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06/23/2006
Do My Eyes Deceive Me?
Is that a finished project??? I actually made something! And didn't talk about it for a month first!
Okay so it's really small and quick and looks just slightly (exactly) like something else but it's still something! This was for a baby shower at work. And it was nice to do some knitting again. I'm inspired to get out my old knitting projects and see if I can't unravel them (Camille has gotten to them all by now) and start them up again.
Also I finished my cousin's bridal shower invitations. These were so fun! Her shower is a 40's/50's housewife theme. I included a recipe card on the back to be filled out and given to my cousin at the end of the shower as a group gift. Because while showers are silly most of the time the really cool thing about them (besides the gifts I guess) is the community of women. Where we grew up there was always the same women at all the showers. They spanned all ages and some we saw every day some only at events like these. But with that many women in one room celebrating life's big moments it is such a valuable collective of knowledge and femininity. So I thought that everyone writing down a recipe or word of advice for her marriage would be the perfect way to express that. Anyway, I'm making decorations out of scanned ads from my vintage 40's women's magazines. My aunt found a cache of vintage aprons at a church bazaar and we are giving those out as favors.
The images I used here were from my old magazines too. My favorite is the lady in the bottom right corner. She was REALLY excited about her clean laundry (thanks to Tide). Now she's REALLY excited about my cousin's shower.
Also I used my new envelope liner templates from the Paper Source and I have to say I love them! The paper is from Paper Source too and just matched perfectly.
17:40 Posted in Mak'n stuff , Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
12/16/2005
Stress, it is Holiday
I'm alive. But crampy and stressed. My mom actually made me chant "I am not Martha, I am not Martha" yesterday.
I have to work tomorrow (Saturday, the last weekend before I leave for 10 days) and had to skip Bellydance Wed. because I had to work late. But I was only slightly pissed about that because I had to have a 2 min choreography ready to show the class and I was totally not ready.
But I've been doing stuff. So much stuff my wrist and my brain hurt. Photo proof.
One fuzzy foot. I'll just revel in this misshapen and slightly hole-y accomplishment before thinking about the fact I've only knitted an inch on the cuff of the other one and need to have them finished and felted by 7 pm on Sunday when Christa comes over for dinner. Its apparent that I'm incapable of kitchener stitch. It's all grafted fine but it looks so wonky! I swear these weren't so hard the first time I made them. Have I regressed in my knitting skillz? Thank Goddess I'll be felting it.
Also Baking.
Gingerbread from Eating Well Magazine. I'm not posting a link because I don't recommend them. And, you guessed it. Those whitish spots are clumps of butter I failed to let soften enough so I could properly incorporate them into the dough. Que serah.
(Also, that mug of suspect-looking liquid is ginger lemon tea if you were wondering)
So they weren't that great. But I had to post a picture because I'm obsessed with trays of cookie shapes. It all dates back to one Raggedy Anne book from the seventies that I used to read at my Grandma's house (down the street!) about the dog that stole all the nice shaped cookies that Raggedy Anne made for Raggedy Andy. The book isn't that great or special but it's just one of those visual memories that stick in my head. I think there is a picture of poorly rendered beige cookie shapes raining down from the sky after being spilled. I kind of wonder if some of the things I remember most about my childhood were not things I especially liked but ones I didn't. I mean, thinking back, they were horrible illustrations, and the dog stealing the cookies that Raggedy Anne worked so hard to make kind of upset me (control issue?). Who knows.
Thankfully I know my jam thumbprint cookies from epicurious.com will turn out great because that is the best cookie recipe in the world. At least when you use my Mamma's homemade jam it is..
22:10 Posted in Eat'n , Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
12/05/2005
At least I can K & P and even k2tg, sm, ssk
This weekend was nightmarish, what with yule crafts, social engagements (oh poor me), struggling to breath all night long (see below), and a grumpy boyfriend the only thing that kept me sane was..... knitting with the girls.
Sunday after an exhausting but lucrative (*) trip to the mighty Alameda Antique Fair with Christa and Joel, Christa and I went to our dear friend Ellen's for some knit and some tea. Where I ate some crazy good apple pie that Abby (?) bought, knit our projects, sipped tea in front of the fake fire and took crappy pictures of beautiful women:
It was EXACTLY what was called for. And maybe saved my sanity. Maybe.
Because now, today, I'm back at work and. oh. my. goddess. I'm in for some long hours this week. Not to mention I volunteered to sign up dancers and vendors for this weeks Cafe Bellie. Plus the fact that none of my yule projects are really done... well, I'll save that "sane" verdict until after 1/1/2006 thanks.
* I got a beautiful 60's -ish dress with butterflies on it that fit. me. perfectly. Which never ever happens. I'm pretty excited. I'll probably post pictures of it. Course, I won't be able to wear it for about 6 months but oh well.
22:50 Posted in Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
11/29/2005
We ate. We Argued. We were thankful.
Thanksgiving. C and I drove the 10 or so hours through the night to Aurora, Oregon from Oakland, California. We listened to The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman on tape. I tried not to, but slept most of the way.
Thanksgiving with the parents was pretty good. The rest of our family went to Three Sisters for thanksgiving which we all opted out of so I didnt see any of them. My youngest brother was on leave from the Navy. He is really loving the Navy and is learning a lot and is in no imminent danger of going to Iraq that I know of so maybe my initial freak out at his joining wasn't totally necessary. He loves being in uniform, and a part of something, and getting respect from our extended military family and I can't begrude him that. We don't have that in common but what does that matter.
Naturally my father drove me nuts. But there were no major arguments mostly because at a certain point its useless to argue with him so I didn't and let it go. Now that we are both adults someone has to act like one.
I had a great time with my mom and my neice. I used to think I was just biased but there can be no denying that my neice is just a really cool person. She is so sweet and thoughtful (at 6!) and is really never misbehaves. I'm sure that means when she becomes a teenager she will be a nighmare. But more power to her. She's really great, and so funny.. she rocks.
My mom is making Lemon Curd for gifts this year and has been collecting jars to put it in all year. Kyleigh and I painted them with dorky glass paint as a collaborative effort. It was fun and she impresses me with her drawing skills. She started school kind of late but she is making up for it with her enthusiasm for drawing and writing. She spent hours with Cyrus filling in this huge writing and learning workbook. She finished the entire thing.
We had a good dinner. The usual stuff. But this year we had three of my brother's chickens instead of a turkey. We also got a couple half gallon jars of beer from McMenniman's (local brewers in Oregon/Washington) You can bring your own jars, or they will give you one and you can take home beer, its cool.
I got to go to Fabric Depot which is the best fabric store ever. And they were having a 30% off everything sale. I got a big bag of stuff. It sucks there is not one like it in the Bay Area. Also went to Fred Meyer, another Northwest store I wish we had here.
They cats yelled at us for hours once we got back. They've learned a new trick while we were gone. They can now climb up on the counter and pry open the cupboard to get at their treats. I've since moved them to a new location, but in retalliation camille pulled down my bag of dried currants, chewed holes in the bag, presumably ate some, and left them on the kitchen floor for me to find. Lovely.
While we were gone my Elann order came. I got a bunch of Peruvian Highland Wool to make C a hat. It's suprisingly soft. I should be able to come up with a color combo with what I got. I'm thinking brown with a blue, green, or orange stripe. We'll see. I also got some Quecha and I will be getting more. It's nice stuff.
20:50 Posted in Eat'n , Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
11/10/2005
Why is My Boyfriend so Awesome?
Look what he got me for my knitting projects and yarn stash on eBay!
I think it's because he loves me. And it also may be that he is tired of chasing Camille around the house to retrieve my bungled up yarn. Thats the answer he gave but I could read between the lines.
Kitty inspected and approved. I was going on to C about what good taste my cats have until I looked around and saw that they found the box it came in equally if not more interesting.
Look how I can knit fuzzy feet in my chair without my yarn ball in my lap!
Speaking of Fuzzy Feet. Here is my progress on my first one. Heel turned.
I thought I should post it BEFORE I HAVE TO FROG IT back to BEFORE the heel because I knit one too many heel flap rows, ended up on the wrong side to start turning and didn't realize until I picked up all the stitches to start the foot that I was knitting in the round ON THE PURL SIDE. Um, problem. Sort of, unless I feel like purling for the rest of the sock. But guess what? I don't.
Its humbling considering this is my second pair of fuzzy feet. *Sigh*
08:35 Posted in Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
10/26/2005
Rain, cleaning, and knit lust.
Ahh. Rain. Finally.
Except even though this is the first rain of the season traffic wasn't horrible and ridiculous so I didn't get to be annoyed and feel smug and superior to the silly californians who can't drive in a little piddling rain. Oh well, probably next time.
Today is super busy at work and I also need to send the final newsletter to the printer. But its a good drizzly day to be busy at work. Not that I wouldn't rather be at home with the heat on, in my fuzzy feet, with kitties in my lap, knitting, and drinking tea. I'd ALWAYS rather be doing that.
Anyway, there are people coming to see the house tomorrow morning. The house is FILTHY. We're talking dishes in the living room, days old messes on the kitchen counter, vibraters on the bathroom counter, and clothes all of the bedroom floor. And I have bellydance tonight from 6:30-8:30. So from 9 to oh, about 2 am I'll be scrambling around with C trying to hide the fact we are slobs and maybe even perverts from potential new landlords.
It will be a busy day.
In other news I must also brag about how I worked four rows of the CBNJ in a PITCH BLACK bar lit only by the bar glow last night. And didn't fuck up.
I need a pair of driving mittens and some wrist warmers for work. Damn christmas. I want to knit for MYSELF!
17:45 Posted in Bitch'n , Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
10/14/2005
Priorities!
Work. So. Busy.
And you know what? I have the biggest urge to knit ever! I really want to start a new project. There is nothing better than buying juicy yarn and needles and planning a new fabulous project. (Say like this or this or this or this ) But I have so many projects started right now it would be criminal to start another.
here's the tally
1. Bulky Neckdown cardigan I haven't even gotten to the arms yet. Its just that, I had to frog twice, then use the needles for something else, and there is still some more frogging to do before I can start again. bleh. But I can't abandom my first sweater every. Then I will officially be a failure instead of just waiting a while to start up again.
2. Armwarmers for Renee in Noro Kureyon. Almost done! Just need to do the second thumb and weave in the ends.
3. iPod cozy (with kitty eyes, nose and ears. It looks like olive) that I started 3 years ago (or something) and have finished but not put a clasp or button and now my iPod is scratched beyond recognition
4. The beer cozies I promised for my brother
5. The scarf I'm making out of leftover Baby Alpaca Grande
6. My one skein wonder in D.B. Cashmerino. Only 5 rows in!
Plus I owe C a hat that is not too big, the cats a kitty pi or two and I have to do something with my thousand or so leftover yards of worsted weight wool!!
Chaos I'm telling you, and all I want to do is start a new cardigan or sweater or something else way out of my knitting league! Is that too much to ask?
22:01 Posted in Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
08/24/2005
Camille 3, Yarn 0. The real kitten wars.
Ahhh. Kittens.
I woke up this morning to this:
This stretches through three rooms. Thats all I really need to say.
I didn't realize how good I had it with Olive knitting-wise. If I were actively knitting sometimes she would bat at my needles and I've posted before about her taste for Lamb's Pride. But other than that she left it alone. Camille on the other hand may not be long for this world if she doesn't BACK OFF MY WOOL! She's unravelled 3 skeins of Kureyon. And when I push her away she jumps back up over and over and over until I boil over and insist that C keep her in the room with him. She's horrible that way so I wasn't surprised to discover this. But annoyed. Very annoyed.
But despite constant interference by the kitty resistance I've been able to make some progress on my knitting. Target has some really cute school supplies (I love school supply season don't you?) and I bought this binder for my knitting patterns and notes and such.
I wish I had before and after pictures of my stash because I bet you think that looks messy don't you? Girlfriend, you don't know messy. This is 100 times better.
Anyway I also started the Hurry up Spring arm warmers for Renee. Knit a little more on the tiny scarf for myself I'm making out of leftover Baby Alpaca Grande. (Oh the softness)But not so much progress on NBJ:
NEWS-FLASH BECAUSE YA'LL DIDN'T KNOW THIS: Knitting sweaters is hard. Even bitty ones for your niece. At least it's hard for me apparently. I either can't count or am just dumb. Because I've got a different number of stitches for both sleeves and front panels. As in like FOUR extra. How does this happen? It looks like I made all the increases. But ONCE AGAIN I am unknitting this stupid sweater. I am also wondering if it will be too big for her. It is so hard when she lives so far away and I was smart enough NOT to measure her while she was visiting me. Sheesh.
Anyway, we all know that when a project gets frustrating and needs to be fixed......
You start a different one. I bought the ever popular One Skein Wonder pattern Because I'll need something to cover my indecent shoulders in China that won't be too hot. So I thought - cotton. And bought this:in Butter
I feel much better now.
***
Oh, and working with C last night was so great. All I did was paint different shades of red stripes on the inside of the frame/box his sculpture was in but it was just so nice to work alongside him. And have him trust me to do it. Also. For another post: we really need to talk about why this was the first time in probably years I've picked up a paintbrush. Serious issues girl.
I forgot how nice it was. How I just lost track of time and watched the red paint flow onto the wood. And thats just f*ing solid stripes. Need to get back to some artwork. But yeah, more on that in a different post.
21:40 Posted in Nitt'n , Pussycats | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
08/10/2005
When life overwhelms you - knit.
Here are the One Hour Baby Booties from SnBN for my neighbor. I heart them! They are so much fun to knit they take like 5 seconds! Except the crocheting SUCKS because I don't really know how. Join? Don't know what that means but I did my own little version of "crochet" and it looks like it works. I am also proud of the color I chose being so cute yet non-gender specific so I can use that skein for future booties. I am already going to start another pair for a girl I bellydance with who is newly pregnant.
With Quarter for size reference
And here it is with the box of cookies I sent over. They were all sleeping when I brought it over except for her sister so I don't know whether she liked them but we will see. I guess I lied about not having pictures of the cookies I made.
In not-so-cute knitting news I have been punishing NDBJ with a long time out in the knitting basket becuase after having to frog twice and actually getting some progress made on that little ho I notice this:
Now, I know how to fix a dropped stitch, you take your crochet hook (which according to One Hour Baby Booties you need for more things than fixing dropped stitches) and work it back up. But WHERE DOES THIS ONE GO?? Its in the middle of the confusing Inc1 K1 Inc1 area and there is no place for it!! Damn if I don't have to frog back down again. I don't know, I think NDBJ needs to think about what she's done for a little longer.
Look at all the progress I'd made since the last frogging!!
Its only 4 or 5 rows so its not that bad but DAMN! Is this how its going to go for the whole sweater?
18:55 Posted in Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
Complaining, Cookies and Cats
Week - crazy
Mom - ariving in three days
Cafe' Bellie - happening in five days
Cats - leaving in two days (as in no more sweet kitties and boss coming over MY HOUSE to get them)
Work - BUSY and STUPID also REALLY PISSING ME OFF
Website - not done
New project - needs to be started
House - still messy
So what DID I accomplish this weekend? Well, I made some AWESOME cookies. No pictures though sorry. It was the Chewy Chocolate Cookies from February/March Eating Well magazine. The recipe is not online so I don't think I can post it here but they are pictured on the left of these cookies which I plan to try next. If you don't have this magazine GET IT. If you do have it (since february or before) make these cookies. They only have one gram of fat and are so good they make me want to cry. Also - use good chocolate, add half a bag of chocolate chips to the batter, and sprinkle with confectioners sugar when they are done to make them pretty.
Also I am almost finished with the most adorable pair of One Hour Baby Booties from Stitch n' Bitch Nation for the next door neighbor's new baby. Pics coming shortly. I'm officially obsessed with knitting booties. I also was reminded of Olive's appetite for Lamb's pride.
Anyway please morn with me that in three days there will be no more little bundles of sweetness sleeping in the middle of my floor.
00:25 Posted in Bitch'n , Nitt'n , Pussycats | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
07/28/2005
As if I have time to knit....
My feeling with knitwear is that you just can't go wrong with a cardigan. Sweaters are good but cardigans are better because you can mix it up with the way you wear it and with what.
And, like I will ever do it or have time this is what I want to knit:
1. This:
I love everything about it. The color, the fiber, the buttons, the shape. But I've never seen a pattern exactly like it. (yeah, I don't BUY knitwear - never-mind I've never finished a sweater - and I certainly don't buy knitwear that looks HAND-KNIT when I know its not. I don't remember what catalog I found this in but I can guarantee its not hand-knit, or if so its by slave child labor)
I guess I'm going to have to wait until I am fabulous enough to write my own pattern. BUT since I'm just now starting on my first sweater and have the math skills of a golden retriever I'm not holding my breath.
2. Sandra from I May be Knitting a Ranch House made the cute cardigan from Yarn Girl's Guide to Simple Knits that I've been back and forth on deciding to knit. Check out her photo album (its the one in yellow - good color choice). I couldn't decide if I liked the way it looked based on the book's photographs but hers looks really cute on her and she knit it in a yarn that does not cost half my rent to buy. SO I think that will be my next one. I may even have the yarn for it already. I'm thinking of frogging the poncho I did in Cascade 220 dark wine-ish color and then I'd have more than enough for the cardigan if they gauge is right.
But for now I will work on my niece's jacket. WHO is coming to my house in 5 hours!! Can't wait. Fairyland/Oakland zoo here we come.
Off topic rant: When you are asked to come up with a design for something and you do, but it is rejected and you are asked to do three more and it takes you a week, and then another two days to make their revisions on new designs and THEN they end up going with the original one you did in the first place... does that make you want to jam your ruler into your eye? Or is that just me?
17:05 Posted in Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
07/07/2005
And the winner is...Bulky Neckdown Jacket!!!
Okay I've decided. I'm going to break and buy some #11 circs and make this from Knitting Pure and Simple. It is so cute and I also want to eventually make this which calls for similar needles. I'm going to have to dash to Article Pract on my lunch break tomorrow to grab the needles and pattern because I'm going straight to Ell's to knit and eat and drink tea with her and Shnur directly after work! I'm a so excited. I am in total need of girl knit time.
00:21 Posted in Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
07/01/2005
I thought ACTUALLY KNITTING IT was supposed to be the hard part???!!
I have the hardest time with yarn/patters/colors type decisions. Yes part of this might be the fact that I'M INCAPABLE OF MAKING A DECISION when given glorious choices (although not being able to afford most of them does help that problem a bit). So when I do finally find something I like could I please not lose it??
Cuz here's the deal. I want to knit a sweater, you know, graduate from scarves, cozies and hats. I figured it would be best to knit my squeezable niece a sweater instead of myself because
A. She is much much smaller.
B. She loves soft pretty things more than life
C. She's squeezable.
So after the usual agonizing over said decisions I came up with this!
And I bought 5 skeins of Araucania Nature Cotton in this beautiful Lilac/Lavender color! And I started it and was loving it and it was perfect but 3/4 the way through the back piece I left it on a plane. Right in the pocket of the seat in front me. (note to self and everyone else: never put things there. duh) Of course I could just buy the pattern again but: they only sell it in the UK and it will cost me $13 to get a new one (bringing the total pattern cost to *counting on fingers*....$26) and I'm too cheap for that. So I have to get a different one and now I am faced with not only the decisions from before but am hindered by the fact that it must match the guage of the yarn I bought.Here are the criteria:
1. Child's size (5-6 yr old)
2. Chunky/bulky weight yarn
3. Cardigan or jacket type pattern
4. Preferably not top down because I have #10-11 straight needles but not circular
5. Not be Dorky. As in I want the dear thing to wear it.
6. Not use more than 500 yds of yarn because that is all I bought and I hear Araucania are big fat liars about their yardage.
Sheesh. Good luck to me.
On the non-knitting front. I've broken out in some kind of crazy non-itching rash on my upper-back. My friend died my hair last night so it may be from all the chemicals we shall see. I have a GYN appointment on tuesday (gee, fun.) so if its not gone I'll ask my beloved nurse practitioner. TMI? Get used to it.
C is taking me out to the Morroccan restaurant that has bellydancing I've been dying to go to tonight as a present for finishing his website. (We'll just not talk about the fact that it took me about 6 months and we had more than one screaming fight about my laziness. I finished it - mostly- okay? shut up.) Yay! Bellydancing! I can't wait.
Also we saw High Tensiont at the The Parkway on Wednsday night. It was so F'ing scary! Even horror movie geek C was scared! Yay! It was good.
And I'm also just looking forward to not being at work for 3+ days starting in about an hour. Oh not being at work, my favorite thing EVER.
And now for non-me subjects:
My brother graduated from basic and is now a full fleged member of the Navy. Apparently (mom and dad flew to chicago to see him) he is looking really good, lost tons of weight (good thing), and is happy. So I will be happy for him. He may get to go see countries/ cities he never would have and he may get tons of education out of it and that will be a very good thing. But he may also go to Iraq because he's going to become a medic (they follow the marines around) and fight in a Bull***t war and possibly die because some Asshole (no ** on that one sorry) lied to get some oil. But we don't want to get all worked up about something that may not happen so I will end this unbelievably long post here.
Happy 4th.
23:54 Posted in Nitt'n | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this