books

I am continuing with previous mentioned knitting projects nothing new started.  I have not bought any new yarn in weeksYeah!! I really need to use up some of my stash.  So I am going to talk about books today.  Have you seen the book "Coastal Knits" by Hannah Fettig of  and Alana Dakos 

This is a beautiful book.  Not only are the patterns great but they have written a story behind the patterns.  Hannah lives in Maine and shows her pattern with the backdrop of her favorite places and beaches in Maine.  Alana lives in California and shows her knits at her special spots in that state.  The photography is beautiful.  They use locally made yarn.I have been thinking of a challenge and a direction to my knitting to knit every design in the book.  I tried to see if you can order the book from Amazon but it doesn't seem like you can.  You can order from their websites.
As usual I have been reading too. I recently finished "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta .  The Rapture has happened in this book and it is a story about those left behind.  It is a interesting idea.  Families are split up.  Why were some chosen and some not.  A lot of the chosen ones were not that nice. I am now reading the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson.  So far I like it .  Steve Jobs is around my age and did a lot of spiritual searching and I am interested in that.  I also want to read about his creative side. Started "The Marriage Plot" by Jeffrey Eugenides not that far into it keep getting side tracked.  All these books are available at Amazon.com.

Lastly ,Run to your neighborhood yarn or bookstore and get this magazine.  The patterns by Pam Allen are wonderful.  Of course made by Quince &Co. yarn.  Other patterns are great.  Many yarn stores are sold out of this magazine.  Hope to have a food blog later this week.

cupcakes

I need to do more blogs so i get better at this so here goes; As I mentioned yesterday it was my daughters birthday and I was making her cupcakes.  This recipe is my mothers and has been made hundreds of times.  It is the go to recipe for every school function.  My kids love it and always ask for it for birthdays .  They also freeze well.  Frost them put them in the freezer in zip locks and take out when needed.  My daughter turned 21 a milestone birthday but the highlight was my younger son with autism wrote a 160 page science fiction novel dedicated it to her and gave her the first copy.  He has been writing stores unbeknownst to me and this his first novel.  I think she was really touched.
Helen's Devil Food Cupcakes
1egg
 1/2 cup butter
1 and a half cups of flour
 1/2 cup cocoa
1cup sugar
i teaspoon vanilla
1teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk
 1/2 cup of boiling water
Put in the order given do not mix till the last ingredient has been added.  Beat well bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Frost when cool.  I just make buttercream frosting from the confectionary sugar box

off to knit

some knitting some books

Well I ripped out the cardigan I have been working on the past 3 weeks.  I was working on the sleeves and they just seemed so big.  This sweater was knit from the top down so i could try it on and see how it fit.  You know how you feel it is not right but you just keep going anyway hoping that it will be okay but you know in your heart it won't?  I love the yarn and I really want this sweater to work.  It is knit in Sparrow a linen yarn from Quince and Company so I will be starting over. 
Another sweater I am working on is the Abigail sweater again from Quince in Tern yarn which is wool and silk and just beautiful.  It is also Knit from the top down.  The pattern designer is Cecily Glowik Macdonald from Portland Maine.  I love her designs.  I mentioned in the last blog I got to meet her a few weeks ago at Purl Diva when I was in Maine.  She has a blog WingedKnits where you can see her patterns.  Her friend Melissa LaBarre also has a blog Knittingschooldropout.  I am doing one of her patterns now September Circle.  It is knit in String Theory sock yarn.  It is a fun pattern and great for travel

Have I finished anything you ask?  Well I almost finished a pair of socks.  Now for some pictures.
This is the view from the back of our house in Maine

Abigal Sweater

Socks I have been working on for months the yarn is Siddar nice and soft but I can't tell you much more.

Next is the September Circle Cowl.  I have been liking cowls lately you can just put them on no worrying about draping.

If you check out Quince and Company look at this pattern book by Cecily and Melissa.  I am obsessed with their patterns and yarns!!!!
That is it for today.  I have more knitting books to discuss and fiction I am reading but today is my daughters birthday and I have cupcakes to finish and going out to dinner.

Fall trip to maine

Purl Diva

I recently returned from a couple of weeks on the east coast .  I had a great time.  Spent time with my family,went to yarn stores.  Knitted Read books and enjoyed sitting outside and looking at the water.  The weather was beautiful and warm.  I went to the beach early one morning I was the only one there it was so peaceful. I also got to spend time with my sisters which is always fun and my parents.  The yarn stores were the best. Purl Diva http://www.purldiva.com in Brunswick is my favorite.  They have the most beautiful yarns and have started to carry Quince Yarn http://quinceandco.com/ made in Maine.  They have great patterns to go with the yarn.  Two of the pattern designers-Cecily Glowik Macdonald and Melisssa Labarre did a trunk show at Purl Diva and I got to meet them. As usual this blog post took me forever so I will do another soon with pictures of my yarn purchases and knitting projects. Enjoy so other pictures of Maine.

Turkeys in our yard  

Lobster Boat from Pemaquid Co-op that we see from the house