cheryl knits

New Blog!

2009-10-01T12:07:00.001-05:00

Hey, everyone! I've moved over to a new blog that I'm hoping to keep updated more regularly and start up my Etsy again.

You can find me now here! I hope you'll come over and join me! :)

Joining the Club

2009-05-24T06:17:00.002-05:00

It never fails that every time I sit down to update my blog, Miss Runtlets has an unstoppable urge to sit on my lap. She really is the sweetest little girl--good thing, too, because it makes it impossible to toss her off.

So, dear blog readers, for this post, and all future posts, you can imagine a happy, purring, snuggly brown tabby kitten on my lap. I, on tne other hand, am going to try to happily ignore her.

It's only Sunday morning but this weekend has felt so long. J had dental surgery on Friday that's left him swollen and in a lot of pain. I went to a "total body conditioning" class on Saturday and got my ass handed to me. A good friend of mine had, in the words of her psychologist, a "mild manic break" that's left me both worried and scared about her road to recovery. And, of course, what's a summer weekend without a wedding? Another of our friends has joined the "old & married" club.

We clean up nicely, don't we?

It was a nice wedding--an outside, small-ish garden wedding and there really is nothing more romantic than watching two people exchange vows. I'm a closeted wedding cryer, but I managed to hold it together to take pictures (thank goodness for busy hands).

Today, we're left cleaning and starting food prep for my parents to visit tomorrow.

Notes From the Weekend Kitchen

2009-05-17T07:53:00.004-05:00

I've spent the majority of my weekend in the kitchen--I love the sudden bursts of culinary productivity!

It started with picking up my CSA box from the farmer's market. Inside were these amazing sugar snap peas--they are the perfect raw snack.. crispy, slightly sweet. I stocked up on two extra quarts to last me through the week!

After picking up our box, I decided to pick strawberries before the season ends. We've been getting steady supplies through our CSA, but I like to freeze them so we can have strawberries throughout the year. The 40 lbs I picked last year lasted us until about a month ago. And, of course, nothing beats homemade, strawberry jam!

The nearly constant rain from this year has been really difficult on the strawberry crop. There were a lot of strawberries with rain damage and it was sad to see so many otherwise ripe strawberries going to waste. As I tend to clean them up as I prepare them for freezing, I tried to pick some of the not-so-beautiful strawberries. I didn't realize I had done that until I returned home and started cleaning them up. I spent almost 4 hours in the kitchen with 20-lbs of strawberries!

While I was cutting, chopping and washing the strawberries, I got inspired to make some garlic herb bread for dinner last night. As I was occupied with the strawberries, I thought that finding a bread machine recipe was the way to go. I found one that looked decent and I faithfully loaded it into my bread machine. As I checked on its progress, it seemed too soft, so after an hour or two in the machine, I took it out, kneaded it by hand and added flour until it held together better.

Was it a success? I suppose so, because as of this morning, this was all that was left:

Since I altered the recipe so much from its original form, I feel pretty good about posting the recipe that I ended up with. Some of the measurements aren't exact--I'm sorry bakers, but I am not a baker. Measuring ingredients precisely is one of the reasons why I don't bake more than I do. :)

Garlic-Herb Cheese Bread:

In a bread machine, add the following:

1 1/4 c warm water
3 c unbleached flour
2 T sugar
2 T softened butter
3 T cheese (est.) (I used sharp cheddar)
1 T yeast
5 t total - your choice of seasonings. I used two cloves garlic, oregano, salt.

I let my bread machine mix the mixture for about an hour and a half until I couldn't stand watching it any longer and thought I could do better if I kneaded it by hand. When I pulled it out of the machine, it was a very, very soft and sticky dough. I added 1/4 c flour and kneaded it until it was still soft, but less sticky. All together, I'm guessing I added a total of 3/4 c - 1 c flour.

After I was happy with the dough consistency, I folded in some extra cheese, probably about half a cup. I patted it into a medium bread loaf pan to rise for about 30 minutes.

In a preheated, 350 degree oven, I baked it for about 30 minutes and then checked it every 5-7 minutes. It took about an hour to cook altogether, but as your loaf pan may be a different size or material, I'd recommend keeping an eye on it.

The end result was delicious--the bread has an amazingly soft, light texture and as we will be fighting over the last piece, I imagine I'll be making more soon!

If you try the recipe, please let me know how it turns out!

Forgotten Knitting + My Dog is Trying to Tell Me Something

2009-05-03T17:55:00.003-05:00

It's been one of those... well, what do you call it? Weeks from hell? Yes, one of those. Not that anything has happened that's so terrible to me, but it seems like everyone around me is grappling with some enormous personal struggle. It feels like there's one giant inhale.. and no one wants to exhale.

Me? Things are okay but life can just be exhausting sometimes. I have piles of to-do lists and less than 5 hours before my weekend ends.

My mother-in-law spent the better part of the weekend with us. It was a nice visit, punctuated with frequent thrifting, a perfect trip to the farmer's market and delicious meals. She left this morning and I've spent the day doing laundry and trying to get the house ready for the week.

One of the things that concerns us most is, always, Q's behavior. I will admit to being a tad partial, but he IS much better than he used to be. Of course, with company, you always hope that your "children" are on good behavior. And Q started off the visit with a bang. So to speak.

Q frequently has joint problems, so I try to give him Happy Hips that have Glucosamine supplement to keep him nice and strong. Runt, who is immensely curious about anything bigger than her that she can jump on, likes to sometimes jump on the fridge and knocks down gifts to the grateful Q below. Of course, these things don't happen while we're at home. Oh, no. They wait to happen until we have guests (and my MIL, at that), and then they're not just tiny problems, but larger, longer-lasting problems.

Long story short, it appears as if Runt knocked down an ENTIRE (read: brand new) bag of Happy Hips, to which Q ate all of. Every last one. This not only led to swollen-belly Q, but also farting Q and the Q that got to sleep alone downstairs. Which in turn, led to difficulties with the outside life, too. Because Q is so hairy, he, ahem, sometimes gets things stuck which leads him to an immediate bath. I will spare you the details, but I'm thankful that I have an awesome husband and a pretty good dog, and with some snipping and some other disgusting maneuvers, we managed to get everything cleaned up.

Everything good, right?

So, jump forward to today, when I gave Q a toy for being (mostly) good during the weekend. A nice innocent toy..

I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard when I turned the toy around to find this greeting me:

I think my dog is trying to tell me something.

Adjustments

2009-04-19T10:13:00.002-05:00

Well, the "thing in the wall," I guess, has found its way back outdoors. It's been over a week and I don't smell anything unusual seeping from the walls of the den, so we can put that saga behind us. Thankfully.

Adjusting back into a 40-hr work week has been difficult. I feel like I haven't seen J in about three weeks. I haven't knit a stitch. My energy and patience for almost everything have waned. Strangely, in some odd ways, I'm feeling more productive, but in others, remarkably less so. It's a strange middle ground and I know that things are not going to get better.. ever, really. So, I need to prioritize, find peace and strength in times where I'm roaring on the inside and unstable on the outside. I need to carve out little niches of time that are for me only.

But enough complaining, as I actually have exciting news that I haven't shared with you yet! My fiber (from my sadly empty Etsy store) made it into the Spring 2009 Spin Off Magazine! How cool is that?

Anyway, in one of my oddly productive ways, I've started making these tiny little batts. They are usually a bit over half an ounce and I think they're fun and really, really cute!

There is Something Alive in My Wall.

2009-04-06T20:21:00.002-05:00

For the last three, no, four, days, the kittens have taken to staring at this particular wall. At first, of course, we wrote it off to the kitten crazies. (I can't tell you how often I've walked into the room and Pig has been on his back feet catching nothing between his front paws.) Runt is prone to being overly curious about everything, so staring at the wall, really, just seemed the next in line of her unexplainable hobbies. Then, we started tossing around the idea that perhaps it wasn't CRAZY, but maybe they were having a religious experience? Do kittens have those?

Last night, as J napped on the couch and I, instead of deciding what to knit, poked around on Ravelry, I heard scratching. I look over the "the wall" and Runt has curiously twisted her head, her eyes gazed upwards. Next, we hear a thump. A couple more minutes of listening and I know we've got something...alive. In our walls.

Seeing that it's been there now for four days, I'm pretty certain its end will follow the path of every other animal that's been caught in a wall: look for path outside, scratch at the wall, look for food. What, no food? Death. Decomposition. Unusable room due to death stench for two months.

I sent J on a man mission today to find whatever animal has lodged itself within this wall. I have three cats. Three. I shouldn't have to deal with ANY animal problem. Three cats! What am I feeding them for?

Pig is staking out the wall, now cutting in front of whomever happens to be closest. Runtlet is doing belly dances and flips around the ottoman, pretending like she doesn't care (though she's the watchman). I have three cats and a husband. I shouldn't have burrowing animals in my wall. It's a bit... disturbing.

I just hope it's big and fat and had some reserves before it kicks the bucket.

And because I don't just want to talk about death smells, it seems that my carder and I are on speaking terms again:

Ack! The game has started! I can already hear the helicopter outside!

Spring Fever

2009-04-04T18:11:00.003-05:00

See, the thing about spring is that you can have a room full of options and still be indecisive. Should I work on the front panel of the Fair Isle Yoke Sweater? Or start a pair of socks? 13 hours later, and I still haven't made up my mind, so I've done nothing. Great, isn't it?

I did sprain my ankle falling down the front stairs Wednesday morning. No, Q was not involved--I just fell on my own graces. This morning was the first day I've walked without a limp, but it my ankle is feeling better.

I'm also on the hunt for the dress. You know, THE dress. My very amazing husband has even given the okay to spend an ungodly amount of money finding one. We'll see. I looked through a bunch of websites and haven't found it yet. I'd prefer something vintage, knee-length with a nice, summery print. Either blue or green. And it has to be spectacular. I will know it when I see it, but I haven't seen it yet. I did find this beauty at Nordstroms, but I hate that it only comes in navy, so I'm still looking. I'm scoping out the vintage site where I found my wedding dress--if it worked once, it'll work again... right?

March Charity Knitting

2009-03-31T17:46:00.002-05:00

A snap of my March charity knitting. I've completed one baby hat and 5 afghan squares. Once all those annoying ends are sewn in, they'll be going to their new home in Durham and then donated to local charities in need. I hope to complete more in April, but with the recent changes afoot here, we'll have to see.

I finally saw a bird in our new bird feeder. The kittens were instantly on the feeder. I imagine their reaction was something similar to the coyote looking at the roadrunner, but seeing only juicy, tender meals. At least it gives them something to do other tha playing Tarzan on the couch.

Impromptu

2009-03-30T17:46:00.003-05:00

I think the most amazing part of nuno felting is how something so organic, so freeform can become so beautiful. It's well worth all the rolling and arm aches to see wool and silk mingling to form a solid fiber. This is my newest creation, made with a coworker yesterday afternoon who wanted to learn to do it herself.

Our felting engagement became quickly an impromptu dinner date. Her husband came over and we shared a spur-of-the-moment dinner (isn't that the best kind?) and a bottle of wine, good conversation and I then spent the rest of the evening pulling out different yarn and sharing my passions with someone who shared my fiber-y enthusiasm.

Our new (squirrel-proof, at least according to the box) bird feeder is hanging up outside our living room window. I have yet to see a single bird feed, but J said earlier that there had been several... and that they had caught the eye of two curious kittens.

I start back in the real world this week, my luxuriously long weekends now gone. With the economy the way it is, I am lucky to have a job that wants me to work MORE, not less. I'll need to spend the next couple weeks readjusting my time, my time management and my priorities. It has been, however, a beautiful weekend to end with.

Making Butter

2009-03-27T12:10:00.003-05:00

What do you do on a rainy weekend?

Make butter!

Making butter is really easy. I followed some online tutorials , but basically, you start with heavy cream and shake and shake and shake until you end up with butter. Not only did I get two delicious crocks of butter, we've got buttermilk for pancakes tomorrow morning!

In knitting news, I've finally cast on for for the Fair Isle Yoke from Stitch in Time (warning for link-followers--it takes you to Ravelry which you'll need an account for to see the pattern.) I've also got the yarn for Katarina which is part of the Knitmore Girl's podcast's knit-a-long. I'm not typically a joiner, so we'll see how my enthusiasm keeps up.

Other than that, it looks like it's shaping up to be another weekend of house cleaning and laundry. Not much else to do when your 5-day forecast looks like mine.

Congrats!

2009-03-22T13:00:00.001-05:00

Congrats to Monique! She was the closest to guessing my stash mileage. Monique, would you be so kind to email me (lapoliknits at gmail dot com) with your address and I'll see that your squishy, beautiful sock yarn hits the mail this week!

Last Chance! Sweet Pea Blanket and Charity Knitting

2009-03-21T08:42:00.003-05:00

Today is the last day you'll have to enter the contest to win the fabulous Chameleon Colorworks sock yarn! (Believe me, I don't part with yarn easily.) If you're not signed up for Blogger but still want to enter, please email me at lapoliknits at gmail dot com. I'll give everyone until noon tomorrow!

I feel like I've had a pretty productive weekend, so far. I've really been in the mood to cook! The two loaves of homemade bread I made on Thursday are practically gone (and can I mention here how much I forget how wonderful homemade bread is with a little honey?)

The tofu jerky I made yesterday survived the night, so we'll be able to enjoy it today. It rarely lasts more than 12 hours--I usually wake up to find that my husband has eaten it all night before!

Finally, I started on the Sweet Pea Blanket for a fillet-sized baby (not yet born!) (Oh, and mom and dad, definitely not mine.. don't worry!).

I've finished up a bunch of charity knitting this week, too. I'd like to find some time each week that I dedicate only to knitting for charity. Documenting all my stash really made me realize that I'm fortunate to have so much and made start thinking about sharing with others. There are a lot of really wonderful charities you can knit for (and I'd encourage anyone interested to check out Knitting for Peace as a great resource/starting point), but I was interested in finding a local group that needed knitters. I emailed several people I had found online and finally (!) I heard back from one. I've finished up two afghan blocks and started on a preemie hat.

Anyway, it's early Saturday and I'd like to get a good start for the day. I think I'll be making some more bread, but I also think I may make some peanut butter/maple cookies, too. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend, and I'll announce the contest winner tomorrow!

The Prize for the Stash Contest

2009-03-19T08:57:00.003-05:00

Keep the guesses coming! We're up to 7 now, but you still have until Sunday to pick a number (any number!)

I've picked out a prize for the winner, too. I've selected the Chameleon Colorworks Footsie sock yarn in a colorway called "Klee." I thought it was a perfect springtime sock yarn and since it's languishing in my stash, I will happily add it to the contest winner's stash. It's a 75% superwash wool, 25% nylon yarn and approx 400yds in the skein.

Keep your guesses coming! There are still three full days left in the contest. I was going to help everyone along by taking a picture of my craft room but the cats have made up their own contest this week to see how quickly they can destroy my spinning fiber stash, leaving the craft room in a state unfit for pictures. If, by some miracle, I can clean it up enough that it looks presentable, I'll be posting a photo here. If not, you'll just have to use your imagination.

Lordy Lordy, Ain't It Great!

2009-03-15T12:37:00.003-05:00

Q-jamins is turning.. four?

See what a patient puppy he is?

For his birthday, I made four homemade tartlets for Q. One was banana, one was banana/peanut butter, one was pb/carob and the last was carob. Spoiled!

Thank you for all who have more faith in my destashing than I do.. stash contest is now up to 4 votes! There's still a week left--I'll be posting prizes soon, too. I will say that it's good for me to have now listed mostly everything in a giant excel spreadsheet. I can sort by weight, I can see everything in my stash at once, and I can record everything I knit this year to see how much I knit up in a year.

Still raining.. J has a friend in town, I think we'll be meeting up with her soon.

The "Is Anyone Reading?" Stash Contest

2009-03-13T16:38:00.002-05:00

Because of a ball winding debacle this morning, my fibery pursuits have been limited. I've long wanted to know how many miles of yarn I have, so today, I've begun the documenting process necessary to find an answer.

So, my dear reader, I am having my very first blog contest.

I haven't determined a prize as of yet, as my brain is a little frazzled, but I will post the prize to be awarded before the end of the contest.

The question you have to answer is simple: how many miles of yarn do I have in my stash?

You should know the following: I am not counting the acrylic yarn I have stashed under our bed upstairs, miscellaneous handspun from a fiber festival that was labeled only in weight, not in yards. I am currently "in progress" on a project, I will not count the skein of yarn that is attached to my needles. I will, however, count the rest of the yarn not currently in use. (Does that make sense?) I will also not count half-used skeins, as I have a scientifically sound method of organizing the yardage, I'm just lazy.

The closest person to guess without going over will win.. something. The contest will end next Sunday, March 22nd.

Hap Blanket

2009-03-13T07:38:00.002-05:00

The hap blanket is finally finished!

I love it! It's soft, beautiful, and I think I may go curl up underneath it with all this rainy weather. I didn't have a chance to swatch for Coraline yesterday. I think I may try that, as well as swatch for the Wakame Lace Tunic from last year's summer IK. I figure that I may as well cast on for something that seems.. seasonal?

2009-03-12T08:10:00.002-05:00

I am thankful this week that I have my full weekend to unwind, decompress and to knit! Last weekend, I spent elbow-deep in mucky sheep fleece. This weekend, I intend to finish up some UFOs (do you see that side bar over there?!) and maybe start on some new ones.

I have finished up two projects this week.. a pair of socks and a pair of soap holders. The soap holders are a remake from a lost int'l package that will be resent today (and hopefully this time they will make it to their destination). The socks are for a swap, too.

Yesterday, the mailman was kind enough to leave my package of warm wooly goodness at the doorstep for me. I ordered four skeins of Shelridge Farms DKW for Coraline. Reading the pattern more closely last night made me a little nervous that I don't have enough yardage, but I think if I find that's the case, I may do 3/4 length sleeves.

I am hopefully going to swatch for Coraline this weekend. Otherwise, I'll be working on the last twenty rows of my Hap Blanket.

Progress!

2009-03-08T12:36:00.003-05:00

Many of the tips from the fleece need to be flicked open... I was feeling a bit frustrated this morning until I looked over at a pile of discarded, raw fleece on the side of the deck.

I do say there's been an improvement, no?

Yesterday afternoon I got impatient, so I quickly carded up some of the gray shetland so I could begin spinning:

It's spinning so finely. I think I'll be able to get a DK/Sport 2-ply of it, which is probably the finest I've spun so far. I'd like to be able to get a fingering weight 2-ply (or even try for a 3-ply) but my spinning skills are still lacking.

Saturday.. nom nom nom

2009-03-07T12:49:00.002-05:00

2.6lb of a fawn-colored shetland fleece. It's drying in the sun now (this was before picking and washing) but it's nice and squishy and oh, I can't wait for it to dry!

Nom nom nom. Delicious moorit gray/brown shetland. Here, still raw, but it cleaned up so beautifully.

What else, you ask? Handmade pie crust (a la Mastering the Art of French Cooking) in the fridge for tonight's custard pie. 5 skeins hand-painted yarn. 5 inches of sock knitting. Isn't that enough???

A Stitch in Time

2009-03-06T08:29:00.004-05:00

A Grade 2 AC Joint Separation has J temporarily without hobbies. The ortho doctor said yesterday 4 weeks no motorcycle, 6 weeks without skating. Of course, the doctor didn't say anything about driving oneself to the "Watchmen" midnight showing down the road. I'm thankful to have sat, or slept, that one out, as he didn't make it home before 3am.

In yesterday's mail, I was surprised to find my copy of "A Stitch in Time" which came surprisingly fast from the UK. I had promised myself I wouldn't get excited about it until week three but now, I can easily spend all weekend flipping through (and drooling over) the gorgeous patterns. The book is absolutely gorgeous, complete with beautiful photography. I'm happy, too, to see that the book contains both the original knitting pattern as well as the modern rewrite, as it will certainly impact how I look at vintage knitting patterns from now on. I saw, too, on Ravelry, that there is talk of a second volume within the next year, and I'm already eagerly anticipating the next installment. The only downside to such a terrific book is trying to decide what to knit first.

On and On

2009-01-17T08:19:00.002-05:00

"Spring is Coming?" - handspun yarn spun from Spunky Eclectic roving. South African Fine Wool--beautiful and fun to spin. About 63 yards.

"Toxic Avenger" from art batts by Craftster's frankierevolver--made of wool, silk noils and glitz. This came out to about 25 yards. Fun spinning as I just let the universe have its way with it.. I think this is enough to make a funky neckwarmer, or to use as an accent on a hat or scarf.

This week, I've spent plenty of time browsing over on BookMooch--I highly recommend everyone running over there to try it out. It's a free website to join and use and the only costs you'll incur are costs shipping paperbacks/magazines/etc to people who have requested them. You are awarded points for adding books to your inventory that you're willing to part with. Each time a book in your inventory is requested, you get a point that you can then turn around and request another book from someone else. Because it's an international community, you also have access to books in other countries that you wouldn't in the US, or if you're looking for a book in another language, it's much easier to find. Have I mentioned, too, that it's a terrific way to recycle all your old books?

I, shamefully, haven't knit a stitch since last Sunday. I think today's a day to devote to the couch, Hank Williams, and a bunch of long-forgotten projects.

Armless Wabbit

2009-01-12T20:14:00.003-05:00

New year, new crafts. Soy wax votive candles, a nuno felted scarf and an armless rabbit are all parading around here while my knitting waits.

Don't worry--I haven't forgotten my goals this year. They're just on the back burner for a little bit.

2008-12-04T12:59:00.001-05:00

Not a ton of knitting finished so far this week but I'm hoping that will change with the start of my weekend.

Now if only my house would find a way to clean itself...

Knitting Goals 2009

2008-11-29T09:16:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Buy Nothing Day by a trip to our local thrift store. In addition to the 5 wool (1 cashmere!) sweaters, we found these vintage sewing books. I think they'll be perfect for J's clothing modification projects.

I've started thinking about knitting for 2009. With all the hats I've been making, I'm itching to start something more challenging and interesting, though I feel that, in fairness, I shouldn't start on anything until after holiday knitting is over.

So, here's my preliminary list of what I'd like to knit in 2009:

*Hemlock Ring Blanket by Brooklyn Tweed
*Kusha Kusha Scarf by Habu Textiles
*Myrtle Leaf Shawl from Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby
*sweater for J, possibly the Woven Bands Pullover in the new IK or Smokin' (another Brooklyn Tweed)

I think that's enough at the moment. I know this won't be all, or it could change, but this is what I'm thinking of now.

Thanksgiving + After

2008-11-28T08:12:00.004-05:00

Well, luckily, I'm feeling better today. I've heard from several people in the area that there's a weird bug going around--runny nose, aches, slight fever. The good news is that it lasts a couple of days and it's gone, so I can return to doing laundry and knitting.

Of course, not that knitting ever ceases:

... there's the owl-cabled hat. The dark wool makes the cables a bit difficult to make out, but they look like little horned owls.

And, of course, Thanksgiving Day knitting, where I was joined by an unexpected visitor:

(He's usually too busy with his sleeping-under-the-bed routine to bother with us humans)

And the results of what I was working on:

I wouldn't say that I designed this baby hat, as it was based off a picture of someone's Wists and I just used it as a guide. The original creator sells them on Etsy, so I wouldn't say that I created this at all--BUT, there are parts of this hat I am really proud of + excited to have figured out. I think it turned out pretty cute, wouldn't you agree?

The Flu.

2008-11-26T16:49:00.001-05:00

Yep. Leave it to me to get the flu right before a holiday. My poor achy bones and Pig will be found snuggling on the couch, watching repeats of cartoons we've seen before.

Food and Fiber

2008-11-23T08:06:00.006-05:00

Here is 1/4 of the food I made in preparation for the first meeting of the supper club--homemade hummus, homemade spiced walnuts, homemade vegan chicken wraps. I also made rice pudding balls, salsa, roasted carrot and curry dip, goat cheese with walnut and cranberries canapes. In addition, there was cider, mulled wine and homebrewed beer. We have more than enough leftovers to eat for the next couple of days... finger foods are my weakness, so I'll have plenty of healthy snacks to munch on.

Another felicity hat in what may be the worst picture ever. (Note to self: wake up, drink coffee, shower and watch the shadows.) I am a felicity hat factory over here--I've already got another one on the needles for someone else.

A close-up shot of some homemade granola! Inspired by a friend of mine, oneredboot, I made some delicious granola in my slow cooker on Thursday. You know it's a hit when there's already a request for more (and the first batch isn't finished yet!)

Finally, mom! Look what I found!!!

Handmade

2008-11-17T20:01:00.003-05:00

This weekend was pretty productive. I finished almost all the projects I had hoped to... more, even. I didn't go to the grocery store. I made vegan strawberry/banana muffins Thursday morning and by the end of my weekend, I even made a vegan chocolate cake. I'm rather proud, as I used only ingredients I had in the house, the strawberries are from our May strawberry-picking adventure and the beer was homebrewed by J. Delicious!

(I will say that taking an attractive picture of a chocolate cake is tougher than it may seem!)

The royal blue kettle dyed cashmere from Sunday afternoon turned out beautifully! It's fingering weight, 100% cashmere that I've recycled from a men's sweater. I've got probably another 1000+ yards to unwind and dye up, but perhaps that's a good project for this weekend.

Weekend Knits + Watching the Fall... Fall.

2008-11-15T15:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was fall... today looked like winter. It was as if, overnight, all the leaves decided to fall to start preparing for winter. Luckily, the cats find it strangely entertaining--they'll sit and watch the leaves fall to the back deck for hours.

With the rainy and overcast weather, I've been able to finish up some projects: Le Slouch, an unimpressive off-the-needles finish, but when on, quite cute!

And also the world's worst socks:

Yes, they're made to be huge. And yes, they really look terrible. I'm glad I have posting proof that I can actually make pretty, nice, delicate socks as these are almost shameful.

Left to do today: recycle two sweaters' yarn, make chili, start handwarmers, start a felicity hat.. and even kettle dye some fingering weight cashmere. Whew!

More Knitting?

2008-11-13T13:34:00.005-05:00

Oh, ladies and gents, I've still been plenty busy with new projects, but I did want to share some of the other things I've finished up to be sent along to their new homes before they get lost in my Flickr photostream forever:

Closeup from a pair of socks from Vogue Sock Knitting. I lose knitting points as I can't remember/I'm too lazy to recall the pattern name.

Monkeys! Everyone has a pair, right? This was knit using one of the kettle dyed Knit Picks sock yarns. The yarn was soft and squishy, but although my two balls were from the same dye lot, there was a significant difference in color. I'd recommend alternating rows if you are the type that would care about stuff that like. Personally, I'd rather deal with the block of color difference than with all those damn ends.

I hate this hat pattern so much I can't even talk about it.

Okay, finally. Something for me. This is the Shalom Cardigan which I knitted for myself. Terribly cute and simple pattern ruined by terrible yarn. I have only worn this cardigan for the pictures.

I'm feeling guilty about all the things in life that should be and shouldn't be and trying to overcome inaction with action.

Knitting O.D.

2008-11-10T22:40:00.002-05:00

Cast on and bound off both mittens in four days. I'm exhausted.

Christmas for Politics!

2008-11-04T08:42:00.001-05:00

Halloween in the Life of Pig

2008-10-31T19:33:00.006-05:00

There was only one of us who decided to get decked out for Halloween... and that was Pig.

I walked into the room, Pig had put on a cape.

Was he Magician Pig?

Nope. Here's J showing Pig what his superhero cape would look like if he were flying.

Obviously, it left scars on his soul.

Yes we can! Er, carve!

Weekend

2008-10-26T18:01:00.003-05:00

I'm exhausted! I've spent all day weaving in ends for some knitting projects that have accumulated and then I spent the rest of the afternoon in the dye pots. The project above is the "Morning Surf" scarf I mentioned several posts back. It's knit using a Three Irish Girls sock yarn in a colorway called "Baltic Sea." I think it was September's colorway, but it could have been August--the months just kind of leap into one another.

The reason why Runt isn't often photographed is because she's too active to accurately capture. She's usually using the sofa as a swinging vine, teasing Pig to play with her, or asleep in a dark corner where a photo wouldn't do her justice. This photo caught her napping in a bag of yarn. Naughty, naughty.

We've renamed Sir Stinky Bottoms (Pig) to Flowers in hopes that he'll live up to his name. I never knew cats could have room-clearing flatulence, but I'm sad to report it's true.

In other news, we found out today that Runt growls like a dog.

A Rainy Afternoon

2008-10-25T14:46:00.002-05:00

Laundry.
Dishes.
Bathroom.
Catbox.
Laundry. Again.
Bills.
Library.
Patsy Cline.
Cup of Tea.
Knitting.
Update Blog.

Check.

All the News

2008-10-24T18:55:00.003-05:00

Woo! I voted yesterday! Woo! I have to say--it was an amazing feeling walking out of the voting booth and feeling like something good may happen for the country soon. GO VOTE if you haven't already!

I've been trying hard to capture Pig's water drinking habits. Often, he'll sit in the dog's bowl as he drinks, but always, he leaves with a tiny water droplet attached to his tiny chin. Ack, what cuteness! It kills me.

And to those who think I never do anything but blabber on about the family, here's proof! A knit bonnet--the first pattern I ever changed so much. I took a baby's bonnet pattern and rewrote it for an adult-sized noggin. I'll post the changes over on Ravelry, but I would do things differently next time. I forgot how much cotton stretches.

You Can't Buy Happiness...

2008-10-23T07:08:00.002-05:00

...but you can sure snap a photo while they're asleep.

Cream of Garlic Soup

2008-10-23T06:55:00.002-05:00

Besides honeycrisp apples, one of my favorite things about fall is the excuse to eat lots and lots of soup. Though I really can't stomach tomato-based soups, I absolutely love cream and broth soups, so it's no surprise when I started fantasizing about cream of garlic soup earlier in the week. I've never even tasted a cream of garlic soup, so I was left on my own to create Wednesday night supper. The picture above is what resulted--recipe below. If any of you have had a good cream of garlic soup, let me know how this recipe compares with what you've eaten or how it can be improved.

Ingredients:

Approximately 60 cloves of garlic (I cheated and bought the already peeled garlic from Whole Foods, $3 wisely spent, in my opinion)
4 T butter
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed (peeled, if you like--I like the skins)
1 small yellow onion, cubed
1 bay leaf
3 cups vegetable broth (this was based solely on what I had sitting around)
1 cup dry white wine (I used an organic sauvignon blanc)
1 cup heavy cream
Crusty Baguette
Salt/Pepper

Directions:

Melt two tablespoons butter on medium heat in a large stock pot. Reduce heat to low, add 60 cloves peeled garlic and braise until browned and softened. (Mine took approximately 30 minutes.) Add 2 cubed potatoes, 1 cubed onion, bay leaf and addition 2 T butter and sauté for approximately 5 minutes.

Add 3 cups stock, 1 cup wine to mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat again and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove bay leaf, puree with an immersion blender and add cream, season with salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly and serve with a crusty bread.

I'm not sure if that's how cream of garlic soup is made in the rest of the world, but this did pass the husband test. :)

Love

2008-10-12T06:06:00.001-05:00

I do believe someone has fallen in love.

Recycling!

2008-10-12T06:02:00.002-05:00

What may become my new addiction.. recycling yarn from sweaters!

I've got 100% wool (bulky weight, 9 WPI, maybe 1000 yards or so?):

100% shetland wool (sport weight, 13 WPI)

...and can you believe? 100% cashmere laceweight. I could SWIM in this stuff, it's so gorgeous!

I know, I know, but...

2008-10-10T15:44:00.003-05:00

I realize my intention in starting this blog was to keep up with crafts, knitting specifically, but I always find one reason or another to only update it with animal photos.

So, in keeping with my new tradition:

P and R yesterday afternoon. I think R is showing P something. She's now the boss.

I will say that it's utterly EXHAUSTING having added two kittens to the household. I feel like I'm always cleaning out litter boxes, feeding the cat, or feeding the kittens, or feeding the dog, or taking the dog out. Knitting can't happen while the kittens are awake, or if I try, I'll end up with a knitting needles in the mouths of one of the two.

But... even still, they've settled quite nicely into life with the rest of us crazies. R is absolutely IN LOVE with her big brother, Q. I've snapped a couple photos of the two snuggling on the couch, on the floor. She LOVES him.

They're both very affectionate, sweet, sweet kittens. The only one not completely sold is still O/M. He's being a bratty older brother, but the kittens are wearing him down by chasing after his tail while he's on the stairs. I'm sure he loves that.

Eventually, I imagine all six of us on the bed, sleeping in on a Sunday morning. For now, my knitting needles and I are trying to find a safe hiding spot where I can knit without the curiosity of kittens nearby.

Coming off the needles: secret project #2 and Morning Surf scarf (and who said knitting a scarf with sock yarn was a great idea?).

Going on the Needles: Secret Projects #3, #4, and #5, and the Owlie Bling Scarf for Suzanne.

A Spoonful of Sugar

2008-10-05T12:16:00.002-05:00

I have been knitting a lot lately. How much is a lot? So much that it has caused a very, very, very uncomfortable back/shoulder/neck spasm.

Of course, my husband was the first to ask me if my pain was in any manner related to knitting, and, of course, I denied it because it was obvious that I had slept wrong. But... almost a bottle of Advil later and the constant aching that's occurred anytime I go near my knitting... I have to admit. He was right.

Damn.

I have gotten so much done. (Is that surprising?)

And now, I'm in so much pain that unless I'm every-four-hours-guzzling-Advil, I can hardly move. (My four hours is almost up and every muscle in my back feels it). Am I really that old? Is my posture that bad? (Yes.)

Runt is sitting at the top of the keyboard swatting at my fingers. I think I'll leave any bits she feels like adding--obviously, she has something to say. I will say that the kittens are about the cutest creatures ever designed. (Bad for the knitting, too, I may add.) Monkey is PISSED about the kittens, but Q LOVES them! He'll come in the room, sniff at them, and they'll walk right up to him, snert him, rub up against his head, swat at his Ho-Chi-Min Beard and he's very, very patient d2wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (sorry, Runt) with them. I can't wait to catch them snuggling on the couch.

So.. does anyone have any good home remedies that will have me knitting again in a couple hours??

Pig and Runt

2008-09-27T12:00:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been an unfortunately long time since I last updated, and I'll spend the rest of my day flogging myself for being lazy.

But, guess how J surprised me for our first anniversary?

One kitten with eight legs?

Nope. Two kittens with four legs each. Brother and sister. Pig (on the left) and Runt (on the right). Their names are not only perfectly suited for their behaviors, they're named after the two characters in my favorite movie, Disco Pigs.

How could you not be completely, utterly in love with them?

Pig, the little boy, is brave, gregarious, fearless, but very watchful of Runt. No matter where she is, he will know. He's a bit reckless and I think he's been showing off a bit, probably for her as much as for us.

Runt is a tiny, tiny thing. She's very alert and engaged, but she has an inner peace or sense of self I think Pig won't have. She's social, friendly and I think she calms Pig.

They are very in tune with one another. I'll watch them swat things with the same paw at the same time. They sleep curled up. Very often, they move the same way at the same time. They are each other's best friends and I can't help but feel overwhelmed watching them. Completely amazing.

Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Hanna Right Over

2008-09-05T14:16:00.004-05:00

Two pictures of note:

#1 - How I prepare for hurricanes:

and #2 - How Q-jamins prepares for hurricanes:

Through the Cracks

2008-08-31T13:11:00.004-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I went out to the back deck to find J hunched over a tiny insect, very focused. As I got closer to see what was going on, J told me that there had been a large spider web and that he had pulled the insect off the web to free it. Though initially what seemed a good idea turned both of us inside out as we were left to watch the insect unsuccessfully struggle to break from the web that had encircled it.

Is the act of compassion rescuing the insect, or is it limiting its suffering?

Before we made up our hearts, the insect fell through the cracks in the back deck.

I think the true nature of compassion is to remain detached from your own feelings. More than anything, I wanted that insect to live, but that insect, I realize now suffered more because of our actions, despite the fact that our intentions seemed noble. Buddhism teaches us that all beings want to be free of suffering and that true compassion takes strength to cultivate. Our own feelings of rescuing and freeing the insect interfered with what was the more compassionate decision.

I've remembered that beetle every single day since that incident.

Saturn Return

2008-08-29T18:48:00.003-05:00

For anyone who isn't into astrology, the next little bit may be a little.. full of hoopla for you.

We had a staff meeting Monday night where it was announced I would be part-time (I won't amuse you to think this was the reason for the entire staff meeting.) Since Monday, though, several of my co-workers have approached me to ask about my wool dyeing, asking what I'll be doing, etc. One of the approached me today--she's a wonderful photographer--and commented that it made sense. Of course it did. It was my Saturn return.

The Saturn Return marks one complete orbit of Saturn around the sun. Usually, this occurs between your 27-30th birthday. Saturn is known as the "House of Troubles" or "The House of Karma" and so, according to astrologers, knowing where my Saturn was at the moment of my birth will help me understand what type of roadblocks I face. At the moment of my birth, it appears that Saturn was in Virgo--a sign marked with restraint, discipline, limitations, and structure.

As my sun sign is Capricorn--a sign ruled by Saturn--I'm curious as to how this may impact this Saturn Return.

Anyway. Hoopla. But it's interesting. It'll give me something to think about.

No new knitting news... but tomorrow is my last day in a full week's schedule! Hallelujah!

2008-08-18T06:59:00.002-05:00

Some newly dyed fiber:

(I'm just doing this to capture your attention!)

I won't lie... this week has been tough. As I'm inching closer and closer to going part-time, I'm starting to feel scared. A bit grumpy. And, to be honest, a step or three further away from my goals.

I really need to stay focused, but my mind keeps wandering. Reading through my last month's worth of blog posts is helping, but there's a lot of help I still need.

There are positive developments. One, I made my own seitan. I won't say it was a pretty or a fun experiment, but it sure smelled good. I froze the entire batch and learned a valuable lesson: use wheat gluten next time. I started with whole wheat flour and it takes forever (not to mention the water waste that was created by all the rinsing). Next time, I'll use gluten and I can skip all those water-wasting steps.

Still pulling through Walden. Interesting man, that Thoreau. I can't say I agree with everything--and he's a bit contradictory in places--but reading his philosophies really helps center my mind.

My goal for the next month: to start a dinner co-op. I've got several friends that are interested, but what better way to save money and eat home cooked meals every night? The crock pot easily cranks out a meal big enough for multiple sittings, or people, as the case may be, and I think it would be a fun thing to look forward to every week.

I really need to start cutting down on things and stop pretending that our lives aren't going to drastically change. Otherwise, this time next month is going to be really, really tough.

Falling for Ewe Autumn Yarn Swap

2008-08-11T15:13:00.003-05:00

Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft?

I have been knitting for over 10 years, but only seriously for about the last two. I don't crochet well enough to call it a skill.

Do you spin? What type of spinning do you do?

Yes, I've been spinning since November, though not as often as I'd like (though hopefully that will change). I tend to stick to wool, worsted weight yarns. I like single ply yarns but I'll ply 'em, too.

Are there any other crafts that you participate in?

I dye and card my own fiber, and occasionally sell it on Etsy. I make melt and pour soaps, but that's about all.

What are your favorite yarns/fibers?

I love any wool or alpaca. Squishy yarns are always good. Mmmalabrigo, of course, but I also really like scratchier wools like Peace Fleece.

What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fibers?

I don't like acrylic or novelty yarns.

Are there any types/brands of yarn that you are dying to work with but haven’t gotten a chance?

Yes--I'd love to try Socks that Rock/Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Malabrigo Organic Cotton, or any Green Mountain Spinnery yarns.

What are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet?

I have a lot of sweaters/tops/shrugs in my queue, but I'm usually a smaller project type of person. Hats, mittens, socks, even. I'm going to finish some sweaters.. yes, yes I am.

What are you currently working on? Anything you plan to start this autumn?

I'm currently working on some top-secret swap packages, but I'm also trying to find time to make a pair of "Squirrel and Oak" mittens for myself, as well as catch up on some of my Ravelry queue.

What is your favorite FO? (Please, post a picture if you would like.)

I am really happy with the Noro tam I made for a previous swap--picture's below somewhere.

What is your oldest UFO?

That damn Buttony sweater. I am trying to delay frogging it.

Are there any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn?

I'd like to learn to steek, only because the more I stare at Ysolda Teague's new cardigan pattern, the more I think that maybe I need to learn to do it. But it puts a pit at the bottom of my stomach.

Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes. I have tiny feet--size 7-ish.

Do you have a yarn winder and/or a swift?

Yes, both.

Where/how to you keep you needles/hooks?

I keep my circulars (Denise and loose Addis) in a basket, all my bamboo single points in a needle roll and my DPNs in a jar.

Do you collect anything?

I collect garden gnomes, but I'm also trying really hard to limit the amount of stuff I bring home. (Is it possible to collect nothing-ness?)

What is your favorite type of music? Are you MP3 ready?

Sadly, I don't really keep up with music like I used to. I like Iron and Wine, Mice Parade, Boards of Canada, Mouse on Mars, Mum. But, I listed to Old Time Radio more now--particularly the suspense shows.

Do you like sweets? What are your favorites?

Yes, but I'm more of a salty person.

What is your living situation like? Any pets? Children?

My living situation? I am married and I have a cat and a dog. We live outside town limits, nestled away from busy streets. We're not far out enough to get lost in the world, but far enough that people like to pretend they can't get here. No children. And that's not likely to change.

Are you allergic to anything?

Nothing that would be important.

Do you have an online wish list (Amazon, Etsy, Loopy Ewe, etc.)?

Not anything that's updated enough to count.

Are you having a birthday during this swap?

No.

What is your Ravelry ID?

lapoli

Updating...

2008-08-03T16:47:00.004-05:00

Lots to update here...

First, the menu of the week-ish. It's a week"ish" because it didn't start when it was supposed to and it won't end when it is supposed to, so it's a week-ish menu:

Lemon Pepper Tofu with Quinoa, Corn and Onion (we had this last night and it was delicious!)

(tonight's menu) Italian-Style Kidney Beans, Green Salad, bruschetta

Mideast Bean Pita with fresh spinach salad

Tofu Supreme (this sounds scary but it's a tofu sandwich) with a garbanzo-bean and tomato salad

Seitan Braised with Cabbage and Onion on a bed of Quinoa, Green Beans

While cooking dinner last night, I sauteed the rest of the tofu with barbecue sauce that became lunch today -- barbecue tofu sandwiches with tri-color potatoes and garlic. I am also going to make some eggplant curry, as I have eggplants that are begining to look a little... sad. I need to find something to do with them before they go bad entirely.

In one of my packages from my secret swap partner, I received the book The First Modern Book of Lace Knitting. It has several really amazing lace patterns and I've started (and almost completed) the first. My success with my first project has led me to sign up for the Mystery Stole #4 which begins the first week in September. You have to join the Yahoo group to receive the clues.

I've decided to knit the MS4 with Baruffa Cashwool in a gray heather. The materials list advised that we should also get 8/0 seed beads of ca contrasting color, so I've ordered black matte beads, translucent ruby and opaque green ones. Once everything gets here, I'll swatch them with each of the beads to see which looks best (and to practice this whole beading thing, since it requires you to loop them on individually with the world's tiniest crochet hook).

And here's some recent knitting, now that it's been received. The picture of the hat was taken without blocking and before it was completely finished. I think if I were to knit it again, I'd do a couple of things differently, but both the mitten and the hat were fun! Of course, I still have another mitten to make... but it'll get done soon!

Unnaturally Hot

2008-07-28T11:31:00.003-05:00

"The luxuriously rich are not simply kept comfortably warm, but unnaturally hot."
-Thoreau

Walden has been on my mind several times over the last weeks. It's been a little voice in the back of my mind, though I thought my copy from college had found a better home and was long from my possession. Imagine my surprise when yesterday morning, as I reclined on the floor and J was spoiling me with a head scratch, my eyes, like a beacon, found the book nudged between others on my bookcase.

I've been carrying it around with me since, though in respect to our weekend company (J's mom), I've resisted the temptation to lock myself in a room until it's been read, cover to cover.

The issue of shampoo came up this morning. As I've amassed an unfortunate collection of the crap, I'm destined to be using it for probably months (and even perhaps years) until it's gone completely. It's not that I dislike clean hair, or shampooing my hair, or even being clean, but I am skeptical of the idea that humans couldn't exist without these stupid things. People have been procreating and snuggling and interacting for thousands of years. Bumble and bumble was only invented in the last 30 years. I think time is on my side here. Besides, I happened to look on the labels of all the potions and cleansers in my shower.. holy crap!

I think J is trying very hard to balance out my penchant for turning off the electricity, lighting candles and singing Kumbaya. I appreciate it.

So, other news...

I told work that I needed to go to part time as soon as possible. Part-time here meaning no more than 3 days/24 hours a week. Financially, that will cover our current bills and give us still a bit to put away. Surprisingly, I wasn't met with any resistance and I think I may actually succeed in making that transition. That will give me 4 days a week to live and 3 days to make that living until I can convince J to cover ourselves with leaves and run off for the mountains.

I think that leaves me about 80% of my life to myself and the other 20% (giving myself time for getting ready, traveling, etc) to work. It's a much better balance.

I'll be spending the rest of the day making peach and blueberry jam, as it's the season here for both.

Oh! Knitting news.. Some secret projects to share now:

These are pictures of the blanket I made for Craftster's IYP Round 9 swap for lilyvanilli. I was inspired by her favorite color (green) and her love for cables.

AND a knit tam from the Three Tams pattern from a past Knitty. (Sorry, too tired to link to the pattern.) It was a quick and fun project and I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's inspired more colorwork, too.

Thank you to everyone who has made a point to come up to me over the last couple of weeks to share your experiences, post blog comments and to email me. I've got a lot of email catching up to do and I'll be in touch as quickly as I can. It's really, really a wonderful feeling.. to be honest, I don't know if I've ever felt so alive.

Awakenings

2008-07-21T16:03:00.004-05:00

It's been a really interesting week. In the words of someone who I respect, admire, and whose advice I will seek out in my journey, there are three steps: awakening, anticipation and then action, and I've only dipped my toes into the pool of awakening.

This week hasn't been without slip-ups--you know those things that you do without thinking because right now, it doesn't really matter... and then as you munch of your ridiculously expensive bag of 'gourmet' jordan almonds (example only!) an hour later, you realize that it wasn't a good choice. Or, one that you should make again.

But, we did a lot of positive things. We turned off the air. We turned off the television. We did stick to most of the menu, but as it turns out, our ability to coordinate our schedules to have meals every night together isn't always at 100%, so we've still got food for three meals for this week that we'll carry over.

I'm going to sit down mid-week this week to plan the rest of the meals. J's mom will be in town Friday-Sunday so I've got to also think about feeding an extra person.

I've also done some 'research' to find people who are feeling the same way about culture and life as I have been feeling:

Simple Living Network
Choosing Voluntary Simplicity
Downshifting

That's a good start, I think, to keep some focus in my thinking.

The best part is, since I've started writing about this, several people have come up to me and said, "me, too" and that gives me a lot of hope for the future.

Crafty news... Well, let's see. This week has been a rush getting a bunch of late and soon-to-be-late swap packages in the mail. I'll be glad when I don't have to worry about them so much because it really is a drain. Of course I love getting packages in the mail, but there's just a point where it's too much.

Soon I'll be able to share pictures of all my recent top-secret projects!

Encouragement

2008-07-16T06:32:00.002-05:00

I'm so encouraged from yesterday. It's rare that I get one blog comment, and I got TWO, and both from people who didn't chastise me for running off the deep end. So, thank you Hannah and dragonflyducky. Your comments mean a lot to me!

In the interest of historical documentation, here are the changes that have started to take place:

1. Canceled Directv. We have it until the 9th of August, but after that, it's gone. In a way, it's a bit sad. I do like the music channels on further up the end of the channel, and we'll all know I'll miss Keith Olbermann, but in another way, it's really wonderful feeling. We both made a point to not to turn it on yesterday (except to peek to see if Keith O was back, but he wasn't, so it was turned off again.).

2. I sat down on Sunday evening and actually planned a week's worth of meals. Taking into account what we got in our CSA box, I planned out the following:

Monday - Eggplant Curry, Wild Rice, Pita
Tuesday - Falafel Burgers, Whole Wheat Couscous Salad
Wednesday - Herbed Tofu, Vegetable Tian, Green Salad
Thursday - Sundried Tomato Pasta, Green Salad, Homemade Garlic Bread
Friday - Homemade Pizza
Saturday - BBQ Seitan w/ Veggies, Green Beans, Green Salad
Sunday - Vegetable Fajitas

I've planned it so that on the busiest days (like today, for instance), the meal would be ready with minimal effort. Because I had extra time yesterday, I slow cooked the tian so when we get home tonight, we can warm it up in a couple of minutes. Tonight before bed, I'll throw bread in the bread machine and it'll be ready when I wake up for Thursday's dinner. This Sunday, once I see our CSA box on Saturday, I'll be ready to sit back down and plan out another week's dinner.

3. I've reopened the book "Your Money or Your Life" that I nabbed at the first Free Market I went to. At the time, even, I found it as an omen for things to come. I started reading it once before, but this time, I intend to make it past the first chapter.

4. I am making the commitment to be less active with swaps. I love them, I do, but I can't keep doing them at this point. I've got one more that I know I'm obligated to be a part of, but I will be phasing the rest out as we go. I'll still do personal swaps and I will probably still be active in Shop the Swap, but I need to really give myself more boundaries.

I feel like that's quite a list for so early in the morning. As I actually need to be leaving for work, I should end this here for now. I'm going to start looking for part-time work doing something that I don't have to take home with me and something that doesn't leave me feeling so exhausted. If anyone in the area knows of anything, please keep me in mind. In the meantime, I'll probably be at work thinking of a different life.

A New Beginning

2008-07-15T09:20:00.003-05:00

Before I go off on the tangent to which I am struggling to find the words for, I did want to share this--my Tour de Fleece "Burning Bush" BFL, spun into a lovely, soft, two-ply at around 107-ish yards? (Ok, I forgot the actual yardage, so that's a guess). My other TdF pursuits have been pushed onto a back burner so I could make it through the past week at work...

... leading me to my non-knitting, non-crafty tangent. (So, if you want all the latest and greatest from knitting projects or from the Tour, stop reading now!)

I've really be struggling with a lot of concepts lately. The concept of modernization, the concept of division of labor, the concept of emotional labor, the idea that I can lead a sentient, inspired life, a creative life.. an unentangled life. An off-the-grid life. A meaningful life. A worth-while life. A life I want to wake up for.

I'm really, really having a difficult time with it. J and I are very fortunate that we don't have any real financial obligations.. we don't own our house, we don't have children. Our two cars are paid off. Basically, we have a disposable income that affords us the luxury of doing whatever it is that we want. But, it's becoming more and more obvious that this isn't what I want.

If I weren't married, I think I'd live in a tiny place, I'd grow my own food, I'd have no electricity. I'd be asleep by 8pm each night, up with the sunrise. I'd spend time doing whatever it was I found most rewarding -- spinning, knitting, or god forbid I may actually pick up a book. I would not have a telephone. I'd write real letters. I'd walk more. I'd learn to bake.

.. And instead, my life is working. And sleeping.

And I've just come to a point where that isn't good enough any longer.

There are going to be some big changes in the house over the next couple of months. We're getting rid of the satellite TV (RIP Keith Olbermann, wherever you have been over the last week?). Our discretionary income is going to be gone.. no more trips to Urban Outfitters because we can't decide what to wear, no more trips to the LYS because I'm having a bad day, no more ice cream unless it's part of the budget. We're going to have real meals that we'll really sit down for. I'm going to find a part-time job that will give us enough to cover the bills, but I can't do this anymore. It's not worth it.

These are the easy things we can do.. and still, some of them are going to be really, really difficult. But, I only have one life, and there is only one today. And if I can't be happy today, then I may not have another chance.

I've had this gnarling, ever-present lump of stress in my throat over the last month. It's been growing and growing. At first, I couldn't figure out what it was--am I getting sick? Am I already sick? Could it be allergies? Then I realized, it's the feeling that my stomach is in a ball and wound so tightly from stress that I can barely swallow without feeling it. I've wondered how to get rid of it.. would crying help? Would quitting my job help?

I think these are the only answers. So, today is the mark of a new life. This first month will be really rough, but I really, really need these changes more than anything.

Cheers to a new beginning and let's hope for the best.

Tour de Fleece 2008 - Days 1 and 2

2008-07-07T17:27:00.002-05:00

Am I fooling myself that I will actually spin all the days of the Tour?

So far, I've got 2/2 and I'm getting ready to take my shoes off to start a new bobbin for day three!

Day 1 got me spinning this:

into this:

1.5ounces, 100 yards. Nice worsted weight single (See, Grieney? You're not forgotten!)

Day 2's spinning:

about 2 ounces of Spunky Eclectic's "Burning Bush" BFL.

(Remember this one? That's it on the bobbin)

The Ravelry group has been very active, which is great for keeping me sticking with it, but man, am I out of my spinning league!

All The News

2008-07-05T18:06:00.002-05:00

Holy shit.

I will never eat french onion dip again. Ever.

And I'm sorry, but I just will not.

I've given the speech to the husband to spare him the anguish of having to grapple with whether or not to divorce me given the current state, but damn.

Because (despite the language), I will keep this family-friendly, I will spare everyone the details. Let's just be thankful that I'm not divorced and there are more interesting things going on.

The fourth we spent with a friend, playing the Wii, drinking beer (and perhaps America is getting back at me for drinking imports?), and eating good ol' American food--we grilled out with veggie dogs and burgers, made some chili, baked beans and potato salad. (And this intestinal riot is the thanks I get!)

We did also manage to give Q a haircut while he was least expecting. (I joke, really, because he's ALWAYS good about baths, haircuts, nail trimming.. he's almost always good, even. Really. I'm not lying.) But, LOOK what a handsome dog I have! I swear!!

I couldn't be more proud of him if I really was his mother. Mom, Dad -- you would have been SO proud of him yesterday! Even with strange people over, he barked once, and within a minute or two, our guests were petting him and everything was completely fine. Q is such an affirmation of life. I think he started off with worst circumstances than most other dogs, but he's just so.. amazing. He's a lesson that hard work and patience pays off. And that love truly is unconditional.

AND that a haircut can make a big difference!

Okay, enough gloating about the dog..

My car is practicing its camouflage:

... or did we just get a terrible storm?

And in fiber news (no pun intended with the first mentioned subject), I haven't carded up anything new, but I have managed to put about 75% of my stash on Ravelry AND I reorganized a bit, too.

(Luckily, you can't tell the other 80% of the craft room is still a bit of a mess.)

I finished up a project that I started in March and I'm pretty happy with the results. I'll post pictures here in just a couple more weeks.

I'm off to sip tea and relax. I hope.

2008-07-03T17:46:00.005-05:00

Grr.. I can't believe my vacation is officially over the hill. I think I'll spend the next three days consulting sages, oracles, psychics and throwing bones to figure out what lottery numbers will get me the jackpot.

J wanted to go to Urban Outfitters yesterday to get some new, widowmaker-friendly pants. I managed to get a new, ugly-color cardigan out of the journey, though, and tried to snap a shot of me in it so I could see exactly how ugly the color was on me (I don't care, thank you):

(Excuse the rumpled shirt, too. Mom, I promise I do laundry but this is vacation!)

(Oh, and mom and dad, you may not know this, but I got extensions about 6 weeks ago.)

Not really getting as much knitting done this week as I had hoped. Ravelry has sucked a lot of time out of me, and I started adding pictures of my stash, which led to me reorganizing the craft room... I did make a new batt, though, called "Spice Rack."

Merino and corriedale wool, glitz. A tiny batt, but spicy! 0.6oz.

I think I may be dying of a spider bite, too. I just went out to the shed to get our second box fan and felt a sharp bite. It started itching, I scratched it, but then I noticed all the spiders around and started freaking out. (Important for the story--we recently had a pregnant black widow that lived right outside our door.) So, now I'm carefully watching it, wondering if my turned off phone has enough juice to call the hospital when I start fading. I'm feeling a bit numb in my hand, too, but I'm also crazy and a hypochondriac.

I did look around at the possible spider culprits (there were several) but I can't say who it may have been. Let's hope, for their sake, that this is just a mosquito bite.

It's dinner time for the pup. I can tell because he's moved to being in the same room as me and is panting and staring.

Yep.

Batts are Flying EVERYWHERE!

2008-06-30T16:47:00.003-05:00

This morning began with a batt-flying frenzy!

"Fugly Batt #1," blend of corriedale wool and miscellaneous locks purchased from Etsy.

"Spring Peep," blend of mill end wool, merino and firestar.

"Love Shack," mill end wool, icicle top, metallic glitz.

I've learned that a vacation must sometimes mean you turn your phone off until the day you return to work, so everyone, if you need me, you need to email me. Three days off work and each day I've been bothered by work and it's absolutely ridiculous that I don't get the same vacation that everyone else is afforded. So, no phone calls for me for a week.

The craft room is an absolute mess, there's wool everyone, and I couldn't be happier.

2008-06-29T11:58:00.002-05:00

So here's a glimpse of the child you never hear too much about. I agree with his attitude today. It's too hot to be outside (especially without coming back with a tick or two) and it's a perfect day to find a comfortable position and watch the rest of the world pass you by.

Also thought I'd share one of my recent yarns. I was asked by Grieney to spin up some roving she bought at Maryland Sheep & Wool. It's a pound, altogether. This bit is about 3 ounces and 105 yards. Proof that it's not forgotten! I've got it slated, too, to become part of my Tour de Fleece projects starting this week, so it'll will all be finished soon!

I received my Fiber of the Month from Spunky Eclectic this week, too, and I think I'll spin it for TdF, time permitting. This month's selection is a wool/mohair blend, though the mohair is only slightly detectable.

In other news, the family is all being reunited in a matter of an hour or two. Q and I were up at the crack of dawn this morning, so we're going to take a nap before J gets home. I spilled the beans this morning and told Q that his dad was coming home so now he's on high alert. I shouldn't have said anything. Smart pup.

Entirely Overdue!

2008-06-28T20:30:00.003-05:00

Q's leg has seemingly completely healed itself. It's a good thing I'll never have children--I don't think I'm designed to handle the worry. I've been sneaking in some glucosamine and chondroitin and I think it's helped. He's up to his usual self.

The most exciting thing that's happened is that it's actually VACATION time. The word seems almost foreign to me. Vacation. To be honest, I'm so utterly exhausted that it has yet to full sink in. Vacation... No work until July 7th!

I woke up early this morning and ran to the farmer's market to pick up my CSA box. With the weather being so strange (lots of rain, no rain, 90s-100s, 80s), I think the harvest has been equally odd. This week, we had a bag of deliciously ripe tomatoes, a bag of green tomatoes, red/white/blue potatoes, a pint of cherry tomatoes and a big huge bag of basil.

I also spent the morning at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. HYS is such a cute store. Great yarn, always friendly. It may be my current favorite (or, perhaps, it's my infrequent visits that make me really appreciate it). She's got a great selection of yarn--Noro, Debbie Bliss, Malabrigo (swoon!), Rio de la Plata, Dream in Color, Manos... it goes on and on. I spent a huge chunk of time in there this morning, but I did manage to score the second and third volumes of Norah Gaughan's Berroco patterns. I am especially in love with Violette-le-duc , Veil and Porthos.

In actual knitting news (and not just dreaming-of-knitting news), I received my first package from my secret pal on Ravelry! She sent several things, but one of the most exciting parts was a skein of the new(ish) Noro Kuryeon Sock yarn!

I really like the Ziggy sock pattern from the new Knitty and this is exactly what I need to be able to cast on!

I've been working on a lot of projects, but as usual, it's not quite time to share them. Tour de Fleece starts in about a week; I've been working on figuring out exactly what I'm setting aside to spin over the next couple of weeks.

Fiber of the Month Tinkerings

2008-06-17T19:00:00.002-05:00

"Chocolate Covered Cherries," 1.8ounces, mill ends.

So, Thespian Quinn is at it again. I woke up around 3am this morning to find my giant puppy stretched out right against me with his head on my chest. Oh, the drama! When I woke up three hours later, he was downstairs and had put his sleepy, dramatic self on the couch. As I went to take him out, he just sat up, looked at me, jumped down from the couch (and I was watching his feet as he did it). As soon as he walked a step closer, his tail went between his legs and did the tiny wags and began limping again!

I have no doubt that his leg is still sore, but I do also believe that he's milking me for all I'm worth.

In other news, I've been thinking about starting a Fiber of the Month club through my Etsy shop. It's something that I had in the goals when I first started selling my fiber on Etsy and I keep coming back to it. Now that I have a carder, too, I can do a lot more with kettle dyed fibers, which is a bit faster a process than hand painting wool.

Not that I'm having problems keeping up with readers' comments (thanks dragonflyducky! :) but here are some things I'm thinking about:

1. How much fiber should there be every month?
2. Should it be batts or roving? Maybe half of each?
3. Should the club be based on a theme, or just random?
4. Should each person receive the same shipment, or should I try to tailor each month for each person? (Given that this would be small, perhaps 5-10 people at first)
5. Is this sincerely a good idea?

That's just the start and these questions are more to force myself to think about these issues and questions before I jump in.

"Ice Skates" 2 ounces, mill ends.

I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so it's to the couch to watch Keith Olbermann and drink some ginger tea.

The Things I Can Share...

2008-06-16T17:16:00.002-05:00

I think the untold consequence of working 60+ hours in a week is a deep-rooted selfishness for the "weekend" to consist of nothing other than sitting on the couch and dividing my time between knitting and carding. I don't want to make dinner, fold laundry, feed the dog (ok, ok, I'll feed him but only because he's cute and he'll stomp around if he thinks dinner is coming later than 8pm), or even change the channel.

I've parked my satellite signal on MSNBC to watch the continuing coverage of Tim Russert's death. I had two knitting projects at my side--one a secret (for now), and I've exhumed Sugarplum from her grave:

I've roasted garlic, carded up a new batt (see it below!),

I've had a facial, spoke with pops, given a random shoulder massage, and watched Q sadly twist his leg on the couch trying to get off. Being a closeted thespian, this has given Q full opportunity to limp around the house and look gingerly at me as I get his treats off the refrigerator, bring him water, and rub his leg. What a queen. (Thanks, mom, for the motherly advice!)

I spun up a funky single that didn't photograph quite so well. It's a blend of about different fibers--it was hard to draft smoothly, so I just let the uptake grab it as it felt the fancy. The result was a funky, nubby little yarn that I've named "C'est La Vie." 1oz, 60-something-or-other-ish yards.

2008-06-10T21:45:00.006-05:00

I'm undeniably in love with my drum carder. Despite the occasional knick (yes, there has been blood), I am still in a perpetual dream, wanting to card wool and bamboo and firestar and angelica and.. well, you get the point.

Latest creations:

"Ghttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifeorgia Peach Gone Batty!" -- the batt namesake of "Georgia Peach" one of my Etsy shop's best selling colorways. This has the extra touch of glittery metallic. Absolutely love it!

"Chartreuse Caboose." OOAK batt. I can't even remember how I came to dye up such an odd color wool. Was it koolaid? Was it a second dye bath? No memory. But anyway. This is fun in its own way. Corriedale/bamboo blend.

In other news, I'm about 90% finished with a big, gigantic knitting project. I've completely finished another knitting project. (These are both secrets so I can't share just yet!) I restarted the Sugarplum Shrug (from the Holiday IK) and I'm about two inches in the lace pattern--fun! I just got some great sock yarn from Knutty on Ravelry:

.. and I'm itching to start socks. I'm telling myself to wait until I'm 100% done with this massive project and I'll be free to start a pair.

We've been constantly around people the last two weeks, so I'm finding it hard to really find a ton of time to devote to knitting (and that isn't being taken over by the drum carder). With company in town for the last two weeks, company over for dinner.. it'll be nice when I've got some time to sit around, drink coffee and just knit.

2008-06-05T10:00:00.002-05:00

As usual, I can't share a lot of what I've been working on, but I will share these two small, tasty bits of fiber heaven:

"Verd"igo - 1.5oz mill end wool batt

and "Underwater Treasure", 1.7oz mill end and firestar batt

I'm using the next two days off work to really keep my dye pots busy and I'm in the middle of processing my first raw fleece! It's a Babydoll Southdown fleece from Puddles, via the description a "curious" creature who apparently likes to roll around in the dirt. And other stuff. (I'm leaving descriptions out) The fleece is on its third wash and slowly looking more like fluffy wool and less like Puddles' 3 am party. I got the fleece from .

I've got lots of spinning in the queue. Lots finished, too, but I'm waiting for various packages to arrive in their new homes before plastering the pictures here.

In the next week, I hope to finish up a pair of quick-knit socks and get started on some other projects. We'll see. :)

Recent Yarns!

2008-05-25T19:44:00.002-05:00

Following are two of my recent yarns. The first is "Hailey the Mermaid" from Noelle's Noodles on Etsy. It is Romney and it was a lot of fun to spin. The resulting colors are very heathery and I'm really happy with how they plied together.

This was a yarn I spun for a private swap on Craftster. The Craftster had tried to take up spinning and didn't really enjoy it, so she sent me the roving her friend had hand-dyed for her and I spun into yarn! The was a Finn top, also a lot of fun.. Great staple length, easy spin.

Summer of Yarn! Love Info

2008-05-25T19:30:00.002-05:00

Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft?

I learned to knit over 10 years ago, but I've only been "seriously" knitting for the last two years.

Do you spin? What type of spinning?

I do spin on a wheel. I love spinning wool, alpaca, bamboo. I'm not interested in spinning cotton. (I hear it's a real pain and sometimes wool gives me enough trouble.)

What are your favorite yarns/fibers? What are your least favorite yarns/fibers?

My favorite fiber is definitely wool. It doesn't matter what type it is, but there's something in feeling a springy wool that just feels... like nothing else, really. My tastes in yarns has definitely changed since I've started spinning-I appreciate single ply yarns more and I like textures that mimic handspun.. Malabrigo, Rio de la Plata, etc. (I am especially a fool for Malabrigo) I prefer solid colors over varigegations, unless it's a tone-on-tone.

My least favorites are acrylic and cotton. I don't like knitting with either, really, unless they're blended with another fiber.

What are your favorite colors? What are your least favorite colors?

My favorite color is definitely green. My eyes are always drawn first to greens. My second favorite color is that mustardy yellow but I have no idea what to do it with since it looks awful on me. (I can still like it, right?) I also like blues and browns.

My least favorite colors are orange, anything pastel or neon.

Are there any yarns/brands that you are dying to work with but never have?

I have been eyeing the Noro Sock yarn forever, but I've got tons of sock yarn and it would seem like a sin to add to the stash. I always eyeball Tili Thomas yarns, but never have splurged. I have no idea what I'd do with it.

What is/are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet?

Well, almost anything, really. I like starting all sorts of projects. Finishing is another matter.

What are you currently working on? Anything you plan to work on this summer?

What am I not working on? Lots of secrets. Some other things. You know. I really like the Wallis cardigan in the new IK, but I've got the yarn I'd like to use for it. Maybe some shrugs? Who knows.

What is your favorite FO? (Post a pic if you would like.)

Hmm. I really like the Retro Rib socks I made. I'm too scared to wear them, so they just sit around the house.

What is your oldest UFO?

My oldest UFO became my first official completely frogged UFO. So, there.

Are there any techniques that you want to learn?

Nope. Well, I'd like to learn how to finish lace--once you've knit the main part and then go back to pick up stitches around the edge. I'm pretty sure it would involve a bottle of Advil.

Are you on Ravlery? What's your ID?

Yes! Lapoli over there.

Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Sure. Foot measurments? I'd say I have a daintly small woman's foot.

Do you collect anything?

Yes. (We're talking besides yarn/fiber, right?) I collect gnomes and my collection is happily increasing every month. :)

Do you have a yarn winder and/or swift?

Yes! (And a good husband! :) )

Do you love sweets? What are your favorites?

Of course, but I'm definitely a salt person. I'll eat cake with the next person, but I'd rather eat a bag of potato chips, probably. I like chocolate covered things. The best present, ever, was someone who dipped salted potato chips into chocolate. THAT was a good present.

What are your favorite scents?

I really like lavender, vanilla. Not fond of very strong florals like geranium. And if you're wearing a Clinique perfume, I'll be leaving the room.

Where do you keep your needles/hooks?

I've got most of them in a yarn, separated by straight and DP. I've got a set of Denise interchangables that sit in a basket, alongside the rest of my pre-Denise circulars.

Do you have a wishlist (Amazon, Etsy, etc?)

I've got some favorite stored on Etsy (I'm at http://lapoli.etsy.com) and a Wist: http://www.wists.com/lapoli

Having a birthday this summer?

Nope.

Are you allergic to anything??? Please let your pal know!

Pollen. No pollen!

Spring Garden Treasury

2008-04-17T14:23:00.003-05:00

The weather hasn't been particularly cooperating with dyeing, but I did manage a couple earlier this week, including this fluffy, beautiful merino:

.. and this handspun romney from Etsy's Fibermonster:

Nothing like fiber as a band-aid for wounds

2008-04-03T07:52:00.002-05:00

Recent spinning has yielded me these babies:

I'm not so overzealous about them that I've got all their details written down.. or that I haul around with me.

I've got at least two more skeins waiting to be photographed and stashed away in a jail cell until someone pays their bonds.

Nothing like fiber to cover hints of emotional wounds, right?

Treasury!

2008-04-02T07:11:00.002-05:00

I'm really sorry it's been so long since I last updated. My shop on Etsy has been doing really well and I'm enjoying the time that I have to work on it. I'm busy with plans for the future and planning for the next weeks and months ahead.

BUT, for now, I wanted to share with you an Etsy Treasury that I'm featured in! This is actually the second time I've been in one but my procrastination caused me to miss out on posting the first.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy!

Exhausted

2008-02-13T20:31:00.000-05:00

and this is only about 15% of what I've done in the past week.

Please get me a new job.

I am a big kid now...

2008-02-03T13:27:00.000-05:00

This week has been spent dyeing roving:

Weight to be determined "J" hand-dyed roving, named in honor of my husband's favorite. (He even touches it in awe!)

Weight to be determined "Springtime Basket" - one of my favorites

Weight to be determined "Mustard Slushie" It's that damn mustard color I love and the blue reminds me of those 7-UP slushies.

Weight to be determined "Horsehead Nebula" after my favorite nebula

and spinning 4oz of merino from FatCat Knits on Etsy:

It's too bad it's been a hell of a week and I haven't done one thing that needed to be done. Oh well, that's why tomorrow exists, right?

Riding the Ponies

2008-01-29T08:37:00.000-05:00

Finally, I can share one of the yarns I've spun recently, now that my partner has received! I introduce "Riding the Ponies", 4oz of Corriedale Cross, hand-dyed by Three Waters Farm.

It's two-ply and I think right around 100 yards. (I keep thinking my memory is going to not let me forget, but I should know better).

Thanks for everyone for responding about the yarn! I'm going to spin something up for each of you and send it out, so bear with me because I am still s-l-o-w. Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait.

2008-01-26T16:52:00.000-05:00

No more yarn just yet, but I did want to share some roving I dyed this week. I am in love with it.

I love how the greens just pop randomly and just fade into softer shades. I'm curious how much this weighs. Anyone have a digital scale they want to sell me? I think I just need to break down and get one.

I received my Spunky FOTM shipment today. I was in the sock club, but I changed over to double fiber this month, which was only $1 more. 4oz of deliciously hand-painted Icelandic wool. Even in my hands, it feels like it was made to keep you warm.

Innards

2008-01-24T19:06:00.000-05:00

We're making lemonade at the H-T household. Q is resting (hibernating?) until springtime. M has been unusually cheerful but I think he's been capitalizing on Q's laziness. J has FINALLY made an acupuncture appointment and I'm wrist deep in fiber. (Terrible, right?)

Doesn't think make you think of intestines? (Maybe it's me?)

I've been very crafty lately, but alas, I can't share until my partners receive.

I will share that I've started a second sweater. It was off to a great start last Sunday, but it's been languishing in a bag since. Not taking lunch at work and catching up with other crafty ventures has left me short on time.

I'm hoping next week will have a better outlook, but for now, I've got some wool to rinse.

Oh, Satanic Yarn, Thy Name Is..

2008-01-23T21:17:00.000-05:00

...Rio de la Plata.

Ask me how I know.

In other worlds, I spun some hand-dyed orange yarn. The color reminds me of a creamsicle and I resisted the urge to call it Orangina.

It's a small skein, about 40 yards. I need to dye another batch to spin up so there's enough to do something with.

I've got 2 more yarns to post, but they have destinations to arrive at first. I should post them early next week, hopefully!

My yarn offer is still on the table, if anyone is interested.

Free Yarn (and no, I'm not dead!)

2008-01-22T20:23:00.000-05:00

Ok. I'm not dead. See? I'm updating my blog. That isn't something dead people typically do.

So, this is what's up.

I need guinea pigs.

(I like guinea pigs, so don't take this as a "I-want-to-test-fragances-on-your-skin-for-fatal-reactions" thing)

I am starting to like my spinning, but I need guinea pigs.. someone I can send my yarn to and you'll write a mini-report like:

"damn, that yarn was awesome. i want more."

or

"Cheryl, W@^$#%@ were you thinking when you did this? Were you drinking?"

or

"I'd rather be surrounded by acrylic"

etc. etc.

First three people who comment (in case I have that many readers, ha ha!) get free yarn! Leave your email address in your comment (like thisismyemailaddress at yomamma dot com) and I'll e-mail you to get details.

Oneredboot, you'll get it free, so don't you even try.

xo.

Peace on Earth!

2007-12-21T11:46:00.000-05:00

Well, folks, I have given a gift to the world that every person has on the top of their list... peace on earth.

That's right. I've lost my voice.

Second Spinning Class And...

2007-12-06T21:47:00.000-05:00

So, the second of four spinning classes was last night and I have to say, it felt much better last night than it did the week before. It was so long ago that I first learned to knit (we're talking the first time I ever picked up needles to do anything.. not when I started reteaching myself within the past year) that I had nicely forgotten how awkward learning new movements can feel and how frustrating it seems. Second class was a bit better.. I'm more comfortable with drafting, I asked some questions that I had accumulated over the week and I'm feeling much, much better.

The class was joined by the "monthly" spin night at Yarns Etc. We had four spinners join us, all with their wheels and projects and it was really nice to be surrounded by people who were all stricken with the fiber disease. The class and the spinners all intermingled, shared puppy stories, and we got to talking about the fiber community. As it turns out, despite this area having well-defined knitting groups, that same community doesn't exist for the spinners. Mary Ann, our teacher, mentioned that she had been off/on organizing, but that it was just really a lot of work that she didn't feel she had the extra time for.

As I started thinking about it, it just seemed as if maybe what was lacking was a communication system between all the different enclaves of spinners sprinkled around. If we could communicate with one another, events, meetings, spin nights, etc., could occur more frequently and we may be able to create a vibrant and healthy community. It really strikes me as a bid.. odd.. that these systems aren't even in place, but as a new spinner (and one with lots of questions!), having the ability to meet and network with more experienced spinners after the class is an invaluable tool.

With all that being said (!), I've created a group on Yahoo to encourage conversation between spinners in the area:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chspinners/

PLEASE join and talk! I am really excited about the possibility of this creating a viable spinning community in the area--even if I don't continue to spin forever and ever.

2007-11-29T19:20:00.000-05:00

Lots going on in these parts. I had my first spinning class last night. Definitely not a natural, but I feel good about the possibility of improvement! Came home with a bag of fiber (yum!) and the desire to tinker. So far, I've got this

Next week, we'll be spinning a different wool and a little plying. By the 4th week, we'll be spinning top on a wheel--woo! (Christmas present?)

I have been working on Elliott the Dragon hand puppet as a gift for a co-worker and it's almost done. I need to find some good dragon eyes (whatever that means) and sew the two mouth flaps together.. I guess? The mouth construction was very poorly explained in the pattern so I been improvising as I go. Not sure how the mouth was intended to be constructed, but it'll work one way or another.

One last project of note... I got the yarn today for L's scarf. She took me down to Lark last week to show me a scarf she really liked. Realizing I could make it for her, I narrowed her down to a color choice and fiber and now all I need to do is... make it!

Yes, yes. There's still lots going on with other projects. I'm ripping the sleeve from Buttony because I can't remember if I had been decreasing. One monkey sock is finished, the other will wait. (If I work on any sock, it should be mom's.) Sugarplum is still dancing in my head--I need to find a pair of 32" US9 circular needles with a sharp enough point to pick up mohair easily and that won't drag the yarn. I had been trying the Addi Turbos but the ends are too blunt and although they have the fancy new Lace Addis, they don't yet make them in larger sizes.

Now I want to get this scarf cast on...it'll be a good car knitting project!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T06:53:00.000-05:00

Woo! Thanksgiving! A good time for an excuse to cook everything I can think of, a good excuse not to work in the middle of the week, and a great time to reflect and appreciate everything I have around me!

First, the cooking! What's on the menu today, you ask? A top-secret surprise for breakfast, though J isn't awake and I feel that confiding in you is a pretty safe bet--monkey bread! I haven't made it before and all the recipes I find call for "refrigerated biscuit dough." I am not connoisseur of refrigerated biscuits, but last I checked, there were more than 2 types and so I'm a bit worried that I grabbed the wrong kind in my 10:30pm shopping trip last night (to avoid the nightmarish crowds from the Whole Foods earlier...)

No lunch but we'll be snacking throughout the day.. cheese/crackers and veggies/dip. It's a great excuse to use some of our wonderful wedding presents, finally!

For dinner... cream cheese mashed potatoes (deliciously sitting in my fridge overnight, per instructions!), roasted fennel and carrots, green bean casserole (with white corn instead of water chestnuts, which I find flavorless.. the corn adds sweetness and crunch with a bit more flavor), sauteed kale, a slow cooked cranberry and walnut stuffing, and a Quorn roast (delicious and better than that tofurkey crap). For dessert, a mixed berry pie.. perhaps some spiced apple cider or coffee and a game or two of Uno or Boggle.

Ah, I love Thanksgiving!

My family is very, very fortunate to have grown by 50% this year! (THAT doesn't happen often!) Of course, we already know about my wedding, but last weekend, my brother got married! I love M (his bride!) to pieces and their wedding was beautiful! I got to see a side of my brother that I don't get to see often.. heck, ever! The look on his face when he saw her walk down the aisle, the way he beamed with happiness once they were pronounced married.. how carefully he seemed to look after her, even when she wasn't by his side. The maid of honor gave the most beautiful toast that I think I'll ever hear and I think they're both just wonderful together.

Congrats! I know they'll have many, many happy, healthy and wonderful years ahead of them!

Finally.. the knitting! Almost done with Buttony, though it's been sitting around for a couple weeks now. I just have the sleeves to do and I'll be finished (or.. finished without weaving in all those ends). The ribbing at the bottom will also benefit from being blocked, so, I still have a bit of work cut out for me.

In my Buttony vacation, I did start Monkey which has been moving along quite quickly. I worked on it last weekend pretty fervently, let it sit around most of this week and I picked it up a little last night. Almost done with the first sock, but really, I have other projects I should be working on!

Oh!!!! I am enrolled for a spinning class that starts Wednesday! I am SO excited that I can hardly stand it!

The Start of Fall Projects!

2007-11-07T20:05:00.001-05:00

Finally, I have better pictures of my socks! I've updated them to Ravelry and replaced the dark-as-sin pictures that had been taking up space!

I also have been working on the Buttony sweater and have just yesterday taken off the sleeves. I'll be knitting the rest of the body, then come back to finish the sleeves... and then, I will be a nervous wreck as I try it on and hope it fits! I've read in several reviews on Ravelry that the sleeves have been too big, so I took mine off when they just fit, thinking (hoping) that I could pick up a couple stitches where the bottom of the sleeve meets the sweater to provide a tiny extra bit of room and to help tidy up that seam.

I've been thinking, also, about the Sugarplum shrug in the holiday IK. I finally broke down and ordered the yarn for it. I'll be using the Rowan Kidsilk Aura that's recommended in the pattern in a color called Cyprus, which is this icy, silvery blue.

Also in the queue--a pair of socks for mom, a pair of socks for Jeremy and I really, really keep thinking about that shawl in Victorian Lace Today. I think I may save it, though, for a time when I don't have a couple of things that need to be done (which will be... when?).

Fall, Yarn Confessions, SSS?

2007-10-27T17:59:00.001-05:00

Fall finally feels like it's here! Three days of rain, which were badly needed, seemed to bring about 60 degree days, a crisp morning andthe never-ending falling leaves. A few days ago, listening carefully, you could distinguish the sounds of the deer moving through the woods. Now they are practically silent, stepping on the soft, wet ground, only visible by their white tails as they run away. Tonight, as I took Q out after dinner, we barely noticed when a deer suddenly darted from right in front of us to back in the trees.

Yarn Confession. Okay, two. I ran a "mysterious" errand this morning -- only to the Hillsborough Yarn Store to pick up the Debbie Bliss yarn I had special ordered so I could cast-on for the Buttony sweater that I have had my eyes on for awhile on Ravelry. I hadn't mentioned it to my knitting partner-in-crime because I was feeling a bit uneasy about my trip. I wasn't certain I had adequately described the color of the DB I had wanted so I thought this was a road to travel alone, lest I get embarassed. AND, I also had to pick up another skein of Cherry Tree Hill to finish up the second sock. I knew if I didn't, I wasn't going to make it.

I am happily working on sock #2. I'm about 13/17ths finished with the leg repeats. I want to get through all 17 repeats before I cast on for Buttony tonight. I also picked up Interweave Knits Holiday issue and am drooling over the Sugarplum Shrug. I think I should get some of these other projects started/finished, though, before I start daydreaming about another.

Oh, and the Myrtle Leaf Shawl from Victorian Lace Today. Stunning.

Back to the sock. J is trying to get me out of the house tonight and if I am being forced to be social, no knitting'll be allowed. Foiled!

2007-10-21T21:52:00.000-05:00

At long last, I haven't lied to you, my dear 2 readers! I finally finished up this sock about two hours ago, and I'm excited!

I've only included the first picture because the color is better. It's late and the light in here stinks, so I'll try to snag a better action picture tomorrow or soon.

I was worried about the kitchener stitch, but really.. it wasn't everything I had made it out to be in my mind. In fact, it had a nice rhythm that was easy to duplicate and follow. I absolutely LOVE everything about this sock!

Well, almost everything.. I'm not happy about having two feet and one sock, but I'll cast on soon for the second.

Also in celebration of this event, and because I need more sock yarn (?), I've treated myself to some handdyed merino sock wool from Lisa Souza who has been wildly heralded on Stash and Burn several times. She does all the dyeing herself and even had the time to personally email me back to let me know she had everything in stock and it was on its way tomorrow.

I'm drooling over some of the patterns I saw in Victorian Lace Today, though I know I'm late on that boat. I wouldn't mind casting on one project as an escape from the second sock. We'll see.

The boys are all out. J had friends in this weekend and Q has spent the better part of a weekend splitting my eardrums, so it's nice to have some peace. Pups is asleep on the couch now and probably dreaming of something nice.

I may cast on something before I go to bed, otherwise it's time for me to start wrapping up my night.

An Offering

2007-10-20T15:41:00.000-05:00

With the advent of cooler weather, we've noticed an increase in deer activity in our yard. At first, our headlights would just capture the glare of our lights against their eyes. They'd stare, but not move. Lately, they've been a bit more brazen.. wandering through our yard to nibble on our pansies, slowly leaving imprints in the mulch that lies between the back of our house and the woods. As if on a schedule, they'll wander to our yard beginning at dusk and disappear by the time I've woken up.

Walking through the woods, I've been having this amazing feeling of.. synergy.. with the world. These gentle, sentient beings share my house and I am blessed to be living among nature.

Good fall knitting -- almost completed my first Retro Ribbed Sock, from "25 Timeless Designs from Interweave." I've done the heel flap, turned the heel and started shaping the gusset--just working on decreasing stitches now. I'm using Cherry Tree Hill supersock yarn which I absolutely love. 420 yds/skein I thought I'd have plenty for both socks. I've since lost my abillity to recall what the ball looked like at the start of the project, so I'm concerned now that I'll run out. I think this particular yarn has been discountinued (it's been reproduced by another name), but maybe my squishy ball will be enough to get me through.

I think my winter project may be the Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn A Clark. I've got one skein of variegated lace I purchased on a destash on Ravelry, but I've just to decide if that's what I want to do with it.

Besides, half the fun of knitting is just the thought.

Anyway. I'm off to watch the apple and have a cup of tea. Hopefully soon I'll be able to post a completed sock!

Woo! I'm a married lady!

2007-09-30T07:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the most amazing day. I learned that I have a great group of people in my life that love me (and I love them). Our wedding was absolutely.. perfect.

Not too many pictures yet, just what we have on our camera, but I will share a pre-ceremony picture of someone very, very special.

Hopefully I'll get some ceremony and reception photos up in the next couple of days.

J and I are so thankful and so blessed to have such great friends and family. Without their support, we would have lost our heads.

fiberfest and why i shouldn't go back.

2007-09-08T16:47:00.001-05:00

i wont say much more than..handspun yarn!

this is about 500 yards of alpaca i bought for a project that jeremy has requested i make. the original pattern called for cashmere, but i think he'll like the alpaca just as much.

a bunch of different wools here--some corriedale, moorit, the first brown from the left is actually about 2oz of llama, more wool. these i mostly have projects for, surprisingly.

the purple skein is a present for a coworker. the rest are great colors--thought i'd diversify the neutrals.

i saved the name and number of this spinner. i think she and i will become quick friends!

sock it to me

2007-08-15T20:14:00.000-05:00

Busy week! I received a great tote from travelbug on Craftster. It's a knitting project bag, and has been absolutely invaluable for carrying my now-not-as-blue sock around:

I'm about four repeats into the pattern now and it's starting to look sock-ey. I'm glad, too, I decided to use a smaller needle. I've still got a long way to go but it does go quickly when I can work on it.

I also finished and sent off this yoga bag--the pattern is from snb (snb nation maybe)? Simple pattern, but I did find myself wandering and had to go back several times to fix careless errors. I just used the bastard yarn, sugar n' cream (2 skeins) which was inexpensive and sturdy--just what you want for a project like this. Next time, I would make it slightly smaller.

Anyway, I've got some volunteer work to do before they write me off as a crappy non-employee. I'm ready for the weekend!

Blueberries + Blue Socks

2007-08-12T20:21:00.000-05:00

What a great weekend! Saturday, I met K at the farmer's market and we drove to an organic blueberry farm in Cedar Grove. After picking blueberries for an hour or two, we, of course, agreed that we needed to visit the new lys in downtown Hillsbrough. During the course of our conversations, we learned that neither of us had ever knit socks, so we picked out a pattern, eventually found yarn and set off on our own paths to see what would happen.

Approximately two days later, this is staring at me.. not that I haven't tried. In fact, as soon as I got home, I happily cast on and plunged right in. A few rows down, I could tell that something wasn't quite right, but I kept plowing through thinking that it would get better (even though I knew that wasn't the case.) It's my own fault--I should have checked my gauge--I didn't and so I frogged and realized I didn't have the size dpn needles I need. I had sent them to a new home for someone on craftster because she wanted needles for socks, and I knew they'd be perfect, not taking into consideration that I didn't have a backup pair. Not a huge deal, though.. never have to twist my arm to go yarn/supply shopping. Hopefully my blue socks won't be so sad looking.

Tonight, we had a great dinner. Inspired by an apple and currant chutney tempting me from the fridge and my never-ending desire for pakoras, J and I whipped these babies out in no time--zucchini and red pepper fritters

It was a fly-by-the seat attempt, but I think the results were good that even the ghost was trying to surreptitiously sneaking forkfuls in.

Lots of wedding stuff, too. After it's all said and done, I'll write much more about everything I've learned, but for now, I'll just leave it at that.

2007-08-08T19:17:00.000-05:00

Shortly after my last post, work became really hectic. We had a staff member just stop showing up for work, so for the last two months, I've been working 60 hour weeks, juggling the job of two people. All the free time I had was spent trying to catch up on life around here--J, the laundry, the cleaning, the pup--and I was left with scraps of time to merely collapse with exhaustion.

Luckily, the past two weeks have been better and I am starting to feel more like myself. The wedding is quickly approaching us and I am beginning to feel the logistcal worries. I'm antsy to go blueberry picking. I am trying to find time to do all the things in life that my head tells me I can.

I have started a regular Monday evening knitting group at Driade. Because the girls were out of town this week, I found another group that met around the same time. I had a good time--everyone seemed to be similar enough to make a random group like that work well. I am a little torn about next Monday, but maybe I can start at Driade early enough to make it to both.

I also have taught myself crochet. This week, I'm working on a big, soft afghan which is pretty, but not very photogenic, and I taught myself granny squares. J says it reminds him of the 70s. I agree and in maybe a not-great sorta way.

Oh well. The first ones are just practice, right?

I'm Still Around.

2007-06-12T14:03:00.000-05:00

Really. I am. I've started on a new project that I will just nickname "Waterloo." Maybe it will be my downfall, maybe it will go swimmingly. We'll just have to see.

As it's a surprise, I won't give any additional details until it has safely reached its destination.

2007-05-28T20:33:00.000-05:00

Man, have I been spoiled today! Three years ago, this very date, J and I had our first date.. which in many ways has never ended. To celebrate, I was surprised with a professional massage (by a woman named Sage, natch!) and a dip (or three) in a hot tub. I'm already two Advil deep and still pretty sore, so there's no telling how much fun tomorrow will be, but the massage was absolutely wonderful. J was treated as well, so we spent most of the afternoon in post-rub bliss.

Mom and Dad also came down today. Because of our mornings plans, they weren't able to stay long, but it was so great to see them. We all went to the local pizzaria and ate dinner together. They headed home early since they've got a long drive to make.

I think that we may try to make professional massages a more regular occurrence. There's no better feeling than climbing off the massage table feeling like you've just taken the nap of your life.

Yesterday evening, we were invited over to a friend's for dinner and we had a great grilled meal, followed by a brief swim. We brought Q with us and the excitement of the new place (and his new admirer, M) kept him pretty sleepy for the rest of the next day.

Work starts again tomorrow and I imagine I won't have a moment's rest until next Saturday afternoon. I've got several swaps that need to be mailed out this week, so the pressure's on!

2007-05-27T15:32:00.000-05:00

A good, productive week, I think. The compost bin has been ceremoniously started with its first offerings of strawberries caps. We're finally making "real" wedding plans (I think) and we've finally decided where we want to go for our HM. I've reintroduced my retirement plans (because I like planning ahead, lol) and begun dreaming of ways to make it happen, but I don't think I'll be happy with dying until I've succeeded in making this one dream true.

Oh, and I'm listing it now so when someone else beats me to the punch, I will have had proof I thought of it first, but I think someone should collect all the Super Friends slang to publish in a dictionary form.

Back to the knitting..

Strawberries!

2007-05-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

I think this is the third year in a row that I've been begging to go strawberry picking, and we finally did! J said it was my three-year anniversay present (a week from today), but really, it was perfect. It's a beautiful day, the fields smelled of strawberries, and J and I just worked our way down a couple rows of wonderfully ripe strawberries. In maybe 45 minutes, we cleared around 20 lbs of strawberries--this picture representing only a fraction, really, of our total loot.

I've been working for the last two hours on cleaning & hulling the berries to prepare them for freezing. I've got four gallons of plain, frozen strawberries and one with sugared berries (these I also managed to sneak as small treats).

All of this cleaning/hulling/drying/freezing has made me very curious about canning. I love the idea that the labor I did this morning will keep me full of delicious berries for awhile, and I also like knowing that I am within a stone's throw of the fields. I am going to do some research on buying larger quantities of squash, tomatoes, and beans to can for the rest of the year. I may enlist the help of some maternal experts and lure assistance with the promise of a share in the bounty.

I can't tell you how extremely happy I am out here. It's so nice to spend my driving time driving through open fields, wooded, empty areas, and horse pastures, rather than stop lights, crowded neighborhoods, or businesses smashed together. I have a lot of plans for all of our extra space. I am going to try to start a compost bin out back (J will have to help with its creation) and to begin preparing an area for a proper veggie garden for the next year.

But aside from my nag-champa-burning-hippie-side, all is well.. I have been working on making soaps and I've conquered some new things in the knitting world..

Yesterday was also a pretty nice day. We tried to take Q out to the lake, but it didn't work so well. Of course, freak dog freaked out and we eventually just made one big country block loop back home.

It's been nice having a full weekend off. I hope I get more.

Country Living

2007-05-05T11:28:00.000-05:00

Well, the "move" is complete. And when I say complete, I mean that the physical act of picking up everything from house A and moving it to house B is complete. There are still unpacked boxes, things without homes, and general state of chaos and disorganization surrounding the new house B. This work week's been a bit stretched, too, and I'm physically feeling the effects of everything weighing down on me.

There are several things about country living that hit me by surprise.

#1. The first night we spent at the country retreat, Q woke us up in the middle of the night with these baby barks. I hear walking around outside. Of course, I assume it's a person, but no.. four deer walking around our backyard.

#2. Walking Q after 8pm requires a flashlight because there are no street lights. Well, that's a bit of a stretch, there is one out on the street, but not close enough to do any good to see the yetti running around.

#3. No internet! I cannot tell you how this has effected my internet addiction, but I'm feeling the effects of withdrawal. It's been quite a royal pain to find a company that will let me connect with the rest of my digital friends.

Despite all this, it's so wonderful and peaceful where we're at. I couldn't be happier. Q loves to run around outside. There's less noise. You can hear crickets. More room in the house (can you say CRAFT ROOM!?).

I took a couple of pictures the day after we "moved." Things are still dirty and in the process of happening in these pictures, but here are some shots.

My favorite part of the new kitchen-a sink ledge!

Our huge deck! Trees are far as the eye can see! Where's my neighbor? That's right--I don't know either!

The side of the house:

Craft Brunch is tomorrow. I'm excited to see what everyone's been working on!

2007-04-23T11:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was an attempt to ruin everything I touched. I shouldn't trying to shove sewing/knitting/creative time into time that should be designated for categorically shoving my belongings into neatly labeled boxes.

Less than a week until we move! While I'm excited, it's a ton of work. I can't believe that for a long time, I moved every year--it has been nice to be in the same space for long enough to find things I had forgotten I had! I will miss the evening walks to Weaver Street, or walking Q through the bike paths, but I really want a place with more space and more land. I've been feeling very overcrowded here. Every store there's a line, every light, there's a wait. When you walk, you have to constantly navigate around other groups of people. I do like Carrboro, but the parts that I like best about the town haven't really seemed the same in the last couple of months.

More importantly, I have a new favorite movie: disco pigs

LOVED it. I've watched it twice and will soon add it to our collection. Of course, Cillian Murphy doesn't hurt, but I recommend it to everyone, regardless of how they feel about CM's perfect lips. Great soundtrack, too.

So, no new pictures. I found the camera, and the charger, but not the cable that connects everything, so I'm just going to pretend it's packed up somewhere in a box and not say another word. Camera = constant stream of bad luck.

Matchbox Swap

2007-04-10T20:48:00.000-05:00

I think all my partners have received, so here are the pictures of the matchboxes I made for this swap! I tried to make them all 3-D since we were limited with design space.

The owl ended up being slightly different--I found out that my partner's favorite colors were blue and orange, so I colored in the wings to make them orange.

The original swap was to create three matchboxes and fill them with all sorts of fun craft-related supplies. I ended up doing four to help out our organizer--the mouse was drawn entirely freehand, and it's probably the one I was unsure of the most and the box I was most nervous to send.

Here's a good shot of the type of things I crammed into the boxes. It's amazing how much you can fit into these little ones! I was very, very, surprised!

I finally received my recycled sari silk yarn. It's glorious! The colors are so amazing and rich--trying to take an accurate picture would be an impossibility for me. I've started an elongated stitch scarf with one of the skeins. The combination of the deep colors and the nubby texture just screamed for something fun and airy.

Mom: Use those @#!@$ washcloths! I can send you more, I promise!!

needle book

2007-04-08T17:43:00.000-05:00

I finished one knitting project this weekend. Of course, can't show it until later!!! (This time, probably not for another month.)

I should be able to post my matchboxes by the end of this week. I mailed them on Thursday so hopefully my partners will get them Monday or Tuesday.

In the meantime, I created my own needle book case. I'm tired of looking around for lost needles, risking the occasional stab in my hand! Hopefully, this will end all that drama.

Truth be told, I'm feeling a little under the weather today. I'm sure it's the ridiculously chilly temperatures and my sneaky allergies. I thought this year I'd be free to run in the woods and to keep the windows open with the aid of my fancy nasal steroids. Today, my sinuses are feeling heavy and just plain nasty. Blah.

Tomorrow we are looking at a house at 12pm. Fingers crossed.

Progress!

2007-04-03T20:04:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was great, as my finished projects actually outnumbered the unfinished, long-forgotten projects for once!

I finally started (and finished!) the garterlac dishcloth I've been thinking about for the last two months.

And a close-up:

I learned that the garterlac was a lot of fun, but also a bit time consuming and frankly, a couple of times my mind wandered and I got lost in the knitting with all the turns, slipped stitches and passes. At first, I was a bit afraid to frog parts of it, but I realized that the joy of picking up stitches means you can frog without being afraid of unravelling everything!

I've got three swaps on the burner for craftster right now. I've almost finished one of them--just have to put on the final touches and run them off to the post office. I have taken pictures but I won't post until my partners receive.

Mom: your presents will be in the mail this week! Maybe tomorrow?

2007-03-28T19:44:00.000-05:00

I feel like I've gotten a lot done, though most of it needs to remain hidden for just a while longer. There are several projects that are still fair game:

First, all of my craft "stuff" was organized and relocated. Initially, I was pretty defensive about my stash, but I realize, only now, that it really had gotten out of hand. It only looked mildly offensive, creeping out of the office corner, silently displacing art pencils and drawing books, but when I finally donned the organization armor, well, I had several moments of complete defeat.

I now have all of my "stuff," labelled and organized under the bed. Of course, if I buy any more yarn at this point, we're going to have to move. (By the way, this picture only represents a fraction--both sides of the bed are filled with my utilitarian clear (and clearly marked) containers.) (No one has noticed my laundry basket hiding under the desk containing all the stuff I am slowly repopulating the office with)

Within the last two weeks, I have also become self-taught in the arts of reversible fabric headbands.

We were selling something identical at work and I realized I could make them myself--much more cheaply than buying them at work, even with the discount.

A great way to hide my motley, unkempt hair!

I have some works on the needles, but not quite ready to share. Some are for the mum, and well, you know, I'd like to keep it a surprise. I'll post once I've sent those

Spring!

2007-03-12T14:49:00.000-05:00

No knitting to show for this weekend, however I have spent it wisely pursuing other interests. It was such a lovely day today---J, L and I grabbed some Chinese food, took Q with us, and went for a walk. We ended up in one of my favorite places--a small, outside theater that's owned (presumably) by the nearby elementary school. It's right off the bike path, but nestled far enough back that you might just walk by unaware. Q loves it back there. He can run around, play and not have to be humiliated by walking on a six foot rope connected to a human. I love it back there because it's quiet and a good place just to go and clear your head. I don't know why J loves it, but it's some place where we've actually both, separately, thought about getting married. Anyhow, we enjoyed a delicious tofu lunch and J and L played some frisbee while I laid around and enjoyed one of the first real spring-like days.

We came home and I ran up the road to get some bird food. I had two feeders out back, both full of suet. Last year, I had wild bird seed that attracted a wider range of birds. I came back with my arms full!

Here's a look at my new bird feeder (shhh! it wasn't on the list). I moved the smaller, metal feeder that was hanging here to closer to the door, since I wasn't sure how long it would take for birds to get used to the newer feeder. Not thirty minutes after I hung it, I had my first diner.

I also planted all my seeds today. I have been really, really, lazy about getting this done, but here are all 100 of them in their new homes. This will be the first year I start herbs from seed. I bought all my tomato plants last year at the farmer's market and had so many tomatoes, I gave a lot away. I think I'll plan to get my tomatoes from the market again--besides, there's a lot more variety there than I can get anywhere here, and they were very inexpensive.

I expect that if I have good luck with all of these, I'll be sharing as well. I planted basil, cilantro, tarragon, dill, fennel (my new favorite veggie, ever!), and parsley. I also had a packet of oregano seeds, but they got lost under my bag and, well, by the time they were found, I had run out of room. I have plenty of everything left, though, so if anyone is looking for seeds, let me know and they are yours.

I also noticed that my chives from last year have already started to come back, and Q took a keen interest in the rosemary plant, surviving now for three years. (About a year ago, he got into some rosemary bread that had been sitting on the counter... needless to say, it was a horrible experience. I lost the vomit count at 19.)

Spoiler Alert!

2007-03-06T21:37:00.000-05:00

Where have I been, my dear readers (er, reader, aka, hi mom)? Well, despite appearances, I have been a very busy bee. I am amidst my first Craftster swap--a knitted dishcloth swap... simple enough to not stress me out and get me off on a good foot.

My partner has already sent and so I've was very busy this weekend trying to finish everything up to get put in the mail tomorrow. Surprisingly, I actually got everything I wanted finished!

Here are the two required dishcloths I'm sending. The first is a two-color pattern that, although I didn't like the picture on the website, I do like how this turned out. It's much more fun in person. I'm a terrible photographer. I don't have the patience. You'll just have to trust me on both.

This second was from a set of geometric dishcloths I really admired. I think I may make a whole set for the house and this was a great, encouraging, start. Pretty easy pattern to follow.

The added benefit of this pattern is that it mirrored the design in the matching dishtowel I knitted. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I had used a different cotton yarn. Though it turned out really pretty (again, this picture leaves a TON to be desired but, I've already warned you), I think it would have been nicer a little thicker. With this picture, you can only sort of make out how great the button is--I got a set of these polymer clay buttons from etsy.com awhile ago and I've been eager to use them.

I also knit this cloth and threw it in for good measure. I REALLY like this pattern, though the cloth itself is a bit small (mine was about 6 1/2 inches square). I've been toying with the idea of knitting a bunch of these and combining them into something a little along these lines

Lastly, I knit these I-wish-I-had-these-as-a-kid slippers. They're puppy slippers! I've already got one request to make another pair, too!