Bella's mittens, but fingerless

Actual knitting content!

My cousin admired the grey and dark blue sets of Bella's Mittens that she saw me making over the summer. She requested cranberry red, elbow length, and fingerless ("hobo style" my aunt calls them.)

I am now almost to the bind-off point of the first mitten, but am stalled by a serious conundrum: should I go back to ribbing for the last 1/2 inch? I'm currently waiting for her input on whether the top should be tight, loose, or tight-but-stretchy.

Flash-distorted color here: it really is quite close to cranberry. (I get a huge kick out of looking like a wooden porcupine attacked my hand...)

Ten on Tuesday: 10 things in my freezer RIGHT NOW

Alas, I now am sure about why I signed up for Ten on Tuesday: it forces me to blog at least once a week.

1) frozen yoghurt, in "vanilla" and "pomegranate" flavors
2) all-natural grape popsicles
3) peas
4) puff pastry
5) chopped spinach
6) edamame, both in and out of the pod
7) veggie burgers, about 5 different brands and styles
8) two shrink-wrapped pieces of salmon in chili sauce
9) samosas
10) coconut milk (which was once in a can, but doesn't keep well after opening, so I put it into 1/4 cup containers and froze it.)

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Ways to have fun on long car rides

1) Food and drink. Something that's neat to eat, not too horribly unhealthy, and easy to share. Grapes and bite-sized pretzels are ideal.
2) If somebody else is driving, a good book.
3) Or knitting.
4) Or crocheting. (My husband does most of the driving.)
5) Books on tape if it's just grown-ups in the car.
6) Read aloud from a "Miss Manners" book - it always makes us laugh, and sometimes triggers a good discussion.
7) XM radio - often it's the only way to follow the Red Sox when we're traveling.
8) Bring some math problems to work on with my husband.
9) Drive at night. You will see the countryside from a different perspective.
10) Have a DVD player for the kids. Seriously, it's the only way to stay sane with small children on a long trip.

Ten on Tuesday: 10 reasons to love Autumn

Given that I am currently at home, with a fever and something flu-ish, I am not loving Autumn. But if I stretch my imagination...

1) Watching the leaves turn. I spent my early childhood in upstate NY and those colors still captivate me, every year.
2) Substantial soups are back in fashion.
3) Making fresh bread is suddenly a GOOD idea, because it warms up the kitchen (as opposed to summer, when everyone whines at you for heating up the kitchen.)
4) For that matter, baking anything is praise-worthy.
5) Cooler nights means snuggling up under the comforter and blankets. (I sleep MUCH better when I'm slightly cold.)
6) I sleep better. (See above.)
7) My summer's knitting begins to be appreciated. Wool socks, anyone? Fingerless mitts?
8) It's apple season. Apple pie, apple gallette, apple turnovers, cider, cider doughnuts, hot cider with spices, apple bread, apple muffins...
9) and it's pumpkin season. Pumpkin soup, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bundt cake...
10) Winter is just around the corner.

Recent Reading

Eon: DragonEye Reborn by Alison Goodman: whoever wrote the cover copy should be fired, because I actually put this book BACK on the shelves after reading the insipid description of the plot. I mean... really? 16 year old girl disguised as a boy so she can ride dragons... haven't we been here before? And yet, after reading several rapturous reviews, I finally borrowed my cousin's copy and couldn't put it down for a whole day. It's vivid, brutal, fascinating, and almost nothing like your typical fantasy novel. I'm eagerly anticipating the sequel! (due out in April.)

The Bird of the River by Kage Baker: set in the same universe as The Anvil of the World but requiring no background knowledge to enjoy, this book is surely one of Baker's best. There's no world saving here, just the shaping and improving of a few lives on a slow-moving river boat. The writing is wonderful and the romance is both subtle and heartfelt.

Shadow Pavilion by Liz Williams: I think this is the fourth of the "Inspector Chen" series. I had forgotten most of the plot of the previous book, which made it a bit harder to dive into this one, but overall it was a terrific story. The entire series just seems to get stronger as it gets longer.

Next up? I've got a couple novels by Ruth Rendell waiting to be read, and the library is ordering me another five mysteries by Ellis Peters over Interlibrary Loan.

Ten on Tuesday: 10 things in your refrigerator right now

Another easy one!

1) Heavy cream (I have this fantasy that we're going to make ice cream from scratch some evening, and I want to be prepared. I also have Nutella in the pantry for the same reason.)

2) 1% organic milk, for the males in the family.

3) Low calorie soy milk, for me.

4) All the cooked ingredients for a roasted vegetable soup that I haven't actually assembled yet.

5) Left-over cheese pizza. (My younger son likes it for breakfast.)

6) Steamed carrots. (One of the few vegetables my sons will voluntarily eat.)

7) Eggs, both raw and hard-boiled. (The latter is another great "oh-shoot-the-bus-coming-in-six-minutes-eat-something" food)

8) Apples, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, a lemon, part of a honeydew melon, and a grapefruit. (We may dodge the vegetables on occasion, but we all adore our fruit.)

9) Mozzarella, 3 kinds of cheddar, Mahon, Wensleydale, a goat gouda from the local farmer's market, feta, parmesan, and some very old Humboldt Fog. I think we also have some Camembert in there, but I couldn't find it just now.

10) Chilled water in the flask for making seltzer.

Ten on Tuesday: 10 ways to have a happy birthday

Well, my birthday was only a few weeks ago, and it was lovely... so I think I have this topic under control!

1) Set reasonable expectations. Not everyone will remember. Some packages may be late. Be grateful for the gifts and cards you do get, and don't dwell on the missing ones.

2) Plan ahead, but don't get fixated on those plans. (We have baby-sitter issues some years.)

3) Sushi makes everything happier, at least for me. (And there's a decent sushi restaurant 2 blocks away from us, so it's very easy to make me happy...)

4) Don't eat so much that you'll be dieting for the next month. Think about how you'll "spend" your calories for the day.

5) Having said that, do indulge to a moderate amount.

6) If "alone time" is an important part of your day, absolutely demand it today.

7) Update your Amazon and Loopy Ewe wishlists at least two weeks before your birthday.

8) As much as your family will let you, sleep late.

9) This is a great day to cast on for a new project.

10) This is also the day that I start seriously thinking about Winter Solstice Knitting...