Finally Over That Storm!!

   Thanks to Jeff's nephew, Doug, we are finally ready over that last storm and ready for the next one!  He was here yesterday and changed the decks on the Cub Cadet and plowed the long driveway with his truck and plow.  The riders and walk-behind blower do great jobs of removing snow but a truck with a plow has them both beat.  That was the verdict by the 'old men's club' at lunch yesterday.  Jeff had made one of his soups (chicken and sausage) and between what was eaten and what we sent home with Doug, about half the pot was gone!  Not to mention half the cake I had made!  Any way, Wally and Jeff were in awe of Doug for getting his truck and plow for such a great price (The original owner didn't want to pay the mechanic for some work done, so the mechanic kept the truck and sold it...to Doug...for that price!).  Wally kept saying we just have to find a truck that runs.  He doesn't plan to register/insure it, just put a plow on it and only use it to keep the driveway open.  As long as it has a heater that works!!  After opening the berm created by the town plow's in the mouth of the driveway with the walk-behind blower, Jeff agrees.  Wally has peripheral nephropathy in his hands and feet from diabetes and the cold really bothers him.  Jeff is so full of degenerative arthritis most activity hurt him.  A heated, truck cab sounds like a great luxury to those two right about now!
   I told Jeff before Doug got here that I was going to 'hire him' to change our wood stove pipes.  Jeff actually agreed with me without an argument!  (I knew he was hurting then!)  Jeff had had some trouble the last time he changed the outside pipes climbing up the ladder while balancing 5 lengths of stove pipe on his shoulder.  Now he couldn't do it.  His balance is pretty well gone and his shoulders are so full of arthritis it hurts to move his arms.  When I talked to Doug about it, I showed him the chimney from the living room window.  Jeff explained what had to be done and I added we'd get the pipes.  Doug agreed.  Now we just have to get the pipes and call him.  Oh, I am going to love having my wood stove back in operation again.  Knitting on a Sunday afternoon while watching the NFL...that's my idea of a good weekend!!  Today I'll just layer on an afghan!!
Let's see...Baltimore v Buffalo then KC v the Patriots.  I should be able to get a lot of my Christmas knitting done during those games!  

Keeping Up The 'Chooch' Tradition

     Wally cried "Uncle" today and admitted he couldn't get the entire driveway open even on his riding blower.  He really felt the pain he has in his hands and feet from peripheral nephropathy from diabetes when he tried to clear around his garage and house.  He also said he tried to get someone to plow us out but that guy...a friend of his...isn't that reliable and hasn't showed up yet.  Wally suggested Jeff try to knock down the berm that the town plow has created in the mouth of the long driveway.  
   That's what Jeff is doing now...outside trying to open the berm with the walk-behind blower.  If Jeff wasn't low on a couple of Rx's I don't think he'd be out there...at least I hope he wouldn't.  I told him we belong together.  We're what my mom called  'chooches'.   Good-hearted folks who will help others without being asked but have to beg for other to help them.  
   Mom had a glass donkey with a cart where she use to put her earrings at night that she called her 'chooch' cart and always said that if we ever had a

Josie's Chooch Cart

family crest or flag it would have a 'chooch' cart pulling a load of manure on it. I don't see why we couldn't wait until Dougie comes down with his plow on Saturday....  (I really have learned when to keep my mouth shut!   Sometimes!!)  Anyway, I made a packet of potato soup so Jeff will have something hot to eat when he come in and it smells pretty good!  In the meantime I think I'm going to go back to my knitting...if the dogs let me.  Both are barking up a storm and Zoey keeps running from window to window to try and see where Jeff is!  I tried that but I can't see him or the arc of snow from the blower.
   Well, Jeff got the berm cleared out but the effort did a number on him.  He is really going to need PT on Tuesday.

Still Snowed-In!

      That snowstorm on Sunday left us about 13" of snow in the driveway and it's still there.  Wally cleared around his house and garage and that's all!  Our Cub Cadet is still waiting for the decks to be changed...not something Jeff can do right now with his shoulders the way they are...so he thought of using the walk-behind snowblower.  I volunteered to help but thank heavens, Jeff thought better of it and called his nephew, Doug.  Doug has a pickup truck with a plow on it and while he can't come down today, he will be here on Saturday.  We can easily wait til then. 
   I called the clinic and rescheduled the INR that was suppose to be repeated today until Monday.  (I was .2 out of range when I was tested last Wednesday.)  The only thing that may have done it was the Chinese seasonings Jeff used a couple of times last week.  The chicken and pork chops tasted great but if it pushed me out of range I'd just as soon not eat it.  Jeff was suppose to have PT today, too, but I just called and rescheduled that for next Tuesday.  They'll fit him in for his other session then.
   I talked to my cousin, Ed, last night.  The closing on his house had been postponed by the storm, too.  He doesn't know when that will happen now.  He said he went up to the house yesterday to turn the furnace up a little.  He said it was starting to smell damp and musty inside.  I had promised to lend him my statue of St Joseph to put in the house until the closing but forgot to give it to him on Thanksgiving.  If it doesn't close by Saturday I'm going to call him to come over and get it. 

Baby Norgi by Wendy Johnson

   I've been trying to do a Norwegian ski sweater called 'Baby Norgi' by Wendy Johnson that I found on Ravelry.    I really liked it but finally had to admit defeat.  I got all the patterns right but it just doesn't fit on a raglan-sleeved sweater top. Left too much open spaces.  I ripped it out yesterday and started a 'Flowers and Lace' sweater instead.  Today I'll do the sleeves and start the body.  Maggie was going to stop here after PT on Friday to pick up my stock for the shop but that's out of the question now with our snow-filled driveway.  I really wanted to do this 'Baby Norgi' sweater....  Maybe I'll try it again after I finish the 'Flowers and Lace'.
   I've done 4 Hats for the Library Fence but since they're not going to be delivered this week, I might do a couple more.  I'm using patterns I've been collecting but never had time to try.  Had a bit of trouble with an adult swirled rib watch cap.  The swirled rib worked fine until it was time to decrease the top and then it became a mess so I had to improvise.  Ended up looking pretty good, too.
   Jeff and I have a bet on how long Wally will last snowed in.  I said until he got tired of eating TV dinners.  Jeff doesn't think that will happen.  We'll just have to wait and see until then it's time to get back to knitting!
   Oh, yesterday would have been my cousin Tom Paul's birthday.  We lost Tommy a couple of years ago and he is truly missed...especially this time of year.  Tom and his father (and in the beginning, brother Jerry) would get a Christmas tree for us every year.  It wasn't always a 'perfect' tree but it was always a wonderful Christmas tree.  They'd bring it up and my mom would put out an Italian feast...meatballs, hot peppers...you name it!  Boy, those were the days!  This time of year it's easy...and difficult...to remember those who have left us.  At Thanksgiving my cousin Ed said he never thought it would get so lonely, there were so many people around all the time but....   Tom, you are still loved and greatly missed.😢

Black Friday? Bah! Humbug!!

      Black Friday sales were not up to those from the recent past.  It was still a decent weekend...till the snow storm hit on Sunday...but I didn't sell what I had hoped.  It looks like my display will be well stocked for the rest of the season with just a few admissions.  I've got those 2 Fair Isle hats ready to go and I started a raglan sweater based on the Baby Norgi pattern I saw on Ravelry.  I think I'll keep it to a size 2.  I got stuck on Hat #4 for the Library Fence...really screwed up the pattern...and it was just a spiral rib!  I want to finish that today and do 1 more and then I've got to finish sewing in the lining for the Puppy Helmet and get that in the mail, and finish a pair of socks for a friend THEN I can start my Christmas knitting.  Maybe if we get a couple more days of being snowed in I can get everything finished!!
   That snowstorm produced quite a lot of snow (13") yesterday but not the whole 12-24" that had been forecasted.  Our driveway is full and Wally kept his word and did not snowblow it's entire length.  Jeff hasn't been able to switch decks on the Cub Cadet yet (with his shoulder problem) so the only snowblower we have is a 'walk behind'.  He said he's going to be able to clear between the garage and the house with that without any problems.  (Wally cleared between his garage and his house with his riding blower but did not open up the long driveway.)  I called and rescheduled Jeff's PT so we don't have to go anywhere until Wednesday.  Maybe the garbage truck will make a wide enough track tomorrow so we can get out after him.  I just hope it doesn't get stuck!!
    I think I'll have another cup of coffee and find some lunch.  Maybe I'll make some Oatmeal Squares before I start this afternoon's activities (knitting).  It looks very pretty outside but not very inviting!

How A Woman Survives

...and maybe some chocolate.  And a few skeins of yarn.

More Knitting...What Else Did You Expect?

       I had promised myself I would start my Christmas knitting on Dec. 1st so this week I've been trying to keep busy.  I made 2 baby animal helmets to send to my cousins' children who are expecting babies in the coming months.  The 1st one, a Baby Rabbit

This helmet went to Bryce Clayton Hanneman who was born on Thanksgiving: 8# 7oz, 21" long

helmet,  made up cuter than the original size one!  It should get to it's destination in Colorado tomorrow.   The 2nd one, a Puppy helmet is

almost finished.  Just have to finish fitting the lining and sewing it down and adding the pompoms to the I-cords.  It looks rather cute, too.  How about those ears?  It will go to another cousin in Colorado sometime this week.  I had to take a break from the hand-sewing.  Boy, do I get cramps in my fingers from holding a sewing needle!  I always say I prefer knitting to sewing!
    In the meantime, not doing anything, not really interested in my library books, I was getting bored so I decided to do a couple more hats for the shop...JUST in case there is a major run on my display during our Open House/Black Friday celebration this weekend I'd be prepared and wouldn't have to interrupt my Christmas knitting. HA! (And remember, the easiest way to get to Cooper Country Crafts due to the construction in Doubleday Field parking lot is to turn off of Chestnut St on to Doubleday Court opposite the Cooperstown Fire station.)

The 1st hat I did was this gray and blue Fair Isle watch cap...with a big blue pompom.  I used the border designs from a Norwegian Fair Isle sweater pattern called Baby Norgi that I found on Ravelry...spreading the motifs out a little to fit around the hat.  It's done with 100% acrylic, KnitPicks Brava Worsted on US's 4 and 7's.  The blue and white yarns were just leftovers...also acrylic.  It is machine wash and dryable...just be sure to take the pompom off first. It will fit a child 6-9 years old.
   Then last night I started fooling around with this

pink heart watch cap.  I was all out of gray so I had to stay with pink and white. That's not a row of tiny hearts above and below the big hearts but a row of single pink stitches that ended up looking like hearts!  I wanted just a hot pink pompom but didn't have enough yarn so I used all the hot pink yarn combined with the pink and white to make the pompom.  (It looks OK but would have been better just hot pink.)  This hat is knit with Red Heart's Soft Pink acrylic worsted yarn on US 4's and 7's and will fit a child 6-9 years old. 
   OK, so I'm prepared for a GREAT Black Friday at the shop but since it's only Monday, what do I do until Dec. 1st?    I was talking to Nancy the Children's Librarian this morning and asked if the library was going to have their free hat give away this year.  (People donate hats that are placed in plastic bags and tied to the fence that runs in front of the library.  Anyone who needs a hat is welcome to help themselves.)  She said a couple of plastic bags have already been put on the fence so I told her I'd bring in some hats later this week.  After Jeff's PT today we went to Walmart and I got a couple of skeins of yarn so tonight I'll start working on Hats for the Library.  I think between now and Friday (Jeff's next PT appointment) I can probably make 5 or 6 and we can drop them off on the way home.  That should keep me busy till it's time to start my Christmas knitting Dec.1st.  Oh, Jeff just asked if I finished the socks I started for his birthday (March 1st) or the ones I started for Theresa (for that favor)?  I think I have enough knitting to do, the question is:  how much time do I have?

Something New

   Today I finished the first version of a baby helmet based on the patterns in the book "Animal Hats" by Vanessa Mooncie that I got thru the MidYork Library system earlier this fall.  I got the book to make the Fox for the granddaughter of a friend but got such

good comments on it I decided to make the Fox, Rabbit and Dog for the shop.  Then this week I learned that 2 cousins were going to have babies...both boys...within a few months and it was suggested I try to make them animal helmets.  
   I started looking for baby helmets and found that 'Ravelry' had several.  I ended up using 'Earflap' by Jane Richmond.  It's a top-down pattern and while the Fox and friends is bottom-up it was easy enough to add the facial features and ears to the helmet after it was knitted just by following the directions for the big helmets.  I even CO the same number of stitches...just on a lot smaller needle (US 1's and 3's instead of 10 1/2's and 11's)...and worked the same number of rows!!  I used US7's and KnitPicks worsted Brava in a light gray for the baby helmet with small balls of left-over white and gray for the features.  When it came time to line the baby helmet I used 100% cotton flannel but I had to improvise the pattern.  It took some time but it worked!  The only problem I had was with the wiggly eyes.  They would not stick to the buttons...even with SuperGlue.  They stuck to my kitchen counter, my shirt, my thumb but not to the buttons!
   Anyway, the Baby Rabbit got finished

and came
out fine,  More than fine, just perfect!  I think it's even cuter than the big version.  The next helmet will be a Puppy for the other pregnant cousin.