B I made another little pumpkin, even tinier than my original Tiny Pumpkin (the darker one.)



I'm looking forward to making many more of these!

Apple Cookies

Last night we had some friends over, and I made these glazed apple cookies. I was looking for something that really tastes like fall, and these fit perfectly.



I used granny smith apples, and grated rather than chopped. Next time I'll chop, since the little ribbons of apple were I think less pleasant than chunks would be. Nobody complained, though, and the plate was empty in no time.

I also used butter instead of shortening, cut the sugar down to a heaping cup, and left out the nuts and raisins. I used my standard pumpkin spice blend- cut down the cloves a little and added a pinch of allspice. I also increased the vanilla in the icing to give them extra flavor. A hint of maple instead might be nice.

Next time I will definitely double the recipe.

They were a little on the sticky side, so I might also increase the dry ingredients if it looks too wet before baking.

I'm looking forward to fall with it's crisp air, mulled cider, and pumpkins. I already saw some pumpkins in the store!

-- iPhone post

Punkins!

More adventures with quilting =)

I'm definitely in the mood for autumn.

The pumpkin was fun. I just drew it out and figured out which pieces I would need. Might tweak it a little bit for the next one, but so far I'm happy with it.



I posted the pictures for this mantle (shelf) scarf, and here it is pieced together. I'm pleased with how it turned out, especially since I just planned it as I went along. I'm almost over the Ohio Star design now =)



Of course, I can't sew without my trusty assistants / fabric warmers.





Casper's doing his best to keep the page open for me ;)

Pumpkin Muffins

I'm so happy it's finally cold enough to feel like autumn, and that means baking time!

Black & white photos are brought to you by it's-too-dark-to-get-a-good-color-balance-on-my-phone. Just imagine a rich pumpkin color and you'd be spot on.



I made 2 1/2 dozen muffins and a heart-shaped mini loaf.

Recipe is from BigOven, Lynn's Pumpkin Bread. As some of the reviewers suggested, I added a bit of allspice, and also ginger. I cut the oil down to 1/2 cup and substituted about 1/4 cup each brown sugar and molasses for 2/3 of the sugar, and added a pinch more baking powder to make sure they wouldn't be dense. That's how I cook, but I made sure to remember this time, just in case it turned out well =)

Verdict: YUM



My Captain Obvious moment: when sprinkling the cinnamon-sugar on top, use a little tiny strainer or a small jar so you don't get any on the tins between muffins. Burnt sugar stinks in the oven! And if it gets into the sides, it makes that poor muffin look horribly burnt.

As my husband said: "Organic muffin liners!"

The stuff in the middle is still just as tasty :)

-- iPhone post

Fall Projects

I love this time of year... holidays right around the corner, fall scents, spiced everything, and a crisp touch to the air.

Well, right now we're having a bit of a heat wave, but I'll be happier once it cools off.

In the meantime I'm getting my house decorations ready, including these panels for my shelf quilt.
I have a couple quilts in progress and I'm planning more. So far I'm doing smaller projects because I'm still learning just how precise and patient you need to be.

I have a newfound respect for all quilters, including my mother-in-law :)

*sigh* Like I needed a new craft obsession... =)

-- iPhone post

Pumpkins and Candy, oh my!

Been busy as usual, finally started making some fall/Halloween things, as well as starting in on Christmas stuff. (I know, trying to get ahead! And maybe even post things to my store)


The candy corn was a late night spur-of-the-moment idea. I didn't have the perfect colors, and even put them out if order! So that model became an ice cream cone thingy with a smiley face.

Model 2 is much better.

Apologies for the coffee shop lighting =)

Thanksgiving 2008

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! =)

The other day I decided to try maple brown sugar snickerdoodles. They turned out alright, but I learned something valuable. I knew our oven ran a little hot, but when the smoke detectors (all of them) went off on these puppies, I decided to actually check the temp with an oven thermometer. At each setting I tried, it was at least 60 degrees hot. Wow! Good to know.

I love my tiered baking sheets.

They weren't to bad, just a little too crispy. A couple days wrapped in plastic definitely improved that though. A co-worker said they were good dipped in coffee. I think the dough was also a little dry, since they didn't absorb the brown sugar like the picture on the recipe.

Then I finished a couple more pumpkins which I promised my mom I'd make for her.

What do you make with crocheted pumpkins? Crocheted pumpkin pie, of course! My mom got a kick out of that as well. I also brought her a real pumpkin pie, made from the recipe on the can, but with less sugar and more spices. It went over well.

I took Wednesday off work so I could finish getting the house ready and start cooking. I made a pumpkin pie, an apple pie with a lattice top, and a berry blend pie. I thought the berry turned out well, especially since I just improvised. I used a bag of frozen blackberries, a bag of mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), and added the basics for a pie: sugar, spices and flour.

On to the turkey! I was very excited to use our new roasting pan for the first time. I'm glad I learned about the oven temp ahead of time.

It's easy, right? Just turn it on and set a timer!

Actually I'm just testing the height to make sure I can cook stuffing and rolls on the top shelf. Look at my clean oven! (except for the berry pie, which folded on its foil pan on the way out, but I saved it... Then I put more stoneware pie plates on my shopping / ceramics list)

Here's myself manning the stove, and my friend V helping me make cornbread chestnut stuffing. We made a small batch of wheat-free cornbread, since she's allergic to gluten. The stuffing turned out very well, and got a positive response. I'll be making that again for sure.

Next year I want to try the turkey in a brine. What I did was put some roasted garlic and a bunch of herbs in butter a few days ago, and sliced it up to slide under the skin of the turkey. Then we had the requisite canned jelly cranberry sauce along with a hot cranberry and orange sauce, homemade rolls, the stuffings, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, and of course the gravies (regular and wheat-free).

This morning I tried Alton Brown's recipe for sweet potato waffles, using some leftovers from yesterday. I thought they were tasty, if a little too sweet, but they got a "meh" from my husband, which is not too bad, considering he actually ate them :) I want to try something similar, but using regular potatoes and cutting out some sugar.

So far today I've also finished my first complete Christmas present, which is exciting. While everyone else is out there shopping, I'll be sitting at home crocheting my presents.

Pumpkins, and more Pumpkins

Last Sunday I had a very productive day. In the morning I went to my clay studio and glazed the second pumpkin and the leaves (only 1 broke!), and started two more pumpkins, this time on the wheel. I think they turned out ok. I forgot to trim one of them, but I should be able to do it in the second step.

Then I started a couple bowls to keep at work for soup or for salads. I'm pretty happy with them so far.

I had emailed my husband a link with instructions for making awesome-looking paper maché jack-o-lanterns, which inspired both of us to hit the hardware and craft stores for supplies. So our living room is currently covered in plastic with shredded newspaper strewn everywhere, buckets of paste, and three pumpkins in varying stages of completeness. The maché took longer to dry than we anticipated, so we couldn't even finish them up last night, but hopefully we'll be able to put more layers on tonight. I'll post the link and pictures when I get to it.

On that note, I need to come to the realization that the blog will always be at least a couple days behind. And anyway, if I were to post real-time about life, then I wouldn't really be living, now would I?

But back to the pumpkins. So the paper ones are still setting, and on Sunday I worked on some of a crochet one as well. So we had pumpkins in clay, paper, and yarn! We haven't carved real pumpkins yet, though we have a few of them decorating the front yard.

Last night I started crocheting a visor cozy for my husband's helmet visor, which gets scratched when he puts it in his gym bag. He has two: tinted and clear, so one is always in the bag. I only did half of it, but hopefully I'll finish it tonight. I didn't take a picture, because it's not very impressive yet. It's burgundy and shaped like a visor =)

Kitty and Pumpkins

Today I went to the clay Autumn Decor workshop for pumpkins, acorns, and leaves. SO much fun. 5 hours didn't nearly seem that long, though by the end I was ready to go... though mainly because then at 6pm I realized I hadn't had lunch. I learned a lot, and did a lot more handbuilding than I have in awhile. Here is some of what I'm working on

The left one I made last week, before the class, because I was really excited to make pumpkins. The stem isn't at a very good angle, but it's short and stubby, and gnarly like it just got ripped off. It's also done with coils, and the right one is done with slabs around a round form. These are still greenware. They'll dry, then get bisque fired, then glazed and fired again. Then I'll take another picture :)

And here's some cuteness from Spook. I had fun taking these.

Bad Crocheter, no cookie!

The problem with little projects are that they're distracting from the big projects I'm working on. Like these coffee sweaters. I liked the cuff pattern on those red mittletts, and wanted to try them on a cup cozy. I also finished the red mittens, so I thought I deserved a reward in the shape of instant gratification =)

I'm undecided on this yarn. It's called "meadow." I think I mostly don't like it, but it's still intriguing.

Then, since I'm still in a fall/halloween mood, I decided to try pairing my variegated orange with the black semi-fuzzy.

Rowr!

I like it! With the double yarn it's also very chunky, which is nice in any kind of sweater. The keyboard shot shows the texture a little better.

Bits Here and There

Unfortunately I got the ick that's been going around, so I came home from work this afternoon, and didn't make it to the S&B, which was very disappointing. I slept most of the afternoon, and hopefully it'll go away soon.

I wanted to post the second installment of the wedding, but my Flickr uploader isn't behaving, and I should be in bed soon anyway. So here's some fluff.

I've been working on several projects lately, but many are gifts that I can't show off yet. Two Christmas presents are in the works, and I just picked up yarn for two more.

Here are some things I can show, however. I went to my clay studio's sale last weekend, and picked up some fun stuff. The pumpkin and acorns are made by a lady who's teaching a class in a couple weeks, and I'm so there! I got inspired and started my own pumpkin. I'm really happy to be working with clay again.

I'm also working on some Halloween goodies, from E-Patterns. I've made some improvements on the pattern, though, and also made up a couple more designs. I'll post those when they're finished.

These fingerless mitts are for my co-worker's son. I got the pattern in an email from Lion Brand Yarn. (I'd link it, but you need to register on their site to see the pattern). I REALLY like the way the cuffs came out, and in fact I think that would work well for a coffee cozy. It would taper naturally, since it's quite stretchy.

Tonight I stumbled on The Snuggles Project. I think it's a great idea, and I really want to contribute. Once I finish all my Christmas presents, I think I'll start working on some snuggles. It's be a great way to use some of this acrylic that I have hanging around, since they want washable, synthetic materials. I can't take in any more rescue kitties than our two, but this is a great way to help out the kitties still in shelters.

Quilting! and Leaves!

I picked up this pattern, and someday I will make it.

So pretty :)

Speaking of leaves, I also got this one. Crocheting, I do know! It's made on an afghan hook. I think mine is in my husband's truck, with the "traveling blanket" I work on whenever we take the truck somewhere. Which is rarely. Yeah, I've been working on that for a few years now...

Baby Pumpkin

I made this while hanging out with friends last night. I know that the leaf is not a "pumpkin leaf", but I thought it'd be cute on this tiny one.

See all those redwood droppings on our patio? Yeah, I swept that yesterday. Guess it was windy last night! Hello, September :)

Also you can see my straggling lavender plant. I need to move it to the front yard with my other two, so it gets what passes for sun around here. The plant on top is catnip, trying to be out of reach of the kitties. Although they don't show much interest in the fresh stuff, so I'll be drying it once it gets bigger. The planter box is the one I made from our old futon, with the mushrooms from my mother-in-law, and the newly-planted society garlic on the ends, to try and keep the deer away from my plants.

What really needs protection from the deer is my poor little jasmine plant, but I can't bring myself to plant something garlicky next to it, since I want to enjoy the scent too.

Pumpkins!

Yesterday I made up these pumpkins. I'm not quite ready to go all-out autumn yet, but I'm getting there. I just finally got a metal wreath-hanger to replace the plastic one that broke, so our spring/summer wreath is finally back up on the front door. I think it needs some display time before being replaced.

The top left variegated one is done in Vanna's Choice "Tangerine Mist" with this pattern, with some modifications. I made it shorter by 3 rows, and pulled the 8 strands of yarn tight around it. The interesting thing about the yarn is that any given piece has both colors on it, as it's dyed lengthwise, rather than in strips. I like it.

The leaf was done from a book I have called Crochet Bouquet, but there are similar leaves here. The curly bit is just a chain with sc across, and occasional decreases. The other difference in the pattern is that I do my dc decreases differently, as I do a second yarn over before the second half, like this:

*yo, insert hook in next stitch, yo and pull back through, yo and pull through 2 lps* repeat between * once, yo and pull through through all 3 lps.

Maybe the pattern missed it, or maybe I just do them differently, but that works in my head. Like building the bottom of the two dc separately, and then connecting the tops. But anyway...

The littlest pumpkin was done in Lion Brand Jiffy, and using this picture for inspiration. The far right one was done in Homespun (loves the homespun), and done semi-freehand in Amigurumi style, but with double crochets. I may add a brown curly vine and either a brown or green leaf.

Speaking of orange, here is a picture of Spook from March. The sunlight caught her eyes just right. I have not altered the colors at all.