This is how we knit in the south...

Yes, I have in fact knitted floating around on this raft and intend to do it some more. I LOVE this raft or float as we call them down here. It's a "two-man" float & it has all these little coke can shaped pockets, (or beer cans depending upon the time of day), which is perfect for holding a gigantic drink. Add sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, one of my favorite books, yarn & needles & I am in heaven!!

You'll have to take my word for it...there's no way I'm gonna' pose for a picture while engaged in said activity. Just suffice it to say that my always "witty" husband came outside, saw me & exclaimed, "thar she blows!".

Random Friday Photos...

Friday Morning Breakfast Meeting

Swimming Rules Enforcer, Office Mate & Muse

On the other hand....

25 Reasons Why I LOVE Knitting:

1. Sharp, pretty needles of all sorts, shapes, sizes & material.
2. The smoothness of stockinette knitted fabric.
3. Using both hands.
4. Seamless knitting in-the-round.
5. Other knitters.
6. Taking a break from crocheting.
7. Scarves, scarves, scarves.
8. Being bi-crafty, as someone called it on Ravelry:)
9. There's more than one way to do circular knitting & knowing how to do both.
10. The reaction of non-knitters when they see you knitting with 5 dpn's.
11. Random conversations with strangers who see you KIP'ing & strike up a knitting conversation.
12. Yarn.
13. Knitting books, magazines & blogs.
14. Making something useful with yarn.
15. The small clicking sound some of my needles make when I am knitting.
16. Ravelry!
17. Uses less yarn than crocheting.
18. Cable, moss & ribbed stitches.
19. Baby hats & bibs!
20. Smoother felting results.
21. My set of Harmony interchangeable needles. Beautiful & so nice to use!!
22. Homemade bead stitch markers.
23. Vintage plastic tortoise shell colored needles. I WANT SOME!!!!
24. Knitting on a pair of vintage straight knitting needles.
25. Just because...

Fried Corn!!! YUMMMMMMMMM!!!

friedcorn
Originally uploaded by nandersonsphotos

This batch of mushy, bland-looking stuff is actually a form of ambrosia and is probably worth it's weight in gold. O.K., maybe not worth THAT much but hey, it's made with the first of the local, homegrown corn. This is a much anticipated day at my house....the first fried corn of the season.

Why do we call it fried, you might ask ? Well, it's cooked or rather "fried" in a frying pan. But not just any ol' frying pan. Heavens NO!! Don't even try it without a very well seasoned cast iron frying pan. That may upset the balance of nature or something.

So here's my recipe;

Fried Corn

Local homegrown corn, (lots of it! This shows the results of 18 ears)
At least 1 1/2 stick s of Butter, REAL Land o'Lakes or other butter...no substitues for this much corn!!
Well-seasoned cast iron frying pan
Salt & pepper

Corn scraper
http://www.amazon.com/LEE-MFG-101-P-Lee’s-Wooden/dp/B000BI8E40/ref=sr_1_3/184-8685332-6740466?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1243443838&sr=8-3

Shuck corn & wash, removing tassels. Hold scraper over a large bowl & scrape the kernals off the cob, being sure to scrape a few times to get all of the good juice. Repeat for all cobs. Throw butter into cast iron pan, add corn scrapings. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly. Be careful that it doesn't burn. Keep cooking for about 15-20 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste.
Enjoy!!

Serve with freshly sliced homegrown tomatoes, barbecue, devilled eggs & green beans cooked with fat meat.

Servings: 4 (at my house)
Calories & carbohydrates: can't count that high & don't want to

Am I the only one in Amercia who hasn't seen this???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xkzv6K7Ysk&feature=related

Be sure to CRANK-IT-UP!!! Let's get this hen party started!Love it!!

Speaking of chickens...

This cracked me UP!! I needed these when my children were little!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybVb3t560oY

I Want Chickens & Llamas & Baby Goats of my VERY OWN!!!

Jennifer over at Dersert Garden Farms has so many precious "family members". Now if she could upload a video so I could hear the chickens, my day would be complete. Don't know why but I adore the sound chickens make when they are clucking & scratching around the yard. And no, it's not from idyllic memories of childhood. I've never really been around farms very much in my life but anytime I hear chicken sounds, perhaps on a movie or tv show, I find it incredibly soothing somehow.

Gosh, maybe I've made a breakthrough, Doctor...I've finally gotten in touch with my inner chicken, (or rather "inner hen" as it were). Enjoy the pictures I've linked here. http://desertgardenfarms.blogspot.com/2009/05/llamas-and-chickens-oh-my.html

Yea, I know...these are kinda' corny but still....

RED NECK MEDICAL TERMS
Artery - the study of paintings
Benign - what you be after you be eight
Bacteria - Back door to cafeteria
Barium - What doctors do when patients die
Cesarean Section - A neighborhood in Rome
Catscan - Searching for kitty
Cauterize - Made eye contact with her
Colic - A sheep dog
Coma - A punctuation mark
D&C - Where Washington is
Dilate - To live long
Enema - not a friend
Fester - Quicker than someone else
Fibula - A small lie
Genital - Non-Jewish person
G.I. Series - World Series of military baseball
Hangnail - what you hang your coat on
Impotent - Distinguished, well known
Labor pain - getting hurt at work
Medical staff - a doctor's cane
Morbid - A higher offer than I bid
Nitrates - Cheaper than day rates
Node - I knew it
Outpatient - a person who has fainted
Papsmear - a fatherhood test
Pelvis - second cousin to Elvis
Post operative - a letter carrier
Recovery Room - place to do upholstery
Rectum - darn near killed him
Secretion - hiding something
Seizure - Roman emperor
Tablet - a small table
Terminal Illness - getting sick at the airport
Tumor - More than one
Urine - Opposite of you're out
Varicose - Near by

25 Reasons Why I Love Crochet...

Fearless Leader over at the Ravelry group "Crochet Liberation Front" http://www.crochetliberationfront.blogspot.com/wants to promote hookers & their craft by listing 25 reasons why you love crochet. So, here goes...(these are listed in random order)

1. Ripping out/frogging is SO MUCH EASIER, than with knitting.
2. Waiting-room crocheting, (easier to stop at a stitch & pin it than to stop in the middle of a knit row.
3. Faster, faster, faster!
4. AMIGURUMIS!! They just look better crocheted.
5. Easier to do shaping "on-the-fly" than knitting & I often find myself designing as I go, instead of planning & drawing:)
6. And when I DO draw a design first it's so much easier & faster to sometimes just crochet it.
7. You can take hooks on planes.
8. If stranded on an island with a hook & LOTS of acrylic you could catch dinner & feed yourself,(do I really need to say "How"?)
9. My arms don't need as much space to crochet as they do when knitting.
10. No dreaded dropped stitches...(and what do you fix one of those with, pray tell?)
11. My small steel hooks can double as a tool when I get my hair highlighted.
12. Beautiful lacy stitches are fun & easy to do.
13. No need to bind stitches off, when you're done, you're done.
14. Baby blankets!!!
15. Big people blankets!!
16. Granny squares, (who doesn't love these? In moderation , of course)
17. Anchor & hide color changes as you go.
18. Other people who crochet!!
19. Amigurumi designers & all of their whimsy & creativity.
20. Crocheted food, poop, toilet paper & other items that make people say, "huh?"
21. Bright, inexpensive acrylic yarn!!, (always in fashion for amigurumis)
22. Lacy shawls!
23. Stylish & kitschy at the same time!
24. Meeting other people who crochet & starting up a nice chat about it.
25. Afghans, coverlets, blankets, (especially granny square, ripple & other vintage-y looks).

Originally uploaded by nandersonsphotos

Ants sure are becoming bold these days...

YAY! Brunswick & Stewie are ALIVE & they can SEE....

finally...

These two guys have been friends for as long as they can remember. They mostly enjoy chewing & spitting. Brunswick is the ringleader & is somewhat of a clown. He just loves to sit in trees & drop pinecone shaving on unsuspecting people below, while Stewie looks on. Stewie likes to nibble on tender new plants and also enjoys chewing pinecones to maintain his big ol’ bunny teeth.

But what’s in a name…A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, right? That’s fine for Romeo & Juliet, Mr. Shakespeare but what were their mom’s thinking when they named this dubious duo??? Had their mothers not been told, by their mothers before them, about the popular southern dish called Brunswick Stew?? And worse yet, what the main ingredients are?

So if a rose is a rose then what does that make ya’ll ? DINNER!!! Now where did I put that stack of soda crackers….

Materials:
F hook (for both animals unless otherwise indicated)
I or K hook (for squirrel tail)
Red Heart Super Saver Yarn, worsted
Color A - Cornmeal (Stewie, the rabbit)
Color B - Purple ( Brunswick, the squirrel)
2 Colors of novelty fur yarn for Brunswick’s tail (fun fur, eyelash, etc)
Fuzzy or boucle` yarn for Stewie’s tail
Child’s size white sock for Stewie’s wife beater undershirt
Polyester stuffing
Tapestry & embroidery needles
White thread
Black embroidery thread
Wobbly Eyes
Doll glasses
Cement glue
Optional: Pipe cleaners/chenille wires for making pose-able armature, (as used in Brunswick’s arms & Stewie’s tail)

Notes:
Animals are worked in un-joined spiral rounds, Amigurumi style. The heads are worked from back of the head to the nose without leaving a neck opening. Remember to stuff as you go and add the eyes while you still can if using safety eyes, (post & washer eyes).

[ ] = repeat steps in brackets as indicated after bracket
acr = acrossarnd = aroundch= chainrnds = roundssc = single crochethdc = half double crochetsl st = slip stitchst(s) = stitch, stitchestog = togetherGauge: unimportant, just make certain to have a tight stitch so stuffing won’t show through.

STEWIE (Rabbit) Stewie is a big ol’ husky boy, about 10 ½ inches
from ear tip to feet &11 ½ inches around at the largest portion of his “table muscles”.

BODY ( F hook & color A)
Rnd 1: Sc 6 sts in adjustable loop
Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea st arnd (12)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in st, sc x 1] arnd (18 sts)Rnd 4: [2 sc in st, sc x 2] arnd (24 sts)Rnd 5: [2 sc in st, sc x 3] arnd (30 sts)Rnd 6: [2 sc in st, sc x 4] arnd (36 sts)Rnd 7: [2 sc in st, sc x 5] arnd (42 sts)Rnd 8: [2 sc in st, sc x 6] arnd (48 sts)Rnd 9: [2 sc in st, sc x 7] arnd (54 sts)Rnd 10-13: sc arnd (54 sts)
Rnd 14: Beg dec, [ sc 2 tog, sc x 7] arnd (48 sts)
Rnd 15-17: sc arnd (48 sts)
Rnd 18: [ sc 2 tog , sc x 6] arnd (42 sts)Rnd 19-20: sc arnd (42 sts)
Rnd 21: [ sc 2 tog, sc x 5] arnd (36 sts)
Rnd 22: sc arnd (36 sts)
Rnd 23: [ 2 sc tog, sc x 4] arnd (30 sts)
Rnd 24: [ 2 sc tog, sc x 3] arnd (24 sts)
Rnd 25: sc arnd (24 sts)
Rnd 26: [2 sc tog, sc x 2] arnd (18 sts)
Rnd 27-28: sc arnd (18 sts)
Stuff firmly & finish off, leaving long tail for sewing

HEAD worked from back of head to nose, make certain to stuff as you go as there is no neck opening !!
Rnd 1: Sc 6 sts in adjustable loop
Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea st arnd (12)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in st, sc x 1] arnd (18 sts)Rnd 4: [2 sc in st, sc x 2] arnd (24 sts)Rnd 5: [2 sc in st, sc x 3] arnd (30 sts)Rnd 6: [2 sc in st, sc x 4] arnd (36 sts)Rnd 7: [2 sc in st, sc x 5] arnd (42 sts)Rnd 8: [2 sc in st, sc x 6] arnd (48 sts)Rnd 9: sc arnd (48 sts)Rnd 10: Beg dec, [2 sc tog, sc x 2] arnd (36 sts)
Rnd 11: sc arnd (36 sts)
Rnd 12: [2 sc tog, sc x 4] arnd (30 sts)
Rnd 13: sc arnd (30 sts)
Rnd 14: [ 2 sc tog, sc x 3] arnd (24 sts)
Rnd 15-17: sc arnd (24 sts)
Rnd 18: [2 sc tog, sc x 2] arnd (18 sts)
Rnd 19-20: sc arnd (18 sts)
Rnd 21: [ sc in st , sc next 2 tog] arnd (12 sts)
Rnd 22: [sc 2 tog] arnd (6 sts)
Finish off, weave ends & trim.

EARS (make 2)
Rnd 1: Sc 6 sts in adjustable loop
Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea st arnd (12)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in st, sc x 1] arnd (18 sts)
Rnd 4-7: sc arnd (18 sts)
Rnd 8: [sc 2 tog, sc x 4] arnd (15 sts)
Rnd 9-10: sc arnd (15 sts)
Rnd 11: sc, [sc 2 tog, sc x 5] twice (12 sts)
Rnd 12-18: sc arnd (12 sts)
Finish off, leaving long tail for sewing to head.

FEET (make 2)
Rnd 1: Sc 6 sts in adjustable loop
Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea st arnd (12)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in st, sc x 1] arnd (18 sts)Rnd 4: [2 sc in st, sc x 2] arnd (24 sts)Rnd 5: [2 sc tog, sc x 2] arnd (18 sts)
Rnd 6: sc arnd (18 sts)
Rnd 7: [2 sc tog, sc x 1] arnd (12 sts)
Rnd 8-10: sc arnd (12 sts)
Finish off leaving long tail for sewing & stuff the toe area only.

ARMS (make 2) Stuff arms as you go
Rnd 1: Sc 6 sts in adjustable loop
Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea st arnd (12)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in st, sc x 5] arnd (14 sts)Rnd 4-6: sc around (14 sts)
Rnd 7: [2 sc tog, sc x 5] arnd (12 sts)
Rnd 8-21: sc arnd (12 sts)
Finish off leaving long tail for sewing

TAIL
With G hook & small amount of fuzzy yarn;
Rnd 1: Sc 6 sts in adjustable loop
Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea st arnd (12)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in st, sc x 1] arnd (18 sts)Rnd 4: [2 sc in st, sc x 2] arnd (24 sts)Rnd 5: [2 sc tog, sc x 2] arnd (18 sts)
Rnd 6: [2 sc tog, sc x 1] arnd (12 sts)
Finish off leaving long tail for sewing & stuff lightly.

“WIFE BEATER” UNDER SHIRT
(I was going to crochet this part but it just wasn’t looking like I wanted it to & I got lazy & decided to use an old sock instead.)

Lay sock flat with toe pointing away from you, cut out neck & armholes as in photo & trim excess at the hem line. You will probably need to take up the shoulder straps a little. I took mine in about ¼ “ . Or you might even glue it. That’s all I did, I didn’t even hem the armholes & hemline, that’s entirely optional, (told ya’ I’m lazy).

STEWIE FINISHING INSTRUCTIONS
Attach ears in desired location, likewise the head to the body, arms feet & tail. The feet are placed slightly under his body with only the toe section protruding from under his bottom half.

Dress him in his undershirt & embroider his tattoo, using embroidery floss or thread. It might be helpful to draw the design with a water erasable dressmakers pen. Embroider his nose/mouth area. Lastly, position & sew, glue or embroider eyes as desired, IF you haven’t done so already. He’s now ready to go out with the boys.

BRUNSWICK (Squirrel) Brunswick stands a bit shorter than Stewie at7" tall & 8" around his stomach.
BODY ( F hook & color B)
Rnd 1: Sc 6 sts in adjustable loop
Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea st arnd (12)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in st, sc x 1] arnd (18 sts)Rnd 4: [2 sc in st, sc x 2] arnd (24 sts)Rnd 5: [2 sc in st, sc x 3] arnd (30 sts)Rnd 6: [2 sc in st, sc x 4] arnd (36 sts)Rnd 7: [2 sc in st, sc x 5] arnd (42 sts)Rnd 8: [2 sc in st, sc x 6] arnd (48 sts)Rnd 9-10: sc arnd (48 sts)
Rnd 11: Beg dec, [ sc 2 tog, sc x 6] arnd (42 sts)
Rnd 12-13: sc arnd (42 sts)
Rnd 14: [ sc 2 tog, sc x 5] arnd (36 sts)
Rnd 15: sc arnd (36 sts)
Rnd 16: [sc 2 tog, sc x 5, sc 2tog, sc x 4 ] twice, sc x 10 (32 sts)
Rnd 17: sc arnd (32 sts)
Rnd 18: sc 16, [sc 2 tog, sc x 2] 4 times (28 sts)
Rnd 19-21: sc arnd (28 sts)
Rnd 22: sc , [sc 2 tog, sc x 3] arnd (22 sts)
Rnd 23: sc arnd (22 sts)
Rnd 24: sc 2tog arnd (12 sts)
Rnd 25: sc arnd (12 sts)
Stuff firmly & finish off, leaving long tail for sewing

HEAD worked from back of head to nose, make certain to stuff as you go as there is no neck opening
Rnd 1: Sc 6 sts in adjustable loop
Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea st arnd (12)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in st, sc x 1] arnd (18 sts)

Rnd 4: [2 sc in st, sc x 2] arnd (24 sts)

Rnd 5: [2 sc in st, sc x 3] arnd (30 sts)

Rnd 6: [2 sc in st, sc x 4] arnd (36 sts)

Rnd 7-9: sc arnd (36 sts)

Rnd 10: Beg dec, [ sc2 tog, sc x 4] arnd (30 sts)
Rnd 11: sc arnd (30 sts)
Rnd 12: [ 2 sc tog, sc x 3] arnd (24 sts)
Rnd 13: sc arnd (24 sts)
Rnd 14: [2 sc tog, sc x 2] arnd (18 sts)
Rnd 15-17: sc arnd (18 sts)
Rnd 18: [ sc x 1 , sc 2 tog] arnd (12 sts)
Rnd 19: sc arnd (12 sts)
Stuff head NOW if you haven’t already!
Rnd 20: [sc 2 tog] arnd (6 sts)
Finish off, weave ends & trim.

EARS (make 2)
Rnd 1: Sc 6 sts in adjustable loop
Rnd 2-3: sc arnd (6)
Finish off, leaving long tail for sewing to head.

FEET (make 2)
Rnd 1: Sc 6 sts in adjustable loop
Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea st arnd (12)
Rnd 3-4: sc arnd (12 sts)
Rnd 5: [ 2 sc tog, sc x 4] arnd (10 sts)
Rnd 6-7: sc arnd (10 sts)
Finish off leaving long tail for sewing & stuff the toe area only. Attach as instructed for Stewie.

TAIL
With J hook Color B chain 19;
Row 1: working in the back bumps of chain, sc in 2nd chain back bump from hook & acr (18 sts)
Row 2: attach 2 novelty fur yarns & chain 2, hdc acr row for 17 sts, 2 hdc in next 2 sts, 17 hdc acr opposite side of ch
Finish off leaving long tail for sewing, fluff tail with brush to release trapped novelty fur fibers. (Optional Hint: weave 2 chenille wires through middle of tail to make it pose-able)

BRUNSWICK FINISHING INSTRUCTIONS

Sew feet, head & ears on as was done with Stewie.
Insert chenille wires into tail & arms & attach to body.

Make “outtie” belly button, if desired.

Glue small wiggly eyes onto Brunswick’s face using cement glue.

Glue large wiggly eyes onto wire doll glasses.

When dry, place on Brunswick by simply sticking ends into his head, (ouch!).

Warning: Please be advised that I have not tested this pattern. Consequently, there may be errors, (I sincerely hope not).

This pattern is mine, mine, mine! It was designed by me, Miss Julep, of yarnjulepsontheveranda.com. You may sell completed items but please give me design credit,

ok? Oh & I’d love to see ones you’ve done!

What I've been working on...

Still in a felting frenzy....both needle & washing machine felting. LOVE it!! Love the sometime unexpected results of felting with water. Then again, I love the control of needle felting. It's as fun as a new coloring book & crayons, only BETTER. Both are easy to do.More specifically,I am also still stuck in a felted purse loop utilizing both crochet & knitting, but I'm not ready to show & tell yet.

Then there are the ever-present assorted baby blankets & the afghan of many colors that I have been making with bits of leftover yarn. The latter is an on-going project which I am not looking to finish any time soon. I am almost finished with a white baby blanket & about 1/3 of the way done on a striped cotton baby blanket. I love stripes, especially soft, cottony stripes. This one is in light aqua, yellow, tan & ecru. I need to take some in-progress shots as it reminds me of the beach, which in turn makes me happy...a little bit of beachiness without the sand.


Finally, poor Brunswick & Stewie have been cast aside, with no eyes. Forgotten & overlooked like the "poor Little Match Girl". The picture on the bottom has map pins for eyes. Tsk, tsk, what a sad state of affairs....the patterns are written & ready to post except for the eyes! Sheesh!I am so lame some times.