Knitting in red shoes...

Hmmm

2010-06-21T15:10:00.003-04:00

So...I haven't been knitting.
At all.
It's amazing how many hours are sucked away by baby worship. Everyday Rowan seems to do something new. Recently, his obsession has been kitties :)
To combat my inability to knit at home, I've been thinking about going to a local knitting group so that I'm actually forced to at least pick up the needles. I did whip up a dishcloth for my mother back in May for Mother's Day. It was gratifying to finish a project, no matter how small.

So instead of progress on those pants....which at this point will be for child number two, here's a pretty picture of a gorgeous Vermont garden.

The Baby Daze is Clearing

2010-04-30T09:02:00.006-04:00

Rowan is finally sleeping through the night and I am finally starting to consistently be able to cross things off the to do list. We even managed to visit some friends and see the beach. Vacationing with an infant is like nothing I could have pictured. Babies are so small, yet require so much STUFF whenever you take them places. I am planning on running the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco this October, and the idea of what we will need to get on the plane is kind of intimidating. I won't even attempt to cloth diaper for any part of that trip :)

The weather is finally starting to turn around. We had a...I'm not sure if I would call it a freak or a typical spring snow storm a few days ago that covered our tulips and daffodils with inches of a wet slushy mess. I saw some really beautiful pictures on Facebook of flowers in the snow, but it dampened my spirits so much that I hadn't the heart to take out the camera.

I am more happy about the green that is everywhere now that those few inches have melted. This might have been why I chose to delve into the stash for this gorgeous handpainted yarn.
I'm slowly working my way through baby bell bottoms from The Blue Blog. I think they'll be a nice fit for my chubby baby...if I finish them before he grows too big, of course. I love the color variations in the yarn.

This winter I was working on a nice quick scarf in Moss stitch, but I made it too wide and started to hate it and the very very slow progress I was making on it...and who knows where it is now :)

Rowan already loves vegetables, of the cotton sort anyways.
And speaking of vegetables, I got a raised bed to garden in this year, with the idea that I will take it from the condo when we buy a house in a few years. I've started the seeds...even the ones you're not supposed too. Poor zucchini. I love raising veggies from seed. It doesn't always work out, but it seems like when it does, I feel like I've accomplished so much more than when I buy the small plants from the farmers markets. Maybe because my kitchen window is no greenhouse. Only the strong survive :)

A Late FO

2010-01-05T12:26:00.005-05:00

I was hoping to finish this in time for my sister's baby shower in May....
And then I was hoping to have it done for when she gave birth in June....
And when that didn't happen, I thought, "Heck, why not give myself a few months and aim for the Baptism in August?"....
And when that didn't happen...I thought, "I should really stop avoiding sewing this elephant up and just get it done for Christmas. Ava (her daughter) is now old enough to appreciate stuffed toys...if I put it off too much longer she will be able to verbally thank me for her gift!"

Guess what I was doing while my sister and her daughter were over for Christmas?But I finally got it done.

I made it a rattle on a whim with a small plastic container I had lying around from a shower favor and some mung beans. That was a good decision, because Ava loves different noises and textures, and she LOVED her little elephant. (So much so that it was hard to get a decent picture. :)
Besides the rattle, the only changes I made to the pattern were to add a tail, a suggestion I got from Ravelry.

An early FO

2009-12-09T16:15:00.003-05:00

Guess who came 3 1/2 weeks early?

Introducing Rowan, my best finished object yet.

So yeah, no knitting lately :)

Finally, a FO

2009-11-09T15:36:00.002-05:00

I killed the computer a week or two ago...and we finally got a new power supply in last weekend. Between killing my home computer, killing a work computer twice this year, and being unable to efficiently navigate ITunes, I feel technologically stupid. I sometimes wonder if I was not born in the wrong time period.
I mean farming, canning, knitting, no problem! (As long as time is not a factor :))
But figuring out how to load specific episodes from one of my podcasts onto my Ipod? Not so much...
I finished the sweater for my co-worker a whole solid three days before the shower. I'm pretty pleased with the way it came out, and even though I didn't knit a swatch for gauge, I was pretty close. The sweater should fit somewhere between 2-6 months. And after washing and folding clothes for my little one, I think my sweater is closer in size than the variances between different brands of onsies.

So...now no more excuses to keep plugging away at the Tilted Duster...
The Christmas Cactus I have at work never bloomed last year, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it budding. Aren't the striped petals gorgeous?

One of the buds fell off, so I threw it in a beaker, and it flowered. It is the prettiest thing to ever be in that beaker, I'm sure.

Baby Sweater

2009-10-21T15:21:00.003-04:00

I'm knitting this sweater for a friend who is having a little boy. It's going really quickly on size 10 needles. I should be done by now...but you know, life and all. Or to be more specific, the first of three baby showers (baby stuff is sooo cute!), prenatal classes, prenatal yoga, and general nesting seems to be getting in the way of my knitting time. My time seems to be flying by in a blur, not unlike the stitches in the first picture :) I should be able to finish the sweater by next week, when it's done, I'm sure it will resemble a sweater and not a blob.
It's looking more and more like the Tilted Duster might be a winter sweater....

Something Finished, Something Not

2009-10-04T13:39:00.003-04:00

I finally got around to taking a picture of the soaker I finished a week ago. It's from the frantic mama pattern.I love the spirally stripes the variegated Purewool turned out. You can see how much more even my stockinette is in the round versus on the bottom where I switched to straight needles. I must purl tighter :)

The leg holes seems a bit small, but then, I suppose the cloth diaper will take up a bunch of room. I can always rip it back and pick up more stitches around the hole when Baby Neff plus diaper fits into it. Coming from my stock, chances are his legs will not be skinny :)
I'm pretty sure he's working diligently on building his muscles now. It amazes me how strong some of those kicks are.

I've finally dusted off my Tilted Duster again (I really couldn't resist the corny pun). Hopefully I can put some serious knitting time into that and can finish before fall ends. One of my co-workers is due for her firstborn 7 weeks after me, and I'd really like to knit her something. I guess its a good thing that its getting dark earlier and the weather is getting colder. Less outdoor distractions = more knitting time.

Picture Heavy Post of Italy

2009-09-22T16:28:00.006-04:00

In no particular order:
A rare shot of me and Matt complete with pregnancy belly inside the Colosseum.Ancient marble facade remnants on the outside of the Pantheon.
Monteriggioni, a castle outside of Siena.
Little medieval streets in Orvieto.
View of the Roman Forum from Palantine Hill.
Piazza del Campo, Siena.
Arch of Constantine (my favorite *ahem* Russian Fulbright scholar) in Rome.

Fresco in Monte Oliveto Maggiore Monastery (note the cat and dog fight).

Volterra (Best place in Italy to catch a sighting of a vampire for all the Twilight fans, hehe)
View of the Duomo in Orvieto.
Ponte Vecchio in Florence (The famous Medici family used to use this as their personal commute into the city.)
Trevi Fountain at night, Rome.
Casole d'Elsa, our home base in Tuscany.
Hey look, I even did a little knitting in Italy. Someday this will grow up to be a diaper soaker for the wee one. I love the spiral/stripey thing going on in this yarn.

Poor Neglected Blog

2009-08-31T11:12:00.004-04:00

I haven't been knitting.

I've been doing a ton of traveling (from Maine to Oregon to southern New Hampshire) and preparing for baby and I have some great pics, but nothing knitting related.

That elephant I was supposed to finish for my sister's shower and then birth and then baptism?
Never happened.
At this point I guess I'll be hoping to finish for Christmas, when the baby will be 6 months and might actually react to a stuffed animal, so that would be nice.

I'm going to Italy in a few days and I'm hoping to take some knitting for the plane, but I have so much to do for the next few days I don't even know if I'll have time to gather patterns/materials, and I'm not taking the Tilted Duster with me. Trying not to panic about all I need to get done in the next 24 hours!

On the non-panicked side, I turned this:Into this:
And then I found that the seeds of Queen Anne's Lace were used as a contraceptive...so I won't even get to see if it tastes good. The flowers, which were used for the jelly, might be safe, but I couldn't find info that they definitely were.
But it's pretty anyways :)

Rest in Peace Dear Canon Powershot S50

2009-08-02T18:22:00.004-04:00

For 5 long years you served me.

You took some pretty pictures.

You took some fun pictures.

You even took some knitting pictures.

Your service has been greatly appreciated, but you have become:

sad
and bulky and
slightly broken...

I think it best if we put you to rest and let the Nikon Coolpix take it from here.

Yay for early birthday presents! :)

Sweater Progress

2009-07-20T19:19:00.003-04:00

There's not been much progress to show, but enough to take a picture of:

The yarn is gorgeous, heathered with pinks and blues. If only I could get myself to cast that piece off and start on the next piece...
Less picture worthy is the elephant that I have yet to sew together. My sister's baby is hovering on a month old....hopefully I'll get around to it by the christening next month.

It's been a busy month. (Excuses, excuses...) We went to the Finger Lakes with friends for the Fourth of July and got to stay at an awesome house right on Lake Canandaigua. Our friends got their very own designated driver for a day of wine touring. The vineyards out there have gorgeous gardens, gorgeous landscaping, gorgeous lake views, gorgeous swans...yup, gorgeous swans :) Perhaps when I am not so pregnant, I'll be able to do some tasting myself.
And no month without blogging would do without at least one weekend of trucking down to Western MA. We had a lovely hike up Monument Mountain in the Berkshires, complete with some wild blueberry foraging. I must be getting a bit spoiled on the Green Mountains though, because we go to the top....and I was hoping for a bit more mountain to hike up.
Last weekend we had people up for Brew Fest. Yet another event that made me really miss the occasional imbibing of alcoholic beverages. Not to complain too much. They put on the festival on the Burlington waterfront and it's a gorgeous place to hang out.

Yesterday we also spent our energy volunteering for the Mozart Festival. Beautiful classical music in some of the most gorgeous settings in the area. But parking and un-parking hundreds of cars is exhausting, and I still have some sleep to catch up on. Hopefully next time, I'll have more knitting to show in less time. That's the dream anyways :)

Tilted Duster Prep

2009-06-21T14:54:00.003-04:00

Ready to start my first sweater project. I finally got to put the skein winder and ball winder to good use. Husband was amused by how amused the whole setup made me.
So easy!
No resulting yarn tangles!
I heart my ball winder :)Matt really wanted to know why yarn was not sold in yarn balls, if skeins were so difficult to knit from.
I really wanted a logical answer but all I could come up with was,
"Because skeins are pretty, Matthew."
Am I missing something?
My pretty purple yarn balls.
Prettier than skeins?
You be the judge.I've decided to limit the baby knitting until we find out the gender. If Baby is cooperating, that might in just 3 weeks.
I really love gender specific baby patterns :)

In other news, I finally made it to my second Red Sox game. It only took 17 years. (Seriously, the last game I went to was with my DARE class in elementary school.)
Luckily, it was hugely more entertaining than the one I went to back in the '90s during their less awesome years. For starters, I actually kind of follow the team now. They were playing the Marlins and between Big Papi's homerun, and then not striking out at all (it's the small stuff), Ellsbury stealing bases left and right, some excellent knuckleballs from Wakefield, and you know, actually winning the game (a great change from my last game) , I just wish Boston was a little closer so we could go more often.

Perhaps I Should Start Knitting My Own Baby Items...

2009-06-11T20:58:00.004-04:00

..seeing as in 6 short months I will have a baby of my own! I guess I'll have to get on that now that I'm past the nauseous/tired stage.

I have no new knitting to show you (I never even finished sewing the elephant together) . The blanket was well received, though someone in the audience, and yes, the shower was so large (30+ guests) that it was as if there were an audience watching my sister and her husband unwrap guests...
Tangent! Anyways, some guest asked if the blanket were crocheted or quilted. I still don't know if they really didn't know the difference between sewn material and yarn...but then again, maybe they were sitting that far away...

How about some pretty flowers instead? These pictures are of the peony gardens in Shelburne Farms, definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in the Burlington, VT area.

Think I'm Gonna Cheat

2009-05-28T15:29:00.004-04:00

I'm done knitting the baby blanket for my sister's shower this weekend. I have not yet started the process of weaving in all those ends...or piecing together the elephant...and I'm out of time. Luckily it doesn't really need blocking.

Unluckily, I have shower "stuff" to do tonight instead of spending my hours weaving in all those ends.

So I might be cheating a bit...we'll see how that goes. I got Myha to sit in on the pic so you could see the size. I'm pretty happy with it, but if I had more time and more dark blue yarn I probably would have doubled or even tripled the border length.

Honestly, I'll just be happy when this week is over :)

Sometimes I Commute by Bike

2009-05-07T11:47:00.003-04:00

And when I do, I often stop for groceries on the way home. My Trek doesn't have a basket, or anywhere to store my purchases, save my backpack. More than once, I have tried to balance a grocery bag of food on each handle bar. It is precarious at best, and has resulted in the ruination of at least one of my chico bags from the near constant brush against the tire spokes as the bags swing.

I've been looking at bike baskets, which aren't too expensive, but I worry that I and my Trek are not retro enough to pull off the wicker basket. And though my bike is uncool enough for the metal basket, I just don't like it.

If I had a million dollars, this is probably what I would get. Just pile in groceries, children, flowers, gardening tools. Genius :) Since I am not a millionaire, and you probably aren't either, they are having a contest.

There's Been Some Knitting...

2009-04-26T18:23:00.002-04:00

Not much though. I have one more week of classes and then one final and then I will really have to start knitting up a storm.
And start swimming again.
And start biking again.
And start running again.
It's rather amazing how my exercise habits just completely fall apart under the guise of "busy-ness"...

Yesterday we had our first summer day. It was in the 80s and sunny and gorgeous. It's amazing what one warm day will do to plants. Our lawns are now summer green, the bulbs seemed to have started blooming overnight.
So, of course it was cold and rainy today :)

It's all fine by me because I only have one more week of classes!

Hey Look, It's Only Been 3 Weeks....

2009-04-15T19:53:00.002-04:00

I've been having this love-hate relationship with the blanket I'm knitting.
I love the way it looks in the pattern, and all of the finished pieces on Ravelry, but I hate the way it seems to be coming out :)

It started off pretty horrible as you can see in the picture above. I re-knit the middle twice because I thought somehow this would make the stitches I picked up along the edge somehow more even.

*snort*

Somehow it did not register in my sieve of a brain that all those itty bitty triangles *ahem* "squares" would mean all these itty bitty ends to weave in. Or the fact that there might end up itty bitty wholes from all the joining and cutting and knitting and cutting and joining....Somehow I even managed to knit the square backwards or upside down. Which of these, I'm not even completely sure, all I know if that when you see the side with the middle square not having the stripe around it, all of the other squares do have stripes.

Does anyone know what I did wrong?

To keep my sanity, I have chosen to ignore these things.

I'm going to play on the fact that the blanket will be handmade and flawed and beautiful despite it's flaws. Plus, babies tend not to be picky about stripes and holes and unevenness in blankets.

Right?
The booties, though not done, are just not a priority to finish. I love the little bunny buttons I found, but I couldn't get my camera to focus for a close-up. So just take my work for it: bunny buttons=super cute :)
Two more weeks of classes....

Has it Really Been a Month?

2009-03-24T11:51:00.005-04:00

A month is gone and I really don't have anything (knitting-wise) to show for it.

I started a baby blanket for my sister and restarted it. I have have finished the elephant pieces, but haven't sewn it together or stuffed it....and I still have to weave in the edges on the baby bootees....you know how I heart finishing :)

I have made some jewelry, but given it away before I took pictures. I made a metal bead and am working on a "mandent" for Matt, which is looking promising.

I also got the OK to run (finally!) and am up to 2 miles at a relaxed pace. I'm pretty happy to be able to run again, even if our Spring seems to have regressed for the time being, and I don't really have the time to do it more than a few times a week. I look forward to running shorts weather. Soon. Please?

My sister's baby shower is in about 8 weeks, so I really need to get on that elephant and blanket. I just really want to knit something simple that I don't have to consult the pattern every two rows or have to seam or put things together. Also, I'd really like to have time every night to sit down with some knitting, but that's my fault.

Instead of knitting, on the nights I don't have classes, I got sucked into The Cider House Rules. Books have a way of really been getting in the way of knitting...or accomplishing all of the things on my To Do List.

I was only supposed to have two classes to worry about; then the undergrad got me all excited about beer brewing, which is a really fun class. And as soon as I find someone to sell me their used equipment, I'll be having some beer brewing fun. All of my classes are really cool, it's just so much time.

I have about 5 weeks of classes left, and until then, there won't be many posts, or much progress :) I passed up the chance to read Stephanie Myer's vampire love story, The Host, in an effort to keep on keeping on.

Dreaming of Spring

2009-02-24T14:02:00.003-05:00

Is Spring here yet?

Warmth and flowers and exercising outside without fear of falling on the ice....
all of these things I presently wish for even though I wouldn't really have time for them until classes are over...

Is it Summer yet?

Parade of Unfinished Projects

2009-02-17T09:11:00.005-05:00

I haven't been blogging because there's nothing done.

I haven't yet finished the stuffed elephant that I swear people on Ravelry have been claiming to finish in a night (I do covet a faster knitting speed).
I had some issues with pattern wording. I tried to get help from Ravelry but the comments were all useful, for example: "pattern wording is confusing."
This is the first time Ravelry has failed me.
Luckily, my co-worker's mother is a knitting guru, so she helped me. (Thanks Jess's Mom!) So someday I will finish this, but not today.
They had you knit the arms in one piece and sew a seam. I figured out that this was unnecessary by arm number two...but man I do hate sewing seams.

Excuse the blurry picture, it's hard in the darkness to get a decent picture that allowed you to see the trunk.

I still have yet to seam and sew the buttons on Saartje's Bootees. I feel like the buttons make the booties, so I've been putting off the process of button searching. This pattern takes up almost more time sewing seams than knitting....have I mentioned how much I hate sewing seams? After I finished knitting and seaming the first one I, of course, found a seamless Saartje's pattern.

I realize the saying is live and learn, but sometimes I wish I could skip straight to learn :)

Speaking of learning, after 5 weeks of jewelery class (read as 20 hours in the studio) all I have to show is this silly pendant. I learned soldering, to make a bezel cup, and the process of finishing a piece. I am quickly developing a true appreciation for why any and all unique jewelry costs so much. The process is time intensive, even when you are skilled. Also, silver is expensive, and while I'm normally a silver/white gold person, I find myself appreciating the colors of the new gold (not gold, just golden in color) and copper...probably because of the relative affordability in price.

Matt's Scarf

2009-02-05T13:37:00.005-05:00

I finished it awhile ago, but as soon as I wove in the ends, Matt took it and replaced his old scarf, which I have to make "disappear." It took a few days to catch him in the scarf with a camera, and I was not given time to properly arrange the scarf on the model, but you get the idea. It would look nicer blocked, but that'll probably have to wait until spring.

While I like to have options for accessories, Matt really likes to have one, and only one set of everything.

One pair of exercise pants.

One hat, one scarf.

One bathing suit.

A pair of black dress shoes, a pair of brown.

One set of sneakers for running/tennis/walking, which he will not replace until they are literally falling apart.

We've come to a healthy compromise where I sneak new shoes in the house. I remember putting all of my running shoes in the shoe rack when we moved in together and him staring aghast. Granted, there are about 6 pairs of running shoes in there, but only one has enough life for long runs. Another pair I use for short runs, another pair I use for tennis or the gym when I'm not running, another I use for walks, and the last pair I use for anything that's to get really dirty. OK, that's only 5...there may be an unused pair in there....but when you train for marathons, you go through 2 or 3 pairs, depending on mileage, and while they won't have enough cushion to run ten miles, they still feel fine for other activities.

I've almost finished a pair of Saartje's Bootees, but there's still the seaming and buttons to finish, maybe this weekend. I've also been working on an elephant for one of the many babies that will be born this year. It just doesn't look like anything yet.

This is my first week of all 3 classes, to 3hr + night classes on Monday and Tuesday, and it's really exhausting...and the weeks not over yet. Still an exam tomorrow, luckily it's on beer. No really. Wanna hear about the German Beer Purity Act? :)

The scarf grows on

2009-01-19T12:18:00.003-05:00

I started classes last week. I'm taking beer brewing and jewelry making courtesy of the University of Vermont. I was never a big fan of beer in college, but Vermont seems ot have microbreweries every three feet, and I've developed an appreciation. As with anything I like or appreciate, I always want to learn to make myself.And in a few weeks my Master Gardener course will start, and the I'll be really busy.

For now, I'm just trying to get to knit every other night or so. I have another 6-12 inches to go on Matt's scarf. I forgot how monotonous a scarf can get, so to amuse myself, I knit the first of a pair of Saartje's Bootees. I figure that between my sister and two pregnant friends, odds are that one will have a girl. I wanted to take pictures for this post, but I lost my camera. I spent about 10 minutes "running" up and down the stairs trying to find it, but it will probably take Matt looking somewhere I checked multiple times to find it.

Speaking of which, I can start running this week according to my PT schedule. The past week has been so cold that I've been in a mild state of hibernation. I'm too stingy to turn the heat up much, and it was so cold, that it never seemed to get warmer than 62. Being that cold, and under that many blankets, has for some reason, never been a good motivator to get to the gym. I'm sure my physical progress hasn't been exceptional. But I don't care, because I can know walk to down stairs!
I don't know if I'm really ready for the running with my lack of physical activity in the last week, but I guess I'll find out at PT today.

Post Christmas Craziness

2009-01-05T18:57:00.003-05:00

I'm back:
To Vermont.
To driving.
To work.
To Physical Therapy.
To making Matt dinner :)

During the holidays, we spent our time in Western MA among family and friends. It was nice to see everyone, but it is also nice to sleep in my own bed again; to make my own meals and keep my kitty smothered with attention to keep her from meowing and yowling (The brief attentions of my friend who took care of her while were away were not adequate.) And Myha is quite the yowler.

While I was so close to Northampton, I took the opportunity to pass a few blissful hours in the bowels of WEBS. The most exciting purchase was this:
Which I will start working to turn into this soon. And as much as it hurts my head to purchase the exact yarn used...I fell a bit in love with the purple. It has flecks of pinkish-ness and blueish-ness all over. Love, love, love.

And bonus, the awesome in-laws got me the ball wonder I've been on the precipice of buying myself for a good solid year. So I won't have to wind all sevens skeins by hand. And after the knotted mess that was the Purewool after my poor attempt the wind by hand, I feel deserving of the amazingness.
So have I been knitting anything at all in the meantime?

Little bit.

I'm working on Smariek's Triumph scarf pattern for Matt. This is the first thing I will ever finish knitting for him, so I'm working on it exclusively to make sure I finish before Spring and before I get distracted by the Tilted Duster and multiple baby projects that are piling up.

His request was for Celtic Knots, but I didn't find any patterns that appealed to me (in scarf form at least) and Triumph has some intricate cables that I figure is close enough. What I lack in actual pattern content, I will make up in pure number of times I have to use the cable needle....

Plus, I've been eyeing/queuing/printing Smariek's patterns for a long time, I just never seemed to be able to start a project with any of her beautiful, cable-y creations.

And the yarn is Laines Du Nord Cashsilk, which is half merino, and a quarter of each silk and cashmere. A great yarn to work with on a single project, for sure.

Pre-Christmas Craziness

2008-12-22T10:06:00.003-05:00

I realize that I'm not presently working and I should be on top of, well, everything, but I'm not. I'd like to blame it on the not being able to drive or the ridiculously slow pace I meander at lately or the fact that I can't stand comfortably for more than 10 minutes. But really, I've been spending more time reading and watching movies than anyone should. Luckily, the continuous passive motion machine, my excuse for staying on the couch; as it pumped my leg to ever greater degrees of flexion, will be gone soon. And I made a list to get things done now, so no more excuses. I always get more done when I have a written list. I think the satisfaction of crossing things off helps.

I got a small project done in the past few weeks. This pattern was not difficult, but it very nearly defeated me. It was the having to pay attention all the way through each row. I have the attention span of a cat, on good days....
I'm pleased with how they turned out. They were all curly, so I had to block them...which seemed silly, but now they lie flat, which I feel is important in a coaster. The yarn had a lot more brown in it than it looked like, but it kinda matches my couches, so I can't complain. The yarn was also some Michael's special, possibly with soy or something interesting in it.

Nothing New But My Knee

2008-12-19T09:22:00.003-05:00

I made this tart for Thanksgiving, and it was delicious. Cranberry, almond, caramel...mmm. I killed the caramel the first time. The directions said to use a 10 inch skillet. I own a 14 inch skillet (one can never make too much food....).
I didn't think it would be a problem.
I was so so wrong.
Don't ever attempt caramel with a pan that exceed the size of your burner...
But attempt two came out fine.
If I were to make again, I would use another shell recipe. This one shrank, as you can see, and was altogether more trouble than it was worth. But the tartness of the cranberries was an excellent balance to the caramel. You can get the recipe here:
And here is the ugly hat. Perfect size, but no stitch definition and what was it, knit? crocheted? you would never be able to tell. Ah well, it's not for me, and that's another skein of ugliness out of the stash.

I haven't been doing much knitting. Recovery is not painless, but at least I have a Costco sized bottle of Tylenol now :) I can bend my knee to 90 degrees, with discomfort.

For my birthday, my sister got me Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, which I've been coveting for at least a year:
She also got me another present, though not really for me.
She's pregnant! Yay!
So those cute knitted stuffed animals...yeah a great excuse to make them :) I'm gong through all my knitting books and making a list of yarns to buy when we're a mere 20 minutes from Webs during Christmas.

Pre-op

2008-12-03T07:58:00.003-05:00

Quick post before I go to surgery. I've had 3, count 'em, 3 surgeries on my right elbow eight years ago, and no I don't snowboard anymore :) So I'm familiar with the process. But for some reason I'm a bit apprehensive today. Oh well, only an hour more to worry about it.

I meant to list the cozy pattern. It's a free one off the Berrocco site: Fleur-de-lis

I finished another hat yesterday with my charity acrylic. It was made with Lionbrand Color waves, and though I have about 5 more skeins of it, I don't think I'll ever use it again. It made my skin dry. And turned out a fabric where you couldn't tell the stitch definition. At all. So it made a interesting, bumpy fabric. Which I suppose would be great for a new knitter. If they dropped stitches or purled when they should knit you wouldn't be able to tell at all.
Pictures when I am less drugged...it might be awhile....

Mystery Revealed

2008-12-02T07:23:00.005-05:00

Awhile back, I had been knitting something secret for my coffee swap buddy that I asked people to guess about.
Apparently it really looked like a lopsided bikini top :)

And while it is difficult to predict what something will be at 30% completion, I feared the picture below might have given the surprise away:

Can you tell what it is now?

Headband for someone with a smaller head than mine? (Freakishly smaller...)

Nope.

Sushi set coaster? (For keeping your sushi nice and mildly cool...?)

Nope.

Dishtowel flattening device?

Nope.

Omnikini?

Nope.

It's just a cozy.

It's actually a french press cozy.
When I took this picture, I didn't own a french press. Now I do thanks to a great birthday present from my friend. (Thanks Michelle!)
Teapot, french press, you get the general idea. Love the color and the stitch pattern and the Lamb's Pride yarn. Do not love grafting.

Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap Package

2008-11-26T07:53:00.003-05:00

I received my swap package last week, I've just been to lazy to post the pictures. Jill L. sent me this great package. You can't tell from the picture, but the biscotti and caramel cookies (holy cannoli, they're amazing) have been eaten from already. I love the colors and the pattern on the needle holder, I'm actually planning on knitting a cat bed in similar colors and polka dots.
The yarn is Misti Alpaca and she sent a pattern for a very cute scarf. And then there was the pumpkin lip gloss, chapstick, and body scrub. I'm sure Jill could not have known that I've managed to misplace all of my chapsticks in the weeks before. The cute coffee dishtowel is hanging on my stove, and actually matches my kitchen pretty well. And the coffee is divine. I made a cup with a french press my friend got me for my birthday.

Right before posting, I realized that there was a piece missing from my picture. It's the neckwarmer that Jill made me, which was with my coat because I'd been wearing it (we've already had snow falling for a solid week). I love the colors. Thanks Jill!

My swappee already recieved her package, so I'll let you know what the mystery knitting was next time.

Une Mitaine

2008-11-19T19:30:00.002-05:00

My first mitten. Very exciting. Turns out that mittens aren't too tough. I'm sure socks are equally not that hard....perhaps....

I forgot to take a finished pic of the Amanda hat but it's done, save for the weaving in the ends. Mystery project is almost done. And after the recipient receives it, I'll let you know what it is.
Surgery on my ACL is scheduled for the beginning of December. I split that sucker right in half. It also turns out that my lack of wobbliness that usually accompanies a torn ACL seems to be due to the amazing musculature of my legs. The resident who did my initial evaluation saw the tear in the MRI, and was thoroughly confused about the seeming stability, just like the soccer ref... and my primary care doc... (though they haven't seen me do stairs lately). Gotta love genetics.

Recovery from this surgery will not be a blast, and I probably won't get to run Vermont City Marathon next year. Or any marathon again, in fact. Apparently the surgery gives me arthritis in the foreseeable future, but without it there would be no skiing, tennis, or soccer again. So I'll take arthritis. There's always the half marathon, and the 10K...and of course, way more time for knitting. At this rate, I might be ready to take on the Tilted Duster this winter.

I'm hoping to use my recovery time, not including the painful drugged up first week to read the Twilight series. I'm not sure if I should see the movie first. Any suggestions? I have yet to read a book that was better than its movie counterpart. On the other hand, my expectations for movies based on books are presently so low I usually always enjoy the movie.

Sweet Charity

2008-11-13T17:19:00.002-05:00

The first project is a secret, but I feel no one will know what it is by the pic. Can you tell?
Because I've been working on mystery A, my hat has taken a back seat. I'm a bit worried that the hat is too big, but I guess it's not too big for a guy. Maybe someday...if I ever work on my dream project.
Myha does love to interfere. I hope the recipient isn't allergic to cats. It has become that time of year...when I get home and it's dark...and all pictures are taken inside in less than stellar lighting. Gotta love the time change.
I got my MRI results back yesterday.
Not a mere meniscus tear; I actually managed to rupture my ACL, as well as bone contusions (bruises), a minor sprain to a ligament on the outside of my knee, and some minor meniscus issues. The ACL tear most probably means surgery, if I ever want to run/hike/horseback ride or play soccer again. But no worries, I have an in for info working in the College of Medicine, so I've got an appointment next week with the best orthopedic knee guy Northern Vermont has. Presently...because not so long ago the best one had a sexual harassment claim against him. That's a bummer for all involved.

This week I went shopping at one of the local organic market in Burlington called City Market. I was a bit wowed by the variety of local apples, many heirloom; all of the local veggie options, the fact that they tell you where all of the produce comes from, the bulk tofu from local Vermont Soy
(and the fact that it was a fraction of the cost of the pre-packaged tofu), the multitude of different bean options, the local meat, and local prepared foods (samosas, Indian meals to go, egg rolls...) Did I mention I was wowed? I will definitely be supporting them more often.

Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap Topic #3

2008-11-08T15:13:00.002-05:00

This morning I sit here sipping a fresh cup with a bit of cream and some sweetener.. and the first sip makes the morning seem just a bit better than it was before. I love the smell, the warm feel of the cup in my hand, the taste - just everything! What is it that you love about your first cup of the day? Are you a daily drinker? How do you take yours? Tell us how you love to enjoy your first cup!

I love holding the warm mug in my hands and smelling the coffee, especially on cold mornings. The caffeine, of course, is essential for Monday mornings :) I drink coffee mostly on the weekdays. My co-worker often makes a pot of dark roast (or as he calls it, "monkey sweat") in the morning that a few of us split. I use a sugar in the raw packet and a bit of half and half in a nice thick ceramic mug. When I make coffee on lazy weekends, I sometimes add chocolate and make mocha. My mugs at home are huge and covered in blue and green vines, I just love them.

More Charity Knitting and Less Carnivorousness

2008-11-06T15:50:00.006-05:00

I finished My So Called Scarf for charity yesterday. I still have to weave in the ends, all two of them.... I would love for someone to come up with a tool that makes weaving in the ends unnecessary. I think that person could make a small fortune off knitters, because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one out there that loathes this process. I think this might be the fastest scarf I've ever knit. It is so amazing to go from size 4 needles to size 11! Under two weeks to finish a project is great.
My current WIP is an Amanda Hat. This charity knitting thing has made me uncover an embarrassingly large stash of acrylics; many mill ends. For awhile I was part of a prayer shawl group at my church. I think I now have enough Lion's Brand Homespun to knit about 13 prayer shawls. Anywho, I'm uncertain that this color choice is appropriate for a woman's hat. It looks a little too busy and bright. Oh well, maybe I'll use the rest of it to do some children's size hats.

Because I have been unable to exercise lately, I though of going a bit veggie until I can exercise again and require the extra protein, fat, and iron content that is so easily bio available in meat. I'm not going to be crazy about it, but I've been reading some Barbara Kingsolver, and being that I was an Animal Science major, I intimately know the factory farming system that our country is based on and the more I think about it, the more I don't want to contribute to the continuation of that system. In the summer I support local agriculture through a local CSA, or farm share, but while I was incredibly impressed by Jericho Settlers Farm system of raising swine and chicken and beef (their pigs graze on pasture that is rotated with the chickens, and most incredibly don't stink!) I haven't been able to get over my stingy side that doesn't want to pay more than double the price per pound for most cuts of meat and chicken. But it costs more to raise animals and vegetables sustainably, and deal with less hearty, but more genetically diverse breeds. And I think during my time of eating mostly no meat, I'm going to pay more for local and organic vegetables, and when I decide to start cooking meat again, I'll seek out local sources. It's time to put my money where my mouth is, and I think the price will only serve as a reminder of appropriate serving sizes.

I've already volunteered to bring the turkey for Thanksgiving. I'd rather pick up our bird from the local farm where I can see how the turkeys are managed. And I know Butterball turkeys don't get to live a good life. And yes, I'm pretty sure I made up the word carnivorousness. Just like my spelling of cankle :)

Coffee Swap Topic #2 and My So Called Charity

2008-10-29T19:51:00.003-04:00

With Halloween coming up this Friday, tell us what you think of when you think Halloween! Do you love it? Hate it? See it as a sign of Fall? Are you a total sucker for candy and little kids in cute costumes?

I like Halloween, I guess. I've never been a fan of scaring myself, though I do dress up when required, and I love to see the cute little costumed kids toddling around.
I love carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds and all of the bite size candy everywhere. Though, I'll take anything apple oriented over a pumpkin any day :)

Above is a My So Called Scarf in progress. Below is the same pattern in different yarn, finished. I had started it in January and apparently lost interest, so I finished it up. Above is a bad picture of a charity work-in-progress. I just couldn't be bothered to find another pattern and needle size to start something different. Plus the pattern is fun to knit, and my needles were upstairs...I've been a bit reluctant to take on stairs more than I have to lately.

The doctor thinks my injury could require up to months of physical therapy, if not surgery. But I won't know until I get an MRI in mid-November. I'm getting the distinct feeling that I'm going to have a lot more time for knitting for the winter. Luckily, I have quite a bit of craft store yarn from before I turned into a yarn snob just dying to be made into something and given away. I feel a little guilty, making people things out of ugly acrylics....but they are machine washable, and an acrylic scarf or hat is better than no scarf or hat at all.
I'm trying not to be too upset about not being able to run or play soccer or doing yoga or bike or hike or maybe not even ski this season. Just two weeks ago I was running through fallen leaves on the bike path next to Lake Champlain at sunrise.....and now I'm tossing and turning in bed because my knee area aches and there is no comfortable position to sleep in. It seems not the fairest in trade offs. But now I have plenty of time to knit and catch up on my reading and wine drinking. Right?

Yup, Another Injury

2008-10-24T15:37:00.002-04:00

I was playing soccer on Wednesday night, like I always do. I am a klutz, so some sort of bruise or injury to myself is expected. The decade of ballet lessons make my tumbles and rolls graceful.

*snort*

This session I've had the usual plethora of bruises plus the cankle. No big deal. But, you know, I thought the cankle would have been the big injury for the session. Not as bad as the night I got hit in the nose Martha Brady style a mere four days before my wedding, but enough pain that I didn't see the injury coming. So I'm running and kicking and carrying and the team we're playing is good and they're running us around a bit. I think that I'm going to have to take the aggression up a notch to compete. So I'm on this guy in red shorts and I'm playing defense and he, as most are most guys, taller, faster, stronger. But this does not dissuade me. I will take the soccer ball from red shorts. I will not be intimidated by his size, speed, strength.

I kick the ball from red shorts.

But not far enough.

We're both trying to gain control of the ball. Red shorts gets the ball, and I throw my leg through the space between his to kick it away. Red shorts leans, and twists to keep the ball, twisting my leg with his momentum and...

*POP*

And a girly scream that most certainly could not have come from me erupts into the air as I collapse in pain.

It is so dramatically embarrassing that the ref immediately pauses the game as everyone crowds are me.

They thought I'd torn my ACL. They thought I'd torn my MCL. They think it's somewhere in my knee. It's not. I told them, but the ref did all sorts of pulling and pushing in all the spots that are supposed to be correlated to the MCL and ACL to no pain from me. It's suspiciously close to my knee, but on the outside; a tendon or ligament that is affected when you twist or torque your leg or ankle. The same one that I have previously had tendonitos in when doing marathon training.

Le sigh.

That's all I know for now.
I can walk with a limp for now. I can't bend tighter thatn 90 degrees and I can't lock my knee. I'm giving it a few days, as with all things medical to resolve it before I see a doctor. Tendons are tough, because they don't have very good bloodflow, and tend to take longer to heal than muscles.

No hiking for me this weekend.

Juno Blocked

2008-10-21T21:23:00.004-04:00

This was actually blocked and ready to go for the wedding I had been making it for. And it was more than chilly enough to wear it. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of me wearing it, or how nice it looked once the pins were removed. Because this was my first experience blocking, I had no concept of the time commitment to placing all those pins. I was amazed by the difference from before blocking and after. Blocking makes it look like I knit so much more evenly than I actually do. Afterwards the shawl was straight and flat and gorgeous. That's a lot of pins. I knew that you could use wire (not that I own blocking wires), and I've heard some rumors of string being used to block but I was to lazy/impatient to deal with the idea of threading the wire every couple of stitches.

I'd just put a pin every couple inches..... but as you can see, that didn't really happen. I used all but 11 pins. I don't know how many were in there, but it was definitely hundreds.
As an aside, I know how "kankle" is really spelt "cankle". Somehow I typed it with a "k" and it just looked so right to me. Has that ever happened to you? Anywho, it turns out that it isn't actually a real word yet (Doh!) so spell check had no chance to correct me. And to anyone who read the comments of that post, the anonymous commenter is actually my co-worker . Not some random mean person. But thanks for the support :)

Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap Questionaire

2008-10-16T15:44:00.003-04:00

Registration closes this friday!
http://coffeenyarnswap.blogspot.com/

Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap Questionnaire

About Your Yarn Passion
1. Do you knit, crochet, or do both? When did you first learn? I've been knitting for a few years. Learning to crochet is on the list of things to learn.

2. Do you like using a particular type of needle or hook? (wood, metal, straight, circular) Is there something you've been wanting to try, or a particular size you always seem to be short on? I really like wooden straight needles, especially if the wood is pretty. I use a lot of circular needles because I have an interchangeable set, but it's more for convenience of the stitches not slipping off and, you know, having the correct size available then anything. I'm always short on the smaller gauge dpns.

3. What kind of projects do you enjoy making? Any types you just haven't ever gotten into as much as others? I really like anything lacy or colorwork, though they always take so long. I don't really do anything big like sweaters or coats because I don't think I would ever finish.

4. What's on your needles\hook right now? What's your oldest UFO (unfinished object)? Hmm, my abandoned Endpaper Mitts, which I'm planning on fixing this winter, and my oldest UFO, which is a dishtowel based on this pattern: http://kelleysyarns.blogspot.com/2007/05/elvish-leaves-dishcloth.html

5. If you were going on vacation tomorrow, what project(s) would travel with you?
I would bring sock yarn and start tackling a sock...if I was feeling brave.

6. What are your favorite types of yarns? Any you're allergic too, or just hate working with? Anything in particular you've been dying to try? I love love love anything soft: alpaca, merino, cashmere, angora. I'm not allergic to anything, but I don't really like working with acrylic.

7. What sort of colors do you love in yarns? Brights? Pastels? More muted colors? Variegated? Are there any you can't stand? I like bold colors and pastels. I don't really any colors that combine yellow, orange, green, and brown. By themselves, they're nice but together, kind of pukey and unhappy looking.

Your Coffee Passion
1. Do you prefer caffeinated or not? Caffeine is my lifeblood.

2. Whole bean or ground? For what type of pot or press? I like whole beans, because they keep longer. I have just your average drip coffee maker, but I love the occasions when I get coffee from a press.

3. What types of roasts do you enjoy? Are you more the light and lively or dark and robust type? I like dark and robust and flavourful, but not flavored.

4. How do you 'take' your coffee? Creamers? Sweetener? Other add ins? I take my coffee with a bit of sugar in the raw and a bit of half and half.

5. That first morning cup - is it about the taste, or the caffeine? If it's a workday, it's about caffeine :)

6. Do you enjoy going out to coffee shops like Starbucks? What are some of your favorites?
I don't usually do Starbucks, I usually do the local coffee places, I like ones that roast their own beans.

7. You've just made the perfect cup of coffee - is it in a thick mug, or a thinner cup? Where would you sit to drink it? It's in a thick pottery mug. I'd sit outside and drink it on a lazy weekend morning.

8. You're enjoying that perfect cup, and have a magic cabinet in your kitchen - when you open it, magically, your favorite treats will appear to enjoy alongside the coffee - what are they? Are they sweet? Crunchy? Soft and flaky? They can be crunchy, flaky, or soft, but they will definitely be either chocolate or carmel or almond flavored. Like a brownie or almond biscotti.

All about YOU!
1. Do you have other hobbies like spinning or scrapbooking? I own a really easy to use wheel and a box of lovely fiber to spin...covered by a months worth of accumulated stuff. I also run, ride ponies when I can find people to let me ride them for free/cheap, play soccer, am learning to throw pottery, do yoga, ski, garden and I like to cook and bake too. It's no wonder my spinning is so infrequent....

2. Do you collect anything? I briefly starting collecting Breyer horses for a time, but now i am happily collection free. My yarn and fiber stash doesn't count, right?

3. What is your favorite part of Autumn? The first day of foliage where it's cold enough to wear a sweatshirt and go apple picking and drink hot cider.

4. What sort of scents do you enjoy? Any difference in what you like for your house versus what you like for your body? I really like scents that smell fresh and clean, like herbal scents and lavender and citrus, for anywhere. I like fruity smells for candles.

5. Are you allergic to anything? Ummm, allergic to myself, no big deal.

6. Are you on Ravelry? What's your ID? Yup: mcloutie

7. How would you spend an ideal fall afternoon/day? Picking apples/walking or running or trail riding through fallen leaves/eating anything apple related.

The end is in sight

2008-10-15T16:25:00.002-04:00

These pictures are actually from last week, but the husband is all hogging the computer with his schoolwork. Someday we will have a laptop and we can both hog the computer and it'll be great.

It'll be super exciting in a few days when my shawl is blocked and finished and it'll be like I'm posting and knitting at a normal speed. Which is, of course, assuming the husband isn't hogging the computer again. In non-knitting news, it's been a week since I played soccer and kept covering "ankle kicker guy." One week later, and I still have a kankle.
Isn't "kankle" a great word? Unfortunately connotation, especially since that's usually more a genetic predisposition towards ankle bone size, but still great.

Since I'm at the end, I've been scoping out new patterns for the next project. I'm going to try very hard to convince someone I know to have a baby so i can knit them this: http://www.purlbee.com/snuggle-sack/2008/10/8/whits-knits-snuggle-sack-and-bonus-hat.html?lastPage=true&postSubmitted=true

Is that not the cutest thing ever?

One Year

2008-10-07T13:41:00.002-04:00

It's been one year since this picture was taken.

Time flies.

36 inches...

2008-10-03T12:05:00.003-04:00

I am still in recovery from last weekend. There was no knitting. There was a bridal shower Saturday morning in western VT, followed by a looong drive down to Newport for a bacherlorette party (different bride). By the way, the foliage in NH is looking gorgeous...

Saturday night consisted of alcohol induced bachelorette style craziness, as expected. But we didn't end the weekend there.

Sunday we went to a wine and cheese tasting being held at one of the Newport Mansions. Gorgeous venue right along the cliff walk but unfortunately it was held outdoors, and it had been pouring rain on and off all weekend. The walkways oozed mud. There were a few times that I took a step and sank in up to my ankle. Luckily, we were drinking excellent wine.
So...I'm at 36 inches on my shawl. I'm hoping to hit 42 this weekend.

Knitting by the sea

2008-09-24T17:20:00.002-04:00

I do know how to find an excellent place to knit. This is from the porch of the house my running group stayed in last weekend in York Beach. Unfortunately, the picture showing the bay to the left disappeared, which actually shows the beach and the town, but you get the idea.
The weekend was great. I had quite a few hours to knit and I set a new PR for the half marathon. Not an impressive time, but it's nice to keep chipping away. It was also nice the run an all women's (plus one lucky guy!) race. It was very walker friendly and I don't know why, but I was surprised to see many women out there in full makeup.
We are interesting creatures, we females.

Meanwhile, it's back to the grind for a few more days...and then on to more traveling this weekend.

31 of 42 inches done until I start the end lace charts...

Juno Progress

2008-09-19T07:18:00.004-04:00

After a week of many hours of knitting, I am at 26 inches of 42. More than half done, but if I'm going to finish this for the October 18th, I'm going to have to knit more than 2 rows a night. Despite the project fatigue (when can I cast on for something small like a hat or a dishcloth?) I love the way it's coming out.

I'm leaving for York, Maine after work to run a women's half marathon on Sunday. My running group is renting a house by the beach and staying all weekend. This will be my first all women's race (excepting the one lucky guy who is chosen via raffle to run) and I think it will be nice to be close to the middle of the pack for once.

Nova Scotia

2008-09-14T20:28:00.001-04:00

I've been busy knitting from these fabulous locations on Morris Island in Nova Scotia...

...actual progress to be shown another time.
Gorgeous, no?

Pay It Forward

2008-09-04T11:50:00.000-04:00

I signed up under Nichole for this, oh ya know, like weeks ago :) I've seen it floating around the knitting blogs but never managed to catch a post before it had the requisite 3 people who already commented.

Pay It Forward is based on the movie with Helen Hunt and Kevin Spacey. It was a book first, written by Catherine Ryan Hyde. With all of the things happening these days, random acts of kindness are a good thing.
What is the PIF exchange all about? The knitty gritty is… I’ll send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange! I don’t know what that gift will be yet ... and you may not until 2009… but you will receive it within 365 days, that’s a promise! It may be knit, it may be beaded, it may be painted...I'm not 100% sure just yet, but it will be handmade and just for you!
The only thing you have to do in return is then ‘pay it forward’ by promising to do the same on your own blog.
So... do I have 3 people who want to play and receive a handmade item from me?

One Month, One Week, One Day Contest Winners

2008-08-28T14:47:00.000-04:00

We're still in the week after the Olympics, right?

The Champlain Valley Fair is in town so I've been busy mullet watching. A good mullet is getting harder and harder to find. And eating fried fair foods. And visiting the fluffy chickens and llamas and sheep and bunnies and horses and cows.... But not to worry, online random number generators were hard at work picking medalists.

And I even found stitch markers that I had actually bought for the purpose of contest prizes, so bonus. (Lets pretend that you can't see any dust...)
The Bronze winner: Kristen, has won these gorgeous stitch markers not made by me :)

The Silver winner, of the "knitting bag" is Turtle

And, drum roll please...the Gold winner of the soft Purewool is:

Debbie

Congratulations medalists!

Thanks for competing!

The race is on

2008-08-21T06:48:00.000-04:00

And I appear to be losing. At this rate, I will not be finishing this shawl in time for the October wedding.

Last weekend, we were in western MA for a wedding Friday, then attempted to go to IKEA to buy something for the wedding my husband is standing up in this weekend. Apparently, that was a grave mistake. Last weekend was tax free weekend, unbeknownst to us, and not only was IKEA bearing a strong resemblance to LAX, but apparently the thing to do on a Saturday afternoon is to take the Mass Pike to 495 to go...to the Cape? to the Tweeter Center? (or whatever corporation it is named after now...)...I might never know. So instead of spending the majority of the afternoon shopping in "LAX" for the trendy/cheap/modern/prefab items that ended being out of stock, we counted our minutes passing per mile. (48 minutes to go 11 miles...) My appreciation of the lack of traffic in Burlington is renewed.

This weekend Matt has a bachelor party Friday night. In western MA, of course. Then there is a shower on Saturday in eastern MA for a piece of the October wedding madness. (I mustn't neglect any corners of MA when I come down) and then the actual wedding Matt will be standing up in on Sunday night.

I have high hopes to get in some knitting though, on Labor Day weekend. We'll be spending the weekend on a small island in Lake Champlain. With nothing to do but hike, camp, kayak, swim...and knit around a camp fire.

And look, my Dahlia is finally blooming :)
I promise to be less sarcastic once I get a vacation...in September...

One Year, One Month, One Day Blogiversary Contest

2008-08-12T07:02:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's been a year already. Time's fun like that. Since my one year, one month, one day anniversary falls so conveniently during the Olympics, I've decided to do this, not unlike the post title, in sets of three.

Prizes:
Gold is the 2 skeins of lovely Purewool pictured below.
Silver wins you the bag pictured. Since this is a knitting blog, lets pretend like it's a knitting bag, shall we?
Bronze will be stitch markers made by me, at some date in the future, 'cause I'm a slacker like that and haven't made 'em yet.
How you win:
You get one entry for commenting on this post with your favorite summer game. If you don't have one, make one up, I'll never know if you're fibbing.

You'll get a second (or silver, haha) entry for sending people here. As usual, you only get the entry if they mention you in their comment.

And the gold entry goes to those more patriotic and Olympic loving than even I. You have to show me an in-progress or finished knitting project with the USA or Olympic rings involved. Picture proof can be through Flickr or Ravelry, just let me know where you have pictures posted.

I will run this contest until the end of the summer games: August 24th, 2008.
Winners will be chosen the last week of August.

Happy Summer Games!

By the way, my favorite summer game has always revolved around the Equestrian events, being as obsessed with ponies as I am. However, in 2004, I found my new favorite: the trampoline. Has anyone else ever seen happier athletes during an athletic event? They bounce and smile and smile and bounce. It's excellent. I'd recommend trying to catch it if you can.

Lets Not Talk About My Shawl

2008-08-09T18:34:00.000-04:00

, Instead, look at the pretty rocks I get to kayak near. And the pretty boys bouldering on them. That's my friend Meagan in the red kayak. She took the great sparkle picture.
On the rare day of sun this summer, I love going on or near the lake to watch the sparkles. It's definitely magic.

It's also occurred to me that I missed my one year blogiversary. I'll definitely be having a contest, but rules and prizes will be discussed at a later date. I have to go enjoy the sunshine while it's here.

My plants are making progress...

2008-08-01T07:54:00.001-04:00

First strawberries of the season. This is a strawberry herb, not a strawberry grown for fruit, but believe when I say that if they berries seem small, they make up for it in flavor. Plus you get leaves for strawberry tea and fruits. I heart multipurpose plants :)
My shawl is to the "boring" phase, as most Ravelers call it, where I'm knitting 42 inches of the same rows. Being that I have the attention span of a gnat lately, I'm enjoying these same two rows because I don't have to check the chart every 7 stitches. Plus, I can both get some knitting done and watch TV. Before, I was only pretending to be able to watch TV while I knot, I really am not that talented. If I knit and don't look, I drop stitches all over the place.
I'm really going to have to put more time in on this if I want to get it done for the October wedding though. I do love the slight variegation in the Purewool.
I'm still giddy over my plumeria. My second plant is budding. It still amazes me that those little nubs turn into this:
I only wish there was a way to share fragrances via blog :)

It's Been Awhile

2008-07-17T18:56:00.001-04:00

And I've been busy, as per usual.

Above is the first bloom I've had on any of my plumerias since I purchased them 2 years ago. Plumeria, or frangipanis, as they're called in Oz, are a tropical plant I fell in love with while I was living in Australia. Not only are they gorgeous, but the blooms give off the most heavenly aroma. I used to pick up fallen blooms on my walk home from Uni and put them in a glass bowl of water, where they would fill my bedroom with fragrance. I was afraid Vermont just wasn't warm enough for long enough for them to bloom, but I guess I just had to fertilize. Isn't it just gorgeous?

Since my last post I've done many picture worthy things: kayaking on Lake Champlain, watching a glassblower work and finding an excellent waterfall in Stowe, and having drinks at a waterside restaurant at sunset over the lake. But my camera was not present. Someday it will be, and I'll have some great pictures to share.

I've been living in Vermont for 3 years now, and at some point, I often experience a daily rush of pure gratitude for the constant beauty that surrounds me. My condo abutts a bike path, in which you can take a short walk to a park that overlooks the lake. At least once a week, I drive 15 minutes to another bikepath to go running along the lake. My employer, the University, sits on the highest ground in Burlington, and from many meeting rooms, you get a great view of the lake. And on Tuesdays, I get to run 5Ks on beautiful wooded trails with hundreds of other people of all ages and paces and sizes in the rain and the heat and the mud. I do feel spoiled every once in awhile, when I forget to complain.
And look! My shawl is growing up into a larger almost triangle. (Pretend like you can't see the mysterious whole on the left, that's what I do...) And just in case you though I spent all my time taking care of plants and running instead of knitting; I bake too, when the opportunity presents itself. I made this tiramisu for my sisters birthday, and it was even more delicious then it looks :)
I realize that this post has been a bit ramble-y, but I have little time to accomplish a big to-do list to get ready for the8-10 visitors I will be hosting this weekend for Burlington's Beerfest.
Laundry calls...

So many excuses to not knit and a contest

2008-07-03T06:23:00.000-04:00

Ponyknit is having a contest in honor of her blogiversary. Go visit and have a chance to win some yummy yarn. The contest runs until the 11th. Don't forget to say I sent you.

This week I've been in recovery a bit from my NYC weekend. We used our time well. We saw ground zero, and walked along the waterfront near Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, walked through Chinatown, had lunch in Little Italy, and saw Legally Blond on Broadway. Legally Blond was an excellent show: the script, sets, and acting were all spectacular. And the dogs were pretty excellent too. I found out that they were all strays that were rescued and trained, so that's kind of cool.

And then we walked outside after the show and I've become so accustomed to the relative darkness of Burlington, that the billboard lights of Times Square confused me into thinking it was still daylight for a moment....after 10 pm...it was a blond moment after seeing Legally Blond. Appropriate, right?

I haven't done any knitting this week. Instead, I've: ran my 5K trail race, joined the new local kayaking club (because I don't have enough activities, you know?) and went kayaking on Lake Champlain. I haven't been paddling since I was in Australia, and I forgot how great it is to be silently gliding through the water. On a small boat like a kayak, you're so much more connected to the water and your surroundings.

A slightly larger triangle with token kitty interference

2008-06-27T08:01:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's been weeks since I've shown my progress...because as you see, it's not been very impressive. I'm about halfway through chart 3 of 8, and there's a lot of non-chart knitting in between. Myha would not stop being all Vanna White when I was trying to get a picture. However, I'm headed to NYC for a girl's weekend, and there might be some time where I should be able to get a few rows in. You know, between Broadway and Chinatown and general drunken debauchery.

Besides knitting, I found a few spare minutes to clean a path to my long neglected spinning wheel. I didn't spin much, as you can see but it was spun more even than I remember being able too, so that's a plus.

I'll leave you with the sight my husband will see all weekend long as he sits at the computer without me to give Miss Myha attention so she'll leave him alone.

Friday Photo

2008-06-20T19:38:00.000-04:00

From tonight, a post dinner surprise :)

Might I be in Training to be a WAHM?

2008-06-13T11:01:00.000-04:00

I saw this on Ponyknit's Blog, and I could not resist. Plus I have nothing knitterly to share here.

As a 1930s wife, I am
Average

Take the test!

The heat wave broke this week with severe thunderstorms, high wind speeds and tornado warnings. I went to my 5K trail race that night (in between storms) to find it cancelled with large branches fallen all over the place. Because it was hot, and we have been travelling every weekend (just one more weekend in Western MA, woohoo!), my shawl is only a slightly larger triangle, which I probably won't have time to photograph before we leave for MA tonight. I tried knitting a bit before the heat broke, and it was just not happening because despite the yarn being laceweight, it's still wool.

Work has been exhausting me this week. The hours have been long and the Russian Fulbright Scholar has been tagging along. That itself can be exhausting in itself, as he doesn't really speak English and just tends to mess things up. The Fulbright Scholarship is a prestigious award, so the guy must be bright, but lack of language is such a huge barrier.

A few weeks ago we were doing an experiment and I asked him to get me some liquid nitrogen (which is used to freeze things very quickly).
I asked if he understood and he said, "Yes, yes."
He came back in the process of pulling on gloves, with surgical scissors in his hands. I know this might be amusing, but he's been here since last October, and the fact that he can't differentiate between "liquid nitrogen" and "dissect" or "take the blood" (I still don't know exactly what he was trying to do) just kind of makes me want to hit my head against a wall. This is not the first time I've had to train and work with someone whose English was practically non-existent; it's not even the first time I've had to work with a Russian with poor English. I think with every poor language experience, my patience slows starts to ebb more quickly. Maybe I should just try to be more like my new coworker and try to learn Russian and teach them cultural traditions like the pinky swear :)

I'm sure by now, everyone's seen the new Knitty. I must say that I like more of their patterns this issue than last. Because I have sooooo much time to knit. I better work on my 1930s housewife skills...

New Online Knitting Magazines

2008-06-06T14:55:00.000-04:00

In case you don't have a large enough pattern queue, it looks like there are a few new online knitting magazines out there.

The one that has patterns and articles accumulating on it now is Knotions It has some old Magknits patterns too. Bonus.

The second one I came across looks very exciting, with a count down and a daily sneak peak. Less than 2 months until we see what the Twist Collective will look like. The sneak peak patterns are pretty promising. Now if I could only learn to knit fast enough to make attempting sweater a worthwhile pursuit :)

A contest, but not here

2008-05-30T07:07:00.000-04:00

Nothing new to show, I've been too busy with running, soccer, Matt's birthday BBQ, and cooking in preparation for my brother's college graduation this weekend. Oh, that and realizing I never updated my passport with a name change, and it's now "strongly suggested" for travel to Canada. Grumble, grumble, grumble.

So instead, I found you a contest at: The Land of the Knitsaur You have until the 31st to enter any three measurements and you get a chance to win. Don't forget to mention me!

Vermont City Marathon

2008-05-28T12:22:00.000-04:00

My most recent excuse for not knitting:

I had a whole post about the marathon and how it went, but Blogger ate it, and I just don't have the heart to rehash, so the high points:

Beautiful weather, great crowds, great running partners (see photo)

Droopy hands, I don't know why (again, see photo)

Marathon PR now minus one hour (yes, that's huge amount of time to take off, and I won't be able to take another hour off in one race again)

Have recovered enough to run tough hilly trail race 48 hours later.

Thinking on signing up for the Maine Women's Half in September and then I could sign up for the Hartford Marathon in October and do the the half as a training run....

Two weeks of knitting and all I got was this lousy triangle...

2008-05-21T08:12:00.000-04:00

I don't really think that. I'm actually quite pleased with the slow progress I'm making. We won't talk about the sock. The sock and I aren't currently getting along, which is all my fault. How did I not figure on stitches not falling off needles if I just threw the knitting in a bag with no dpn holder on?

Le sigh.

It's just that many other things have been going on in the past two weeks.
I ran the Corporate Cup 5K last thursday in Montpelier, which then required going out for dinner and not getting home until 10:30 at night. That's our "Corporate" Team in Training in front of the Statehouse. There were almost 2000 runners and walkers there. It was a ton of fun, and great to see so many people out and active on a weeknight.

I got my bike back with a new chain and it's like a new bike (the husband also got his first ever road bike and we've been spending some time on the bike paths. Yes there are many in the area. I heart Chittenden COunty)
We also changed the landscaping in front of our condo from perenial beds to more traditional landscaping (ie landscaping the condo landscapers will take of, because apparently they get paid to ignore perennial beds). After hearing an estimate for how much it would cost, we decided to do it ourselves. After a week of back and forth it's done, and I'm still uncertain as to whether the landscaper was just poor at the dealing with the people side of his job or whether he was just having a bad week or whether he just thought communication by ESP is acceptable. In any case, much less work, and much more money later, I will say it does look nice. But I can't wait until I own a home where the only gardening approval I need is my husband's.

I am on week two of tapering for my marathon this Sunday, and despite the lack of running, I seem to be managing to fill the time with other physical activities...which I think I'm not supposed to be doing. Training schedules are for people who run fast anyways :)

The Banishment of Yarn Monsters

2008-05-07T18:38:00.000-04:00

My swift has arrived. Yarn monsters are henceforth banished.
I might need a life :)

Not only is this swift amazing and functional and completely collapsible, it's also my first Etsy purchase. And, by the way, fairly cheaper than the other swifts I've been looking at online. Bonus.

I have been knitting, I just have no pictures to show. I cast on the Austermann yarn on the birch dpns for my first socks. However, right now it's only a cuff, so it's not very exciting. And because I am such a fast knitter *snort* I also cast on for my first shawl. I decided on the Juno pattern, and I'm just delving into chart 2 of the Juno pattern on Knitty. Matt picked that pattern as his favorite of the ones I'd been looking at....but I think it's because he is uncomfortable with triangular shawls :) So no pictures of that because while I think it's all very pretty and pink and shawl looking, there is also not much lace to look at yet. There will be more knitting in the future because my marathon training is now officially at the "taper" stage. Which means I don't have to run a lot. And I get to eat lots of pasta. But who am I kidding, I always eat lots of pasta...

Cocoa Swap Package

2008-04-30T07:28:00.000-04:00

My Cocoa Swap partner dropped off the face of the earth. This was the first time that's happened to me in a swap. As with others who have been ditched, there was the few weeks where I thought it still might be coming, and I would check the package locker to see if they had a key missing...which might be in my mailbox...I was rather disappointed.

But JoAnn became my angel. She has been in regular contact since she became my angel. First, I got an email saying I would be getting some stitch markers from her friend Mary at Blume's Acessories
Aren't the stitch markers gorgeous? The purple ones are a continuous chain that will be awesome for pattern repeats. The stitch marker wallet has room for 30 stitch markers, and is so much classier than the ziplock bag I've been using :)

Then I got an email Monday morning from JoAnn letting me know that the package was coming in 4-5 days. So it was my surprise when I came home later that same day to a box in the mail for me! That's two different types of Biscotti, two different types of awesome Ghirardelli hot cocoas (one is double chocolate and one is white mocha, yum), and limited edition Cherry M&Ms (already opened in picture, I just had to try them). JoAnn sent me a Ghirardelli chocolate bar to make the iced chocolate drink recipe on the back, since the weather is now so springy. There might have been an audible squeal of delight when I pulled out Stitch'n Bitch Nation, which I've been wanting. My buddy is a butterfly washcloth, isn't it cute? It will definitely brighten the kitchen sink. And the yarn, of course, gets it's own picture:
Still a bit blurry, despite my best non-shaking efforts, the yarn is Austermann Step. It has Aloe Vera and Jojoba in it. I can't wait to knit with it, and did I mention that it's superwash? Such a lazy laundry doer am I that I heart superwash. JoAnn also gave me gorgeous Brittany dpns. Maybe this will help me get over my inability to choose a first sock pattern. It's self-striping, so I can just make a regular sock :)
Thanks JoAnn! I love everything!

Hey look! It's a yarn monster!

2008-04-23T14:05:00.000-04:00

Here's what I've been doing for the past week instead of any knitting: That's right, I'm now on day 7 of turning this yarn monster slooooooooowly into a ball. Emphasis on slowly. I've even had Matt helping me. It all started out so innocent, looking like a simple skein to unwind, and then 2 hours later I had a little bitty ball and a half-knotted pile 'o' yarn.

I'm in a ravelry group called Dash for Stash. I've ran enough miles to get this. However, 950 meters (that's more than a half a mile of yarn people!) of single ply lace weight merino has been making me crave this.

I have quite a few more miles to run before this reward...but I could get just a swift...

Life's To Do List

2008-04-21T13:48:00.000-04:00

I saw this on Yea I Knit and I thought it was interesting.

It makes me wonder two things:
1. I need to make fried green tomatoes this summer.
2. How did I manage to go through 4 years as an animal science major and not milk a cow?????

Life’s To Do List
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said ‘I love you’ and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 10 provinces
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends (had? still have!)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow (does milking a rabbit count?...yeah...)
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone’s life

Endpaper Mitts Frogged...

2008-04-17T08:22:00.000-04:00

The Endpaper Mitts and I had a difference in opinion the other day, resulting in me frogging the whole thing.
I got to the thumb gussett, and I realized that it was not symmetrical.
Why?

Because instead of reading the rows of the charts back and forth, I would read to the end of a line and start at teh beginning. This didn't matter when the chart was a mirror image, but when the increases started, it became asymmetric. I realize that I could have just taken it out row by row until the first row of increases, but the idea of doing that on those little dpns made me rip the whole thing up. There goes any confidence I once had reading charts :)

I think the Endpaper Mitts and I need some time apart.

Wedding Season

2008-04-11T17:29:00.000-04:00

The season of weddings is coming soon. I have 3-5 weddings to go to this summer/fall, and I've been contemplating using the gorgeous purewool pictured to knit me a shawl.

But as one with limited lace experience and no shawl experience...what to knit?
Originally in browsing ravelry patterns, I was looking at Eunny Jang's Print O' The Wave....and then I looked at the pattern. I don't think I'm quite there yet.

I've also been looking at Kiri, but again, am I ready for that? Also, the yarn for kiri is much more fluffy than my merino 1 ply.
And I've been looking at Juno, which would be the first "piquant" Knitty pattern I'll have ever attempted. It appears with my taste in shawls, I will have to be a fearless knitter, no matter what I choose.

The problem is, that I love, love, love intricate lace, especially leafy looking lace. I have no interest in a triangular or rectangular block of knitting with intermittent holes. I want the holes to look like something, preferably pretty. I want a shawl that you can't buy at a store....but one that I will be able to finish with my turtle-like knitting speed in time for the fall weddings, when I will want to cover up.

What do you think? Am I going in over my head?

Any suggestions for beginner/intermediate shawls that fulfill my 101 requirements? :)

Spring Training Swap Package

2008-04-10T22:27:00.001-04:00

I was part of a Red Sox Spring Training Swap on Ravelry, and look what Leah gave me:
What you can't see is that there is a very cute red bag behind the Sox calendar (my husband approves of this; it's hanging in the den). Just barely out of sight is some yummy smelling raspberry lotion, a green monster magnet, a red sox sticker, and a ruler of baseball rulers (heh heh).

The yarn, of course, deserves a picture of its own...well, of it's own except for the super cute kitty bath bubble to accompany it.
The yarn is Aracaucania Nature Cotton, and it's so so soft. Myha is currently snuggling with it....which will make an excellent white heathering.....

The candy, which was torn into immediately post picture, has been hidden from the Swedish Fish loving hands of the husband.

Thanks for the package Leah! And lets hope for another great season!

I've been tagged

2008-04-07T17:57:00.000-04:00

....by Stella
Here be the rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules.
3) Share six non-important things / habits / quirks about yourself.
4) Tag at least three people.
5) Be sure the people you tagged KNOW you tagged them by commenting what you did.

1) I am passive aggressively competitive. I only just realized this in the past year. When I run with someone, I naturally run half a step ahead, and I will run faster than them...unless they are much faster than me. At the end of a run, I always run faster, and have problems restraining myself from sprinting to the finish. And when I run with someone, I finish a step or two ahead. This is funny because I am a back of the pack runner.

2) For most of my life, I have not had the finances to take regular horseback lessons, and as a result, I've developed an uncanny ability to find other people's horses to ride for free.

3) My stingy side and my hippie side are constantly at war. I shop local and organic approximately half the time.

4) I love plants and gardening and watching things grow, but I don't have a particularly green thumb, which results in half of my houseplants dying or looking unhealthy. This, however, does not keep me from buying plants or seeds.

5) I love cooking, but I often forget how long things take to make...especially breads. Somehow 10pm does not seem the most desirable time for fresh bread...

6) I went into animal science in college because I love animals and thought I wanted to be a vet...like 90% of my fellow majors. I had been known to be walking around campus with a caboodle (remember those? mine was purple and sparkly) containing mice I was nursing. Then I decided I would not be a vet and now I torture mice (well not technically, they are anesthetized) for a job...does anyone else see something wrong with this picture?

I'm going to tag: trashalou, insanknitty, and ponyknit

2008-03-31T07:49:00.000-04:00

These are the needles that I painted for my swappee for the Red Sox Swap I'm in. The needle tops are rounded and small, so I couldn't trace the icon on, but I'm pretty happy with the way they came out freehand. It makes me appreciate the detailing that
went into the flowers painted on the needles I have from Peace Fleece.

Despite buying an itty bitty paintbrush for the job, it still took immense concentration to not shake my hand or make any sudden movements.

As I am prone to sudden, erratic movements, this was no small task, and I'm pretty sure I drive my pottery teacher nuts.

Speaking of which, that bowl is the first thing I made on the wheel worth firing. I love it despite its asymmetry. And I did glaze it like that on purpose :)

This is my progress on the Endpaper Mitts.

I found a suggestion on Ravelry to cast on with the size 2 dpns instead. And if you scroll down to a few posts ago, you can see how much better this edge looks, size wise. And it even fits over my hand now!
My colorwork is a bit wonky on the bottom, but maybe that will motivate me to attempt blocking when I'm through. I really love the way the pattern looks, I love my colors....it's just too bad that it'll be 60 degrees out by the time I finish. Oh well, winter is half the year up here anyways :) In theory, we should be deep into mud season, but it's been a cold spring, and the only mud I've seen has been on farms...on warmer days.

It appears that I was flaked on for the Cocoa Swap, so that's kind of disappointing, though even if I got a package in the next week or so it would still be cocoa weather.

Look, It's a contest!

2008-03-26T11:38:00.000-04:00

Alicia from If Ponies Could Knit (I do love that name) is having an excellent contest in honor of Malabrigo March. If you go there, make sure you mention me! I am not sure if Malabrigo and Purewool are the same, but I'd loooove to find out :)
I'm currently in a Purewool Co-op with a package on it's way to me soon, so maybe I'll have my own belated contest when it arrives and I am overwhelmed by peruvian merino.
I'm still plugging along on my Endpaper Mitts. I'm happy to say that thanks to Ravelry, I found the great advice to do a tubular cast on with my size 2 instead of the 0s, and you'll see later this week what a difference it has made.

Have a bunny

2008-03-18T09:14:00.000-04:00

This picture is the epitomy of my humor after running ten miles on a weeknight. Obviously there was no knitting, but thanks to Ravelry, I did find a potential solution to the tight cast on on the Endpaper Mitts that doesn't require me buying size 1 dpns.
...Still waiting on the Cocoa Swap package...and my buddy has not contacted me in awhile, so my thoughts have not been positive.

Cocoa Swap Contest and Endpaper Mitts Updates

2008-03-13T12:36:00.000-04:00

I received the yarn I won from the Cocoa swap about a week ago, but I never got around to posting about it. Isn't it gorgeous?

And these matching stitch markers came with it, from Alabama Fiber Dreams. Isn't it all gorgeous? I don't have immediate plans for the skein, but I've been keeping it on my kitchen table to remind me of spring, which is just around the corner....really, it is. And when it's here, I will finally be able to run outside.

There was an ice storm last weekend, so I did my 14 miles on a treadmill last Sunday. At my pace, that was long enough to watch all of Better Off Dead, with John Cusack and a bit of Meet the Parents. Thank God for tvs at the gym!

I still haven't received my Cocoa Swap package yet. Lesley told me there were post office issues and that it was coming. Post office issues are never fun, I feel sorry for my secret swapper.
Here's a week's worth of knitting. Kinda sad, hunh? I knit even slower on dpns, if that's even possible. But doesn't the tubular cast on look nice? But then again, look at my knitting with my hand for scale. That cuff is never going to fit over my hand. I should give up, retry casting on with size 1 needles instead of those size 0 toothpicks thinly disguised as dpns....but I'm finally on size 2s and starting the colorwork, and I'm going to keep on for at least another week.
Maybe someday I'll get smart and do guage swatches, but I knit more for process than product, and I'm still not confident enough that I keep my tension stable enough so that a guage swatch would help me....but someday...

Conquered: The Tubluar Cast on

2008-03-05T09:53:00.000-05:00

I cast on for the Endpaper Mitts that I've had yarn for for months. I attempted a normal tubluar cast on, because Ravelry users seemed to think it more friednly for this project. Ah Ravely, how I love thee.
It actually took me two attempts because I missed the all important words in the knitty tutorial that said to cast on half the amount of total stitches required.
Le sigh.
After my second (successful!) attempt, bolstering in knitting self confidence, and unable to take anymore American Idol (when did Simon get cordial?) I went to sleep. I am officially old.
Does anyone else feel like they're knitting with toothpicks and dental floss on a size 0 needle and fingering weight yarn? My yarn is the silkiest, softest dental floss ever, being made of alpaca and silk...but still. I get hand cramps just holding the needles. I'm sure I'll get used to it and then do my next project on size 11s and get hand cramps because I was used to knitting wit the toothpicks...
Pictures to follow, once there is more than a cast on, which by the way, is the prettiest cast on I've ever done. It might have been even worth the trouble.

FO: A Touch of Whimsy hat

2008-02-27T12:13:00.000-05:00

Note: Excessive cat hair in picture alert!
Yarn: Less than 218 yards of Purewool Poison
Pattern: This was a fun pattern to knit. Knitting the bottom and forcing myself to learn to graft made it all the more interesting, I'm pretty pleased with my first attempt at grafting. The top is a bit pointy which I'm sure is somehow my fault. I probably should have switched to size 7 needles the last few rows, because I always knit a bit looser on dpns when it gets tight and little. Perhaps this can straighten itself out with blocking/manual tightening of stitches. The color pooling is a bit strange in some sections, but I like it anyways.

In other news, look what came in the mail for me:
Though I don't if I will be making any of the patterns anytime soon, this is a really cute book. Makes me want to start reading Harry Potter all over again....while knitting a house sweater.

Dear Washing Machine and Dryer:

2008-02-25T11:39:00.000-05:00

We have what seems to be a normal relationship. I put dirty clothes in, you wash them. I put wet clothes in the dryer, they come out dry(er).

One of you is eating my running socks.

I'm not going to name names, Dryer, but my shrinking supply of running socks has caused my body to become angry at me this weekend, and this is not acceptable.

Because of your sneaky sock stealing ways, I was forced out into the single digit weather on Sunday morning to run 11 miles in old holey running socks. Holey running socks with holes that rubbed my heal. For 11 miles. My body thought it best to let me know that I should end my run after 5 miles with a popped blister. My body did not realize that I had neither a band-aid nor a way to stop early on my there and back running route. I have had to rid myself of those holey socks post run, because of a serious "ewwwww" factor, Dryer, and I will have to put myself at your mercy to not eat my expensive running shoes when I have to wash them. But know that I have my eye on you, Dryer. You too, Washer, and I would appreciate your cooperation in keeping my body happier in the future.

My body thanks you for your future consideration.

Sincerely,
Operator of Washer and Dryer

Uruguayan Merino is my favorite

2008-02-21T13:35:00.000-05:00

Despite the rigors of the cold/sickness that just won't die and teaching my friends to snowboard from skis, I have been knitting a bit. I got some Purewool for Christmas and instead of doing a project from my ravelry queue (which is beginning to take on proportions not unlike my stash) I saw the cutest pattern in my pattern a day calendar: A Touch of Whimsy Hat

I'm using a colorway called posion which, contrary to the picture you see on the website, is not dark purple and deep magenta, it's actually dark magenta and fuschia. That was a bit disappointing, but it still very soft Uruguayan merino for a fraction of the cost of Malabrigo, so I guess I'll live with the color descrepancies. Especially since it's so soft, I keep forgetting it's wool.

The pattern is kind of lost on this colorway because of the great variations in color, but I still like it. In a few inches I'll have to learn kitchener stitch to graft this together, and it will start to resemble a hat. And then I will find patterns so that I can knit with only with Purewool until I'm out :)

Cocoa swap FOs

2008-02-14T08:46:00.000-05:00

Since my cocoa buddy has gotten her package, I can post what I've been up too, besides ignoring my so called scarf, which is so close to done that's it is positively silly for me to ignore it.

The owl was a buddy I included is the first toy I've ever knitted, and it was really fun. Once more of my friends start reproducing, I'm sure I'll have more excuses to make toys. I do love making baby things because of the instant gratification aspect, so hopefully my married friends will start making babies soon :)
And I am absolutely enamored with painting knitting needles. It is almost better than knitting itself. I might get some really fine hair brushes and start trying to do more detailed work. How cute would knitting needles be with sheep on them?

In other news, making yarn bowls might take awhile. My third attempt on the pottery wheel resulted in finally centering the clay (or close enough to centering it) and making a bowl....and then the top got all wobbly and uneven and it went "flop." Someday, yarn bowl you will be mine...

Last night I tried casting on for a hat with a provisional cast on, which I learned where I learn everything (), and it was just not working. It is those days that I covet people with experienced knitting friends or with knitting groups.

Note to self

2008-02-11T16:15:00.000-05:00

Do not do crunches on an incline bench while drinking even if you are the party queen of flip cup.
Le sigh.

Yarn bowl

2008-02-08T12:45:00.000-05:00

I don't usually post more than once a day, but look what I found:

Squee! I now have creative direction for my pottery class....if I can ever learn to center the clay on the wheel....but if you love this idea like I do, you can get them here

FO: Yoga Bag

2008-02-08T07:38:00.000-05:00

I've been using this for a solid year, but I've never posted about it. It wasn't needle knit, it was done on a loom. Despite using it, I'm always looking at "better" patterns like Namaste. However, almost every time I go to a yoga class, someone compliments me on it.

Yarn: Red Heart, worsted weight
Pattern: none
Loom:Red Knifty Knitter loom

I just used a single strand on this loom until I had a tube of appropriate length. I gathered the stiches on one end together to close it off, and knit a length of braided yarn to go through the stitches on the other end. I make a panel on the loom of four stitches to be the shoulder strap.

The Red Heart Acrylic is stretchy, so it's easy to get the yoga mat in and out, especially because the single yarn on the loom makes suck a loose material. But because it's so stretchy, it kind of stretches and doesn't look as pretty as material bags when you wear it on your shoulder. I'm not going to defend my Red Heart purchase or explain it. It's cheap yarn and you can wash it. *shrug* If I were to knit another one, I would probably use a yarn with some cotton to cut down on stretchiness, and I'd also weave to bottom, so it would lie flat against the mat.

Cocoa Swap Topic #4

2008-02-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

What is your most memorable vacation? Where did you go? What made it memorable?

My most memorable vacation was probably the semester I spent abroad in Australia. I was ~~drinking at pubs every night~~ going to school, but I managed to have many memorable trips out of Brisbane. I learned to scuba dive, held a koala, scratched a wallaby's chin (just like a kitty cat), rescued a baby kangaroo from roadkill in the middle of the outback, explored Uluru in Austraila's Red Centre, visited Opal mines, swam in a lake of tea, and of course, tried my hand at surfing on their squeaky sand beaches. I attended the University of Queensland in subtropical Brisbane, and got to take weekend scuba diving trips, hiking trips that ended with BBQs on the beach, and attended my Aussie roommates' rugby games and after game parties at pubs. I took a ferry across the river every day to school and on the walk home, I would pick up fragrant fallen frangipani flowers (called plumeria in America) and stick them in bowls of water in my room so that there was always a fragrance of flowers. I made the best friends I've ever had in those short months, friends that knew/know me better than many friends I've had for years. I had community dinner with the daughter os a Costa Rican coffee farmer, a sorority girl from Virginia, and anarchist from San Francisco, and a girl from my college who turned out to be a friend of the man I married.
I changed my worldview, learned how a different culture reacts to the world and to Americans, and learned how to assimilate to a different culture. I learned to see Americans as another culture sees them, and learned how to not be "another American tourist." I had my values challenged: some important ones reaffirmed, others rejected.
I feel strongly about the importance of making studying abroad an affordable and emphasized option in college study. As a prevet/animal science major, it was not an easy option, but it changed my life. As one of the world's superpowers, America's culture affects people all over the world, both negatively and positively. I feel that the more educated we become about how we affect the world, the more the youth of today will be able to make educated decisions in the future of how to treat the world.

*This philosophizing brought to you as a byproduct of the recent watching of too many political debates.

Cocoa Swap Topic #3

2008-01-24T12:26:00.000-05:00

I've been very busy and tired this week. It's the first week of my marathon training, so I've actually had to start running again. Running again after a 3 month hiatus was actually a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. So, the running itself has not made me tired, it was more the 10pm soccer game last night.
And perhaps the fact that I am skiing once a week, trying to run 5 times and week, and playing soccer. I've been trying to get to yoga at least once a week too, but my motivation is very low when it's dark by five and the temps are in the 10s.
I have also been knitting, slightly and slowly, a toy for my cocoa buddy so I can't show pictures, but it's very cute.

What is the most 'random' memory you have from your childhood? I know it's not knitting content, but I love learning about the little quirks and interesting things about people!

It would probably have to do with colors. When I was young, I believed that somewhere in the history of English speakers, somehow the names for the colors of black and brown had been switched. I believed that if I started using their "correct" names, I could start the process of reverting the names to their "original" uses.

I have a distinct memory of sitting at a table at my preschool, coloring with my colleagues, my mother sitting nearby. The scene was a barnyard scene with, of course, the requisite pony. I preferred ponies, even at the tender age of three. I asked my mother for the "brown" crayon. She handed me a brown crayon. And I remember throwing a child-like tantrum because she gave me the wrong brown crayon, and how dare she when she knows and must have excepted my color philosophies.

Cocoa Swap Week #2 Topic

2008-01-17T17:12:00.000-05:00

Now that we're in the thick of 'Winter'... has your knitting changed to match the season? Are you moving on from dishcloths, and tank tops to afghans, hats and mittens? Has your yarn changed from silk or cotton to wool, superwash or heavier cottons?

Kind of. In the fall I was knitting my bridesmaids facecloths in cotton, and before that was mostly dishcloths and the baby blanket. I'm so slow at finishing projects that I'm kind of surprised I'm not still working on the baby blanket :)

But lately I've been doing more winter wear: hats, scarves, and mittens. When it gets hot, I have no desire to be knitting wool, or any yarn that's too warm, so I do think I switch over and just don't notice, but then again, one project used to take me 6 months. Baby steps :)

Maybe this summer I'll finally get on learning socks.

Martha's Marshmallows

2008-01-16T10:42:00.000-05:00

Let's talk about feminism for a bit, shall we?

I was raised in what I consider to be a typical middle class American family. I was a girl scout, took dance classes, went to church every Sunday. It was never even a question of "if" I was to go to college, a college education was just the next step after graduating from high school.

While in college, I was chatting with a new acquaintance in the typical college way (where do you live? what's your major? etc.) She told me her major and that she was just getting a college education until she found someone to marry and raise a family with. This stunned me. What year was it? 1952? Who went for an education without planning to use it? This young woman's big plan for her life involved making and raising a family?

Now that I am working a real, dead-end job (because a B.S. in the sciences is usually a dead end...unless you get a masters or a PhD), and I get excited about things like Martha Stewart's marshmallow recipe, I realize that perhaps feminism blinded me. I wish I had the extra 40 hours a week to make a good dinner every night and to clean the light fixtures and iron my husbands clothes. Was not the point of feminism to give women the choice to stay at home or to go out into the workforce and pursue a career if they chose to? Because if that was the point, then I worry that it has failed. Our society has been driven to the point where it is definitely not comfortable nor easy to raise a family on one income. Daycare and television are raising people's children. And that's fine, if that's what you want...but when it comes to the future, that's not what I want.

Cocoa Swap Scavenger Hunt

2008-01-09T14:15:00.000-05:00

1. Who's favorite animal is an Otter?
Anne K
2. Name someone who prefers whipped cream with their hot cocoa
Ashley C

3. Find 3 people who live outside of the United States
Alex E, Geraldine P, Jinxsa

4. Name a fan of Harry Potter
Michelle

5. Name someone who crochets
Ana-Sofia

6. Name someone who DOES NOT have a healthy supply of notions
Ana-Sofia

7. Name someone who has NOT put up their questionnaire yet (just put a date with your answer in case they put it up after seeing their name listed somewhere ;-) )
Nancy C. (1/9)

8. Who likes to have Kahlua, Baileys, or Peppermint Schnapps in their cocoa? (What an excellent idea....)
Paula B-E

9. Name someone who knits fingerless gloves as a 'quick knit'
Ashley R

10.Name someone who's looking forward to gardening this spring.
Michelle J

11.Who's favorite way to drink cocoa is with a gorgeous Frenchman, while overlooking the eiffel tower from a French Cafe?
Kris L

12.Name someone who's favorite animal is NOT a dog or house cat
Amanda D

13. Name someone who's favorite treat is NOT chocolate.
Bea R.

14. Who plays Candyland?
Criquette

15. Name someone who DOESN'T get the winter blahs
Kristy B

My so-called scarf

2008-01-08T11:20:00.000-05:00

I'm knitting this because big needle knitting goes fast (even for me) and I haven't had the patience to do any of the knitting projects in my queue that I would really like to start. The provisional cast on for Eunny Jang's Endpaper Mitts has been keeping me away from that project; despite having yarn, needles, and pattern all collected and ready to go.

But isn't this scarf pretty? I haven't been able to get behind paying up for Malabrigio, but I love Artful Yarns Shakespeare. This is one of my recent WEBS end of the year sale aquisitions. It's less a yarn and more a yarn thin variegated roving, but it's just perfect for the pattern.

Cocoa Swap Questionaire

2008-01-05T21:34:00.000-05:00

Cocoa:
1. What is your favorite way to drink cocoa? Prepared with milk? Water? from home made recipe or store bought?, In a tea cup, or big mug?
The best hot cocoa I've ever had was hot chocolate in Spain, served with a churro. It's a project to melt the chocolate and milk to make yourself, so at home I usually have instant made with mostly hot water and a bit of milk. When I'm lucky, I have flavored specialty cocoa.

2. Marshmallows or whipped cream?
Either. I prefer whipped cream, but I usually settle for a spoon marshmallow fluff.

Yarn/Knitting/Crochet:
1. What is your favorite type of yarn? In what colors?
I really love alpaca and cashmere blends. I don't have a brand preference, but I love deep cool colors, especially purples and earthy mixes.

2. Do you knit or crochet (or both)?
I knit. I'd love to learn to crochet someday, but I'm still in the process of learning different knitting techniques.

3. What are your favorite type of needles, would you like to try something new?
I really like wooden needles. Birch, cherry, bamboo, they're alot more comfortable to knit with in the winter when my home is cold :) I would love to try bamboo in small dpn sock knitting sizes.

4. Do you have a healthy supply of notions?
I've had enough for beginning knitting so far, but I'm sure I could use more :)

5. What one thing do you keep thinking you need to buy for your knitting habit (outside of yarn)?
I could use a row counter.

6. What is your favorite 'quick knit/crochet' pattern (quick gratification)
Dishcloths. Useful, quick (even for a slow knitter like me), and a great way to learn new stitch patterns.

Miscellaneous
1. What is your favorite thing to do in the Winter?
Snuggle on the couch with a cup of something hot, a blanket, and some knitting or a good book.

2. What is your favorite animal?
I love ponies. I have distinct memories of being obsessed with horses in preschool. My parents didn't let me ride horses until I was in high school, so the obsession has become firmly ingrained.

3. Do you get the 'winter blahs'?
Definitely. Winter tends to be a bit sunshine deficient, so by the time February rolls around, I am more than looking forward to spring.

4. What is your favorite way to beat the blahs?
Spending time outside despite the frigid temperatures, and making soups and and comfort foods.

5. What is the thing you are most looking forward to this spring?
My bulbs coming up! Spring flowers coming up through the snow are one of the most hopeful images I can think of.

6. What are your favorite treat?
I love sweets. I run so I can burn energy to not feel as guilty eating sweets...

7. What is your favorite board game?
Probably Scrabble, but Settlers of Cattan is a close second.

8. Do you have any children (furry or human)?
I have needy, fluffy, white ball of named Myha who loves to meow when she feels lonely and a black geriatric attack Netherland dwarf rabbit named Ishmael. I didn't even know rabbits could growl before Ishmael :)

9. Do you have any allergies or special considerations you partner should know about?
Nope, I can eat and knit with anything.

The live action pinball game is over

2008-01-02T07:51:00.000-05:00

For ten days starting before Christmas until New Year's, my husband and I have played the role of pinballs in a central New England pinball game. We drove over 1000 miles over the course of those days through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. We attended 1 bachelorette party (Matt was not allowed), 3 family Christmas parties, one wedding, and had dinner with three different sets of friends all over Massachusetts. We got back home to Vermont to one frantically unloved kitty (Myha does not believe that people who come to feed her count as quality kitty love time) and one grouchy rabbit. Whew!

I had brought a rather ambitious collection of things to knit with us and I picked up my needles only a few times and only made progess on Matt's scarf, which he finally inferred that he was not impressed with the pattern. So now I am on the lookout for Celtic knots scarf patterns.

And despite already having a more than modest list of things to knit, WEBS was having an excellent sale and I acquired more yarn, most of which I have only vague plans for.

Though I never usually enjoy going back to work after a break, I am enjoying the return to a regular schedule. Matt must be rubbing off on me. I must do something about that...like sign up for the Vermont Ciity Marathon...

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

2007-12-18T14:43:00.000-05:00

Everywhere you look.

And this is days after the storm. You can't really see in the picture but there's a 7 foot drift in front of the cars. It's like Christmas weather before Christmas.

It's been an amazing December for ski resort season pass holders in VT. It's really too bad I have had this pesky grad school application hanging over my head so that I have not been able to enjoy it. But despite not being able to do much skiing (or snow plowing, in my case) Being surrounded by snow just put me in the Christmas spirit. As does managing to have all but avoided shopping at the box top stores. This past weekend, we had a most gorgeous blizzard. Any excuse to avoid Christmas shopping with crowds of angry, pushy people is quite lovely, and so much more so with some knitting and coffee and a nice view of the storm. I was not as excited on Monday morning, when I was plowed in, but the 2 1/2 foot snow drifts I had to dig my car out of are still enjoyable in December.

Gift Number 1:
Though this coffee cozy looks decent from this angle, it's got a HUGE seam on the other side. I'm considering cutting the seam, sewing without a seam and felting it together. The yarn is some random rough wool scraps I was given years ago, so I think it would felt well, and that would get rid of the unseemly seam (hehe) that I couldn't even bear to take a picture of.

Gift Number 2:

I really love the way the snowflakes came out. I ended up going with silver paint instead of plain old white, and I think it makes up for the imperfections of my micro-painting skills :)

My Hand Dyed Yarn Swap Package

2007-12-12T19:18:00.000-05:00

My hand dyed yarn package came in the other day and look how pretty! It also came with swedish fish, but those didn't last long enough to make it into the picture. Hattie dyed it for me and called the colorway grapevine. It's fingering weight superwash, so I can knit the prettiest socks ever.

You can't really tell from the pictures, but the colors are green and deep purple with some browns and sky blues thrown in there. It's gorgeous. The picture below shows the different colors, albeit darker and less vivid than they actually appear, the light is not so amazing in the computer room...

I don't think she possibly could have realized how perfect the yarn matches this year. My wedding was purple and green, with purple bridesmaid dresses and the hall decorated in green. And we've frequented more vineyards this year between the trip to San Francisco this spring and taking visitors to local VT vineyards this summer than I have in all my former years combined :)

Coffee Swap Package

2007-12-10T08:01:00.000-05:00

I actually received this package a few weeks ago, but between losing my camera battery charger and a massive final paper for class, I just haven't had the time to post about it.

Joy sent me yummy biscotti cookies (half gone already), a cute ceramic travel mug, and a skein of lamb's pride worsted and directions for making felted roses. She also sent a 2008 postcard calendar, two different kinds of coffee: Starbucks Sumatra which is nice and strong and an Artisan Coffee Roasters Jamaican Butter Rum, which tasted as good as it sounds! The card is even adorable; it's paper cut to look like a boutique window. Thanks Joy!

Sneezing Panda

2007-12-07T14:41:00.003-05:00

No knitting picures today, but here's my favorite youtube video. I watch it when I'm having a bad day, nothing cheers me up better....except perhaps, chocolate :)

All boring words

2007-12-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

I received my coffeeswap package last friday and have been trying depserately to find my digital camera battery so I can take pictures, but, alas, it seems to have gone the way of my sunglasses...and all my missing socks :) So maybe I'll be brave and try husband's camera in the next few days...after I finish the 20 page paper that's due this thursday. I cast on for a scarf Christams present for Matt, and in between writing and researching the paper and reading Book Five of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series...which Matt was not supposed to let me start until this paper and my physical therapy grad school application were both done. I've managed to make some progress in all directions, except Christmas knitting :)

Look at the New Swap I Found

2007-11-30T11:17:00.000-05:00

When the days grow shorter and it becomes too cold and dark for me to consider running outside on weekdays and I enter and leave work in total darkness, I tend to get a touch of SADs (is anyone else as amused as I that seasonal depression is called SAD? Is it wrong to be amused by that?)
I have found an excellent form of amelioration (I might have made the form of the word up)
Mmmm....Hot Cocoa*
*a swap for knitters to beat away their winter blahs

Long swap title, excellent idea. As if getting packages in the mail are not an incredible pick-me-up in themselves, this swap is designed to make you happier in the seemingly longest part of winter.
Sign-ups start December 16th :)

Kids love to jump on beds

2007-11-29T12:32:00.001-05:00

I can't even stand how cute this is :)

These are a few of my favorite things

2007-11-26T13:35:00.000-05:00

Here's an idea from Celena, from The Hand-Dyed Yarn Swap I'm in to list five of your favorite things.
Here are five I came up with, in no particular order:

1. Runner's high. I don't know if that's a "technical" term, but after running hard, usually after 5+ miles there's this feeling of euphoria where your legs are moving themselves effortlessly, and you're never been so happy to be alive, just running and living in the moment you are in.

2. Random wildlife sightings. No matter how often I see random wildlife, whether it's a raccoon or a skunk or deer or porcupines, when you are so quiet to observe them unnoticed, it's like being in the Discovery channel.

3. Couch time. In the winter in Vermont, when the days are both short on sunlight and the air is bitter cold, there is nothing I like better than watching a movie, under a blanket, with a mug of coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate.

4. Horses. Had to be on the list :) My earliest memories of being obsessed with horses are in my preschool days. Yes, I have memories from preschool, but I can't seem to remember anything I learned in college. Being that my parents were both not rich and feared that riding horses would be the death of me, I didn't start riding until late in high school, and I, to this day have generous horse owning benefactors who let me ride their horses. My pony exposure would be severely limited otherwise.

5. Apple season. I love apple picking. Apple cider. Apple dumplings. Anything relating to fresh apples and fall weather. Painted leaves on trees and sweatshirt weather. I don't think I could ever leave New England permanently.

Stash Amassed...

2007-11-19T09:52:00.000-05:00

I have been browsing the projects section of Ravelry lately, you know, instead of knitting or catalouging my own projects....and I found this gorgeous, not to big for me too handle piece of fair isle. And because I am no longer afraid of charts and colorwork, I was pretty excited about a yarn choosing expedition.
I got more than enough fingering weight yarn and a few other gorgeous hand-dyed pretties (the big gorgeous skeins are Great Adirondack Company yarn made with Texas Bighorn) and went on my way.

I got home and looked at my choices for the wrist warmers and I was just not happy with the colors I had chosen. Purple and green? And in those shades? I guess my critical thinking skills are hampered by the yarn euphoria of a yarn store.

So I went off to a different LYS (I don't want to give just one all my business) and bought two different colors which I was much happier with. Then I went home and saw that my new selections looked closer to laceweight than fingering weight. Sigh. I don't have enough of the new colors to hold the yarn double, and I don't particularly want this project to cost $30, so I'm not sure what to do. Maybe move up a needle size? Make the large size? I don't know, I guess wristwarmers are a small enough project where I can just keep trying different things. Or I'll buy more yarn.....

Wordless Wednesday

2007-11-14T14:43:00.001-05:00

Getting there...

2007-11-09T15:15:00.000-05:00

Look! It's my first attempt at stranded knitting. And reading off charts. And it looks kinda pretty anyways.

This is the yarn/pattern from my tea swap. It's a pattern I would not have picked myself because of the scary chart and multi-colors, so I'm glad Heather sent it to me. It's really not so scary reading off a chart or using multiple colors. Who would have thought? I'm wicked lazy and my gauge swatch doesn't get laundered (or cut, for that matter), but I think it will fit the intended recipient pretty well.

Pictures from Greece

2007-11-03T19:00:00.000-04:00

I was going to write a commentary on the pictures below, but I think they speak for themselves.

Just a comment on the bell tower sunset. This was in Oia, Santorini. We watched this sunset with about 200 other people and one cat. When the sun sank below the horizon, there was applause! That might the only time I experience sunset applause :)

If you have any questions about the pictures feel free to ask about them. We went to three different islands and on a classical tour of southern Greece.

Enjoy.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T15:28:00.000-04:00

Those are last year's pumpkins, because we haven't had time this year.

This year I'm helping a friend with the Trick-or-Treating, because I have a soccer game later tonight. So our lame costumes will be to dress up like highschool soccer girls with painted faces and sparkles and pigtails. I'm pretty sure the sparkles are not going to intimidate the men on the opposing team, but it will be fun anyways.

KTS4, I think I've just become a swap addict...

2007-10-26T19:38:00.000-04:00

I came home from a long day at work yesterday...(ahhh...everyday seems a long day at work after 2 weeks of vacation, I am so spoiled)....to a box smelling like a mix between spring and something sweet and delicious. I do wish all packages smelled like something candle-y :)

When I opened it, look what I found:

The sweet smell is from a Mango Mint Tea candle that Heather, my knitter's tea swap buddy made me, which was the source of the excellent aroma. It's now sitting on my coffee table making my living room smell pretty. I probably won't burn it for awhile because it smells so good just sitting there.

The yarn is Peace Fleece (warm wool from a cold war....that just makes me giggle) which is a Merino/Mohair blend that's nice and soft. She sent a pattern for a cute hat and gloves, which I am plsnning on casting on for as soon as I get the yarn would into balls.

The tea looks excellent and I can't wait to try it.

And lets not forget the innocuous looking brown box the tea is sitting on. That's a tin of Killer Brownies, the best brownies I have ever tried.....they're already half gone :) I might let Matt eat one...if he's good...and he's quick about it...
You'll have to turn your head sideways to adequately appreciate the brownies, I am so not enough of a tech geek to figure out how to turn that picture around, it looks right in my Picasa album...

Back from Greece

2007-10-24T08:49:00.001-04:00

We're back.
It sure is hard to get back into the swing of things, and I will miss sleeping in until 9. But I am happy to get back to the art of settling in, whenever I get time for that. I have a paper for a class I am on the fence about dropping, my soccer team has playoffs tonight, Game 1 of the World Series is tonight and tomorrow and then suddenly, it's the weekend, and my parents coming up to bring all the wedding and shower presents.
Weddings are like Christmas, only it's not just a day, it's like months of presents :)
Hopefully I'll be able to post pictures from Greece in the next few days, we have some fantasic pictures. Matt just wants to play around with editing them first.
Back to work/class.