Lids A-Poppin' and Drying Herbs

I processed the 2 pecks (small bushel baskets) of Cortland apples this afternoon. They've been sitting for over a week since I bought them. No sugar was needed as this added ripening time makes the applesauce naturally sweet. The apples were nice and big so there was far less peeling and coring than if they were smaller.

My efforts yielded 8 jars of applesauce plus a little bit which will just go in the freezer. 7 of the jars fit in the water bath and the 8th one will also go in the freezer. All the lids popped - no duds.

While the applesauce was in the water bath, I did another rapid test. Negative again. YAY!

I will test myself again tomorrow morning - 6th day after exposure to my asymptomatic friend - and if negative again, I'll attend the reunion brunch after all.

Skip spent the afternoon preparing our garden for the winter - digging up and potting the geraniums to bring in for the winter, ripping out the annuals, cutting down the perennials and putting all the plant material in the compost box.

While he was doing this I remembered I wanted to pick and dry the rosemary from the garden. 

I selected several branches, washed them, patted them dry and put them on parchment paper on a cookie tray and dried them in the oven at 175°F for an hour.

After that, the bits were nice and crispy and came off the stems fairly easily. I crushed them up a bit and put them in a labelled jar.

The woody stems are in the fireplace. It will smell great when we start our first cozy fire later this fall.

Haul

I've got a lot going on this afternoon so just took some quick pictures of the many items I purchased while on my road trip in the US. In no particular order:

At Hobby House WoolWorks (HHWW) I found some Teresa Kogut Stitchy Birds fabric and the cross stitch print from Blackbird Designs.

I'm all about the precuts, too. The bundle has many motifs I can use for my English Paper Piecing (EPP). And there's always a use for precut, white, 5" squares.

Hobby Lobby carries Zweigart fabric under their Artiste label. I liked the blue Murano Carre 32ct. and thought I'd try some 46ct in Oat and Ivory Bristol linen. Perhaps for some little wee samplers.

The 'Believe' book is really a container. I thought a stitched piece would work mounted on the top. There is a magnetic closure. 

Also:

• more fabric with small motifs for EPP
• a reel of red braid for finishing ornaments
• 3 magnetic needle storage tubes with labels for needle sizes
• some medium size button blanks - possible for punch needle finishing
• one set of acrylic, diamond EPP templates
• 2 Apple AirTag cases

Barnes and Noble had this nifty sticker book.

At Calico Gals I found more EPP templates and a pack of self-threading needles that I was running low on.

Calico Gals also had this template set for the Soleil pattern shown on the front. Enough paper templates to make two 'suns' and the two acrylic templates for fabric cutting.

Here are the 3 sets of EPP templates I got at Hobby Lobby.

Due to my expanding EPP materials, I needed another organizer.

At HHNW there were pears like this on display. This was a different pattern with three different ones. I also purchased the called-for Dinky Dyes Cranberry Cocktail floss. I haven't decided if I'll use it or my favourite variegated DMC 115.

I think I got this at JoAnn Fabrics. It has lots of ideas for what to make with small quantities of fabric like jelly rolls and EPP.

More:

• 28ct evenweave fabric from Hobby Lobby
• another pack of fat quarters with cute, small motifs for EPP
• 2 spools of EPP thread in cream and grey
• a pack of pearl buttons which I like to use for closures on my triangular scissor cases
• 2 skeins of DMC 115 which we only found at Hobby Lobby

At our final shopping stop, The Old Tattered Flag, I got a little wicker, punch needle tote basket. There were wider ones that rug hookers could use for their hooks and wool strips.

I liked the 3D feature of this pattern, Under the Blooms, but held off buying all the called-for Valdani floss as I knew I had a bunch in my stash at home. I did purchase a skein of  the called-for house brand Grungy Green. Turns out I already had four of the 5 called-for Valdani flosses and the Grungy Green. in my stash.

Now I'm on the hunt for the missing Valdani #8 thread O576 - Weathered Hay. I need two balls for the background of this piece. It might be a while before I get it though. Shipping is astronomical - more than the cost of the items themselves. I'm open to substitutions. 

All in all, it was a good haul. Lots of 'bits and bobs' I wanted for various crafts and projects. There's a remote possibility I can get the Valdani floss while I'm in TX but I'm not holding my breath. For now, I just need to get everything put away.

And a COVID testing update - I tested negative again just now. If I test negative again tomorrow morning I will be attending the staff brunch of the reunion this weekend at the school where Skip and I taught.

With all those negative tests and the chores that I wanted to get done (mail packages, vote, make applesauce, dry rosemary from the garden), I now turn my mind to getting ready for our holiday in south Texas.

Circumnavigating Lake Ontario

Early Tuesday morning, Marilyn and Poppy arrived at my place. Shortly after Jen1 arrived in her van and we all piled in to commence our long-awaited road trip to several crafty shops in NY State. We have waited over 2 years for this and were practically giddy with excitement to finally be able to visit Hobby House Needleworks in Pittsford, NY (a suburb of Rochester).

We picked up Yvonne in Burlington where she was waiting for us in the IKEA parking lot. After a visit to the IKEA washroom, the 5 of us piled into the van and headed for the border.

Yvonne, Poppy, and Marilyn

Geri (navigator) and Jen1 (intrepid driver)

Once we arrived at Hobby House Needleworks, we spent a couple of hours trying to take it all in. I purchased some #26 and #28 ballpoint tapestry needles. I had heard about them but had never seen them and wanted to try them out. I bought some more regular stitching needles and some thimble pads. I've been doing so much stitching lately my needle-pushing finger is peeling. 

Then I went next door to Hobby House Woolworks to pick up Barb's orders we were taking back for her (thus avoiding steep shipping charges). 

There, I purchased some fabric and had a good look at all the lovely hand-dyed felted wool and punch needle patterns. 

We worked up an appetite so decided to check into our hotel and have supper. We decided on Chili's as it was just around the corner from the hotel. Back at the hotel we got together in Jen1 and Yvonne's room to show each other what we purchased. 

The next morning, we arrived at Hobby Lobby for its opening at 9am. We then went back to Hobby House Needleworks and Woolworks to pick up stuff we realized we needed after seeing what each other had bought the day before. 

Somewhere in there we visited an unimpressive quilt shop and Barnes and Noble, too.

After lunch at Panera Bread we visited the JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts nearest to Pittsford then zoomed off to the Syracuse area to stay there for the night. I cleverly programmed the GPS for the wrong hotel but while there, we did see an Olive Garden where we thought we'd have dinner after checking into the correct hotel 15 minutes back the way we had come.

Traveling at this time of year creates opportunities for seeing spectacular leaf colours. This was the view out our hotel window as the sun finally came out. We all agreed, however, that the red leaves were more abundant on our drive in Canada.

Surprisingly the Comfort Inn in Liverpool NY wouldn't take cash - only plastic. Once we got checked in and into our rooms, we headed back to the Olive Garden 15 minutes away. Across the street was another JoAnn Fabrics which we visited after supper as it was open 'til 9. More purchases were made then  back to our hotel for more show and share.

The last morning (yesterday), we got up early to hit the Hobby Lobby at Destiny USA Mall in Syracuse when it opened at 9am as the quilt shop we wanted to visit wasn't opening 'til 10am. After those purchases, we headed deeper into Syracuse to Calico Gals. I bought some self-threading needles, and some Sue Daley English Paper Piecing paper templates and an EPP pattern.

We then headed north on I-81 to Watertown for yet another JoAnn Fabrics. A couple of folks hit the grocery store across the parking lot for coveted items not available in Canada (dark chocolate M&Ms, etc.). We met up at Applebees for our last meal together and to regain our strength for our last shopping spot, the Old Tattered Flag a few km NNW of Watertown. 

We had been to the previous location at the proprietor's home, but during COVID they moved into what formerly had been Gunn's Country Store and Quilt Shop. 

There, I purchased a little punch needle basket, a pattern, and a skein of Old Tattered Flag floss needed for the pattern. I decided to wait 'til I got home and check my Valdani floss inventory before purchasing any of the other 7 balls of floss that the pattern required.

On the way to the border, we all remembered we forgot to pick up Barb's order at the Old Tattered Flag. Jen1 turned us around and we went back to retrieve it. I also wanted to make sure she would get a refund for the $21 shipping on her $24 order. Back on the road, we made for the border, only 15 minutes away.

We had all taken care to distribute our receipts evenly to keep our total purchases under $580 US ($800CAD) which we were each allowed after being out of Canada for 48 hours. We stopped once more at the duty free shop and then with passports in hand, prepared for crossing back into Canada. There was no lineup at all so Jen1 rolled us all right up to the booth. I guess we all answered the questions correctly and were quickly permitted to re-enter Canada. 

The drive was windy and rainy but Jen1 capably and safely got us all back to my place. Marilyn retrieved her car from my driveway and drove Poppy home and Jen1 took Yvonne to the GO Train for her 2 hour ride to Aldershot where her husband would pick her up for the 1.5h drive back to their home.

With the drizzle we saw rainbows on 3 or 4 occasions. This one was particularly lovely as the sun distinctly brought out all the colours.

It was quite the whirlwind trip but we visited all the stores we had planned on and for the most part we bought everything we wanted and probably lots of stuff we didn't know we wanted until we saw it. 

Our route:

There was one wrinkle in the whole thing, Monday afternoon, Barb texted me that her husband tested positive for COVID that day. Rats! Barb and I were together at our weekly stitching group that morning. Her rapid test at that time was negative. I figured she had dodged a bullet and I had nothing to worry about. As we were on the highway back in Canada yesterday, she texted me that she had just tested positive. My heart sank as Skip and I had plans to go to the 50th Anniversary reunion of the school we had taught at. I tested myself last night - negative, and again tonight - negative. I have no symptoms (Barb did have symptoms starting on Wednesday). I'm going to test myself again tomorrow and again on Sunday morning. If I still test negative and have no symptoms, I will attend the staff brunch at the school and we'll proceed with our Texas holiday plans.

In the meantime, Skip and I have been sleeping and dining in separate rooms and I wear a mask any time I'm in the same room with him.

Tomorrow I need to mail some packages at the post office and then scurry home to make applesauce with the apples we bought last week at the farmer's market. I always leave them sit at room temperature for about a week before processing them. They're so much sweeter that way. I'll also take some pics of my haul and post them.

I was very impressed with the Hobby House Needleworks. The only suggestions I would have is to get better lighting and have more bins and baskets at eye level. All bins and baskets were down low and the lighting was poor to see them. The lighting in the Woolworks was much better. The Needleworks had a very impressive inventory of linen hand-dyed fabrics but Stitcher's Garden in Fayetteville NY (now closed) and Judy's Stitchery Nook in Harlingen TX (closing at the end of this month) had more impressive shop layouts and displays.

That being said, it was a fabulous trip with fabulous people. I'm very lucky to have such a group of like-minded people to do stuff with. 

We already have lots of stitcherly events planned for the next year. After being cooped up for 2 years because of the pandemic - I'm taking almost every opportunity that comes my way.

Frankensocks

At my niece's on Thanksgiving weekend, I took a bunch of the socks I'd knit this year to give to anyone who wanted them. 

A couple of pairs were sized for a size 10 or so man's foot but my niece's husband, Darryl, wears a size 13 so couldn't fit into either of the men's socks. My grand-niece's boyfriend, Chris, got both those pairs.

I started to knit Darryl a new pair when I realized I could just unravel the toe of the remaining pair and add a couple of inches before re-knitting and closing the toe. I even thought I had enough of the same yarn left to do this. 

Once I got the feet lengthened and the toes done, I realized the legs of the socks looked too short. so I decided to add to the legs, also.

This was not done easily as yarn doesn't unravel in the direction it was knit. It unravels backwards. But I snipped a strand part way down the leg, added yarn and knit another couple of inches in pattern (3 x 1 ribbing) then grafted the two leg pieces back together. The dilemma is grafting ribbing and when attaching the two pieces, the one piece is half a stitch over because you're grafting the peak of the stitches on the one side to the troughs of the stitches on the other side. And then there's the issue of grafting in ribbing. I decided to just graft as if both pieces were all stocking stitch.

Long story short, I ran out of yarn on the second extension and added some grey yarn to make up the difference.

Behold...

Frankensocks! You can see the insertion of the grey yarn on the leg on the left and the 1/2 stitch jogs on both legs.  

However, the important parts, the feet, are perfect. That's a nice thing about yarn, you can unravel a project and the yarn is perfectly good to knit again.

From this:                                                                        To this:

I hope to get them in the mail to Darryl soon.

Our long-awaited stitching road trip to the Hobby House Needleworks is tomorrow. I was just informed that the husband of one of the people I was stitching with this morning just tested postiive for COVID. She and I are both freaking out. She has no symptoms and as I write this, I'm waiting for the results of her rapid test...

A little while later, she tested negative but it might be too soon. 

Stitching Accomplishments at Elim

I didn't rotate through all 13 projects/UFOs/WIPs that I took to Elim but I did work on quite a few and actually finished one and rang the bell.

On this Victoria Sampler piece, I just had the last bit to do underneath the kangaroo - the knit stitch in gold and silver. It was a simple stitch - one thread down and four threads over at two thread intervals. It took me 3/4h max.

I can't believe that's all I had to do to finish 'K is for Knitter'. The little brass key charm still needs to be stitched in place. The kit was a gift from Jen1 years ago. There were lots of fun, specialty stitches and beadwork. Most of it was stitched in 2020. 

I'm toying with the idea of ordering the frame online and framing it myself. 

I did the 'zero' on this Quaker sampler with DMC 115.

I started the Hardanger bits on the scissor fob of the Durene Jones Sunflower set.

and added the last couple of bees to the scissor case.

I'm using 31 ct instead of 25 ct so had to adjust the size of the outer border and moved the motifs  outward.

I did a wee bit on my turtle - that blue bit on the left.

Then I hauled out my long-neglected Newcastle Bouquet 

and filled in the flower.

I have a few more letters to do. I do like the look of my modification - Algerian eyelets in lieu of 4 cross stitches.

Lori brought the chart for the next flower in the Pumpkin Lane series. #1 and #2 were released at the online trade show in August - Needlework Expo.

so I did a lot of stitching on it. We were able to tweak a couple of colours. It was the first time she had seen in person the first three houses I had stitched for her. #3 and #4 will be released in November. Then 2 or 3 more in January then the rest at Market. I hope to have it all done by the end of January so she can get it framed before shipping it to Market. Hopefully she can get the charts to me in time.

I also did some work on the model I'm stitching for Teresa for which there is no deadline.

I took my English paper piecing and made another flower (top)

and last night I made a pin cushion which still needs to be stuffed and closed. I was inspired to do the pin cushion by this YouTube video. I used a few 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" pieces from the navy jelly roll for the 1" hexagons.

Not sure which will be the top and which will be the bottom.

I also watched an interesting one by Emma Jones Vintage Sewing Box. Doing a search on Etsy I found a sampler pack of forty 5" squares of Liberty prints at a reasonable price and shipping was reasonable, too. They should arrive from Poland in the next couple of weeks.

Smaller prints are best for what I want to make. I can get lots of 1/2" hexies out of a 5" square.

A Bit About the Stitching Retreat and Hexie Update

Last Thursday I headed off the Elim Lodge for a stitching retreat with my stitcherly friends. I packed a bunch of projects that I could work on. This was one of two bunches of projects I took.

My embroidery guild has been doing stitching retreats at Elim Lodge since 1999. We usually stay in Hawthorne - a building with a big living room and newly added kitchen, 9 bedrooms, and 4 bathrooms with showers. 4 of the bedrooms are downstairs. Each of the 5 bedrooms upstairs has a little sink. Each bedroom has two twin beds but we didn't have to share a room with anyone. I generally take my own bath towel, foam pad (the beds are hard), a king duvet to roll myself up in, and my pillow. It's quite cozy and a bit of a treat not to have to share a room or a bed for a couple of nights.

We set up in the main chapel - one person to a 6 foot table.

This was my table. I sat in the empty chair at the front left. Marilyn sat to my right, then Barb, Lori Pengelly (of Pansy Patch Quilts and Stitchery) and her mom, Joan. Across the table from me was Jeanette and to her right was Yvonne.

At another juncture, I will take pics of the pieces that I worked on that I can show you. Lori gave me the chart for the next house so I worked on that most of Saturday and Sunday. 

Tonight I finished sewing together all the hexies for the quilted mat that I started a week and a half ago. At the narrowest points it measures 21 1/2" x 8".

The kit comes with the sashing for around the edge, backing fabric, and binding fabric. I hope to get it all assembled this week.

We are heading out of town on Saturday for Thanksgiving and have been invited to my niece's place for dinner on Sunday. We also plan to attend the Brigden Fall Fair which always falls on Thanksgiving weekend. The weather is supposed to be sunny all weekend and in the mid to high teens temperature-wise. I'll pack some sun screen just to be safe. Skip and I are looking forward to getting away again - having a change of scenery.