The Spiral Hat

I've found a new hat pattern that I like. I don't like the usual toboggan pattern -- it's so boring and childish. Then I found this pattern. (Click over to read the pattern; it's free.) If you want to see some other pretty photos of this pattern worked out, click here.

As one blogging crocheter noted, this is a combination of front post double crochet and shell pattern. The edge is alternating front and back post double crochet.

The blue one I made first, and it's a tad bit longer than the pattern calls for. I don't like a hat that rides up and falls off. The blue is Simply Soft, and the color is "Ocean."

Then I made two more in a cream color, with a row of single crochet in a bright metallic color blend. The cream yarn is Impeccable, a whole pound of yarn I got 1/2 off during a sale.

The spiral pattern is very fun to work up, and honestly the pattern is pretty easy once you get it down. I highly recommend it.

Now ... we'll see if it sells! It's almost hat weather here.

A Couple of Decent Recipes:

I made our church "snack" on Sunday, and I thought I'd share two recipes I used. The first was a fairly simple cheese dip. I doubled the recipe below:
1 pkg cream cheese
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small finely diced onion
1 tsp. hot sauce

Place all ingredients in a microwave-safe container. If you have a casserole that fits in your microwave, use it. Heat on "high" until the ingredients are soft enough to blend well. Then place the casserole dish in a 350º oven for 20-30 minutes, or until it's golden and bubbly. Serve with Fritos Scoops or some comparable cracker or chip.

This dish was well-received and there were no leftovers.

The second dish I will call Pepperoni Wraps. Here's a link where you can see photos of the process and the final product. (It's all one long photo, so I did not place it here, because it copies too small.) Here's what you'll need:

mozzerella cheese (I bought a big block of cheese and we cut it into long rectangles. Cheaper than buying bags of cheese sticks.)
pepperoni slices (WalMart mysteriously stopped carrying our favorite long, hard, red sticks of pepperoni, so I had to buy packages of pre-sliced at Dollar General.)
crescent roll dough (You can buy those pop-open cans, but I opted to make my mom's wonderful refrigerator yeast roll dough because I know it makes great crescent rolls. Here's the recipe.)

one of my mother's yeast rolls

Lay one piece of cheese and three pepperoni slices at the wide end of the crescent roll and roll it up. It's a good idea to loop the long tail of the roll around the ends of the the roll, to prevent the cheese from melting and pouring out of your wraps, while they're baking. Kind of "swaddle" them up.

Bake them on a greased or papered sheet in a 350º oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve with a dipping pizza sauce. We love Del Monte's diced tomatoes with garlic/basil/oregano, and then we blend it smooth in the blender. YUM. Dip the wraps in the sauce.

The church people consumed these and murmured about them as they did so. They oohed and aahed at the fact that the rolls were homemade. I'll definitely be making these again.

Too Early for Christmas?

I think not!

Hopefully, all of you know what these bright red and green boxes mean. They mean joy for millions of children around the world. They mean the warmth of Christian love. They mean, "We are all one family in Jesus!" They are the Christmas Shoeboxes!

Last year our church took (I think) 22 boxes to the drop-off location in New Bern. But this year we have over 22 boxes already! (Yippee!!) And this coming Tuesday evening, we'll be gathering together with more empty boxes, and more gifts, and assembling yet more boxes to go.

The congregation has been bringing fun gifts for the children this week.

This morning we enjoyed looking through all the goodies and discovering what we need yet to buy.

Candy, toys, toiletries, hair fashion, clothing, art supplies -- all these make children smile around the world. Have you made a Christmas Shoebox? Find a church near you that participates in Operation Christmas Child. It brings joy to the givers and the recipients.

A Pretty Cheap Date

Saturday afternoon, Adam and I went sailing. We hadn't planned it, but he heard the river calling his name. There was enough wind for a good sail, but the water wasn't choppy. It was fairly smooth.

By the time we got on the river, it was mid afternoon, and as we sailed across, and then back, the sky began its transformation into sunset.

We made Adam's Creek our destination. The east coast's Inland Waterway cuts along our Neuse River for a bit, and then tucks into Adam's Creek. If we wanted to make a day sail to Beaufort, we would sail via Adam's Creek. If you look closely in the photo below, notice the lighter, thinner stretch of land on the horizon. That's the entrance to Adam's Creek.

We made for the marker at the entrance to Adam's Creek, rounded the marker, and then sailed home. No going to Beaufort quite yet!

Sailing may look like a lark, as one sits on a cushion and gazes at the lapping water, but in reality, it's a workout for your core muscles. The constant balancing and correcting against the motion of the boat causes you to use muscles without realizing it. I was so sore yesterday evening! Sailing is also good exercise for burning calories.

I propped my legs up and let Adam man the tiller at the end.

One of Oriental's big shrimp boats, the Master Braxton, passed us on her way out to the river. These boats are quite large, and we are quite tiny, and the skipper of the Master Braxton kindly delayed revving up his big engines until well past us, so we could escape his wake.

"Pensive Selfie" -- haha!!

The sky grew more magnificent as we proceeded home.  What foreboding clouds!

Adam dropped me at the marina, and I drove around to meet him at the town dock, where he left the boat overnight. We hoped to sail again on Sunday afternoon, we had such a lovely time on Saturday!

And why is this "a pretty cheap date"? The actual cost is only the gasoline needed to motor out to the river and back, about 75¢. Thanks to generous people, our boat was free and our slip is free, and Adam has trained himself in sailing. When one balances the cost with the amount of enjoyment one receives in sailing the river, it's a great deal!

At the Market

The farmers market is so lovely in fall. I enjoy the emergence of pumpkins, root vegetables, pumpkin spice breads, and the chilly weather that makes us vendors cuddle in sweaters and pull on our mittens.

Some of us have been wearing our fur coats year round, however.

I finished this crocheted smitten and snuggie set this week. I love this yarn with a passion that only you yarn-lovers will understand. To me, it is so beautiful I love just to look at it. It's luscious. Something about the color combination and how it works up, is eminently pleasing.

This is the yarn, and yes, I do recall that I blogged about it last year. In fact, I saved two skeins from last year, so I'd have enough to make another set of items this fall. I've been anticipating this for twelve months. Clearly, I have the yarn illness!

The color, by the way, is "Lotus." And since Julia and I are almost finished with Homer's Odyssey, this brings to mind the addictive quality of the food enjoyed in the land of the Lotus Eaters. Addictive.

The color in these photos is not quite true. The first photo above, from the market table, is better.

The stitch used is the "grit stitch." It is not gritty.

I finished another knitted infinity scarf with a line of beading running through it, and my friend Judy kindly modeled it for this photo.

A rather sad, falling-apart home sits across from our market area. But now its collapsing chimney stack is crowned with bright red -- see? Its glory tumbles down and cascades down half the facade.

Why are we able to find even more beauty at times in objects of decay, excess, overgrowth, collapse? I don't know.

Also across the way is a tiny building with a fish market each Saturday.

Someone put some whimsy into the decor on the building's side.

I noticed this vine on a doorway trellis the other day. Isn't it fun? What is the fruit, you ask?

Cherry tomatoes! Now, isn't that clever? You can take a nibble every time you walk out the door.

The crepe myrtles in town are at last turning a brilliant orange red, and happy we are to see it!

Thievery at Michael's

I promise ... Julia and I went into Michael's for only one thing. But then we saw those magical words:

"All Halloween and Fall Items 80% off"

Halloween afternoon must be the perfect time to shop at Michael's. I care nothing for the Halloween stuff, but ... oh my! ... the fall decorations! The baskets! The garlands! The pumpkins!
The basket above is one I've been loving from afar, for many a day.

And a sandalwood scented candle! I've never seen one before!

This basket is much larger than the other one. I love the shape, the color, the handle. And pinecones? Well, they're my favorite autumn decoration motif.

Yet another large basket, 80% off. Squeeeee!!!! (as they say on facebook)

'Tis perfect for stashing magazines in.
I bought two strands of fall garland. I'm a little decorating challenged, and that's an understatement. This may look garish and silly and whatever, but I'm liking it.

Besides, I'm taking it to church on Sunday to decorate the tables for our snack anyway. So 'til then, it's overhead!

In addition to the 80% off, I had an additional 50% off one regular priced item, and (get this ...) 25% off the entire purchase, sale items included. It was such a steal. I'm now a thief at Michael's.

November 1

Mags, over at Fraise Lachrymose, has asked her blogging friends if they'll agree to post each day in November. Why? I have not a clue, except it's become a sweet tradition each November in her corner of blogland. And why not? So I shall.

 These photos are from a brief walk I took a few days ago, when the light was just right.

 This tree seems to me to be striking a pose. Yes? A dance pose. Her sweeping skirt, her fingers tipped with castanets.

 I feel that God said to her when she was young, "Now choose a pose, dear. You can't dance around and move here on this earth, as you will be able to later, when I've remade you. So choose a pose you like. You'll be holding it for a few hundred years."

 I don't know whether this tree is ill, or does this naturally. The inside of the tree is brown, and only the outer tips are green.

 And although I do love sweater weather, it's rather nice to take a fall walk wearing these:

Welcome, November!