Needle Notes for all & griping about the weather

Hi, Happy Friday!
Whew...turn on the AC!

I am getting antsy for the weather to change.

It seems to be that high 90s are here forever.
I guess anyone in cold or rain would tell me to stop fussing [shut up] and enjoy it.
Well it is nasty when you are putting on your lipstick in the am and your forehead is sweating!
I guess this is one of the things I just like to crab about. [among many]
Remember in the fall when you started school, [we lived in Salem, OR at that time] ...you were all ready for the cool days and you wore a new swearter and wool skirt? Then by noon it was hot as heck and you were uncomfortable all the rest of the time?
That is the way it seems to me here.
In Hawaii with all the humidity, my wardrobe sure would lean towards the MU Mu if I lived there!

What kind of weather conditions are you living in and do you have tolerable or cold cold winters?

Looking at all the neat patterns available for sweaters [oh the gorgeous yarn!] is enjoyable, but it isn't feasable for me... so I just surf 'em, not wear 'em.

Yesterday I went with Evelyn, to deliver crochet hats she and friends had made for the new babies at the hospital. Would you believe they made over 500 baby hats this summer!!
We all need to say a BIG THANKS to Ev and her "team!"
[Shirley, our hspital volunteer contact says they have... "24 babies born there every day. A whole kindergarden class!"]

Ev started me crochetting...ha, I need another lesson or 20!
Now, I am toddling along on a burgundy scarf with some sparkly yarn in it shared by Patti.

Below you will see what Pat G has shared and I wanted everyone to know that she and Bill celebrated their 50th anniversary on August 31.

Thanks for the sharing. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Barb
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sharing
Gail sent some quotes. Here are two of her favorites:

"There are two ways of spreading light
To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen,
nor touched, but felt in the heart."
Helen Keller
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from Pat G.
We just returned to Arizona from 2 1/2 months in Oregon. We had a
lovely, busy summer. I didn't have much time for knitting. In fact I
only managed to finished one pair of socks and completed one sock of
another pair. Since we returned, I am half way through with the second
sock. I will be so glad when it is done. I am not going to make any
more socks for awhile. I plan to start on the "Glowing Colors" afghan
that I downloaded from Lion Brand Yarn. It calls for 2 strands of Lion
Jiffy yarn worked together, so it should be fast knitting.
That's what I need after knitting all those socks--instant gratification.
http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/70142A.html
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from Shelly
Regarding the Debbie Macomber Books, I've read all of the Shop on Blossom street series and am gathering the Cedar Cove series (by trading books, buying used, etc.)
I also enjoy the books based around knitting by Maggie Sefton and Mary Kruger. Maggie Sefton's books are a mystery series with most of the characters carrying through the full series which began with Knit One, Kill Two followed up by Needled to Death, and then A Deadly Yarn. The latest in the series is A Killer Stitch which I haven't read yet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wanna Paint Yarn?

Learn here and also pick up some great color ideas of finished socks.
I loved the wine bottle *cover ideas!
http://www.soxophoneplayer.blogspot.com/
[...all sorts of colors to fit in with the shoe covers, on this page]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~YH Fill in/she's great!

from http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Christmas for a guy
Travel shoe covers: "These special 'booties' fit on the outside of shoes
and protect your clothing from getting shoe polish on it in the suitcase."
http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/BK4K-0606003.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Ghana Project
Inspiration about: What to do with dish cloths...
"This project is a combination of various people's knitted
or crocheted efforts, sewn together into afghans
which are given to these children as a love gift."
http://theghanaproject.wordpress.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Oops
...we were notified that our new shopping cart at www.soysilk.com had a glitch and when you tried to buy patterns, you were being charged shipping. Thats really silly considering they are instantly available for download!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Lola
Great to knit at all the Suns basketball games and at the hockey games too,in Phoenix.
I love to do this to promote the art and to keep from sitting bored before the game
and half time breaks.

On Lola's page, you will also find some swell patterns, kitties and even a Christmas one...
so start checking in!
Lola the knitter is such a riot on Lion website:
http://www.lionbrand.com/lola/20070928.html
Kitties!!
Ready for Santa!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Friday Recipes

Chicken Marinade for the BBQ
Skinless chicken breasts, to serve two people

brandy- 1/4 cup
honey- 3 tablespoons
lite soy sauce- 3 tablespoons
lemon grass- 2 teaspoons, rub it in your hand to bring out the aroma and sprinkle on
[or use a bit more of fresh and cut in small snips]
ginger- 1 rounded teaspoon

Add all this in a zip lock bag and marinate chicken for a couple of hours, then BBQ.
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*Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Chip-Pumpkin-Cookies/Detail.aspx

[I substitute *butterscotch chips and add raisins not walnuts]
1 cup shortening [I cut this to at least half, to save calories]
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips. Stir in the walnuts if desired. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.