Happy Thanksgiving, yo.

Wishing everyone in the States a Happy Thanksgiving, and friends around the world a lovely Autumn (or Spring, if you're South of the Equator!) weekend.

Today is a slow day, which is fine by me.  I have time to wash a huge armful of woolens in the washing machine - they are soaking now (in Eucalan, although I love Kookaburra Wash.  Has anyone tried Soak?  Maybe the new Ravelry Soak?  I'm curious.), and then when I flip the switch to "Spin", all the water is sucked out.  SO much easier than doing pieces by hand in the bathtub, squeezing out water, rolling them up in towels, and standing on the rolls to get the water out. 

E is feeling under the weather today, poor guy.  He may end up keeping the dogs company while I go visit a few relatives for Thanksgiving dinner.  Usually their "do" is a little after noon, for that traditional mid-day dinner, with an afternoon of snacking, desserts, conversation, and furtive napping, before people leave with leftovers wrapped up.  This year it's a later dinner - apparently there is not enough oven time to get everything baked, cooked, what-have-you, that is planned for! 

I made chocolate chip pumpkin cookies.  I read Laura's post here about chocolate chip pumpkin cookies she made, and oh how I wanted some!  I used her modifications of 1/2 brown, 1/2 white sugar, and for each recipe size, threw in a whole 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips, rather than 1 cup.  (Seriously? One cup?  Psssht!) 

Wet portion of batter after adding canned pumpkin.  Mmm.

Ready for baking - they should be flattened a bit, and spaced well apart.

Yum!

Last night I made the recipe again, but doubled, and with both semisweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.  I also usually use about half of the oil called for (I usually have olive oil on hand - these cookies are so flavorful that you don't have to worry about the olive flavor coming through at all), and the rest of the volume with applesauce.  The applesauce adds to the moisture, but of course, cuts the fat content.

These cookies are moist and cakey, and are so good!  Two thumbs up. 

Waiting to be taken to Thanksgiving dinner.

Knit-wise, I whipped through a bit more than half of the beret I was interested in...and realized I was going to run out of yarn.  (Why?  How?)  I'm not thrilled about the idea of a contrast top to the beret.  Grumble.  Grumble.

But I have some socks I can work on, and who doesn't love more wool socks in Winter?  I sure do.

Now is the season

I'm getting the knitting urge again.  My WIPs have been languishing for a while now - the last few weeks/months, I've not been that interested.  But with more of a chill in the air (and perhaps that added moisture which makes the weather feel more raw), I'm looking to pick some things up again.

I just recently found the Columbia Beret on Ravelry (non-Rav link here), which I'd like to knit up in a very warm yarn.  I have several skeins of Superyak which I've been hoarding, with the woolens-hoarding urge of a born New Englander.  I think that might work.  I've become more of a fan of the beret, although I prefer them not blocked over a dinner plate, but over a round object for maximum floppy slouchiness.

I also would like to knit a Heather hoodie (Rav link here, it's in the Fall 2009 issue of Knitscene).  I'm thinking of using Ecological Wool held double, as I did for my sister's Vine Lace Cardigan.  It came out so well.  I think something like this might be useful at work, where it is cooler in the Winter months, but the heat is still going.  I like the way it's modeled, with a long-sleeve fitted T-shirt underneath.  It's sporty and cute and warm.  Very nice.

And for a ridiculously adorable knit, I've become fascinated with knit toys and animals.  Boo the Bat is supercute, and I love bats to begin with.  (Rav link here, Mochimochiland link here.) 

I do know that I want to make more socks.  My Heartbreaker socks have been part of a heavy sock rotation.  They are soft, warm, machine-washable (cold water, low setting), -dryable (low heat), and I just love them.

Heartbreaker colorway, Yarn Lust's sportweight superwash sock yarn

I have a small stash of this yarn, just sitting there, looking so lovely, and thinking, "that could be on my feet keeping me warm!"

In non-knitting musings, we purchased a bird feeder a couple of months ago.  Even though we're living in a pretty urban area (and very close to about four major highways), I am still longing to live somewhere more rural, more surrounded by wildlife.  I've seen a cardinal or two, some mourning doves, and so we put out our little birdfeeder.  

Who is that on the roof, waiting for seed and grain?

What do we attract?  A flock of pigeons (~40), and about 10-20 house sparrows (an invasive species, argh!) every morning.  I'm hoping that the mourning doves I see around are at least getting something.

Just a few of the normal crowd.

These photos are from a month or two ago - now the lawn is a bit more ragged, with fallen leaves scattered around. 

I do get a few minutes of animal-watching every morning, but I am hoping someday to live somewhere where we can watch the woodpeckers, the finches, the chickadees, and so on.