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Our dear nephew Dave, did a turkey oops. He smoked the turkey for us and it was wonderful. The next morning, their neighbors ran over to tell them their fence was on fire.  We all got a good chuckle…… Note to turkey smokers….  they stay hot!

Little Jaxon wore his gansey hat all night at our family Thanksgiving  gathering.  He looked adorable.  Having said to you all that I'm not knitting Christmas gifts this year...... I have to say I caved yesterday.  Once the hat came out, another little niece asked me (for the second time this year)  to knit her some slippers for Christmas.   So I'll be knitting some slippers by Christmas! Pattern suggestions anyone?  She's 10 years old.  It is very nice to be asked to knit a gift for someone isn't it? How many days do I have ???

Our Gobbler Appetizer was very fun to put together.  IT did require metal knitting needles to poke the squash before the wooden sticks went in.  Happy Happy Thanksgiving.  I'm so grateful for my knit pals.   Prayers of Thanksgiving...my favorite kind~!

What do you think?  It's healthy......and it's fun.  Al says it is over the top.  I say Phooey..... Please vote yes or no-

  You are going to see a lot of green around here while I knit the vest.  I had the weekend off !!! and so I was able to knit quite a bit.  This is the back and I have to start thinking about arm holes soon.  As simple as the pattern I'm creating is, I still must use stitch markers to remind me of simple changes or I goof up.   I've noticed:  -Knitting in the round hurts my hands/wrists in this weight.  Knitting back and forth: No problems :)  Remix is not one bit splitty :)  I've also noticed the  CHAIR SHARE is on here at Irisheyes.  Uncle Tank is so good with Pie.  The colder the house gets, the  more the cats cuddle..... Happy Monday. 

  This is my favorite Thanksgiving Dessert:  It comes from P. Allen Smith's site and it is delicious and so easy.  Gooey Pumpkin Cake Ingredients:  1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz) 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz) 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger  1/2 tsp ground clove 1 package yellow cake mix (18 3/4 oz) 1 1/2 cup chopped pecans 3/4 cup melted butter Combine the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spices in a bowl. Stir until smooth.  Pour this batter into a greased 9x13 inch cake pan.  Scatter the dry cake mix evenly over the batter.  Do not stir.  Top with the chopped pecans and drizzle with the melter butter.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes Top should be golden brown and crisp when done.  Serves 10 -12 Then curl up like Rozzy and have a good nap. 

Good Knit Pal Karen gave me the book SWEATER DESIGN IN PLAIN ENGLISH just in time. I had cast on for my vest but the cables I was working pulled the work in. Karen discovered that I'm better without a pattern; I think so too in many cases.  Seems Maggie Righetti knew just how to get me to  rip it out and start over.  She mentions that BIG cables put weight on you.  That did it.  I ripped it out so fast and furious  it almost never was -  I've cast on with more stitches to account for the pull and I've decreased to just one center cable in the back.  PHEW, who knew big cables made you look fatter?  Any one else have some slimming knit tips ??? (Not eating cookies while I knit is another one of my tips)

  No Knitting content today, just some products that I've found that are interesting. The Light n Go Bonfire  is 9.99 at Home Improvement Stores. I don't think it would keep anyone warm around Chicago in the winter, but I do think a few of them lit up would look lovely in the snow.  No it is not mascara  - its a wand for fly away hairs.  The wand puts the products just where you think you need it.  Considering the winter is upon us and the dry air around here makes ALL my hairs misbehave, I may have to try this.  Seriously, static makes my hair take on a life of it's own .....   There are not many scientific cat books on the market but John Bradshaw has a new one.  I wanted to love this book. It is too technical for my liking, but I have learned a few things and I will finish it.  Did you know that cats do not need Vitamin C?  This made them more than ideal workers on many ships as they traveled the high ...

I found the yarn for My vest.   Remix by Berocco is a NON wool  mix of of Cotton and Nylon and Linen and Silk. I'm taking some elements from a few patterns in Shades of Winter, (great collection of patterns in this book)  and I'm throwing knit caution to the wind. I actually knit for gauge.... Which is funny because I don't have a pattern, right? I took a vest I love and measured it for starters. It was 3 stitches per inch over 20 inches for the back, and about 60 stitches.  My new yarn is 4 stitches per inch over the same  20 inches, so I cast on 80..... (Desired over Have)  I'm not going to very far before I measure it up to the alpaca vest and move into the body of the back.  Have I messed up already? Any thoughts?  Happy KNITTING today! 

I have not blocked the Posh Poncho yet.  (I have a full night of end weaving ahead of me....  I have a few weeks to the gifting date.) If you google the Pattern you'll see how nicely it fits a baby.  On this little stuffie, it looks more like a dress than a poncho. I'm happy it is off the needles.  I hated to let that Koigu  go to waste.  I decided to block the Skydive Stole and wowza, I'm thrilled with the finish.   It is going to be a Christmas gift to a dear friend Eileen who does not read the blog.   Have you ever watched the CHEW?   I am trying their sweet and sour crock pot  chicken for tonight's dinner with guests. Smells right so far....here's hoping.  Our guests go way back to the days that Fireman and I met working at McDonald's.  Mark and Mary Ellen, our dinner guests,  met under the arches as well.   I bet I can still DRESS the buns and scoop those yummy fries for the ...

  This crazy cat lady would like to thank Leslie for the great knit project bag. I absolutely love it.  I loaned Leslie a pattern book and it was returned with this bag... and yes  it's the cat's meow.  (I had to....) I must tell you I met my first Hairless cat today at the shelter. Guano (as in bat poop) is so sweet.  I learned from his owner who works there, that two Sphynx make a hairless.   I had no idea.   Having had a gorgeous golden retriever and a pretty sheltie in my adult life, you can gather I love wonderful coats. I was a big taken aback at Guano's well,  every wrinkle, but I think I could get used to it, after all he is a feline.  Next up the baby poncho I hope to finish this weekend.  I picked it up at the stitchmarker point a few days ago. It is the Posh Baby Pattern, but I may make the bottom differently than the instructions call for. It is made of mixed Koigu pinks and a plain ...

  A great finish can make me very happy- how about you? We put love and time and thought and a bit of angst into the mix and sometimes it comes out nearly perfect. I have finally mastered reverse shaping..and it has taken me years (And you know it) I have to come up with a new New - New Years Resolution because reverse shaping was mine for the last decade! Here he is.  The generic Little boy's Vest. I see him in blue jeans and a green t shirt and he's out at the apple orchard picking apples.... I alternated rows of green yarn with the variegated and I love the look.   I did a 3 needle bind off for the shoulders. (Shhh I haven't done the side seams yet..... but When I have a recipient I will do so) I broke two needles along the way.  I have no idea how.  I may post with a light tone, but I have some tension in my stitches  apparently! If something in our knit world continually escapes you, don't give up.  ...

I'm very much a year round knitter.  There was a time when I knit holiday gifts like sweet Katherine. Katherine made beautiful fingerless gloves for her whole family this year.   There was a kind of silly pressure involved in this Holiday knit deadline, for me.   This year I've knit some things I wanted to knit without a specific person in mind, and it is now becoming clear who will get these few finished  knits for Christmas. Yesterday's remarkably early snow, however, sent a wave of panic over me.  Then I remembered, I am not gift knitting per say this year.  I have to finish the baby poncho started early this summer by a another baby shower date of December 3rd.   I am almost finished with the little by vest and its is darling.   I don't have a baby boy/toddler yet to give it to, but when I do it is going to be really a fun gift to give.   In the "Like Channon" department, I bought a new winter coat from Eddie Bauer and I ...

  Speaking of babies, here is tiny Pie at 7 months of age. She will sit with Troy and Zach but rarely sits with me! I have to remind her I was the one in her adoption corner.... ahem.    Great friend Linda who got me working in the OR at the shelter, made this baby shower fruit platter Sunday. I know many of you have seen it, but she said it was very easy to do. Everyone at the shower loved it.  The lavender cabled baby blanket that I made a month or so ago, was my gift.   Everyone loved it too!! AL wanted a Thanksgiving wreath and asked me to  shop at our great local Holiday Craft Fair at the Grove. I found this beauty.  IF you live near me, the Grove fair is always  great, but seemed full of extra good things this year.  So that was my weekend.!!!  I love being off to go to showers and watch football with my guys at home.  And there was knitting too! Do you have a local holiday craft fair tha...

It has been too long since I knitted socks for Fireman.  So, his turn. After all Dee knitted a huge blanket for her husband this year. - You can see that from the gusset down they are identicalish. The cuffs are not.  Here's why.  I was using a multicolored sock yarn and alternating rows of a plain beige sock yarn for the first sock.  The effect was great but the twisties were outta control. I was spending good knit time unraveling the two yarns twisted together every few circles.  It was a big old hassle.  I nearly frogged them.   THEN I decided that Fireman is going to wear these with blue jeans 100% of the time.   I know this to be true!   So as long as they matched from the heel/gusset down no one but he and I and all of you would know.  They are as one of my very smart blog friends pointed out they are the colors of Rosalyn... our beloved old girl cat.  I hope Fireman loves them, ...

  I was gifted some green cotton yarn.  I have to see if there is enough yardage to knit myself a vest. (With Reverse Shaping!  Joy of joys) I am finishing Fireman's socks first.   Below is a critter we saw on a woods walk the other day. What do you think he is?  The lagoons were covered in green green duckweed.  For Katherine and everyone else who wants an easy  go to dinner bread: CUBAN BREAD 5-6 cups flour 2T sugar 2T yeast 1T salt 2 cups HOT water Mix the yeast and water for a few minutes Mix 4 cups of the flour, salt and sugar. Mix it all together.  Beat 100 strokes Add the remaining flour Knead by hand 8 minutes Let rise 15 minutes  Punch down and divide Shape into two round loaves Set them on a greased upside down cookie sheet Cut and X atop each loaf Place in a COLD oven  Do not preheat Put a pan of shallow water under the rack with the bread on it. ...

Norwegian TV is to broadcast a live knitting contest for hours on end. The show, during which competitors will attempt to break the world record for producing a sweater - from the shearing of the sheep to the final stitch - airs minute-by-minute on 1 November. Several attempts to beat the Australian record of 4 hours 51 minutes have failed, programme producer Lise-May Spissoy told  NRK  TV's website. But she is enthusiastic about the Norwegian bid: "We've already earmarked the lamb for shearing, and are putting together the team of eight record-breakers - one will shear, while the rest spin and knit as fast as they can." The things you can hear at midnight on talk radio are fascinating.  Coming home from work the other night I heard about the sky high ratings in Norway for this knitathon. Apparently the winner made the man's sized sweater start to finish in just over 4 hours and broke the record.  HUH?  I'm hoping to knit Simple Chic's Weekend ...

  A lone little blue baby sock was in my path yesterday.   All lonely and forlorn. Some little baby had a cold foot...    I did what any self-respecting knitter would do; I found a nearby branch and rescued it. I filled it with leaves and made it comfortable on the branch.  Sock Rescuer Anonymous - Completely confidential call 1 800 B-O-O-T-I-E-S

  When I can't post I get goofy.  I'm so happy BLogger is back to normal. This little blog brings me so much more than I can say.  SO:  Up first: I'm knitting socks for Fireman this weekend.    Zach's cake of choice this year: Tiramisu.  Oh Three Tarts Bakery you've don't it again.  I am enjoying birthday cake this weekend. and I'm treating dear Rosalyn because we  adopted her years ago on the day before Halloween. Rozzy is the sweetest cat you can imagine. She purrs all the time.  She loves going to the vet. Her only fault is feline herpes which  makes her a sneezy snotty machine.  Her herpes used to only flair occasionally,  but in the last year it is always around. Herpes, the gift that keeps on giving... Poor baby. Rosalyn is very slow these days. She's nearing 17 and I bought her a new radiator pad today.  She loves a warm radiator.  All of our cats ...

Here are 10 Things For November 1st: *Nothing but issues with my computer.  Not funny TRICKS here at Irisheyes.  Sorry for no pictures today!  A picture-less post is so lacking! *I carved a crying Newborn Pumpkin.  Used a seed for a tear; it was cute.  Actually thought of it myself.  *Al's shift at the Children's ER all dressed up and I wanted to share her picture.  Blogger isn't allowing it.  ER staff are a rare and wonderful type.  *We go from Halloween to Day of the Dead instantly around here. I cannot believe we were in Mexico last year with Zach at this time.  Their Day of the Dead Holiday is hard for American's to grasp. It is a day of love and celebration.  They believe the souls come back to visit their families on the night of November 1.   It is a quiet peaceful beautiful holiday in Mexico. I am so glad we experienced it with Zach in Mexico (Nancy: this is my foreign Friday!!! just like you) *Is it a co...