knit one knit two

the toesies know

2012-03-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

i bought a gym membership to the recently opened planet fitness. as i dug out a pair of brand new sneakers (somehow i had the foresight to buy two pairs when i was at easy spirit years ago; i don't think the tretorns i got years ago at the vermont country store probably would cut it) i also had to find a pair of sport socks to wear with them. i cannot remember the last time i bought a pair of store-bought socks. i've knit my own socks for 5 years now.

as i slid my feet into the pair of pilled peddies i cringed - it was like pulling on a piece of sand paper. i'm not sure if it's becos of the neuropathy in my feet (from my sucky sugars) or the fact that my feet have become accustomed to hand knit socks. i walked around in my new sneakers and crummy socks and wished there was a way i could wear cashmere socks instead.

now, those peddies are lord knows how old, so they need replaced (a trip to Dick's is on order for me anyway). i know there are fancy sport socks out there for wicking away sweat. too bad i can't do the treadmill in my bare feet. or a pair of crocs or birks.

on the topic of toes...i bombed my february PSOTMC goal. i got carried away with my mystery shawl and freddie's owlet and the boy's fish hat that it fell by the wayside. (i secretly think it wants to be something else anyway.)

but i march forth (har har) and picked a new bag for march PSOTMC. i got felici in goth on sale last summer - no clue why it's not in my rav stash.

i ran the skeins so i can get matching stripes. so far all i have is a cuff. the boy has chorale practices in the coming weeks so i want something simple to knit on.

pinterest friday

2012-03-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's pinterest friday, and this is what's pinned to my boards...

something fishy

owl bib

ragtime quilts

trinket boxes made from recycled face cream containers.

diy silk screening

butterbeer cupcakes

soft caramel corn

baked avocado fries (who'da thunk?)

honey badger don't care!

someone loves you

so true

images courtesy of the attached links; otherwise pinterest

feeding my addiction

2012-03-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

yep, i caved, and bought more stitch markers:

these were on my etsy wish list - they are by winemakers sister. my bday is coming up, so i splurged. i'm also eyeing up her owl markers...

fripperies n bibelots also had a fresh batch of fruit bowl stitch markers - these are the markers i fell in love with and lead me to her beautiful work:

i now have so many stitch markers i had to divide them up and put them in separate containers. the ones on the left are my boughten markers and sets i've made; the ones on the right are my singles:

stitch marker addiction - i haz it BAD.

you are my sunshine

2012-02-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

last year three irish girls offered a special limited edition colorway, glimpse, in memory of charlie, the baby a fellow ravelry member lost in pregnancy. this year 3IG is offering a new colorway with a portion of all sales of this colorway going to SHARE.

introducing...you are my sunshine

image courtesy of threeirishgirls.com

you are my sunshine is described as ...symbolizing the storm of emotions felt by families impacted by the loss of a baby...with deep greys, violets, greens and browns chased with glimpses of sunshine and the return of bluer skies..." this colorway will be dyed to order with the yarn base of your choice, and the last day to order will be march 15th.

3IG donated $2500 from the sales of glimpse last year, and i pray that even more will be donated this year. i did my duty and ordered enough for a shawl (hopefully another faraway, so close), and then some. i ordered only one skein of glimpse last year and i wished i'd ordered more.

i lost two pregnancies during my journey to motherhood and i am touched that 3IG created another special colorway again. i'm hoping this will be annual tradition. it's a wonderful way to show support and also spread the message about pregnancy loss.

ribbit! ribbit good!

2012-02-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

in honor of leap day, i ventured into toy making with these cute frogs. meet purl frog:

each kid gets a frog (altho two got made; i botched a piece of the boy's while cutting it out, so i have to cut another piece.) the pattern called for the frogs to be stuffed with dried beans, but i had leftover rice, flaxseed and lavender from making sachets so i filled them with that instead.

i didn't make this frog. according to my dad, my nana's friend made this. i remember seeing them up at the farm when i was wee. my frog is falling apart in spots (what do you expect from a nearly 40 year old frog?) and resides on top of our desk out of the kiddos' reach. i do like how the frog was constructed - it was probably filled from the top (the mouth) and the stitching makes cute frog lips. legs and arms were constructed separately then stitched to the body. someday i'll figure out the construction and make new frogs.

ribbit ribbit.

kiddos are a little meh about them. freddie likes to swing his and hit petunia with it. heh.

gratitude

2012-02-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

this is what i'm grateful for this week...

receiving a good medical report

being pampered

admiring someone's knitted handiwork

watching a childhood movie with the boy

a favorite cookbook

receiving ashes from my dad

listening to someone practice the organ in weber chapel

correcting a mistake in my knitting

drinking iced tea cooler

i'm taking the joy dare - what are you grateful for this week?

new fancy yarns

2012-02-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

i bought new fancy yarn this week:

this is my first skein of yarn from the verdant gryphon - mithril in poyntner's andromeda:

yep, those are snowflakes on my yarn. i also got a cute mini skein of bugga! in eastern amber wing.

gryphon doesn't have all her color ways up yet, altho i have a few "yarn is ready!" email alerts for when the colors i fancy are live.

i've never knit with mithril before. i bought a few skeins of it from SG last year in iSkein but haven't had the pleasure to use it yet (read - i'm hoarding it). this will make a gorgeous shawl someday.

i succumbed to more ads at the bottom of the ravelry pages. these beauties are by Dark Yarns:

the skein on the left is kraken sock in circe invidious. it's a luscious blue/brown color way that i could not resist. the one on the right is lusca sock in ligeia (dark). i love me my bruised pallet.

i have entered the dark side, indeed!

the irony is not lost on me

2012-02-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

look what i got in the mail:

i'm not even catholic, yet i received a rosary in the mail recently.

i unearthed this post, dated a year ago, where i inquired about using prayer beads to keep track of my prayers. funny i should receive some, a year from when i talked about it, and during a period in my life where i really should be focusing on my prayers.

i guess i should forward that $7 donation to st. therese, the little flower, eh?

red fish, blue fish, one big dead fish!

2012-02-25T12:10:00.000-05:00

i finished another UFO this week. here's my dead fish hat:

i started this hat last fall with some spud and chloe yarn i bought originally for the kiddos' hats and mittens sets. seeing that swimming pool blue would look horrid with petunia's lavender coat (and won't go any better with her fuchsia coat next year!) i decided to make a hat with the yarn. it's not a hard pattern. it shouldn't have languished this long. but i lost interest, and decided to finish it to clear out some UFOs.

the mouth is shaped with short rows, and i forgot to pick up the wraps and knit them:

it wasn't until i got finished with the body that i decided oh, i should fix those wraps. they look like crap. so i dropped stitches, picked up the wrap and raveled the stitches back up. fun times:

the hat's big, even on myself and hubby (who has a big melon head) here's petunia modeling RFBF1BDF:

and freddie:

and this lucky lad gets to wear the hat for dr. seuss hat day!

pinterest friday

2012-02-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's pinterest friday, and this is what's pinned to my boards...

doxie bracelet...sadly i do not speak russian...

salt dough advent/lent calendar. at christmastime i posted a wooden version of this calendar. i can make this and it's affordable!

ham and cheese waffles...we got waffle iron plates for our tabletop grill press for christmas...this savory concoction sounds yummers!

rainbow cupcakes look so cheerful...

salad in a jar - i started eating more salads as a new year's resolution, and i wonder if my greens would stay fresher if i did this instead of storing them in a ziploc baggie?

hubby loves mongolian beef - i should try this recipe...

rock paper scissors lizard spock. who invents this stuff?!!

belated knitting valentine!

it won't rain forever

please listen

let it go

all links courtesy of the links they were found on; otherwise pinterest

new stash - cephalopod yarns

2012-02-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

i splurged and bought new stash:

skinny bugga! in montauk monster. becos, seriously, how freaking cool is it to have a yarn named after a mystery creature! plus, i don't have a lot of grey in my stash - it'll make a nice shawl someday.

more skinny bugga! in strawberry crab. i thought the color way would be a bit more pinky fuchsia as it's a bit darker than i planned. i think i'm going to use this for another mystery shawl!

bugga! in sea star. i love this burnt orange shade - it'll be a shawl too!

cephalopod yarns is half of the sanguine gryphon duo. i'm liking what i see so far!

gratitude

2012-02-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday, and this is what i'm grateful for this week...

smell of wet wool

going to the bathroom in peace

watching friends from all over the country gather on Facebook to grieve the passing of a good man

watching a movie in an empty theatre by myself

overhearing the boy say his bedtime prayers

watching sun and shadows move across the ridge

hubby's beer brats and kraut in the crock-pot

i'm taking the joy dare - what are you grateful for this week?

hoots - freddie's sweater

2012-02-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

i finally finished freddie's owlet

knit with KP swish in copper, it's a pleasant warm orangey brown, perfect for freddie's brown curls and stone brown eyes.

there's a reason why one should knit one project at a time. i started this back in the fall, finished the body up to the cables and was working the sleeves using the magic loop method. i don't know why i slogged on those ruddy sleeves. when i picked the sweater up last week, i couldn't remember what size i was knitting it. i remembered i was knitting a size up from petunia's (becos hers was on the smaller side) and when i counted stitches i couldn't figure if i was knitting a child's 1 or 2.

i got it sussed out, but not without doing some frogging (becos apparently i can't read and follow directions, story of my life!) but i got everything straightened out. the cables were actually the easy part of this project! plus i got the short rows (for the back of the neck) in the correct place, unlike how i knit them for petunia's (short rows on the side, not the back - i guess i thought petunia would be like a hunchback!)

i am very pleased with freddie's sweater! the sleeves are too snug (what's up with that?! i followed the pattern to the letter!) but it fits nicely! now if freddie would just wear it!

i'm not sure if it's my monkey brain/project ADD or my constitution, but dear bob, i hate knitting projects in duplicate. i cranked on petunia's sweater and then stalled on freddie's. he'll get a couple of weeks' wear with it but it feels too late. and it's going to get worse - the kiddos are going to only grow more = bigger garments! i consider myself more a process than product knitter, but apparently that doesn't extend to making two of the same project!

i **heart** this pattern. i see me knitting it again next year!

hoots in action! here's freddie's hoots:

petunia's hoots still fits, although it is short:

diantha - mystery KAL revealed!

2012-02-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

i joined a mystery shawl KAL on ravelry and have been enjoying it. susanna ic offered a KAL beginning in january, with 6 clues. the pattern included beads and nupps, neither of which i have any experience in, so i decided to go for it. she offered both chart and written directions, but i chose to follow the chart as my experience there is also lacking.

i dug through my stash looking for the perfect fingering weight yarn. i chose the wollmeise that my knit buddy kristen gave me for christmas - a lovely deep purple. i thought multicolored beads would look cute with it. i wished i could have used all shiny beads but didn't have enough (the pattern called for 100 and i had no access to joann's where i bought them).

this is clue #1, with beads and nupps. i actually used a smaller bead for the first bead row but switched up to a larger gauge bead. even using my smallest crochet hook, it was difficult threading the bead onto the yarn (which, stitch wise, is basically doubled). mixing up shiny and matte isn't so bad. it gives me another excuse to make another shawl!

clue #2, more nupps. i used a small crochet hook for the nupps and it was much easier! (thank you ladies on the ravelry thread for that tip!)

clue #3. no nupps or beads, just lace.

clue #4. the pattern is emerging. flowers? butterflies?

clue #5 - the short rows of the body, plus nupps:

close up of nupps

crap photo, but the lifeline shows how much the short rows added to the body

for clue #6, we had to add beads to the edging before casting off. anxious to finish my shawl, i took it and my beads on the road and worked on it while we drove to penn state. bad move. i dropped a couple of beads and goofed up the count and had to tink back. i finished it sunday night.

i forgot to take pictures of my shawl after i cast off. it was a crumpled mass of noodle yarn to begin with so i decided to let the blocking do the talking.

as soon as my shawl hit the water to soak for blocking, the yarn began to bloom. holy hanna, i don't remember ever seeing wool bloom that quickly.

my blocked shawl:

the beaded cast off edge:

i see tulips...the eiffel tower...and owls?!

beaded and bobbled lace edge:

action shots! my beautiful shawl in front of my ugly garage:

tying one on...

unfurled...

yesterday susanna revealed the name of her shawl - diantha. diantha is greek for "heavenly flowers." and heavenly this shawl is!

i learned so much with this mystery KAL. i learned more skills in the past 6 weeks than i have in my six years of knitting. a review:

i learned to knit lace from a chart

i learned how to add beads to my work

i learned how to make nupps and skills for making them easier (the crochet hook is your friend!)

i learned that there's no shame in using a life line

i learned that if i want my work to be most perfect, planning ahead is key (this is in regard to the bead selection)

i learned that i liked knitting with wollmeise and am anxious to find another skein to knit with!

i learned about patience - awaiting a new clue each week, knitting through slow rows, working a nupp

i learned that i shouldn't be afraid to stretch and challenge myself!

i highly recommend participating in a KAL/CAL. it's a great opportunity to learn a new skill, create something beautiful, and share the camaraderie with other knitters

haba wha? - the church edition

2012-02-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

just to clear some things up:

no, we are not moving with my parents. my grandmother's house is not a compound. holy crap on a cracker, where's the common sense? just becos my parents are moving away doesn't mean that we are. dear bob, i'd give anything to move away from the ghetto. i love my house but it feels small and i hate the people who live in my neighborhood. unfortunately gram's house isn't big enough for all of us. and hubby would have a long commute to his job. and even if we were going to move, i'd build my own house.

(just for the record, someone did ask my dad this. i asked him if the question meant moving to another church and he said no - the person honestly thought we were moving in with my parents.)

now that my parents are leaving the emphasis is to "make us feel comfortable and welcome." i've attended my church for nearly 20 years - why start now? why do you want us to stay? are you afraid of losing our tithe? or becos we consistently bring our children to church and sunday school each week? are we dying? Lord love a duck, this comment just pissed me off.

i don't think people understand that my dad has been my pastor my entire life. 35 years (longer still, but my awareness really began at 3). do people have any idea what it's going to be like to have someone other than my dad (or my father in law) as my pastor?

here's another angle. we sit in front of the pulpit - we've sat here for years. would a new pastor want to see us sitting in front of him? how would he feel to see us? it's going to be uncomfortable both ways; therefore we will probably have to change the pew we sit in. this is going to be hard - i prefer sitting in the front, and my kiddos are accustomed to our location in the nave - this isn't going to be an easy task.

i wish people would realize that getting a new pastor isn't like getting a new teacher. for me, it's a life change - a longtime life change. and it's a hard one for me.

we still have no clue what we're going to do next. well, i have some ideas. so far, this is the game plan for march:

we're taking a few weeks off and skipping church and sunday school. i'm tired and i feel emotionally drained from the past few months. i want a break. i feel horrible saying this but it's true - going to church, for me, is like going to work. i go to church rain or shine, unless i'm sick to the point of incapacitation. the only time we skip is when mom and dad are on vacation (twice a year at most). no wonder i'm burned out on church. nobody gets it.

the boy's choir sings in the middle of the month, so we'll go to church then. i still want him to participate in choir becos he enjoys it. i'll also take him to practice (my mom and dad did this). lent is coming, and i can always sit in the back during wednesday evening services. i still get my dose of church in this way.

mom and dad suggested taking the kids to sunday school and skipping church. they enjoy going to sunday school so this is a decent solution; i'm seriously considering this. that way, we still are active; i can still tithe (just drop it in the plate on our way in) and we don't have to go to church, feel uncomfortable or make the interim/new pastors feel uncomfortable.

there's more i'd like to say, but i guess that's it for now. my apologies for the weird post - i'm feeling unsettled and pissed off.

welcome to roswell!

2012-02-18T12:01:00.000-05:00

i cleaned out my project pages on ravelry. last year i divvied up my projects according to year and status. today i took it a bit further and separated the projects that i am currently working on (my WIPs) and those that have been hanging out a bit too long (the UFOs).

welcome to ROSWELL!

this is the FROG POND (this tab has existed for a while, i just added to it)

i'm too anal retentive.

pinterest friday

2012-02-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's pinterest friday, and this is what i pinned to my boards this week...

crocheted flowers

ladybug spinning wheel

finger friends (or known in our house as oobi!)

little bowls made from perler beads

freezer cooking for the slow cooker

homemade poptarts

my nana made me something like this when i was wee...can't wait to make some for my kids!

heart shaped warmers

holy hanna, i want to make a bunch of these! they're giving me 80s flashbacks!

speaking of nostalgia, remember these treats?

lip lickers (i loved my root beer flavored one!)

bo po nail polish! i had burgundy polish and lurved it!

anxiety girl - that's me!

no bully

in the end

what did you pin today?

all pins courtesy of their links; otherwise pinterest

i'm a shameful 30s wife

2012-02-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

-3

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Poor (Failure)

Take the test!

...becos i wear red nail polish. i also walk around the house in stocking feet (really, no stockings at all!). and if i did wear them, the seams would be crooked.

but...

...i bravely carry on during this economic depression. i also have spunk and will defend my opinion, even political or religious.

gratitude

2012-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

i'm taking the joy dare, and this is what i'm grateful for this week...

completing a clue on my mystery shawl

fixing a broken toy that has sat around forever

an unseasonably warm winter day

a DVR clicker that actually works

old, loved furniture

freddie's chuckles as he tickles my feet

hubby making me laugh

homemade cookies!

what are you grateful for today?

hug bugs!

2012-02-14T00:30:00.000-05:00

i promised to provide a treat for the boy's valentine party. for past occasions i sent holiday pencils i picked up in the dollar bins at target, and last christmas i sent homemade cookies.

last week i got my reminder call from the class mother about my contribution and what was i sending? sick with the never-ending cold and feeling drained, i was at a loss for words. i told her "pencils" even though the last thing i wanted to do was go shopping.

while perusing ~~one of my favorite time sucks~~ pinterest i found this cute project that a blogger did with her children. holy smokes, i had the items needed for the craft already (thank you fully stocked craft chest!) and thought these puff ball creatures would be more fun than a boring but useful pencil and healthier than a sugar laden cookie!

i glued a puff ball on top of a foam heart sticker. the heart acts as the feet. then i cut up pipe cleaners for the antennae. i glued the eyes on the antennae because it was quicker than gluing them on the ball as per the instructions. when the eyes were dried i glued the antennae to the puff ball, pinching pieces of fluff together to get the antennae to stick.

here's my gaggle of hug bugs! apparently their diet consists of butter, organic and heirloom tomatoes (they have expensive tastes, these bugs!), croutons, grape soda and honey nut cheerios!

i decorated a shoe box (complete with air holes!) to corral the puffs (aka deliver the goods to school without them getting to banged up!)

i hope the kids like them! they are pretty cute!

this is a great craft project, not just for valentines, but for any occasion.

blessed beyond measure

2012-02-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

hubby surprised me with this necklace for valentine's day:

i am so blessed to have a wonderful man like him to love. and he loves me right back!

JoePa's the bomb!

2012-02-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

this is my most brazen yarn bomb yet. i "bombed" JoePa!

i got the idea when i saw all the mementos left at JoePa's statue - flowers, candles, pictures. a man left a set of rosary beads in his hand. people draped an american flag and a scarf around his neck. the makeshift shrine was dismantled shortly after his memorial service with the items dried and stored for the family to sift through at a later date.

i got the idea to yarn bomb the statue after seeing the stuff left behind. statues are popular places to bomb - people knit hats, scarves or other things and place them on the statue in jest. i wanted to be respectful so i decided to knit up a wristlet - it's something an athlete wears anyway and it would look discreet.

with worsted weight yarn, i cast on 40 stitches on size 6 DPNs. i knit two rows of blue then switched to white, knitting three rows of white to two rows of blue (the blue yarn was acrylic, the white was cotton-ease and a bit thinner).

i wrote a note on a piece of felt...

the band had to be big enough to slip over JoePa's big metal paw

so hubby and i drove out to penn state on sunday for his LCM board meeting. we had some time to kill before i could drop him off so i asked him to drive me to the shrine (until his death, i never knew it existed). there were a couple visitors there when we arrived, so i waited my turn and took a few pictures:

when it was my turn i slipped the band on the wrist. it barely fit - i had to stretch that sucker to get it on. guess i should have cast on 50 stitches instead! the note is tucked inside the band.

proof that it happened:

people are still leaving mementos - i surmise the shrine will get cleaned up soon and with it my wrist band (unless it gets stolen first).

we arrived just in time - as i was leaving an econovan arrived with a gaggle of tourists! i surmise JoePa's shrine will become as popular as the nittany lion shrine.

i had fun doing this tag! it's fun doing something naughty with my craft! if someone can knit a sweater for mr. rogers, then i can certainly knit a wristlet for JoePa!

scratch off valentines

2012-02-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

this year i made scratcher valentines for the boy to exchange. i got the idea from this magazine and the directions are located there, but there are tons of tutorials online, along with templates of valentines.

i made my own valentine template with word, adding a mario image i found online (shh, don't tell!). i got 6 cards on one page; depending on size, you could get more cards per sheet

i made copies of the valentines on sheets of card stock then cut them out

there are a couple of ways to make the surface for the scratch off spot. i chose to laminate the entire card with contact paper, then cut the squares out...

then i glued the laminated cards on a piece of scrapbook paper. this was a piece with bits throughout; i chose it becos it looked more "boyish". you can use specific valentine paper, pink paper, whatever spins your beanie

there are a couple ways to make the scratch off spot. some crafters painted a piece of contact paper with the paint solution, then cut out hearts/circles and glued it on the card. i chose to make a heart shape cutout template and paint the scratcher solution right on the card. i chose this way becos the idea of peeling contact paper off of little hearts made me want to cry a little...

the scratcher solution is made of 2 parts metallic paint to one part dish detergent (or roughly 2 Tbs paint and 1 Tbs of dish wash)

stir together...

hold template over "hidden message" and paint away (or gob away as i did). it may take a couple of coats to completely cover the message - allow the paint to dry before adding another coat. put the cards in an out of the way to dry (read: a place where the kiddos won't be!)

cut the valentines apart

i stamped to/from on the back of each valentine with mini letter stamps and silver ink

using a scrapbooking glue dot, put the dot over mario's hand and place a new penny or coin of choice on top. the child uses the coin to scratch off their message

that's a "lotto" friends!

this project took a couple of days to make. it took me a while to make the valentine template (becos i have teh stupidz when it comes to desktop design), plus i let the paint dry overnight. i would not start this project the night before your valentine party!

this would also make a neat project for a party or game - instead of having a message to scratch off, you could list a prize and the child could scratch off and find their prize.

happy valentine's crafting!

homemade orange julius

2012-02-11T12:09:00.000-05:00

i'm starting week 3 of this mutant cold (sniffly last week; thought i was getting better, then the kids got sick for third time since christmas and by thursday my snootful returned). while looking at a cookbook i got from grams, i found a recipe for homemade orange julius drinks. remember those? no 80s mall rat would be worth their benetton salt if they didn't have a ginormous cup of orange julius. there used to be a kiosk at my mall but it's been gone for years; if i want a fix i have to go to lyco mall (i think it's still there, it's been years...) that logo is the one from my childhood (image courtesy of mstrmnd.com).

they say orange juice is good for a cold...why not blend up this luscious frothy drink from my youth? i had all the ingredients on hand.

3/4 cup frozen OJ concentrate
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
1 1/2 cups of chipped ice (i used cubes)
1 tsp vanilla (i used the good vanilla!)
1/2 cup of sugar (more or less to taste, i also found a recipe where confectioners sugar was recommended)

blend the above ingredients on high for one minute. makes 2 servings

you can google orange julius recipes and find different variations on the drink, including one using egg (barf!). there are also versions for strawberry, pineapple, even alcoholic! i guess the recipe is only limited by your own imagination!

interest friday, gnome and toadstool edition

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's pinterest friday...here's what's pinned to my boards...

gnome hat

the traveling gnome, knit style!

crocheted mushroom house

felted mushrooms

felt mushroom

gnome blanket!

baby shoes

gnome terrarium pins

mercury glass toadstools

what did you pin today?

all images courtesy of their links; otherwise pinterest

gratitude

2012-02-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

this is what i'm grateful for this week...

hearing the boy say "i had a good day today mom"

hubby's hand finished floors

kiddos taking naps

getting my favorite knitting magazine in the mail

hubby giving the kiddos baths

hearing an old song from when i was a kid

flickering light from my honey candles

i'm taking the joy dare! what are you grateful for this week?

PSOTMC - february

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

i'm behind (story of my life as of late) but it's this month's pick for PSOTMC:

i got this yarn from my knit buddy kristin last year for my birthday. it's my first skein of socks that rock in kalish. my knit buddy, she's got awesome taste.

now to find a pattern worthy of it...

tuning in, dropping out

2012-02-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

lent will be upon us before long, and i usually give up something for it. usually something food wise, but i'm thinking more techno this year. i'm thinking about giving up Facebook/ravelry/blogs for lent.

it's amazing how pervasive technology is in our lives. i am able to keep in touch with old school mates, talk to people on a different continent and learn about breaking stories as they occur. i love keeping up with everyone, but some days news and chatter make me feel bad. i'm not alone; apparently someone did a study on this. allow me to explain.

i love Facebook; i love keeping up with old friends. i enjoy hearing about the good (and sometimes not so good) things happening to them. some days the news makes me feel alone (oh my goodness the boy is smart but not that smart oh my goodness the kiddos don't do this oh my goodness we still live in an old house in the ghetto oh my goodness doesn't anyone give a toss about my knitting/sewing/crafting etc etc etc). ugh.

ravelry has opened up a whole world to me (and i have the knitting world literally at my fingertips) but some days i wish i could just drop out. i avoid certain threads becos they make me feel like crap (oh my goodness there are kids younger than mine who are potty trained and mine can't be bothered holy shit there's a two month old who's potty trained oh my goodness i didn't breast feed/cloth diaper/cosleep my twins becos i was scared and i valued my sleep over their well-being and the dirty hippie mommies think i'm worthless oh my goodness i wish i could crank out the knits these moms have a gazillion kids and can knit lace why can't i? oh my goodness i want ALL THE FANCY YARN and can't afford squat yada yada yada).

then there are the blogs. some of my favorites have ceased existence (that would be mooncalf makes, eskimimi and the pine valley bulletin). others post irregularly (french press knits and grumperina, but for good reason - they had babies). there's a chunk of blogs that i followed becos i liked what they said faith wise. but i also dropped a bunch becos oh my goodness my faith is strong but not THAT strong oh my goodness my family's not affluent oh my goodness my family is large but not THAT large oh my goodness we can't afford a second house on the lake oh my goodness STFU about vacation we won't be going on a big vacation again this year (#yarnharlot) blah blah blah.

i even toyed with putting my blog on hiatus for lent and taking a break from blogging. this past week i was sick with a cold, and it took all my energy just to keep up with the (non-sick) kiddos and it was an effort to do simple blogging. for the first time in a long time, it felt good to not blog. does anyone really care what i say anyway?

see what i'm saying?

having a life online can be a good thing. staying in touch with people is so easy becos of it. however, what good is it when it makes me feel bad about myself, as a woman, a mother, a crafter and a christian? i talked to hubby about this last night at supper. he's not as socially wired as i am (which is ironic considering his job is computers) but it's also a reason why he's avoided social networking in the first place. he feels no need to keep up with others. i can see his point now.

on the other hand, some news is parlayed to me only by social networking. i had to "friend" the boy's chorale Facebook page becos his director posts updates on the wall and finds it easier than emailing. i post my knitting projects on ravelry as a way to keep track of modifications and details. could i do that for 40 days?

i know people who dropped Facebook for lent and lived to tell the tale! i know it's doable. i think about how much time i would save by not logging onto my Facebook app on my phone (a couple times a day) or raveling (at least an hour a day) or reading blogs (checking blog feed a couple times a day). how many more books could i read? how much knitting or sewing could i get done? i'd have more free time than i'd know what to do with! how much better would i feel about myself if i wasn't comparing myself to others then feeling despair becos i felt like i wasn't measuring up?

i still have a few weeks to make a decision. i'd love to hear any stories about dropping out socially online!

meet melody. or betty

2012-02-04T10:51:00.001-05:00

i splurged and bought another sewing machine.

this is the singer 160. i bought it off HSN for 5 low payments a month.

suffice it to say, it kicks my little singer simple's arse. more stitches, more accessories, and it makes the most pleasant hum when i sew. it's not herky jerky like my old one. it's also bigger and more stable than the simple. i have a bigger sewing surface. i haven't checked, but it just might fit over the hole in gram's sewing table altho i might need to fix it up as i'd planned.

i sewed up little project bags for my summer mom's swappee, my starbucks knit buddy and myself. they came out pretty neat. now i have to find more projects to work on. maybe flannel buchmans (aka pajama bottoms) for the kiddos (i bought the material - raggedy ann/andy flannel - just debating on the size to make them)

oh yeah, the name. at first i thought black beauty. then black betty. now i'm thinking melody becos she hums when she sews.

pinterest - valentine's edition!

2012-02-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's pinterest friday and this is what i have pinned to my boards...

scandinavian heart ornament

crocheted heart pins

monster valentine

hearts all a "glow"

cold porcelain craft clay

cookies!

conversation heart cookies

pretty cake

raspberry meyer lemon macarons

take care of your bear, he'll protect you!

love is light

love will overcome

what did you pin today?

all images courtesy of their links; otherwise pinterest

new year stash

2012-02-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

splurged on new yarn...

this is full circle worsted in denim, chrysanthemum and cardinal

wool stainless steel in wine (becos i wanted this)

cashmere in terra cotta

gratitude

2012-02-01T13:46:00.001-05:00

this is what i'm grateful for this week...

leftovers

loved ones who embrace my craziness

reading the newspaper

mr. clean sponges for cleaning crayon off walls (ask me how i know!)

recycling furniture into something useful

what are you grateful for this week?

freddie's socks - PSOTMC for january

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

these are freddie's socks. for small socks, they took forever to finish. i completed one sock weeks ago but got side tracked by the mystery shawl KAL and my mittens, and finished these up last week.

these socks were knit with froehlich wolle sedrun in red/blue tweed, with navy heels and toes. the yarn is more sport weight and i didn't think there'd be enough yarn for both socks, hence the blue heels and toes.

i learned a lesson with this pair - knit them at the same time! see how one sock is bigger than the other?

i knit the cuff on a size 3. from there, the details are sketchy. when i picked up the second sock i kept knitting with the 3 when i was supposed to switch to a smaller needle for the stockinette stitch. gauge with the size 3 made the sock too big so i ripped back to the cuff and went down to a 1.5. those needles made the knit WAY tighter in gauge (yep, it took knitting the heel to show me that something was wrong)! ripped back to the cuff again, started knitting with a size two (which was attached to another pair of socks!) but the sock still looked small. not sure if my gauge was loose for the first sock or too tight for the second one but the lesson learned - note the details when casting on! i usually add my project to ravelry when i start it but for some reason i missed this one.

this is a nice yarn to work with. i have a ton of it left from last summer's yarn binge (it was $2.50 a skein, can't beat that!) so that's probably a good thing!

NaKniMitMo12 - stained glass mittens

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

finished my mittens for NaKniMitMo! this is stained glass mittens aka cloisonné, the yarn harlot's latest knitting craze.

knit on size 6 needles, the cuff is a four row pattern in which a stitch is knit from 4 rows below, also known as K4B. it took a couple tries to get the pattern figured out, but it wasn't as hard as i thought. the main color is ella rae worsted in a pinky red; patons brown for the "lead" and ella rae (yellow), plymouth worsted (orange) and patons (olive) for the contrasting colors.

this is an insanely awesome pattern. on wednesday i bought more patons yarn so i could knit up more mittens. yes, this is a stash buster project, but i found the perfect pale pink. and orchid. and i really don't have grey, which would look lovely with the pink and orchid and cream.

yes, this pattern is going to get a lot of use.

should i stay or should i go?!

2012-01-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

since my dad announced his retirement a few weeks ago, people have been asking me whether or not we will remain at the church after they leave. i don't know, i tell them. we'd like to stay becos the kids are established here for sunday school and choir, but i just don't know. i don't know how it will be, seeing another pastor in my dad's pulpit. i'm not looking forward to it.

almost 5 years ago my FIL retired and we left hubby's church, altho he kept his membership there. two years later, while pregnant with the twins, hubby transferred his membership to my church after a debacle at his (teal deer: the interim pastor there cleaned roles and hubby's family was removed when they weren't supposed to. nice church.) we knew dad wasn't going to retire soon so we settled in at mine.

well, someday arrived, and my parents are leaving at the end of march. as i've eluded in previous posts, i'm not enthralled by what is coming out of seminary now. i know some pastors whose pastoral care is lacking (some don't do hospital or nursing home visits) and others who make drastic changes the first month they arrive. it would hurt to see my church undergo such changes.

i've been keeping a running list of pros and cons of staying or going. this is what i'm thinking about:

reasons to stay

- my kids like sunday school, and the boy is in choir. our church is one of the few in the area with a thriving sunday school program or children's choir. i like my own sunday school class. it's the only hour in my week where i don't have to deal with the kids. (sad, isn't it?)

- i'm familiar with the people who come to my church. it's a cozy country church, full of eager and active members. our congregation is known for their meals (pork and sauerkraut, chicken and waffle), and many members are active in the faith community outside of our church.

- my church is rather conservative. we don't have communion every sunday, we don't cross ourselves, we don't anoint ourselves when we enter the sanctuary like other area lutheran churches. i'm not opposed to those activities, but but it would feel weird to start doing that.

reasons to leave

- my church is 10 miles from my house. it takes 15-20 minutes to drive there. evening activities like choir make the day very long, and driving there in snow/ice is not fun. the intersection at the bottom of the hill has been the scene of many accidents (including my dad years ago) and i hate crossing there.

- the boy doesn't go to school with the kids who go to my church. well, the kids there go to at least 5 different school districts, but it'd be nice if the kids went to the same school.

- this is a big one for me, and it's not really good - i feel like an outsider in my church. yes, the preacher's daughter feels like an outsider in her own damn church. i've felt this for years. when we arrived 19 years ago, many of the kids my age were away to college. they knew each other from little on, and i was the new kid. there was no sunday school class for me - i could either join the high school class (which was too young for me) or the young adult class (full of young parents older than me, couldn't relate). i wound up in my mom's sunday school class, full of baby boomers, but i liked my teacher and liked the people there.

when i got married and had children, i thought i'd have more in common with the people my age. i still felt like the odd person out - i'm a SAHM; the other moms work. i live "far away"; the others live closer to my church. i like to knit; the others think it's weird to knit. when i look at other families, with their new cars, big houses, vacations, i feel very poor. who knows what their financial situations are, but it's a bitter pill for me to swallow sometimes.

the other thing that has actually been brought up recently is the "cliquishness" of the congregation. to be fair, my church was established by a merger of three congregations, and there are many old families (or "clans" as i think of it). i'm not saying that there are dividing lines - my congregation gets along pretty well - but, well, a family is obviously going to stick together. i'm not related to anyone in that congregation, so why would i expect be included in out of church activities with them?

so yes, i do feel alone in my own church. it's probably my own doing - i'm not one to follow a crowd anyway - but it hurts to stand and wait for the boy to finish with choir, and have no one ask me how i'm doing. or how my kids are. why should i stay at a church that makes me feel that way?

where would we go? there's a lutheran church a half block from my house. the boy went there for preschool and bible school. some of his classmates attend there. it's the church where my in laws transferred. it certainly would be convenient for us to attend. i'm just not sure if it's the church for us.

there are half a dozen churches within a two block radius of our home. i'm not opposed to visiting them, but i really want a lutheran church. there's a catholic church and a synagog across the river (yes, it's crossed my mind to visit them) but i don't think i'd feel good at those either.

this is what i'm looking for in a church for us:

- a sunday school program for the children. you'd be surprised how many churches don't have sunday school programs anymore. that's just sad.

- a children's choir. the boy loved children's choir and i want the little ones to have the same experience.

- a youth group for when the kids are older. the boy will be old enough for one in a couple of years.

my kids are the deal breaker here. the church has to have active children's programming. while i feel pretty established and confident in my faith and instill it in my children, i desire the additional support an active church has.

- a pastor who doesn't ram social issues down my throat. or expect me to become a catholicized lutheran. (good luck with that.)

- a pastor who will come to the hospital if something happens to me. (you'd be surprised how many pastors refuse to visit shut-ins or members in the hospital. some won't do in home communions. that's sad and pathetic).

i hate that my faith is being shaken. somedays, my faith is all i have. this is one of the things i hate about being a preacher's daughter. hubby reminded me of a comment his aunt (also a lutheran pastor, she's in nova scotia and rocks) made when we got married - maybe we should go to a church where neither of our dads are. a new church where we'd be ourselves, not pastor's kids. 13 years too late on that.

i guess i have a lot to think about. pray for us, to make a wise decision

boom boom in my new crafting room!

2012-01-28T19:35:00.000-05:00

redid the craft room/boy's man cave. this is my side:

the dresser belonged to hubby's great aunt. when hubby's folks cleaned out aunt h's apartment years ago, i called dibs on the dresser. at the time i thought i could use it as a second dresser for the boys. while planning for the furniture we're getting from my folks in their move, i remembered this was in our garage.

hubby's computer desk was converted into a craft desk several months ago but i cluttered it up with my beading and knitting supplies. i was getting my grandmother's sewing machine table and needed a place for it, so we decided to get rid of the desk and move the sewing table in there. i thought the dresser would make a really neat storage space for my craft supplies, which were overflowing from two plastic drawer bins and a small filing cabinet.

two saturdays of work and i have this!

this is gram's sewing table. dad removed her old machine - it was over 40 years old and didn't work well anymore (it smoked when gram used it.) i thought about taking it to the local singer dealer to see if they could tinker with it but it didn't have as many features as my new machine. my fabric and supplies fit in a "carry" tub underneath the table. the crock is full of buttons. i probably won't sew here - i have more space at my dining room table for that. while the top folds out to make a long surface, i need to have a flat surface for the sewing machine to sit on, as it's too small for the hole made by gram's old machine.

hubby wiped this down with a wood polishing cloth. it's an old piece of furniture and heavy as can be.

the lazy susan was left from the kitchen remodel last christmas. it's a great place to corral my needles, pens and other odd things. the basket in the back is full of ribbons. i have three containers of pens and pencils in the back - kids will not be of want for pencils! the wipe boxes are full of crayons and glue dots. i wish we had another place for the phone and the answering machine, but they'll be okay.

the top drawer is full of things that were in the old desk drawers - my dymo, glue gun, fancy pencils, tubes of glue, magnets, white-out. the second drawer has paint, more crayons, pipe cleaners and small craft supplies.

third drawer is full of craft kits and supplies (pom poms, feathers, stickers). i'm such a peanuts craft hoarder!

fourth drawer has construction paper (some dating back to when i was in grade school!), scribble pads, notebooks for school (i stocked up last fall), my glitter and odd papers and stickers.

the bottom drawer is full of coloring books and activity books. this is a deep drawer and it's filled to the top to the point of getting stuck. i must have at least 50 coloring books. the majority of them are peanuts coloring books. notice a trend here? i think i'll have enough books for when i have grandchildren.

underneath the dresser i stored my beading boxes, a plastic box full of foam sticky letters, and a box full of pens (many dating from when i worked in doctor offices - can you say HOARDER?).

my blocking supplies are in the space left of the dresser. my loose knitting patterns are in an old apple crate on the right. i found another crate of yarn that i forgot i had (mostly baby yarn - guess that boat sailed!) i tidied up my bookshelves so they don't look as cluttered.

i have a ton of room now for blocking on the floor! now, i just need to keep it tidy (and keep the boy's crap from migrating to my side!

pinterest friday

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's pinterest friday...here's what's pinned to my boards...

sweet booties

ouch bags

want!

salted browned butter krispie treats

salted caramel hot chocolate

i bought unflavored gelatin so i could make chai marshmallows

owls for the kids' toothbrushes!

this hot tub reminds me of my collapsable measuring cups!

steampunk star wars ( i love the guy's rendition of yoda!)

sometimes

what did you pin today?

all images courtesy of their accompanying links

the town that JoePa built

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

this article was linked in the penn state forum in ravelry. i'd love to add my two cents to it.

i grew up an hour from the campus of penn state. if you don't know the area, it is literally in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the state.

when i was little my parents took me christmas shopping there. i remember walking downtown and visiting the bookstores, where my mom would let me pick out a notebook or a pen. i remember the boutiques that lined the alleys - i loved picking up a trendy bracelet or pair of earrings. there was a card and gift shop where i'd buy funky stickers and stationary and hello kitty pens. we used to go to the mall - at that time it was one of the biggest in the area and it had shops that our own small mall didn't have. i felt so special on those days - it was a real treat. back in the day, there was also a hills in addition to kmart. those were the major stores - this was before walmarts infiltrated the place. down the hill from hills was the dairy where we'd stop for ice cream on the way home.

i remember going to campus, when i was in seventh grade. my dad had a church function up there, and i remember he took me to the creamery where i got ice cream and a lion chocolate bar. i sat in a lounge and read books and did my homework and felt so grown up.

years later hubby and i made quarterly trips to the town whenever he had church board meetings. at that time the edge of town was the walmart to the north, with red lobster across the road. a few years later target and wegman's moved in. now there's a chik fi la and a kohls. strangely enough, there's no old navy - the closest one is in altoona (or williamsport).

during home football games, the city becomes the fourth largest city in pennsylvania, due to the attendance to the games.

in less than a month thon will be in full swing. did you know that thon is the largest student run philanthropy in the world? imagine how many children with cancer have been helped by this.

i have many good memories of happy valley, and look forward to many more to come.

thanks JoePa.

gratitude

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday, and these are just a few of my 1000 gifts...

moss on logs

knitting with a friend

extra canned goods to pass on to those in need

a sloppy hoagie

the sound of icy rain falling on the pavement and against the window

knits whodunit

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

i found these goodies in my woolens stash. the stitches are intriguing and i'm trying to figure out exactly what stitch pattern it is so i can replicate them.

these mittens were my favorite when i was a child. they aren't hand knit - according to the tag inside one, they were sold at kmart and were made in china (!!) the inside is lined with machine knit stockinette.

the back of the mitten. if that's a cable, it's one i've never seen before. i poured over my barbara walker treasury #1 and couldn't find a single sample of the cable. i checked out the the walker treasury for some suggestions but couldn't find anything similar.

the palm of the mitten. it looks more like moss stitch than seed stitch.

i think i might do some swatching and see what i can come up with. i'd love an updated pair of those mittens. i can still wear them, but they're mighty small.

i can't remember ever wearing this hat when i was little. maybe it's my mom's hat? it's also not a hand knit. who knows where it came from.

i love the stitch pattern! it's not a popcorn stitch, maybe a bubble stitch? a quick search on ravelry came up with this option.

methinks i'll be doing more swatching so i can knit a bigger hat!

have you designed a knit based on something you wore when you were little? i'd love to hear about it!

forgotten knits

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

i cleaned out the bench by our front door for use as a toy box for the kiddos. i stored our hats, scarves and mittens in there and i'm going to store them out in the mudroom. i found these forgotten gems (pre rav, no links!)

lion brand fun fur and chenille hat:

ugh! you can tell this was one of my first hats. look at that hole on top! and the chenille yarn sucks. it looks like wormy hair yarn. the hat is a sad love child of the cookie monster and abby cadabby.

lion brand thick and quick and (bernat?) boucle yarn.

the top of the hat doesn't look so bad, but it sat on my head like an oversized pancake. i'm not sure if this thing was supposed to be a beanie or a flipped brim hat!

second scarf i ever made. i think the yarn is bamboo, from mad about ewes. gobsmacked i made a keyhole scarf. not bad, but you can see my tension is off in spots.

i made this scarf a few years ago, with boucle from steam valley fiber. it's a shame i forgot this scarf - it's beautiful and is great to wear.

it's fun to see just how far i've come in my knitting!

the end of an era

2012-01-22T20:30:00.001-05:00

image courtesy of wjla.com

church bags!

2012-01-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

i made the kids new tote bags for church!

found this pattern online, it seemed simple enough. it took me about 4 hours to make all three (cutting out the pieces, ironing the straps, sewing them up). the bag is lined and the bottom of the bag is stitched to make it lay flat - two new sewing skills for me!

the kiddos loved their new bags. petunia stuffed hers full of play food and books (i think my reusable shopping bags rubbed off on her). freddie's lay on the floor. the boy liked his and told me that he liked when i made him things.

the bags are big enough for their activity kits, a snack and a bottle.

my next project - reusable snack pouches. all i need is nylon material for the lining.

i still win when i lose it!

2012-01-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

i struggle with my weight. i know what i'm supposed to eat and know i should exercise more but i didn't have a way to be accountable for it.

someone mentioned this awesome site in a parenting group and i checked it out. there is also an app for my phone so i can list every morsel that goes in my mouth. lose it! has a decent list of restaurant and grocery foods, but since i make a lot of homemade meals, i have to hunt down the recipe and add the calorie count per serving for my log. there is also an exercise list so i can write down how often i swim or walk.

the program allows you to choose how many pounds you want to lose, up to 2 pounds a week. i chose half a pound a week, to get used to the program, and will probably switch it up to one pound in the future.

is it working? well, it's a lot easier to see how the things that go in my mouth affect my eating habits. a value meal from mcd's or bk can wipe out half of my daily allotment of calories, so i choose carefully. food that i deemed harmless (i'm looking at you lemonade and orange juice) are loaded with calories (not to mention sugar!)

do i stay within my allotment of calories? for the most part, i'm under unless we eat out or i have a day of stress eating (chips, chocolate bar, fountain coke). the days when i go over, i just work harder to stay within my number the next day.

is it working? i have no idear what i weigh (i plugged in the weight from my last doctor's appointment when i started) and i can't stand looking at my scale. instead i go by how my clothes feel. a few months on this program, and my jeans feel a little looser.

i get "badges" when i reach a certain goal. i got this one for logging in once a day for 4 weeks. this is the longest i've ever stuck to a dietary change.

i'm not sure if it's becos i'm paying more attention to my eating, or hormones, or whatever, but my HS has significantly improved. my inflamed areas are clear and what spots i do get do not erupt in angry painful centralia-like carbuncles. this rocks!

my sugars have gotten better too. that is a huge bonus!

this site and app are free. i'm sure there are other weight loss sites out there, but this one is working for me at the moment. wish me luck!

pinterest friday

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's pinterest friday...this is what's pinned on my boards...

crochet mythbusters!

i need to learn to make these

more mythbusters needlework

dress made from vintage star wars sheets!

cash envelopes

reusable snack baggies

i so want to make one of these

these sound delish!

homemade duck sauce (it's surprisingly expensive in stores!)

i got a madeline mold a few years ago...i should make these

perspective via tumblr

lego girl

you reap what you sow

what did you pin today?

all images courtesy of their links; otherwise pinterest

fixer upper

2012-01-19T14:12:00.003-05:00

i had to fix one of my kick ass red mitties. when i put it on monday evening, i found a hole in the palm, near the thumb gusset:

(that white stuff on the mitten is melted ice cream. don't ask. i only look more like a dork if i explain.)

i'm not sure if i didn't weave in the ends from the thumb right or if a certain rodent decided to munch on my mitten. i snipped away and picked up stitches like this:

i knit and purled a row then kitchener'd the ends. i had to do a weird backwards kitchener stitch becos my working yarn was on the front needle, when normally it would be on the back one, and i couldn't flip the mitten over becos the working yarn would have been on the left instead of the right. anyhoo, i wove in my ends:

it's not the best, but it's not too bad.

shortly after i darned my mitten, it got a nice washing.

this was a good exercise in repairing my knits. i had a pair of socks with worn spots on the heel, which i toyed with darning, but instead gave the sock to my folks' dog for a christmas present. (for what it's worth, he destroyed it within minutes. my poor koigu socks. i thought the wool would wear like iron. but i'm not surprised - this is the dog - a doxie by the way - who destroys kongs.)

how i write

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

according to this i apparently write like Chuck Palahniuk, David Foster Wallace, James Joyce, Mark Twain and Stephen King. interesting.

gratitude

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday...this is what i'm grateful for this week...

a full moon peeking ominously through clouds

renewed interest in an old WIP

healing hands

a box full of memories

this year i am participating in the joy dare...the 1000 gifts of grace in my life.

Baby triggers

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

you would think that with toddler twins and almost four years separating my pregnancy loss, that baby triggers would be a thing of the past. alas, i must harbor some bitterness still.

american horror story, parenthood and now good luck charlie. why must television shows feature women of a certain age getting pregnant so easily? let's parse this out (and beware of SPOILERS)...

on parenthood, a main character announces her pregnancy the same day her husband gets sacked at work. oops! (yes, i realize this was a plot in the original movie). at least the infertility/subsequent adoption storyline of another character on the show seemed plausible.

on american horror story, a character has a stillbirth, then gets pregnant not only by her husband but by rape by the rubber man! "twins" by two different "men"! (and let's not forget the subplot of another character who accidentally gets pregnant, goes for an abortion then cancels the procedure.)

the boy and i watched the holiday special of good luck charlie, which was very nice, except at the end, when the mom announces she's pregnant AGAIN. maybe the actress is pregnant in real life and they're building it into the storyline, but my guess is that they're adding a different dynamic to the show, making charlie the big sister instead of the baby.

i hate when television shows make getting pregnant look so easy, especially when it's a woman my age (and i surmise, in the case of parenthood and AHR, older). it shouldn't bug me, but they did give that punch to the gut.

lastly (and i feel bad admitting this), michelle duggar has always been a trigger for me. she had a baby (#18) born around the time of ani's EDD, then got pregnant right over with #19 (and we know the struggle the family had with that pregnancy and birth). when i found out she was pregnant with #20, i felt resentful. i remember thinking this woman had complications with the previous pregnancy. why would you risk your life and your newborn child's just to have another baby? maybe #19 was God's way of saying stop? then michelle lost the baby, and i felt horrible. i don't wish pregnancy loss on anyone. (sorry, judgey mcjudgypants).

ah, that was cathartic.

pinterest friday

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

here's what's pinned to my boards...

via youtube. i have one of these hairpin lace looms, i really should sit and learn how to make lace!

pong scarf!

another reason to learn crochet

can't wait to sew one of these

or one of these

this would taste good on a cold winter day

this would taste good too, with mashed taters

via pinterest

use your talent

some days

what did you pin today?

old fashioned weather watching

2012-01-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

i got hubby this for christmas:

it's nice to know when a storm is coming! this has a humidity and temperature gauge too.

hubby's wanted one of these for years. i didn't know where to put it though which is why i held off on getting one. then i saw an episode of Mr. Belvedere where the family had one hanging by their front door, and the lightbulb went on in my head.

hubby loves it. it really fits the house.

gratitude

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday, time to count my blessings...

revealing a long held secret

learning to sew

watching a movie

homemade waffles

creepy knits - knits on tv

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

these ski masks were featured on an episode of the twilight zone called The After Hours.

creepy! they remind me of the creepy ski mask peter white wears on St. Elsewhere!

bird's nest pins

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

i found this awesome bird's nest on pinterest. i thought it would make great "mother's jewelry" of sorts for the grandmothers. i decided to make the nests into pins instead.

i got three pearls (dark blue, light blue and pink to represent the boy, freddie and petunia), 18 gauge wire (the bead shop didn't have 20 gauge wire that the pattern called for) and pin backs (i got these at michael's the bead shop didn't have any). the beads had small holes, but fortunately i had 20 gauge wire at home from my stitch markers. using a 12 inch length of wire, i beaded the wire with the pearls and wrapped the wire around the pearls, then wrapping the wire around the wound up nest. i probably could have used more wire to make a fuller nest, but i was happy with the end result. i then used jewelry glue to attach the pin back to the nest (i gobbed it on, it dries clear).

gram, MIL and MM got this:

mom got this nest becos i had teh stupidz and couldn't count to four. i foraged in my bead stash for similar pearls - luckily i had a broken necklace and found these beads. i had to use thicker gauge wire (the 18 gauge) but i like how old fashioned this nest looks.

you can buy these nests as necklaces on etsy and i saw variations with crystals and charms. this makes a wonderful, easy, inexpensive gift. (it also makes you look like a crafty genius. my MIL was impressed, and mom thought i bought it off etsy).

revealed

2012-01-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

the time is nigh to reveal the secret i've been keeping for the past several months.

after 35 years in ministry, my dad is retiring. his final service is the last sunday in february. my mom and dad are moving to my gram's house, and my gram is in the process of moving to a retirement community.

i am happy for my father, who has has worked hard his entire life. as a young man he worked on his family's farm while simultaneously pursuing his undergrad degree (earning it in three years) and working at the town's foundry. for a few hours on sundays he took my mom out on dates.

my folks got married before dad went to seminary. a year later my dad was a grad student, supplying at churches, working at an applesauce factory and a new father. the next two years my family crisscrossed the state as dad did a practical at a mental hospital and then an internship at a congregation not far from shanksville.

dad's first call was at a small country church 90 minutes from where he grew up. sixteen years later he accepted a call at our current church, placing us closer to our extended family. this call lasted 19 years. it's rare to have long calls. over the years my dad has sacrificed vacations for funerals or weddings; spent nights in hospitals consoling grieving families and did little tasks around the church - like buying copy paper - that not many other pastors do. the church has greatly changed over the years. my dad is weary. it's time for him to take care of himself.

i'm sad that he's retiring. well, i'm obviously happy. he's worked so hard his entire life. he works harder than any other pastor i know (other than my FIL who is as hardworking in his retirement years). i'm not terribly enamored of the pastors that are entering the ministry - that's a post for another day.

my mom is also resigning as organist and choir director. she worked as hard as my dad with the ministry. i know she's relieved and looking forward to taking a break.

as for me - i'm not sure what's next for our family. my church has a good sunday school and a children's choir. there aren't many churches in the area that can say that. i don't want to leave my church, but i'm not sure we should stay either. it's going to be hard to see another pastor in my dad's pulpit.

anticipating my dad's retirement has worked on me for several months. my gram moving to a retirement community has shaken me. my parents will now live an hour away and visits with the kids won't be as frequent. when i need them to watch the healthy kids while i take the sick one to the doctor, they won't be able to do so in a minute's notice. i'll miss their house. even though i haven't lived there in nearly 13 years, i'll miss the closets and the large back yard. mom's selling her organ. she got it as a teenager. it's crazy but i'm going to miss it. i wish i had the room in my house for it but i'll be lucky to find space for their piano, and there's no room for it at gram's.

the news is now out; the mourning will commence. there will be a lot of changes and adjustment this year. and so our new normal begins.

sew in love!

2012-01-07T16:50:00.000-05:00

i bought myself a sewing machine for christmas. it was a cheap model from boscov's but i hoped it'd be enough to do some simple sewing.

i had stash before i had the machine. this is the material i got from spoonflower:

i got this material from Hoovers Bernina in mifflinburg. it's a nice store but it's out in the middle of nowhere.

i got a bunch of fat quarters at joann's:

plus yardage to make project bags:

i was lucky to win a free pattern in a contest french press knits sponsored and i picked this one :

my handiwork:

ugh, such horrible crooked lines. i need to get a plastic quilter's blocking ruler so i can actually cut and sew straight lines. i also need to get some disappearing ink pens. my tailor's pen left purple marks.

i also made some crude lavender sachets:

and a really bad project bag. actually i practiced sewing seams on this and made a pouch. the ribbons were too short and broke. i wound up using it for my sewing supplies (bobbin holder, scissors, scraps):

finally broke out the new tabletop ironing board i got months ago. i love my iron - it's nice and heavy.

i had trouble getting the machine set up. i couldn't figure out how to get the bobbin to thread through to the working thread. the machine came with a dvd, so i watched it and it helped me figure out what i was doing wrong (bobbin thread wasn't long enough for the needle thread to catch).

i'd like to make a few more coloring wraps to leave in the car/church, make some project bags, including some square project bags. i also want to make reusable gift bags for the kids. it would be nice to forgo paper wrap next year!

what's your favorite sewing project?

pinterest friday

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

here's what's pinned to my boards...

strong enough

it's going to be okay

His plans

via tumblr

all images courtesy of the links they were found on; otherwise pinterest

belated knits

2012-01-05T00:00:00.002-05:00

i knit a hat. and it's (almost) perfect.

what the heck - i got to model it too:

somehow i messed up the swirl and at one point had two extra stitches, so i double decreased those. it made the swirl a little wonky, but it'll be sitting on my head and shouldn't make a difference anyway.

ravel'd here...i knit the brim on size 4 needles for two inches. increased to a size 6 needle for the body. i so hope that codex returns at some point - i loved the silkiness and it's lovely to knit with.

and...i finally finished the doxies! ravel'd here!

backside...

this one has a stork bite on the butt, just like petunia's! it was the only way to differentiate between the two!

i wish i knew why i took me so long to knit these guys. the bodies and tails were done, all i had to do was make arms and ears then assemble. i think i slogged becos i had to make two of them. that seems to be the theme for making things for the kiddos (see also: the owl sweaters).

gratitude

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday, time to count my blessings...

freddie's scrunchy face

finishing a long languishing WIP

a good friend

watching little ones do for themselves

a stand mixer!

what are you grateful for today?

ready, set, knit!

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's january and it's a new start for PSOTMC 2012!

my first "pick" of the year is froehlich wolle sedrun in navy/red tweed and a navy. i'm thinking socks for freddie, as i didn't make him socks yet. i don't think i'll have enough yarn for a pair for me. tweed sock with navy heel and toes. sound good? small, simple and enough to kick of the sock slugfest i've been feeling lately.

it's also NaKniMitMo! i just have to knit these:

becos it reminds me of these:

the mittens are similar to the ally mcbeal mittens!

as if i didn't have enough on my plate, i signed up for a mystery shawl KAL in this group. the pattern will have beads or nupps, both skills i would like to learn.

i also have a bunch of WIPs (now UFOs?) hanging in my basket. when i'm going to get this knitting done is anyone's guess.

what knitting goals do you have this year?

dad's gauntlets

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

knit up a pair of gauntlets for dad, to match his cowl.

ravel'd here...the pattern isn't on ravelry so i guess i'll have to add it at some point. it's an easy pattern, a 5X1 rib. i magic looped it on size 6 needles with the dreaded chisholm yarn. it should have taken only a day or two to complete these, but it dragged on. the only mods i made was adding two extra rows to the top of the mitt (becos i thought it was the cuff) and then a few extra rows to the cuff since my dad's hands are bigger than mine and it needed to be a little longer.

dad liked them, as he liked his cowl.

i have a ton of yarn left over (i swear it multiples). i'm thinking hat now. :/

change

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

i recently read an article about debbie macomber in Guideposts magazine. she talked about how she chooses one word to focus on for the upcoming year. previous words she picked were prayer, trust and surrender. she explained how each of these words affected her and her family. she discusses this in a recently released book.

i usually don't make new year's resolutions. i'm horrible at keeping them. i do the usual eat healthy/exercise more/relax/etcetc. debbie's word focus intrigued me, and i thought it would be fun to try for the incoming year.

the word i chose is change. i experienced a lot of it this past year, and i don't think i handled it as well. i'm anal retentive and a horrible control freak, so it's natural for me to feel completely uncomfortable with change. but change is good. change is necessary. change will happen whether i like it or not. perhaps by focusing on it - acknowledging it - i can feel more comfortable with it.

if you picked a word to focus on this year, what would it be and why?

nuts to you!

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

i was at a loss as to what to give hubby for christmas this year.

while shopping at aldi, i found tins of fancy nuts. hubby likes nuts but flavored ones are loaded with salt. so i bought a pouch of plain cashews and a pouch of plain almonds and decided to make him homemade flavored nuts.

these are sweet and spicy chinese five spice roasted almonds. the only mod i made to this recipe was using straight up sugar instead of stevia.

can't find the cashew recipe, but it called for chili powder (i used chipolte for a smokey flavor), sea salt and a smudge of olive oil.

hubby was surprised to find flavored nuts under the tree. he thought i slaved away making them! they were really easy - only a few minutes to mix up spices.

i think i'll buy some more pouches of nuts, so hubby and i can experiment and create new nut flavors.

homemade flavored nuts make awesome gifts.

pinterest friday

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's pinterest friday - what's pinned to your boards?

gorgeous

heirloom ruffles

macrame (!!!) owl

granny square cookies!

crispy chocolate peanut butter cookie dough truffles

crackers in time for new year's eve!

haba wha? can't find a linky for this...but it looks like a stitchy mcyarnpants gem

yep

all pins courtesy of the links accompanying image; otherwise pinterest

better late than never!

2011-12-29T00:00:00.001-05:00

finally finished my march PSOTMC socks!

ravel'd here...sunday swing socks. knit on size 1.5 DPNs with claudia's hand painted in boot camp, i completed sock #1 in march, and the cuff of #2 languished until a few weeks ago, when i realized i had to knit grams a pair of socks for christmas, and i didn't want to knit something for scratch. i knit the medium size (64 stitches) but probably should have knit with 56 stitches, becos the sock is rather loose. grams will wear these with her bedroom slippers, so it shouldn't be a big deal. (i think, when i finished the first sock, i probably planned to give these socks to my mom, who has bigger feet than me or grams. oh well.)

i want to knit another pair of these. it's an awesome simple pattern.

gratitude (in pictures)

2011-12-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

this is what i'm grateful for this week...

merry christmas

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

enjoy the wonder of the season, and have a blessed christmas.

pinterest friday

2011-12-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

this is what i pinned this week...

cookies!

jolly elves

mary's journey

seeing stars

what did you pin today?

all images courtesy of the links they are found on; otherwise pinterest

hat help

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

i think it's safe to say to i can't knit a decent hat to save my soul. to wit:

me modeling my hat with migraine face:

raveled...or rather unraveled becos i frogged this sucker. knit up on size 6 needles, i cast on 104 stitches, increased to 156. i made the ribbed brim 3 inches instead of 2.5, and knitted the body for 5 instead of 4.5 inches. the numbers were for a adult medium, becos i thought a child/small adult would be too small. apparently i have a child sized head and should really be that size. (and no, i didn't do a gauge swatch, cos i'm lazy like that).

for my next go around, i'm casting on 84 stitches and ribbing on size 4s, then knitting the body on a 6. does that sound like a plan? i want my hat to cover my ears and be a little slouchy but not sloppy.

i ask - how do i knit a hat that fits and looks good? (and yes, i realize i should swatch. that ship sailed.)

gratitude

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday, time to count my blessings...

twinkling lights on porches

freddie poking at presents under the tree

planning ahead

candles in the windows

petunia replacing ornaments

the sparkle in their eyes

meet jolie chapeau

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

i got me a foam head to model my hats and scarves/cowls:

and yes, it's name means "pretty hat". cos i'm weird like that.

holiday knitting

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

found this post buried in my drafts folder. enjoy!

after getting a ~~nudge~~ gentle reminder that christmas is coming and that i have a ton of things to knit up before then, i decided i needed something simple and quick to knit.

this is one row lace scarf (rav linky) using artyarns mohair splash. i wanted to make my mom a scarf with this yarn but couldn't decide on a lacy pattern. i was going to do feather and fan, but it felt complicated. f&f isn't complicated but my brain just needed something easy to knit. this pattern fit the bill, and i'm really happy about how the scarf is shaping up.

the yarn has clusters of beads at different intervals. i'm not sure f&f would have been appropriate becos the clusters are short in length. held sideways, the scarf looks like a music staff; the clusters of beads the notes. perfect for my musical mom.

i knock off about a foot a day. nice speedy knitting for me!

two months later...

linky becos i finished it!

my slobbering love affair with aldi

2011-12-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

with the kiddos growing like weeds (and appetites to match) and our grocery budget shrinking, i need to get creative with grocery shopping. earlier this year i discovered a great store in my backyard, and it helps us save money on groceries. yep, i'm having a love affair with aldi.

it's funny how a craptastic economy forces you to rethink the way you feed your family. with the boy, it was only organic meats and produce! whole grain bread! healthy snacks! we still eat healthy and i try to find deals on organics. unfortunately our budget dictates what we eat. i also call it cutting the cloth to fit the coat.

my dad shopped at aldi long before it became trendy. he gets crackers and nuts there. he told mom and me that the food is just as good as what we get at our local groceries except it was a lot cheaper. canned goods were cheaper, meat was cheaper, even orange juice was cheaper.

aldi keeps saves money in many ways. it costs a quarter to use a shopping cart - when you return the cart, you get your quarter back. this keeps "wandering cart" costs down (somewhere in my posts you'll find my gripe about how the local grocery store never has those shorty carts becos people are constantly stealing them). no missing carts = no costs passed on to the customer.

i take my own shopping bags to aldi - no plastic bags there (although they have large plastic and canvas bags there for purchase). cashiers do not bag your groceries - they are returned to another cart and YOU bag your food. some customers use the cardboard flats and boxes to package their groceries - i did this once but it's easier to take my bags. i forgot my bags once, couldn't find any cartons and had to unload my groceries (which included a lot of canned goods) into the trunk of my car. big pain! i learned my lesson that day.

if you are brand loyal, you'll be in for a shock. pretty much the only brand at aldi is their own store brand. occasionally they'll get a special purchase and you can find name brand cereal or ice cream, for example. but there's one kind of canned peas, one kind of stewed tomatoes, one kind of wheat bread. there's no green giant or del monte canned produce. i get bremen brand frozen salisbury steaks instead of on-core brand (another one of my dirty secrets - yes, i feed my family crappy frozen dinners on occasion).

i stock up on staples when there is sale, especially around holiday time. i learned recently that bags of grated cheese are at least 2 dollars cheaper than at the regular stores. butter is 2 dollars cheaper. when they are on sale, i go to town and buy up - thank goodness for our freezers! i also get my cereal here - cookie crisp is much cheaper and doesn't taste any different than the name brand! at oktoberfest time, i stock up on spaetzle. you don't want to see my noodle hoard in the back porch.

when seasonal items are available, buy up. a few weeks ago pouches of dates were on sale, and i bought two. they were much cheaper than the regular stores. when i went back to get more they were gone. i wish i bought more.

i found goat cheese on a trip recently - it blew my mind. aldi carries goat cheese? i was also delighted to find apple cider, fancy bagged salad greens and little cucumbers! it saved me a trip to the regular grocery store, this discovery.

there are a few things that i don't get at aldi. i buy whole grain pasta and baking staples in bulk at our local surplus and amish/mennonite stores. i prefer low sodium canned vegetables, broth or jarred spaghetti sauce so i often get those at the regular grocery. i also get organic milk at the store. those are my splurges.

aldi does not accept coupons nor credit cards. pay in cash or use a debit card.

how much do i save? a regular trip to the grocery store could yield a bill averaging $120. the same food at aldi (minus distractions such as snack foods and magazines)? under $50. yes!

pinterest friday - christmas present edition

2011-12-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

here's what's pinned to my boards this week...

i got something similar to these for the boy at michael's. i should have picked up a few for myself!

i'd be happy with a stainless steel kitchenaide but i'll take this!

some TMBG humor

i would love a wooden yarn bowl

wish i could get one that says fylwaaffeab

for the kiddos:

they'd smash this in a second

i'd love this if petunia ever had her own room

santa's bringing them these

for the boy:

would love to get this for the boy

maybe this next year?

for hubby:

we talk about getting one of these but have no idea where to hang it!

hubby likes maps, he might like this watch. shame it's sold out!

maybe some day, if i'm really really good?!

all images courtesy of their links; otherwise pinterest.

what's pinned on your boards?

might as well use them

2011-12-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

my knitted dishrag supply is pretty sad. i threw away one that shredded (i have no idea how this happened) and others that are just so stinky and disgusting no amount of washing soda or vinegar can rehabilitate them.

while i sit surrounded by holiday knits and neglected WIPs i pondered when i'd find the time to crank out a few dishrags. i have tons of cotton yarn; i actually bought some over the past few months, including a skein of dishie from KP that i'm dying to try. then i prayed that my ILs could pick me up a couple at the craft bazaars they frequent. hubby's MM used to give me dishrags and scrubbies for christmas and now that she is living in a retirement facility, i doubt i'll get any now.

while cleaning out the mitten and hat bins this week, i found these:

dishcloths! i entered the sunflower one in the county fair a few years ago but didn't win becos it had no category. the multicolored one is a praying hands one (like the red one that shredded). and those are M-D ball band dishcloths that i cranked out while healing from my miscarriage.

i remembered a (loose) quote by the mason dixon ladies - dishrags are meant to be used - they are not precious objects. why should i hang onto these dishrags? they're just sitting around, not doing me much good, when they could be earning their keep scrubbing my cast iron skillet and the kiddos' cups.

that sigh you just heard? relief that now i don't have to make any dishrags!

gratitude

2011-12-14T00:00:00.001-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday, time to count my blessings...

early winter shadows

giving old toys and clothes to those who need them

petunia's red nightie

eating healthy

wearing woolens to keep warm

yet more stitch markers

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

more lady danio stitch markers:

these have quickly become my favorite. i love the pretty smokey blue that they are.

ooh shiny!

warm hands, warm hearts

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

been waiting to write about these:

mittens! complete with rav linkys!

petunia's mittens

freddie's mittens

the boy's mittens

fingerless mitts for the boy's reading teacher

hoot for teacher for the boy's teacher

i might crank out a pair for dad with the chisholm yarn, if i can get off my butt and do it!

yep, people in my universe get mittens. awesome quick gifts they make.

i need a hat

2011-12-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

therefore i am knitting one.

christkindl market 2011

2011-12-10T00:00:00.001-05:00

christkindl market kicks off my holiday season. this year hubby, the boy and i went while my folks watched the kiddos. pushing a double (even two single) stroller through that crowd is horrible. i couldn't believe how full the place got at 5pm.

we went thursday evening, the first day of the festival. we watched the arrival of santa claus/st. nicholas in the lantern parade. that was pretty neat.

first stop: goulash with noodle (really stuffing balls). out. freaking. stand. ing. last year i tried to figure out the recipe, and i think i cracked it - beef, tomato (crushed and sauce i think), paprika and caraway seed (i thought it was fennel).

a few stands down is the authentic german sausage stand. this place has lines that are several buildings long. last year they ran out of certain sausages, so go early! there was an obnoxious lady standing behind me, yelling commentary to the owners about how their stand is the "authentic" wurst haus and how she took pictures of them pulling in and setting up shop earlier in the day, then posted the pictures online. o.O

there is so much to pick from. knockwurst, weisswurst, schnitzel. they also offer a sampler plate with wurst, schnitzel, kraut and potato salad. you get so much food for your money.

hubby got a corned beef and kraut sandwich (new this year). i took a bite and it was heaven (with a side of horseradish). also got him a ham and kraut sandwich (thick slices of ham, also new this year. it was devine). i almost got the sampler platter but opted for a knockwurst instead, plus a side of potato salad. i was so full from eating the goulash i only ate my sausage and a bit of the potatoes.

this is the christmas pyramid with the holy family. with my handsome boy modeling with it. he's no fun to eat with at christkindl. he ate perogies (mrs. T's) and a funnel cake (which went cold and i tossed it at home).

it's the christmas dalek! no really, it's only a motorized singing christmas tree!

i actually came home with money this year! i brought a serving of goulash, (plus some for my mom and dad), pretzel nuggets, wedding cookies and a gingerbread man (the boy picked that), wedding whoopie pies, kettle corn, cherry strudel (split that with dad) and local honey. got kinder eggs for the boy's stocking (last year they were sold out, and it's hard to find them otherwise).

would you believe i didn't get a lot of yarn, just this lonely skein? steam valley fiber fingering in wintergreen. they were the only yarn there. they also had some lovely fleece batts and had i been with it i would have bought some. ainsley yarns wasn't there - i missed them becos i wanted to buy yarn from them. the place was crowded, and there was tons of knits - hats, scarves, baby things. apparently the "gimmick" this year were knitted donuts - all fiber, no calories! while the knits were lovely, they were no use to me, spesh when i can knit it myself!

we had a lot of fun. it was cold but not frigid, there wasn't a lot of snow or ice to contend with, so it was a good time.

interest friday - mitten edition

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

here's what's on my pinboards...

ladybug picnic mittens

queen of hearts mittens

these look like ice cream cones

these could be my SAI gauntlets!

more SAI mittens (we could make these!)

these would have come in handy for the halloween snow we had!

muted fair isle mitties (with pattern)

feather and fan (with pattern) - luscious

lovely

i could knit these instead of buying them!

i had a pair of mitties like this when i was little - these look easy to whip up too.

sweet robin wrists

black lodge mitts (for the twin peaks fan!)

all images courtesy of their accompanying links; otherwise pinterest

the river

2011-12-08T13:45:00.001-05:00

it's that time of year again. my annual "river" post. i could have written this back in june and had a "river in summer" post. it's been a hard year for me, dealing with mostly family stuff. hopefully the new year brings me much needed peace. we can all use some peace.

i found this gem on youtube. amy kuney - her voice is lovely and this version is luscious.

here's a completely different take on the song, once you get past the goofy slideshow of robert downey jr holding a cigarette in different poses. i forgot he sang this on ally mcbeal. who knew he had a set of pipes on him?

gratitude

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday, time to count my blessings...

i'm grateful for the souls who gave their lives on this day 70 years ago, and those who spent many years serving and protecting our great nation.

image courtesy of www.pearl-harbor.com

i visited the arizona memorial nearly 30 years ago, with my nanny and pap. i was 8 years old and thought the tour of pearl harbor was boring. i'd love to visit that place again. i'd also give anything to talk to my pap about his feelings about that day - of all the things we did on that trip, he looked forward to visiting pearl harbor the most.

give a hoot

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

new stitch markers:

beads

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

i got these beads recently:

blue green owls

violet owls

vintage flower beads. i have no idea what i'll do with them, but i couldn't pass them up. i wish i bought more - don't they look cheerful?

gothic skull cameos. these have a flat back and are supposed to be for earrings or a flat pendant. i'll have to dig around the jewelry section at michael's to see what i can find, becos i really want to make these into stitch markers.

i purchased these beads at delphine's flower bead shop. i was looking for some beads i'd purchased earlier this year online and came across her shop. she has lovely pieces - check her out!

happy ravelersary!

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

today i am 4! amazing how a website can make a difference in one's life!

i started out as divamcknitster, and now i'm k1k2! here are my stats:

176 projects (this is when i started logging my projects - i have many more completed pre-rav)

341 yarns stashed (or roughly 196 miles of fiber!)

550 patterns favorited (socks faved the most, at 108 patterns)

3 queued (fingerless mitts patterns for teacher mitts)

165 publications in my library (103 books, 15 magazines, 2 booklets, 45 pdfs. i have more magazines to add, i'll do that someday)

24 friends (yep, i'm a loser. it's the same reason i don't have a lot of friends on fb too)

3156 posts (apparently i'm a chatterbox, altho i can go days without a comment)

34 ravetars (dating back to my original lady elaine and brini maxwell avatars)

78 groups (knitty gritty and mason-dixon knitters were the first two groups i joined; grimm and american horror story were the two most recent i joined)

7 tabs of groups (favorites, tv shows, techniques, ravelympics/fair, town square/main 6, oldies and LYS)
too many needles and hooks to bother counting

4 items purchased from the revelry store (clear stickers, a ravelympics pin, set of buttons, bob shirt)

3 online ads i succumbed to (play at life fiber, fripperies and bibelots and lady danio)

i remember when you had to request and WAIT to get an invite. i think mine took a week or two. i was so excited to find that invite from mama rav in my email. now they let anyone in and new users don't have to wait. i'm not sure i like that - there are people who use the site more for socializing than for crafting. not that there's anything wrong with that...but i dislike when the muggles infiltrate my safe fiber haven.

i would love to know what my user number is - anyone know how to find that out?

here's to many more years on ravelry!

mummy's dirty secret stash

2011-12-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

i have a secret stash that no one knows about.

i got this chocolates crock from sur la table years ago with this in mind:

that's right - it's my candy stash. no one is allowed touching my modjeskas.

pinterest friday

2011-12-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

here's what i pinned this week...

gorgeous stained glass afghan (crocheted!)

miranda tam from the latest interweave knits

upcycled flannel infinity scarf

i wish we had this when the kiddos were little!

i wish!

i was going to make these for thanksgiving...except i didn't have dried cranberries

this would make a great lunch

moonlit ride

ahem - i wish i could be more confident in my body like hilda!

enough

cherish them

what did you pin this week?

as always, all pins courtesy of the links provided; otherwise pinterest

new beginning

2011-12-01T15:08:00.001-05:00

it's the beginning of advent, and i have these for the kids:

i can hear the collective gasp - YOU GIVE CHOCOLATE CANDY TO KIDS?! yep, i do, and here's why.

when i was a little girl - older than the kiddos, younger than the boy, my folks gave me a chocolate advent calendar. i surmise they got it from a kid at church, as the high school german club used to sell them for fundraising. i remember the anticipation of receiving that tiny piece of chocolate and the delight i felt eating it. for years i wanted a chocolate calendar to tick off the days and weeks before christmas but alas, i never got one.

the boy was three when i got him his first chocolate advent calendar. they sold them at country cupboard, and when we ate there for thanksgiving i'd pick one up for him. like me, he devoured the tiny piece of chocolate and would beg me to give him another. it was a good lesson in waiting! last year we got so busy with school and home that sometimes days would go by before we'd remember to get our daily allotment of candy. sad, huh?

this year i picked up these calendars at the hallmark store, when i bought my order of ornaments. each of the kids gets one, as the kiddos love chocolate as much as their big brother.

i realize there are better ways to tick off the time until christmas - making a paper chain, wrapping up tiny presents, buying a ready made toy calendar. i've seen patterns of knitted advent calendars, with tiny mittens, hats and sweaters. but i use the candy ones, partially to remind me of a sweet memory of my childhood; hopefully creating sweet memories for my own children to pass on to their children.

gratitude - belated thanksgiving edition

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday, and time to count the blessings...

these were my thoughts as we drove home from thanksgiving dinner with hubby's family down yonder:

grandma's stuffing (aunt C did a good job of it!)

visiting with family (all 23 of us!)

singing along to christmas songs on hubby's iPod

stopping at rutter's for a snack break

the state capitol at night

stargazing on a clear cold night

safe travels

easy christmas gifts for the kiddies

2011-11-28T16:43:00.000-05:00

hubby and i know what we're getting the kiddos for christmas:

cardboard boxes...

and paper!

freddie's always liked playing with boxes and packages. he played with a shoe box until it pretty much fell apart. petunia loves paper: drawing on it, shredding it, throwing it around.

chisholm cowl

2011-11-26T15:45:00.001-05:00

i think i broke the juju of the chisholm yarn. behold! a FO!

(check out me with the shorter hair and new glasses!)

this is chisholm moebius cowl (complete with ravelry linky). i got this yarn a few years ago and it has undergone many scarf variations (including the antler scarf, which i loved, but the knitting dragged and i couldn't stand the cabling). so i played up my strength and cast on a moebius scarf instead.

knit on 47 inch circs with size 9 tips, i cast on 104 stitches (becos i planned to knit a basket weave scarf but changed my mind). i started this on thursday morning (with intentions of working on it driving home from thanksgiving dinner - didn't happen) and cranked on it friday evening. i like working with WOTA and this was a pleasant project to work on. maybe the juju is broken and i can finish the matching mittens?

i love knitting moebius scarves. they seem to knit up quickly - i can knock one out in a matter of days (in this case, less than a day). here are my tips on knitting a moebius scarf:

1. start with the longest circular needle you have. i prefer 47 inches - i don't think you could go shorter than that without the cord getting tight, especially as the scarf grows wider.

2. use a "stretchy" yarn. i HATE*HATE*HATE knitting a moebius with acrylic yarn - it has absolutely no give. when i knit my special olympics moebius the larger it grew, the tighter the yarn got with the cord. i remember praying that i'd have enough width for the scarf becos it was really hard to knit that thing in the round.

3. the number of stitches that you cast on "double". in other words, if you cast on 100 stitches, you'll really be knitting 200 stitches. if you want to knit a scarf that you can loop around your neck a couple of times, make sure you cast on enough stitches. 100-200 stitches will get you a double loop; cast on more if you want to loop a third time.

4. if you knit a garter stitch moebius, remember that you are still knitting in the round, so knit a row/purl a row.

5. when casting off, use a needle tip a couple sizes bigger than you knitted with, becos you'll want to have a looser, stretchy edge. it's a waste of knitting and time if you can't get the scarf over your head!

this is an excellent video of cat bordhi demonstrating her moebius cast on (this is what i do):

moebius scarves and cowls make great quick gifts for both women and men. you can use almost any weight of yarn so this is a great stash buster project.

pinterest friday - owl edition

2011-11-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

here's what's pinned to my boards...

i like owls. it's evident by what's on my boards...

owl baby blanket

pattern for crocheted owls

big snowy owl - free pattern!

crocheted owl hat

owl and baby owl

is it not lost on anyone that i have more crochet things than knitted things in my pinterest???!

lovely plush mini owls

felted owls

owl rice heating pads

rustic flower owl via flickr.com

needle felted birds via flickr

crafted owls (this link has more awesome owls)

owl crinkle toy

owl with recycled tp tube

recycled owl

stuffed owls

felt owl ornaments

owl cookies

owl cupcakes

owl cupcakes

owl krispie treats

owl scissors

owl and moon necklace

i bought these gorgeous beads for stitch markers

fossil owl clutch

black glue and watercolor owl

gorgeous owl print

owl by picasso

owl art

owl art

owlphabet!

baby owl

owl tattoo

another owl tat

owl nail art!

image via google

image via tumblr

see no owl hear no owl speak no owl

O.W.L.S

and lastly...

image via google

unless otherwise noted, all images belong to the links they've been linked with

blessed and thankful

2011-11-24T09:52:00.001-05:00

have a blessed thanksgiving!

gratitude

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday, time to count my blessings...

it's thanksgiving, a time when we offer thanks for all of which is important to us...

my family

our good health

a warm house

food to eat

hubby's job

my church

my sun

2011-11-21T12:34:00.000-05:00

my sweet boy brought this home from school the other day:

yes i love that "sun" of mine.

planning PSOTMC 2012

2011-11-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

i didn't do so well with PSOTMC this year.

i completed three pairs of socks (january, february, october's from last year and a pair of fingerless mitts). i have three pairs on the needles that need to be completed. more yarn that was thrown back into the stash pond becos i either didn't know what to do with it or was still plugging away on another pair. i lost a lot of knitting mojo due to illness/stress, and WIP ADHD has bit me on the butt more times than i care to admit (just ask me when i last knit a hexipuff?)

the beauty of having my own sock of the month club is that i get to make up the rules. i tried to make one pair a month. i started out strong, but petered out as the year wore on. perhaps i should shoot for a pair every two months. a lot of knitters did that and made out great - think it'll work for me?

nevertheless, i have more dreams than common sense. i pulled more yarn for PSOTMC12. behold:

of all this yarn, the brown skein is the oldest in the stash (and it has bad juju i think; i tried to knit a pair of socks with it a couple years ago and got stuck). the rest is yarn i purchased this year (some knit picks, the german yarn from knitters underground, a skein of STR from knitting kris). my hope for the german yarn is to make socks for my family. the rest - who knows.

all bagged (most of the bags were left over from this year; a couple from the paper ware cupboard, so they are truly recycled brown bags) and waiting for serendipity:

the marked bag contains this month's pick. i probably won't pick it for december - i'll save it for next year. there are 13 bags of yarn. baker's dozen or one to grow on, you know?

i bagged in the kitchen and threw the bags on the floor in the craft room (how's that for random?) then put them in the cubby:

here's to PSOTMC 2012!

pinterest friday

2011-11-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

here's what's pinned to my boards...

my little ones are too big for this cute hat, but wouldn't it be a cute gift?

two of my favorite things...owls and mercury glass. best yet, portions of the sales of these owls go to St. Jude's children hospitals. that's an awesome deal!

i love how the colors of this bird blend together. frankly, that hot blue just rocks.

i want to needle felt this doxie.

i can't crochet to save my soul but i want to do this.

i make so much soup that i freeze it in pint or quart containers. i wonder if there'd be less waste if i did this instead...

someday my pantry will be organized like this. someday i'll have an actual pantry.

exactly

all images unless otherwise noted are courtesy of pinterest and the links they were found on

making a silk purse out of a sow's ear

2011-11-17T11:51:00.001-05:00

clearly i am losing it. i actually bought fun fur yarn. in my defense, it was to score a free copy of vogue knitting with martha stewart.

i had to buy 3 skeins of martha's yarn to get the free magazine, so i picked some tinsel fun fur that i ~~admired~~ saw a couple weeks ago - a pretty aquamarine color. the rest of the yarn was crap.

so i took the fun fur (which i loathe working with)

combined it with some rowan kidsilk haze (which i hate) (the yarn was actually hubby's - he tried to crochet with it. we bought it at a yarn shop where i suggested he get the yarn becos it was "pretty". may i add that this was over 5 years ago, when i first learned to knit, and didn't know any better?)

and knit up a scarf on size 11 straights (just shoot me now).

for those of you playing along, here's how i knit up my scarf:

holding the fun fur and mohair yarns together, cast on 15 stitches. knit in garter stitch until you use up all the fun fur (39 yards per skein), run out of mohair yarn, or are sick of knitting a garter stitch scarf. i ran out of the mohair and used 2 skeins of fun fur and most of the third. my scarf was roughly 4-5 feet long (my wingspan).

i would have knit this on circulars, except my size 11 tips are loose. i wanted to make a moebius scarf but i was afraid the fun fur would have been tricky for the cast on. so i cheated and sewed my ends together.

i also thought i'd be so cool and add beads to the scarf. sadly they didn't show in the fuzzy yarns i abandoned them (but there are 5 beads in there - try to find them!)

me modeling "ice queen" (i look like i'm being strangled by christmas tree tinsel garland!):

ice queen looks much better on little "ice princess":

gratitude

2011-11-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

it's gratitude wednesday, and time to count the blessings on my way to finding one thousand gifts of gratitude

perspective

a kind compliment

peace within