At Home Mommy Knits

The Best Laid Plans

2011-09-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

I had planned on showing some finished pictures of Aidez but after incorrectly calculating stitches once I joined the sleeves and started on the yoke and having to rip it back twice I am finally on the home stretch. Since the first day of Autumn has come and gone and I don't have a cardigan to show for it yet I thought I would share my knitting bag.

Please don't judge me...I know it's awful. I use it for its form and function not necessarily its beauty. This is an old bag I think I used to tote around baby stuff at one point. The reason I like it so much is that it is surrounded by pockets on the outside. An easy way to divvy up my stuff and the kid crap that I am inevitably toting around. The inside is a large main compartment that is divided by a zippered divider pocket. It also has a small zippered bag that is attached by a hook. I have all my various accessorises in the outside pockets and on the inside is where I keep my knitting. I just got The Knit Kit in the mail so a little reorganizing of my bag was in order. I had to the knit kit because I was buying some birthday presents and needed a little bump to get my free shipping... right?

All of those notions are packed away inside the little knit kit. Up at the top of the knit kit you can't really see it but there is a stitch counter. It has a tape measure, scissors, stitch markers, crochet hook, point protectors, and a needle. The perfect knitting "first aid kit" I ordered mine off Amazon, best price, and highly recommend it.

The next thing I carry with me in my bag is my mp3 player. I realize most people have smart phones but alas I have a 'dumb' phone. It only makes phone calls. I have music, movies, pod casts, and audio books.

The next little bits I carry around are a pen, my notebook (not seen here), lip gloss, a hair clip, hand sanitizer, a calculator, lotion, eye drops, and the little polka dot flip-flop is a small nail kit. These all tuck away nicely in the small outside pockets. I usually have a pack of cards and a couple small toys to keep my kids busy (helps me get more knitting done)

Lastly I have a small knitting project in there. This isn't my current knitting project it's a small one. What if I run out of yarn in my current project?? The HORROR! So in addition to whatever I'm working on I have this little number tucked in the bag. A small zippered pencil case like you would find in a Trapper Keeper (do they even make those anymore?) holds the directions, extra needles, an extra stitch counter, and cable needle.

My long term goal would be to either find a replacement bag that has all the same pocket appeal or sew my own. Until then this little baby is usually close by to assist me, my MacGyver knitting bag. What do you keep in your bag?

My lazy tomato sauce

2011-09-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

I am about to admit a disturbing truth about myself.....I hate tomatoes. This statement is terrible for a myriad of reasons the least of which being that I am 1/4 Italian. A sacrilege I know and one I have lived with my whole life. With this truth though is the knowledge that while I hate said fruit I also know they are extremely healthy. So in an effort to be healthy I have to hide tomatoes from myself. Yes, much like you would disguise healthy food for your children I find the need to do it to myself. So I faithfully grow tomato plants every summer and have a huge bounty. My kids eat them, I share with neighbors and friends. When those avenues of distribution have been exhausted then I make my lazy tomato sauce base.
Lazy Tomato Sauce
First get together a few pounds of tomatoes, and if you are fortunate to have some fresh basil and oregano handy then cut off some of that as well.

Wash and chop the above ingredients and add in a diced onion. Throw them all in your crock pot and cook on low for a few hours

Turn off the crock-pot and let the mixture cool a bit. Then put the mixture through a food mill. Glop (when you are doing this with two kids running around you because they don't want the dragon to get them you are glopping, not gently funnelling, glopping) it all into jars, Tupperware, whatever you have and freeze. Now as the temperatures cool and more one-pot soups, stews, chili's, and casseroles make there way into our evening meals I will mix this little lazy sauce in. That way I can reap the summertime nutrients without having to actually "eat" them. Voila!

~Andrea

My weekend....

2011-09-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month Avery celebrated her seventh birthday. Seven!! I realize that in seven more years we will be wading thigh deep through teenage parenting. I swear I was just a twenty-something yesterday with my biggest worry being if my clothes were clean for work and where I would be hanging out with my friends. Now on my Saturdays I do things like hang a gagillion paper lanterns around my house and make a braid out of yellow streamers that covers the whole upstairs goes out the front door and ends at the curb.

We had a Tangled party A.K.A Rapunzel. Complete with costumes (a wig for Avery) and enough 6 & 7 year old girls to ensure a princess quorum..

The costume and wig will be making a reappearance at Halloween....the wig was too heavy to wear for the whole party. Kind of hard to play 'Rapunzel Says' with a 4 1/2 foot braid whipping around the room.

After spending the whole day as the best mommy ever :) doing all Rapunzel party stuff all the time, I decided to take today off so to speak. A day spent on the sofa. Well mostly on the sofa...kind of hard to really pull this off with kids that can't reach the top half of the fridge or pantry....but it was close. I relaxed on the sofa to work on Aidez while my husband watched football. Now I don't care about football at all. I know there are a lot of sports fans out there but for me football/baseball/soccer whatever are just a vehicle for me to sit and knit or surf the Internet and read blogs and plan for the holidays and well I'm sure you get it...just relax with myself, some knitting and my laptop. My husband close by watching "insert sport" and talking with me and my kids playing nearby.

Truly blissful. And I can feel even more virtuous about my mommy day off when I pull puzzles out for my kids to work on.....good for the brain right? I love it when they do good things for their little brains and I can sit and knit and watch :).

I have some cooking to share and some tips for what to do with the last of your tomatoes but right now I'm going to soak up the last little bits of my Sunday.
Take care friends ~Andrea

End of Summer

2011-09-13T05:19:00.000-07:00

The end of summer for me is both the pulling the most out of the last days of summer and the push of full steam ahead into autumn. One more trip to the mountains, one more day at the beach, one last night out with friends way past bedtime playing games and running through the warm summer air. Well folks we managed to sneak all of that in this last month. Before all the signs point to summer really being over we have snuck in, one last campfire session...

One more, albeit a lot cooler than usual, afternoon by the water.....

One more "hike" in the woods....

One more craft outside....

One more golden raspberry from the yard...

The hope that we will get one watermelon from our volunteer plant

One more daily harvest of veggies before the frost comes....

One more glimpse of the sunflowers that have grown way over my head

And the sure sign that summer is almost over is the fall cardigan knitting progress.

I have been steadily working away on Aidez. The house is still warm and the days are still longish but that snap in the air when I'm drinking my morning coffee on the deck and the few trees around me that have had the audacity to change color are all pointing the direction to fall. How are your end of summer preparations going?

My summer....

2011-08-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

The last time I checked in here summer was just getting underway and the fourth of July was just around the corner. Now I am speeding towards the final lap of August and looking towards fall. While autumn is my absolute favorite time of year I am still working to soak up this last bit of summer. A month from now both of my kids will be in school. Avery in first grade and Jack in preschool. For the first time in seven years I will have regularly scheduled alone time. Granted it's only 6 hours a week but still.....what will I do? I'm looking towards this next chapter with equal parts excitement and sadness. Since I am still home with both kiddos I don't really have anything creative and earth shattering to share with you. The pool, beach, mountains, and trails don't lend themselves to much crafting. Baseball games for most would be a great time to take needles in hand and work on some small projects. But for me baseball games are a healthy dose of family time, socializing with friends, and helping my kids with workbooks, color books, reading, and whatever projects I have managed to stuff into my bag of tricks to help us stay at least through the seventh inning stretch. But with all the fall patterns books coming out and Halloween decorations creeping onto retail shelves I have a foot in each season and I have finally settled on my first cold weather pattern to work on. Aidez.

I am going to rip out my swank cardigan. It turned out just as the pattern promised and the yarn is incredibly soft and cozy but I just don't ever wear it. Since Berroco Ultra Alpaca is pricey as well it seems a shame to have a cardigan languishing in my closet with no one to love it RIPPPP....I am going to cast on for Aidez. A pattern I come back to again and again. I think this one will be worn so my afternoon plans are going to be watching my kids play in the "pool" and wind yarn.

Next my two reads this summer have not been novels but rather cookbooks. Jamie at Home is quickly becoming a family favorite. When I made the Guinness pie with puff pastry lid my husband nearly cried....it was that good. Besides all of the amazing recipes from his show he also has gardening tips for all the vegetables showcased in the book.

Around my French Table.....what can I say except that everything looks delicious and the few things I have made did not disappoint. I have made her recipe for sweet and spicy nuts multiple times this summer and have yet to have an event where I haven't given the recipe out. I am looking forward to cooler weather when a roast chicken in my oven sounds a bit more attractive.

The one project that has taken up my time is putting together a family cookbook for us. A girlfriend of mine started this little book for me to keep my recipes in and I am finally organizing all my clippings and notes and everything. And my name is spelled Andrea, Andra was an inside joke at the time. And the man at the grill is supposed to be my husband....he brings the red hair gene to our family :).
In one place will be our tried and true recipes. A quick reference of the recipes I have stolen from cookbooks that I make again and again with my changes. My goal is to put it all together and photograph my dishes as I make them...you know like a real cookbook :). The next few weeks will be busy and lazy both so I'll be in and out but hopefully I'll get back in the creative swing and have more to share. I hope you are all soaking up your summers as well! XOXO Andrea

A List and a little inspiration

2011-06-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

My sister and I recently had a long conversation about hobbies and learning new things. The fact of the matter is there aren't many people in my day to day existence that 'get it' when they see me knitting, or crafting with my kids, or staying up late when I am finishing a Halloween costume in time for a school party. I usually get a polite smile a somewhat enthusiastic, "good for you" and "you know they are selling a costume for a princess at Target right now", or " Kohl's is having a sale on sweaters. I know they mean well but they really don't get it. Creating something with your own hands. Always wanting to learn something new. Do people hit adulthood and stop wanting to learn new things? I hope that I never stop wanting to pick up a new hobby or learn something. I have my own list of things I would like to either do better or learn. Some of them are

get back into running::speak french::brush up on my very rudimentary Spanish::learn piano better::learn guitar::sew more than just a costume::practice yoga::paint::pottery::design a knitting pattern or two or three

Just a few things off the top of my head. Here is a list of inspiring woman that I tore out of an magazine, can't remember which one. Maybe this weekend we'll all be so lucky to learn something new or open up the door to something new for someone else.

1777 Teenager Sybil Ludington rides all night long through a storm to alert the 400 men in her father's militia that the redcoats are coming. She's called the female Paul Revere-but Paul rode with two of his buddies. And he was captured by the British.

1805 Sacagawea joins Lewis and Clark as their expedition's interpreter, traveling thousands of miles across the Rockies with her newborn babe strapped to her back

1906 Mada C.J. Walker hawks shampoos and serums door-to-door. The orphaned daughter of former slaves, she becomes one of America's wealthiest businesswomen.

1938 Anna Mary Robertson Moses sells her first paintings, at age 78. Known as "Grandma" Moses she continues to paint for 23 years, becoming one of the century's most renowned folk artists.

1960 At the Rome Olympics, Wilma Rudolph-once partially paralyzed by polio-earns three gold medals in track-and-field, the first American woman to do so.

1967 Kathrine Switzer dares to run the all-male Boston Marathon, while an irate race official chases her

1985 Just 175 miles from the Iditarod finish line, Libby Riddles heads into a blizzard when other mushers opt to stay in camp; this gives her a six-hour lead and ultimately, the win.

Just a few of the many on the list. Sometimes a little inspiration is needed. Have a lovely weekend!!

Seeds Hat

2011-06-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I won a giveaway that Chris had on her blog and by awhile I mean six months ago, eek this year is flying by. She gave away one of her patterns (they are all gorgeous) and the yarn to complete it. In the last few months I have totally lost my knitting energy and in an effort to reclaim it I grabbed my winnings and cast on.

It was so nice to pick up some knitting and know that it would all work out beautifully because the author of the pattern sent you everything in order to complete it. My fingers got quite the workout....along with my brain because I am not a practised color work knitter. Isn't the top gorgeous?

I also did my first hem with this piece. The brim starts with plain stockinette and after a bit you switch to the color pattern and then when that is long enough you hem it as you knit. So neat and finished looking I love it. Not to mention that it tucks in all the loose ends from the start and so you have hardly any finishing when it is done.

This was just the thing I needed to get my knitting desire back. Something small that was easy to tote around with me and quickly finished. Perfect! Thank you Chris for the pattern, I loved it!

The mountains

2011-06-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

We had a great night up in the mountains this weekend. With such a late start to summer here we haven't had a chance to get up there and prep. Tables need to be put out and hammocks hung. As always I am making lists of things for the kids to do in their downtime. Running around the forest, playing in the fort, and swimming are the favorites but in the evenings the kids usually need a playtime break and a chance to just relax. I know you are thinking that a good book and some knitting would be just the ticket but since my kids are only 4 and 6 we went with t-shirts and puffy paint.

Here's a little tip from me.....great project for a six year old....messy with a four year old....

Of course their was too much food. We did a shrimp boil with corn on the cob.

Jack says camping is his favorite thing to do. I'll let you in on a little secret.....when my son says camping is his favorite he really means s'mores. He would have them morning, noon, and night if I let him....but then I guess who wouldn't?

After all the stickiness was washed clean and the kids were sleeping a sugar induced coma I got to have a little grown up time with my husband by the campfire...

No knitting this weekend but I am almost done with my Seeds hat. How was your weekend?

Maine Morning Mitts

2011-06-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I loosely followed along with Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter Almanac and May was for mitts. I really intended to make a whole slew of mitts this last May but only one pair was finished. The Maine Morning Mitts.

It is hard to get a 'catch your eye' photo of black mitts knit in a rib pattern so how about you check out my manicure, or at least what is left of my manicure :)

Last Friday night I went out with some girlfriends for a belated birthday celebration and we got manis and pedis and margaritas. You know you are having a good time when one conversation (at least what seems like one conversation) lasts two hours.

This next shot shows that the mitts aren't too long and that the nail polish is coming off the tips of my nails....hence the reason I rarely get manicures, the polish is off within days.

And last we have the modeled shot by my four year old son complete with airplane pajamas. I swear the mitts have thumbs.

These are a fast and easy knit, as most mitts are, and definitely masculine enough to hand off to the nearest man. Very comfortable and the pattern is free. Perfect thing to work on if summer has hit your neck of the woods and the temperature is climbing. We are heading out of town to the mountains this weekend to cool off. I'll be back on Monday!

Baked Oatmeal

2011-06-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

I know I have already professed my love with Heidi Swanson's recipes but here is another one I wanted to pass along to all of you. I have company staying with us this week and since weekday mornings tend to be a bit busy, you know with school and work and carpools and everything, I wanted to have something ready made for breakfast and everyone could grab a bite as they got hungry. I also wanted it to be healthy so the kids could have some before school and if I do nothing else that day at least I know they had a good breakfast :)
First you need some oats....

Then some fruit

Put it all together and add some milk ( I used half almond milk and half regular)

Then bake. When served I melted some butter in maple syrup and drizzled it over the top.

Here is a link to the recipe http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2011/04/baked-oatmeal . And if you click on Heidi's website the oatmeal muffins she just posted about look great too! I think I might be making some for this weekend to take camping. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Simple Woman's Daybook 2

2011-05-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

A super fun crazy busy May is finally coming to a close. I am really shocked at how swiftly this year is going by. My May was full and busy, we went to San Francisco last weekend for a cousins wedding and some sightseeing with the kids. They loved Fisherman's Wharf and the sea lions there.

We had family staying with us as soon as we got home that left on Friday so we finally just relaxed in a lump this weekend.

Since I haven't checked in for awhile I thought another edition of A Simple Woman's Daybook would get me jump started. So...

Outside my window...blue skies and no wind or rain for the first time in a long time.

I am thinking...how much better I want to get at photography, the area that really holds me back in blogging is the elusive good picture to truly capture what I am working on. If I can't get a good shot, no posting, then I am kicking myself for not posting anything at all and a whole month goes by. So instead of focusing on where I can improve I find myself comparing my photos to the beautiful ones I see on all of your blogs. I definitely need to shift my thinking and just keep practicing (which is what I always tell my kids to do when they complain about not being good at something). Apparently my parenting style is leaning towards the "do as I say and not as I do" theory...need to work on that.

I am thankful for...a very relaxing weekend with my family....lots of movies and games and dinner with friends. My kids are finally at an age where they will allow me to wallow for a whole day, provided a good portion of that wallowing includes kid movies and kid card games. As long as I can read a book I want and maybe watch part of a movie I want I can work with that compromise :)
From the learning rooms...yes a lot of photography reading on the Internet. I have been looking here and here any suggestions for other places I should check out?

From the kitchen....we made these rolls cinnamon rolls this weekend, because what else is there to do when it has been raining for the last few days accompanied by gale force winds? Cinnamon rolls all! Who says they are only for breakfast. I did cut down the recipe and made two pans instead of eight, we cooked one Saturday afternoon and the other one Monday morning.....soooo good!!

I am creating... the seeds hat from Chris over at Doodles in String. I won a giveaway on her blog and got her beautiful seeds hat pattern along with the yarn to knit it up.

I am going...to a baseball game with my family and some friends this afternoon. The weather looks to be clearing so hopefully we won't have to bring blankets and coats and gloves and well as much stuff as we have been due to the wonky weather.

I am reading... Cutting for Stone.....still :) I have read some other books this last month but none worth mentioning.

I am hoping...to find the balance in my week that I really need between mommy stuff, work stuff, wife stuff, typical family admin stuff and just some time for myself.

I am hearing...My husband upstairs making breakfast, the dogs playing on the deck, and my kids doing some art projects next to me on the sofa.

Around the house...making my lists for the week, you know the drill. I call it family admin. planning my cleaning schedule to get everything done, planning our menu list for the week for grocery shopping, and trying to plan some time for me to workout because this next weekend is going to be a busy one and I doubt I'll have much time.

Here's to wishing you all a nice balanced week!

Pedicure Socks

2011-05-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! Finally some knitting. Here are my pedicure socks. I won this yarn from Suzanne forever ago and it has been calling me from my knitting basket ever since. I haven't really knit socks in my short knitting career. I don't know where my hesitation stemmed from because these socks came together so quickly and were perfect for some evening TV time with my family.

The perfect knit for spring/summer in my opinion. Fast, easy, and perfect if you are an at home pedicurist.

My feet get so dry when the weather changes but I really am not a fan of wearing socks so this is kind of the perfect solution. Slather my tootsies up with creamy lotion put on my new socks and my feet don't get hot or suffocated. I can do my toes and not mess up the polish (something I mess up all the time).

The lizard was added by my "assistant"....because he is so cute. Um...okay honey, thank you. You can get the pattern here (free).

Happy Easter Eve

2011-04-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well I know I won't be checking in here tomorrow so I wanted to post tonight and wish you all a wonderful happy day tomorrow. We will be celebrating Easter and today has been a busy one to prep for tomorrow. I have 60 eggs all hard boiled up and waiting to dye later this evening. A chicken cooking in the smoker along with a green salad and some french bread are on the menu tonight. My parents are coming over tonight to dye eggs with the kids so we needed a quick and healthy dinner, so tomorrow we can ~~gorge~~ enjoy brunch.

The house is clean and decorated and we have had many practice Easter egg hunts with plastic eggs in preparation. Plates, napkins, and cutlery are all wrapped and ready for morning.

We are doing a pot-luck brunch with friends and family. I have pureed strawberries and peaches ready for bellinis. A hash brown casserole that is always a huge crowd pleaser, especially with the menfolk. Another contribution of mine are maple oatmeal scones from The Barefoot Contessa cookbook.

A little tip from the cookbook states that you can make the scones up to a week in advance and keep covered in the fridge until ready to cook. Now I haven't ever done them a whole week in advance but I usually make them a couple of days in advance, keep in the fridge and then just pop in the oven the morning I need them. I have two trays for tomorrow and the third tray I am going to pop in the freezer to freeze. These I will keep until I want to make a spontaneous yummy breakfast (I have cooked straight from freezer and they are still delicious). There will be lots of good food and hopefully if I finish all my chores I won't have to much work tomorrow :). Wishing you and yours much happiness!!

Simple Woman's Day Book

2011-04-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

I love reading Heather's Simple Woman's Day Book posts so I thought I would post one here for you.

Outside my window...A spring rainstorm is brewing

I am thinking...about all the things I need to shop for, cook, and plan for Easter this weekend

I am thankful for...my family, our health, and a rainy day to knit

From the learning rooms...reading about different vegetables to plant in our garden this year

From the kitchen... I am devouring this book and can't wait to make some things from it.

I am creating...some pedicure socks for myself

I am going...to a baseball game with my family tonight, so we are having a picnic dinner (if the rain lets up)

I am reading... Cutting For Stone, just picked it up so I hope I enjoy it

I am hoping... that I can get to bed early tonight because even though the week is just beginning I am not caught up on my sleep

I am hearing...My children laughing and talking as they create cards to leave for the Easter bunny

Around the house...a full day of cleaning and organizing to get ourselves ready for the week.

The Power of Words

2011-04-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone,

I have been trying to get back to this space and so many things have kept me away (all good). A trip to the zoo, a mom/child sleepover with my best girlfriend and her kids, movie excursions to go see this movie, a trip to the mountains to play in the snow left from a recent snowstorm, picnics, and baseball season has officially begun here so we are headed to many games this weekend and in the coming weeks. I have some knitting in the works but no pictures so I am going to leave this video for you to watch....so good! I'll admit that I teared up watching it. Enjoy and Happy Saturday! Click here.

Sorry for the time out

2011-04-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

Hello all and hello spring. When I was last in this space we had snow and quilts and lots of heavy knits....now we have spring with less blankets on the bed, coats being put away till next year and some smaller knits in the queue.

I did not mean to take such a long break. Avery goes to a year round school so instead of one long summer break she gets November off, March off and 6 weeks in the summer. When she went off track in March I just kind of immersed myself in all things family and turned off my computer. If I knew that I wouldn't be back for a month I would have checked in or something and left a message (I really appreciate everyone that checked in with me!) but it just kind of happened. So here I am over a month later with many blogs to read and much to catch up on with all of you.

I don't have much to share since along with blogging I also closed the door on any grown-up crafting and did all children crafting. We made rainbows to hang up to try and attract some leprechauns.

We made leprechaun catchers complete with a trail of gold....

Sadly we didn't catch any leprechauns but they left cookies for the kids :)

Last but not least I did finish my slouchy cardigan finally!!

The whole sleeve cap issue was easily resolved when I went back and just followed the pattern to the letter. I had read so many notes on Ravelry and was all set to have my sleeve cap not fit so I went straight to Ravelry notes. After many attempts I finally frogged them back completely and just went with the pattern.....they fit perfectly with not one extra stitch. Finally a sweater that I love to wear all the time and it looks great with jeans or jammies! I wish all of you a wonderful week and thanks for checking in with me here. XOXOXO

Quilts and snow

2011-02-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

Well we had another snow day home from school, it has been snowing since early this morning and it doesn't show signs of stopping. We have done our fun in the snow (lots of shoveling when you are a grown up) and are now snuggled back inside.

While Jack takes a much needed nap, Avery and I are trying hard to snuggle together under my first quilt (it is only a lap sized one person quilt but shes small :).

I bought some charm packs ages ago and finished the quilt top a few weeks ago and sandwiched it and then it sat....and sat....and sat....due to my fear of binding. In my little 'how to' quilt book it said something about hand stitch the binding and I just stopped reading there and put everything away. Hand stitch are they crazy? I did a little you tube browsing and found this video it is very easy to follow and a little sewing machine time and my quilt was finished. Now don't be frightened from this next shot. My sewing machine and I are still working on our communication skills. It doesn't always let me know in a timely manner when the bobbin is out of thread and I can't seem to make it understand when I say 1/4" seam allowance I mean on the whole darn thing. But I digress, here is a shot of the front and back.

Thank you Larissa for all of your tutorials on hand stitching binding as well. I read everything on your blog about quilting (your tutorials were a huge help!)

I know the seam isn't straight but the machine and I are in counseling and I'm sure after a few more sessions we will be better able to communicate our needs to each other.

Don't my corners look good though? Hey a girl who can't sew a straight line has to get her compliments where she can get them :)

And finally a little snuggling, gotta love socks that only a six year old can pull off. Now we have a big weekend planned and I have lots to do. Have a great weekend everyone!

A wintry holiday weekend

2011-02-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

We finally had some snow days complete with cancelled school. So much fun.

We played in the snow, made hot chocolate, watched movies, played card games, played in the snow, made hot chocolate, ran around the house with walkie talkies playing spy, played hide and go seek, played in the snow, made chocolate chip cookies, did art crafts, and had a bit more hot chocolate. I also finished one sweater and started another...can you believe it?

This is the sweater Maxim from Berroco #303 pattern pamphlet. I already made arshile blogged here and I really want to make this and this and well I want to make knits for the whole family out of this one pattern book.

I used some jaeger roma in pink for the sweater and a bit of the same in purple for the contrast on the sleeves and neck.

I think it is adorable on her! The fit is perfect, the pattern was easy to memorize, and I really got to practice cabling without a cable needle (which is super easy once you get the hang of it).

I am hoping that she gets a lot of wear out of it. The day was a bit grey for taking pictures but I have to strike when I can to get pics of these kiddos.

Finishing this pullover was exactly what I needed to get a little motivation to finish my other knits. My mind is whirring with projects queued up. Of course as we finished taking the pics there had to be some running because "it really isn't cold outside mommy and soccer is good exercise". So we played a bit :)

I hope you are all having a wonderful Monday and start to your week!

Happy Heart Day

2011-02-14T06:59:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of heart crafting going on over here. We made boxes to collect Valentine's at school.

We did some ribbon barrettes for the class party. Did anyone else make these growing up? Well I already have requests from Avery to make some for St. Patrick's Day, 4th of July, & Halloween...just to name the few holidays she could think of that are coming up :)

I made some small heart shaped treats for breakfast Sunday morning. Monday morning will be too rushed with school and work to do anything super special. Thank you Larissa, I saw this on one of your posts awhile back and bookmarked the recipe. Healthy and yummy and we added the chocolate chips like you did.

I made my Avery a messenger bag from Greetings from Knit Cafe. I made it smaller and instead of a guitar I did a heart.

I would have loved some better shots but the kids were collecting bug specimens that day and had no time for a photo shoot.

I did make both the kids pajama pants for a little something for Valentine's Day. Spider man for Jack and princesses for Avery. I am happy to say that they promptly put on their new cozy clothes Sunday morning and never took them off. I really am not a fan of pattern sewing but these were made just using a pair they already had. Soooo easy!!

Last but not least I won a giveaway over at Doodles in Strings. Christ sent me the pattern for her Seeds hat and the yarn to knit it up with. I can't wait!!

Wishing all of you a wonderful Valentine's Day and a fantastic week!

Some wintertime brightness

2011-02-08T14:15:00.000-08:00

With all the wips in the last post you would think I would have some finished knitting to show wouldn't you? Well you would be mistaken.....not a bit has been touched :). First I wanted to share some lunchtime goodness with you. I saw this and thought maybe I should make it for myself for lunch. I'm not much of a citrus person but I know it's full of vitamin goodness. Since there seems to be a new strain of cold/flu going around my daughter's kindergarten class each week I thought it might be a good idea to do get some more B vitamins pumping through this body 'cause no one wants mommy to be sick. It is non-fat cottage cheese with a clementine and half a grapefruit sliced up...with just a smidgen of agave nectar to cut the tartness. Delicious!!

Next up a little baking because we can't have too much health food right? Be sure to munch on some pecans while you are cooking to keep your energy up :) Slice and bake shortbread yummy.

Beat 1 cup softened butter in mixer until creamy. Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar and beat till smooth. Add 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 cup of finely chopped toasted pecans. Gradually add flour mixture (2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/8 tsp salt) beat till blended. Shape dough into 2 7inch logs. Wrap each log in wax paper and chill 4 hours or freeze in ziploc for up to 1 month. Preheat oven to 350, cut each log into 24 slices and place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool completely on wire rack. Enjoy!!

Now how to enjoy just one or two cookies? Well after I saw these mugmats over at Lisa's blog I really wanted to make some for myself. I am on the home stretch of finishing my quilt and when I pieced the top together I realized I had four little squares leftover. So I made them into a double coaster perfect for an afternoon chai tea pick me up and a portion controlled snack of two cookies.

No binding on this little guy just top stitched all around. But the colors are nice and springy and with the overcast sky outside it does help to brighten my afternoon. Now I'm off to finish a few more projects for Valentine's Day...have a wonderful week!

A Whole lotta WIPs

2011-01-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

In the last couple of weeks I have been suffering from an acute case of 'no finishing'. I think since the holidays are over and everything has been put away and restored to 'normal' I just can't seem to really get the energy to finish any of my projects. I started off all right but I have spiralled downwards into -let's start this and not finish that-. So in an effort to spur myself to the finish line with all the various projects I have lurking around my house I am going to list them here and hopefully seeing it all laid out together will help me :)

First up is a cardigan for my son. I have knit the thing three times and every time it doesn't come out right. It is just a bit too snug for my liking and so I get to the point where all I need to do is weave in ends, add pockets, and a zipper and I frog it.....three times people....So now it sits and I just don't have the heart to frog it again but it is still just a bit too snug despite my meticulous measuring and measuring and measuring....

Next I am working on two little bears for my babes for Valentine's Day. The knitting is easy, the pattern is free, the yarn was in my stash, but the seaming! Oh not my favorite thing so still they sit in pieces...maybe this weekend.

A slouchy cardigan for myself. Love the yarn, love the repetitive nature of all that stockinette, so conducive to movie watching, but like everyone else on Ravelry has described I just can't get my sleeve cap right so until I have some undivided time to sit and calculate it is languishing in my basket.

A quilt top. I ordered some charm packs awhile back to attempt a quilt and they sent me an extra pack on mistake and when I phoned to tell them of the extra pack they told me to keep it. So I am attempting my first lap-size quilt. The top is 3/4 the way done I just need to finish that part up so I can measure and get backing material....

And if I didn't have enough going on I also started a sweater for my daughter. I had the pink, the pattern is adorable and it is winter so what they hey? I have nothing better to do right?

The one thing I have managed to finish recently is a small case for my little camera. I have a beautiful Canon that I love shooting with but it is a bit bulky to tote around so last mother's day my husband and children purchased me this little camera. It is the perfect size to always have with me at all times and has come in very handy. All I needed was some bulky yarn leftover from a sweater, knowledge of moss stitch, and the measurements of my camera. Nice and thick it is perfect to keep the camera protected in my bag.

So now I think you all have a small idea of what my to-do list looks like and this isn't even complete....there are still a few things hanging out there. Hopefully my weekend will include some much needed downtime to finish some of these items....what is on your to-do list?

Nothing new to report

2011-01-19T05:23:00.000-08:00

After frogging a zip up cardigan I am knitting for my son 3 times I think I might be coming close to the home stretch. I just need to get to the store for the zipper and I am out of white sewing thread so not much in the sewing department has been going on. I wanted to post something though so when I saw this I decided to play along...

The ABC of Me!

A - Age: I'm 33

B - Bed Size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Ironing

D - Dogs Name: Copper & Sadie

E - Essential Start of the Day item: Coffee with creamer

F - Favourite Colour: purple

G - Gold or Silver: Both

H - Height: 5ft 7inches

I - Instruments you play: Dabble in piano (very beginner stuff), want to learn to play guitar

J - Job: Custom report writer

K - Kids: Daughter-6, Son-3 1/2

L - Living Arrangements: Live in a house with my husband, kids, two dogs and two tortoises

M - Music You Love: Too varied to pick just one genre

N - Nicknames: alas none

O - Overnight Hospital Stay: Both of my children had pyloric stenosis and had to have surgery at 5 weeks of age, first time I ever stayed at a hospital.

P - Pet Peeve: People that are habitually late
Q - Quote from a Movie: My family is full of movie fanatics so we would be here all day if I started spouting quotes :)

R - Right handed or Left: Rightie

S - Siblings: 2 brothers and one sister, all younger

T - Time you wake up: 4:30 am to work before the kiddos are up

U - Underwear: Silky and Lacy. Depends :)

V - Vegetables you dislike: Brussel sprouts

W - Workout Style: I used to run and I am trying to get back to it

X - X-Rays You've had: My elbow that I broke in college

Y - Yummy Food you make: Enchiladas

Z - The best place to Visit - I haven't been enough places to say

Play along if you want I would love to read about all of you!

A little more sewing

2011-01-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

I made some bags. The first one I did with no patchwork, just one fabric for the outside and one for the inside.

I wanted to do a trial run with sewing per the directions without adding anything extra to worry about i.e. patchwork.

Another tutorial that I have browsed again and again always thinking to myself, wouldn't it be nice to have some of those reversible drawstring bags to throw my projects into. Whenever we go somewhere I always have multiple bags to hold snacks, projects, toys, camera, you name it I am probably carrying it. So unless I want to carry one more bag, which I don't, my knitting gets stuffed into the big bag with everything else. These little tote bags have already made all the difference. Just enough fabric to keep everything separate but not so much that it adds much bulk or weight to my already hefty bag.

For the patchwork I used 4" squares instead of 2 1/2" squares and I adjusted the lining accordingly. Other than that little modification I followed the directions completely. A great blog with plenty of more tutorials you can find this one here. Now come on....no matter what kind of crafting you do couldn't you always use one more bag to hold it in?

No hat lovin

2011-01-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

I wish my kids loved wearing hats. I love to knit them hats. I love how fast they are and how quickly they are finished. But no matter how many I knit or how much input they have on color and type they just don't get worn. "My head is itchy" is all I hear and off comes the hat. I have seen some tutorials for lining a knit hat with fleece which is on my to do list but until then here is one solution for my daughter.

A headband. Which at least will get worn.

Something that is at least covering her ears. Warm and soft. Do you notice how still these shots are? All I heard was.....when can I run? I held her off as long as I could so I only got a few shots before she was off around the yard.

Of course it is pink. This girl was born loving pink....I swear it wasn't me.

A very quick knit. Pattern can be found here (free). I just used some scrap yarn from something and followed the pattern. The best part is that the center lace pattern makes it easy to size for any head. Just sew a button on one end and use any part of the lace as the buttonhole. So maybe instead of my daughter raiding her mommy's closet I can go raid hers :)

Being friendly with the sewing machine

2011-01-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

One of the things I would really like to do this year is become better friends with my sewing machine. We really only have a passing acquaintance at best. Each October we come together for a passionate affair of costumes and when it is over we part and don't meet again until the following year. I am constantly finding great little tutorials all over the Internet and I dutifully save each link with my little mantra of someday I'll make this. Well this year I am attempting to actually chip away at some of these projects. I have organized my favorites with a folder for each month of the year and I am putting in little projects to try and accomplish in each month. I have given myself a maximum of 4 sewing projects a month, I'm hoping that by keeping my expectations of myself fairly low I can be truly dazzled at my industry :)

My first project is a camera strap.

It is removable so easy to keep clean but the best part by far is the little pocket sewn onto the strap just big enough to hold my lens cap. I am forever misplacing my lens cap. It has been rescued numerous times from a back pocket of my jeans before being loaded into the washer. Under sofas, on benches in the backyard. When I saw this little tutorial I thought 'wouldn't it be nice to have a little pocket like that?'

So I finally plucked up enough courage and made one. Yes I know it looks like I am fabulous at sewing :) but actually my seam ripper and I have a love affair of our own going on. Don't worry the tutorial is simple, my comprehension drops a lot when I have to read sewing instructions.

Voila....

Tutorial found here. Super easy and fast.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I can't believe the holidays are over. We have had a fun couple of weeks of gluttony and lots of relaxing. We all took a week off from school, work, and responsibility....so nice. I had so many plans to share with you of new recipes and projects but we ate and gave away everything and I kind of just went with the flow and relaxed this year. Nice, but I wish I had bothered to stop and commemorate a bit more. Here are my knitted projects from last year. I could have sworn I made more things but alas this is all. I am hoping that 2011 will see more finished selfish knits because most of them are languishing in tote bags in my office closet waiting for sleeves, or seams.

At the start of a new year I don't do resolutions...to much pressure, but I do believe in taking some stock of your life and making some intentions for the new year. A gentler more forgiving approach to hard and fast resolute promises to improve your life. The one thing that I really intend on improving is my approach to handmade holidays. I hate the rush to finish and by the time I think of things to make in December the only way to finish it would be to rush. So I am following Kristyn's lead and starting an ADENTure for the year 2011. Some of the projects I want are small things to fit in a stocking at Christmas and others are a bit more challenging, to make the actual stockings. I am looking forward to a bright new year and seeing what all of you create! Thank you so much for stopping by this small space and sharing your kind words.

Happy New Year!!! XOXOXO Andrea

A little holiday cheer

2010-12-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

Well we are one last weekend away from the big day over here so I thought I would share a little Christmas cheer with you all. This video has been around for ages and I may be a bit behind the times in just now finding them but here is a fun song. Happy Holidays!

Almost done with my Christmas crafting

2010-12-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

I am not a huge Christmas crafter for presents. Once I add a deadline for a project all the fun is sucked right from it and I approach finishing it with the same dread as I approached finals deadlines in school. This project was a bit different though.

First it only took a couple of hours to finish a pair. Second I knew they would get lots of use and third I quickly memorized the pattern so they were a fantastic mindless knit for watching Christmas movies over the weekend.

Five pairs of mitts for 5 happy children, a mitt that has a little flap top to quickly cover up cold hands.

The pattern is free and has sizing for a child size mitt, a woman size mitt, and one for men. As far as I'm concerned everyone should have a pair and now that I know it so well....maybe everyone will :)

A quick mitt knit

2010-12-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

These were a fairly quick knit and I love them!! I personally think they would make a perfect gift for someone. Especially if you have a more expensive yarn in your stash, maybe a cashmere. I love how long they are because they tuck in beautifully underneath my coat sleeves and the gray means I can wear them with anything.

I used Knit Picks Capra cashmere yarn and I really like it. It has held up beautifully and is very warm and soft. The pattern is free and has a version with or without partial fingers. A few years ago I would have laughed at the idea that I would have a pair of fingerless mitts let alone multiple pairs but I find them quite addicting and perfect when I have a lot of things I want to do out of doors. Friday we cut down our Christmas tree and of course it was cold and snowy and I had pictures I wanted to take and children that needed helping and lunch that needed to be packed and unpacked and these mitts stayed on all day. It isn't to late to cast on a pair for yourself or maybe a gift for someone.....just 18 more days till Christmas :)

Our Christmas counter-downer

2010-12-02T11:13:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago I made an advent calendar of sorts and while I loved it there was a little too much of it. Trying to hang the looonnngg string and find an attractive and easy way to get the mittens, hats, and stockings off was a little too much. So this year I made another one that is a bit more compact and very easy for little fingers to remove each little hat day by day to count down to Christmas.

I have 24 little white hats with alternating pom-poms in green and red and alternating colored numbers to get us to the big day.

Inside each little hat is a little something for the kids. Candy, Christmas erasers, Christmas stamps, and in some of them I just have an activity written down, one night I have watching the Polar Express, making hot chocolate and peppermint whip cream (make whip cream as normal and then fold in candy canes that have been crushed in food processor-minty and colorful).

I made a little quilt of sorts and sewed clear buttons on each square to hang our little hats on. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. The kids are more than excited to take turns pulling down each hat and of course I love that it is completely original.

Now I'm off to make some more treats and finish some cowls for my kids because tomorrow we are heading up into the forest to cut down our Christmas tree with some friends. Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Counting down to Christmas

2010-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow starts the countdown to Christmas....this is a repost of a meme I did a couple of years ago and I love reading other peoples answers. So I am reposting my own responses and hope that some of you join in on your own blogs. 25 Days till Christmas.

1. Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags? Both, depends on how close it is to Xmas morning :)

2. Real tree or artificial? Real. The day after Thanksgiving we load up with friends and head to the mountains to cut one down.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take down the tree? New Years Day I'm over it so everything comes down.

5. Do you like Egg Nog? Not to drink but I made some cookies last year with an egg nog drizzle that were fabulous.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My first Walkman when I was 11 or my first cabbage patch doll (total toss up)
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No. We have a huge Christmas village that has been added too over 13 years and it is slowly taking over the house :)

8. Hardest person to buy for? My mother-in-law

9. Easiest person to buy for? My kids

10. Mail or email Christmas Cards? Mail

11. Favorite Christmas Movie? Every Christmas Eve we watch It's a Wonderful Life

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fudge

13. White lights or coloured? Clear

14. Favorite Christmas Song? Do you Hear What I Hear by Bing Crosby. It was the one Xmas CD we listened too religiously at Christmas time when I was growing up.

15. Travel or stay home at Christmas? Stay home. We traveled for every holiday when I was growing up and so now I stay home.

16.Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer? Yep, but I have to sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in my head to do it.

17. Angel or Star on the top of the tree? Neither, it's a glass tree topper from a local store

18. Open presents Christmas Eve or Morning? The kids can open one on Christmas Eve but everything else happens in the morning.

19. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Seeing Xmas stuff in October

20. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees? Homey trees, handmade ornaments, stuff from my childhood, definitely homey

21. Gingerbread or Sugar Cookies? I like sugar cookies better and we make a gingerbread house.

Little acorn hat

2010-11-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend just had her second baby. For her little girl I made this little upside down flower hat and she wore it for almost two years. So now that she has her little boy and since he was born in November I needed to come up with something for him. So here is a little acorn hat (hopefully it looks like a little acorn)

I used Bernat bamboo for the light brown portion and some organic cotton I had lying around for the top of the acorn. I made some quick little mitts for him as well using the bamboo. They are so soft and cozy and I hope they get a lot of use.

I also made up these little "cookies" the other day. There isn't that much sugar but my kids LOVED them.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies
Mix: 1 1/2 cups wheat flour::3/4 cup rolled oats::1/2 teaspoon baking powder::1/2 teaspoon baking soda::1/2 teaspoon salt::1/2 teaspoon nutmeg:: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon::1/2 cup raw sugar
In a separate bowl mix: 1 teaspoon canola oil::1/3 cup soy milk::1/2 cup pumpkin puree:: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract::
Mix wet and dry and add 1/3 chocolate chips. Mound onto baking sheet with small ice cream scoop and bake for 12 minutes, turning once halfway. Delicious!! Have a lovely Wednesday. We are going to go outside and enjoy one last day of decent weather before a snowstorm blows in this weekend.

Finally more knits

2010-11-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

So clearly I have been stuck in a time warp :). Finishing up costumes for Halloween, making treats for a Halloween party, a nasty computer virus (all cleaned up), a cold passed around the entire family, and then trying to keep a grip on the house in general and all that family admin. that goes on. Knitting and crafting and photographing and posting and blog reading have taken a backseat. So sorry!! After attempting to get my son into his sweater (with a little candy bribery) his answer was still a resounding I DON'T WANT TO, explained as only a three year old can explain. So my pictures are without a model.

I used the recommended yarn and loved it. No modifications.

The pattern is arshile by berroco. I love the pattern book. There is something, or a couple of somethings, that I want for myself, a sweater for my husband, and I think I want to knit up all the kiddo patterns. Just a great pattern book. All the patterns are modeled by the lovely family of spiderwomanknits. I really recommend it. Okay now I know I said before that I would be back soon with more posts and my word may be a little suspect but I do have lots more planned to share and I'm working on some fun things for Christmas so please don't tune out! Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Little girl sweater for fall

2010-10-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Towards the end of summer I did a lot of searching for the perfect fall sweaters for my children. When I came across the Petite Purls website of patterns (all free) I found the perfect cardigan for my daughter.

The Pink Orchard pattern was created by a woman who also wrote the pattern for the dress I made earlier this year. I love them both dearly and I wish she had more patterns available.

I used the recommended yarn from Knit Picks and changed the colors per my daughters request. Avery is in love with pink and purple so of course that is what we went with. I modifed the button band by picking up stitches and knitting it in 2x2 ribbing instead of knitting and sewing on a button band separately. We also went with one button as the recipient only wanted one purple heart button.

Her jaguar needed to be in the photos as well since "her collar matches my sweater".....and as always there was plenty of running.

So sorry I have been away for so long (cooped up sewing Halloween costumes) but this photo is the start of a finished off parade. Enjoy your weekends, I will be finishing up costumes, watching Halloween movies and enjoying a weekend rainstorm, and I will hopefully be back Monday with another finished off knit.

93 Degrees

2010-09-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

I meant to post a photo of my daughter's finished cardigan but modeling a wool sweater in 93 degree heat just makes everyone grouchy. So instead my kids are running in the sprinklers.

I meant to make this soup this week but a hot oven for roasting vegetables and soup simmering on the stove in 93 degree heat just makes me grouchy.
I wanted to finish the hoodie for Jack for our camping trip this weekend (probably the last of the season) but.....you guessed it! It's 93 degrees.

I wanted to take some pictures to change up the old blog here with some autumn foliage but all I got was a photo of my Gerber daisy on the patio that is still hanging on.

Hopefully this weekend we'll get a chance to cool off in the mountains and I can get some of my to-do's done. Have a great weekend!

2010-09-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

So my self-imposed moratorium on buying any more yarn or starting any more projects failed miserably. I received Webs new fall catalog and fell in love with some of the projects. And yes I succumbed to temptation like a true junkie and started clicking away.

When I saw this pattern in particular I couldn't resist and since I haven't made my son anything green yet what is girl to do but cast on?

The pattern book has 13 patterns and I want to knit up at least 6 of them at first glance. The children patterns have a large range of sizing and so I can knit something for both kids out of this one booklet.
A cardigan for me and maybe something for my husband (that would be a first).

Now I need to finish at least a couple of projects this weekend in order to allow myself to cast on for this one. Hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a relaxing weekend!

School Uniform

2010-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

For me that is. Five days a week I have to be at school to do the kindergarten drop off and since these kids are so little and on an unsupervised playground until school starts I have to hang out until the bell rings. You know what that means right? No schlepping from the house and just hanging out in the car. I need to be 'somewhat' ready to go in the morning. Now this isn't that big of a deal but I work early in the morning before the family is awake and I stop at 8 am and we leave by 8:30. Me, the kindergartner and the 3 year old.....hence the need for me to have a school uniform. My uniform is going to consist of jeans, a trench coat, and sunglasses most day. Looks put together on the outside and hides everything :). I decided that maybe in preparation I should knit up some accessories to help change up my look, if that's what you can call it. So here is the point the way scarf.

I used 3 skeins of knit picks cadena yarn and the beauty of it is that it's reversible. So no matter how quick I throw this around my neck I don't have to worry about a "right" side showing and I can at least delude myself into thinking that I look put together. It is really long and so soft and the color will hopefully add a little pep in my step on the mornings that I'm dragging.

Now I'm off to get the last minute stuff together for Avery's sixth birthday party tomorrow. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Tuesday

2010-09-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all the lovely comments about my cardigan. This week it has been cool in the mornings and I have slipped it on over my jammies while I sipped my morning coffee out on my back deck. The cool air combined with the cozy warmth of my cardigan definitely dismissed any ideas I had of frogging it. It is designed to be roomy it just feels a bit too roomy when I wear it but as the weather cools I can see myself reaching for it more and more. It is a keeper.

Now it is a Tuesday morning and I planned on getting in a run. I have a shelf over my treadmill in my office where a small DVD player fits perfectly so that I can watch a show while I get in some exercise and still keep an ear out for my son playing trains in the next room. Besides the exercise I want/need I have quite a few projects hanging over my head. My featherweight cardigan is still waiting for sleeves. I recently cast on for this little project after I saw an ad in the recent Vogue magazine for a friend of mine who is having a baby in November.

I need to finish the button bands and collar on this sweater for my daughter.

Oh and I would still like to get a run in before I have to leave for kindergarten pick-up. What am I doing instead? Well Jack, my son, requested a red sweater with a zipper for him for this winter. So after perusing ravelry I found this pattern. I have some red worsted weight yarn, the picture of that pattern in hand, my son's measurements, and some Elizabeth Zimmerman books, and I have dropped everything else to try and figure out a pattern for my 3 year old son. This really isn't like me. I'm not strictly a monogamous knitter but I rarely have more than 2 things going on at once and if I decide to cast on for a third project I finish up what is hanging out there. I think a self-imposed ban from all knitting sites is in order until I get a grip on myself.

Swank

2010-09-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Amidst all the busyness of the end of summer beginning of fall transition there has been some knitting going on. I finished this cardigan a bit ago but haven't taken any photos because I am not thrilled with how it turned out. I have concluded that I either have a funhouse tape measure that is constantly misleading me or else any math skills I may have possessed (and there was a time when I prided myself on being very good at math) have abandoned me.

My gauge is correct, I knit to my own size/specifications and still it is just too big. Too big in a great for around the house watching a movie on the sofa kind of way but wouldn't really want to venture out into the world wearing it.

I love the little details on it like the seed stitch cuff and bottom. The ribbing that makes up the raglan sleeves. Berroco Ultra Alpaca is very soft once washed and it is very warm.

So should I keep it and just know that it will remain an around the house knit or should I scrap it and do something different?

By the way do you like my impromptu shawl pin to hold it closed while I took some photos? A small stick from our yard. I needed something and knew that if I went back inside I would be sucked into mom stuff and domestic duties :)

By the way do any of you have any pangs of embarrassment when someone spies you taking pictures of your knitting? I heard my neighbor puttering around next door and immediately froze wondering if he had spied me.....is it just me or does anybody else have that moment of....hope no one saw me.

All in all it is warm and cozy and I will probably wear it around the house this winter. Before I forget here is the pattern link (free). I'm not a fan of these photos so sister dear when you read this know that you are going to be phoned for the next photoshoot :)
Happy Friday to all of you!!

End of Summer

2010-09-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

So sorry I stepped away for so long. The wrapping up of summer and the start of everyday school for my daughter kind of left me in a time warp. There has been a flurry of organizing going on so that the morning routine runs smoothly. My oldest started kindergarten a couple of weeks ago, we did preschool a few mornings a week the last few years but this is still a big step. 5 days a week, lots of kids, new teacher, a big school, a longer drive. Just as things were getting really fun with her off she goes to school :)

I find that the longer I go between posts the harder it is to get back in the routine of it all. So although I don't have pictures to brighten this space up or anything finished to share I just needed to post a small hello. I hope all is well with all of you and now that I am back in the swing I'm catching up with all your stories. Hopefully I'll have something finished by this weekend to share.

A little housecleaning

2010-08-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

While this is mainly a knitting blog there are times when a little crossover happens. Some discussions about food and recipes, family and of course one of my more dreaded domestic duties...housecleaning.

I have mentioned my love for the flylady website. One of her recommended daily chores is a quick wipe down of the master bathroom. Now while I will admit to not adhering to this in the strict daily sense I have been wiping down the bathrooms on my house a couple to few times a week. This may seem like a lot of bathroom cleaning but my bathroom, the largest, takes on average 4 minutes. The first two minutes I am brushing my teeth while I spray down and wipe the mirror and spray and wipe party of the counter/sinks. Then a quick swish of mouthwash while I finish the counter and spray down the toilet area. One last minute and the toilet and floors have been given a quick wash.

Speaking from the experience of practicing this housecleaning tip for the last six months.....when all else in life is chaotic, the house is a mess, sibling fights, whatever; walking into your sparkly clean bathroom kind of melts the rest of the chaos away. Clean counters, mirrors, sink etc....can make all the difference at the end of a rough day.

So back to the topic at hand namely knitting. I needed some clean wash rags to keep stacked in the bathrooms, not to mention that I have to finish seaming a cardigan and work out some details on my whisper cardigan so in order to avoid that I cast on for these washrags.

I have a cupboard full of torn towels, and t-shirts that are my usual rags but since these rags sit out, ever at the ready for a quick clean, I wanted something a little more aestetically pleasing.

The quickest easiest pattern. Found here on ravelry (free). Just the kind of knit I needed while we were tooling around town shopping for a new washing machine (got one). I chose white so that they would match anything and I can throw them in the wash with a little bleach and make sure they are really clean. Not a terribly exciting knit but sometimes function wins over form.

Now I am off to seaming hell to finish a cardian for myself. Hoping to have it finished to share with you all this weekend.

July

2010-07-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

We are edging towards the end of July and like most of you we are in full summer swing. I have small whispers going around my head because school will be starting in less than a month and I know that all this relaxed busyness we have been experiencing will go the way of the dodo and in will slide the routine of school. I have been doing what I can to keep my kids busy and therefore exhausted come evening. Filling our days with beach time, swimming, park days, library time, baseball games, and camping.

My washing machine died this week. I got a quickie 'degree' from the University of Google :) and took my machine apart bit by bit and discovered that the broken bits are deep inside and the parts will cost almost as much as a new machine. $%#&*^ I was kind of hoping my machine would last longer than 5 1/2 years. So the laundry is coming down the hall and threatening to take over my family room, our days and nights have been filled and therefore we haven't gotten a new washer and company will be here Saturday.....ahhh.

I don't feel like cooking and so many of our meals have looked like this...

What do you think? Finger food is always a fave around here and it sure makes cleanup easy.
This month also marks eight years of marriage for me.....eight years??? How did that happen. I still feel like I am only 25 or at the very least just a couple of years past.....27 tops. 2 kids, 8 years of marriage, a mortgage, a couple of career changes and a partridge in a peartree :)

Here is where I was for my first wedding anniversary

Not to shabby eh? This year? Well we had two stolen hours while the kids were at grandma and grandpa's so we had dinner at a local brew pub. Maybe it isn't as glamorous as the eiffel tower but we still had a fun date. I hope to have finished knitting content soon but until I do I'll be at the pool :)

What to do

2010-07-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

It's Friday afternoon and your cardigan is slowly progressing. You want to do something fun at the bottom in lieu of the 2x2 rib the pattern calls for. Some pattern perusing online. Back-issues of Vogue and Interweave Knitting magazines are brought out. Nothing inspires. The weekend is coming and all the while you just want to finish something. Cast on for a project, watch your fingers quickly turn string into garments, and cast off again. A look through the stash and 2 small skeins of yarn are found. Ravelry, a seriously invaluable resource, is logged into and the advanced search is activated. Here is my yarn and since I only have 110 yards I need a small project so how about looking up a hat. Oh and I don't want to have to buy anything either because this is after all just a quick hit of knitting no need to fire up paypal or anything :)

Enter this hat.

A very easy knit. The pattern can be found here. I used Rowan Cashsoft Chunky yarn, just under 2 skeins.

So hard to photograph myself....

Have a great weekend.

Fourth of July

2010-07-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

Happy fourth of July to everyone in the U.S.A.

My family escaped to our property up in the mountains for the weekend. Someday I hope to say we escaped to our 'cabin' up in the mountains but until that day comes it is just a piece of land an hour out of town with a lake close by.

Some friends came up to join us in a few nights of camping. We did small hikes through the forest and around the lake, played games, ate, laughed, roasted marshmallows, told stories and just enjoyed getting away.

Each time we arrive and set up the kids look to make sure our face in the tree hasn't disappeared.

Now it's always fun for the kids if they get to 'help' make goodies to bring along. I use the word help loosely because anyone who has done anything with a three year old and a five year old knows that they are anything but helpful :) But in order to put on the good mommy hat I included them. First sprinkles,

Then chocolate and pretzels....

a little dipping and voila. Treats for all to share up in the woods.

I do realize that red, white, and blue sprinkles would have been more appropriate but all I had were rainbow ones, what's a girl to do? Now I am off to make snacks for a baseball game tonight and some fireworks to follow.

My son

2010-06-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Three years ago I was teaching myself how to knit. I had purchased a DVD that had basic knit and purl instructions, some yarn, and a pair of plastic needles that came with the DVD. I had a 2 year old daughter and was pregnant with my son and I had visions of handmade knits for all. My grandmother passed away in 2003 and when she died I came home with a box of cream colored yarn. No labels on any of the skeins just wound balls of yarn. After I had mastered knitting and purling and didn't require the DVD in slow motion to knit some stockinette stitch I decided to use up the yarn and make a blanket for my baby to be. Of course only the simplest stitches would do because I was a complete novice and I needed a project I could pick and put down while I chased after a two year old and battled bouts of morning sickness. When the blanket was finished I washed and folded it and waited for the baby to put inside.

These are some photos I came across of my son Jack swaddled up in the blanket when he was days/weeks old. The edge of the blanket has y/o increases and decreases and I threaded some blue ribbon through the the holes as a little edging on the blanket. I quickly tore it out though when visions of choking ran through my head.

As I write this I am watching my son build a fort. He ran over to me with the above blanket in hand and asked, "Mommy did you make this all by yourself?" I replied yes I did and he then informed me that it is perfect (or as he says ferfect) but I need to fix all the little holes on the edge. :)

Hope you are having a wondeful Saturday!

The Holiday

2010-06-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

So last night I wanted to knit. Work on my project. A project that nobody in the house is excited about but me because it is only for me. My current knit is the featherweight cardigan. There are 1,577 of them on Ravelry so I don't think I can go wrong with this one. I am knitting it longer in the body and so I am doing what seems to be thousands of knit/purl stitches to keep that stockinette going. On a warm June evening what is a girl to do to help encourage masses of knitting using lace weight yarn???

Well I turned to my TV for a little help. The Holiday. An adorable romantic comedy that takes place over the Christmas holiday. I have to think that you have all seen it because this thing is chock full of beautiful knits.

Some are just so gorgeous that make me feel like if I knit them then I will look like Cameron Diaz or Kate Winslet :)

Other knits in the film (along with the beautiful English setting at Christmas) just help make me feel like knitting...unlike the summer sun where I am.

A few of the light sweaters that Kate Winslet wears just help me want to finish my own light knit so I can wear it. So there you go....one way to help inspire hot weather knitting. Hope you are having a wonderful father's day weekend!

Intentions

2010-06-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. I intended to get over to this space weeks ago. Everytime I would try something came up. You know the drill. I didn't have the right photo to show or I decided to chuck it and go to a baseball game with my family. Date night with my husband. Good TV or a movie.

I intended to knit a bunch of mitts like I did last May and Hats like last June.

Instead of all of that I'll get back into the saddle by sharing a few photos from a trip we took up the Oregon Coast at the end of May.

We combed beaches and explored. It was a nice way to kick off summer. Since I've been home I have been attempting to settle into a new summer rhythm. The weather has been cooler than normal which has thrown me off but next week I hope to start up our weekly trips to our favorite beach. I am working on a summer knit for myself (gasp) I know usually everything I make is for my children but I am hoping to finally make something that I really like for myself.

I hope you are all having a nice start to summer and I'll post some more info on my knit soon.

Spring Dress

2010-05-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

I swear someday I will actually start and finish a project for myself. I have plenty of things lined up that I would love to wear but unfortunately there are to many adorable little girl projects and I have a little girl who loves to wear anything I make. I know I'm going to blink my eyes and she'll be a teenager and all bets will be off. So until then I offer up yet another little girl knit.

Elenka from Knitty (free). It is knit in the round from the bottom up so as you get closer and closer to finishing, it gets faster and faster to knit.

I had to lengthen it because the sizes only go up to 5T and my daughter is wearing 6x, she is quite tall. I just worked more rounds of the lace skirt in each section. I used Knit Picks Comfy Worsted in Peony for the dress (5 skeins) and Ivory for the edges (about 1/3 skein). Very affordable to make and she loves it.

There is a purple ribbon thread through the upper waist area. I wanted a lacy ivory colored ribbon but my little fashionista decided that purple was the way to go and I humbly bowed to her wishes :).

The cotton is very soft and should be nice and light to wear for most of the summer. It has already seen a lot of wear and dirt.

I love the daisy stitch on the bodice. So delicate and perfect for this little dress and the double crochet eding really finishes it nicely. Now I'm off for a busy mother's day weekend. Birthday parties and gardening and hopefully a little sleeping in for me. Have a fantastic weekend!!

Bulky Spring Sweater

2010-05-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

I finished this cardigan a few weeks ago but uncooperative weather didn't permit any pictures. Finally a few shots of my daughter playing outside and voluntary wearing my sweater. A willing participant always helps the photo shoots :).

The sweater turned out pretty cute. Unfortunately between when I measured her for the sweater and finishing it she shot up about 2 inches. So the bottom is a little bit shorter than I would have liked.

She is going back and forth across the yard 'making soup' in her 'kitchen'. There was a lot of "How about a picture of me stirring my soup. How about one of me collecting herbs."

The pattern is Red Vines Coat, raveled here. I used Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky and I hate saying it but I won't be using it again. There was a lot of spots that were super thin and it broke or really thick where it looked like a large knot. I ordered it online and the color is great but the fiber not as much. At the rate she's growing it probably won't fit past this spring.

It was knit in sections from the bottom up but the use of bulky yarn made it very quick. She loves wearing it over her sundresses to keep her warm and it has made many appearances to nighttime baseball games. What more could a knitting mom ask for?

Bringing back the 80's

2010-04-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

My daughter has her own sense of style. At five she doesn't get dressed so much as assemble an outfit. I love that she has her own ideas about what looks good and what doesn't. From which hair band she wants to wear to the color of her socks. A lot of pink and purple. Very girly and a must have is accessories. From the time she was very small she would dig underneath my bathroom sink to collect as many ponytail holders as she could. Then she would sit on the floor and line them up her arm as bracelets. Mind you she couldn't even say the word bracelet yet but she knew she liked them.

This affinity for clothes and style did not come from me. I am very happy in a t-shirt and jeans. I wear what is comfortable and clean. My daughter's love for what she wears is definitely something she was born with.

Yesterday evening she came running outside in her evening outfit. A sun dress with a small hoodie, pink flip flops and these purple leg warmers.

She wanted to play soccer and practice kicking the ball into the goal and in her mind the leg warmers were just the thing to finish her "soccer outfit". Gotta love it! Spiral Leg Warmers (free pattern). Hope you're having a nice Sunday!

Baseball Season

2010-04-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Well it is that time of year again. Baseball season. We have season tickets to the local team and when baseball season starts it feels like summer is here. Even if the games we attend for the next few weeks will mean a lot of layering and even more hot chocolate to keep us warm, just knowing it is baseball season means camping, the beach, and picnics are right around the corner. With baseball season though comes a lot of preparation for a family of four (two of which are under six) to attend the games. The games start at 7 o'clock and parking is at a premium. So if you want to get one of the few free parking spots a person should at the game somewhere in the vicinity of 6:15. Since the park is 20-30 minute drive from our house, depending on traffic, this doesn't leave a whole lot of time for dinner.

I try to do quick dinners. Pasta dishes loaded with veggies, sandwiches and fruit, you know the kind of meals mostly everyone will eat quickly so we can get down to the stadium. Sometimes though there isn't quite enough time for a full meal so I pack snacks. Now I'm sure you can imagine how the same old snacks all summer long get old. Coupled with the fact that I have an unexplainable love for ballpark nachos. It isn't the chips that I love....it's the cheese sauce. That obnoxiously orange, reminiscent of the neon from the 80's, crazy nothing good for you, chock full of chemicals, nacho sauce. As far as I'm concerned the chips are only there as a vehicle to eat the sauce. What a sad confession I know. The mom who is always trying to cook fresh, nutritious food for her family is addicted to neon orange cheese. Now since I would like to keep this addiction down and only have nachos a couple of times this summer I will be making lots of snacks to take with us and curb the junk food.

Enter Fruit and Pecan Granola Bars. Yummy! Super easy to make (I bet you have the ingredients in your house right now) and can easily be converted to gluten free, just substitute the 1 tablespoon of flour for a gluten free alternative. I changed the sugar to 1/2 cup instead of a cup and they are plenty sweet.

The only drawback? The kids love them.....guess I'll have to double up my batches :)

Belated Happy Easter

2010-04-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! So we decorated eggs.....

Set the table for a fabulous Easter Sunday brunch with friends and family...

Endured a hilarious easter egg hunt complete with winter parkas and hurricane force winds (sorry no pics). We finally come to my deadline Easter knitting for my babes. Easter bunnies for my kiddos and a pink button accessory so my kids can tell the girl bunny from the boy bunny.

A purple jumper for her and a red hoodie for him. It's a fantastic pattern with more clothes for the rabbits to wear. I was informed by a certain five year old that they really need socks because their feet were going to get cold. Oh and wouldn't it be fun if they had hats with holes for their ears. Oh and mommy could you knit.... I'm sure you get the picture :)

I used this pattern, scrap yarn and had lots of fun. Well I had fun once they were done and there were smiles and thanks from my kids. During the actual knitting? Umm....you might have been able to hear a few naughty words from my bedroom late at night while I knitted as fast as my hands/abilities would allow to finish them. Honestly it wasn't the knitting that was difficult it was the faces. I don't even want to tell you how many times I cut out wonky nose and mouth lines only to sew them back on just as wonky as they were the first time. 'Sigh', hopefully my embroidery skills will improve with time and practice. Hope your week is going well!

Food Revolution

2010-04-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Happy first day of April. Trying to get over and check in with everyone has been tough. So many projects and so little time. I'm currently finishing up two projects for my kids for Easter. I don't know what the matter is with me...I loathe deadline crafting. Especially deadline crafting that must be hidden and knit in secret.... I'll share when they are finished.

I just wanted to pop in this space and pass on the link to Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution petition. I'm sure you all have heard of the tv show that is airing right now but if you haven't, click on the link to get more information. My daughter will be heading off to the big bad public school system this fall and as a result I am getting more and more involved in what goes on at said public school. She will be brown bagging it for lunches I'm sure (she's incredibly picky) but it is appalling what is offered up as 'lunch' to kids in the school system. I think most of you would agree that nutrition plays a major role in our health and that for kids to learn and grow and soak up knowledge they need more in their stomach than a questionable meat and something that resembles corn in color but little else. I signed the petition and I hope it makes a difference. Sorry for the soapbox gripe but sometimes things just spill over :)

This week

2010-02-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

This last week I have been working away at my 2010 intention of not wasting...

I have been meticulously composting. It's amazing how much we have to compost. All those winter soups and stews have yielded a lot of scrap veggies. Not to mention breakfast smoothie fruit scraps. I'm looking forward to all the gorgeous soil the composter will yield so I can smother my garden with it. I have already pulled out my gardening books and flower books and I am planning for warmer weather.

Loving this cake. Thanks Larissa for the link. It tastes good and has fruit and yogurt in the ingredients. Nothing like feeling virtuous while you are scarfing down bread sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Made a turkey dinner for my husband's birthday. Thanksgiving is his favorite meal and so the last few years I have cooked up a Turkey dinner on his birthday complete with stuffing, potatoes, gravy and green beans. With the leftovers I make pasties to freeze and they are the perfect quickie meal. A Thanksgiving dinner all wrapped up in a crispy pastry crust. We had friends over to celebrate, a gazillion kids, and a surprise snowstorm to boot. All in all a good weekend.

And casting on for another sweater for my daughter. I don't want to waste any of this time while my kids are little and love wearing anything I knit. I had some bulky wool and this sweater is one I have had my eye on for awhile now. Hopefully I'll finish it up this week.

How is your week going?

A pullover for Jack

2010-02-15T15:13:00.000-08:00

While organizing closets a couple of weeks ago I noticed that my son only had only one handknit sweater from me. My daughter has half a dozen at least. I love wool sweaters for the kids because sometimes a winter coat is too much but a shirt isn't enough. A pullover or hoodie is the perfect in between. So while watching the olympics over the weekend I pulled out some worsted weight washable wool and cast on for a pullover.

No pattern was used. Just his chest measurement with 2 inches of ease added, then I used the recipe from the princess dress for all my numbers.

A simple raglan pullover with a bit of white striping to break up all that blue.

Perfect for today where we have warm (for winter) temps and blue skies.

I didn't even wash or block it because good temperatures and an even tempered two year old equals to "strike while the iron is hot". So we headed outside for lots of play.

I used Knit Picks Worsted weight Shine in blue and Cascade 220 superwash for the white. Size 6 needles. Pattern: Mine :)
Hope you are having a lovely start to your week!

Valentine's party time

2010-02-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day is upon us and it was time to get all the finishing touches on my daughter's valentines for her class. After seeing this I decided to do a version of it for my daughter's friends. We gathered our supplies of red fleece, thread, a heart pattern, needles, tissue paper and glitter glue.

Of course we were going to need some candy to fill up the little heart pouches.

After I cut out two heart shapes, our new budding resident seamstress stitched them together. The pillow is on her lap to avoid poking herself when she pushes the needle through the heart.

I know there would have been many tears of frustration if she tried to spell out each persons name. The initials were our compromise.

We tucked candy into tissue paper where she used a marker to write a little message and her name and we tucked each paper pouch into the appropriate heart.

I think they turned out really cute and she's excited to pass them out. These would be great if you were hosting a party; they could serve as a place setting and a small gift. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

Happy Friday

2010-02-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

I am looking forward to a little pampering this weekend. Some home spa remedies, tea, and a book. The superbowl is on Sunday and we have a four year old birthday party in the morning and a party to attend in the afternoon/evening for the big game so I am going to indulge myself a little bit this Friday afternoon in anticipation of my busy Sunday.

I have this book to peruse and hopefully find some good moisturizing masks because this winter is drying my skin out beyond belief.

I am going to make copious amounts of tea to sip while I start a new book. I know green tea is very good for you but it is not a favorite; this one from Good Earth with mango, peach, and pineapple is fantastic hot or on ice. But my first tea love is chai tea and I always have plenty of that on hand.

I have this book list I posted last year. Seventy-Five books every woman should read. Sadly I haven't read anything in the last year to make the list a little smaller. So I have The Left Hand of Darkness to start on my way to whittling down the list.

Anything fun on your list of things to do?

A little taste of the holidays in February

2010-02-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

Each year on the day after Thanksgiving we scour the mountain for just the right tree. The menfolk cut it down and haul it back to the truck. We walk through the woods sometimes through snow, sometimes not. Back at the trucks the trees are loaded in the back and our lunchtime picnics are pulled out. Hampers of food full of Thanksgiving leftovers and goodies baked for this day. A thermos for coffee and another of hot chocolate. Giggling, story telling, good food shared with friends and tree cutting.

This weekend my husband surprised each of us with a special present. A reminder of that special day and the month of Christmas that follows. Using a saved portion of our Christmas tree trunk he....

Cut

Sanded

Drilled

And created pencil holders for all of us.

He sealed them with a clear sealant and used a sodering iron to put the date on the bottom. Placed on our tables and desks we each now have a small reminder of our Christmas tree.

And if you don't have any pencils that need to be stored then lollipops will do in a pinch :)

Some mitts for my girl

2010-01-28T13:07:00.001-08:00

Well after the flurry of mitt knitting last May my daughter requested some for her. So what was I to do but cast on.

They have been approved for all sorts of activities like bike riding
Potion making
And some unapproved activities like painting at a friends house :)
And of course after I knit up one pair she requested another and another and another. I am expecting to have a rainbow of colors knit up very soon for her.

Here is the link. It is a free pattern and incredibly fast and easy to knit. I used Cascade 220 superwash, a superb fiber for children knits. Both pairs have been washed and dried (in the dryer) many times and are holding up beautifully.
P.S. The yarn I used for my newsboy cap was Blue Sky Alpacas 100% alpaca sportweight. Luscious yarn.

The New Year

2010-01-25T13:55:00.000-08:00

Happy new year to you all! It is the first month of the new year and after a lot of lazing around with my family after the holidays I feel full of energy. Being as it is the new year there is usually a lot of resolutions being made. I prefer to call them intentions because then there is no sense of failure if/when I slip up. I am very excited for this year and my intention is going to be to not waste. Period. Not waste .....

my time- I want to spend my time. If I am being lazy then relish the nothingness. Not just spend time but fill it. Actively. Knitting projects, sewing projects, playing mindfully with my children, really enjoying each moment.

food-I want to buy and cook food with the least amount of waste and really compost what I can. Not just when I think about it but really do it. Plan my meals. Cook mindfully. Prepare in volume and freeze for later.

my body-Exercise this body of mine. It is healthy and strong and I shouldn't waste this time while I am on the youngish side. Keep it healthy and strong for when I get older.

yarn/fabric-I want to make things that are either beautiful or will be used. If I make it and it doesn't fit into either category than rip-rip.

I think you get the idea. With this in mind here is my first project for 2010. I turned this

into this.

The Hannah Newsboy Hat (ravelry link).

I didn't wear the cowl ever and I really needed a carpool hat for the days when I can't quite get it together before we get out the door. This is my solution to feeling just a bit more put together. It was very easy to knit and the pattern comes with a lot of different ways to make the hat. Multiple bands, and hat tops can be mixed and matched and then just add the brim. I will definitely be making more.

The only part I am not particularly thrilled with is the brim. It was torn out out and redone twice and I think this is as good as it will get. Maybe my next one will turn out a little better.

I hope you are all off to a wonderful start for 2010!!

This month

2009-12-12T05:09:00.000-08:00

The last two months kind of got away from me. We had about four weeks of someone or multiple someones being sick. And then we left town right in the middle of the holiday season for ten days. The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland at Christmas...

It has been a very fun vacation for the family. My husband has had a conference for half of it and the rest of the time we played. Now I am sitting in a hotel room listening to it pour outside. I am alternating between catching up on blogs and watching the weather and road reports. We have a long drive home ahead of us and there has been a lot of snow in our absence and it just keeps on coming. I only finished one pair of socks in November and December has been prepping for vacation and then the vacation. I did bring some knitting but it has sat in my bag this whole time. Thanks for checking in Kristyn I appreciate it, all is well just busy :)

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! I'll check back in next week when we are home.

Things I love right now

2009-11-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for the supportive and encouraging comments. It helps to feel that I'm not alone in my knitting debacle and that there is hope I will turn the page and knit something that fits and looks good on me. That being said I have pulled out my knitting books that have information on design. The tape measure is sitting close by to take some accurate measurements of my body and I have a notebook with some notes on what kind of cardigan I would like. I really appreciate the advice from all of you.

Here is the cookie recipe from my last post. Where was my head? Picture but no recipe :)

1/2 Cup Shortening, 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar, 3/4 t baking soda, 1 t. ground ginger, 1 t . ground allspice, 1/4 t. salt, 1/4 cup molasses, 1 egg, 2 cups flour, 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped (I used dark chocolate chips)

Beat shortening in mixer; add brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, allspice, and salt-combine well; Beat in molasses and egg; beat in flour; stir in chocolate. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes or until bottoms browned; cool on wire rack. Makes 36 cookies.

They can be frozen for up to 3 months so make a double batch and freeze for when someone pops over. Great with coffee!

Now here are a few things I am loving...

Google Reader has become my go to place for blog reading. It is set up through GMail and has saved me tons of time. Whenever a new blog has been posted it shows up in a list right in my reader. I then click and voila I am transported straight to your blog. It ensures I don't miss any of your blog posts.

Fly Lady , what can I say except my house is clean thanks to you. Thank you Erin for posting a link to her site. Part of my struggle with balance in my life has been the overwhelming task of keeping my house picked up and clean. I have to think I'm not alone in this battle. If this is something you struggle with as well go check out her site when you have the time. The Daily, weekly, and zone cleaning routines work like a charm. My stresses about the house being clean have vanished.

I know we are in the midst of winter and the holidays but I have a new love. The Anacapa Summery Aran Wrap from Knitting in the Sun. I found this photo of the wrap on knit picks and I love it. When I saw the photo on Ravelry of this pattern I had no opinion, but this photo.....it did it for me.

I don't currently own any shawls and last summer during my knit-a-long with the Elizabeth Zimmerman Almanac I opted out. But this....I really want it.

I'm also loving, Thea's fireside sweater, Chris' pinky goodness, Erin's birthday shirts, and Philigry's cardigan. Now I'm off to knit some more socks, tend to a sick child, and hopefully watch a snowstorm blow in...what does your day look like?

Knitting blahs

2009-11-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

My clasica coat is in knitting death throes, aka being frogged. Oh clasica coat how did I love thee? Well so much that this is killing my love of knitting, momentarily of course. The sleeves are waaaay to long. The front hangs a bit cockeyed and the whole thing weighs close to one hundred pounds. One of these by itself could probably be fixed but after painstakingly seaming it together and then being almost done and having this many problems, well it is too much for me to take and it is being frogged and hopefully forgotten.

After so many problems with knitting sweaters for myself I am a bit depressed. Here is a link for the first sweater I knit for myself and a little problem I had with gauge. If you want a good giggle click and check it out. My neckdown hooded cardigan turned out well enough but just didn't fit right. It too has been frogged and is awaiting a reincarnation.

My knitting seems to be fine it is just the fit that eludes me. The knits for my children turn out great. My daughter is wearing this dress for the third time this week and has requested a winter version, long sleeves and the bottom of the dress needs to touch her toes

So back to the drawing board. I am going to take the yarn from my clasica coat and cast on for the ubiquitous Fireside Cardigan inspired by The Holiday. I have pulled out all the design books I have and my tape measure in the hopes that I'll finally get it right.

After all of this knitting heartache a little fall sweetness was in order. Gingerbread cookies with dark chocolate chunks. Seriously delicious. I have dug out cookie recipes from all corners of the house and with my children snuggled up next to me on the sofa we have poured over them. Picking this one and that one to make. Queuing up baking recipes much like my knitting in Ravelry. Holiday baking is in order for this weekend. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend too!

P.S. I have one knee sock knit for my daughter and the other one started. Hopefully I'll finish it this weekend.

November Socks

2009-11-03T07:16:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for all your kind comments regarding the kids costumes. I have resigned myself to the fact that if I want to be a better sewer I have to actually sew more than once or twice a 'year. I am making a sewing queue for myself so that I can improve my 'sewing skills' (a term I use loosely) and maybe next Halloween won't be so bad. Anyway.....

The November knit for the Elizabeth Zimmerman knit-a-long is socks. I don't have a lot of sock knitting experience but I have my books and yarn at the ready and I'm not afraid of my small double pointed needles. I am going to try and knit a pair for myself, my husband, my daughter, and my son by the end of the month. Since my clasica coat is just awaiting a few more seams and weaving in the ends I think I can do it.

I am aware that October was socktoberfest but for those of you who are sock enthusiasts or you just didn't knit any up last month here are some patterns to try out (all free to download)

Absinthe for a try on cables and toe up construction. Some basic toe up socks if you just want to try it out without a pattern to contend with. Felted slippers to keep your feet cozy. Interlocking leaf socks to keep in the season. Pedicure socks. Baby booties. Socks knit flat for those afraid of double pointed needles. Socks for kilts. Ballet slippers. Toddler socks. Cabled socks. Evergreen socks. Two at the same time toe up socks.

Maybe a holiday stocking for a loved one.

Make your own: Toe up socks formula to design for your feet.

Fair isle legwarmers. Some delicate leg warmers. Cabled leg warmers. Argyle leg warmers. Good luck and if you join in drop me a line so I can post a link to your blog!

Halloween

2009-11-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

I survived the sewing...

The kids had pumpkins to decorate.

Hers....

And his...

They had bags to collect their treats in. I made it the same as the bedtime bag but added some elastic at the top to help keep the candy inside. I let the kids pick out the fabric. Disney for him and purple sparkly bats for her.

And they had costumes to wear. You know how sometimes you see a pattern, or a fabric/yarn and it speaks to you. Jumps out and grabs you and you can't ignore it no matter what. Well the mermaid pattern really spoke to me....LOUDLY. Do you know what it said???

I hate you and I will thwart your every attempt to finish me. Note to self "You are not smarter than the pattern so don't skip any steps. They are there for a reason and if you leave them out you will just have to redo it" Ahh my love of sewing continues.....

Elmo and Ariel had fun though and I'm glad it's over for another year.

There was much celebrating. A lot of family and friends to walk around with to trick or treat and chili with some adult beverages awaited us at home when we were done. I'll be back in a couple of days with the November knit a long.

P.S. I'm done with knitting my clasica coat and just need to seam. Bring on the wine :)

Halloween is almost here

2009-10-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

I am in full Halloween mode over here. Two costumes (still not finished) and two trick or treat bags (also not finished). Everything is in bits and pieces. One almost finished costume and one not even started costume. I'm not seeing much sleep this week. We also have three parties and one dance class, in costume, before the big event so I am really under the gun.

Since I have so much to do in my sewing room I made some mitts. The same info as these mitts which I gave away as a present so of course I had to knit some up for myself. I love them!!

We're back to the procrastinating.

I'm also still working on my clasica coat. I have the back, both fronts and almost one sleeve finished. The hood is knit with onto the fronts and back so all I have to do is finish the sleeves and then seam the hell out of that puppy and I think we all remember how much I love seaming. Yep those bears are still in pieces.

So as we count down to Halloween don't worry about me I'll be the one drowning in fabric...

October

2009-10-14T05:48:00.001-07:00

Hello all and happy October. Just a little late getting into this month. I'm finding with the wind down of warm weather and more activities to go to with school back in session I'm having to budget time better. I feel much like that leaf, one foot still planted in the warm weather and carefree days of summer and the other in the cool crisp days of fall.

This month the EZ knit-a-long was a polo type pullover. Complete with v-neck and collar. Not really my thing so I skipped yet another month. I am still working feverishly on my clasica coat because I want to wear it as soon as possible. In between sections on my coat I have stopped and worked on a couple of other small projects just to give myself the satisfaction of finishing something. The clasica coat is pretty but there appears to be a lot of finishing in my future...ugh.

So while I figure out my autumn routine, work on my coat, and sew some Halloween costumes, I am going to enjoy my day (because it is raining which I love) and peruse the latest addition to my knitting library.

A lovely book with great anecdotal stories from the author, beautiful knits, and much to my surprise a lot of discussion regarding the designing of knits. I can't wait to read it more thoroughly. I hope you are all enjoying your October.

Mine

2009-09-29T05:28:00.001-07:00

Thanks for all your fun comments about my little 'procrastination' problem. I know it doesn't seem like procrastination but I find it so funny that when I am putting off something I become super industrious in other areas of my life. Oh well. Hopefully those bears will get finished before Christmas.

I also want to thank you for all the love on the girlfriend swing coat. I don't feel like I thank you enough for the lovely comments from the blog and ravelry. I really appreciate it. I have no local knitting circle I belong to, no group of friends who love to craft or knit. You guys are my peeps :). I get all my inspiration, and boy is there a lot of beautiful projects out there, and encouragement from all of you. So thank you very much for being out there and checking in here when you have a spare moment from your already jam packed lives. I really appreciate it!

Back to the knitting portion of this blog. Here is my new selfish knit. The clasica coat by Interweave Knits.

She is something of a celebrity as she graces the cover of the current Interweave Knits magazine. How do I know that this is the 'one' you might ask. Well I already have the back finished. The long rectangle at the top is the center portion of the hood. I am furiously working away on it because I want it done before the cold weather completely commits to my hometown. Not the best shots but it's black which I always have a tough time photographing and I would go outside for better light and better scenery but it is so windy out there I swear Dorothy just blew by so this will have to do for now.

I can't wait to finish it. I can't wait to wear it. So I am going to sign off so I can get some more knitting in. October is almost here and we are still in an Elizabeth Zimmerman knit-along folks, plus those darn bears, so I've got to get a move on. Hope your week is going well!

Procrastination

2009-09-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

So I still have to do the seaming for those bears. Procrastination, anyone guilty out there? I remember in college usually the night before my finals would begin I would have the cleanest closet. Because everyone knows that a lack of dust bunnies and clutter in that tippy top shelf in your closet ensures a good grade right?

In honor of my college days from long ago I am participating in a good old procrastination fest. I made this bread. I love quick breads (who doesn't) and this is good morning or night. Toasted with some fruit in the morning. Or a side for a dinner of soup and salad.

Breakfast roll ups to store in the freezer so that no one will be hungry in the morning. I cooked up a mixture of homemade hash browns, a little cheese, eggs, salsa, and diced up turkey bacon. Wrapped them in whole grain tortillas and stored in the freezer. A quick heat in the microwave and we have breakfast for those on the go mornings.

I made a batch of vegetable stock for my freezer. A slow simmer of vegetables from my garden. Onions, carrots, celery (from the store), bell pepper, and lots of herbs and a couple of hours later I have some homemade stock for the next time soup making strikes my fancy.

This is one of a few baskets we have of apples harvested from the backyard. We have made one batch of applesauce that was promptly eaten and I plan on making another batch tonight or tomorrow. Peeled and cored the apples, simmered in a stock pot with a half a cup of water and a few tablespoons of sugar. Thirty minutes later a tasty afternoon snack for the kiddos.
Now the cooking is done and the kitchen is clean what else can I do? Well my daughter has been begging me to learn how to knit.

Unfortunately she doesn't quite have the dexterity yet to master it. I keep trying to teach her but this time it followed the same pattern and tears of frustration entered the scene. So I taught her finger weaving and it was a hit.

Have any of you done that? My sister and I used to finger weave all the time as kids. You weave the yarn back and forth through your fingers and pull the loops over. You end up with a long tube behind your hand and you can keep going until you have the length you want. We now have many different colored scarves that my daughter hand knit for her various puppies and kitties and other 'babies'.

So now the weekend is here. I still need to get those damn bears finished but I think I might have to make some soup because it is fall after all, and if I make soup then we'll need bread, and I don't know if I have any wine to drink with it so maybe a quick dash to the store and I still haven't finished watching season two of The Tudors and.....

What are your plans this weekend?

Finally

2009-09-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Fitting that this is the first day of Autumn and I am showcasing my first autumn knit. A sweater for my daughter.

This is the Girlfriend Swing Coat by Wendy Bernard. A very quick knit with sizing from 2 to 10. I will definitely be making it again when she has outgrown this one. The top is actually hooked together with a hook and eye and a button to cover it up.

I am jumping into this season with both feet as many of you seem to be doing. I hunkered down this last week nursing a cold of my own, two sick children, and a husband also under the weather. We wore sweats and snuggled in blankets with the curtains drawn....you see it was 92 degrees outside, complete with birds chirping and nary a cloud. Not quite hunkering down weather but we're ready so I think we are just going to will it to be colder.

The changes I made were minimal. I did a garter stitch band on the ends of the sleeves and bottom of the coat. To match I made the collar all garter stitch as well. I had originally planned to do an attached i-cord around the coat and collar (my first) but it didn't work out. I kept attaching it too tightly or something and the sweater would pucker. After an embarrassing amount of attempts to get it right I gave up and redid the collar, cuffs, and bottom of the coat with the garter stitch which, now that it is finished, I love.

It definitely swings as the pattern name suggests and is going to be a great addition to her fall sweater collection. I knit it using Knit Picks Swish Superwash which turned really soft after washing it. I washed it on delicate in the washing machine and then laid it out to dry.

And of course now that she's five she really can't sit still for long because she is "much busier now that she's older". Getting her to to sit still for photos was hard because, "doesn't it just look so much better when I'm running?"

And she's off. Happy first day of Autumn to all of you!

Meander Mitts

2009-09-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Another pair of mitts. I kind of thought I made enough earlier this summer but when you get inspired it is usually best to listen and cast on.

I originally thought these mitts might make a good Christmas gift for someone but I'll confess that now that they are finished I love them. They are extremely comfortable and warm. They have a snug fit without being too tight. I love the meandering cables along the palm and back and the twisted rib at the cuff and top keeps the mitt from gaping anywhere.

Here is the ravelry link. They are from the Vogue Knitting magazine fall 2009. This is the first time I have received a knitting magazine and promptly cast on for one of the projects. I used 2 skeins of knit picks andean silk yarn. It is a less expensive alternative to the suggested yarn and I had it on hand. It is really soft and warm and I imagine I'll be wearing these a lot this winter in the carpool line :). I used size 3 needles and managed to get the gauge with no problems.

It seems that almost every blog I read the virtues of autumn are being espoused. Well these mitts were fast, super easy, and I think beautiful so I definitely recommend casting on for either a Christmas gift or to keep in your coat pocket for the ready the minute the weather turns.

Hope your week is going well. I also wanted to do a little shout out for my five year old daughter on today, her usual (as she put it) birthday. The color of these mitts is more like the bottom two photos....the sun wasn't super cooperative this morning. Happy fall knitting to all of you!

September

2009-09-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

Well hello again. I seem to have fallen off the wagon in my quest for 30 days of balance as far as posting is concerned. I can say I feel a lot better after just saying the words out loud, or in our case writing them down. I think just shifting my attention to the problem helped shine a little light on it and make it not seem so bad. All of your encouraging comments helped a lot. It always makes things easier when you realize you aren't alone. So thank you!

I have been making lists and reading books and trying to carve out a little time for myself. Life seems to be about priorities and I am just shuffling mine around and getting them straight. School is starting for my daughter and my husband, although in his case he never stopped for the summer....I will be so glad when his doctorate is finished up! Anyway I have been in nesting mode. Getting my fall recipe books out and piling up reading books. You know the drill.

The party came off without a hitch. My fantastic sister showed up Friday night and we transformed our downstairs family room into a pixie hollow of sorts. The walls, yes all of them, were covered in green sheets, tablecloths, curtain sheers, and then we hung felt flowers from fishing line all around. White twinkly lights behind the curtains helped finish the effect. We made fairy wings and pirate hats and there was a tinker bell pinata full of loot. The best part? Besides my daughter having a great time, it was knowing that by Saturday afternoon my weekend was in front of me with the party behind me ;)

So now onto September for the knit-a-long. Well Ms. Zimmerman has underclothes for September. Now maybe you wear a lot of woolen, knit, underclothes....but I don't. So I am declaring September a knit what you want month. A knit-a-long free zone if you will. Since I haven't done as much knitting as usual....I have the clean out every last closet before it's cold bug, I am going to finish those dang bears and get started on some fall sweaters for everyone around here. As well as finish up some wips. What are you working on this fall?

Balance?

2009-08-28T13:35:00.001-07:00

The question mark you ask? Well Tomorrow morning I have roughly 35 people descending upon my house, a dozen of which are children ages 5 and under. Why? Well my daughter is having her fifth birthday tomorrow. So balance? Well it is being found in the fact that while I am under slept our house is almost all clean everything has been purchased but the ice cream. And I have reinforcements, i.e. family, coming over tonight for the promise of a slice of pizza a cold beer in return for helping me set up pixie hollow in my house. We are making pirate hats for boys and pixie wings for the girls. Lots of stickers, glitter glue, tinker bell pinata, and stuff.

My mother-in-law is staying the weekend so besides all of the party prep we are doing sheet washing, room switching, and guest prep. When company comes my daughter loves to sleep in her Dora tent in the sitting nook of our bedroom. Soooo that's my weekend in a nutshell.

Maybe I should have tried for this whole balance thing after the party :) I'll catch up with you all Sunday or Monday. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Balance: Homemade Granola

2009-08-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

I was recently watching something and food was involved. The discussion was regarding the soul nurturing component of food. If food is made with a loving intention then it did far more for a person than sate their hunger. You can taste the intention of the cook through their food. I liked that idea.
With that in mind I made this granola. Cooking for my family brings me comfort...."making dinner" does not. Know what I mean? I love putting food together to feed people when I have the time, no little people whining at me, and good ingredients. Unfortunately most of my cooking as of late has been the 'quick-get-it-on-the-table-everyone-quit-yelling-at-me-I-know-you're-hungry-I-can-only-do-one-thing-at-a-time' variety.

This time those things actually went a little more smoothly and if you had peeked in my window I would have looked like I had it all together, for that moment anyway :)

The long slow cooking of this granola filled my home with comforting smells and after a summer with minimal oven use it a was a nice reminder that autumn is around the corner, my favorite time of year.

The recipe for this delicious granola can be found here....I highly recommend making it. I think next time I'm going to add some flax to it. Great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The batch I made (which was a half batch of the recipe) is almost gone and even my pickiest eater consumed quite a bit. Hope you had a great day!

Balance

2009-08-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Things behind the blog have been a bit hectic lately. I have been trying to find some balance. I have noticed a shift in many areas of my life. A feeling of being overwhelmed and not nurturing myself.

I am hoping to shift my focus and attention and find appreciation and gratitude. Maybe try to slow down a little. Quit seeing the half empty and try to see the half full. I think a bit more selfishness on my part is required. Conscious selfishness. Conscious living.

My camera hasn't been touched in the last few weeks with the exception of the picture from the last post. I have recipes to share and projects waiting in the wings but the lack of energy. So I am kicking off 30 days. 30 days to look at the beautiful things in my life and maybe even the not so beautiful. My Days need some balance and I think my spirit needs a little nourishing. Do I sound like an Oprah show? It's just that I never thought I would wake up in my early thirties feeling tired, drained, and a little bit unrecognizable to myself. I think this has been looming on the horizon for awhile and I am just finally admitting it to myself. So here goes 30 days of my life for me to try and really see my life and appreciate all that's good. Hopefully you won't be too bored for the ride.....and yes there will still be knitting thrown in :)

Seaming

2009-08-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

I am not someone who sews very much. It isn't portable. My son cries when I start up my sewing machine. I hate the needles that invariably (no matter how meticulous I am) end up in the carpet. For some reason my husband doesn't want to watch a movie with me and my sewing machine running.

In my head though I am a master seamstress. I have a beautiful sewing room with lovely fabrics neatly stacked about and a wall full of quilts I have made. Ummm, I haven't ever made anything even close to a quilt, not even a quilted potholder, so you can see what a pipe dream this is. Anyway, when I knit I don't want to sew. I only sew Halloween costumes and tote bags and things that are little. When I knit, I want to knit, not sew. Why is it that I chose this as my Christmas knit for my kids? Am I a crazy person.... Yes he is adorable and yes he would look so cute under the Christmas tree. But come one....look at all these pieces. The cute little head is three pieces, the ears are four and then I have to sew on buttons for eyes and embroider the nose, that is just for the head. Thank goodness I started up now because it might take me the next four months just to sew the darn thing.

*most of the pieces for one bear*

I tried early this morning to seam up the first bear (because I have two kids and of course I have to make two bears) and well I didn't get far. The pieces are now sitting in time out in my office hidden away from little eyes until this evening when I am hoping a glass of wine will help me with the seaming....I'll let you know.

Hope your Christmas knitting is coming along better.

Catch the Wave Afghan

2009-08-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

Well I started this blanket a long time ago. Just under a year ago to be a bit more precise.

I have been cleaning out cupboards and closets the last few weeks. Trying to prepare for when school is back in and things get a bit busier around here I guess. Anyway I realized that this blanket has been sitting in a bag in my closet for the last year and I promised it to my daughter last Christmas yikes.

I pulled it out and just kept plugging away until it was done. I used the Lion Brand Homespun yarn that is recommended for it. It is the Catch the wave afghan pattern here (free). Fast and easy to memorise. She just recently watched most of the first Harry Potter movie (we fast-forwarded the scary stuff) and she requested that I make this blanket invisible like the cloak in the movie. Apparently it's quite easy. You just knit it up and then put the invisible stuff on (you can just buy it at the craft store). Who knew? :)

It is surprisingly heavy and quite warm, although one doesn't really need a warm blanket in August but my daughter insists that she be covered up with it at night. Usually either myself or my husband goes down a few hours after the kids have gone to bed and uncovers her as it is really too hot.

Check out those ends.....I had to use some Fray Check for each one just to ensure that it doesn't unravel all over the place.

I have some Christmas knits going but they are being knit at night or in the quiet nap time hours as they are presents for Christmas. Hopefully by this weekend I'll have something to share.

Christmas in August

2009-08-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

So we finished July and I didn't finish my shawl. I'll be honest....I never even started my shawl. Never fear there is a freebie month thrown in and I can finish it then, you'll see why when we get to it. Anyway let's move on to August shall we? For August it is all about Christmas knitting. In The Almanac Ms. Zimmerman is knitting things to do with Christmas. I think this month should be things for Christmas like stockings and such and also maybe some presents that you might want to make for someone else. Wouldn't it be nice to have those Christmas knits all done before the holiday season really gets underway? For presents usually it is something small like mitts and hats. Here is my May post with some mitt pattern links. Here is June with some hat pattern links. Now here are some more links for fun Christmas knits.

Celestine tree topper. Silent Night tree skirt. Lattice stocking. These adorable trio of snowmen. Another stocking. This oven mitt and potholder pattern could be knit in red, white, and green to give as a gift or to spruce up your own holiday kitchen. A holiday caplette for a small child. Holiday napkin rings. A globe ornament. A snowflake ornament. A pointsettia ornament. How about a knitted Father Christmas. I made this advent calendar last year. And last but not least if you are completely stuck for inspiration and don't mind spending a few dollars I highly recommend this book.

If you are stuck for time a tree ornament is always nice. My mother has always tied an ornament for each of us on one present every year. One of those little ornaments won't take much time or even yarn and they can add so much to a gift!

To market to market...

2009-07-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

Or maybe just to the beach. This is where my market bag has been of late. The beach. The funny thing is to see my family, we are not beach folk. If you scroll back through my posts you may have noticed that my daughter has red hair and a fair complexion. My son has curly blond hair and tans a bit better. My husband is a redhead and although I am descended from Italians (my father gets quite dark) the pigment gene skipped me completely. My dark is most people's base tan. We are doing our best this summer, with SPF 5o in hand to dispel the idea that in order to enjoy the beach you have to tan up....so far so good (no burns).

This bag was a super quick knit and I didn't make any modifications. I knit it up using lion brand cotton-ease and needed less than 3 skeins. The bottom is knit up holding two strands at once so while the bag is very Mary Poppins like with it's ability to hold almost anything you want to stuff inside; the bottom doesn't stretch out to match your height. You know a lot of knitted bags are great and can easily be filled up but once full and the strap is on your shoulder you may have to do a little soccer maneuvering to help walk because the bottom of the bag is hanging out at your ankles. Free pattern can be found here.

A quick story that isn't about knitting or the bag but rather driving home from the beach. Today while driving home we are all in the car enjoying an afternoon thunderstorm that began just as we were headed home, bundled into our comfy clothes, smelling of sunscreen and sand. It is an hour drive to the beach from our house so our rides home can either be great and drowsy or full of screaming from an exhausted two year old late for his nap....always a crap shoot which one it will be. Today a couple of miles from home he decides that he is done being in his car seat and wants out. If you aren't familiar with little people car seats they have a buckle between the legs that secures their lower half and a chest strap with a clasp around their chests. So my son is complaining quite loudly about how he "is done" being in his seat. A quiet minute and then I hear a loud (and quite happy) WHEEEEEE from the back seat. A check of the rear view mirror and I see my young son has pushed his chest strap down to his waist and pulled his arms out. He is still secured with his lower strap but from the waist up, nothing. His arms are in the air much like a person on a roller coaster rides and as I turn corners he is yelling WHEEEEEE....what am I going to do with him?

Long lazy summer days

2009-07-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

Umm....it's been awhile. I have regressed I'm afraid to my childhood of long lazy summer days. There are so many things I want to share and I have been reading all of your blogs out there but somehow I haven't managed to wrestle up enough energy to comment let alone create a new post. My only excuse is this is the first summer since 2003 that I haven't been pregnant, nursing, or had someone too small to really enjoy all that summer has to offer. I have been making the most of it and making up for lost time this summer.

Last summer I got very annoyed with people who seemed to disappear with only a few posts during the summer months. I thought, how hard is it really to just keep up with your blog? Well my friends I am finding it very hard :). The temp here has finally hit the triple digits and so that means our afternoons are finding us hunkered down inside working on projects, watching movies, and getting out of the heat. My shawl? Well it hasn't even been started. I finally got a ball winder and have the yarn all wound, baby steps people, baby steps.

There has been some knitting and a little sewing. I made up this purse in minutes the other morning.
My daughter asked if we could do something together, so I let her cut the fabric and sit in my lap and help me feed the fabric through the machine. The "handles" we found in a toy bin in the bottom of her closet. Just some plastic heart bracelets she had.
I apologize for the brief post and the fact that I haven't been checking in but my lazy days are over and I miss catching up with all of you. I have some finished knitting to share and other stories but right now I am late getting the kids packed up to go camping for the weekend. I will check back with you Monday morning and see how things are with you. Thanks for hanging in there and I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and are enjoying your summer as well!!

Yikes, it's already July

2009-07-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

I totally took a hiatus from all things blog related. I just jumped right into summer with both feet and in my down time I was mostly cooling off and not really knitting. We have been soaking up all things sun and trying to be as adventurous as possible. Mind you my kids are little and my tolerance for melt downs hasn't been high lately so our idea of adventure might differ a bit from yours :)

I am still trying to figure out that delicate balance that we all do, between work, family, friends, household chores, and enjoying the great outdoors. We have done some beach time at our favorite beach...
We have done some picnics up in the forest....I made these scones yesterday morning for breakfast....

and some more time at the beach, notice not any knitting anywhere.

July for my EZ knit a long is a shawl. I'll admit it, I'm a little bit afraid of this project. I have a pattern complete with yarn and needles all waiting for me and I haven't touched it (sigh). I am however casting on for this in the hopes that I can use it this summer at the farmer's market and even collecting veggies in my backyard. Fear not though I will not abandon ship this early in the knit-a-long and as soon as my little bag is finished I'll start the shawl.

Now I must go and catch up with all of you and see what you are working on!

I forgot here are some links for free shawl patterns. Silky alpaca lace shawl, aeolian shawl, shipwreck, floral fanasy shawl, bloom, laminaria, jerry, leaves and waves, nicky, ella, zeta, spanish dancer, josephina, Cold Mountain, patricia, tri-aran-angle, dagmar, maja, & jeanie. Hopefully these will give you a headstart!

Our First Week Of Summer

2009-06-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

Ok. One week of summer down....how many to go.... I have been making my lists and loving the Internet. There are so many crafty and creative parents out there and I am trying to ensure that we have a fun filled summer. Crafting, playing, beach fun, friend fun, barbecue's, cooking and such.

The kids I and made these silhouettes for Father's Day. They really turned out cute and were inexpensive and priceless all at the same time :)

The tutorial is here. This was fun, easy, the kids did all the painting which they always enjoy and I just handled the ummm technical aspect.

I also finished up the skull hat for my little boy. I modified it down by leaving out some skulls to fit his noggin and it fits beautifully. Unfortunately he wasn't really all that hip on wearing a wool beanie in 85 degree weather for a photo shoot so this shot will have to do. I used Cascade 220 superwash for the yarn and went one size down on the needles. Pattern is We Call Them Pirates (ravelry), super easy to follow, fast, and fun. I am still working steadily on my hedgerow coat but I think all of these small knits are making me too used to instant gratification because I want to be done already. I think I'll get one more hat in before the month is up....

Make sure to check out Chris's topographie & Gretel

Please don't get bored yet.

2009-06-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

So at the risk of boring you with two boring hats here goes.....I am still on my crusade to root out all random skeins of yarn and anything not big enough for a sweater or tagged for another project is fair game. I already made some mitts out of the yarn below and had just enough for a hat. My son was not very willing to participate in this photo shoot.

We are having one of those fabulous "phases" my son doesn't want to do anything without me firmly by his side. Unfortunately the reverse is also true....no taking pictures without him right by my side or preferably holding him. Ah the joys of toddler hood :)

Thankfully the hat is a 1x1 rib and quite stretchy so my daughter subbed in.

I got our old pop tent out for the kids to play in outback in the hopes to distract him enough to give me a moment to myself.

It worked just long enough for me to get in a few photos of this stripe hat I whipped up with some scraps. I'm sorry but I just made these on the fly with no pattern to share and I don't have the faintest idea what yarn I used.

I hope your week is going well.

Home

2009-06-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all the good wishes for my trip....it was a blast!! I stayed at Palm's Place in Las Vegas. The theme of the trip was 'do whatever you want'. It consisted of laying by the pool, reading this book, napping, more lounging, and then going out at night for nice dinners in non-kid friendly restaurants :). A much needed restorative trip to get me in the right mind-set for summer. When I got home late Friday afternoon there wasn't much time for me to acclimate back into mommy mode. I did some quick hellos we had dinner and then went off to a baseball game. Saturday morning I woke up and my daughter, my sister, and my mother, met up with my aunt and three cousins to go see The Lion King on stage. WOW! If you have a chance to go I highly recommend it. My daughter was not a fan of the packed theater and all the "strangers" around her but the minute the lights went down and the animals came down the aisle next to us she didn't make another sound. After a 2 1/2 hour drive to the theater and then a turn around home that evening I haven't done much the last two days. Today has been a lot of laundry and kind of gearing up for the week. Getting back into the groove. I didn't do much knitting on my trip but I have a few things to share and hopefully I'll get some pictures in the next day or two. Now I'm off to do some much needed catching up on all your blogs!

Braid Hat

2009-06-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

Another hat finished. This one is for my daughter. She has been asking and asking for a purple hat and when I found this pattern I knew we had the right one.

I used Cascade 220 superwash, because I don't relish hand washing my childrens knits. Her favorite part is the long braids.

The pattern is Meghan's Braids from One-Skein Wonders and is a great pattern book for stash busting. The book is broken up into sections by yarn weight which makes it very handy when you have a stray skein or two.

She is actually standing still in these photos. Surprised? Well when you are picking fresh strawberries from the yard and eating them it is better to stand still :)

I will be gone from this space for the next week. Tomorrow I am heading to Las Vegas with Miss D. We don't come home till Friday. No kids, no husbands, no responsibilities!! Jealous? I get back Friday but I will be leaving again Saturday morning for a ladies only trip to see the Lion King on stage. My mother, my sister, my daughter, and myself will be meeting up with other female members of our family and having lunch and watching the show. I will check in with you all next week. Hope you are having a glorious start to your summer!!

Okay, I'll reconsider my position on hats

2009-06-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

OK you guys. I knit up a hat. I decided after reading your comments that maybe I should knit something up quickly and reconsider my hat opinion. I grabbed the leftover skein of yarn from my axel mitts and hunted around ravelry. I found this pattern and love the blog so I thought why not?

Light not so great, we are in the middle of a ten day thunderstorm forecast and if I wait for good light then I might miss June completely. It was really fast and oh my it is super super warm. I was sweating like crazy after trying to take some pictures. There were quite a few shots of either the top of the hat or the bottom of my chin. This was the only one that turned out halfway decent. I like it a lot, except there is a little puckering at the top and after looking at the pictures I think I am going to go fix that, maybe add a row or two between decreases to smooth it out. Total instant gratification knit. Now where are all your hats :)?

June EZ Knit-a-long

2009-06-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

For June Elizabeth Zimmerman recommends hats. Another small knit that is quite portable. It will fit into a small bag and can be taken on the airplane and worked on, car trips, or if you go to a lot of baseball games (as I do), this fits nicely into my carryall bag I tote to each game.

The unfortunate part of this? I don't wear hats. They don't look good on me and I usually find them itchy, not to mention that I suffer serious bouts of hat hair when I take them off. I will be knitting a few kid hats this month as gifts to give away this fall and maybe a beret for my mother. She is allergic to wool so I will have to find a suitable alternative. But what about me? :) I need a selfish knit too.....I still have my hedgerow coat, the back is finished and I am working on one side but I need a hat. Until I find one for myself I'll just work on the kids and I put a few links below in case anyone else needed a jump start. Happy Knitting.

Here are some free patterns that are another great way to stash bust and if your stash is low you won't have to break the bank if you need to buy some yarn.

Cross country chullo for adults, for the little Daniel Boone in your life an animal friendly coonskin cap, a fun Halloween inspired balaclava, a delicate lace beanie, an english driving cap, topi if you want a brim on your hat, the duchess starfish hat, the princess beret, a daisy hat for little girls, a slouchy hat for her, summery floppy brimmed hat, cables and bobbles baby hat, we call them pirates hat, and on the left sidebar I have a pattern for a small child's hat. All of these patterns are free and available outside Ravelry for any of you who aren't members (although I highly recommend becoming one ASAP) :)

Perhaps you don't like wearing hats but want to keep your ears warm...why not try Calorimetry a head band of sorts, I think I might make one for myself.

Kid Mitts

2009-06-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

I am a day late on posting the last of my mitt wips. I am going to blame the company I had over the weekend and my son's second birthday party. It was your typical crazy toddler birthday party complete with food, drinks, tears, cake, cupcakes, ice cream, tears, a cookie monster pinata, tears, and then clean up. I helped him gather candy from the pinata.

Here are my kids mitts I finished up at the end of the month. I used this fantastic pattern (it is for all sizes). I scrounged up scrap yarn and cast on, two pairs for each child. They fit great and are very warm. If you want to make your own I highly recommend this little basic pattern and then add/change as you want.

Check out Thea's mitts more of her mitts here, they are beautiful! Chris has also been busy, check out here mitten. I hope I didn't miss any of your mitts from May, if I did drop me a comment and I'll post a link! Wednesday I'll have the June knit-a-long stuff.

More Mitts

2009-05-28T05:05:00.000-07:00

Not quite the end of the May mitts but almost. I have two more mitts to share with you. First up are the Axel Mitts. Knit up for myself with Knit Picks Cadena in Leaf. Another mitt for myself.....I have been doing a lot of selfish mitts and between you and me I kind of like it. My hat/mitt basket in my closet will be very stocked come fall. In the picture is one of many baby peaches on my peach tree. Finally this year I think we are going to have a lot of fruit.

I really liked this mitt because you can wear them long when it is really cold (as it was at night land sailing and I needed something to protect my hand from the chill of my cocktail).

Or you can fold the top down and they can be a bit more traditional fingerless mitt. I wore these most of the weekend because I could move the top up or down as desired. Up for drinks, down when assembling s'mores.

I also knit a pair of Dashing for my husband. I omitted the cable at the wrist and just knit them all the way up with the ribbing. I think it is a good basic fingerless knit pattern, especially for the menfolk. Gabes made some gorgeous Bella's Mittens that you can see here. Alisha made some cozy mitts here.

My Weekend

2009-05-27T06:08:00.000-07:00

We made it home and had equal portions of work and fun. This is what a landsail looks like. You sit on the bottom, preferably with a helmet on and ride the wind across the playa. My husband tipped over on one ride (a.k.a. 'turtled' his sailer) so a helmet is preferable.

Wish so much wide open space the kids can ride their backs as far as they want. We tried to ride without the training wheels but no such luck this trip :)

Don't be misled by this photo. It might look a little lonely but behind me was a virtual city of people camping. We go out with a large crew and they invite their friends. With so many trailers and tents it does feel like a makeshift city at times.

We sailed, rode bike, looked for arrowheads, took the kids to the hot springs, sailed some more, cooked, washed, roasted marshmallows, had a 'few' cocktails with old friends, watched fireworks that people brought, played with glow wants, played with sparklers, told stories around the campfire, put the kids to bed and had a few more cocktails :), ate outside every meal and played, played, played.

We got home Monday afternoon and cleaned out the trailer, put everything away and got cleaned up for a baseball game. Is it really a three-day weekend during baseball season if you don't catch a game? Hope your weekends were fun too! Tomorrow, knitting.

Memorial Weekend

2009-05-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

I am heading out to the high desert this weekend to go land sailing. It is exactly how it sounds, we essentially are sailing (with wheels on land) across the desert. A lot of planning and preparation to go to the middle of nowhere with two small kids and camp (thank god for travel trailers).

My 'big' project right now in between mitts and such is The Hedgerow Coat by Interweave Knits.

I have found out that I like having one big project, like a sweater, and one small project, this month it's mitts, going at the same time. I think it is because I love the process of knitting but I also like the accomplishment of finishing things. My days can be crazy between my paycheck job and the kids and sometimes I feel like I'm torn in so many directions and so having a finished knit gives me a sense that at least I finished something :)

I have four pairs of mitts to share when I get back and hopefully this weekend I'll finish more. I hope you all have fun this holiday weekend and I'll check in when I get back!

Check out some more mitts-Gigi's lovely fetching.

Bella's Mittens

2009-05-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

So I was queuing up projects for May. Mitts, fingerless and whole, mittens, and gloves. While perusing the pages of Ravelry I came up on the pattern for Bella's mittens. They are nice and long with a simple cable down the front. I read the initial notes and thought the bulky yarn would make it a quick knit. I could see myself wearing them by a campfire all snuggled up in my warm mittens cradling a drink.

The pattern I followed found here (free). I used Cascade Peruvian Highland Wool in Pine, two skeins. Size 8 needles. No modifications. I love these mittens! They were fast and easy. The cable was easy to memorize and they are very warm.

While I was knitting them I flipped through some of the other raveler's finished projects and read some more notes. Then it hit me when I saw Twilight pop up on someones notes. Bella's mittens are not just some random name the creator of the pattern gave to the mittens, the mittens are patterned after a pair of mittens that Bella wears in the Twilight movie. Now I don't know how many of you have read the books but I have to think that you have heard of them no matter what. How did I miss that one?

My best friend and I have known each other since before we had ever kissed a boy. We are now both married with kids. We have been sharing secrets, crushes, and everything else for over twenty years. Umm ladies I think Miss D. (we'll call her that to avoid any embarrassment) is at home right now waiting for Edward of the Twilight series to show up. Her husband is a great guy but I have it on good authority that she would pack up and leave if Edward crooked his finger at her :). Since she has cast herself as Bella in her head maybe I should pass these mittens on to her...or at the very least make some for her birthday?

Also make sure to check out Gabes' adorable Mr. Crocodile mittens and Chris' Hermione Cable and bobble mittens.

Mother's Day & mitts

2009-05-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! I hope you are having a wonderful day full of whatever you want! Yesterday we had to go to a wedding in Napa for my cousin, we had to go to the wine country I know lucky us. It was beautiful and fun but it was 4 hours there and four hours back and with a two year old and a four year old it was a long day. We didn't stay because I didn't want to spend half my mother's day driving home so we did the quick turnaround and woke up in our own beds this morning. Today we are going to spend in the backyard puttering around and just relaxing. My parents, sister, and brother-in-law will be here for dinner tonight (which is already made YEAH!) and there will be cocktails and some more outside play ;)

Here is my latest mitt. These are The Breakfast Mitt (link-free pattern).

I knit them up in Berocco Ultra Alpaca. I omitted the wrist wrap with the button out of laziness. I didn't have any buttons on hand and I wanted to have them finished and not languishing in a basket somewhere as they would have if I waited until I purchased buttons.

I love them. They are warm and comfortable and will be perfect for camping this summer and also this winter too. It was funny to me that I was taking photographs of wool mitts in 85 degrees but I will be so happy when the first cold day hits me this fall and I have these all ready to go. I haven't been knitting that long (let alone knitting things I would actually use) so I don't have a large stockpile of mitts. This May mitt knitting is perfect. I can't wait to see what other mitt patterns are out there that you are working on!

Since today is mother's day and tomorrow is my birthday I am planning on some available free-time (daddy on duty) to finish up some more mitts this week so stay tuned.

Baby hat & mitts

2009-05-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that so many of you are excited about the knit-a-long. I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying myself. I tend to collect patterns, magazines, books, print-outs, and electronic files on my computer. It was great to thumb through all of them and pull out the mitt patterns for this month (it was also go to do a little purging). I can't wait to see what other great patterns are out there when you post your finished off photos.

Here is my new go-to baby girl hat. It is the berry berry baby hat (free pattern). I used Bernat Bamboo in pink for the bottom of the hat and Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic cotton in Green for the leaf top. Personally I haven't found anything softer then the Bernat bamboo yarn. I use it for baby hats almost exclusively.

Now since this month is really about the mitts I knit up some little mitts to match the hat. I used this pattern (another freebie) and just adjusted the size a bit. Too cute. Bamboo might not be as warm as wool but this baby will only be small for the spring and summer so I think I can get away with it :)
My friend's baby came along four weeks early (everyone is happy and healthy) and I might have been not quite ready for her. I popped in this movie and cast on for the hat. By the time the movie was finished so was I. I am going to add a few books and drop the gift off this weekend.
I highly recommend this gift for any baby girls. I am still looking around for the perfect baby boy hat. Any suggestions?

Elizabeth Zimmerman Almanac

2009-05-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased this book for myself. Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac. I know, I know, I am a little behind the times as the original publication for this book was before I was born but anyway :)

I had enough knitting on my plate in April so I put it aside until May. If you are familiar with her writing then you will know how enjoyable this book is to read. She has projects broken out by each month so I am going to join the Ravelry group for this book and thought it might be fun to have a loose knit-a-long here as well. I don't plan on making everything exactly as she does but since Ms. Zimmermann's patterns are more of a loose guide then an actual pattern I don't think she will mind.
Is anyone interested in joining in? For May it is mittens. Knitting up lots of mittens for next winter. I have a few mitts I'd like to knit for myself and I wouldn't mind getting a head start on some mittens for my babes. I'm still going to have other projects going as well but mitts don't take too long and it would be nice to start the winter season with a basket full of woolly mitts ready. As far as a spring knit, mitts are kind of perfect as they won't be a hot mess of wool taking up too much room and they are easy to tote around. Anyone interested? I am going to post some links to a few free patterns, so go stash bust (you know you have some yarn somewhere that isn't going to get used if you don't go grab it now) and let's make some mittens.

Convertible fingerless mitts to mittens here. Dashing for him. Fetching for her. Some manly mittens. Color work mittens for her. Some gloves might be nice. Children mittens with a cable. Of course the much blogged about evangeline mitts. And for for the more industrious knitter some long fair isle mitts from Classic Elite. And for the super adventurous go here for stitch patterns and make up your own.

Happy Knitting everyone!

Easter Sweater

2009-04-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

I finished the Easter sweater in time for my daughter to wear it Easter morning but umm...it was so hot Easter that we got sunburned from being outside. The sweater sat in her bedroom awaiting a cool spring morning. Luckily we had some this weekend.

It is the Jacket with Ribbed Yoke from Family Knits by Debbie Bliss. A favorite pattern book of mine with beautiful knits for everyone (as it is titled Family Knits) :).

I made a few very minor modifications. I don't understand why as lovely as Debbie Bliss patterns are everything is knit as one piece. This sweater is a simple one and I didn't understand why everything had to be knit separately but also flat and then seamed together. I abhor seaming so I knit the body back and forth instead of three separate panels. I picked up stitches at the shoulder and knit the sleeve in the round until I got a length I wanted.

As per the pattern the collar was knit using short row shaping which I had never done before. Loved it. I used jaeger roma yarn and size 6 needles. It is a little bit roomy through the shoulders but still looks cute on her.

And it wouldn't be a finished off post for us without some running shots.

Up next for me is this. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Spring Socks

2009-04-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

In March I won a small victories giveaway that Suzanne had. She sent me a lovely skein of yarn complete with a pattern for a pair of socks.

I was so excited because if you remember I haven't ever knit up proper socks. So I referred to the pattern on the back of the yarn wrapper and cast on.I had enough yarn to make myself a pair and my daughter a pair as well. We now have matching spring socks. She is in love with the color combo as it is "rainbow" and that is her "very most favorite color". How very fortunate that Suzanne sent us that color :). I can't believe that I have never knit up socks before. I bypassed the second sock syndrome I've heard so much about by casting on for one sock at a time while also working on my daughters dress and her Easter sweater (with pictures coming shortly). I think having another large project going at the same time helped me not get to bored with either one.

Sorry the pictures aren't the best but I had a hard enough time convincing here that running shots weren't really the best way to showcase the socks, so I had to snap quickly so that she could show me how fast these socks made her run....wish I could bottle up that energy.

A princess dress

2009-04-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

This dress. I'm not quite sure what to say about it. It is a product of a recipe at this blog. With percentages, gauge, and chest measurements off I went to create this dress. I think this will be my only dress as I cannot fathom a day when I would step out in public in a knitted dress. Mind you it isn't that I don't think they are pretty I'm just not sure that this post-two-baby-body could pull it off successfully.

It has a purple garter stitch collar and the same stitch with increases to create a ruffle arm band and another small ruffle on the bottom.

I used jaeger roma yarn in pink and purple. Size 6 needles.

A series of increases on the skirt helped make it twirly.
As always there was lots of running.

And a little color work on the front.

This dress was so much fun to knit, precisely because it wasn't a pattern. It gave me a small taste of design on a large scale. I would really like to branch out a bit more into designing things to fit myself. I am just trying to learn, and practice if you will, as much as possible with knits for my kids. I promise there are some things in the works for myself. I just keep thinking about how fast my babes are growing and I find myself casting on again before they are all grown up.

So while I keep forging ahead in my quest for knowledge on designing my own knits, any tips for where I should look?

Knitting as a diversionary tactic

2009-04-13T05:55:00.000-07:00

One more little piece of Easter and then we will move on. My mother-in-law made these little nests with my daughter for our brunch. How cute are they? 2 cups of butterscotch chips melted with 1 cup of peanut butter. Mix melted mix with 2 cups of crisyp noodles. Scoop onto parchment paper and use the spoon to hollow out your "nest". Fill with malted eggs and voila....cute and delicous! They also made some with chocolate chips instead of butterscotch chips. Easy, cute, and fun! Next year make some.

I lied....one more thing. You couldn't have possibly thought that I would let a holiday go by and not make another house. We have them at Christmas, and Halloween so of course we had an easter house.

Now, we all know how knitting can fill so many categories depending on what you need. Creative? Check. Meditative? Check. A great way to watch TV at night and still fill productive? Check. Showing love for the people around you? Check. But have any of you used it as a diversionary tactic? I just came off of a fun holiday weekend but as with most holidays it was full of family. Not just my own family of origin but in-laws as well. Now I'm not here to tell any tales but I have to say I used my knitting. Shamelessly even.

Friday night after the kids were in bed the wine started flowing and sometimes conversations took an uncomfortable turn. No yelling, or raised voices.....just conversations that I didn't' want to participate in. Can I tell you that never in my life has stockinette stitch and weaving in ends required more attention. Thank goodness no one around me knew how to knit so I had no fear of being caught. As conversations took a turn here or there I just buried my head in my knitting and offered noncommittal mmhmm's occasionally and "Oh I didn't hear you I have to really concentrate on this part." This technique has earned me many a free pass out of situations/conversations I have no interest in being a part of it. One more reason to love knitting!

Hope you all had a fantastic Easter weekend and I have some finished pieces to show off this week. The weather is supposed to cooperate today (with snow by Wednesday) so I'm off to bribe my little red-haired girl with jelly beans to do a photoshoot.