stuck in the middle

Tuesday night marked a first in family history: Owen, Wiley the Cat, Tak & I all slept in the same bed, with me in the middle of everyone. The cat even slept with us on Friday night, too; he slept with me while I watched TV & knitted. Owen thankfully didn't join us until the next morning.

Before Owen arrived, Wiley slept with us every night. Then came the new baby, who was also soon sleeping with us and it was just too much for Wiley. I can count on one hand how many times Wiles has slept with us in bed, and it was either when we were sick or, like now, that it's become colder at night. And he's probably lonely too, since Owen & I are gone two nights a week and Tak isn't even home until super late Mondays. Wiley has even napped with Owen once in a great while, when we can still get Owen to a)nap and b)in his own bed.

We'll see how long it'll be before the cat gets fed up with being tossed around all night, but for now, it's kind of nice again.

love them apples

Finally, after 3+ years, I'm back in the Dig. It's a yarn review, of all things. Now I have to get crackin' and do it more often.

Today, we made it on probably one of the last good days for apple picking. We went with our friends Frank & Patrice and our kids to Cider Hill Farm up in Amesbury MA, and it was a gorgeous fall day and a beautiful spot. They still had loads of pumpkins and some apples (one of the few left), the farm had an awesome shop and bakery, a couple of big pigs, plus a bunch of things for the kids to do.
Sofia & Owen particularly loved the hay maze. The only real bummer was poor signage; we didn't know where to go to find the Mustu apple orchard. Luckily we strayed far enough to get some Cortlands to bring home.
We went this time last year to Honey Pot Hill in Stow MA; the donuts were better, but it was mobbed. But then, last year had better weather for apples & pumpkins. I would definitely go back to Cider Hill, especially since it took us less than an hour to get there on the highway. It was laid back, and the people were really nice. And the food was really good, too. They not only had donuts ('scuse me while I channel Homer Simpson...mmmm...donuts), but the homemade fudge was excellent. We bought a tub of chicken salad and fresh bread for sandwiches. I'm still debating whether or not I should share the whoopie pie with my mom.

This trip also marks the first time I've successfully pumped my own gas at a self serve station. Woo-hoo!

slip slidin' away

I've been fighting off a nasty cold this week with the help of Sudafed, tea, cough drops, and sleep. There are a gazillion things I should be doing, like winding yarn, making Owen's costume, or--dare I say it--more sleeping. But I think I'll save costume making for this weekend. I didn't have a chance to hit JoAnne's while I was down in the 'burbs, so I went to Winmill fabrics instead and ended up sharing Thomas the Tank Engine tips with one of the owners.

update: I wound yarn.

I've also been looking over the last couple months for an inexpensive (under $30) full slip to wear under wrap dresses, and finally found one at H&M for $15 with a built-in bra. Score!

Maybe tomorrow night I'll be able to check out the Museum of Kitschy Stitches tomorrow night. Her website is hilarious. And it's not just 'cause I'm a knitter, either.

on a tear

I've been ambitious in the projects I have in the pipeline (mostly gifts to be made) and, unfortunately, the money I've been spending to do so. And it doesn't help that I can't walk into a yarn/craft store without buying something, especially if I have a coupon.

For example, last weekend I explored the South Shore when we were playing house (house-sitting for my parents), and visited The Creative Stitch in Cohasset. I came out with some very sexy size 11/16" circular Addi Turbo knitting needles and 2 balls of Queensland Kathmandu yarn in a yummy plum. During the week I used a coupon from Newbury Yarns and in the space of 20 minutes had 2 hanks of wonderful Malabrigo wool, 1 hank of Manos del Uruguay, and 1 hank of Colinette chunky. Granted, I had a 20% off coupon, which always helps, but still. To make matters worse, I went to Windsor Button to (successfully) match the Manos, and picked up another Kathmandu and exchanged a roll of Lamb's Pride, followed by a trip to A Good Yarn in Brookline to check out the Susanne's knitting needles (they're made from reclaimed wood at a piano factory), but opted instead for a $15 sale kit of yarns and size 19 needles. Whatever will I make with all this stuff? (most likely hats, handwarmers, cell phone cases, wine charms, and probably a scarf.)

THEN I have Owen's Halloween costume to make. I don't like the polyester smock style Thomas the Tank Engine costumes, and many other small boys will have the same one. Luckily, that will be in felt. JoAnne's, here I come!