5/3/21

Still moving forward.

Sometimes, moving forward is all there is.  It can't all be about fame, fortune and glory.  Sometimes, there's gotta be a workday or a nap day when there's no excitement.  Otherwise, life would be exhausting.

I did a little work on a lot of things last week.  I worked on the appliqué flower block, but all I got was the freezer paper templates cut out and ironed to the fabric and then traced around.  I only got one piece of fabric actually cut out.  I spent most of my time trying to move the sweater forward.  It's been a case of do a little, take out a little.  I finally figured out that I can take out more than one row at a time while loading it back on the needle.  That's a real timesaver.  It's not that I'm a bad knitter, but the instructions are very complicated and and there are a lot of individual patterns to keep up with as well as the overall weater pattern. I lose track, or think I'm doing the right thing and it takes a couple of rows to discover that I'm not.  Anyway, the sleeves are attached and I'm decreasing for the neck and shoulders.  


I also took a few hours on Saturday and Sunday to quilt the baby quilt.  I still need to go back and fill in some largish spaces that I created as I went and tie the knots, but then it will be ready to bind and wash and give away.   They're due the end of May and I'm going to finish just in time.  I quilted it with the wind pattern.  I've done that enough now.  It's time to come up with something different.  I love that pattern for all over quilting, but I don't want it to become my signature.  


We had a lot of rain last week.  April showers didn't happen until the last few days of the month.   On Saturday afternoon, it rained buckets.  But, I still managed to walk around and keep the dead flowers plucked and pull a few weeds.  This Siberian iris bloomed.  I didn't even know I had any Siberians left, but apparently, that little clump that hasn't bloomed...maybe ever has put up one bloom this year.  May this be the first of many years.  I love purple iris.  There's one last yellow in bloom and this purple and that should be it for the iris this year.  April is Iris month, May is for daylilies and they're putting out scapes all over.  


The blue salvia is also in bloom. This is the. most aggressive plant I know. It reproduces by both root and seed and containing it is my biggest chore.  I pull it up by the roots any place I don't want it to grow or it would take over the whole garden and the yard.  What I pull, I put in a pot of dirt to give away.  In two days, it recovers and is ready to share.  I have quite a little collection in back to put out for the neighbors.  When I give plants away, I always write up a description and for these, I always tell how aggressive they are.  Beware of anyone giving away a lot of any one plant.  That means something about plant hardiness.   (sorry, took a short break.  Rob opened the front door and a bird that was on the wreath flew in.  That'll wake you up quick!). 


In other news, last Wednesday was Rob's birthday.  Syd and her bf came over and we had Rob's favorite meal and a lot of laughs.  I tried to go all out, matching the tablecloth to the dishes and putting food in actual serving bowls instead of 'serve yourself from the pot on the stove'.   We had a good time, right up until I cut the birthday cake.  It was sooooo dry.  Even the cream cheese frosting couldn't make it right.  It was pretty, tho.  It's the second cake I made from my cooking for two cookbook.  It's the second bad cake I've made in a really long time.  I don't think I'll be using that cookbook for their cake recipes.  


I needed a cake win, so I baked a cake mix that I had in the pantry.  I baked it in three 6" pans.  Two were regular cake pans and the third was a deep springform pan.  I put about twice as much batter in the deep pan and baked them all.  The deep one is thick enough to cut in half and make another two layer cake.  I think I've hit on the solution to cake leftovers.  I stopped backing cakes because I end up eating cake for a week.  A 6" cake is gone in three days.  Yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  Simple and very tasty.  

That's it for me y'all.  Everybody have a great week.  Enjoy whatever you're working on.  And, stop to enjoy some little moments, too.  

Lane



4 comments:

Dot said...

You cannot be a bad knitter, all those glorious cables twining up your sweater. Not to mention that you "take out more than one row at a time while loading it back on the needle". It's also interesting that you can picture how you want all those cables to meet and then problem solve to make that happen.

You have an active mind, moving from one project to the next and doing them all very well. It is such a pleasure that you invite us to go along for the ride on each one.

Mari said...

The most agressive plant I ever had was bachelor button (which is also blue. Hmmm....) I eventually had to dig it up, put a large planter into the ground, plant the bachelor button in there, and then fill the rest with other soil. That helped a lot, but eventually I got rid of it because I was tired of dealing with it. You have such a beautiful garden!

Anonymous said...

Wow....lots happening at your house. Happy Birthday Rob. I didn’t know you could take out two knit rows at a time. Thanks for sharing. Mary

My Piece of Earth said...

Hello Lane:
When I make a cake for two, I usually make a Lemon Poke cake in a 13x9 pan. Save out portions for two meals and freeze the rest in individual containers, and just take out what I want. I have even placed the cake in the Microwave for about 10 sec. just enough to warm it up, tastes like I just took it out of
Just a thought.
Love the flower, and sweater is looking good, love the colour. I should get my needles out and make some things for my great grands, but quilting is my "go to" now.