Halloween...are we getting ready?

NEEDLEWORK FOREVER!!! HOUSEWORK WHENEVER.

[Don't you love this?]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yes it's coming!
Are we ready for Halloween?

On Cat's blog, http://tinyurl.com/3yaqpg
she shows some lovely table arrangement for their Canadian Thanksgiving, which will easily morph into Halloween.
I am going to drag out my ceramics of a cat and pumpkin and a really fun ghost holding a pumpkin. One year I forgot all about them and other years remembered so close to the date that I decided to forgo using them. DUH!
I went with ME to Michael's as you may recall and while we were there, I saw those 4 ft. scarecrow people, that push into the ground to display. They are so cute and not very spendy.
Problem...where to store them? I am going to get a couple when they come on the after Halloween sale and utilize the under the house space to store them for use next year. A friend in our community does this. She puts things in sturdy plastic bags and "under they go!"
How sly is that?

There are so many neat ideas for the Halloween/fall décor of knit/crochet.
Have you any needlework creations to display? Please share.

In my snoop~surfing, I came across the Carrot Museum. Honestly, I must be nutty...OK I am nutty, because this was the most fascinating place I have found for ages. Check it out and tell me what you think. If you look through the site...for hours, if you want, there are carrots to knit and to crochet and to make into jewelry. Links are below--> Pretty amazing!

Our Monday adventure was a swell trip, but alas, no leaf color. We didn't go to high enough elevations, where they are getting frosts. We did see some extremely interesting sights and in AZ copper country you can see the working mine, HUGE digger and trucks, then see the separator and finally the ingots of copper worth probably close to 1 million dollars being hauled to the working plant that utilizes it for making copper products.
FYI: http://www.azcu.org/index.php
My narrow warm weather scarves, for the critter fund are coming along. I have several finished and one OTN. I will scan and share soon.

Happy Creating!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sharing
from Susan: I just discovered wikihow.com
-- there's not a lot in the knitting section:
http://www.wikihow.com/Category:Knitting
and even fewer items in the crochet section:
http://www.wikihow.com/Category:Crochet -- so maybe people on the list would want to check it out and share!
[I looked, saw the listings and loved that "How to knit a cherry pie was there!" Why don't some of you gals,who are advanced enough to give some directions...put some info into the site? B]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~How To
Another e-site for how to:
http://www.ehow.com/articles_4108-knitting.html
http://www.ehow.com/articles_4104-crocheting.html

for you: How to give yourself a salt glow!
http://www.ehow.com/how_2043436_give-yourself-salt-glow.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bizarre

There IS a Carrot Museum! [Who wuda thunk it?]
http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/craft.html
Hmmm..jewelry?
http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/hbsoler.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Halloween
I know you will enjoy this page:
http://www.mummble-jummble2.blogspot.com/

It's a cutie!
http://www.curlypurly.com/pumpkin.html

A lot of...Free Knitting Patterns For Halloween
http://knittingonthenet.com/holhalloween.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Would you carry these purses?

See http://crazyauntpurl.com/
for October 4.
While you are looking...the pumpkin hat is darling; it will come up first.
She writes such a funny blog

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Have heard good things
about Vanna's Choice Yarn by Lion Brand

I looked at it in Michael's and thought it was really pretty.
The 23 colors are enough for most of us to find one or two...[or 23] that we like!
I believe the price is good and it has been on sale there, too.
Here is a little one's cardigan...not sure I love the color choice as shown though.B
http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/60698A.html

...comment from AW on Knit list group:
"I love this yarn. I was so surprised. The colors are beautiful and it knits up so smoothly.
I am making the Mod(ern) blanket http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/70174A.htmlthat is on the Lion Brand Web Site .
This yarn looks fabulous in this project. I would definitely buy it again.
I think for baby clothes it is a must. It is machine washable and dryable."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Christmas giving
...Soft and warm and pretty: headband
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzewqwy3/id10.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Hmmm...very interesting!
Seen knitting on the bus and check out his crocheted outfit!
http://www.in-public.com/store/image/file/1266/new09.jpg?1155047972
.
...Which reminds me: Did I ask if anyone had knitted/crocheted anything strange? or odd?
Haven't heard from you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If shoes are your thing

Made from flip flops...remember when we called them thongs!! Hee!
http://floofle.blogspot.com/2007/04/yay-recycling.html

Boot Shoes on DIY
http://tinyurl.com/yw7tvt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Youth knitting
Nice website to see:
http://www.woollythoughts.com/schools/index.html
[Math and knit really do mix and that is where I fall apart! B]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Aran doggy coat

http://tinyurl.com/2o44ye

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Knitting Daily
Always help and nice stuff here:
http://tinyurl.com/37n7y8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Soaring Eagles
...sharing for kids
Hi ladies!
I just wanted to inform you that we will be doing the Soaring Eagles Project again this year. However, it will be a little different as we have enough hats left over from last year, to give one to every child at the new school already!
Please take some time to offer feedback on the blog as I am trying to make some decisions regarding what direction we will head in this year. I wasn't sure we were going to do it this year, but I had so many emails about it that I just couldn't let it go by!
Stop by the blog by Friday the 12th if you want to have your voice heard! Also, there should be a Ravelry group together by the end of the week as well!
Rachel - aka theprocrastiknitter
http://soaringeaglesproject.blogspot.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Smiling
Great quote from Gayle in Abilene, TX
"If you're not using your smile, you're like a man with
a million dollars in the bank and no checkbook."
Les Giblin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Recipes
Cover your eyes...
...if you don't want an instant 5# to rush to your middle
Gosh these both sound great!

from VA

Chocolate~Chocolate Chip Cookies

Duncan Heinz Dark Choc Fudge cake mix [...decided other dark chocolate would be fine]
2 lg eggs
1/2 cup butter/margarine melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi sweet choc chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts

350 degrees
put cake mix, eggs, butter, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl
stir with spoon until blended. stir in chips and nuts.
drop level tablespoon full onto greased cookie sheet,
12 min for chewy cookies
14 min for crisp cookies

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I admit it, I am addicted to using Bisquick! I usually use the lower fat version. B

Sour Cream Dill Bread
[for the sake of cutting calories...a combo of fat free and low fat sour cream and cheese might be used]

Prep Time: 10 min
Start to Finish: 3 hr 5 min
Makes: 1 loaf (16 slices)


3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (5 ounces)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Generously grease loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.
2. Stir together all ingredients just until moistened. Pour into pan.
3. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft) Generously grease and flour pan.



Nutrition Information:

1 Serving: Calories 145 (Calories from Fat 65 ); Total Fat 8 g (Saturated Fat 4 g); Cholesterol 30 mg; Sodium 390 mg; Total Carbohydrate 15 g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 5 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4 %; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 10 %; Iron 4 % Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 1/2 Fat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.



Success
Most quick breads are removed from their pans to a wire rack. This produces a drier, crisper surface. If left in the pan, the bread would become steamed and soft.
Success
Keep a light touch when combining bread ingredients. Over mixing can result in tough, dry bread.
Variation
For Cheddar-Topped Sour Cream-Dill Bread, sprinkle the loaf with 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese about 5 minutes before the baking time is up.