Halloween in the Life of Pig

There was only one of us who decided to get decked out for Halloween... and that was Pig.

I walked into the room, Pig had put on a cape.



Was he Magician Pig?

Nope. Here's J showing Pig what his superhero cape would look like if he were flying.



Obviously, it left scars on his soul.



Yes we can! Er, carve!

Weekend

I'm exhausted! I've spent all day weaving in ends for some knitting projects that have accumulated and then I spent the rest of the afternoon in the dye pots. The project above is the "Morning Surf" scarf I mentioned several posts back. It's knit using a Three Irish Girls sock yarn in a colorway called "Baltic Sea." I think it was September's colorway, but it could have been August--the months just kind of leap into one another.



The reason why Runt isn't often photographed is because she's too active to accurately capture. She's usually using the sofa as a swinging vine, teasing Pig to play with her, or asleep in a dark corner where a photo wouldn't do her justice. This photo caught her napping in a bag of yarn. Naughty, naughty.

We've renamed Sir Stinky Bottoms (Pig) to Flowers in hopes that he'll live up to his name. I never knew cats could have room-clearing flatulence, but I'm sad to report it's true.

In other news, we found out today that Runt growls like a dog.

A Rainy Afternoon

1. Laundry.
2. Dishes.
3. Bathroom.
4. Catbox.
5. Laundry. Again.
6. Bills.
7. Library.
8. Patsy Cline.
9. Cup of Tea.
10. Knitting.
11. Update Blog.

Check.

All the News

Woo! I voted yesterday! Woo! I have to say--it was an amazing feeling walking out of the voting booth and feeling like something good may happen for the country soon. GO VOTE if you haven't already!



I've been trying hard to capture Pig's water drinking habits. Often, he'll sit in the dog's bowl as he drinks, but always, he leaves with a tiny water droplet attached to his tiny chin. Ack, what cuteness! It kills me.



And to those who think I never do anything but blabber on about the family, here's proof! A knit bonnet--the first pattern I ever changed so much. I took a baby's bonnet pattern and rewrote it for an adult-sized noggin. I'll post the changes over on Ravelry, but I would do things differently next time. I forgot how much cotton stretches.

You Can't Buy Happiness...

...but you can sure snap a photo while they're asleep.

Cream of Garlic Soup

Besides honeycrisp apples, one of my favorite things about fall is the excuse to eat lots and lots of soup. Though I really can't stomach tomato-based soups, I absolutely love cream and broth soups, so it's no surprise when I started fantasizing about cream of garlic soup earlier in the week. I've never even tasted a cream of garlic soup, so I was left on my own to create Wednesday night supper. The picture above is what resulted--recipe below. If any of you have had a good cream of garlic soup, let me know how this recipe compares with what you've eaten or how it can be improved.

Ingredients:

Approximately 60 cloves of garlic (I cheated and bought the already peeled garlic from Whole Foods, $3 wisely spent, in my opinion)
4 T butter
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed (peeled, if you like--I like the skins)
1 small yellow onion, cubed
1 bay leaf
3 cups vegetable broth (this was based solely on what I had sitting around)
1 cup dry white wine (I used an organic sauvignon blanc)
1 cup heavy cream
Crusty Baguette
Salt/Pepper

Directions:

Melt two tablespoons butter on medium heat in a large stock pot. Reduce heat to low, add 60 cloves peeled garlic and braise until browned and softened. (Mine took approximately 30 minutes.) Add 2 cubed potatoes, 1 cubed onion, bay leaf and addition 2 T butter and sauté for approximately 5 minutes.

Add 3 cups stock, 1 cup wine to mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat again and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove bay leaf, puree with an immersion blender and add cream, season with salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly and serve with a crusty bread.


I'm not sure if that's how cream of garlic soup is made in the rest of the world, but this did pass the husband test. :)

Love

I do believe someone has fallen in love.

Recycling!

What may become my new addiction.. recycling yarn from sweaters!

I've got 100% wool (bulky weight, 9 WPI, maybe 1000 yards or so?):




100% shetland wool (sport weight, 13 WPI)




...and can you believe? 100% cashmere laceweight. I could SWIM in this stuff, it's so gorgeous!

I know, I know, but...

I realize my intention in starting this blog was to keep up with crafts, knitting specifically, but I always find one reason or another to only update it with animal photos.

So, in keeping with my new tradition:



P and R yesterday afternoon. I think R is showing P something. She's now the boss.

I will say that it's utterly EXHAUSTING having added two kittens to the household. I feel like I'm always cleaning out litter boxes, feeding the cat, or feeding the kittens, or feeding the dog, or taking the dog out. Knitting can't happen while the kittens are awake, or if I try, I'll end up with a knitting needles in the mouths of one of the two.

But... even still, they've settled quite nicely into life with the rest of us crazies. R is absolutely IN LOVE with her big brother, Q. I've snapped a couple photos of the two snuggling on the couch, on the floor. She LOVES him.

They're both very affectionate, sweet, sweet kittens. The only one not completely sold is still O/M. He's being a bratty older brother, but the kittens are wearing him down by chasing after his tail while he's on the stairs. I'm sure he loves that.

Eventually, I imagine all six of us on the bed, sleeping in on a Sunday morning. For now, my knitting needles and I are trying to find a safe hiding spot where I can knit without the curiosity of kittens nearby.

Coming off the needles: secret project #2 and Morning Surf scarf (and who said knitting a scarf with sock yarn was a great idea?).

Going on the Needles: Secret Projects #3, #4, and #5, and the Owlie Bling Scarf for Suzanne.

A Spoonful of Sugar

I have been knitting a lot lately. How much is a lot? So much that it has caused a very, very, very uncomfortable back/shoulder/neck spasm.

Of course, my husband was the first to ask me if my pain was in any manner related to knitting, and, of course, I denied it because it was obvious that I had slept wrong. But... almost a bottle of Advil later and the constant aching that's occurred anytime I go near my knitting... I have to admit. He was right.

Damn.

I have gotten so much done. (Is that surprising?)

And now, I'm in so much pain that unless I'm every-four-hours-guzzling-Advil, I can hardly move. (My four hours is almost up and every muscle in my back feels it). Am I really that old? Is my posture that bad? (Yes.)

Runt is sitting at the top of the keyboard swatting at my fingers. I think I'll leave any bits she feels like adding--obviously, she has something to say. I will say that the kittens are about the cutest creatures ever designed. (Bad for the knitting, too, I may add.) Monkey is PISSED about the kittens, but Q LOVES them! He'll come in the room, sniff at them, and they'll walk right up to him, snert him, rub up against his head, swat at his Ho-Chi-Min Beard and he's very, very patient d2wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (sorry, Runt) with them. I can't wait to catch them snuggling on the couch.

So.. does anyone have any good home remedies that will have me knitting again in a couple hours??