One word: Cute

How cute is that teenie weenie pumpkin.  Oh that's right you can't really see just how small it is, just trust me it is teenie.  It's definitely smaller than those tiny pumkins that you always want to get but have no idea what to do with, admit it you always want to get them when you see them.  I love this little guy.  I'm going to attempt to make a whole bowl to put in the center of the kitchen table.  Oh yeah the pattern can be found here, you know you want to make one.

Pinkie Goes Domestic

You heard it right folks, this chica is getting domesticated. As if the knitting wasn't enough, I'm making bread. I have fond memories of Momma Pinkie's bread starter and all the glorious bread that came from it. So I finally decided to give it a go. Actually it started when the neighbor offered to give me a bit of hers and I gladly took it, only to let it die. So yesterday morning I started one of my own.

I bet the Mr. was wondering what the hell I was doing this time. When I went in to check on it this morning it was all ballooned up, which means that more than likely it was when he got up this morning. The plus side, I've trained him well, he did not touch it. Nine more days until the Mr. comes in and says what's cooking, it smells good, or at least I'm hoping it goes more like that than the opposite.

Along the same domestic lines I've been cleaning like a mad woman. I don't know what it is but something about the weather and getting to open the windows puts me in the mood to clean. I guess I just imagine this clean house with breezes flowing through. So I have made a list of all the non norm things to do. Yes to all those remembering back to my cleaning schedule I am all about the lists, how the hell else am I suppose to remember what I need to do.

See that up there, one thing already checked off. Now I have a nice bag of kitchen utensils all ready to make their way to goodwill, actually it isn't goodwill but close enough. How I was able to fit three drawers worth of crap into 2 drawers I will never know. And why I felt the need to have not three, not four, but five, yes five ice cream scoops I will never know. Just getting rid of three scoops (yes, I'm still keeping two), two vegetable peelers, and two pizza cutters, gave me worlds of room in the drawers. Seriously this is all the crap I'm getting rid of.Now it doesn't look like a whole hell of a lot there but trust me it's at least one drawer if not more worth of crap. This Pinkie is going to have one happy Mr. when he comes home. He hates, no despises all of my clutter.

And just so I can continue to call Hal here a knitting blog...

...this is what I got from the dish cloth swap, minus a bit of candy that has already found it's way to the candy jar. I love the multicolored yarn and it looks great with the orange. I mentioned that my light blue kitchen looked surprising good with orange and my pal musta paid attention, or got lucky. Anyway this is why I like doing these here swaps, I would've never picked up that multicolored yarn on my own, and I would've been missing out cause I'm seriously diggin' it but now I don't have to cause I have some.

Time to feed Hal

Yeah to all of you who weren't there for the big start up, ok ok I can admit it, for all of you since you weren't there in the beginning you probably don't know that this here blog's name is Hal. So next time I mention Hal and you find yourself wondering "just how crazy is this lady" just know that while I am crazy (I mean who names their blog anyway) I am just not completely insane (I do not see dead people, who happen to be named Hal, and talk about feeding them all the time). I figure it's been over a week since my last update, I know big surprise, anyway I guess I figured it was time to give ya guys something.

Lately I have become somewhat addicted to dishcloths. Not too bad, but I did join a swap and convince Newbs to as well. I haven't received my dishcloth swap package yet (mailing deadline isn't until the end of next week I believe) anyway I did send mine out yesterday. I had fun searching for just the right pattern and yarn and of course knitting it. Can't post a pic in the off chance that she stumbles over to get any info, yeah I know very unlikely that someone else would voluntarily come to my blog but you never know. I can however post this....

See slightly addicted. In my defense most of these have been finished for a while and are just awaiting a needle and a nonlazy person to weave in the ends. I would say all but three still need the ends woven in.

I also realized recently that you haven't actually seen the above yet, well not felted at least. I'm really happy with how it turned out. And even happier that she is using it. Contrary to the above photo my cats are not the normal roll in a ball sleepers. They are more of the let's see how much room we can take up sleepers. She was just getting pissed at me for taking pics so this is her semi hiding semi leave me the hell alone pose. Anyway since they stretch out this bed is great because the sides, as you can see, fold down easily.And just because I love how this picture came out I'm including the one below too.

I had to sweet talk her into getting into the bed that day. But I just love how the light hits her sooo...

Just to show you how lazy my mail lady is. Yes that is my mailbox with the door wide open and yes the mail could go flying out. Oh and yes this was taken from inside through the blinds if you are by chance wondering what those dark things are going across the pic. And yes I just completely and randomly went way off topic there, oh well.

Also since I'm dragging out this post for as long as I can I just wanted to say that I did not forget your requested project Jelly Beans, I'm just waiting on the yarn to be restocked so I can actually place an order for it.

New Knitting Monday

So with a new week comes new knitting right. I have so wanted to knit my dog a sweater out of finger weight yarn for the longest time and as I was staring at her thought today would be the day I start. I don't know why but for some reason my own biggest accomplishments come from knitting things in smaller weight yarns. So I grabbed the newest skein of sock yarn I've bought and cast on. After the cast on and a few rows in I held it up to her, way too big. So out it came, and with it out went my idea of starting her a fingering weight sweater. It is a great idea though, I figure it won't be warm enough to keep her warm outside but it would be perfect inside. It would keep her a bit toastier while not making her too hot. Anyway I went in search of my next project. Why yes I could have picked up Wild Stripes but what fun would that be. Besides he's nice and tucked in in the guest bedroom, shhhh....he's sleeping. So I ran through my Ravelry queue trying to pick out which hat I would like to start. This is the hat I settled on...

yeah I know not much of a hat. It's actually a Klean Kanteen Kozy and frankly I think the baby sized ones are just the cutest little things. A few weeks ago I finally ordered the Mr. some of the Klean Kanteen bottles. I figured reusing the plastic toxin leaching bottles wasn't the best idea, although we've been doing this for quite some time and no ill effects as of yet. Anyway he's a freak about stainless steel so I knew he would digg these bad boys and digg he does. So after he used them for a couple of days he mentioned how cold the metal gets from being in his lunch box/cooler. Well I knew with the trusty needles in hand, a good skein of yarn, and a great pattern I would be able to remedy that problem. Now logically I know he will not use the covers. Ha do you really think he's going to be ridiculed at work? Hell to the no. But I figured if I ever use one then I'll have a great cover to keep my hands from getting cold. Now to get on top of buying those reusable shopping bags...

And just because I want to show off some more here's a bit of a blast from the past...

yep that's right today's post is all about the cozies. I knit this one a while back. The yarn is some I dyed myself and I actually really like it here. There is apparently an ice cream cozy in a book somewhere but none of the other patterns in there were screaming to me so I figured I could wing it. To this day this is one cozy that I feel everyone should have. I know some people are anticozy but the first time you grab that pint of ice cream out of the freezer and dip your spoon directly in the carton all the while your hands are remaining unfrozen, you will thank me for telling you you must have one. There is nothing that compares to the satisfaction of this guilty pleasure and I urge everyone to knit yourself an ice cream cozy so you too can be a bit more comfortable when indulging yourself with ice cream straight from the carton.

Why I knit

The house was pretty much in order today so that left me a bit more knitting time that usual. I did something that I haven't done in quite a while, I broke out the "pointy sticks" and turned on Cast On. Every time I listen to it, it reminds me of why I knit. I knit for the history; the history that is already in the knitting and the history that I'm making. Every time I pick up my needles I can't help but think of the generations long ago, I see their hands working the needles and the yarn slipping through their fingers. The last time I was knitting with my niece she started asking about "who made up knitting" and such. It just made me smile that she in her own way is thinking about the past of knitting. We discussed it for a bit about how much there was to knitting and how many people added to it in their own way and just the pure intelligence/engineering that that first person had to start knitting, or weaving, etc. One of my favorite episodes of Brenda's is the one where she discusses knitting memories. I know we've all picked up something we had knit a while ago and were immediately back where we were when we were knitting. We were back sitting on the beach, or driving to our eldest son's graduation, or just on the couch on an ordinary day with the sun sneaking in warming up the living room. The history, that is why I knit.

Nonknitting Sunday

Lazy Sunday is more like it. Lat night we went to some friends' house to watch the game....Roll Tide Roll. Another win for the Crimson Tide (not much of a win, but a win none the less). So anyway today I decided I wasn't doing a thing. The poor husband has different thoughts. He's been outside working all morning. Who knows what all is getting done but hopefully its not going to require me getting rid of more of my stuff. Why is it that every time he decides he's going to clean it turns into me sitting down and sorting through stuff and trashing half of it...

Now today hasn't been a total waste mind you. I broke out ole trusty (no not that, get your minds out of the gutter people, my sewing machine) and went diggin in the black hole, umm I mean my sewing closet. I had a great idea to make a needle case. Sadly the only material I could find was supposed to be made into the sister's bag last Christmas but there wasn't time so it's been sitting in my closet ever since.  And by the way I wasn't the slacker this time it was my Mother, for your information.  I've picked up the fabric a couple of times to use on something else but decided I better not well not today I said to hell with it and used it. She does have good taste though...

That's my Dad when he was little if you were wondering. Mom's right beside him but she didn't make it into the photo. I bet you didn't know that I was also a master on the sewing machine as well did ya? Yep that's me Pro Seamstress, ha. I went through a quilting phase and learned all things sewing, well a lot of things sewing.

I'm happy with how it turned out. I've made one before but it was out of white canvas and was just too plain. This one has a bit of character and spunk and a bit of edging on the inside (this is my fave part). Speaking of the other one I haven't been able to find it these past few days so that's why there is a lack of needles in the new case. It seems a bit big though so eventually I might make a smaller one. One that only holds a few sets so it's a bit easier to take on the go. It's only about 18"x24" (keeping in mind that the height allows for the top to be folded down a bit) but I would still like a tiny tot version. Anyway here she is in all her glory.

The Beast is Complete

well almost. It's in the machine felting as we speak oh oh oh hang on a sec...sorry I had to go check on it. Bet you want pictures don't you?
Doesn't tell ya much does it? Ha ha ha. Yeah so the husband decided to take a nap this afternoon so I was able to get this monster finished. For some reason I seriously underestimated this thing. It wasn't hard it just took quite a bit longer than I thought. But hopefully it will all be worth it. Sophie has already shown some interest in it see....Although she's probably just wondering what the heck it is and what it's doing on her chair. Yes it is upside down on a chair. How the hell are you supposed to get a picture of it, this was the best I could do. Check back later for the post felt grand finale photos...

Hint hint...

Yeah I can't keep a secret...at least you don't know what color it is.