Last week we got this crazy squash in our CSA pick up. It’s called a Turban Squash and it’s entirely edible, supposedly. I’m thinking it’s too cool looking to eat, though, and we’re keeping it as a fall decoration.
It’s going to feel like fall in my area this weekend and I hope to make the most of it. Have a great weekend, friends!
I have participated in something called Dish Rag Tag for the past 5 years. It’s a knitting relay race that involves getting a box with a dish rag and some other goodies in it, knitting a new dish rag and then sending it along to the next member of your team. It spans all 50 states and has 11 teams of 10 knitters each this year. And it’s fun!
I often forget to blog about it because I get in a sort of frenzy when that box arrives at my house. I clear the decks so that I can immediately get that dish rag knit and get the box back in the mail. This year, for the first time ever, I was able to provide same day turn around for my team. That’s right – I got the box, knit the dish rag, and mailed it to the next knitter all in the same day. Yay me!
I even remembered to take a picture of my dish rag before I mailed it off. I can’t show you much detail and I can’t share the pattern because the competition is still going strong, but I can tell you it’s a good one and I’ll be making it again once the race is finished. That stitch marker you see is one of the prizes my team won the year Emily called the race Son of Dish Rag Tag.
While team glory is nice (I placed 3rd the first time I raced, 2nd the 2nd time, and 1st the 3rd time so I’ve gotten some pretty good prizes over the years) the prezzies are also nice. Those are my goodies, sent to me by Jo-Ann, the team member knitting just prior to me. Good stuff, eh?
A knitting relay race is a fun time. If you ever get the chance to race in one you should go for it!
Last Sunday I had the privilege of spending the day with my dear friend, Kim and her husband Ken. It was Kim’s birthday and she has a tradition of going on a whale watch on her birthday. Luckily for me, she invited me along.
This was my first whale watch and I was well prepared with warm clothes, Dramamine, and my camera. We went out of Plymouth and headed towards the outside edge of Provincetown, which is where the whales like to hang out.
The boat ride itself was pleasant. The sky was blue and the water was bluer. It wasn’t very cold and before I knew it we were in whale territory. That’s when the fun started!
All the whales we saw were humpback whales and I believe we saw 5 or 6 total.
They pretty much stayed in a group, going back and forth and feeding. Right before the whales come up out of the water you can see bubbles and this beautiful neon green.
You can just see the green in the left edge of this photo.
These weren’t particularly large whales but they had beautiful tails.
And we were quite close to them – you can see the water dripping off the back of the fluke.
And you can see the barnacles on them, too!
It was incredibly peaceful to watch them go back and forth. They would usually lift their tails up out of the water, but not every time.
When they do lift their fluke, it creates this weird smooth surface on the water. There’s a name for it but I’ll be damned if I can remember what our guide called it. In any case, the water becomes completely smooth on the surface and stays that way for an unusual amount of time. It’s really neat.
Honestly, it was wonderful to just be in the presence of these magnificent creatures. It makes you realize how small you are and how big the world is and how much of it there is to see.
I’m glad I got to see this part of the world. And I’m especially glad I got to see it with friends.
Everybody seems to be looking for ways to save money these days. The way I see it, you can’t save if you don’t know where you’re spending your money and that brings me to this week’s Ten On Tuesday topic, 10 Things You Buy Every Week.
Last week Kym asked “how do YOU know it’s fall?” Well. I know because of routines and weather and feelings. I know because:
I love making caprese salad this time of year. Fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, a little basil from my garden along with salt & pepper and olive oil makes for a delicious hors d’oeuvre!
Go eat something seasonal and delicious this weekend!
I told you yesterday that Hannah brought some mementos from home to make her dorm room feel special. I left one other thing with her that will definitely make her feel special.
Maybe I should say two other things because what I left with her was a pair of new hand knit socks. I told her to think of them as a birthday/going back to college present.
Hannah actually chose the yarn and the pattern herself. It didn’t surprise me that the yarn she chose was Vesper Sock Yarn but I was surprised that she chose a pattern instead of a plain pair of socks. She came downstairs with two different skeins of yarn and asked me how they would each look when knit.
I went on Ravelry and showed her some socks made with each and she actually saw a pair of Monkey Socks that were knit with this particular yarn and she fell in love with them.
I think she was a bit hesitant to ask me to knit these because she thought they were too complicated for me. I like to let her think that I’m especially clever so I didn’t let on that the pattern is one of my favorites, super simple, and easily memorized.
We’re both very pleased with them and I love knowing that she has them with her at school. I always tell her – a pair of hand knit socks from mom is the next best thing to a hug.
On Saturday my beautiful baby girl turned 19. 19? 19! How on earth did that happen?
We celebrated with a family cook out. We had burgers and dogs, corn on the cob, pimiento cheese spread (yummmmm!) and cupcakes. It was also a going away party because . . .
On Sunday my beautiful baby girl become a college sophomore. I know this goes hand in hand with the turning 19 thing but still, how on earth did that happen?
Her dorm, which is actually not the dorm she originally chose, is lovely. It sits in the center of campus and has so much character.
The brick and stonework is beautiful and it has it’s own courtyard. It’s a large building but Hannah’s room is at the end of a hall and tucked around a little corner, which I think is a great location.
She has a beautiful view of the college green and I’m hoping she will grow to love being centrally located. We helped her set her room up on Sunday, rearranging desks and beds and tables, trying to make everything fit and look cozy and coordinated before her roommate arrived on Monday.
It was nice to see that she brought some many decorative things from home, like these pinwheels that were leftover from Dale’s big birthday party.
And the little owl that I got from Emily last year. The owl is her school’s mascot and I just couldn’t resist tucking this into one of her care packages. I think it makes her smile and since it’s hand knit I hope it reminds her of her mom.
Leaving her behind this year was a much easier experience than last year. She’s got a wonderful roommate, she’s already been cast in a play for the fall, and she’s got a positive outlook to get her through any rough patches. Sure, I choked up a bit when I hugged her goodbye – I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t.
But seeing her beautiful smile as she waved to us from her window made me certain that she’s got a great year ahead of her.
Labor Day was yesterday and that means, at least in my head, that summer is pretty much over. Sure, we can still have some warm and humid days, and sure, I can still try and get to the beach, but school is in session and my days start at 5am again and, well, summer 2011 is done.
You know I love summer so this is relatively depressing and I need some cheering up. Knitting cheers me up a lot and one of the nice things about fall and winter is knitting warm things for people I love. And for me, of course. Here’s my list of 10 Things I Want to Knit this Fall/Winter.
I’m wishing I was back here right now. At least it’s a 3 day weekend, though. Make yours a good one and I’ll see you all on Tuesday!
