Training and costumes

Yesterday was the University of Scouting.  I spent the day in Venture Scout required training.  Changes are coming to the program next year, so it is interesting to see what is coming down the pipeline, so to speak.  It is always fun to catch up with Scouting friends and to see Ben, which is always a treat!

It is good to be with both my guys!

I am knitting another sample of the Starry Java Jacket for the shop and I must start the card holder to match.  I can work on it today.

Last evening we went to a Halloween party, which was so much fun.  Adults, teens, and little ones were all decked out and there was plenty of food, candy, and scary decorations.  The party was set up in the barn  complete with fog inside and outside.  We spent most of the time at the bonfire.  It was a perfect evening.  Jim dressed as Red Green and I was a gnome.  I retired my old Halloween costume  last year (I made the Perriot clown costume in the early 1980s--it was time) and the only new pieces needed for this year's costume were a knitted hat, felt beard, and moustache.  I must say that the beard was not bothersome, but the moustache was itchy!

Red Green and the gnome.

The real photo!

There's change in the air

Yes, change in the weather.  I have a couple of small shrubs to plant and a larger shrub.  Dang, time has a way of flying by.

Shop samples are caught up for a bit.  I started Ariana's Shell with Rowan Felted Tweed DK.  It is lovely yarn.  It would have been really nice in my original color choice--Treacle--but instead there was more of the Carbon color, which is a dark blue/gray.  Right now I am working on a fun hat project called Round Dance.  I had a couple of skeins in the stash for some time and they were perfect for the hat.

I heard from a friend that she saw the 60 Quick Knits book in Washington state while visiting her daughter.  It is nice to hear from others how they like the hats.  I thought they turned out really cute.  The hooked rug, sample yarns, article, and photos arrived at Interweave Press.  That will take a bit longer to see, as the spring issue will not be out for a few months.

23.10.2013  I finished the Gnome Hat for my Halloween costume.  I retired the costume I made around 1982.  The only piece I needed for this costume was the hat.  Heck, why not make one I can wear when I cross-country ski?  Whether or not gnomes wear glasses remains to be seen, but this one does--I cannot see without them!  Maybe I can decorate them somehow to fit in with the costume.

The Paton's red is perfect for the hat.

Early morning light makes the red look pinkish.
The top photo's color is accurate.  

Over the weekend Jim and I had training.  He was inside and I was outside.    The participants made Little Reubens and Mountain Man Breakfast in the Dutch ovens.  Because we had only one hour for the session, the Reubens were finished quickly and finished off quickly!  I was too busy to take photos and wish I had taken one of Steve's troop when they brought their Dutch oven up from their campsite to show off their apple pfannkuchen.  It smelled heavenly.  I think that was wonderful for the adults to see the boys take pride in their cooking skills.  I can train people until the cows come home, but nothing beats seeing the boys in action.

The trees and the road looked pretty as I was leaving camp. 

Autumn colors.

Below are the recipes I used for outdoor cooking.  These are very easy to adjust.  Just remember:  You can cook food, but you can't unburn food!

Recipes:

Little Reubens

1, 8 to 10 oz pkg corned beef, chopped (or use turkey for Rachels) 

1, 32 oz jar sauerkraut well-drained (I use Frank's--it's my Ohio thing)

1 cup mayonnaise

2 cups shredded Swiss Cheese (or a bit more is better--this is not rocket science!)

Ritz crackers (The first time I tried this we had rye bread, but the Ritz crackers are really good!)

10-inch Dutch oven, matches, charcoal briquettes 

This cooks up in a preheated Dutch oven in about 20 minutes at 375 to 400 degrees F, 10 to 12 coals on top and 8 to 10 coals on the bottom of a 10-inch Dutch oven.  The amount of coals used vary when the weather is cold, or is windy and cold, which was the case on Saturday.

Mountain Man Breakfast

1/2 pound bacon (we used precooked sausage cut up)

1 medium onion, chopped

1, 2-lb bag of frozen hash brown potatoes

1/2-lb grated cheddar cheese

1 dozen eggs

1 small jar salsa

12-inch Dutch oven, matches, charcoal briquettes

This requires 6 to 9 bottom coals and 12-15 top coals.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Slice bacon into small pieces and brown with onion in  the bottom of the oven until translucent.  If using precooked sausage, thaw and then cut into small bits.  Stir in the potatoes and cover, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes.  Scramble the eggs in a separate container and pour over the potato mixture.  Cover and cook until eggs start to set, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Sprinkle grated cheese over egg mixture, cover, and continue cooking until eggs are completely set and cheese is melted.  Serve hot with salsa!  

Something else I love when camping is Philmocha--coffee with hot chocolate, which tastes so good on a chilly morning or evening by the campfire.  

This week I received the designer's copy of the book and was excited to see my pattern in print.  I will enjoy my 15 minutes of fame to the hilt!  Too bad the Twins did not do well (yet again).  It would be nice to wear the original hat to a game--I only went to the stitch and pitch game years ago the first season the ballpark opened.  

It is nice to see not only my name but Amazing Threads, too.