Too damn much!

Tomarrow I go to the fair and see how my Blackberry Jam and Dahlias have done. I'm going to try to remember my digital camera so I can post it. Things have been nuts here. Still working on home improvement. I finished the wainscotting on the end wall in my den/living room area. I also got the new ceiling lights up.. wired and working! I still need to touch up the ceiling and beams and work on the other walls. I haven't done anything yet with the hole in my kitchen wall yet. I just haven't had the chance. I found out my transmission in my car is dying. So I have to find something else. It just doesn't seem worth it to bother fixing it when they said it could upwards in cost as much as $1500.00! I was hoping to get a couple more years out of it ... NOT gonna happen! So thats been stressful to say the least. I HATE CARS! At times like this you think that it would be easier to live in the city where at least there is public transportation. Even car pooling is a pain out here.. thanks to car issues and home improvement projects I'm on another self imposed yarn diet. Probably for the best considering I've stash enhanced all Summer.
So for crafty news... I started a new project but haven't got much to show for it. I cast on for a knit vest with a free pattern from Interweave Knits. I haven't gotten far enough to say if I like it yet or not. Also I wanted to show the cool homemade soaps I got from Etsy.com . I thought they would make some cool gifts to add to some knitted soap cozies. The soaps are from Gudonya. The Rosemary Geranium keeps teasing me, mostly cause its been sitting on my desk for a few days.. might have to sample it. If your not familier with Etsy its a site for selling/buying handmade products. I only just found it back this Spring. But there is some really cool and unique stuff on it. The Rosemary Geranium soap reminds me of sherbert. I also got Pear Glace and that smells soo good too. Its light and soft. I figured I could try them and perhaps order some more for Christmas. Yes I'm already thinking about it.. and have been doing a little shopping here and there for it as well. I can't wait until last minute. I like to be ready and not have to do last minute running around. Not to mention it doesn't hit the wallet so hard when you spread it out over the year.

It's Entered! Now we wait.....................

On Friday I took my State Fair Along entry to enter for judging. I won't know until I visit the fair this week and look for my items to see if I won anything. I was able to pick some BlackBerries and make the jam in time. Also this year I decided to enter my Dahlia's that I've been growing this year. I got the root in a "Perennial Swap" at work earlier in the Spring. I've never had Dahlia's before so I thought why not. They did really well and I've entered them into the "Cut Flower" division. This is the first time I've entered in that category.

The on Sunday I cut a hole in my kitchen to build a recessed wall cabinet between the studs in the interior wall. I'll post more about that as I go along.

Starting and Frogging and Can't make up my mind!

I think I'm suffering from startitis. I've cast on for I dont know how many projects and I've frogged about all them so far, some more than once. I just cant seem to make up my mind and stick with anything knitting wise. I'm in such a slump! I'm trying to get some socks started for Christmas but either I dont like the pattern or my ribbing seems too stretchy.. I'm afraid it wont hold up over time. I started a new sweater, but decided its not going to work. So to the frog pond it goes. Whats that saying "the road to hell was paved with good intentions"??? All my projects started out with good intentions.. but they aren't making it. Yet my stash keeps getting more and more enhancement. So far in the last month or so I've purchased more yarn, a swift, a winder and some sewing stuff. Here is a pic of 12 skeins of this Cascade 220 color Mustard that was marked down that I purchased with a gift card that I won. How cool was that! I also got this cute pattern that would make some cute Summer aprons/skirts. I wish I could find a project and stay excited about it long enough to do it!

Berry Hunting

Its Blueberry season here in Beautiful Vermont. The last few days have been cooler which makes if perfect time to go berry picking. Last Tuesday I went with my aunt to Owls Head Farm to pick Blueberries. The picking was excellent. The bushes were soo loaded with fruit. You didn't have to go far to fill your container. Tuesdays and Thursdays are band nights. Local bands play outdoors in the hills while you pick. Some even had a picnic with them. It was great.
We didn't bring a picnic dinner. But we plan to go again in a couple of weeks. Earlier we went went to check on the Wild Blackberry situation for the State Fair Along. They are coming along and could probably be ready to pick in another week or two. So far all that was ripe were Black Caps and Scotch Caps. I did see two Raspberries there were hanging on that were quickly snatched up by yours truly.
Entering homemade preserves into the Champlain Valley Fair is nothing new to me. I have entered multiple kinds for the last several years and won every color of ribbon they offer. I have always wanted to enter Blackberry Jam into the competition. However thats been no easy feat. Blackberries ripen in the area right on top of the fair dates. Somehow I start out with good intentions yet I miss the cutoff time. This year I'm really trying to make the effort! But I plan on some sort of backup too. Every year I check and I've never seen anyone else enter Blackberry Jam.. I'm hoping this will be the year!