A contest

Our life here is not especially exciting and therefore, neither is this blog. So to shake things up a bit, I'm holding a little contest. (I'm also aware of more than a few lurkers out there who never post comments. Perhaps this will flush some of you out.)

Below, I give you a hand-knit scarf and cap.

This is a very special hat and scarf and not just because I made them with my own two hands. The multi-colored yarn is a discontinued line from here. It's so special because it was the very last hank on the whole universe. It's also one of my very favorite colorways - a color called 'Tamarak and Spruce' that is hand dyed. Those two facts together are enough to make me wonder why I am giving it away...I prefer to share the fibery goodness, I suppose.

The scarf is on the narrow side so that it's not over-warm when wrapped around your neck. It's yet another moebius - they're so simple, yet so complex. The nice thing about the moebius is that it won't slide off your neck when it's hanging loose. The hat is super snuggly with the welts alternating between brown and the Tamarak and Spruce - it has a perfect blend of green, browns, rust, a hint of gold and all sorts of gradations in between. It fit both Craig and myself equally well. Big I not so much.


The hand-dyed yarn is made from corriedale which is one of my favorite breeds with which to spin (though I did not spin this particular yarn). The brown in the hat is an unknown wool with about 25% alpaca mixed in. Corriedale is about in the middle on the itchiness scale. Craig and I both find it very comfortable on our necks, but if you're super sensitive to the woolies, you may not care for it. It's all about the micron count.

So, how do you go about winning this lovely little bit of custom-made warmness? Check out some of the info on sheep here. Then post something you learned in the comments. That's it. It can be anything: something about a sheep breed (some of my favorites are Border Leicester, Jacob, and Australian Merinos, just to name a few), or perhaps tell us what the most common sheep breed in the U.S. is, or what was used in the old days to mark every 100 sheep in the herd thereby making them easier to count.

I'll randomly pick a name and post the winner this Friday, September 25. You'll have your prize sent to you just in time for the cold weather or to perhaps pass on as a Christmas present.

Autumnfest '09

Our church down in Carrollton, St. Catherine of Siena, had its annual Autumnfest. Along with the booths and food and music, they have a 5k/1mile run-walk. Since I haven't been doing much running, we just showed up for the mile.

Big I was ready to go first thing.


I'm happy to report that I jogged most of it and felt fine and Craig also jogged it all while pushing the stroller. I was very proud of him for jogging the whole thing.

Big I, for his part, ran circles around the competition.



He had obviously worked up a big appetite by later in the day. And by the way, if you ever feed him cheese tortellini, keep your hands and feet clear, he loves the stuff. After he finished the pasta, he picked up the bowl and started scooping the sauce out. Then he dipped his tofu and avocado in it. Yum, yum.


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And wouldn't you know it, after days of rain here, my rain lilies bloomed. I thought they were about dead.

Cooking up Trouble

Big I gave me some help in the kitchen the other day.

Apparently the towels were taking up too much space for his rump to fit in the drawer. Not sure what the egg carton was for.



But he was very helpful with spreading the cheese on the lasagna and didn't even hint at falling off the chair.



Had fun with the flour-painting the other day again too.

Night night

Is there anything nicer than sitting quietly in the dark listening to your husband sing the baby to sleep in the next room?

I thought not.

September Garden Update

I haven't planted a fall garden. I just haven't turned my attention to the outdoors much lately. We've been getting some tomatoes and a couple of cantaloupes, but nothing overly impressive.

I did finally discover that there was a rouge butternut in the mystery gourds.


The perennials have been looking good.

Black and Blue salvia

Artemesia and salvia

Anise hyssop (which smells oh so good) and mealy blue sage

Horseherb, which is taking over the shade bed

And of course Turk's Cap, which we've had a hummingbird coming to visit but I haven't been able to get a picture of her.

And this little spinner friend. Sorry for the poor exposure.

And this thing is growing best of all though I can't figure out how he got planted in that tub.