Wordless Wednesday

Photo by Serendipity

Yarn

I am back in my routine but

I cannot keep my coffee table uncluttered...

The dish is Enoch Woods. The pattern is English Scenery. This transferware will soon go on the table for Thanksgiving dinner. This meal is probably my favorite meal to prepare and I have wonderful memories of family and friends around the table. I shall start baking next week!

The quilted runner is new. I "borrowed" it from a friend and am not sure when I can return it! The colors are wonderful and batiks are a favorite. The Kaffe Fassett book contains the pictures and directions for a shawl I would like to knit. The pattern is Persian Poppies. The book is out of print but I found it on Amazon from one of their sellers. Between Amazon and Ebay, I don't have to leave the house except for groceries and knitting!

The basket under the table is my downstairs office! It needs some attention.

I am spending a lot of time with my Featherweight 221. Gathering the accessories and attachments has been a challenge. The above is a freestanding pinking machine and it works like a charm.

And then there is the knitting....

This is the Zig and Zag sock yarn pram blanket - almost finished!

So now I need to make a quilt..

There is a lot going on and I think it will be fun. I shall use different fabrics and try to use up some of the stash in the sewing closet.

But today I shall straighten out the basket under the coffee table, knit a little, and count my blessings. I shall plan for the week and possibly take a nap on the sofa. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Back to work!

Enough of this cold. I feel much better and have been working in my studio. The boxes are unpacked and the projects are lined up and ready to go. I did make a mystery bag of "stuff" I just can't deal with now but otherwise all is in order.

We came back early this year. For the first time in many years Halloween is not a traveling day. This means candy. 

Normally my embroidery machine is cranking out Christmas items.

This year I made a picture for Christmas. I will do some tea towels and ornaments soon. 3 years ago I made a Halloween wall hanging from a design pack from Anita Good Design. I favor these designs and the ones from Embroidery Library. 

Halloween lace with spider.

The table is set for fall even thought the temperature outside will be in the 80's today! Jack is making chili and I am getting knitting bag ready for next week.

Hope you are having a wonderful day. 

We stopped on the way home. . .

We are back in Florida but we spent two nights in Portland before we flew back. I love that city! We stay at the Regency as we have for several years. We love the location and the personnel and the amenities. You can read about it here. 

The weather was glorious - definitely Fall.

We don't venture far from the hotel but we did have an oyster outing. The name of the restaurant is Eventide Oyster Company. On their business card is this quote from poet and essayist  Leon-Paul Fargue: "I love oysters. It's like kissing the sea on the lips." Yes.

My sons live in and around Portland so we went to a restaurant that they have been raving about. If you love oysters and are in the area, it is a must. One chooses the variety of oysters from a menu. They are also on display when you enter the establishment. The wait staff is most knowledgable. We tried different varieties. They are served on beds of crushed ice with varieties of accoutrements. You can read about the menu here. I love oysters just with lemon but the horseradish ice was wonderful.

The slaw was made from purple cabbage and was delicious and a change from green cabbage.

We chose the Beau Soleil oysters from New Brunswick as one of the choices. Wonderful.

We shall go back on our next visit!
So, we are back in Florida. I have a cold. It seemed as if everyone on the plane was sneezing and coughing. Re-entry into the southern home has not been as speedy as I would wish. However,
we are back and the cold will go away.
Have a wonderful week!

(Fried oyster on a bun with pickles)

Chilly nights mean chowder

The nights have been chilly. The fall days have been beautiful. The market had fresh haddock so we made chowder. I say we because Jack does all the chopping. I oversee the whole process and carefully measure the wine before popping it in the oven! This recipe is somewhat unusual because it is baked in the oven. You can see the recipe here. This recipe is quite forgiving and adjustable. 2 hours at 325 degrees works well. Sometimes when feeling more diet conscious, I use skim milk with a bit of cream.

We like chowder, or "chowdah" as we say in Maine, in a mug. The recipe came from a community cookbook A Taste of New Hampshire.  The book is a collection of recipes from the New Hampshire Division of the American Cancer Society and no longer in print.

Now the boiling water and wine (optional) are added and the casserole is covered and baked. A salad and some crusty bread make a wonderful dinner.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!