Wednesday, August 20, 2008

In Which She Tells All, and Contemplates a Trip to the Frog Pond


What a year it has been for grapes! As a reward for pruning and fertilizing the two muscadine grapevines that grow on an arbor over the front walk, I harvested five bowls like this. I could have picked more, but some were too hard to get to, and others went bad before I could get them. Picking is just the beginning though. Next comes cooking briefly to release the juice (and cleaning the stove because it always boils over), straining and squeezing the pulp through a mesh bag, chilling overnight and filtering. At that point you can sweeten to taste and drink or make into jelly. I'm skipping the jelly this year.


Don't you love this 50's or early 60's tablecloth? I found it at my mom's house. I don't know why she had it since her table was round.

This is the Noni Adventure bag before felting. Alexa was in town and we went shopping for wedding dresses but she didn't find anything she wanted to commit to. They have set a date--August 8, 2009--so I can time my mother-of-the-bride diet and exercise plan.

Here it is felted and assembled but not yet lined. The idea of dragging out my sewing machine makes my head hurt, but these days lots of things make my head hurt.

Another knitting project, the February baby sweater in butterfly cotton. I made it without a particular baby in mind, but it will probably go to a friend's soon-to-be granddaughter. I'm working on a cabled cardigan for a baby boy that my daughter's friend is expecting in October. What is it with the cables? They are everywhere!

Now about the frog pond. After finishing about half of the ribbon lace scarf it just seems like a bad choice of yarn (Trekking Pro Natura): not soft enough and too subtle color. The yarn will be better for socks (duh!) and I may try ribbon lace again sometime.