Time to start #ThankfulFor

A few years ago, one of my Facebook friends posted a simple request.  The request was, during the month of November, to post things you are thankful for.  This year I decided to challenge my friends.  Each day in November, I am going to post a #ThankfulFor to my blog, and CC to my Facebook Wall.  Each day, something I am thankful for.  I know there is the usual ideas people post.  I’m going for a more creative approach.  I’m posting this early, so people can see it.

1Nov2014

If you are reading this, then you have seen my blog, “Darkinn: Me, Myself and I”.  I originally started a blog to post mostly knitting projects, but I didn’t spend enough time on it.  March 2014, I did a reboot.  My reboot started a brand new blog.  I changed my focus on what I posted.   With Facebook, many of your thoughts get lost in time, plus not everyone gets to see it.  Once on my blog, people can go back to old posts easily.  I can tag a post, and then people can go back and look for that tag.  I now share a lot more on my blog, and share some things I didn’t share as often with all my friends, plus I get to practice my writing.

So lets go my friends, what are you thankful for?

Knitting and Fiber Projects

I'm behind posting pictures lately.  At the Men's Fall Knitting Retreat, I purchased yarn, that needed a good pattern to go with it.  The bottom yarn, with the four shades of Gray.

I started with a swatch, to see what the yarn and needles would work:

So after I finished the first color, I took a picture:

Then after I started the second color:

Then after the second color:

With the third color, the project now was getting large:

With the final color knitted in, I was able to stretch out my project and block it into shape.

The final picture:

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My Friend Franklin started to write articles for Fridays with Franklin.   His first project was explaining Shadow Knitting.  I decided to try his pattern out (with a little modification).

At first look, it doesn't seem very interesting.  Now look at it at an angle:

Now when you see it at an angle, you see the circles, and Mickey Mouse.

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At the latest Las Vegas Fiber Arts Guild meeting,  we were introduced to Fingerloop Braiding.  I was unable to practice at the meeting, but I was able to take the instructions and see what I could do.

Here is a try, with a flat braid:

I know I need to work on my tension, but I do have a better understanding of the technique.

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I had the fun one spinning group night.  We got to play with painting, and kettle dyeing fiber.  Here is everything trying to dry.

The final colors:

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The next project:

Fall Garden

Late September, I started to work on my Fall Garden.  I had already tried to grow beans, peas and others.  It was too hot, and the seeds did not survive transplant.  The second attempt did much better.  Here are plants that I bought from Moon Valley Nursery and Home Depot.

Here is my garden after the first group:

This was a good start, but I still was hoping for a few more plants, so I visited Lowes.

With some work, the garden turned into this:

So let me show some of my plants off.

This is one of several tomato plants.  I had to put this plant in a tomato cage, because it had a weak stem.  it is doing fine, and I have several tomatoes growing.

This is heat resistant tomato plant.  It doesn't have any tomatoes, yet.  It has a few blooms.

Third tomato plant.  a couple of tomatoes already.

Anaheim Chile Peppers.  Several chiles already.

I also have strawberries, cabbage, peas, bean and mint.  The reason you see the some of the lights, is my garden at night.  Here is a pictures from last night.

I decided to add solar lights, so I can see my garden when I wander outside at night.

Slow Cook Friday: Potato Soup

I started looking at the change in the weather last week.  The heat wave was going to pass by Wednesday/Thursday.  I knew what sounded good in the slow cooker, so last week I got potatoes at the farmer's market.  This week I got green onions. 

Potato Soup

Several strips of bacon
Medium Onion
Garlic

Fry the bacon then put to the side.  Leave some bacon grease in the pan, then chop the onion and garlic into the pan.  (I did this the night before, and put both away in the fridge, overnight).

6 Medium Potatoes (I mixed yellow and red) chopped
1 med chile (I used a medium poblano)
Bacon torn in small pieces
Onions and garlic
Chicken stock (I used what I have leftover)
Milk
Black pepper

Put first four items in slow cooker.  I put a mix of stock and milk to not cover the other ingredients.  I didn't want to overdo the liquid.  Added pepper.  Set on low for 8 hours.

Half and half
Corn Starch

Mix some starch with H&H, place in slow cooker and set on high for 30 minutes.

Serve with shredded cheese and chopped green onion.

Slow Cook Friday: Pot Roast

With a free weekend, I wanted to get the slow cooker going, but I wasn't sure what to make.  I picked up one of my Fix it and Forget it books, this one I got as a gift last Christmas. 

Pot Roast

2 Pound Roast
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 pk Lipton Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 Med Onion
Garlic (though it was an onion, till I opened it)
Vegetables

     What I had in the fridge were:

• Chilie
• Summer Squash
• Potatoes

The Secret ingredient. My last can of Dr. Pepper.  (Forget the Coke or Pepsi).

Set on low for 8 hours.