Every morning when I wake up, I want to head straight downstairs and start sewing.  The morning chores have to be done before I can start sewing but I’m usually at the machine by 9 or 9:30.

One morning this week, I had all the Big Star blocks and sashing strips made.  I was anxious to get started on the border blocks.  They’re my favorite part, you know?

Then I realized I hadn’t stuck in the sashing squares so I added those.

The border blocks kinda look like Mickey Mouse ears, huh?

Finished all the pieced blocks.  Sewed the blocks and rows together.  Started adding the non-pieced borders and they weren’t fitting.  They always fit!  I use Electric Quilt and the measurements are perfect.  I had used the wrong size for the sashing!  A bit of adjusting on the non-pieced borders and everything worked out but I hate when that happens!

Yesterday so many read my “Frozen Fog” post as “Frozen Frog” and I had to go digging through my photos to find this one.

Around Thanksgiving when we were up at the meat market where we got our turkey, I noticed in the cooler that they had frozen frog legs.  I love fried frog legs and I was just fixing to grab a box and I noticed it said “Product of China”.  WHAT?  Can’t they even get frog legs from Louisiana?   Not to be gross but . . in Louisiana, the guys would go out gigging for frogs, bring them home and clean them and we’d have fantastic fried frog legs but . . there’s something about frog legs from China that as much as I would love a big plate full of them, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

So . . frozen fog . . frozen frog . . you name it and I can blog about it!

On Lime Green Kitchen -

It’s getting close to Mardi Gras  – time to start thinking about making that King Cake!

This time of year it isn’t unusual for us to have frozen fog, which is so beautiful . . as long as all one needs to do is walk around and take photos.  Along with the frozen fog often comes black ice, which makes for extremely dangerous driving conditions, as was the case Sunday night when we had driven to the dairy.

Tuesday night we again had frozen fog . . but we didn’t make a trip to the dairy.  Didn’t even think about making a trip to the dairy . . may never think about that again! 

This is behind the chicken coop leading to the woods.

This is what was to be the garden last year.  Obviously we grew something . . weeds!

See how the snow/fog/ice forms on the barren branches.

Even on the weeds.

And even on the chicken wire.

And this . .

On my front porch, where there are two boards together with a space between . . this is a spider web . . covered in frozen fog.  Looking at it in this picture, the white stuff behind the spider web is the snow on the ground.  Isn’t that a weird picture!

Now . . I must get off the computer and go clean the spider webs from around my house! 

Remember I complained about the shipping costs from the cheesemaking supplies?  They sent me a check to refund the shipping that I paid over and above the actual shipping costs.   While I’m still not pleased that the person I talked to on the phone basically said . . too bad . . that’s what happens when you order over the internet . . I just wanted to let you all know that they had made things right after I emailed the owner.

And, on their website is the recipe/method with pictures for the recipe they provided and I used for making mozzarella.

On Lime Green Kitchen:

Iowa Chowder – it’s a hearty, cream based soup . . perfect for this type of weather!  Before you ask . . I do not know why it’s called Iowa Chowder . . that’s just the name that was on it when I was given the recipe.

If you’re a yogurt lover, and if you already have a crockpot, it’s worth a try to make your own and see what you think.

For those who have read my blog for a while, you know we love homemade yogurt.  This morning I had a crockpot full of yogurt waiting to be spooned into containers.  This batch has a big spoonful of raspberry-pomegranate  jam in the bottom.  From one batch, I got 8  small containers and 1 large container.  One small container is left unflavored to be used as the starter for the next batch of yogurt.  The large (green lid) container is plain, unflavored and we will use it in place of sour cream for baked potatoes and other items needing sour cream.

See the empty glass?  We buy interesting jams and jellies at T. J. Maxx when we can find them.  I’m real picky about the glass I use for my Dr. Pepper.  I love the plastic glasses but I also love these little round jelly glasses.  Finding good jelly in these particular glasses always makes me so happy!

The recipe I use for homemade yogurt is here.

I do not need any more sock yarn! I do not need any more sock yarn! Please Vince . . don’t be reading this post!   The last week or so, my mail lady has been my best friend!  I can’t wait to see her.  That’s all going to change though.  Two more packages and I’m done.  Really .. no more sock yarn.  I mean it this time.

It’s all the fault of those folks over at The Loopy Ewe.  There are yarns that people just rave about and I’ve never even heard of . . and surely haven’t seen or touched.  Everyone knows that the webpage is updated some time on Monday so half the knitters in the world camp out on The Loopy Ewe’s website all day Monday.  I never get anything done on Monday any more.  When I am lucky enough to get some of this can’tlivewithoutyarn, I never even know what color I’m getting . . I’m just sticking it in my shopping cart as quickly as I can and hoping for the best.  Sounds like I really do need a 12 step program, huh?

First, it was the Wollmeise Sock Yarn.  Getting that yarn is harder than getting a 12 point buck!  As soon as it shows up on the website, it’s gone!  If you’re lucky enough to get a few skeins in your cart, you’d better be real quick about checking out because it isn’t yours til you’ve paid for it and if there’s one skein left and someone pays before you do . . it’s going to their house . . not yours!  I got a few more skeins of Wollmeise Sock Yarn so I was happy.  I don’t need any more.  No . . really!  I don’t!

Then I heard that the Wollmeise Twin was heavenly for socks.  After several tries to get that from The Loopy Ewe, I heard that Claudia in Germany (the dyer) updates her web page on Friday mornings at 1 a.m. my time.  I managed to get some Twin straight from Germany!  Goofy me .. I left the invoice on the table and it was all in Euros. Vince looked at it and gasped and said . . doesn’t it take something like two dollars to make one Euro??  Hmmm . . not sure about that!  Let’s talk about something else!

Then there’s the String Theory yarn!  They have one called Blue Stocking and one called Caper.  Caper has 10% cashmere so it makes it a lovely sock yarn.  I’d never heard of it til those evil, evil ladies at The Loopy Ewe put it on their website.

Surely that was the end of the can’tlivewithout yarn!  Oh, no!  There’s Bugga! And it has 20% cashmere!  My feet will love me . . if ever I get socks made with it.  When it showed up last time on The Loopy Ewe’s site, so many of us were trying to get it that we crashed the server.  It’s all named after bugs and it’s as hard to get, if not harder, than the much desired Wollmeise.  In this picture:  Barrens Tiger Beetle, Tarantula Hawk, Sooty Dancer, Black Witch Moth and Death’s Head Hawk Moth.

Good . . I have all the can’tlivewithout yarn there is.  I can stop stalking The Loopy Ewe’s website and maybe I can paint new letters on my F5 key because I’ve worn them off.

What?  Not yet?  Monday I heard . . actually read on Ravelry . . that the update that night would include Numma-Numma.  What the heck is that?  Well, I managed to stalk the website long enough that I got some of that ordered. And then I heard that Sanguine Gryphon would have more Bugga in their Tuesday morning update.  I managed to get a special color called Love Bug and a very hard to find Northern Purple Gold Beetle.

Why can’t I be as disciplined with sock yarn as I am with quilting fabric lately?  It’s the hunt . . it’s knowing that if I don’t grab it now, I may never have another chance to get it . . ever!  I’m done .. really!