The Countdown Has Begun...

All through the house, basement and back porch

are piles of "stuff."

Nanniepannie and I 

are in the midst of getting ready for the annual

Tree Street Neighborhood Yard Sale!

This is a BIG event!

It is an established event and many

people in the region make a special effort to get here,

and get here early,

in order to snag some real bargains.

Each year this event brings thousands of 

people into our neighborhood.

So, not only is it a great shopping adventure,

it is an excellent way to clean up

and get rid of things we no longer need or want.

I have even cleaned out my fabric stash

and will be measuring and pricing it today.

We are one week out.

By this time next week,

we should be the owners of a

lot less stuff!

Our rule is that once an item is taken outside

for the yard sale

it cannot be brought back into the house.

Happily there are several local charities

who make the rounds after the sale

and will take away anything you want to donate.

I have also been baking and freezing for several weeks

in preparation for our

"Bistro on the Porch."

Each year for one day

I get to satisfy my fantasy of having a 

tearoom, bistro, cafe, whatever.

We set up on the front porch

and offer a lovely little retreat for the 

weary and hungry yard sale shopper!

Thus far I have stocked away

Heath Bar Brownies (6 pans)

Mounds Cookies (6 dozen)

Zucchini Bread (8 loaves)

Cinnamon Cake (2)

Lemon Loaf Cake (4)

Pineapple Muffins w/Coconut Drizzle

Applesauce Muffins w/Cinnamon Sugar

(I've lost count on the muffins.)

The 80 chicken salad sandwiches I always make

will need to be made just before the sale.

The preparation continues...

Last year's event.

On My Needles Today...Not...or The Coat is Finished!

It's been a bit of a journey,

but my knitted coat is finished!

I love the color way and am calling it

"Abalone."

It has subtle shades of

aqua, sea foam and lavender.

The sleeves, which should be

a simple component,

gave me some challenges.

I started with the stockinette stitch 

you see above,

but decided I did not really like the look.

I then changed to the 

"Mistake Rib"

pattern I used on the opening

and sides.

After knitting almost half a sleeve
I decided I didn't really like the

way it was looking either. 

So, I changed to a larger needle and

worked them in stockinette stitch (again).

I found the perfect buttons at a lovely yarn shop in

Blowing Rock, NC

during a recent road trip with my

knitting buddies, called

Unwound.

There are slits at the bottom of both sides.

I never finish a project like this without thinking,

"If I ever knit another one of these I will..."

There are some slight changes 

I would probably make,

but over all, I'm very pleased with

the final results.

So...what IS on my needles today?

I am in the process of binding off a FUSION scarf in

shades of teal.

I plan to make a slouchy hat to match.

Happy knitting!

Caprese Garlic Bread

I haven't made bruschetta all summer long.

The reason is because of the

above recipe on Pinterest.

I used to post my cooking endeavors  
fairly regularly on my blog.

But since becoming an avid "pinner" 

I see there are so many bloggers out there

doing it SO much better than me.
(Believe me I know my photography limitations!)

So, I think I'd rather

try their recipes and link 

you up with them when I find a real winner.

THIS is the BEST recipe I have yet

discovered on Pinterest.

It's from Two Peas and Their Pod

and it is for

Caprese Garlic Bread

In addition to replacing your favorite bruschetta recipe

it's also a great replacement for take-out pizza.

What I think sets this recipe apart is a 

spread of garlic butter on the bread

and a finishing drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

The only change I have made is I am

no longer reducing the vinegar

as the original recipe instructs.

Instead I have purchased a mister

and am misting the balsamic vinegar on at the end.

With tomatoes in season

and basil plentiful in the garden,

there is NO reason not to give this a try!

(Continuing...) On My Needles Today...

Still working on my FUSION jacket,

which has finally "told" me

it's going to be a coat rather than a jacket!!!

The back and one front are now complete.

I made a start on a sleeve,

but decided I wasn't happy using

the stockinette stitch for it.

So...

...a bit of ripping out this week...

(Personal motto...

"If you're going to knit,

you're going to rip...")

...and back to the drawing board for a bit of redesign.

So much of this process is trying something

and deciding if I like it.

I wish I could clearly envision how

designs are going to actually look once knitted.

But I'm a "try it and see" person.

I decided the sleeves needed a bit more texture

than the stockinette stitch I originally tried.

I am using instead the "Mistake Rib" stitch 

I am using on the sides and front openings.

The sleeve here looks a bit out of proportion

but will widen out once it is blocked.

Once this sleeve is finished (very soon now)

everything else left to do, 

except finishing,

will just be a repeat of what has already 

been knitted (i.e. other side and sleeve).

So, although I still have a fair amount of knitting to do,

the finished coat is now within sight!

Happy knitting this week!