Halloween!

 The only good thing about this Halloween is that I scored three new little project bags. I've got nothing going on this Halloween. I didn't even buy a pumpkin. My orange tub of Halloween decorations is still in the basement. For the first time in forever I am not even going to make donuts. My mother always made donuts on Halloween and then I always made donuts on Halloween but I'm not feeling it this year.

Sadly the one new Halloween project didn't get too far. Wool of the Andes was making too heavy a fabric for a good sock. I'll get some stroll and try again.

The second best thing about this Halloween is that I've discovered the world's best Bloody Mary mix. Every year I send The Mister out to get one and every year he brings back something yucko. Not this year. I've even been drinking this without the vodka it's that good.

Finally, before being packed away, Mr. Jack wants to wish everyone a Happy Halloween. He'll see you next year!

I had to edit this post at 12:30 am after a nail biting Game 7. The fight is finished. Now I can finally get that darn song out of my head...baby shark doo doo doo doo doo....
Congrats Nats!

Big Needle Wednesday: Obsession

I can flame out fast on a project but Soldotna is still holding my attention. I'm so obsessed that I've already ordered more yarn to make another as these colors are not exactly floating my boat. I picked up the kit in haste without looking at what I was actually buying so I get what I deserve. I can't say enough good things about the yarn. It is scrumptious but as for them all being together on one sweater.....I dunno. It's pretty wild.

 The colors on the vanilla sock are another story.  After I wound the skein I thought it was drab. Now that I am knitting it I love, love, love it. It's even prettier than my photo. I started out making Hermoine's but then I pulled it all out and started again so the November colorway could get the attention it deserves.

 I am also obsessed with making Mosi hats. This is number two and I'm already thinking about a third.

My Where the Wind blows cardi is finally looking like a garment rather than a blanket which makes it a lot more fun to work on. I was having my doubts for a while. Now I've just got the long hike down to the hem and then it'll be done. Hopefully by spring.

Tiny Needle Tuesday

 This is far as the Button Eyed Cat is going this year. I'm packing it up.

 Same with the other Halloween project. This week I got a Jack O Lantern and half a kitty done at the top but then I ran out of thread. On Friday I will get the Sheep Virtues back out so I've still got plenty to keep me busy.

I finished the first of the Rose Star blocks.

 Now I am working on another Dear Jane.

As for the kitchen remodel, here's the place where our island used to be. It's out in the driveway looking pretty sad. We will NOT be putting down tile again. We are not actually sure what we are putting down but it will most likely be the wood look stuff that every body seems to be using in kitchens these days. None of it will be done anytime soon. My bathroom took almost a year. This job most likely will take longer.

And So It Begins

 I was supposed to be working on my kitchen this summer but The Mister and I ran out of steam after doing the two bedrooms and the downstairs bathroom. Yesterday I started the job in earnest because as you can see things are getting urgent.

 My tile is broken in all the worst places. In order to keep the critters from hurting themselves I have to keep rugs over the bad places and lately I've been tripping over the rugs. Not good. That's a broken hip waiting to happen.

The plan is to remove the island and move the dining area stuff over into the kitchen area so we can start there and shift things as we go. Taking up tile is not a fun job as we found out in the bathrooms and this is a lot of tile. A. Lot. It seems like just yesterday that we put all that tile down. It was almost 30 years ago.

 Finding a place for all the things in the island was a chore. Hoover is watching over the new bin of cat food. I had to keep the important things handy.

 Everything in those cluttered drawers had to go too. I've got bins all over the place-again.

Since I just went though this with the bedrooms I know where all the good hiding places are. The wall cabinets will be the last to go.

My house looks like a storage facility once again and it's only going to get worse before it gets better.

Hound of the Town

Yesterday morning, in a cold mist about 55 dog owners lined up on the boardwalk to parade their pups around in the annual Hound of the Town Halloween costume competition.

Poor broken Pup didn't compete but she cheered from the bench.

There were a lot of National fans with their baby shark pups on display.

 Some pups were really into the crowd.

 Some wanted to run away.

Awwww......

Game of Bones was the big winner but you had to look hard to find the little pup.

Can you see her now? She was so cute she almost didn't look real.

Pup didn't come away with any prizes but she did make a lot of new friends.

Pumpkin Love

 My new wool strips are here!

 I can now start the long process of putting a background on Mr. Jack and his raven buddy.

I've never actually got to the background part before and I'm a little worried. I'm hoping my hooking skills are up to the task of getting around all those details without losing them. We shall see.

A Change of Plans

 I knew I had a lot of fabric left in the autumn batik box but I thought it was yardage.

It wasn't. It was a collection of fat quarters.

 I had wanted to put a solid border around the outside of the autumn quilt but that's not going to happen. I'm going to have to piece one instead.

Cutting and chain piecing all this pretty fabric is not exactly a chore. It'll be done before I know it. Certainly before winter.

Inktober: Catching Up

 I got off schedule with the Inktober calendar but I'm finally almost back up to date.

 I sneak down in the morning and paint a few backgrounds and then come back down after dinner to do the inking part. It's not great art but it's fun trying to come up with something using the word of the day. Today's word is ghost in case you are wondering. That's the backgrounds for treasure and tread behind it.

Since I am not making Christmas cards or any other holiday cards in the near future the work table is also covered in random art journal projects. Cutting and pasting is my thing these days. I have discovered the joys of Mod Podge and there is no looking back.

Big Needle Wednesday

 I put most of my energy in Pup's new sweater but I made some decent progress on the man sock this week. My poor November sock is still waiting to be cast on. All balled up and nowhere to go. Sad.

 Speaking of socks, I've been gung ho on the Halloween Tricks sock but I don't love it. The worsted weight yarn is making something hot and heavy. I love the pattern but I may shelve it for this year and re-work it with some sock yarn next year so I will get something I could actually use. It's such a fun knit that it just flies off the needles.

 My Where the Wind Blows cardi is at the place where it has to be separated for the body. Thank goodness. The last few long rows of the lace pattern were a real slog.

 Soldotna was naughty. I had to rip it back because I mixed up the colors. The chart is not in the colors of my kit and I got the green on the chart mixed up with the wine color. I was not happy.

I was also not happy with the second Mosi hat this week. I did something stupid with the stranding that I can't even explain so I had to rip out a lot of work to fix it. It was the same day as the Soldotna mix up so I was really doubting my mental capacity. Those were stupid mistakes that I shouldn't be making.

All was well with the latest Almost Lost dishcloth. I really like how the colors worked out. I have quite a bit left in the Super Size Skein so I was wondering if anyone has ever managed to get two of them out of one ball? I usually just toss the leftover in the bin and move on but it would be nice to have two of them if it can be done.

Tiny Needle Progress

 I know it doesn't look like it but there is progress on the Button Eyed Kitty. I've got more border and a couple more rows of black fur.

 I have the top border done on the Halloween Sampler and I just finished the moon and the star. I've got to fill it in but I'm saving all that background for next year.

 I'm still working my way around my first Rose Star. It's slow going.

 No new Jane block. Here's the next one in the row. It's a another doozey.

 Can you believe all those pieces add up to this simple block? It does. At least I hope it does. I'm not going to start it until I finish the Rose Star. My fingers can only handle one itty bitty needle at a time.

 I'm working my way down another crewel leaf. My chain stitch is getting better- at least on the outlines. Filling in spaces is still wonky.

I have just one more of the center blocks to quilt and then I can work on the little oblongs that go around the rings. This is still my favorite tiny needle project. There is something that just feels right about hand quilting.