Knitting Off The Grid

Wind, Breathtaking Cloud Formations & Intarsia Knitting...........

2012-01-27T08:44:00.000-08:00

By later afternoon yesterday, the wind turbine had to be turned off due to high winds. We had a low pressure system blow through that created quite a picture in our skies.

Unfortunately, my digital camera just couldn't truly capture the amazing beauty that we saw.

The first of my new series for dogs and cats is now underway. Intarsia is my favorite form of knitting and I learned years and years ago that the secret to working with all those loose ends is "manageable lengths." For longer sections of color, I usually use about 6 foot lengths and less depending on the smaller areas. Outline stitches are always worked after the piece is completed and worked in with duplicate stitch. To me, it's like a puzzle and very hard to put down. This sneek peek is of the back only because I don't want to spoil the surprise for you when it's finally completed.

A Rainy Day in Tehachapi

2012-01-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

With 60 days of no rain or snow, it is now pouring outside my window. And I am loving it!

I just turned on the pellet stove and will now crank out another sock to match this one. Rainy days are wonderful for knitting, but who needs an excuse to knit, right?

And then in a few hours I'll pop some huge baking potatoes in the oven to go along with some marinated salmon and a little steamed broccoli on the side. YUMMO

A Gorgeous Sock Yarn....

2012-01-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

We have a wonderful little book store here called Books & Crannies and they're now starting to stock yarn and needles. Yesterday I popped in and found this new sock yarn - Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street Collection. It's fabulous! The actual yarn is "Petals Socks" and is a 50% fine merino superwash, 20% angora and 30% nylon blend. And the colors are just amazing.

I immediately made this pair of women's socks with it to add to our Etsy store. And do you know what's even better with this yarn? On the label it reads, "Debbie Macomber is donating all of her proceeds from the sale of this collection to help children all over the world." Now you can go out and buy some beautiful yarn and support a marvelous cause, too.

Wind Turbines Are Always a Mystery................

2012-01-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

Is it too windy? Should I turn it off? Can it take these rogue gusts? These are only some of the many questions we ask ourselves during high winds and almost always during the middle of the night!

Sunday night we had some pretty substantial wind gusts but we kept checking the turbine with a flashlight and it seemed to be doing just fine. It wasn't tilting backwards or at a strange angle (both being good indicators to shut it down).

And yet, by morning's first light, it was barely spinning even tho the winds were still strong. Finally, around 9 a.m., I walked down to the pump house and looked at the controls. We were getting a zero readout with no green or red light. It wasn't generating electricity. So, I shut it off and waited and tried again later in the day - still nothing. I finally called our wind turbine guy who came by yesterday afternoon.

I explained what had happened and he hit the switch and VOILA, it was up and running. My mouth just dropped open! Even tho we had no red lights flashing, which can mean that the winds are too strong and the batteries are filled to capacity, the turbine still shut itself off on Sunday night.

Phil decided that it was either just a fluke or indeed, the batteries were maxed out and the excess power was being thrown out through a special black box just for that purpose. I guess the bottom line here is that if we're going to keep it going during high wind times, we should get up in the middle of the night and vacuum the whole house! Use that power! My husband thought that baking a cake would be better!

We've been living off the grid now for 5 winters and still are learning the do's and don'ts of offgrid power systems.

High Tide Socks

2012-01-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

Doris has been busy cranking out some lovely socks! I'm trying to use up my pink yarn since Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

The stockings that I designed for Your Knitting Life Magazine are now on newstands - my dear friend Charlotte just let me know that she saw this issue at Barnes & Noble. Here's a link.

High Desert Views and Dear Doris

2012-01-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

Our daughter and her family love to head out northeast of California City to camp and ride dirt bikes. The high desert of California is an awesome place with views as far as the eye can see.

There's a special off road campground there, where you pay your fee and just plop your rv anywhere you want. You have to bring your own generator and all because there's absolutely no hookups.
It's only about a 40 minute drive from our house, so we drove out for a few hours and had lunch with them.

And here's a photo of our dear antique sock machine, Doris! Leslie asked for a photo and I know that many of you are quite intriqued with these machines. Many owners give them names and when this machine arrived from Canada, I just knew that "she'd" be able to whistle a happy tune once I got her up and running. So, she was named after Doris Day!

No Rain, Snow or Sleet..................

2012-01-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

This is our 5th winter in the California mountains and totally different than the first 4. We are close to 60 days now of zero rain, snow and sleet. While I'm loving this fantastic weather, I realize that we desperately need the moisture.

It really hits home when you drill your own well and want that water table to maintain it. We still have several more months of winter here, so we're all crossing our fingers and toes that some good snow falls very soon.

In the meantime, I'll continue to take my leisurely walks and enjoy the sunshine.

I'm back to building our sock inventory and just had to share a photo of this amazingly beautiful shade of blue. The yarn is called Yukon from Pagewood Farm. They're now in our Etsy shop but I really think they'd look better in my sock drawer!

Counting Inventory for the Tax Man

2012-01-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

Yep, even really small businesses like ours must do an inventory count each year. Now that that's done, I can get back to some serious cranking on our antique sock machine and start adding new items to our Etsy shop.

With this being an election year, I thought it would be nice to work up some patriotic scarves. This is a yarn that we get from Skacel and it's been quite fun to work with.

Now to some socks and we'll see if I can reach my goal of two pair today.

After Christmas Bargains for Sock Givers

2012-01-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

I am a huge knitter and giver of socks - maybe that's why I started a sock business! I love to visit Target and other various retailers after Christmas to see if I can find some great bargains. Yes, even at this late date there are some wonderful finds out there. Most people overlook the Christmas gift bags that are left, especially ones like these. But, at 10 cents each because they were a whopping 90% off, they will make some great bags for next year's Christmas sock giving.

Since we do various arts and craft shows also, I'm always on the lookout for bags to place the socks in for our customers. They not only leave smiling because of the handcranked socks but because they've been placed in fun bags. Add some pretty tissue paper and voila!

Tomorrow I absolutely have to get my inventory done and bring last year's ledger to a close. Then, this year's fun will begin and I will get some serious cranking done and new sock yarns ordered. So much to look forward to for sure!

Sock Plans for 2012

2012-01-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

I have such high hopes for our little sock business this year. I'm hoping to increase the amount of socks made on our antique sock machine and hopefully add some new designs and patterns also.

One design line that I'm working on is called "Catghans and Dogghans - Tail Wagging Afghans." These are whimsical blankets for dogs and cats that will definitely make their owners wish that they were for humans!

So, I hope that you'll follow along this year on our adventure of socks and all things knitted AND of course our life of living off the electrical grid in the California mountains.

We hope to add chickens to all this fun and I was lead to a fantastic blog (thank you so much Heather!) called Tilly's Nest. If you want to learn more about raising chickens, this is a must read!

We will also be offering some little giveaways along the way, so be sure to watch for those.

Little Boys, Calico and a Chicken Named Lucy

2012-01-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

We've had our two oldest grandsons during their Christmas vacation and decided to take them to Calico since they've never been. Spencer is 11 and Mitchell is 8 - perfect ages for such a trip!

We did warn them about the open mine shafts and that they were to stay away from them. Fortunately, signs are posted and we made sure that Mitchell read them.

Our son Rick loves to go to Calico and enjoyed the day as much as the boys. Here we are inside the silver mine which gives you a glimpse into what it was like back in the 1880's.

Boys love to climb and so a trip to the lookout point was on Mitchell's list of things to do. Here you overlook the entire town of Calico and even can see the vistas out in the desert beyond.

The boys couldn't resist this photo opportunity and either could I! In the background you can see the old school house. If you haven't been, it's really a remakable place to visit and take your family. On the way home, Spencer told me that Calico is better than Disneyland!

They just laughed and talked the whole way home and then we got on the subject of chickens and I told them that we've decided to build a chicken coop on our property. I told the boys that they could each have their own chicken. I asked Mitchell what he would name his and his answer was swift - Lucy!

I wish you all the very best in this new year and may your blessings be many.

The First Gift of Christmas Was..................

2011-12-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

In the movie, The Christmas Box, Richard Thomas enters Mary's (Maureen O'Hara) hospital room and says to her that he knows what the first gift of Christmas was. It was a child. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Merry Christmas to everyone and may we all be thankful for such a gift.

And our lucky winner is TeddynBarbie. Congratulations on winning a pair of our fingerless mitts. Please write me at tehachapisockcompany@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will get those off to you next week. Hope we made your day!

Some knitting news to announce: the upcoming issue of Knitting Today Magazine should be out in a few weeks and inside you'll find one of our designs. I won't spoil it, so you'll just have to peek inside! If you don't subscribe to it, I've seen it on the shelves at JoAnn's and I'm sure other newstands will also carry it.

I finished the "monsters" for our 8 year old grandson, Mitchell. He absolutely fell in love with Rebecca Danger's book of knitted monsters and even asked for the book! So, I included it and wrapped everything in a fun gift basket for him. I can't wait to see his face tomorrow morning when we go to Bakersfield.

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas tomorrow and thank you so much for your kind words throughout the year. It's always fun to have so many friends from all around the country (and world) who share your passion for knitting and are always there with lots of encouraging words. Merry Christmas to all!

The First Gift of Christmas

2011-12-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite tv movies is The Christmas Box with Richard Thomas and Maureen O'Hara. Have you seen it? In it, Maureen O'Hara asks Richard Thomas if he knows what the first gift of Christmas was.

If you can answer this question with the correct answer, your name will be entered in our drawing for a pair of hand cranked women's mittens. On Christmas Eve, I'll randomly draw one lucky name for our little giveaway.

This photo is not the actual mittens that we'll use, but I wanted you to be able to see the style when made on an antique sock machine. The yarn will be different and I'll choose something fun. Good luck and may this week before Christmas find you all in good health and enjoying this very special season.

I'm Knitting as Fast as I Can........................

2011-12-04T14:55:00.000-08:00

Three of the four items for the magazine project are now finished. Tonight I'll start the last one and then complete it tomorrow. Once blocked out, everything will be ready to ship out on Tuesday.

I'm still trying to crank out a few more items on our sock machine for our Etsy shop. What do you think of these Christmas mitts? I sure wish they were as quick to make as the socks, but I still enjoy making them. The construction is so different than hand knitted ones and you'd think that the thumb looks a bit landlocked, but believe me, it's not! Total movement when worn!

Then these very berry looking socks turned out quite nicely, also. We're down to only 9 pr of socks left in our Etsy store, so I really need to crank seriously the rest of the week. I bet you're all busy knitting for Christmas, too!

Have a great week ahead.

Vacations are wonderful, BUT................

2011-12-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

My husband's vacation is over and he's back to work now. Don't get me wrong, I adore my husband. He's a wonderful, wonderful Christian husband, father, grandfather and friend to all. We've been married almost 42 fabulous years. We think the same things and even complete each other's sentences! But, sometimes it's just a good thing to get back into your regular routine and have everyone where they normally should be.

He really is a great help around the house, but on holidays the safest place for him is to be out of the kitchen! Last year he volunteered to do the Thanksgiving dishes and unfortunately broke a favorite relish dish of mine. It was an accident and really was no big deal. But, this year I decided to just let him relax and I'd do the dishes.

I had everything neatly put away in the frig and everything cleared off the table except the butter dish. With my back turned, I heard a huge crash and quickly turned to see my husband standing ankle deep in turkey gravy. My mouth just dropped open. He had come into the dining room, saw the butter dish and decided to "help" by putting it in the frig. When he pulled out this one sliding rack, it caught the handle of the saucepan holding the gravy and slid it right out and onto the floor.

I didn't realize that gravy could splatter 5 feet in all directions - not to mention his shoes were covered in it. We had him slip out of them and just step backwards, hoping that he wouldn't step in anymore of it. The shoes were thrown out onto the back porch where Bo (being the yard dog that he is) completely licked them clean!

With that, the floor even got scrubbed, although I think bringing in the garden hose might have been easier! Next year, I'll remember to get everything in the frig before turning my back!

Knitting news: the mitts are going in the mail tomorrow! I hope to make a few pair now for Christmas presents and for our Etsy shop.

The project for the magazine is 1/4 of the way done now. I'm quite pleased with the results and will now focus on completing the rest. Hopefully, I can get a few more pair of socks made for our Etsy shop before Christmas.

So, I better get back to it and will write another post very soon - maybe even a little giveaway before Christmas!

Have a wonderful day!

A Wonderful Thanksgiving..............

2011-11-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

Another amazing Thanksgiving has come and gone all too quickly. My daughter, son-in-law, his brother and our three grandsons all came here to Tehachapi for the feast! There's just something special about going to grandma and grandpa's house AND of course the mountains! And the day was so delightful that we even managed a nice walk. Up here, kids can throw rocks all they want and they definitely wanted to!

Because my daughter and her husband both work retail, they had to be in their stores by 9 p.m. that night, so I rode home with them to stay with the boys. It is remarkable how busy eleven, eight and two year olds can be! Yikes, did I have a hard time keeping up!

The next morning my husband drove down to get me. Here he is with our youngest grandson, Carter.

I'm still plugging along on the fingerless mitts - almost done. Tomorrow the yarn for the magazine project is due to arrive. Once that's published, I will definitely let you know all the details.

Have a great week ahead!

Our Sock Winner is...........................

2011-11-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Sandra (Sandrada on Ravelry) for winning our Malabrigo socks! She's from the U.K., so this pair has a bit of a journey to reach her. Sandra, I sent you a message via Ravelry or you can write me at tehachapisockcompany@gmail.com with your mailing address. Hope we made your day!

And thank you to all for your kind comments on these socks. I read each and every comment and appreciate you visiting our blog.

Late yesterday afternoon our mountains got a dusting of light snow and we had a few flurries here on our property.

Early this morning before the sun came up, it looked like this!

I've passed the half way mark on the fingerless mitts order and just accepted a design offer from a knitting magazine with a deadline of Dec. 9th! Who needs sleep, right?

If I don't get back to do another post before Thanksgiving, my deepest wishes to you all for a most blessed and wonderful day.

Malabrigo Slouch Sock Giveaway!

2011-11-15T08:06:00.000-08:00

I made this pair of Malabrigo socks for our Etsy shop, but decided that the yarn was just too fine for our sock machine. I think most of our customers would prefer the ribbing to be much tighter. So, with that, I decided to give them away! The colors in this fiber are simply amazing and so vibrant. When worn, I have a feeling they will become more of a slouch sock and that's perfectly fine - they'll be nice and comfy for around the house.

They measure approximately 9 1/2 inches from heel to toe, so I give them a women's size M rating!

If you'd like a chance to win this pair of Malabrigo socks, just leave a comment on this post between now and Sunday, November 20th. On Monday (11/21/11), I'll randomly select one lucky name to win this pair of socks. Be sure to leave contact info (like Ravelry, etc) to make it easy for me.

Good luck and have a great week ahead. Now I'm back to the fingerless mitts order................

Hand Cranked Mitts?

2011-11-11T15:20:00.000-08:00

Yes! You actually can make mittens or fingerless mitts on an antique sock machine. I made one with just a simple slit and then made this one with more of a thumb gussett. This style had much more "curb appeal." I know it looks a bit strange, but when worn, the thumb has total movement and it looks wonderful.

As much fun as these are, I really prefer socks because these mitts are downright labor intensive and I have an order for 30 pair!!!! I can do it................I can do it..............

If you're wondering...................the mechanic came back up to work on our generator and increased the preheat and crank cycles to give it a better chance of turning over. Plus we tied a huge tarp across the opening where the generator is housed and so far, it's been coming on during the night in the extreme cold. We still may have to replace the glo-plugs in it, but for now we'll just keep our fingers and toes crossed that we can make it through to the new year.

Back to the mitts....................

Not Again!

2011-11-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it.............the lights went out again Saturday evening. Seems it's the same problem with the generator. It's doing its best to crank over, but just can't quite make it. Yesterday my husband pulled the battery out and ran a trickle charge to it, but it didn't help. So, bright and early this morning he made a call to the company that came up last time. They're due to call back later this morning to schedule a call out time.

Fortunately, we're getting rather good at improvising and even managed to get the pellet stove up and running with the help of our portable mid-size generator. If I can heat the house up with that, then turn it off, I can do some stove top cooking. The 2 small portable generators are each hooked to extension cords running through our bedroom window (the gap is sealed with tape because it's so cold now) and I can run our two floor heaters with those to keep the bedrooms warm. I can even connect one to our washing machine and do a load of clothes - which I'll do in a bit.

I know this sounds so crazy, but for me, one of the reasons moving up here was to actually have to "work" for my existence. My husband keeps reminding me that I got my wish! At times like this it can be a harsh way of living, but honestly I wouldn't trade it for my old life! We're in such a situation now, that we absolutely have to look up and that's THE best position to be in.

As far as knitting goes, I've been working on the above socks. These still have the waste yarn all in place and I hope to finish them up later this afternoon.

Since my power is limited today, I better end this post and will get back to all of you as soon as I can. Take care and keep warm!

Christmas Socks

2011-11-05T02:49:00.000-07:00

Now how fun is this sock yarn! It's Heart & Sole with Aloe from Red Heart. It went through our sock machine wonderfully well and I'm quite impressed with it.

I also started a pair with Sock Ease and will post those as soon as they're finished. I really thought by now that this addiction to making socks might end for me - it hasn't!

Have a great weekend.

Our Winner is..................

2011-11-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to CGuard on Ravelry! Please email me at Tehachapisockcompany@gmail.com with a mailing address and we'll get this right off to you. Hope that brought a smile to your day. I think that I enjoy this more than all of you!

We got our Christmas sock yarn in the mail yesterday and I hope to get a pair made up today. There should be a new post tomorrow with pictures!

Have a great and safe day.

Apple Strudel and a Little Giveaway.............

2011-10-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

Having a grandmother that was from Croatia always brought something special to my childhood, especially when it came to food. Probably the thing I remember most, was how her kitchen was always filled with the aroma of fresh baked apple strudel. Of course, they didn't have ready made fillo dough back then, so she made her own. I'd watch as she'd start with a mound of dough and place it on top of her cloth lined table. She'd gentle stretch it until the entire table top was covered. And never did it have one tear in it - skilled hands for sure.

I thought you might enjoy trying to make your own and filling your kitchen with that wonderful smell!

Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray with Pam.

Slice about 6 baking apples VERY thinly. Place them in a bowl of water while you prepare the fillo so that they don't turn brown.

Pull out about 4 or 5 sheets of fillo dough, keeping the remaining sheets well sealed. Brush the top layer with melted butter.

Place a single layer of apples on top; sprinkle lightly with white sugar (not too much) and add cinnamon (again, not too much).

Roll up carefully and place on the cookie sheet. Brush entire piece with melted butter.

Repeat again until you've used up all the apples.

Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for approximately 40 mintues or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Now, how about another little giveaway? I have one remaining skein of Sockina Cotton. Just leave a comment on this post ( be sure to leave contact info such as Ravelry, etc) and on Thursday, Nov. 3rd, I'll randomly draw one lucky name. Good luck!

Sock Time.............

2011-10-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's always sock time around here. But, at this time of year, Doris is really cranking 'em out! Who's Doris, some of you ask? She's our antique sock machine! Yesterday her and I made 4 socks and today our goal is 6! Can you imagine trying to hand knit that many even in a week?

It's always fun to see how the yarn will work up. I never intentionally try to match up the color sequence. Sometimes it does, but that's really a fluke! I prefer to just let the yarn have a mind of its own. That also makes each pair so unique and truly one of a kind.

All the socks get a good hand washing and then are blocked before adding them to our Etsy shop. They always look so nice after going through this process. Blocking can really make a difference with hand knits.

Years ago I had a customer in my shop that was having trouble with a front button band on her vest that was refusing to lay flat. She said that she had tried everything. So, I recommended some serious blocking. Really serious. Wet it, pin it, allow it to dry and repeat the process until it laid flat. A week later she came back and was shocked that it had worked! Blocking is a good thing!

I think Monday might be a good day to have another little giveaway, so I hope that you'll check back then to see what we have in mind! Have a great weekend.

Claire Won our Little Giveaway!

2011-10-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Claire (SierraK on Ravelry) for winning our skein of Sockina Cotton. I just sent you a message via Ravelry. You can send me your mailing address from there or write me at: tehachapisockcompany@gmail.com

I think that's a good way to start a new week, don't you? I think on our next post, we'll have another itsy bitsy giveaway.

And now for some really big news. I found Prell shampoo at Walgreens! Same great smell and boy does it fluff up your hair. Even my husband loves it! (just had to share that news!)

More sock pictures are on the way - I've been cranking like crazy with the Christmas season just ahead. And today I'm hoping to order some Christmas sock yarn. Can't wait to see how it will work up.

Have a great day ahead and thanks so much for your fun comments on all your favorite shampoos.

When Did That Happen?

2011-10-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm the first to admit that I lead a somewhat reclusive lifestyle. It isn't that I don't like people, I just don't enjoy crowds, noise, traffic, crowds, long lines and crowds! That's probably why I live on the side of a mountain where even the mail man won't come!

Well, last week made me realize that I really am losing touch with the outside world. I decided to run to Kmart and look for some Prell shampoo. As the 'ole hair seems to be getting thinner and thinner, I remembered how much I loved that shampoo and how it made your hair feel thicker and it smelled wonderful. I searched the shampoo isle from end to end and top to bottom. Finally, a sales clerk walked by and I asked her if they carried Prell shampoo.

"Prell?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied back.

"I've never heard of it," she said with a strange look on her face.

That night I came home and told my husband about this and he almost fell off his chair in laughter. "They haven't made Prell shampoo in years!"

Ok, so my life is a bubble. I can live without Prell shampoo and I'll just quit asking stupid questions when I find myself in public!

How about a little giveaway to get my mind off the shampoo? On Monday, Oct. 24th, I'll randomly draw one lucky name to win this skein of Schoeller + Stahl's Sockina Cotton yarn. Just leave a comment on this post and tell everyone what your favorite shampoo is! (ok, so I didn't get my mind off it!) Please be sure to leave contact info (like Ravelry, etc) to make it easy for me.

I may be in a bubble, but it's a happy bubble and I've been cranking like crazy for our Etsy shop. Did any of you ever read the Pipi Longstockings books when you were little? I'm convinced that's when my love affair with socks and stockings began!

UPDATE: Amazon.com for Prell shampoo? I'll check it out. I also heard that maybe Walgreens carries Prell! Can it really be true? Stay tuned and I'll let you know, ok?

More Socks and Even a Scarf................

2011-10-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

Just got these two pair of socks finished and in our Etsy shop.

And even managed a short little scarf.

This afternoon I plan on putting some good music on and cleaning this messy studio of mine! Next post (for sure!) we'll announce our next little giveaway!

Yukon Sock Yarn Winner.............

2011-10-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Before I announce who won our skein of sock yarn, I must thank all of you for your wonderful and moving comments. Life can throw some very difficult obstacles in our path, yet I see such thankfulness from all of you. As I read each and every comment I was so touched and pleased that you would share your thoughts. Please know that you all have been lifted up in my prayers.

And now, on to the winner! Sara of SareBearKnits on Ravelry was the lucky name drawn. Congratulations Sara! I wrote you via Ravelry, but if you're reading this post, please write me at tehachapisockcompany@gmail.com and let me know where to send your skein of Yukon. Again, congratulations!

We'll be having another giveaway very soon, but first I must figure out what it will be !

Some knitting news: I finished the project for the magazine and placed it in the mail on Saturday. As soon as I'm allowed to mention it, you will be the first to hear the news! (probably won't be until the new year tho)

So, now it's back to cranking out socks on "Doris". For those of you who are new to our blog, "Doris" is our antique sock machine. She's somewhere between 85 - 100 years old and makes gorgeous socks! I'll post pictures on tomorrow's blog and will start working on a new giveaway very soon.

I wish you all a wonderful day ahead and may you continue to find much "thankfulness" in your life.

Let's Celebrate With a Little Giveaway.....

2011-10-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

What a scrumptious morning sunrise! And finally, the worst is behind us. 3 out of the 4 repair jobs have been completed. The wind turbine's shock absorber was re-welded to the frame, the diesel generator was fixed and yesterday the electrician re-wired the ceiling fan that my husband put in and made a change inside the wall switch. Next up will be the pellet stove guys and hopefully there won't be any electrical problems with that. They should be up next week, which is absolutely fine because our temps have warmed back up and the days have been in the low 80's.

And with all that wonderful news, let's have a little giveaway for this skein of Yukon hand dyed sock yarn. Just leave a comment on this post and tell everyone what you are most thankful for. Please make it easy for me and leave contact info (like Ravelry, etc.). On Monday, October 17th, I'll randomly draw one lucky name.

It's good to be back up and running with power and the ability to spend more time on the computer. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

A Quick Update..............

2011-10-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

We're still limping along without our main generator for backup, but by golly we're doing it! Pure Energy Co. came up on Friday and got our wind turbine running, so at least when there's wind, it's charging our 32 batteries. That is keeping our frig going all day and one lamp in the evening. The problem was what would we do if the wind stops. So, this company attached a power cord to our inverter inside the pump house, and we can connect that cord to our mid-size generator and get the batteries back up. The wind has been stopping during the night, so we've been running this for about 4 hours.

Then we also have two of these smaller Honda generators and they're capable of running a floor heater, tv or washing machine when needed. Not all three at the same time tho. After my husband left for work this morning, I started one up and used my curling iron (a girl has to look half way decent, right?), then washed a load of clothes and finished up ironing some shirts. It's not the most convenient way of doing things, but it's very do-able!

One of our worries is the well. We've had to turn it off because even the mid-size generator can't handle that load. Our external tank holds 5,000 gallons of water and we're at 3,500 right now. So, we are really trying to conserve our water usage. I ran to Kmart and got paper plates, towels, cups and spoons to just throw away during this time. We're also filling our water buckets and arrowhead type jugs at our neighbors' house and that has been a huge help.

While I was at Kmart, I checked their camping section and found these solar showers! How fantastic are these! They hold 5 gallons and you just place them in the sun during the day and then in the evening you can take a hot shower! I bought two of them and my husband managed to place a 2 x 4 over our shower and then we can hang these bags right inside the shower stall. Did you know that you can actually get a decent shower with only 2 1/2 gallons of water?

Our son (who is learning disabled and someday I will share his story) just can't deal well with this kind of an adventure, so he's staying with our daughter and son-in-law. Actually, the less people using the resources we have available is much better at the moment.

The company that works on these Italian generators will be up tomorrow morning at 9, so cross your fingers and toes that they can figure out the problem and hopefully have the right parts. ($125 per hour from the time they leave Bakersfield!!!)

I'll post another update as soon as I can. Many, many thanks to all of you for your prayers and good wishes.

Take care.

When It Rains...................

2011-10-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry that there's no pictures today, but I just wanted to let you all know that I will be offline for several days. Remember I told you about having our pellet stove fixed this week, but that they discovered an electrical problem at the wall switch (or with the ceiling fan that my husband put in!) and it was causing a loop over to the stove. They wanted an electrician to check all that out first and I had that scheduled for tomorrow.

Well, last night while the rain was beating on our windows and a dusting of snow was falling on our mountain tops, our entire off grid system went down. We put on our rain gear and went out to the pump house, but the generator just wouldn't turn over. My husband checked fuel lines and everything he could think of. With that, we shut down the inverter to the generator but kept the one on that goes to the wind turbine.

We've shut all applicanes off except for the frig. First thing this morning, we called the company down in Bakersfield that works on these Italian generators and they seem to think it's this one certain part but of course don't have it in stock. In fact, that part isn't anywhere in California! It has to be overnighted from Wisconsin! And it wouldn't even come in until late tomorrow, which means they won't be coming up until Monday.

With all of that, I cancelled out the electrician. Kinda hard to have him work on the electrical if we're limping along with little power.

Then, if that wasn't all crazy enough, my husband comes in with this awful look on his face and I say, "Now what?" The wind turbine's shock absorber is now dangling from the top! At least it's still working but for how long? So, he calls that repairman and he's coming tomorrow. He might also be able to take a look at the diesel generator since he installed both systems.

Can anything else go wrong? Fortunately, we have two small Honda generators and one is running an electric heater in our front room and the wind turbine is keeping the frig going.

My computer battery is dying, so I'm signing off for now. Keep us in your prayers and we will keep our eyes upward. It's times like this that keep us closer to the Lord and for that I'm very thankful.

Bye for now............

A Rainy Day.................

2011-10-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Just finished these two pair of socks. Aren't they fun?

Now, I have a confession.................

I broke with my usual mode of operation and actually matched up the color sequence! I know, I'm as shocked as you are!

Today we have our first "winter" storm blowing in so it's a good day to stay home and knit socks and work on the magazine project.

Our pellet stove is down so I'm without heat today. I do have a portable heater that I can turn on if necessary. But, the winds are really gusting, so I ran out and put the brake on the wind turbine. If need be, I'll just throw on a flannel shirt.

The repairmen were out yesterday to see what's going on with the stove. The wall switch has one rocker switch and two halves. He wanted to turn the ceiling lights on above the stove to see better but hit the ceiling fan switch instead which ALSO sent a surge to the pellet stove. With that, he bellowed out "WOW" did you hear that? Now, we've had this quirky thing going on ever since my husband put in the ceiling fan (all by himself!) We've kinda just shook our heads at it because the pellet stove motor goes right back off.

Well, this guy yesterday said that it is extremely dangerous and that the pellet stove isn't even on that circuit. With that, they shut it down and said an electrician has to come and see what's going on before they can repair the pellet stove. His thinking is that this electrical surge from the ceiling fan has been sending short bursts of electricity to the stove and probably fried the control board.

As I think back to when my husband put in the ceiling fan, I remember him saying, "Gee, there's an extra wire up here!"

Life's always exciting with my hubby!

Apples, Pumpkins and Little Boys............

2011-10-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Our grandsons came up yesterday and boy did we have a ball! We started out at our favorite apple orchard............

Then proceeded to one of the local pumpkin patches..............

Even two year old Carter really got into the action. (By the way, look at his shirt. Our daughter said that he won't wear any shirt unless it has numbers on it! Go figure!)

There even happend to be some little Alpacas on the farm next door.

And just as we were leaving the pumpkin patch, these two horses walked by and Mitchell decided to share an apple with them.

It's always fun to have the boys up and then once they leave, the house becomes way too quiet!

Afterwards, we decided to just sit outside for awhile and enjoy the marvelous fall afternoon. I always love to stare up at the top of our mountain and as I was doing so, I saw smoke. Couldn't believe my eyes because everything right up to the top of the ridge on the other side has already burned.

My husband ran and got his binoculars and sure enough he could see a bit of a flame and more smoke. With that, I called 911 and explained to the dispatcher what we were seeing and where. She said that they had had several calls earlier in the week and it was just dirt devils. I told her that we had seen some flame along with the smoke and she said to have my husband look one more time carefully. I was really getting the feeling that she didn't believe me! But then, it's been almost a month since the fire came through up there so why would there be a problem now.

We confirmed again to her what we were seeing and about 10 minutes later we saw one lone fire pickup coming up the road and heading toward the old burned area. Probably just to check it out before calling in the troops! About 20 minutes later we saw 3 "hot shot" trucks making their way up, too.

At least we weren't loosing our minds and actually did see something on fire. The only thing we could think of was that a tree had been smoldering all these weeks and maybe had fallen and broken open and the wind helped to ignite it a bit. Fortunately, it wasn't anything serious and the ground crews got it all out.

Today it's back to knitting the project for this knitting magazine and maybe cranking out a sock or two.

Hope your week ahead is a great one.

More Sock Yarn Please.................

2011-09-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

We just received these two colors of Trekking XXL from Skacel Yarn Co. and I can't wait to see what the socks will look like. I really enjoy the bright colors like the red one, but we have customers who prefer the more traditional in sock colors, so the blue will be perfect for them.

And if I didn't have enough sock yarn already, I picked up these two colors yesterday at JoAnn's. But, they're for me and not our sock business. I'll get pictures up as soon as I can get some socks cranked out.

The yarn arrived for the project that I'm doing for a magazine, so my posts may be a bit scattered here and there. If you smell smoke, it's just my needles working overtime! The deadline is October 26th and I really try to get everything to them a good week before it's due. Can't share the details, but you'll get to see it probably in February!

Have a wonderful day.

Doris is Crankin' Away..............

2011-09-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

I've made hundreds of pairs of socks and I think this colorway is my all time favorite. I found this yarn at JoAnn's and it's their "Sensations" line (Soles & More). To me, these are the most inviting socks and I can just hear my feet saying, "Put me on, put me on!" Unfortunately, they just went into our Etsy shop!

Next time I drive out to Lancaster, I'll stop and buy myself two skeins of this yarn. My feet will be so happy!

Colors of the Rainbow..............

2011-09-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd pop in for a minute and show you these bright socks that we made yesterday. They're a women's L (10 - 12) and just were put in our Etsy shop. Don't you love those colors?

I also ordered more Trekking XXL from Skacel Yarn Company and we should be getting that sometime next week. Their yarns are downright delicious!

Squidmeyer the Bedbug...........

2011-09-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Our next bedbug pattern is almost up and running. Just some proofing of the pattern and putting it into a PDF format. It should be in our Etsy store by tomorrow.

It's a quick (he's only about 5 1/2" tall) and easy pattern to knit and sure to bring a smile to whoever receives him. He wanted me to tell you tho, that he prefers homes with older children because rough play scares him! (he's very tender hearted)

A Good Day to Make Socks...........

2011-09-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

These socks were made yesterday and just came off the drying rack. I also managed to get lots done around the house yesterday, so today I can "play" and make more socks.

I'm waiting for some yarn to be delivered for a new project for a knitting magazine and I'm thinking it'll either arrive today or tomorrow. So, while I wait I might as well crank out some socks. Pictures are sure to follow!

Have a great day out there.

Our Sock Pattern Winner.............

2011-09-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Heather who won a downloadable copy of our newest pattern, "Yukon Socks." I think you'll really enjoy this pattern, Heather.

Yesterday I finished up this pair of socks made with "Step" and just listed them in our Etsy shop. If you haven't worked with Austermann's Step yarn, you really should try it. Oh, it's fabulous!

Our Newest Sock Pattern is Here!

2011-09-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

I've spent the afternoon typing, proof reading and taking pictures. Our "Yukon Sock Pattern" has just been listed in our Etsy shop. I always find it terribly exciting when all this comes together and the finished product brings a smile to my face.

In the morning, I'll add the pattern to our Ravelry store, too.

But, in the meantime, how about a little giveaway for a free downloadable copy? Just leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite sock yarn is, and on Tuesday, September 20th I'll randomly select one lucky winner for this "Yukon Sock Pattern."

The yarn is from Pagewood Farm and one skein (450 yds) will make these lovelies up. The pattern calls for U.S. size 2 double pointed needles and the main pattern is an easy 4 row rib pattern. This stitch pattern gives lots of stretch and makes the socks cling nicely to the leg and foot.

Be sure to leave contact info to make it a wee bit easier for me. Good luck and I'll see you all on Tuesday morning.

And Who Won Our Little Giveaway?

2011-09-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your kind comments about our newest little pattern, "Wegis the Bedbug." The random number drawn was "Frayedattheedge." Congratulations! I will be getting an email right off to you with the pattern attached.

This morning we're heading into town because our fall arts and crafts show is this weekend. It's always fun to see all the beautiful items - we have some amazing artists locally. And many come from out of town with their treasures, too. I didn't enter because I just don't have enough inventory at the moment. Guess I better get cranking out those socks!

One bit of news tho: our newest sock pattern is only days away from being completed. Actually, the pattern is all written, but I'm just finishing up the second sock and wanted to make sure this particular yarn had enough yardage. This pattern just may be our next little giveaway, so if you're a sock knitter like me, stayed tuned!

Have a wonderful weekend.

A Bedbug Size of a Giveaway........................

2011-09-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

If you'd like a chance to win a downloadable copy of our latest pattern "Wegis the Bedbug," just leave a comment on this post. On Saturday, Sept. 17th, I'll randomly select one lucky name. Be sure to leave your contact info to make it easy for me, ok? My printer is down, so I can only zoom this off to you via the internet.

Good luck and we'll see you on Saturday...........now I'm off to work on our sock pattern and maybe start a hat pattern.

Wegis the Bedbug............

2011-09-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

He's not a very big guy (less than 7 inches tall), but have you ever seen a tall bedbug? I can't even tell you what prompted me to design such little creatures! Except maybe for the hope that they'd be simply adorably cute and everyone would want to make one!

I just need to type up and proof the pattern and then it will be added to our Etsy and Ravelry stores. I'm hoping that will happen today, but give me until tomorrow for sure, ok?

By the way, Wegis has 3 other little bedbug friends that will be making their appearances very soon.

I think on tomorrow's post we'll do a little giveaway - it's about time, right? See you then...........

Building That Christmas Inventory............

2011-09-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Now that my other deadlines have been completed, it's time to seriously work on our Christmas inventory for our Etsy shop. This new pair is made with Austermann's Step yarn that is infused with aloe vera and jojoba oil - another one of my favorite yarns!

I'm trying to make at least one pair of socks each day while also working on some new patterns to add to our shop. Tomorrow I'll share a picture for you of something a bit off the wall that I'm working up. The original models are already done, but I'm retesting the pattern and knitting new samples. Here's a hint: my grandsons absolutely love them and have already put dibs on each one!

Ok, ok, here's one more hint: The first one is named "Wegis."

Are you intriqued? You'll just have to wait and see tomorrow's post!

Smoky Skies and Hand Cranked Socks...................

2011-09-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Fortunately, no homes are threatened at this time but the winds have once again shifted and the Tehachapi valley is engulfed in smoke. There's several fires to our west and also down in the San Joaquin valley that are bringing the smoke up into our mountains.

It's so bad that we've had to close all our windows and try to stay inside. So, when you can't go outdoors, the best thing to do is crank out some socks!

This pair was finished up yesterday and ready to be added to our Etsy shop. The yarn is Yukon from Pagewood Farm and it's a wonderful fiber - merino superwash/bamboo/nylon. And did I say hand dyed also? Very yummy.

I'm still working on the sock for our next pattern in the evenings and will get that up as quickly as possible. The projects for the yarn company were put in the mail on Friday, so now I have a bit more free time to get back to cranking out socks on Doris and Zak. If you're new to our blog, Doris and Zak are our sock machines. Doris is an antique and Zak is a new machine from New Zealand.

Thanks so much for all your comments - I really look forward to hearing from you all and wish you a wonderful day ahead.

More Fires ..............

2011-09-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

These top two photos show the devastation from the recent fire that was just above where we live. 14,000 acres were lost, 32 homes and two men were killed in the plane that crashed.

Early this morning the monsoons arrived which bring in unstable air that's usually filled with dry lightning. Sure enough, just to the west of Tehachapi this fire broke out and they're fighting it with everything they have.

This is a view from our back steps. Right now we're having strong winds that are coming off the desert, but usually by evening the winds will either stop or shift completely and blow from the west. Many, many homes are up in there along with the community of Golden Hills. Unfortunately, this weather is due to stick around through tomorrow.

We're completely safe where we live, but it will be a long night for the different communities in the area. Technically, we're all Tehachapi, but within our mountains are places like Stallion Springs, Hart Flat, Keene and Bear Valley Springs.

Please hold good thoughts for everyone up in our neck of the woods.

Fire Update..................

2011-09-07T08:03:00.000-07:00

This morning's news is reporting that our canyon fire (as they're calling it) is now 40 percent contained with 13,500 acres burned.

Here you can see the helicopter using the sump that's about a 1/4 mile below our house. Thank goodness for the 21 inches of rain we had last winter.

We counted 7 choppers yesterday but couldn't see the water bombers because they're out on the backside of our mountains.

Some of the distant canyons are still smoldering so the firefighters are continuing to drop water on the hotspots.

The worst is now over and once the back road to the desert is reopened, we'll go up and get some pictures.

Thank you all for your prayers and concerns.

Fire Watch..................

2011-09-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning a small plane crashed into one of the canyons behind our ridge of mountains. This first picture was taken about 2 minutes after the crash.

From there, the fire just escalated.

Below you can see one of the mosquito helicopters that are helping fight the fire. This morning's briefing said that 6 copters, 7 water bombers and one DC10 are fighting this monster. So far, it's only 5% contained with 4,800 acres lost.

It started very close to last year's fire, but it really hit hard the Blackburn Canyon area and then spread west and east and back into the Old West Ranch area where many homes were lost last year.

Just before dusk last night, the fire reached the top of the ridge and we watched the flames soar into the air.

All night long we watched but knew we were not in harms way because the fire had really laid down during the nighttime hours. We had both vehicles loaded and were ready just in case.

Today will be another noisy day as the copters are watering up in the sump just to our north and the well to our east. It's amazing to watch how they fight this fire. The copters go in one after another and drop their water loads while the planes are gone. Once the planes are reloaded then they attack the fire and the copters go into a holding pattern.

The glider airport to our east is once again a staging area and all the tow planes and gliders are grounded.

I'll keep you updated and please do remember all these heroes that are fighting this fire.

This afternoon we are expecting thunderstorms and that's a flip of the coin - could bring rain or lightning.

He Paints While She Knits.................

2011-09-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

A hundred years ago, my husband was a painter (the house kind). He's one of those types of people that actually enjoy painting. Thank goodness!

The walls in our house were originally painted in 3 colors. The ceiling was an off white, the walls were sort of peachy and all the baseboards, doorjams, doors and window sills were bright white.

So, we decided that a darker shade might look good on some of the walls to tone it all down a bit.

The hardest part was deciding which walls to do and not going overboard. I think it turned out splendidly!

So, while my husband was busy doing all of that, I've been knitting away on these projects for a yarn company that I still can't tell you about!

But, I can show you the sock pattern that I'm still working on for our Etsy and Ravelry stores. I switched yarns and need to finish up the second green one and then type up the pattern.

It's a fancy rib pattern down the leg and foot and I really like such patterns for socks because it adds stretch and conforms to the foot so nicely.

Give me a bit longer and I'll get it up and running as quickly as I can. We'll even do a giveaway soon for the pattern.

Hope your Labor Day weekend is a great one.

60 Watt Tea

2011-08-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's what I call it! Most people make "sun tea" by just placing the jar with the tea bags and water in the sun. For some wierd reason, I prefer to just make it on my kitchen counter - thus the name, "60 watt tea."

And it'll even work on a cloudy day!

I'm sure you're all thinking that I must be hard up for something to write about - ok, I am! But, there's a reason.........

I've been working away on 3 items for a yarn company and since I can't discuss what they are, I certainly can't show you any pictures either! Hopefully, in a few months they'll place the finished items on my Ravelry page and then you can have a peek.

And if you haven't made 60 watt tea, give it a try!

Tehachapi Mountain Festival....................

2011-08-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was our annual mountain festival. With it comes the huge car show called "Thunder on the Mountain."

Our daughter and her family came up and even two year old Carter seemed to enjoy the day.

The cars were amazing and we all found our favorites from times gone by.

The weather was perfect and it was a good thing, because we must've walked at least three miles that day!

What, no power?

2011-08-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Living off the grid is almost always filled with a glitch of some kind. Wednesday we woke up at 5:30 to find our entire system was down. I kept telling me husband, "at least it isn't the dead of winter!" That still didn't make him feel any better.

We ran out to the pump house and checked the generator first. We noticed that the radiator was wet on the front. Hmmmmmmm Upon a closer inspection, my husband saw that the fan belt had broken. Fortunately, he had a spare and was able to replace it. The only thing he didn't have was a jug of coolant, but Auto Zone would be open at 8.

This Italian generator is huge and quite complicated and eventually there will be some things that my husband just won't be able to fix. Until then, let's hope that the glitches are small and manageable.

In the photo you can see the 3 extension sections that my husband added to the exhaust pipe. When the pump house was built, they didn't plan on proper ventilation for the exhaust and the generator has been coughing and sputtering on its own exhaust fumes - not to mention it clogs the air filter. This sure solved that problem.

On a lighter note, I thought you'd enjoy seeing these brightly colored socks that just came off Doris. The color is called rainbow sherbert and the yarn is from Pagewood Farm. That little bit of added bamboo sure makes them shiny and soft.

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for your comments. I enjoy them so much and feel like you're all dear friends.

A Photo Op...........

2011-08-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a photo opportunity lands right at your doorstep. Or maybe I should say that one "trots" by your doorstep!

This is a Clydsdale named Gracie that lives just down the road. I couldn't believe how tall she was - not to mention gorgeous. Can't help but wonder what the food bill must be each month!

Have a wonderful day.

Fingerless Mitts on a Circular Sock Machine..............

2011-08-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Handwerks
for creating this wonerful pattern for the fingerless mitts on a CSM. I could never have figured this one out on my own!

What's really spiffy too, is that the mitts can be used on either hand.

I used the Bungee sock yarn from Plymouth for this mitt because of the stretch factor. It sure makes it easier to pick up the side stitches along the thumb.

Once you do one, then you get a better grasp for the method of construction. The thumb isn't "free" like a hand knit, yet you have complete mobility with it when worn.

Basically, you knit the cuff ribbing, then some stockinette and finally reach the thumb. At this point you place the back needles into non-working position and work only on the front needles for the thumb and gusset.

Weights are critical at the edges to keep the stitches from jumping off. Once, the thumb is knitted, then you add waste yarn and remove those stitches. The scary part now begins and you pick up the side stitches of the thumb and place them on the front needles.

With all the needles back into working position, you knit the hand portion followed by more ribbing at the top to keep the mitts nice and tight around your fingers.

It took me one practice mitt before I felt confident to make a "real" pair.

I get the feeling that the mitts are slightly more intense than making a pair of socks, but with time my confidence level will increase.

Have a wonderful day!

Sock Yarn Winner................

2011-08-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Lorraine! She's our winner of the Bungee Sock Yarn giveaway. I just made a fingerless mitt on our antique sock machine with this yarn and will be sharing all about it on the next post. I'll be sending you an email Lorraine to get your mailing address. Enjoy your sock yarn.

A Couple of Updates...............

2011-08-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't been able to sleep at night wondering how the plastic bag idea is working with our squirrel problem........................ Well, we still have fruit! I've caught a couple of squirrels sitting near the trees just staring at them, but none have ventured up into them. Probably, because they can't figure out how to get past the bags. I placed a bag around a couple of the apples to see what that would do..........don't try it............it got way too hot inside and the fruit spoiled. But, at least we've managed to bumfuddle the squirrels for now!

And of course, I'm sure last year's pumpkin is also on your mind. It's still going strong. At this rate, we won't have to buy one for this Halloween. It's crazy ridiculous that a pumpkin can last this long just sitting on your kitchen counter.

Yesterday we visited two local farms and stocked up on tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, beets, onions and peaches. My guys requested a pie of any kind, so peach it was.

Today there will be no baking on the to do list. Instead, I'll be making some fingerless mitts on our antique sock machine. Pictures to follow!

Tomorrow is our Bungee Sock Yarn Giveaway. Check in then to see who the lucky winner is.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Wake Up Socks..............

2011-08-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Put these socks on in the morning and they're sure to wake you up! Actually, they're much brighter than the photo shows. Bet you can't guess the color name. It's a bit obvious - "lime!" The yarn is Yukon from Pagewood Farm which is a merino wool, bamboo and nylon blend. We do offer several colors of this yarn in our Etsy shop if you're thinking about knitting some socks. It's a wonderful fiber to work with and I'm sure you'd enjoy it.

I've had several questions on the book about bread baking. It's called "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. How great to make a large batch, keep it in the frig and just pull out a grapefruit size wad when you need it.

It's funny, I've always equated knitting socks to baking bread. Both give that huge "wow" feeling when they're all done. I can remember telling my yarn shop customers that over and over again. Guess that's why those two activities are my favorite.

Hope you all have a wonderful day................

Two of My Favorite Things..................

2011-08-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

Baking and knitting are such creative outlets and definitely at the top of my "favorite things to do" list. With the cost of bread rising in the stores, I decided it was time to make my own each day. I saw this wonderful new book on Crafter's Choice and I just had to have it.

They give you this wonderful recipe that you make in a large batch (no kneading and no gooey hands!) that you keep in the frig and just take out each day a portion to make your daily loaf. My husband and son love it, and now the house is filled with the smell of fresh bread everyday!

I finished the purple hand dyed sock and decided to try the pattern in yarn from Pagewood Farm, too.

Since this yarn is slightly thinner, I had to rewrite and test the pattern. As soon as this green sock is completed, I'll be able to offer the pattern.

What I love about it is that this decorative rib hugs the leg and foot very nicely and gives a yummy fit. Of course, the yarn is absolutely wonderful, too!

A Country Outing..............

2011-08-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

We all love a drive in the country, so yesterday seemed like the perfect day to do it.

We visited some country "garage" sales and then headed for Tangleweed Farm.

Someday, I'd love to have an old wagon sitting on our property.

Our grandsons would love playing in it.

Tangleweed's sunflowers were amazing........

As was their lavender.............

And how about their pond..............

Hope you enjoyed tagging along for a country drive.

Farmer's Market and Sock Making Day............

2011-08-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

It was a typical Thursday for me here on the mountain. The afternoon was spent at the farmer's market getting some yummy corn, watermelon, red peppers and tomatoes.

And the morning was spent making this pair of socks on our circular sock machine. Doris (our antique machine) absolutely loves fiber that contains bamboo. She practically whistles a happy tune while cranking 'em out!

Yarn Arrival...............

2011-08-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

My daughter and I decided that it was time to bring in some hand dyed sock yarn to our business. It's from Pagewood Farm and absolutely gorgeous.

This is their Yukon which is a merino, bamboo and nylon blend. Each hank is a generous 450 yards! It gives a gauge of 27 to 32 stitches to 4 inches on a U.S. 1 - U.S. 3 needle.

I wish that you could see the colors in person. They're downright scrumptious!

We're working on our regular website, so in the meantime, we'll be adding some of these skeins to our Etsy site.

And some of it we'll make into gorgeous socks and place those also in our Etsy shop.

Thanks for taking a peek at the new arrival.

Doris is Crankin' Away........................

2011-07-31T10:48:00.000-07:00

Just finished a pair of socks on Doris yesterday and hope to get another pair made today. For those of you who are new to our blog, Doris is our antique sock machine. We have another circular sock machine named Zak but he's a new machine from New Zealand called an NZAK (New Zealand Auto Knitter).

Doris holds 72 needles and is perfect for the finer sock yarns, especially those that give 8 sts to the inch. Zak's cam holds 64 needles and he does great on the slightly thicker fingering weight yarns.

These machines can be pricey, but occasionally you read an amazing story where someone finds one in a back corner of an old building or attic. I remember one woman found one at an antique shop, still in its original box and never (I mean NEVER) used! The owner of the store didn't even know what he had. She offered him something like $250 for it and he was quite happy and so was she.

Well, now it's time to get these listed on our Etsy shop.

I've enjoyed all your wonderful comments on the previous post and can't wait to see who wins the skein of Bungee sock yarn on August 15th. If you haven't left a comment on that post, please do. I looked for a photo of socks made out of that yarn, but I must've deleted it. Trust me, it makes a very fun sock!

Bungee Sock Yarn Giveaway.............

2011-07-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

I think we're past due for a little giveaway, don't you? On August 15th, I'll randomly draw one lucky name to win this skein of Bungee sock yarn. It's a 95% superwash merino wool and 5% elite spandex fiber. It's stretches!

Just leave a comment on this post and be sure to add contact info to make it easier for me to email you if you're the lucky winner. While you're at it, let us know what you're knitting right now, ok?

It's Finally Done..............

2011-07-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

The "Got Yarn" sign is finally done and in our Etsy shop. Turned out pretty good, don't you think? The dark stain inside the letters and around the roughed up edges really adds and then it was coated with outdoor spar urethane for a nice shiny finish.

Peach Cobbler............

2011-07-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

When our kids were small, we used to go to a large family farm in the San Joaquin valley called Bussell Ranch. Mrs. Bussell was known for her delicious recipes and often would share them.

Here's her Peach Cobbler:

Melt 1/2 cube butter in a 9 x 13 pan at 350 degrees.

Once melted, remove from oven.

In the meantime:

Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 cup milk. (It will be runny like a pancake batter) Pour this mixture over the melted butter, then top with 3-4 cups sliced fresh peaches that have a little cinnamon added to them.

The batter will bake up around the peaches.

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour (or until golden brown).

I always top each serving with some vanilla ice cream. Nothing says summer like peach cobbler! Enjoy.

Time to Crank More Socks..............

2011-07-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided it was time to crank out a pair of socks and get our Christmas inventory underway. They're soaking right now and then will be placed on the drying rack and blocked out. With our very warm weather, they should be dry by this evening and I can get them on our Etsy site.

The yarn is Sockin' Sox from Plymouth Yarn Comapny. Doris (our antique sock machine) loves this yarn!

Knitting and Gardening.............

2011-07-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Pigeon Roof Studios' high twist sock yarn is sheer bliss to work with. Usually I don't design sock patterns, but this yarn was calling out for one of its own. So, I poured through stitch books for hours and finally decided on a rib pattern that was a multiple of 5 + 2 and then miraculously found a simple yet elegant pattern for the rest of the sock that also was a multiple of 5 + 2. Perfect! The ribbing transitions nicely into the sock pattern.

As it develops, I'll post more pictures and definitely let you know when the pattern is typed and placed into a PDF format.

This morning we did all the watering on the property. The squash is now coming on and we've enjoyed eating it. I talked to a lady the other day who likes to use the huge (I mean really huge ones). She then scoops out the center and places her favorite meatloaf recipe inside the squash. Then she surrounds it with a tomato sauce recipe (like what you use in stuffed peppers) and bakes it until it's done. Think I'll let a couple of squash grow like that and try it. Sounds downright yummy.

Time to hit the road and do some errands............

By the way, I love reading your comments and am so glad that you stop by for a visit to our little world here in Tehachapi.

Goodies in the Mail....................

2011-07-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Charlotte is moving back to the British Isles and is going through her things trying to lighten the packing. She surprised me with these amazing double pointed needles.......

And this set of circular rosewood needles. As I was opening the box, I just kept saying out loud, "oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" I will treasure these needles and always think of Charlotte when I knit with them.
Thank you again, Charlotte.

Today's mail brought a skein of new sock yarn that I ordered from Pigeonroof Studios on Etsy. My camera did not capture the glorious violet in this yarn. Take my word on it - the color is amazing.

In other news: We hope to be bringing in sock yarn very soon from Pagewood Farms. The minute I saw their colorways, I knew that we had to carry their yarns. As soon as it happens, you'll be the first to know!

Life's a Fishbowl..............

2011-07-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

I just finished knitting and blocking out the "Kitty Placemat." After a few chores, I'll work on the charts, type up the pattern and put it all into a PDF format to go on our Etsy and Ravelry sites tomorrow.

Capturing the yellow/gold color was almost impossible with my digital camera. I tweaked a couple of settings and it seemed to help a bit.

What kitty-cat wouldn't love having their food/water bowl on this!

Knitting Signs................

2011-07-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

It's not quite done yet, but here's the first sign that my husband has made for our Etsy shop. He'll add a coat of urethane this evening and then a second coat tomorrow. He used his router for the lettering and then stained inside them - that really makes 'em pop out.

I'm hoping that the sign will be completely dry and ready to go by Tuesday or Wednesday. Let me know what you think, ok? We're also open to suggestions!

Essentials of Living Off the Grid...........

2011-07-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

When your drinking water comes from your own well, it's essential that you stay on top of filter changes. My husband is able to change out one of the filters that's required every 2 months, but for the yearly ones, we have a water purifying company come and do it. Our well produces too much lead, aluminum and iron - all of which are not good for you. So, these "bad guys" must be filtered out.

As one final safeguard, we have a reverse osmosis filter system under our kitchen sink. This is where we get our drinking water from.

My husband works for a water company in Bakersfield, so he's always on top of our system.

Do you remember my post a short time ago about the squirrels and all the plastic bags that I've been tying to our fruit trees? It seems, for the time being, that I've scared them away. Of course, now they're going for my neighbor's tree, but hey, he's got over 60 trees on his property. We only have 10. I've got to protect what little fruit we have!

I'm not sure if it will hurt the fruit or not, but I've even wrapped some of the bags around the apples and pears. Could I really have out-foxed the little critters?

A Fun Filled Day With Our Grandsons...............

2011-07-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a non-stop day with lots of adventures. We ate lunch at a local bar-b-que house that comes complete with Indian teepees! You can even take your lunch and eat inside of them. Spencer (10), Mitchell (7) and little Carter (2) thought they were totally cool. I did, too!

After lunch, we were all set to go and visit the glider airport. The pilots are awesome when kids come to visit and always give them the royal treatment. Not only did they get to sit in a glider plane..........

They also got to try out the cockpit of the actual tow plane. This pilot just happens to own the property next to ours and really made the day totally awesome for the boys.

And a day just wouldn't be complete without stopping to pick cherries. Even two year olds can do that!

I'll Out Fox 'Em Yet.................

2011-07-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm still contending with all the ground squirrels that are all around us. If you remember, last year I even placed a stuffed teddy bear in our little orchard, hoping to scare the little buggers away. Yeah, right!

Then came this brilliant idea. Plastic shopping bags crinkle and make noise and certainly blow around with all the wind we have.

And they're slippery if you try to walk on one. It just made sense to me that the squirrels wouldn't be able to climb over them either. Plus, as the wind catches them, they inflate.

Guess what? What little fruit we have left is still there! I placed the bags around the base of the trees and above and below the apples and pears.

We'll see if they figure a way around 'em! Cross your fingers.

Monsoon Knitting.................

2011-07-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

For two days now, we've been getting the monsoons coming up from Mexico. I love this weather because it brings so much energy with it. Yesterday we had about 2 hours of thunder and lightning and a few sprinkles. Fortunately, it didn't spark any fires. And the rain makes the whole mountainside smell like sage brush.

And since you're not supposed to go outside in a thunderstorm, I decided to work on Christmas items for our Etsy shop. Zak cranked out this gorgeous "Scarf of Many Colors." I may have a hard time parting with this one!

Some New Projects.........................

2011-07-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me why, but I thought it would be fun to make a felted bowl. And you know what? They are fun!

Saturday Doris and I cranked out 2 pair of socks! Etsy will be having their Christmas in July promo, so I wanted to get some inventory built up.

I think in the next couple of weeks it will be time to place a yarn order. Our sock yarn inventory is dwindling fast.

A Trip to the Farm.....................

2011-07-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

This morning we decided to take a ride out to Tangleweed Farm to buy some fresh organic lettuce and tomatoes. On the way we saw these mighty huge guys! I have a feeling that they're not too friendly!

Here we are just arriving at the gate to Tangleweed. It's a small family farm that was started many years ago as a class project for their children growing raspberries. Today, it's a well know organic farm in Tehachapi with a multitude of goodies for sale including berries, flowers, squash, tomatoes, spinach, apples and even goat cheese.

Isn't their farm wonderful? If you look way off to the right in this picture you can see the mountains where we live.

Here's their rows of lavender. The ollalieberries are due any day and oh are they wonderful.

Hope you enjoyed our road trip to the farm today.

Now I'm off to crank a pair of socks. I already made one pair this morning and they will be listed in our Etsy shop tomorrow morning.

Happy Fourth of July to you all.
P.S. Tangleweed Farm is open on Wed., Fri. and Saturdays.

Guess Who Won the Sock Yarn.............

2011-07-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Heather J! This will make some wonderful socks or a hat or anything you'd like! I'll get this off in today's mail for you.

Yesterday I spent hour upon hour practicing ribbing on Zak.

First we did some 3 x 1 which he did splendidly. The ultimate would be a 1 x 1..........finally I got up the nerve................and VOILA! He did it. I'm much faster making socks on Doris, but her and I go way back and are quite comfortable with each other. Today Zak and I will work on some socks to get better acquainted!

A Summertime Pie..............

2011-06-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

My husband's mouth has been watering for a fresh berry pie. So yesterday, I surprised him with this one. I mixed blueberries and blackberries and what a delightful combination they made.

Here's just before going into the oven............

Here's just coming out of the oven.............

And here's just before going into his mouth!!!

I had some leftover yarn and pieced together enough to make this sock on Zak yesterday. His first sock!! I have to admit tho, I chickened out and didn't use his ribber. I added that on by hand last night while watching a movie.

A new machine is always a bit intimidating and I really didn't have the time until yesterday to really sit down and play with him. He did so remarkably well and I was pleased beyond belief.

Since Doris holds 72 needles, I've decided to use the finer sock yarns on her and Zak's cam holds 64 needles, so the yarns that are slightly thicker will work much better on him.

I told my husband that my next goal will be to have a machine that will do 52 (or maybe it's 54) stitches and then I can make socks out of worsted. Doris has a cam for that, but it's really a "pain" to switch out the cams and it's much easier (although more expensive!) to have a machine all ready set up to do the various weights. Maybe in 2 years I'll get another machine.

Knitting Essentials............

2011-06-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

I love these plastic compartment cases. The lid to my old one finally broke, so away I went to the fishing/tackle section of Kmart.

I found these for $4.13. You can place the dividers anywhere you want to accomodate different lengths of your supplies. I decided to put all my double pointed needles in here so that they'd be easier to find when I need them.

Now I really must start a new project. I just mailed the last of the socks off (120 total!!) and am still waiting on yarn to complete the design proposal that is half way done. Why is it when you desperately need the yarn, it gets lost in the mail? What is that about? So, I emailed the company and said that I'd call them once I checked my mail box one more time. Of course the yarn wasn't there, so I called from my car and explained everything to the very nice lady who told me that she'd immediately mail out a new order. When I got home and checked my email, there was yet another note from yet a different person at this company who said she just mailed me out a new order.

That adds up to 3 orders of the same thing if my math is right! Oh dear, guess I'll just have to let it play out and see what happens. With my luck, they'll all get lost in the mail!

Think I'll go start a hat.............

The Pahnamid Project..............

2011-06-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

The public outcry was loud and clear to our local leaders. And they listened and so did the Terra-Gen company. Terra-Gen withdrew their application for the re-zoning of our mountains for the Pahnamid Project.

It's a good day. No, it's a GREAT day!

Arky Arky Creations Yarn Shop

2011-06-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Years ago (I mean really years ago), I owned a little yarn shop in Bakersfield called Arky Arky Creations. We all had some wonderful times there and I will always treasure the memories.

The shop didn't look anything like this photo, but my hubby painted me this and named the little shop after Arky Arky. It looks to me like a little place that you'd find in Paris.

There's days when I find myself looking at empty business locations and think to myself that we could open another shop in Tehachapi. Then reality sets in and I realize that I'm much happier working out of my home, making socks and designing new patterns. Guess there will always be that tug of war, tho.

Save Our Tehachapi Mountains

2011-06-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

I've shown you some of the photos of the huge wind turbines that they've put on our hillsides to our east. And now we've heard that they will try to put 137 of them on our beloved Tehachapi Mountains. I won't go into all the details about the landowner up there, but basically he's trying to get the area rezoned. Ultimately, it will come down to a vote by the county supervisors, unless all the preliminary studies indicate it's a no-go early on.

The City of Tehachapi has taken a stand of "No" for this project, but unfortunately these mountains are not within the city limits.

Some would ask me, "you have a wind turbine on your property, don't you?" The answer is yes, but it's all of 33 feet tall with each blade measuring approximately 3 feet long. Not even visible from town. The turbines that they want to install in our mountains are 500 feet tall with 3 blades and each blade is the length of a football field. They can be seen for miles and miles away.

They've installed 3 towers near the top already to start environmental studies and two have already blown down. That's a good sign! These mountains have extreme weather in them during the winter and when the winds come from the south, they come up over them and down slope with sometimes hurricane force winds.

Our only chance to fight this now is to go line by line with each issue - such as endangered species, wildlife and plant environments, watershed, etc. None of us moved up here to see this happen and our land values will plummet. Nor will we receive any of the power created by this project. It's all going to Los Angeles, we'll just get the eyesores! One well known company has already invested 55 million dollars!

We just had our first meeting and now we hope to get better organized to stop such a project from destroying the beauty of our mountains. I'll keep you all updated as things develop.

You can do a search under "Pahnamid" to read more about this.

Happy Father's Day to the Men in Our Lives...............

2011-06-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that we tell the men in our lives just how special they are. My hubby is one terrific man and we all love him dearly. Happy Father's Day honey! Now can you help me with the morning dishes?

Did You Hear the News?

2011-06-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry that there's no photo today, but I wanted to share the news that I just heard. The Principles of Knitting will be released this fall and you can pre-order it on Amazon.com right now for $28.93. How exciting is that!

A Great Find..............

2011-06-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

What is it about a good garage sale? I've recently discovered how much fun they can be, especially ones that are out in the country. That's where the really old and good stuff can be found. The ones in town usually have all the plastic junk!

Saturday we stopped by one at a local church. I always head for the pile of craft books if they have any. Sure enough, I spotted some cross stitch books and started going through them. Buried within was this "Learn How Book". I couldn't believe my eyes. I had this when I first learned to knit. I loved that book! Except for a slight center crease, it was in super condition. What a find, huh? Oh, the memories that it brought back.

Years ago (you won't believe this), I went to a used book sale and they had a large table of craft books. There, leaning up against the wall was "The Principles of Knitting" for $4.00! Yep, $4.00. You just never know what you'll find out there.

A Drive in the Tehachapi Countryside................

2011-06-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

Our nice weather has finally arrived so we decided to take a drive yesterday.

There are many small farms and ranches scattered everywhere and in a few months there will be fruits and veggies for sale along the roads.

I think that old barns are everyones favorite. Don't you?

We even got this horse to pose in the picture!

Sock Yarn Giveaway

2011-06-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

How about we do a tiny giveaway? Just leave a comment on this post between now and June 30th and on July 1st, I'll randomly draw one name to win this skein of Schoeller + Stahl's Fortissima Colori sock yarn in color 11. This color is filled with the vibrant colors of the Grand Canyon and works up wonderfully into socks. Good luck and we'll see who wins on July 1st.

Our Sunday was gorgeous here in the Tehachapi Mountains. I felt like I was looking at New Mexico skies.

Our local weatherman is promising warmer days now and today is supposed to be our last coolish day. Could it really be? Is our wintery weather finally over? Our we going to jump right into summer with no spring? I have to wonder because the pellet stove is on as I write this!

A Quiet Day at Home

2011-06-01T17:06:00.001-07:00

It was windy and cold again today, so I decided to stay inside and get some fun things done. Like making cookies..............

cranking out more socks..............

closing lots of toes with the famous kitchener stitch...............

and listing a bag of Cascade worsted weight yarn on my Etsy site.

I also worked on my design proposal, but unfortunately, I can't show you any pictures of it yet. Cross your fingers that the designs all turn out and that we can get them sold!

Even the Ravens Were Grounded

2011-05-30T09:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday the weather was so March-like that even the Ravens weren't flying. Tomorrow is June and we're all wondering when spring will be here for good. I'm thinking tho, that we may just skip spring and jump right into summer.

Yesterday morning we woke to wind, rain, sleet and snow flurries. Thank goodness I can close my blinds and just make socks all day long. That always cheers me up.

By late in the day the gusts grew stronger, but we realized they were finally blowing this system out of here.

And then it happened, the sun began to appear. All our spirits were lifted and we knew that we'd wake to full sunshine the next day. And today is definitely a beauty. Slowly the temps will now start to rise and maybe the poor tomato plants will perk up.

Let's hope that we all have a marvelous week ahead. Happy Memorial Day to everyone.

Just Hangin' Out Today

2011-05-25T12:20:00.001-07:00

We're actually have a spring day today! The weather's been so cold and windy for ages, so I'm taking advantage of the warmth and decided to hang out some clothes. And if you're wondering, yes, I hid the undies on the back line. I can't let people see 'em from the street, right?

As you can see tho, the winds are already starting to kick up and we have a high wind warning going into effect in about 2 hours. I'll have to rush back out there as soon as they're dry and get 'em off before they wrap around the lines 20 times!

We're expecting gusts up to 55 mph, so that means off with the wind turbine. I know many of you are wondering why on earth we have to turn off the turbine since it does work on wind. These gadgets have lots of moving parts and the high winds actually damage the internal bearings. A lot of people are now realizing (including us) that it's actually too windy for these machines up here. We would've been better off going with solar, propane and backup generator. Live and learn, huh? Next year, we hope to add some solar.

Years ago a friend of mine shared a Pillsbury recipe with me and said it was in the bakeoff contest and won the creator oodles! Someday, I'd like to enter that contest! Anyway, it's called Italian Zucchini Cresent Pie and my guys absolutely love it. And with all the zucchini that we all will have this summer, it's perfect.

Here's a link to the Pillsbury site if you'd like to try it.

A Pony and Poppies..........

2011-05-22T13:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we took the back road down the mountain and out to the desert to do our grocery shopping in Lancaster. Halfway down, we saw this small valley filled with poppies. What a site!

On our way home, I spotted the new "little guy" up near the fence. For weeks, everytime I've driven by, he's either taking his nap or on the far side of the corral with his mom. He just happened to be in camera range at this very moment.

What a face, huh? Definitely a cutie pie!

It's amazing how large the Clysdales are. Really, really fun to see them everyday and it's even more fun when they hitch 'em up to their wagon and they come up past our house.

Cranking Away..........

2011-05-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

With all the rain that we're having here in the California mountains, I've been able to stay inside and just crank out oodles of socks.

I usually aim for three socks each day, but lately I've been doing four. Each sock is hand washed and hung out in front of the pellet stove to dry and block out.

This order is for 60 pair! One sock at a time and it'll get done.

Sweetheart Stockings

2011-05-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

I had a great time designing these stockings for the wonderful folks at Red Heart and they're offering them as a free downloadable pattern on their Red Heart site. Thought you might enjoy seeing them and maybe even knitting them up.

A Doggy Placemat Winner

2011-05-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Kat for winning a downloadable copy of our "Doggy Placemat." I just sent her a message via Ravelry, so hopefully we'll hear back from her.

The weather has warmed up nicely all week, so I decided to start our garden. Yesterday I planted 7 rows of corn and put in about 8 tomatoe plants. Then last night's weather forecast is showing more rain on Sunday with temps in the low 40's. Murphy's Law, huh?

I wish you all a wonderful weekend and hope your weather will be better than ours!

Look Who Just Arrived

2011-05-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

We've been waiting a long time for this moment. Our new sock machine has arrived and I'm absolutely thrilled. This machine is called a New Zealand Auto Knitter (NZAK), pronounced N (like the letter) + Zak (as in the boy's name). So, it only made sense to name him Zak! Yes, he indeed came from across the pond from New Zealand and even survived the great quake that they recently had.

We've set him up right across the table from Doris (our Legare 400) and "she's" absolutely gushing over him! The difference between the two is that Doris's cam holds 72 needles and Zak's has 64. I'm hoping with the slightly thicker sock yarns that I won't have to tighten the tension as great on him, so the socks will have more of a handknit look and feel.

I just can't believe how sparkly and new he looks. For now, I'm just practicing tubes on him so that I get a good feel for how he cranks and behaves. We're gonna get along just fine!

And here's a couple of pair of socks that Doris just cranked out. Doris has literally cranked hundreds of socks and is well broken in. Zak will loosen up too, the more I use him. Isn't he a dream?

Oh, and just a reminder, today's the last day to leave a comment on the post, "A Project For Your Best Friend" for a chance to receive a free downloadable pattern for the Doggy Placemat.

See you tomorrow with the name of the winner.

A Knitting Project For Your Best Friend

2011-05-09T06:54:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for something really fun to knit for your best friend? How about a Doggy Placemat? Mac is quite excited about his and thinks all the other dogs will be very envious!

Any worsted weight yarn will work and you can make it in any color that you prefer. The words and little paws were all worked at the end in duplicate stitch.

We've just added the pattern on our Ravelry and Etsy sites for $3.00. Feel free to sell the items that you make from our patterns, but please give Tehachapi Sock Company credit for the pattern. Thanks so much.

Let's do a little giveaway, ok? Just leave a comment on this post and on Friday I'll randomly select one name to win a downloadable copy of this pattern. Be sure to leave an email address to make it easy for me. My printer is down, so I'm unable to send a hard copy of this design. Good luck and we'll see who wins on Friday.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T13:10:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to everyone today. I hope your day is a very, very special one.

My husband surprised me with this sign that he'd made for me. His woodwork is getting better and better!

We may have a special delivery later this week, so pictures are sure to follow. Here's a hint: His name is Zak!

A Pumpkin's Lifespan

2011-05-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Can you figure out what's wrong with this picture?

It might be the fact that this pumpkin that we picked last October in the pumpkin patch is still alive and well! How is that possible? Could the environment inside our home be the clue to the fountain of youth? Seriously, I've never had a pumpkin last this long and I don't have the heart to throw it out. Maybe, just maybe, it'll last until this next Halloween and we won't have to buy another one!

Remember awhile ago, I mentioned that I would be starting some designs for dogs and cats? Well, here's one under construction. I know that you can't tell at all what it's going to be and I won't share the secret yet either. But, if it turns out half as nice as I hope, it'll be up and running very soon. My original idea for these first two projects were to have them felted, but I decided that a lot of people are rather afraid of that process. I get that, because I'm with you totally in that feeling.

Here's two hints tho about this first design - it'll contain some "catchy" duplicate stitch and be totally fun for your favorite canine friend.

Really, I'm here!

2011-05-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

I decided to take my time on the kitchen and have started relining the shelves and drawers. Would you like a little tip on doing this? Go to a wallpaper store and see if you can buy some discontinued and discounted wallpaper! I gotta tell you, it makes the best shelf and drawer paper! I love it when the cabinets look so nice inside!

Just for fun, here's a photo of some of my husband's artwork. Who can afford art for their home, so my husband looks through old magazines (Cowboys and Indians is one of his favorites) and just copies it onto an art canvas. Now, these little guys can be a bit pricey, so wait until Michael's Craft store (or your favorite) have 50 percent off sales! By the way, my husband has never taken one art class! He's pretty good, don't you think?

Sometimes, I amaze myself at how slow I am to things. Why have I not sold some of our sock yarns in our Etsy store before now? HELLO! So, since we seem to have oodles of the stuff around here, the first two have been added. AND, we're offering free shipping with the sock yarns!

Today was our first day of 70 degrees. And does it feel wonderful! The locals all tell me tho, unsettled weather here in the California mountains can happen up until Memorial Day weekend. Let's hope it's here to stay!

Making Headway.......

2011-04-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm finally nearing the end of the spring house cleaning. What is it about kitchens and dragging your feet to get them organized? I know, it's all those cupboards and drawers! I did manage to finish the pantry and it looks quite spiffy now, don't you think.

This pair of women's socks are just about dry and ready for our Etsy shop. The yarn is called "Zino" and it's from Plymouth Yarn Company. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it.

I finished the Wool-Ease socks this morning for a friend of ours and ran them through the washer and dryer. If they look big, it's because they are! He wears an 11 1/2 shoe! Thank goodness it's worsted weight yarn and they went really, really fast.

I've decided to start some new designs and the only hint that I can give you is that they will be for dogs and cats! Mac is helping with some input from a dog's point of view, so hopefully they will be quite fun.