Making "Pinky"



This is "Pinky."

You can read her story here.

I recently received a shop order for some "Pinky" kits.

The first step in filling the order is printing the pattern.

Next  I wind many little balls of yarn.

First, pink...

...then the gray for Pinky's head and legs.

Each kit also contains pink ribbons,

one thin length for hanging the model,

and another for Pinky's iconic pink ribbon.

Assembling all the components in bags is the final step.



All the finished kits, soon to be on their way,

and hopefully in the hands of many knitters,

who with their knitting of "Pinky"

will help spread the word.

From My Book Shelf -- GONE GIRL

GONE GIRL is the red hot book right now

 and has been for several weeks.

It is  Number One on the

Indie Bestseller List this week.

It has received excellent critical acclaim

for it's first time author, Gillian Flynn.

The story is narrated, in turn

by it's two main characters,

Amy and Nick, giving the reader

two totally different points of view

and the dilemma of who to believe.

The story begins on their fifth year

wedding anniversary when

Amy goes missing.

Amy's narrative is from the perspective of

a journal she has kept for several years.

There are clever plot twists here.

When I started Part Two of the book

I was totally taken by surprise at

the direction it takes.

I won't share what it is because it's

such an interesting turn.

Part One is good,

Part Two blew me away.

However, the book becomes

totally unbelievable by the time you

get to Part Three and I found it to be a

real weakness.

I kept hoping for one more clever twist

that would make the story, as a whole,

equal to it's Part Two.

It didn't happen.

Fettuccine with Zucchini and Mushrooms

There's a definite nip in the air in East Tennessee.

It's time once again to change from all those wonderful

cold pasta salads,

to hardier, hot pasta dishes.

I have been making this dish for

 more than 25 years.

It's a "keeper."

The recipe came from GOURMET Magazine.

(The magazine may not still be around,

but plenty of their recipes are!)

FETTUCCINE w/ZUCCHINI & MUSHROOMS

This is a simple recipe, requiring few ingredients.

In a large deep skillet saute 1/2 pound mushrooms,

trimmed and thinly sliced,

in 1/2 stick butter, over moderately high heat

for two minutes.

Add 1 1/4 pound zucchini,

scrubbed and cut into

julienne stripes,

1 cup heavy cream, and

1/2 stick butter, cut into bits.

Bring the liquid to a boil

and simmer it for three minutes.

(The mushrroms and zucchini are

cooking in butter and cream...

that should give you some indication

of how this dish will taste.

I have actually cut back on the

butter called for in the orginal recipe!)

Add one pound, cooked al dente and drained

fettuccine with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and

1/2 cup chopped flat leafed parsley,

and toss the mixtures with wooden forks,

lifting the pasta and combining the mixture well.

Transfer the mixture to a heated platter and serve it

with additional freshly grated

Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6

Let me just say, this dish is

extremely rich.

So, serve it with a big side salad

and maybe you won't feel so guilty

when you indulge.

This week I am linking with

Tasty Tuesday at 33 Shades of Green

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

My Newest Creations!



Last time I told you I had recently purchased

lots of scarves and was working

on a new project.

I'm knitting cowls,

my newest passion

and lining them with pretty scarves!

This results in a totally reversible neck warmer.

You can wear it with the scarf against your neck.

(Some of my cowls are lined with cashmere

and feel incredible against your neck.)

Or, you can wear it with the hand knitted side against

your neck, for a really cozy feel,

and a pretty plaid scarf around your neck.

In addition to the cashmere scarves,

I'm also using  some pretty

faux silk ones.

I'm using the scarf as my inspiration for the yarn

and designing the FUSION Yarn to perfectly

coordinate with the scarf.

I've just listed some in

my Etsy shop this morning

and have plans to add more

and more as the holiday season approaches.

Stop in and have a look!

Cashmere and Other Scarves



Last Sunday, Nancy and I made a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

It's only about a two hour drive from our house.

We attend the Norton Apparel, Jewelry & Gift Market

at least once a year.

This market is held four times during the year.

It's a "trade only" wholesale show and you must have

a business license to attend.

It's mainly a cash and carry show for

jewelry (costume to high end), handbags, apparel

and some gift items.

I'm always on the look out for things for our

Holiday Show.

I've been working on a new knitted item

for my Etsy shop

and was in the market for scarves.

I came home with some gorgeous ones!

The "finds" for the day were the cashmere ones above.

I also got a nice selection of

"faux" silk scarves.

I'm very excited about my new project

for these scarves.

I'll be sharing on Friday,

so be sure to visit back then!

Totally Exhausted...It's a Good Thing



Another neighborhood yard sale and

"Bistro on the Porch"

has been put to rest.

We had a very busy weekend and

I am totally exhausted today.

While I have been baking and freezing for weeks

(LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new freezer),

final preparations the past few days have been intense.

While Nancy set up and manned the yard sale on Friday,

I spent most of the day in the kitchen.

The biggest job was making

homemade chicken salad sandwiches.

Eighty of them -- sold out by the way!

This was our fourth year for the Bistro on the Porch

and we pretty much have it down to an art.

We weren't quite sure what to expect this year.

Weather predictions on Saturday

were for 70% chance of thunderstorms.

Since most of the work had been done by then

we pretty much had to proceed and hope for the best.

We were ready for business by sunrise on Saturday morning.

Can you see the crowd heading our way?

We must be living right because...

except for a few early sprinkles,

the rain held off until the very end

and the crowds were great!

You can't really tell from this picture,

but it was taken within a half hour of the end

and it was POURING down rain.

Everything has now been put away,

back in order,

and another yearly event has

been put to bed!

Whew!

A Peacable Kingdom...Really?

Google Images

This year, I've had...

Mice in the Basement

Ants in the Kitchen

Rabbits in the Yard

and this morning

Raccoons on the Roof.

Three of them.

Enough already with the critters.

Artist Cristina Jaco

I made a lovely discovery this weekend on Etsy.

Artist Cristina Jaco is from Brazil and has

some beautiful things listed in her Etsy Shop.

Contemporary Brazilian art and

graphic design services are her specialties.

Above is, "Down the River," an example

of her oil paintings.

 She also does watercolors,

and  acrylics.

Cristina has just designed a new shop banner for me!

I love the clean look of it and the color.

I consider the new banner my effort toward a

little "remodel" of my Etsy shop,

just in time for the holiday season.

I've been knitting and sewing like crazy all summer and have

lots of new items which I will be adding to my shop

over the next few weeks.

Please check out Cristina's lovely work.

I think you'll find it as beautiful as I do!

Harmony



When Chaos came to live with us at Buttermilk Cottage last May,

he brought two large pillows with him.

We keep one upstairs and one downstairs for him.

Daisy however has decided she likes the pillows too,

so it's become first come, first serve.

After this morning's walk,

Chaos claimed his spot in my bedroom.

Daisy was at a loss because she wanted the same spot.

At one point, I noticed she was sitting restlessly nearby.

The next time I took notice,

she had, for the first time ever, joined Chaos on his pillow.

Old gentleman that he is,

he graciously shared with her.