New Blog!

The blog is moving! Follow my adventures in knitting, dyeing, and soon farming at the new Turtle Cove Farm Blog. Set your bookmarks - I want to see you there :)

The Last Nightshot

I grew up dreaming of space, and the fact that I now live within a few miles of the shuttle launch pad fills me with glee. Friday night, my family and I watched the last night launch of the Space Shuttle.

We always watch the launches from the beach at the end of our street. When they start the engines, the sky is set on fire.

We hear a muted rumble as the shuttle slowly climbs above the rooftops.

Remembering the Challenger and Columbia disasters, everyone waits with breathless anticipation as the shuttle exits the atmosphere. When it is just a brighter star in the sky, the crowd starts cheering.

Soon the moon outshines even the shuttle's engines and everyone heads home, proud to be a small part, however vicariously, of man's exploration of the stars.

Weather Update

Williston, ND: Mostly Sunny, 40°F 23°F

CCAFS, FL: Clear, 67°F 45°F

Time Travel the Easy Way

I did a very brave thing this weekend. I took the monsters to the Ren Faire all by myself. We had so much fun!

I was the stunning assistant for Emrys Fleet, the Rat Catcher, and received a handful of rat poo for my troubles. The monsters thought it was hilarious! I wish we had pictures.

We saw Johnny Phoenix again (that's eight years in a row!). We even bought some Johnny Phoenix hot sauce. I've promised myself that next year I will get a picture with him. I'm a shy fangirl :P

The monsters had a blast trying to kill each other in the fencing arena. They are both such hams! Even the lovely woman running things was almost in tears from laughter.

En guard!

All in all it was a fabulous day. I had so much fun with the monsters! I can't wait 'til next year.

Weather update:

Williston, ND: Partly Sunny, 34°F 18°F

CCAFS, FL: Clear, 74°F 63°F

That's a 40 degree difference!

Butternut Squash Soup

Get ready to bookmark this post. You definitely want to try this at home!

In defiance of the simmering August heat, I wanted that fall classic, Butternut Squash Soup, for dinner. I made up the recipe on the fly, and it was amazing. It is not for the faint of heart – or anyone on a heart-healthy diet – but it is sooo delicious that I have to share.

Eryn’s Amazing Butternut Squash Soup

2 butternut squash
2 medium red potatoes, sliced
16 ounces chicken stock/broth
1 pint heavy cream
4 Tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic (roughly 2-3 cloves)
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place in a microwave safe dish with one inch of water and microwave on high for approximately fifteen minutes (until flesh is barely tender).

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add chopped onion, cooking until translucent. Add garlic and sliced potatoes. Sauté until the potatoes are golden brown and the garlic and onion are very fragrant. Add the chicken stock/broth (I used a low sodium name-brand carton), nutmeg, chili powder, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are done.

Carefully (those squash are hot!) scrape squash pulp from the skin and add to the soup. Add the heavy cream and puree until smooth (I used my trusty blender, but an immersion blender would work great). Serve hot with fresh baked biscuits.

I haven’t measured serving sizes or total yield, but I can say this served my family of four until we were stuffed full, and we have a bit leftover. The soup has a delicate flavor and was very filling. It won’t make it into my weekly menu – if it did, eventually I would no longer be able to fit out the door! – but it is being added to my “seasonal favorites” menu.

Mmmm, yummy!

Thank you for your patience; have some cake

Guess what - I'm a year older. Can you tell?

I think Ravelry has changed birthdays in the knitting world forever. Yesterday I celebrated the day of my birth (thanks, Mom!) and I was inundated with well wishes from both friends and random people who saw my little cake icon. It was quite lovely!

I love the fact that this year my birthday coincided with knit night. That meant double the cake:


One was from the kids, and was choked down with a smile. The other was waiting for me at knit night, and came back home with me. Can you figure out which one's which?

Enough about me... Drum roll, please: it's finally in the shop!


Turtle Cove - your place for the finest handmade soaps, handpainted yarns, and now knitting salve.

I Aten’t Ded

Oh, my dearest loverlies, once again I’ve fallen off the face of the earth. We’ve had four weeks of madness at the (New) House at Two Palms… I hardly know where to begin.

First of all, we did get moved to the new house. A huge thank you goes to annieroo, her husband, and GailinCCB. We couldn’t have done it without your help! The move was exhausting and the less said, the better, although it does chap my ass that our old landlord spent many ten hour days fixing all the things he should have taken care of when we lived there.

The new house is faboo; cluttered, but faboo. We will probably get unpacked just in time to move to this:

What is this, you ask? Well, part of the reason the move was so rushed was that we had plane tickets to go meet a new bundle of sweetness.

Little Miss No Name is as sweet as pie, and it was reassuring to find that I have no desire to have another one of my own. These monsters are enough.

While we were in North Dakota, Dad took us out to look at a few acres of pasture perfect for a few sheep, and this gorgeous Sears Roebuck kit house.

Did you know Sears sold houses? I am still gobsmacked at the idea of ordering your house from a catalog. The house is a mess and it needs tons of work, but it is gorgeous. You just can’t find details like this in modern houses.

So now MrMan and I are imagining that house on this land

With a few sheep, some lilac bushes, and a windmill or two, it would be heaven.

Why'd you have to go and let it dye?

As I’m sure you can imagine, much has been going on at the House at Two Palms. I have been sorting our stuff into Trash, Junk, Rummage Sale, OMG What Was I Thinking, and Keep. So far the OMG pile is winning…

I have been terribly remiss in posting pictures of the bunny babies.

They have grown so big!

They are so curious and full of energy that it is really hard to get good pictures. I have many shots of bunnies hopping away :^) For my local readers, the bunnies are finally ready to go to new homes; if you’re interested, let me know.

My biggest news is the debut of Turtle Cove Yarns at my etsy shop. Playing with colors in my soaps naturally led to playing with colors in yarn. I’ve come up with a few colorways that I think you will love.

Today’s post brought to you by the color Black Cherry

Click on the shop link to see more; I’ll list more colors the next time I can steal five minutes on the computer myself.

Thank heaven...

It’s the Seven Random Things Meme! Holly tagged me forever ago; it’s about time I tackled it…

The rules:

Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.

Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

Let them know they are tagged by leaving comments on their blogs.

Let the Randomness Begin!

1 – I have extremely blue eyes and purple hair, and only one is from a box.

2 – I met my husband in the Army when I issued him an M16 rifle.

3 – I spend an inordinate amount of time wondering about the strangest things. Are eye sockets considered orifices? Do NASCAR drivers ever zone out and lose count of their laps? If people grew gills, would they be on the neck or on the ribs?

4 – I am agoraphobic. I’m not shy per se; however, any new situation with other people can cause huge panic attacks. I avoid shopping… Well, really I avoid shopping all the time, but I especially avoid it from November to January. I hate going to the beach or a park on crowded days, and I will not go to a concert at a large venue, no matter who is playing.

5 – I love shoes! The crazier the better. My favorite shoe vendor caters to cross-dressers and strippers.

6 – I grew up in North Dakota, and am ready to go back. I love Florida, but the craziness our legislators come out with every year make it harder and harder to live here. I want to have a small, sustainable farm off the grid where my kids can run free and we can raise sheep and organic vegetables.

7 – I have never seen the movie Titanic, and I never plan to.

Tag you’re it!

1 – ‘Lista
2 – Duncks
3 – buttercup
4 – kemtee
5 – Heather
6 – Robin
7 – Knit-a-Saur

Any of you feel like playing?

Picture Proof

As promised, here is picture proof of my scary office.

This long shot doesn't quite convey the horror, but it does show off my cool new bag!


Doesn't this look like a door propped on filing cabinets?


Here is my sad attempt to spruce things up.


Check out the rat trap under my desk. It's loverly.

Since I can't close a post on that depressing note, here's a picture of a baby bunny exploring.


The dog food proved quite interesting, but not worth eating.

One Move Down, One to Go

Whew! I have officially moved into my new position. I've gone from Executive Assistant to The Man to Legal Assistant within the organization. I'm still a glorified secretary, but it's a great career move. This position has so much potential for growth, both within the organization and out in the real world. I have to repeat that to myself often because I've moved from the White House to the ghetto.

I've gone from mahogany furniture and plush carpet so thick it could twist ankles to a cubicle turned (not so) private office with a desk apparently made from doors propped on top of metal filing cabinets. I brought my camera in today to take picture proof - but forgot the driver. I will upload pictures tonight; you have to see it to believe it.

The difference in stress levels is amazing. Not once this week have I woken up in the middle of the night, convinced I've screwed up the calendar or forgotten a message. During my commute, I no longer obsess over the impossibility of completing eighty hours worth of work in the forty hour work week. It is fabulous.

I just noticed that one of my tags is "dying," not "dyeing." I'm fixing it right now! I promise I'm not Danielle ;^)

Spinning, Seaming, and... Baseball

Sorry about that; I lost the alliteration.


We had a very busy weekend here at the House at Two Palms. This weekend marked the opening day of the monsters' T-Ball league. We walked to the ball field for pictures, hotdogs, and bouncy things. Whoever designed those blowup bouncy castles is a genius! The boys looked so cute in their uniforms - hats falling over their ears and socks up to their knees. I still have reservations about this whole Little League thing, but they're having fun so far. I only wish Bubba would stop calling his shoes "clits."


I seamed up Mrs. Darcy and started transferring my notes into a legible format. I'm still waiting for buttons - hopefully they will get here tonight! As soon as buttons are on and all ends are woven in, I will post details on all the modifications.


I also took my borrowed Louet for a test drive! I had some "Canadian wool" to practice with.





The spool on the left is my first attempt - very crazy thick and thin two ply. The spool on the right is much more even, although it is obviously overspun. I haven't weighed the spools or checked wpi - heck, I haven't even set the twist yet!

The monsters are very impressed that I can make my own yarn now. The Bug is hinting that he'd like a sweater I "made from a sheep" and Bubba has stated loudly that he'd like to spin. We have plans to break out the drop spindle next weekend. Hopefully it won't be like the "Teach the Monsters How to Knit" night - those ER co-pays add up quick!

It's Not Whooping Cough, It's a Blackout!

Once again I do not have a traditional WIP Wednesday post for you. The Darci cardi is zooming right along; I hope to be seaming by this weekend. However, I have no new pictures, and really, reading the details of my efforts to make even decreases would be like watching paint dry. So instead, a quick peek into life at A Casa em Duas Palmas.

The week has been very strange. If you've been here before, you'll remember that Bubba got the creeping crud and was very sick last week. Well, the Bug got it this week and was miserable. He spent Monday with me, terrible echoing coughs wracking his little body. If we hadn't been through this before, I would have taken him to the doctor for whooping cough. For some reason, whenever the Bug gets a cough, it echoes and hoots, exactly how I imagine whooping cough sounds. Poor guy! Hugs, cuddles, and enforced rest fixed the cough, and it was back to school and work for us.

Yesterday, the southern half of Florida suffered from a cascading power loss. As the office has a backup generator, this normally would be no big deal. However, this blackout caused a catastrophic failure to our e-mail server so I was effectively shutdown. I've joked before that I can't imagine being a secretary without computers, but it's no longer a joke! Take away my computer and I am a sad and useless secretary. On a positive note, I spent the afternoon knitting at my desk!

Black Tom thought that was a very good use of my time.

Spoiled Sick, Now With Sleeves!

The monsters were hit hard with the creeping crud this week. Poor Bubba missed three days of school, meaning I missed three days of work. Playing catch up while comforting sick kids is no fun.

Two things stopped the week from being a complete downer: First, I finished sleeves! And they even match! The Darcy cardi is fast approaching completion. I'm on the right front and making many modifications so it's going a little slow. When I'm done I will list all the changes to make this a big bust friendly cardi.

The other thing that brightened my week? A secret Valentine's package! Batty sent me a frabjulous box of VD goodness.


It's almost too much to list! A cute card to make me giggle, chocolate to make me drool, a sweet smelling candle, pink sticky notes, Burt's Bees (!), and Merlin the Cat sock yarn. Not pictured are the crazy Valentine's bunny ears with light up hearts; the Bug confiscated those immediately and has worn them everywhere ever since. Thank you, Batty, for this package designed to make me happy!

This package reinforced some of my ideas about karma and the psychic abilities of knitters. I got to spoil Batty during the winter swap on the Knittyboard; how crazy is it that she got my name for this swap? Even the Merlin yarn has a bit of karma attached. I bought some of Merlin's stitch markers for my secret pal zenbaby and I was drooling over her yarn. I resisted, but I favorited her shop, planning to go back later for myself. Batty beat me to it! Of course Merlin's yarn is so yummy, that I will soon be buying more. The last bit of proof that knitters are psychic is the Burt's Bees head to toe package. Burt's Bees was my original inspiration for making my own soap, and even though I am a soapmaker, I am like the cobbler's daughter - I never have fancy soaps and creams just for me.

So, Batty, is it true? Are you psychic? Is there something in the yarn that rubs off on knitters, giving them paranormal powers?

I think so.

Secret Spoilage

On Wednesday, after another long day at the office, I came home to the most delightful thing: a package just for me! Wishful Thinking on the Knittyboard sent me a big box of goodies. I really should have taken a picture before tearing into the packages because everything was wrapped so beautifully, but I couldn't wait! Just look at the goodies inside:

11 hours a day at work means bad flash photography

Chocolate - including Trader Joe's chocolate covered pretzels and The Chocolate Traveler wedges, yum - hilarious snarky postcards, a cell phone cozy knit just for me, a sweet card, and three skeins of yarn!

Smooshy!

Mmmm malabrigo (my first!), Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, and a yarn oddity by the fabulous Ms. Pixie Riot! I will have to update you later on the colorways since I'm away from my yarn right now.

Last but not least, a little pot of daffodils, their green shots just peeking out of the dirt. I love daffodils, and they are one of the few things I miss from our days in Tennessee. Wishful Thinking - you must be psychic!

Thank you for brightening up my day.

Stoopid Cat!

First - thank you everyone for your kind comments on Cherie Amour. It was my first full-sized sweater, plus it was a gift for my favorite pregnant sister, so it had to be just right. I'm pretty gosh darn proud.

Earlier today, I was wasting time, scrolling through Lolcats when I saw this:


moar funny pictures

and I was reminded of something that happened a few weeks ago at work.

I was running out to grab a sandwich for lunch. As I drove my car through the parking lot, I saw a terrible, terrible thing. It was a cat, flat on its back, with its head twisted at an unnatural angle. Now remember, I keep house for cats and am well aware of their boneless poses; even Contortionist Kitty would have been uncomfortable sprawled like that.

My first thought was, "Oh shit, someone ran over a cat in my parking lot and just left it there." My heart started pounding and my breath grew ragged as my mind started playing a macabre slide show: me picking up the stiff body; me trying to save the severely injured cat and hurting it even more; me being savaged by the pain-maddened, rabid cat; me being chased by zombie cat (Pet Sematary scared the crap out of me).

At the same time, I was trying to remember how to get to the nearest animal hospital. I debated the pros and cons of running back in the office for directions versus saving time by grabbing the cat and driving hell bent for leather. I had just decided I would risk a police escort and go sans directions when I pulled even with the poor kitty's body.

I had my hands on the door, ready to jump out of the car and whisk the cat to medical care and safety. My brakes squeaked the tiniest bit as I stopped. That stupid cat jumped up, shot me a look of utter disdain, and wandered off in disgust that I had ruined a perfectly good nap.

Stupid cat.

Road Trip, Part Two

If Hanks was like coming home, Knitch was like going to temple. A. maze. ing.

I was a little worried that we would have trouble finding Knitch, because they are tucked away in an alley in midtown Atlanta, Georgia. However, their website provides exquisite directions and we had no problems.


When I saw the oddball knitting wrought iron statue guarding the door, I knew that everything was fabulous. The store is an older building that has been stripped down to the original hardwood and brick. Discreet spotlights highlight the fabulous colors and upstairs in the dye loft, huge windows let in natural light. The walls are literally floor to ceiling yarn. If I had one complaint, it would be that some yarns are on shelves seven feet up. It's a good thing I dragged the Hairy One with me!


I had a chance to fondle yarns I've only read about: Rowan, Blue Sky Alpaca, Manos del Uruguay.... It was a complete drool-fest. At one point my very patient husband even joined the fun: "That is soo cool! That would make an awesome sweater." Any yarn store that entices my husband gets a thumbs up from me!

Next: all the fibery goodness I came home with.

Road Trip, Part One

We just spent the extended weekend on a road trip, driving from Central Florida to Atlanta, Georgia. And of course, because I hang out with the cool kids, we had to schedule many (yarn) breaks on the way.


First on the list was Hanks in Gainesville, Florida. A more fabulous place I cannot imagine.
The yarn selection is drool worthy and even includes their own hand-spun and hand-dyed yarns. I rolled in the Malabrigo, admired the Cherry Tree Hill, and succumbed to Lorna's Laces. I even thought (briefly) of taking up sock knitting because of the fabulous sock yarns on display.

We stopped at Hanks again on our way back home, only to find we had just missed SnB (heartbreaking!). Next time, I will definitely plan my road trip around Hanks' SnB.

If you find yourself in Gainesville, swing by Hanks and have a cup of organic coffee with Sharon, Ginger, Lorena, and Hank. Tell 'em Eryn sent you.

Tomorrow: The religious experience that is Knitch.

Go back and click on Hank - don't hurt his feelings!

Going on a Roadtrip

Happy New Year to one and all! I've been avoiding the year-end reflection and resolution post. It sounds trite, but every day is the beginning of a new year. Every day is worthy of reflection and resolution. So instead of a list of what I've done in the last year or what I'm going to do this year, I give you my pre-roadtrip post!

We are about to get in the car to drive to Atlanta. Because of the monsters' limited patience and The Hairy One's bad back, what is normally an eight hour drive will be at least twelve hours. The plus side? I have mapped out new yarn stores to visit!

I am really a one LYS kind of girl. I love All Strung Out and the fabulous Gigi. But I cannot pass up the opportunity to visit new and wonderful places! On the agenda this weekend is Hanks in Gainesville, Florida, and Knitch in Atlanta, Georgia. When I get back, I will give a full report on both.

And since I can't post without pictures, I give you the Helicopter of Evil and the Avenging Dog.

Secret Christmas Knitting Revealed

Phew - the craziness of the holidays is finally over. My super secret knit gifts were well received, I am pleased to say. My mother was the proud recipient of Urchin.


Here you see it blocking in all its glory. This was knit with Reynolds Andean Alpaca Regal, a glorious yarn - soft, smooshy, and loverly. If you count, you will see I only knit seven wedges; it was getting rather large, so I called it "good 'nuff." Mom says it's still a little big; she'll try to gently felt it.

My sister Yaya got a pair of Fetching fingerless mitts and a matching headband, both knit with Classic Elite Inca Alpaca. I cannot say enough about this yarn. I love love love it. I'll be buying more for sweaters for both the Hairy One and me.


The picture is dark - it's actually the Stonewashed Mix. Yaya says they match her coat perfectly.

In other holiday related news, Santa made a special trip to our house on the 23rd to bring the monsters tickets to Disney World. We went on Christmas Eve and had sooo much fun. The crowds were insane, the lines were long, and the food was ridiculously over-priced. To balance out that negative, the park was beautiful, everyone was cheerful, and my monsters were impeccably polite and well-mannered. We had no major melt-downs or blow outs. My kids rock.

I also had a chance to revel in my passive-aggressive bitchiness while at the park. Let me set the stage: it's about half an hour before the light parade; areas of the "streets" are roped off for spectators to sit and watch the parade; the only open area is right behind the only group standing (all adults) . Enter stage right: Super Bitch Mom!

In a very loud, sugary-sweet voice I tell my children, "This is perfect, guys! This is the area where everyone sits to watch the parade, so everyone gets to see. As soon as the parade starts, everyone will sit and everyone will get to see the beautiful floats."

It was fabulous! The standers looked around, realized they were standing in a sea of sitting spectators, and they hightailed it out of there. We had a great view of the parade, and the other parents near us quietly applauded me. I am a queen; I just need a castle.

Things you never expected to learn

I give you the Coolest Thing Ever.


I started this rubber band ball over three years ago, adding two or three rubberbands with each day's mail delivery. I started it because, really, what else do you do with 3,000 rubberbands? I never expected that it would be the Coolest Thing Ever.

The story starts on Wednesday. The monsters had a doctor appointment, and they each had shots. They were such troopers! I gave them some acetaminophen, ice cream and ice packs, and we thought all was well.

Thursday, Bubba tells me that his head hurt so bad at night that he couldn't sleep. Being an extremely scientific mom, I put the back of my hand on his forehead, and sure enough, he was running a fever. His school has a "No Fever" policy, so Bubba went to work with me! He camped out in a conference room with cartoons, color crayons, and a sketch pad in the morning.

After lunch, Bubba was feeling great. He even helped me stuff envelopes! (Trust me, that's love.) He was prowling through my office while I tried to write letters and sort files when he said, "Mom! What's that?!?"

"What's what?"

"That super cool ball?"

The rest of the afternoon was shot. We went outside on the green and played with the rubberband ball. Let me tell you, this thing can bounce. It loses almost no kinetic energy! Roll it against a wall and it will come tearing back at you at Mach 10.

I don't think I have ever had so much fun at work. And it really was a productive day.


To give you some idea of its size, here's another shot of the Coolest Thing Ever. It is roughly four inches in diameter when measured with my thumb.


Peek-a-Boo is less than impressed.