Delusions of Domesticity

who me?

2011-06-22T09:19:00.001-04:00

So... I started this bag ages (a month and a half!) ago and made some progress. I'd planned to finish it before the fiberfest, but didn't make it in time and lost my motivation so it sat, and sat, and sat... waiting for me to finish the last bits. I haven't been playing with yarn at all lately and was trying to figure out how to get back on the horse (or owl), debating starting a small, quick project to get the yarny juices flowing again when I decided yesterday to just pull something out I already had going and finish it.

I know! I was shocked too!

He seemed a little angry that I'd taken my own sweet time in finishing him.

But owls are apparently a forgiving lot and it wasn't long before he was happily mugging for the camera.

What a ham.

(Ravelry project link for details)

I do think I need to look into some ergonomic crochet hooks. Maybe it's the way I hold my hook - I do tend to have a death grip - or maybe it's the cotton that did it, but I get this not-so-pleasant pain at the base of my right thumb after a little while. Any suggestions?

Now, if I can just finish those socks...

(I'm not delusional enough to think the blanket will be done anytime soon.)

rollin' right along

2011-06-13T17:41:00.000-04:00

The dice are loving me. I've rolled for six books for the summer reading program at my library and gotten THREE books on CD so far. Makes up for my slightly late start, though now I'm way ahead of the game. Today, I had to choose a romance on CD. The one I'd seen a few days ago while looking for a humor CD has been checked out in the meantime and not finding something else that looked all that interesting, I chose something fairly short at only 5 hrs (The Rocky Road to Romance). Who knows, maybe it'll be great! Then I headed upstairs to choose a humorous non-fiction book. I pulled half a dozen books off the shelf for this choice, read the first few pages, then picked one that looked promising (Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog). Dogs are easier to train, after all... heh

After that first book on CD and being stuck in my bedroom where my computer is (the only option for playing a CD other than sitting in my car), now I'm importing them into iTunes and listening on my iPad. =) While listening to Charmed Thirds, I kept thinking the reader's voice sounded familiar. I finally pulled the case back out and discovered the reader was an actress from a tv show I watched as a kid in the 80s. How funny.

a roll of the dice

2011-06-09T12:10:00.003-04:00

My local library is hosting an adult summer reading program. Patrons roll a pair of colored dice - one die determines the type of book (fiction, non-fiction, book on tape/cd) and the second determines the genre (fantasy, suspense, comedy, western, romance, reader's choice). My first roll, I got non-fiction/suspense. They decided crime worked into that category since only 4 books came up in the catalog with the original parameters. I chose Transcending (link below).

Though I'm not loving their choice of genres, it will be a great way to get people reading books outside of their norm and it's been fun trying to find a book I'm interested in reading that falls within the set parameters when the specified genre isn't one I'd normally choose on my own. I know I've chosen three books so far that I probably wouldn't have read otherwise. My rolls have produced two books and a book on tape/CD so far. One down, two in progress, seven to go... by July 29th.

get your fiber today!

2011-06-04T17:20:00.001-04:00

I got mine yesterday... but I left some for everyone else. I'm nice like that. The Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival in Franklin, IN, is always good for at least a couple hours of woolly fun. It seems a bit smaller than last year, but there were still lots of great booths to browse through. I did miss the couple with the great deals on bamboo needles this year though. =( I'd planned to fill in a couple gaps in my supplies. And I'm so glad I went Friday instead of Saturday! It's blazing hot today and would have made for miserable wool shopping. And yes, stash be damned, I did shop for wool! lol I planned ahead though to keep within my budget, stopping at the bank for cash and left the plastic in the car so I had to be sure I really wanted something before buying. What did I want?

This:

(alpaca)

and this:

(handspun)

and this:

(handspun)

Did I need it? Nope. But man is it pretty!

There's always a booth outside with at least a few adorable lambs. This year did not disappoint.

They even had a couple of angora goat kids. SO much cuteness in one little pen! And they're so friendly, I could sit there all day scratching little lamb heads. =) One of the ladies at this booth spun the red and purple yarns above. I think this is my favorite booth every year.

One little critter did sneak into the car with me.

Isn't he adorable?! I thought briefly about purchasing the fiber and supplies to make my own... then I added it up and realized I'd be better off buying this little guy instead. =)

There was also a booth, Bur Oak Studio, selling aluminum knitting needles repurposed into jewelry. She had some nice pieces and at very good prices (much less than I've seen similar items on etsy). Unfortunately, I spotted a very cool set of earrings just as someone else picked them up to purchase them. Ah, well. Wasn't meant to be. They went to a good home though - the lady wore them away from the booth! =)

This morning, I hit the farmer's market. Not much produce to be had just yet, but there were a few booths with some crafty wares. I sense a sheepy theme to this weekend... heh

remember

2011-05-30T10:16:00.000-04:00

not much to see

2011-05-26T12:18:00.000-04:00

At least, not much in the yarny department.

I've worked on my crochet bag and finally started the 2nd color. With the amount of stash I have... how is it I didn't have the cotton I needed to finish off this bag?! The main yarn is super busy, so I didn't think any of my brown cotton (all variegated) would work. Being in a small town and an hr from any real craft stores, I headed off to Walmart in hopes that I could find a solid brown.

One choice... but it works. This is also probably the first time in years I've paid FULL PRICE for yarn! Thank goodness it was cheap cotton. I like the stitch I'm using, but boy does it eat yarn. Thankfully, I started with a mondo skein of cotton so I don't have tons of ends. Getting excited to finish this though. It's been going far too long - cotton's a little tough on the hands.

The garden is getting it's share of visitors these days:

The peas are way bigger than that now. They got beaten down by the storms that passed through last night, but are bouncing back nicely. =) The flowers look a little worse for wear, but I did make a few photos before the storms had a chance to do their harm.

have a little extra time on your hands?

2011-05-18T08:05:00.000-04:00

Try this:

why so sensitive?

2011-05-16T16:00:00.001-04:00

I added to my little container garden this weekend - a japanese eggplant and some bush cucumber plants. Unfortunately, it got into the low 40s last night and the cukes took it personally. They seem a little depressed, no?

Thankfully, they're bouncing back pretty well. The flowers are faring better. =)

give peas a chance

2011-05-13T17:53:00.001-04:00

We decided to do a bit of container gardening this year and keep it simple (esp since there are still veggies in the freezer from last year!). The only place in the yard for an actual garden plot (even a small one) doesn't get great light. Plants did okay there last year, but not as well as we'd have liked. So this year, I bought some pots and good soil and moved the "garden" to a sunnier locale. We planted a few varieties of tomatoes (yay, grape!), a couple pepper plants and lots and lots of peas. =)

Are you planting anything this year?

maybe I should play the lottery

2011-05-08T18:49:00.003-04:00

Wow! I guess I can't say I never win anything anymore. First a book, now a wonderful crochet pattern!

I won a copy of the Dudley Do Wright shawl pattern from a blog I recently started reading, Peacefully Knitting. I've been working on my crochet skills since last year and am trying new things with it this year and just happened to be thinking a shawl would be a great next step before committing to an entire sweater. lol I have the perfect yarn in my stash for this shawl... might be up next after I finish the bag I just started this weekend. =)

The bag? I started hooking a new bag on Saturday and want to have it finished before the Hoosier Hills Fiber Fest next month so I can use it for shopping. =) I had a basic idea for a bag, went in search of patterns but not finding just what I had in mind, I decided to wing it. I got inspiration from a couple designs, sketched out what I had in mind and searched out an appropriate stitch pattern. The full bag will be a surprise once it's finished, but here's the start:

(Ravelry project link)

Any guesses where I'm going with this? lol

Hope all the moms out there are having a wonderful Mother's Day and are being adequately spoiled! =)

for your listening pleasure

2011-05-03T16:38:00.002-04:00

Still on a bit of a crochet kick. Maybe that's my issue - I just need to switch back and forth between knit and crochet to keep myself going. Dish/wash cloths a couple days ago, now a hat. I worked up this little hat last night with some mystery yarn purchased from a (now-closed) charity yarn shop in Seattle much too long ago.

(Ravelry link)

Best guess is it's a mercerized cotton. I used the newborn sizing and it turned out more like a preemie size. I need to work on my tension apparently. I've been crocheting mostly amigurumi and those need to be done tightly to keep stuffing from showing through so I'm working on loosening up my tension for other projects. Baby stuff is great to practice on. Small, quick and cute. =) I think this one might need a flower...

As a side note, I'm using the GoodReader app to access my Ravelry library of pattern downloads on my ipad. AWESOME! I searched for a pattern, saved it to my pattern library and was then able to download it to GoodReader to crochet from - no printing, no turning on my computer. Happy, happy!

Now that I have a way to easily listen without having my computer on, I've finally jumped into listening to podcasts too! I've been trying out a smattering of crafty podcasts, looking for some really good ones. I've found a few that are okay, a couple I'll skip listening to again, and a few I really like. So far, these are my faves:

Just One More Row

The Knit Wits

The Knit Girllls (video podcast)

I've even gone back and listened to the back episodes of JOMR and am now catching up on TKW. Nice little distraction while working... esp when work can't keep up with me and I have to drag things out to even get close to getting my hrs in. lol The video podcasts are a little too distracting sometimes to watch while working though.

Any other great ones I need to check out?

disgruntled

2011-05-01T16:03:00.003-04:00

Today is just not my day.

V is for Vendetta

2011-04-30T19:28:00.001-04:00

My dogs seem to have declared war on a very dangerous foe:

The tulip.

Yeah, they don't look very threatening to me either. Maybe the dogs know something we don't?

I do have a couple flowers the boys don't seem to have it out for...

yet.

(Ravelry project page)

I won!

2011-04-27T14:08:00.000-04:00

I occasionally enter for giveaways on various blogs, but I never win... at least I never have, until now! =)

I won a book!

I won a copy of The Rhino with Glue-on Shoes from the Simpler Living blog. Okay, so there weren't a ton of entries and we all got books, but still. =)

I also finished my ipad sock (finally) a couple days ago. I think maybe my knitting mojo went away. I haven't been working on much the past week or so. I think maybe I should try to crochet something and see if that gets my going again. =)

I'd like the top and bottom ribbing to fit a bit more closely. It's not a perfect fit, but it'll do... and it stays on nicely so I'm happy. I do like how the short sides fit - they stay out of the way of the Home button and the light sensor and since the fabric is so stretchy, I don't even have to take the cover off to charge it on the dock.

(Ravelry project link)

I still have 19g of this 50g ball of elsticized cotton left. Any suggestions?

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T21:15:00.003-04:00

It's Earth Day once again. Have you hugged a tree lately?

Mother Earth loves you. :-)

At long last...

2011-04-18T15:57:00.002-04:00

Proper pictures of my Salem Hooded Jacket!

But first, a better shot of the hat I finished a few days ago:

and a glimpse of the sweater. =) I do like how the color seems to swirl in the opposite direction of the textural swirl. Nice combo of yarn and pattern. I love when that works out!

Okay, you've waited long enough. I'll show you the whole sweater:

I love the ribbon detail:

And I can vouch for it's warmth! wow. So not the day to stand around outside in a wool sweater and hat!

Yarny Organization

2011-04-18T09:18:00.003-04:00

When I was in Portland a few weeks ago, I (of course) spent some time browsing in IKEA. There isn't one even in my state, much less close by, so the only chance I get to go is when I'm traveling (for now, anyway). It's always so much fun wandering through and seeing what there is to see. I've been wanting this glass-front bookcase for ages now. I think it'll be perfect for yarn storage, keeping it visible yet safe from the critters and their floaty fur.

Ignore that high price - that's for the multi-piece setup covering the whole wall. It comes in a nice black/brown that I love. This, or something similar, would be perfect for my stash. =) I'll definitely be on the lookout for marked down pieces in this line once I move... whenever that is.

I decided which yarn I'll use for my Saroyan. After looking through my stash on Ravelry and looking through a few bins, I settled on the one I'd first thought of for this pattern.

I wound up the yarn late Saturday night and it's now in a bag with the pattern. BTW - the bag? It's from IKEA too. heh $6 for a set of two - the smaller perfect for a sock in progress and the larger easily holds these two 220yd skeins with room to spare for the WIP. The bottoms are flat so they stand up on their own and there are even pockets (and a zippered pocket inside the larger size) perfect for corralling necessary notions/ball bands. =) I discovered these in the bathroom section of the store - sold as toiletry bags - so they're even water resistant. Much nicer than the ziplocs I've been using to contain my projects in the larger knitting bag and I won't have to keep replacing them since needles won't be poking through. I'm thinking I might add a small piece of the yarn from each project to the zipper pull so I'll know at a glance which project is which... I purchased two sets of the bags and have all four project bags in my larger bag now. lol Could be fun sitting down to knit and just grabbing a mystery project to work on though, huh? =)

(I'm not loving what blogger is doing to my photos. These are just quick shots from my point&shoot, but they're nowhere near that blurry when I upload them. I'll have to start uploading to flickr and see if that helps.)

Mellow... with a pop of color

2011-04-17T14:12:00.004-04:00

Wow. Four posts in five days!?!

Last night, I cast on for a log cabin garter stitch blanket. I debated whether to use my Lavish alpaca in these colors:

or maybe go with some of the variegated wool I have in my stash for a brighter blanket. Neither yarns are machine washable and I don't have enough of anything else in my stash that is... I refuse to go out and buy more yarn, so that's not a deciding point. =) After playing with some color layouts, I decided to go with the alpaca. Since I used just over 3 skeins of the darkest colorway already on other projects, I felt more secure limiting myself to these two choices for my block layout:

I like both, but I think I like B better. As long as I have enough yarn, I'll do some type of edging on it as well - maybe in crochet. It'll be awhile before I need to think about that though. heh

I've apparently gotten over my one-project-at-a-time thing. =)

Let them eat (cup)cake!

2011-04-16T18:28:00.004-04:00

Anyone want a cupcake?

It's my mother's birthday today so I whipped up a cupcake for her. Cute, isn't it? No fat, lots of fiber, much less messy than a traditional cupcake. Can't go wrong with that!

(Ravelry link)

I've been looking through some of my many, many queued projects (seriously, way too many on there!) and chose one to knit one up over the past couple days.

Super simple and pretty brainless knitting - I barely had to glance at the pattern. I'll have to get a better shot on a day that's not windy and rainy... even if the name of the pattern is Hurricane. lol

(Ravelry link)

I also started a sock for my iPad.

I've had this pretty, elasticized cotton in my stash from the charity knit shop in Seattle, but only one ball. Not enough for a pair of socks... but should be enough for this... I hope!

(Ravelry link)

I'm planning to cast on for my own Saroyan scarf/wrap. Just deciding which yarn to use. Looking through the projects, it looks good in just about anything as long as the yarn isn't too textured. Even variegated yarns look great as long as they're not too loud. Time to dig through the bins and see what calls to me, I suppose...

Spring has Sprung!

2011-04-14T12:27:00.004-04:00

Finally!

And with inspiration from the beautiful colors of Spring popping up all over, I'm also finding inspiration in the form of new patterns. I've been hearing commercials for Tuesday Morning for years, but had never ventured into one... until a couple weeks ago. A little disappointed upon entering and discovering what appeared to be closer to a thrift store than other discount shops I've been in, I decided I'd power through and see what was hiding in the depths of those aisles (having heard of great, yarny deals). Though I did find some nicely priced, name-brand yarn (mostly organic cottons), nothing called to me strongly enough to make it into my basket (lord knows, I don't need any more cotton, even pretty organic skeins). I did discover a pile - yes, a PILE - of craft books. I think at one time, the pile might have had some sort of order, but when I happened across it, it almost appeared someone had up-ended a couple boxes of books onto a shelf and hoped for the best. Spotting a few yarny titles, I dug...

They ranged from 60-75% off the cover price. Not bad! I picked up The Happy Hooker while in Portland (with a 50% off coupon, of course), but the others were all finds at Tuesday Morning. =) There are some really nice summery patterns in Louisa Harding's Summer Classics. Sweater Renewal has some great ideas for those thrift store finds that haven't had the most gentle care. This skirt is made with the body of a felted fairisle sweater with an added crochet waistband and hem. Funky, but I'm kinda loving it!

Hollywood Knit Style has a few cute patterns, though I'd never have purchased it anywhere near full price. The crochet references (150 Crochet Trims, Textured Crochet) will undoubtedly come in handy as I continue to build my crochet skills. Maybe pulling these out will be the motivation I need to get going on projects again... or maybe I'll go take in some more of those Spring colors!

Where have YOU been?

2011-04-12T17:59:00.002-04:00

Hmm?

Oh, wait. I'm the one who's been MIA. =)

Not a whole lot of yarny progress has been made recently and no exciting news otherwise to share. I did pick up snaps and ribbon for my sweater, but haven't yet pulled it out and finished those little details so I can take proper project pics. The temps haven't been in a range to really motivate me to finish a wool sweater.

I did crochet up a couple tiny baskets out of the same odd yarn I used on one of the kitty's snakes. I just free-handed them and amazingly ended up with just a few inches left over. One more odd ball gone. =)

Handy for organizing a shallow drawer. =)

(Ravelry link for yarn details)

I flew out to Portland a few weeks ago and started a pair of socks on the way.

I have one sock... and a toe. *sigh* They've been stalled since I returned. Pulled them out for a pic today and managed to get a muddy spot on the light pink heel even though I chose a spot in full sun, checked for wet spots and only put the one on once I got out there. Sheesh, they're not even done yet! I got most of the stain out and will put them through the wash when #2 can join the bath. I received this ball in a grab bag. I was happily surprised with the contents of the bag - 19 balls of yarn for $25 (DBNY)... and I only gave two skeins away that I knew I'd never use (ugh, fun fur with multi-colored metallic bits?). What a deal! I decided I didn't care if the socks were mirror images of each other so I just started #2 where #1 left off to avoid yarn waste. I'm using one long circ in place of my usual dpns. MUCH easier on a plane! No worries about dropping needles or stitches falling off as the sock goes in and out of a bag. Love the socks! It's such an easy pattern to memorize, it only took one repeat and I could put the pattern away.

(Ravelry link for pattern/yarn details)

I did whip up a small project last Friday. Had a book stand that needed a bit of padding...

Pulled out a cheap ball of acrylic and worked up a simple cozy.

Now my new toy has a soft place to sit while I watch movies on Netflix or one of the great photography workshops online (as I did this past weekend). =)

(Ravelry link for details)

We're still down at work so I've had way to much time to kill, but haven't been playing with yarn. The apt search in Vancouver (WA, not BC) didn't go so well so I'm still stuck in IN a bit longer. Rethinking some plans to make this all work. I did find out today that I'll definitely be working again in a couple weeks though! WOO! It's nice having some time off, but I sure do miss the paychecks!

So... what have YOU been up to?

If it ain't broke...

2011-03-16T19:41:00.000-04:00

fix it anyway.

I've been knitting for a long time and have always knit English-style. I've been wanting to make the switch to continental-style to speed up but wanted to wait until I finished my sweater so I wouldn't mess with my gauge. =) Sweater's done and I can mess all I want now!

So, I headed off to YouTube to see how to go from thrower to picker and chose a small project in garter stitch to practice.

I felt at first like I'd never knit before! But I got the hang of it fairly quickly and have been playing with a couple different ways to hold the yarn, trying to decide which I like best.

I also worked up a couple kitty snakes in crochet.

One in a variegated acrylic and one in bulky white wool, crocheting in pony beads for the eyes.

Then I used a couple packets of Kool-Aid to overdye the white.

I'm pretty happy with the results! Though the acidity of the Kool-Aid reacted with the t-pins I used to hang the snake up to dry, leaving teensy rust spots even though I'd rinsed him well then washed him in Eucalan first. Thankfully, the kitties don't mind. =)

I made it!

2011-03-06T18:21:00.002-05:00

I can finally say it... I knit a whole sweater!

That's right, folks, I finished this one. lol

This is the Salem Hooded Sweater (my Rav link) from New England Knits that I started before heading to San Francisco back in January. I came back from the trip with two completed sleeves and about 3" of the bottom hem done (after frogging my first couple inches due to size issues, dang it).

Took a bit of a break to knit another dog sweater, a hat or two and a pair of fingerless mitts... and crochet a couple kitty toys. But last week, I decided I wasn't working on anything else until this came off the needles. I can now move on. =) Still need to pick up a couple of snaps and some ribbon, but ends are woven in, it's been soaked (lavender Eucalan) and is blocked and drying as I type! I think that counts as done. (Better pics once I hit a store)

Added bonus? Total cost: $18 and a little change =D

Next up? Trying something a bit different...

Otterly amazing!

2011-02-22T11:38:00.005-05:00

What's that?

More yarny goodness?!

Otterly amazing!

Bad puns aside, I did have some yarny fun this weekend. =)

I went with fingerless mitts to go with the hat. I hope she likes them. I think the fit is nice, fitted without being too baggy or too snug... on me, at least. And because she's a fellow critter fan, I'm throwing in something for the furrier members of the family...

Catnip kitties for her kitty, Joe.

Those two better stay out of the pb dog biscuits I'm sending! Think she'll be surprised?

(The little hibiscus wood otter came home from SF with me via an awesome woodworking shop in Ghirardelli Square. Such a cutie, how could I pass up that face? He had to travel home in my checked bags thanks to that crazy tail though. Didn't want to risk any extra searches from security... or have him end up in the trash bin.)

The hatmaker

2011-02-14T10:23:00.000-05:00

It's all hats, all the time around here lately...

#2 in my 2011 Pay It Forward craftiness - done!

This is the Roman Earflap Hat (Ravelry project link). I mostly followed the instructions for this one, though I did hold the yarn double throughout the crown as well since this particular yarn is rather thin in places. The ear flaps were worked with one strand in doubleknit and I opted for tassles instead of the pom poms in the pattern. =) I like the results and though this is pure alpaca, it doesn't seem as warm as I thought it would be... probably a good thing since the recipient lives in AZ and though it gets cold, it doesn't dip far below freezing. Planning to make something to go with this hat - a cowl or fingerless mitts perhaps.

Best of all though, I got a photo of one of my handknits ON the recipient! Woo!

New big sis, Elizabeth, in her Poppy hat. I hope at some point to see a pic of Katherine in hers, but I'm elated to at least see one of them on since it's such a rarity to get pics back once handknits are mailed away.

PS -- I'm not telling her she has it on sideways. lol Maybe she'll start a new trend. =)

Pay it forward

2011-02-09T17:23:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago, my friend Moni (of Blatherskite) posted this challenge on her facebook page.

Pay it Forward 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. They must in turn post this and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment on their status. The rules are that it must be handmade by you... and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011

It sounded like lots of fun, so I responded and re-posted on my own fb page... and now have my own list of people to craft for. =) I've been thinking about what to make, but had been working on my own and Reilly's sweaters. Then, my friend Denae (of DenKnits), shared a link for Knits for Needs looking for hats to be donated (and having a contest if you're interested). I shared the link on my page, commenting that there were so many cute hat patterns but so few people around me who wear hats. I nearly instantly had comments from two of the people to whom I now owe hand-crafted items. Well, that makes it easy! lol

#1 of 5... done. =)

I love it. This is for my sister (who I made the braided cowl for at Christmas). I didn't have any more of that yarn so used another brown (that I hope is close since I'm not sure where the tiny remnants of that other ball are) and paired it with a pretty semi-solid blue from my stash. This is my favorite color combo... I hope she likes it. =) I already plan to make myself one of those cowls... might just have to make myself a similar hat as well. heh

Pattern info: Turn a Square by Jared Flood (of Brooklyn Tweed) - I lengthened the rib so it would fold up (a request of the recipient) and added a big, fluffy, fun pom pom.

Now, back to my sweater for a bit while I figure out #2...

Winter Blues

2011-02-06T17:26:00.000-05:00

My sweater's not done yet, but someone else's is!

I did this one in wool and alpaca (details on my Ravelry project page) for a little extra warmth. I'm likeing the color combo. I've had that alpaca for awhile with no idea what to use it for. Holding it with a strand of wool seems to be a good combo. =)

This week has been full of indoor time thanks to ice, snow, more ice and snow.

Nice, huh? And I'd already brushed the loose snow off the top! That's solid. :-/ The drive was a solid sheet of ice too so I was stuck out of the garage for a few days. Thanks to some fresh snow (and the traction it brought), my baby's back under a roof. It may be a tough jeep, but it's sure a heck of a lot easier running errands when I don't have to chip ice off it first!

Someone hasn't been at all bummed about the weather. Pure Alaskan, born and raised! =)

He's about 3" off the actual ground there. Still pretty solid under the latest snow, but at least we got off a heck of a lot easier than a lot. Looking forward to the thaw so I can head west... not so looking forward to that thawing and creating a mud pit in the back yard. lol

I have a confession

2011-01-23T08:15:00.001-05:00

I bought yarn. One ball... it was on sale... and organic. lol

Hmm, and a cute little tape measure too. =) I visited a new (to me) yarn shop this weekend, one I'll not likely return to. Why? Because it's near here:

Yep, I'm back on the road!

I got an email at 1p Monday asking if I could travel. By 1:30, I had a ticket to San Francisco... at 6p. Crazy? Yes! But I got a shower, got packed and hit the road for the airport in an hour and a half. Amazingly, I only forgot to pack a few minor things. lol

It's been over 6 months since I've been on a plane. With the change of time zones, late arrival and not having had to be up, dressed and in an office by 8a in months, I'm exhausted. Didn't stop us from heading out this weekend for some sightseeing though! Another coder wants me to teach her to knit after seeing my sweater in progress (I almost have both sleeves finished!), so we headed to ImagiKnits Saturday morning for some yarn and needles for her. She picked out some beautiful yarn for a scarf and a pair of bamboo needles. I tried, but didn't leave empty-handed. Surprise! haha At least it was only the one ball. I'm thinking it'll make a nice cowl.

We then headed to Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square.

It's no longer a chocolate factory, but it is a great shopping center... and yes, we came away with chocolate. =)

And a little something-something for the pooch. =) The dog on the bag? She's the Yap shop dog and is the sweetest little thing. If my dog were a girl, I would have been tempted to buy an adorable set of pink bunny socks... but alas, Reilly is a boy and will not be wearing pink bunny socks. heh While looking for an image online to share, I found these:

So freaking cute! And totally pointless. lol

After a little shopping (and spending way too much money, but I got a couple birthday gifts taken care of), we took a city tour on one of the motorized trolleys that went over Golden Gate Bridge. We had a great tour guide and had a lot of fun, getting to see a good chunk of the city without dealing with the crazy traffic.

They weren't kidding about the hills here. I can't imagine anyone here doesn't have buns of steel!

I really like this city. It's seems so dog-friendly and the people have been so nice. If I weren't already set on moving to Vancouver, I might very well be tempted...

But I'd definitely sell my car...

All in a day's work

2011-01-16T11:26:00.004-05:00

I'm now back to one job... and I have to say, this has been an awesome weekend!

The difference between working a 75-hr week and a 40-hr week? Time.

Time to cook:

(vegan mac & cheez from scratch - the ultimate comfort food! cookbook)

Time to bake:

(vegan chocolate mint brownies - YUM! cookbook)

Time to snuggle with my favorite furry kids:

Time to even play with a bit of string:

Yes, my friends, that is a sleeve. =) Okay, half a sleeve. Anyway, awhile back, Virginia posted this sweater on her blog and it quickly made it's way into my queue. This sleeve will become part of this sweater:

(image from the book)

but, of course, in this from my stash:

(much closer to the true color - the sleeve was a quick cell phone shot)

My local library doesn't have the greatest selection, but they seem very open to suggestions... So I suggested these:

(New England Knits and Brave New Knits - Thanks again, Virginia, for the recs on both.)

You're welcome, Crawfordsville knitters. =) It took awhile, but both are now in my hot little hands... and not a penny out of pocket. Although I will happily say, both may make it into my collection after the move as both contain multiple patterns I adore (and I still have credit on my B&N gift card)! Until then, borrowing will do.

That was just day one of my first weekend off in months. Today, it's bean burgers and... I'm open to suggestions. =)

One Smart Ass Car

2011-01-07T14:00:00.001-05:00

Awesome.

A little blue

2011-01-06T21:50:00.002-05:00

One more little critter for my little critters.

These guys are great to work on between (or as a break from) larger projects. I have absolutely nothing in the works, but I got a new knitting book for my birthday yesterday. Off to browse for inspiration...

Project details on my Ravelry page.

Monkey Love

2011-01-03T12:15:00.002-05:00

Thought the kitties could use a little monkey love (ravelry link with details). =)

He did get to venture outside to play before I handed him off to the cats though. =)

He monkeyed around a bit...

I think he was on the floor all of 20 min before a certain little canine snagged him. He's now a little hard of hearing. This is why Reilly doesn't get handmade toys. The cats don't seem to mind his handicap though.

Happy 1-1-11!

2011-01-01T23:50:00.001-05:00

How the heck is it 2011 already?!

Looking back over the past year, it hasn't gone quite as I planned.

I did pretty well on the "knit only what I want to knit" plan and again will make this a priority. I think I finally got over my issues with frogging (and admitting a project needed to be frogged) and either finished WIPs or frogged those that needed to be. I now have ONE project going. Not saying I'll always stick to one project at a time, but I'll definitely be keeping a better handle on them and not letting WIPs hibernate forever anymore. Finish it or frog it! =)
I also wanted to learn to crochet. I finished almost 2 dozen crochet items last year! I was shocked when I looked at my projects and realized it was that many, esp since it's felt like I haven't been crafty much at all in ages. Sure, most were small projects, but still. I have another one nearly finished. Just need to crochet another arm, two legs and a tail.
The stash, well, we won't talk about that one other than to say I have a serious yarn addiction... one that I really need to break. I guess I could be addicted to worse things.
My big exercise plan didn't come to fruition either. *sigh* Yeah, that's something else I need to work on. I've spent way more than my fair share of time on my bum in front of the computer, esp the past couple months. I purchased a couple new exercise DVDs and will try to motivate myself to start doing those! I did, however, go vegan this year! I've been vegetarian since I was around 12 and have been eating mostly vegan for years, but still caved to diary (mostly cheese) and rarely eggs. No more! I finally made the leap around October of this past year. I always read labels now and several of my old favorites are no longer making it into my grocery cart. I'm not eating as healthy as I'd like to say, but knowing I'm not supporting industries I don't agree with does make me feel more at peace (even if I am still eating too much processed junk and sugar).
Moving. Didn't happen this year due to an unforeseen lack of funds from too much down time from work. I did buy a small box trailer to move my stuff west... and am planning the trip for this Spring! Boxes are starting to be packed... just waiting on things to thaw out. =)

So what's new for 2011 (other than a new address)?

I'm working out plans for another career change. Medical coding pays the bills, but I don't love it. I want to love what I do (or at least like it most of the time) with that many hours of my life... even if it may not pay as well (at least for awhile).
I'm also applying my newly vegan ways to areas other than food in my life. Yep, that means no more animal fibers for the stash (or clothing). I decided that I'm okay with using what I have, but I won't be purchasing any new alpaca, wool, cashmere, etc for the stash. That should slow any stashing. lol Acrylics have gotten much better over the years, but I prefer natural fibers. That leaves linen, bamboo, cotton, hemp, soy, etc. Still plenty to choose from, but not as easy to come by around here (other than cotton, which I have plenty of). I need to do some research though as I've heard the processing of some of those fibers is quite harsh on the environment. Bamboo, I've heard, is really bad. I need to read up before I make any decisions. I've decided I want to make monthly goals this year. So, for the next month, I won't buy any yarn. None.
I want to focus more on cooking with whole foods this year and skipping the overly-processed convenience foods I've been relying on too much lately. I feel so much better when I cook real food. It really doesn't take that much time to make things from scratch and I know exactly what's gone in there (not to mention that it usually tastes better too!). I've already been choosing organic whenever possible. I'll be so happy once I'm near a farmer's market with organic produce available! There's a very small market here in the summer, but I rarely find anything organic there.
I think I need a new craft as well. I'd love to learn to weave this year! I also want to improve on my new crochet skills. =)

The trend seems to be leading me toward a simpler, cleaner way of life. I've been heading in this direction for a long time, but it's time to make changes for good. =)

A New Knit!

2010-12-28T12:35:00.002-05:00

I have played a little with yarn this month! I've been trying to work this into my over-scheduled life this month and didn't make it before seeing my sister on Christmas Eve so she'll be getting this tomorrow. I took a couple days completely off and worked on this two evenings while watching movies.

yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in chestnut tweed

Not the best stuff around (or even in my stash), but I know my sis wouldn't hand wash and I had a ball of this in my stash that I thought would go nicely with her jacket. It works up much softer than expected.

Hopefully, it's worth the wait. This is The Very Braidy Cowl (ravelry project page). I love it! I did a provisional cast-on and then grafted the ends together to eliminate a seam... not being a fan of seams where they're not absolutely necessary. =) My kitchener stitch needs a little work so it'll be more even, but when I handed it to my mom (a knitter), she didn't find the seam until I pointed it out. heh I suppose we're always our own worst critics. My sister doesn't knit at all so I'm not expecting her to even notice. I did add an extra 4 rows between repeats 1 & 2, 3 & 4, and 5 & 6 for a total of 12 extra rows. I wanted it to still fit close enough to block drafts, but not too close so it would be more comfy and not quite so turtle-necky. Perfect! Yeah, I'm definitely making one of these for myself!

Have a Furry Merry Christmas!

2010-12-20T17:31:00.000-05:00

I made cookies to take to my vet and put together a collage for inside the card and thought I'd share. Yes, I have a zoo. =)

Don't freak, some are on there twice! heh Actually, they all are and Cosmo got three pics this year. =) My vet asked once if I had a pic with all the kitties together. I have an older one from right after I moved to Spokane and were all hanging out on my new bed (incl Mugsy), but this one is from today at lunch. Food is the great equalizer! Couldn't get them to look up at me though. lol Furry pile-ups are common around here, but there's usually at least one missing from the mix.

Mugsy - yellow lab mix, 13y
Reilly - minpin/chi, 4y

the kitties, left to right in the bottom pic
Cosmo, 13y
Phoebe, 7y
Baxter, 8y
Sebastian, 13y
Xander, 8y

They're a lot of work at times and I spend probably more than I should on them too sometimes, but they're worth it and keep me sane. =) Still, cheaper than kids!

Busy. Shopping. And a lack of yarny fun.

2010-12-18T00:19:00.000-05:00

Hey, strangers! It's been awhile, huh? I've been busy lately. Busy. That's such a relative term. The past few weeks have been much, much busier than normal, but I finally took an entire day off this week... and it. was. awesome. A much-needed break. I hadn't actually had a full day off work in over 3 weeks and I was definitely feeling the burn(out). Two almost-full-time jobs'll do that to ya. It's only temporary though and for a very good cause (moving!) and it'll all be worth it in the end. =) Things have lightened up with job #1 too so I'm feeling a bit less over-committed this week (and more thankful for job #2 too!) and it looks like the next couple weeks will be more of the same. Ahhhh. Much better.

With the new time commitments (combined with being an hr away from any decent stores), I decided I needed an alternative to running all over buying gifts this holiday season. Enter: online shopping! Yeah, yeah, I've done it before of course, but this year, I pretty much did it all online and took better advantage of some of the great sales. Packages have been showing up and so far, only one shipping snafu. I received a package with a packing slip that didn't match the contents of the box. Good thing the missing item wasn't for a gift! Yeah, I got myself a couple of Christmas/birthday presents too. =) Hey, at least I know I'll like what I got me. heh

There has also been a definite lack of yarny relaxation time. I did pull out one of Reilly's sweaters and re-knit (this is twice now) the neck. A certain little dog can't be trusted in knitwear unsupervised - he tries to undress himself in the only way he knows how... with teeth. I've pulled out yarn to make him a new sweater. Alpaca and wool - perfect for a little dog with basically no natural coat and scrawny little legs and single-digit temps. I've learned a lot since making his other sweaters so I'm confident this one will fit even better... if I ever find the time to work on it. My camera's also been collecting dust. I can't wait until I'm moved and settled back in the NW and can start really living my life again... Limbo kinda sucks. Just a few more months... =)

Most mellow cat ever...

2010-11-17T17:50:00.000-05:00

Cushy, fuzzy = happy kitties

2010-11-10T18:15:00.000-05:00

The kitties are the recipients of my most recent projects. I finally pulled out the "blanket" I started back in February... decided I didn't really care if it ever got big enough to use as a blanket, stopped working the increases and crocheted about 6" more so it would roll inward for a bit of an edge. Voila! Cat bed! =)

Hmm... maybe it's a dog bed. ;-)

Still having plenty of this "suede" yarn (picked up cheap at Big Lots awhile back - a long while, heh) and few ideas what to do with it since I don't like this yarn in many patterns. I ended up holding three colors together, working in sc on a big hook, and made a pad to go into one of my hard plastic cat kennels. =^..^=

Love it! Reminds me of neopolitan ice cream, but much softer and squishier. =) I think this would actually make a great rug. I'll probably get ahold of some cotton chenille in colors to match my bathroom after I move and just get some rubber shelf liner to keep them from sliding around... though I'm sure the kitties would prefer I skip the backer. lol

Finishing that blanket into a bed? Yeah, that was my last old project sitting. I now have exactly one WIP... and I'm slowly working on the handle for that. =) I've always been one who has multiple WIPs at once, but I think I'm turning into a one- or two-project-at-a-time crafter. I'm loving not having a bunch of old projects lying around.

Swaps are THE best!

2010-11-06T18:14:00.002-04:00

I've decided. Swapping is truly THE best way to acquire new yarn! The first time I traded someone on Ravelry, I traded yarn for yarn. I had something she wanted (that I was willing to part with) and got to go browse her yarn for something I wanted. What could be more fun?! I think we were both very happy with the outcome. =)

This time, I've been sorting through some things, packing up some boxes in anticipation of my Spring move and got to my knitting mags. I caved awhile back (good sale!) and bought the Interweave Knits CD of mags for a couple of years, meaning I now had physical copies as well as digital ones of a few issues. CDs weigh less than mags, so I put them up on the IK forum on ravelry and offered them for sale plus shipping... or possibly a trade for yarn. heh Hey, yarn is light and makes great padding when moving! Yeah, yeah, I'm justifying. lol Well, I had a taker! She wanted three of the issues in trade for yarn and was curious what I'd be interested in. I'm trying to make my away from animal fibers so am trying to not purchase/acquire any more for my stash and told her so. She offered a list and I said,whatever you think is fair. Friends, this is what I got in the mail today:

Why yes, I am a happy girl. =) You can't really tell in this photo, but that dark skein is a beautiful shade of blackberry! There's also honey dew, sea foam and cashew in the Knit Picks Comfy (cotton, acrylic) and pale blue in the Berroco Comfort DK (nylon, acrylic). I'm especially excited about the KP since it's not something I've had my hands on before. That blue Comfort will be perfect for the next baby boy that comes around too!

Kiddos did their trick-or-treating the night before Halloween since it fell on a Sunday this year. So on Halloween, I headed to the closest decent pet store (45 miles away), in search of a better food for Reilly. Along with the food, I also found a new dish... with speed bumps!

Works like a charm! He now can't completely inhale his food in 5 seconds flat. =) The first time, the dish threw him off a bit (and he looked a little frustrated) but he's definitely sped up since then. lol Not much gets between this guy and his food!

The kitties also got something.

Saying Xander likes running water... is like saying Reilly likes food. heh This cat literally begs for me to turn the bathroom sink faucet on. I hate doing it, it wastes so much water, but he doesn't drink much otherwise. It took a couple days to convince him the faucet's not coming on for him anymore (and he still tries to convince me), but now the kitties seem happy with it. After I move, it'll be in a more central spot and hopefully the dogs will use it too. I had to laugh that my critters get filtered water, but I don't. haha

I also went to Jo-Ann Fabric, not really looking for anything, just hoping maybe one of the awesome Wilton holiday pans would be on clearance. Look what I did find on clearance though!

Awesome. My sister is totally into skeletons and bats so I'm planning to use one of these for a liner to a felted purse for her. Might just have to use a little for something for me. Those dancing skeletons are just too cute! And the bats... adorable. =)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T22:57:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Also, the tiny project from earlier in the week. I finally tried out tunisian crochet. I think Sebastian approves.

Gotta love the catnip trance at the end. heh Catnip toys are one of the best things for practicing new stitches - nice and small and no one complains if you do make a mistake in the stitch! Since I don't have the right hooks for a larger project, this was perfect for trying it out on my regular hooks. =)

Here's a still shot. I love the look of this stitch - almost a woven look instead of very obviously crochet.

Sometime, the budget's NOT the most important thing.

2010-10-26T23:17:00.000-04:00

I was all ready to post about the new crafty thing I did last night... but apparently my little dog decided he hadn't had enough face time on the blog lately. Reilly has had a few issues in his four years and today, added one (or two) more. He had his first (and hopefully last) seizure this morning. Out went the budget I've been sticking to along with my work schedule for today and off we went to the vet. Bloodwork came back this afternoon with off the charts markers for pancreatitis. We'll hear tomorrow on the next test results. Hopefully, the outcome will simply mean a new super-lowfat diet and we'll be able to proceed without more bumps in the road. This has been one heck of a year for the critters in my little family. Can this please be the last health crisis this year? Please?!

The craftiness? It'll wait.

A Real Man

2010-10-23T16:51:00.000-04:00

This guy cracks me up!

I made it for lunch today, but with homemade hummus instead of packaged. Yum!

20s Babies

2010-10-21T22:38:00.002-04:00

Finished both hats! And added crochet flowers. =)

So cute. I hope she likes them... and that they fit. lol I'm so early on getting these done (she's not due with #2 until January), now I'm debating what else to make for the girls. Baby/toddler stuff is so fun... and so quick!

Could it be?

2010-10-17T10:45:00.001-04:00

Oh, yes, it could! Count 'em, SIX FOs in ONE week! From me?! lol

A friend has her second baby due this winter so I thought I'd make a pair of hats, one for the new little one due to make her debut in a couple months, though already named Katherine, and one for her big sis, Elizabeth! This is Katherine's. I've had this nice cotton blend (white and a bright pink/rose) in my stash with a babyish plan. I went browsing on Ravelry for a cute pattern and turned up the Poppy by Justine Turner. So cute! Love the 20's feel of it. =) I'm thinking they need a crochet flower on the side to add to the cuteness.

I finished this mid-last-week, but just finally got a chance to take a couple shots of it this morning. Work's been slow (hence all the yarny goodness around here this past week), but they finally came through just as I was casting this one off and I've been tied to my laptop the past three days... or I would've had big sister's hat done too! The knitting progress suffered a bit (and my shoulder/forearm is killing me), but my bank account will be much happier in a couple weeks. =) Back to a more normal schedule this week!

Wrapped in love

2010-10-13T12:37:00.006-04:00

Or at least alpaca and bamboo. =)

Last winter, a friend saw my then newly-knit fingerless gloves and asked for a pair so we went off in search of some great yarn while working in Portland. She picked up two skeins of Qina from Mirasol Yarn, a blend of alpaca and bamboo, in a beautiful charcoal grey. I haven't been knitting much this year so the yarn has been sitting, unloved, for much too long. Now that the temps are starting to drop (everywhere but here apparently), I thought it was time to pull this out and give it a go.

This weekend I finished off a few of my older projects that sat unfinished far too long, with this project as a bit of incentive. I didn't want to start anything new with all the old stuff still sitting there. Mission accomplished and guilt abated. =) So after finishing the others, I cast on the pair of delayed fingerless mitts for my friend on Sunday.... finishing Monday. This yarn is so yummy! Soft and warm. I think they'll be well-received. The pattern I chose, Fetching, knit up incredibly quickly and took only one full skein and just a bit from skein two for the second thumb. They weigh exactly 50g though so had I been careful, I could have used just the one skein after all, but I had fears of running out on that second thumb and having to pick back. heh

Love the picot bind-off!

Since we didn't have a specific pattern in mind all those months ago, she purchased two skeins of this luxurious-feeling yarn. Still having almost a full skein left, I decided I wanted to make something else cozy to go with the mitts. Using the cable pattern used on Fetching, I worked up a pattern for a small cowl/neck warmer with a button closure but didn't like the way it was coming out halfway through so I reworked it into a circular cowl instead and started over. Had to resize it halfway through and start over, but I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Here are the details for A Fetching Cowl:

Yarn is DK weight, size 6 needles (a set of dpns will work, but a 16" circ makes it even quicker!)

Gauge: 25 st and 26 rows to 4" (worked in rib pattern, unstretched of course)

Finished measurements: @17" around and @5" tall (again, unstretched, the rib allows plenty of room to pass over the head)

CO = cast on

BO = bind off

PM = place marker
st = stitches
K = knit
P = purl

C4F = transfer 2 st to cable needle, hold to front of work, K2, K2 off cable needle

C4B = transfer 2 st to cable needle, hold to back of work, K2, K2 off cable needle

CO 110 st in a stretchy CO (I used the cable cast-on)

PM and join in the round.

Round 1 (R1): *K4, P1*, repeat to end of round

Repeat R1 until just before the halfway point. If using my measurements, repeat until your cowl reaches just shy of 2 1/2". (I did this by weight since I was working with a small amount of yarn and wanted to get the most out of it - just weigh the remainder of the ball you're working from and work your cable round when you have a little over half left.)

Cable round: *C4B, P1*, repeat 10 more times, *C4F, P1*, repeat 10 more times.

Repeat R1 for another 2 1/4" (or adjust if you've made yours smaller or bigger).

P 1 round. (This will help a bit with the cowl wanting to roll and make it match if you've used the cable cast-on.)

BO in your favorite stretch manner. Weave in ends. =)

Resizing the pattern -For a larger or smaller cowl, simple add or subtract your CO stitches by multiples of 5 and adjust your cable round to suit your CO number. A multiple of 10 CO stitches will result in an even number of cables leaning right and left, but no one will notice if there aren't an even amount!

Perfect as a set! (And ridiculously quick to knit! Hmm, Christmas gifts anyone?)

What's this?!

2010-10-10T16:52:00.003-04:00

Not one...

not two...

but THREE finished objects today???

Yep! I now only have TWO UFOs! And one of those only needs a strap added (all crocheting finished) once I manage to actually find one. The other is a crochet blanket started earlier this year that I really need to start working on again. Been awhile since I didn't have any UFOs from previous years lurking around. heh

**The pics all link to the project pages on Ravelry if you're interested in details. =)

Budgeting... and yarny goodness

2010-10-07T18:14:00.001-04:00

About a month ago, I started using Mint.com to track my spending/savings to see exactly where the money's going... and where I could cut back. I used to be pretty anal about my budget, then I took a travel job... with a bigger paycheck... and quit caring quite so much. lol Not saying I haven't saved, but I know I can definitely do even better!

Saved a bit of money (and even better, time) this week. I was asked about swapping some yarn last weekend by a fellow raveller and being a yarny girl, of course I let her twist my arm and took a look at what she had to offer. This has to be the best way to get new yarn. I pass on some great stuff I don't want anymore (in this case, part of it I'm allergic to) to someone who would love to have it and I get some great new yarn to play with too. All for just a few bucks for shipping. That's not the saving part though. I discovered I could pay for and print a shipping label on usps.com, getting a small discount on shipping, free delivery confirmation and even get free pick-up! No trip to the post office? I'm sold! The scale I bought awhile back came in handy too. =) So off it went today, headed for MA. And surprise! Mine came today!

Two balls of Aussi sock in sahara dessert - lovely shades of brown, tan, grey and blue.

And some elsebeth lavold silky wool in emerald green

and lava.

Yeah, I'm a happy girl. =)

Happy October!

2010-10-05T19:17:00.001-04:00

I'm a few days late, but I LOVE October! The apples and pumpkins, the chill in the air, the crunch of fallen leaves under my feet, the gorgeous, colorful trees! What's not to love?! I can't wait until the trees really start turning around here - so far, not much color to be found, but it's coming!

The cooler temps have brought back a bit of my knitting mojo. I pulled out the scarf I started back in August and am pretty close to being finished. Just deciding how long I want it to be. No new pics. It looks the same, only longer. ;-) Trying to decide on a hat pattern to go with it. Or maybe just a pair of mittens - I know those would get more use. Any suggestions on patterns?

Haven't finished up my crochet bag either. It's all finished other than adding a strap... something I haven't had any luck so far in finding. I'm looking for something probably an inch to inch and a half wide and long enough to carry messenger style across the body. I looked at Joann's but only found thin straps. Anyone know of a good place for something like that? I thought about using a belt, but would really like something with the rings attached on both ends for easier attachment.

Maybe a week or so ago, I hit Big Lots and found some awesome deals on critter stuff! Not sure why I never think of them, but I'll definitely be going in more often now. Seriously, dog toys for $2-3, pet beds for $7! Speaking of beds... I bought the beds for my mondo (but getting slightly less so) cats. These beds are roughly 15" across in the center. Perfect, comfy fit:

Well, someone else decided they just might be a perfect fit for him as well:

"What?! It's got a dog bone on it, right?"

A little spillover, but not bad for a 13-yr-old, 35-lb dog! heh

I've spent the past two days watching another photography seminar online while I work my day job (thereby making the day job not quite as mind-numbing). Nope, I can't get enough! It's so inspiring listening to those who've been there and made their businesses successful already. I always come away from these seminars amazed at how much I can learn in such a short time. I loved my photography classes, but I think I've learned more from these free (or nearly free) workshops/seminars than I did in school... and saved a good bit of cash too! Always a good thing. =)

figuring it all out

2010-09-15T18:15:00.001-04:00

I could get used to this view!

But I doubt it'll ever get old. Any guesses on what I decided? lol Okay, for those who maybe haven't been there, this was shot on the border of my two favorite states - on the 205 bridge connecting Vancouver,WA, and Portland, OR. As I said, I've been waffling for awhile between the areas surrounding Portland and Seattle, but when I step back and really think about where I might fit in best? The choice is really a simple one. Thanks, Virginia for further confirming my initial impression of both areas. It's nice to hear that from someone who's actually lived in both areas. Seattle may (definitely) win on the amount of cultural activities/stuff to do front, but Portland has the friendliness factor and some pretty cool cultural aspects as well. Of course, the particularly vegan-friendliness of the area doesn't hurt either! lol Now, it's just a matter of figuring out the best time to move and then find a place to live. I'm so excited to soon have my own place again!

a lack of yarniness, but lots of indecisiveness

2010-09-11T20:22:00.002-04:00

I just realized that since I finished my crochet bag, I haven't even touched any yarn. None. Haven't even had an urge to play with yarn. I have been spending more time of late on photo-based ventures however so maybe that's the cause. I've also been cooking a bit more - vegan lasagna anyone? Yum! I'm sure my knitting- and crochet-mojo will return once the temps start to dip once again.

I've also started to pack... though I still haven't completely decided exactly where I'm moving. I can't decide. Seattle area? Portland/Vancouver area? Both areas have so many pros on the list and really, very few cons... they balance each other out. The weather's even pretty similar (and I don't really mind the rain). I just can't decide! Every time I think I've made a decision, something pops up and makes me lean the other way. I think the hardest part is that I know I could be very happy with either choice. So what to do? Pick one out of a hat? heh Seriously, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

5 days... what a difference!

2010-08-29T20:55:00.001-04:00

I spend 5 days a week in front of my computer for work. Toward the end of every week, I am tired, I am bored, I am yearning for it to end.

I spent the past 5 days sitting in front of my computer watching a live photography workshop broadcast from Seattle. At the end? I didn't want it to end and was yearning for more. This is the fourth workshop I've been able to watch online this year and I just. can't. get. enough.

There's a big lesson there.

I'm working on a 6-month plan with a LOT of changes in the works. I'm excited. =)

Extra tofu?

2010-08-28T17:53:00.001-04:00

Make mousse pie!

I used only 1/2 cup silken tofu for my lemon bars and since a package is 16 oz, that left me with a whole lot of an open container to use. I wasn't in a smoothie mood so... I pulled out my favorite vegan cookbook of late and searched for recipes calling for silken tofu. Chocolate mousse! Seriously, YUM! I subbed peppermint extract for the vanilla called for and use the chocolate brownie crust recipe from the same cookbook. The crust was only okay. I won't use it again without some serious tweaking, but the idea was good. A simple chocolate graham crust would have worked wonderfully had I doubled the mousse recipe. Next time. =P

Weights and measures

2010-08-28T15:22:00.006-04:00

I can weigh yarn... and anything else up to 5lb.

Why it took me so dang long to break down and buy a scale, I'll never know. lol But I finally did. Saw one on sale at Kroger (of all places) walking down the baking aisle. Should I want to use this for cooking, that front readout portion actually extends forward to compensate for larger bowl/container overhang and of course, there is a tare function. Unlike the small postage scale I had years ago, this one also has replaceable batteries so I won't have to chuck it when the batteries die (as I did with #1). That's one thing I try to remember to check before buying any electronic gadget these days. =) So, no more eyeballing the remnants of skeins of yarn trying to figure out how much I used or if I have enough left for a particular project - yay! Funny enough, of the ones I weighed today, I guessed pretty dang close on nearly every one! Hmm, maybe I didn't need to spend that $20 after all...

Something you have to see

2010-08-20T13:50:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't already found this blog on your own...

check out WooWork.com.

This guy is so creative with a bit of yarn and a hook... and a sense of humor. =)

Sweet, tart and a little twisted

2010-08-19T20:19:00.005-04:00

I finished the bag I'd started in my last post. No finished pics yet though. The bag itself has been done a couple weeks, but I still need to find a strap for it. Just haven't made it to a store that has that sort of thing quite yet.

I also started a scarf.

I'm about halfway done and planning to make a hat and gloves with the same yarn. It'll go well with my chocolate brown wool coat. =)

I also baked just a bit.

A little sweet, a little tart... lemon bars! Haven't had these since I was a kid so when I saw these in The Joy of Vegan Baking, I just had to try 'em out. Seriously, good eats! =)

Chik'n... from scratch! (and a little crochet)

2010-08-02T19:28:00.001-04:00

To add to my "comfort food" weekend... I tried the chik'n seitan recipe from Vegan Comfort Food.

How have I not made this before now?! It's so incredibly easy! Just vital wheat gluten, soy flour and some water, then cooked in a broth. I actually breaded and baked these for oven-fried chik'n (recipe from the same cookbook). I'll tweak the seasonings in the breading a bit next time, but it was good as written. Definitely another winner!

I also started something new on the yarny front...

details to follow when it takes more shape. =)

Vegan comfort food

2010-07-31T16:52:00.000-04:00

Why, yes... I did get a new cookbook. heh

I broke down and bought a copy of Vegan Comfort Food when I bought The Kind Diet awhile back. Finally tried a couple of the recipes today. I've been craving mac & cheese for awhile but finding a vegan version pre-made (at least in this part of the country) isn't an easy task. I did finally find Amy's new frozen rice mac & soy cheese at the store. Nice that they're making an effort, but... it still has dairy in it. *sigh* I'd heard good things about the mac & cheeze in Vegan Comfort Food so... I made my own. =)

At first glance, the recipe doesn't sound incredibly cheesy, but amazingly, the macadamia nuts, raw cashews, carrot and potato (plus seasonings, of course) come together and result in a surprisingly good alternative to dairy-based mac & cheese. Definitely a keeper!

The fillet o'tofish from the same book:

Hmm, I think I may need to try this one again with thinner slices of tofu. The directions weren't incredibly clear how I was to cut the block of tofu so mine were a little thick, I think. They're okay I suppose. I was never a huge fish fan before going veg when I was a kid though, so I may just move on. I think the chik'n seitan is up next... =)

(Forgive the crappy photos. I just took quick ones with my cell before lunch. heh)

Another kool dye job

2010-07-30T18:06:00.000-04:00

I tried it again.

This time, I used some the inexpensive wool I picked up at the fiberfest last month. It started out like this:

This stuff picked up the Kool-Aid really well.

I think I prefer the way the Lion Brand came out, but this stuff will be fun to play around with. I picked up a few different shades of KA yesterday and I'm planning to use a 40% off coupon at Michaels to pick up a set of Wilton icing gels. This is addictive! =)

Variegation Frustration

2010-07-25T18:31:00.002-04:00

Variegated yarns almost always frustrate me... they pool or flash... or they don't... usually the opposite of the effect you were hoping for. So now, I'm causing myself even more headaches by creating even more variegated yarns for my stash. Am I a masochist? heh

I wanted to work up my new hand-dyed yarn into something I'd use often. I thought, hmm, a small bag that would fit my cell phone and a bit of cash and possibly my keys would be perfect. Previously, I crocheted a cover for my droid and it's worked well, but it really needed some sort of strap to make it easier to cart around. Too many times I've been frustrated trying to hold it while shopping or at the check stand or even out of a walk when not wearing a jacket with pockets big enough for my phone.

I don't have photos of the ones that didn't make it, but I first tried a crochet design found on ravelry. I got about halfway and realized I didn't have enough yarn... but didn't like the way the colors were all over the place anyway. I pulled out a set of dpns and set about knitting up a small bag, similar to what I ended up with, but slightly wider resulting in great flashing. Sadly, I didn't have enough yarn for that either. So I frogged that one as well. Next, I tried a more vertical design - a rectangular-bottomed bag with a drawstring. HATED it. The colors were all over the place and I just didn't like the bag at all. Frogged once again. heh This was my final attempt.

I like the more subtle, diagonal stripe here and love how the colors worked up in the seed stitch. I just need to figure out the closure. I tried buttonholes but didn't like the look. I was thinking of adding simple loops for buttons, but I'm kind of like how the needle looks (but with something else). Any ideas?

BTW - there's more yarn hanging in my shower right now. =)

Dyed in the wool

2010-07-22T14:09:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting to try dyeing for awhile now. I did overdye the tan parts of my messenger bag with brown Wilton's icing gel. It came out darker, but not quite as dark as I'd wanted. So I'm planning to overdye the purple strap a darker color before putting it together. Forgot to take a pic of that, I was so distracted by my newest attempt at dyeing. =)

I had a small amount of Lion Brand wool in winter white so I tried dyeing it with black bean soaking water. eh I got kind of a tannish color, nothing pretty. I didn't use a mordant though and probably hadn't soaked the beans as long as I should have either so didn't have enough color in the water. I'll try it again someday...

So, instead, I overdyed it again with Kool-Aid. LOVE!! And so freaking easy!

I rinsed the yarn first in vingar water, then I used black cherry, grape and berry blue and microwaved it (2 min, let cool 2 min, heat 2 more min then let cool completely before rinsing).

I'm SO happy with the results! I have another ball I've made into a skein and plan to dye it as well. This could get addictive very quickly! heh I'm already thinking of what I can overdye that's in my stash. There's a pale yellow that was super soft and so cheap even though I didn't love the color... =)

I've also made a few more of the little wash mitts. They're so quick and easy and use almost no yarn.

Great for using up scraps of cotton! =)

Yummy yarn and playing hooky

2010-07-13T22:36:00.003-04:00

Yum! Yarn cake. =)

I ordered this while at the Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival last month. The seller (Sandy's Palette) had some roving dyed in these colors, but nothing spun. I don't spin... yet. The positive? I got to pick the yarn since Sandy offered to dye a couple skeins for me and ship them for free (the shipping was free, not the yarn - if only!). I've been looking for nice yarn in chocolate and turquoise for awhile, but have only seen it in acrylic. I chose a wool/mohair blend and it is so soft. The colors in the second skein are a bit less vibrant, but a slight difference is to be expected with hand-dye jobs, right? I'll just have to be sure to alternate the skeins when I knit these up. The plan is a pair of mittens and a hat or maybe a cowl. =)

I tried my own hand at dyeing yesterday. All the parts and pieces for my felted messenger bag are finished. I felted everything yesterday, then followed a tutorial I found online for dyeing using Wilton icing colors. I didn't take into account just how much these pieces would look like muppet pelts once felted! lol The tan didn't go as dark brown as I'd hoped (was hoping for chocolate, I got camel) and the purple lost some color in the felting process. Not thrilled with the resulting combo. I'm debating over-dyeing the purple I used for the strap to get a darker color. Thinking of using black cherry Kool-Aid this time...

Played around with cotton and a hook this morning and came up with this:

Version 2.0 of my previously attempted face mitt. The one I made a few months back worked, but is so dense it takes forever to dry and it too stiff to easily form to my hand. So this one is worked in a much looser stitch (ext dc rather than hdc) with a row of sc at the edge to keep it from stretching out too much and of course, a loop for hanging to dry. A little texture, but not too much. Worked wonderfully on its maiden voyage. =) This would be great for washing dishes too.

Now I'm off to peruse my new vegan cookbook. Yum!

Red, White and Blue... and exploding cupcakes

2010-07-04T19:40:00.003-04:00

Sharing cars in Buffalo meant some extra time spent in the hotel over last weekend. I filled my time with yarny fun. I finished knitting up the wool I had on hand for my messenger bag and started in on some cotton with my crochet hook.

The water bottle is my own design. The star can be found here (I stopped after a few rounds and added a chain across the back for easier use) and the spiral scrubbie here.

On Thursday, I had the opportunity to browse through The Kind Diet while killing time at Barnes & Noble. This is one I've had my eye on awhile but hadn't yet caved to purchasing. I copied down the recipe for Peanut Butter Cups to try out in the meantime. Um... yum!

Seriously good stuff! Though they're incredibly rich! I used smooth pb I had on hand and I didn't want the extra cost of nuts, so I ground up a few extra graham cracker squares for on top. Next time, I'll probably opt for mini cupcake size instead. Being one of chocolate peanut butter's biggest fans, even I thought one at this size was a bit over the top in richness. Whew! Sugar coma, anyone? You've been warned.

Since I was already melting chocolate (vegan chocolate chips from TJ's) anyway, I pulled out my bag of pb filled pretzels (also TJ's) and drizzled them as well. I used to love the choc pb pretzels from Trader Joe's... but they're milk chocolate covered... so now I make my own. =) And I think they're even better. heh Sprinkled a bit of the leftover graham crumbs on top. Delish!

This morning, I decided to celebrate the red white and blue with a red, white and blue breakfast! The Joy of Vegan Baking has quickly become one of my go-to cookbooks. I used the Blueberry Cobbler recipe, using raspberries from our yard and frozen, organic blueberries and subbed a bit of whole wheat flour for some of the white flour in the biscuit dough. Yeah, it was yummy!

What about the exploding cupcakes, you ask? Okay, they don't really explode... but there is a surprise inside! I do love a dessert with a good surprise inside! My mom's been talking about the chocolate lava cakes you can get at restaurants for awhile now so I decided to give it a go... in a vegan version. Most recipes are heavily egg-based and undercooked to keep that ooey, gooey center. A quick search turned up a few vegan versions online. I settled on one filling that looked particularly simple and viola!

Vegan chocolate lava cupcakes! I used the Chocolate Cake recipe from the vegan baking cookbook above and the filling from here. Fill the cups about halfway with batter, place a dollop of filling in the center and cover with more batter. They're maybe more pudding-like than lava-like, but they're yummy and the thicker filling definitely makes eating them easier. No mess! Being on a pb/choc kick this weekend, I made half the cupcakes with a hit of pb... in the form of a teensy peanut butter cookie (yep, recipe from the same cookbook). I'd seen this done in another cookbook at B&N. You fill the cupcake liner about 3/4 full and place a small ball of cookie dough in the center and bake - I flattened my mini pb cookie dough balls with a fork first. These rock when warm out of the oven! You could easily use whatever cake/cookie dough combo you prefer. =)

WIP Wednesday

2010-06-23T11:59:00.002-04:00

Ah, the messenger bag.

Yes, this is the one I started ages ago!

I've spent the past few days here in Buffalo working on the body portion of the bag - perfect while watching movies in my hotel. It finally came off the needles last night! Woo! Not enough left to make the strap from the same yarn - that leftover bit will be knit up into an interior divider instead (ugh, more stockinette). Wishing now I'd thought to bring the contrasting color of this yarn so I could knit up the strap as well. I did bring a bit of cotton though, so I'm not yarnless. lol The plan is to overdye this tan in a chocolate brown and use this

for the strap. What do you think? (Any suggestions on dyeing also gladly accepted.)

Cotton!

2010-06-15T22:11:00.000-04:00

Made the hour trip to Indy today to pick up some freebie boxes (yay, freecycle!) for the move and decided to make a couple extra stops. FYI - Michaels has Lily Sugar 'n Cream cotton on sale this week for $1 a skein. It's the smaller size (2oz variegated, 2.5oz solids), but still a good deal... esp if you want smaller amounts of a few colors. I'm planning to make some water bottle holders and dishcloths at the airport/on the plane/at the hotel the next couple weeks. =)

Hooking Hippos

2010-06-13T19:28:00.002-04:00

Well, one hippo.

She went out exploring this morning.

Hmm, I should have warned her about cats...

And their claws...

This can't be good.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whew! The catnip kicks in...

Back on the hook

2010-06-08T20:41:00.002-04:00

I think that fiberfest finally jump-started my urge to play with yarn. =) I picked up a small book of patterns for amigurumi animals at Michaels over the weekend and tried my hand at the first today.

I think he turned out pretty cute. I'll be trying out a few more patterns from this book soon... and then maybe trying my hand at making up some of my own. They're so fun and quick to crochet. I think these would make great cat toys stuffed with catnip and stuffing!

Speaking of cats...

I think mine are ready to hit the road! Sebastian was hanging out in the new kennels all the time until I put the top on. Xander has decided they make a wonderfully soft kitty bed after I added the clean towels that will line them for the trip. Goofy cat.

Woolly Weekend

2010-06-07T17:50:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year! Lambs!

So cute! These were all bottle-fed so they were super-friendly too. I headed off to Franklin, IN, for the Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival on Friday where I got to see these little ones... and lots of yarny, crafty goodness. It was a looong day of fibery fun. =) It's always fun checking out all the booths and seeing what crafty people are up to. Of course, there were lots of beautifully hand-dyed yarns and roving and some other creative handmade items too.

There were some cute takes on the cotton dishcloth:

And some great deals on handy books:

A book on natural yarn dyeing and a community cookbook to benefit the animal shelter. $12 for 2 books? Not a bad deal at all! And there was just about everything sheepy you could think of! Loving that little felted sheep with golf tee legs!

And yeah, lots of yarny goodness. =) One booth had these small (100yd) skeins of wool perfect for felting and only $1.25 each! That was a great opportunity to get lots of colors in smaller amounts for a few felting projects I have planned and also want to try my hand at over dyeing a few of those lighter skeins as well. I'm working on a couple of ideas for things to put up on etsy. Should be fun!

If there's a fiber festival anywhere near you, check it out. You won't regret it!

Compartmentalizing

2010-06-01T16:59:00.000-04:00

Blogs, that is. I've started posting (okay, there's one so far) photos on another blog in an effort to bring this one back to it's original domestic nature. Check it out! I'll be updating mostly photos there from now on. =) This one will still be for all things crafty and foody.

Ohio: Part 2 (Krohn Conservatory Cont.)

2010-05-26T22:04:00.001-04:00

A few parting shots of the conservatory.

One of the fairy houses just before exiting...

Ohio: Part 1 (Krohn Conservatory)

2010-05-25T13:38:00.002-04:00

Yeah, so, I'm incredibly behind. These are from about a month ago when I was working briefly in the Cincinnati area. My sister (that's her up there) and I went to the Krohn Conservatory for their Japanese Butterfly exhibit. We started out in the desert room - actually it was called something about bugs, but the desert plants are beautiful.

Next up, the orchids! Gorgeous!

Then, finally, the butterflies!

They had cocoons set up (on the other side of a very dirty window) so patrons could watch the butterflies emerge. Further on, a room full of butterflies flitting around (mostly dodging unruly little kids chasing them with fake flowers). Not the most-photo-friendly atmosphere, but I did mange to fend off kids (and some overzealous parents) long enough to get a few shots.

I love butterflies, but this exhibit was a bit on the disappointing side due to the set-up and lack of number and variety of butterflies. I had a much better time shooting at The Butterfly House in St. Louis a couple years ago. It's not a shock that their area was set up better though, since butterflies are what they're all about. Being more "in" the exhibit lended itself to better photographic opportunities. I recommend anyone in/near St. Louis in the summer to check them out!

Playin' in the dirt

2010-05-14T12:49:00.000-04:00

Yep, it's garden time!

Time to play in the dirt and (hopefully) end up with lots of yummy, organic produce. =)

We had someone come and till up the garden for us (bigger than last year) and then we headed out to one of the garden shops for some plants and seeds.

It's not huge, but it'll do.

Red and yellow peppers,

three types of tomatoes,

and zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, snow peas and sugar snap peas! Yum!

Out of the garden, rhubarb!

And a pot of mint. =)

There are also a couple of small pots with leaf lettuce and the garden has a border of sunflowers... or will, anyway. =) Just wishing I was planting all of this in a little yard in WA/OR rather than IN...

First position, second position

2010-05-07T12:56:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time for the kiddos to show off what they've learned this year.

I happened to be home the weekend of her debut last year, so it was even nicer to get to see this year's show! For those who cannot spot her in the mass of little girls, Angela is the one in the back (to the right of the leader once they line up) with the mass of dark curls and giggling her way through the dance. =)

All too soon, I have another nephew graduating as well! It remains to be seen if I'll be home for that weekend or not. Things are still really slow with work, but they're promising work will be picking up soon and I'm guessing we'll all be back on the road by then (June). My nephew who graduated last year has since gone through boot camp for the Air Force in TX and is now in CA for training. Sadly, this training has nothing to do with cooking - what my nephew has planned as his career for at least half a dozen years. All in due time...

I do have photos to share fom my mini-trip to Cincinnati too... first, I have to do some editing and uploading. heh

Current WIPs

2010-04-20T12:06:00.000-04:00

Let's start with the most recent, shall we?

This blanket (Ravelry links, y'all) was started back in mid-Feb... this year. I was working in Dayton. When I left, this went into its bag and has not re-emerged since. I really need to pull that out. I knit/crochet a lot more on the road than I do at home and I've been mostly at home since Dayton.

You want to go back a bit farther, you say? How about this?

My Top Down Button Front Capelet, started back in September in Buffalo. Yeah, hasn't made it very far though... I'm getting the urge to pick this back up as well.

More? How about the felted messenger bag that got as far as a swatch and about a foot and a half in length?

Hey, it's only been on the needles since July! heh I'm taking this to Ohio with me in a couple days. Nice, brainless knitting. Probably taking that capelet too just to have a choice.

Can you take a little more? There's the afghan I started last April and had big plans for...

I'd planned to finish a square each trip out on the road. I guess those plans didn't quite pan out. heh I do think this has some emotional baggage attached though. Someone else in the house decided to follow suit and give this afghan a go and well, I kinda lost my will. I was debating whether to finish this block and move on or just frog what I have done and maybe come back to this later on. I'm thinking frog. So, one less project on the needles...

Speaking of frogging. Remember this?

I'm frogging this today too. Finally.

Let's dig farther, shall we? Last, and smallest... a book scarf started for my mother during her crazy Harry Potter phase.

Yeah, that was started in September... 2007. hahahaha Most boring thing I've ever knit... and on such teensy needles to boot. I think I'll take this too, try to knit on it and if that doesn't happen, I'll frog it.

It's apparently Spring cleaning time for WIPs too! Off to frog...

Had to come back and add this pic. Frogging complete! =)

Yay! Feels good to finally have those off the needles and the possibilities wide open once again. My mother about passed out when she saw me frogging the sweater. How could I possibly rip out something so close to being finished?! heh I didn't love it, that's how. I LOVE the yarn and want it to be something I will love and wear for years to come. That sweater wasn't it. Man, that was fun to frog too! Not sure now why it took me so long to get around to doing it...

Oh, as a follow-up to yesterday. My mother did finally tear herself away from the tv and go to the store... at 1:30 in the morning. I guess there's not much on that time of night. That, and I'm guessing, she didn't worry about "putting on her face" for a trip to Wal-mart in the middle of the night.

Cooking 101

2010-04-19T14:43:00.000-04:00

I've learned one very important lesson over the years. Before you start to cook (or bake), take a look at the ingredient list and compare it to what you have on hand. If you do not have everything (or an acceptable substitute), you will need to make a trip to the store... preferably before you start mixing things together.

This is not what occurred in my kitchen today. No, my mother who rarely ever cooks anything that requires more than opening a box and placing a container in the microwave, decided to make this apple/egg/bread casserole thing. I'd just finished making banana muffins and was cleaning up and suggested she might want to think about making her casserole soon since the bread's been cut up for nearly a week and sitting in a bag on the counter. I'd already tossed one loaf that was originally intended for this casserole (it was moldy). Anyhoo, she decides to do it "right now" and starts mixing things up. Non-moldy bread? Check - whew. Eggs? 1 more than needed. (An aside here, she wanted to toss in the extra egg too. Not sure why - maybe she thought the one would get lonely in the fridge?) Apples? Hmm, only two. So I offered up my bag of organic apples. Milk? Nope. None. Uh, she's the only one here who uses cow's milk so it's not like I used it up and she didn't know she hasn't had any for days. I couldn't save the day here. Since I'm heading back out of town in a couple days, I've been trying to use up my stuff so it doesn't go bad and didn't have enough soy milk on hand for her recipe.

Now, I'm not saying I've never done this. I totally have. haha It happens. I either figure out a substitute or make a quick run to the store for that missing item. I do not get all pissy with the other person in the room, as if it's their fault I didn't plan ahead and they can't supply what I need. Nor do I mope around the house afterward as though the world is against me. I also do not profess to never bother trying to cook again because this always happens. Instead of going to buy milk at one of the five stores withing a mile of this house, she slammed things around, threw the egg mixture in the fridge and set herself up in front of the television set for the day. All over a 10-minute trip to the store? Sheesh. I don't get it.

Oh, about 20-minutes later she was back in the kitchen and I hear her pouring a bowl of cereal. I'm thinking... she doesn't have any milk. Yeah, she figured that out after once again looking in the fridge, started swearing and slamming things around again.

Prior to this, she'd been outside watering plants and decided to get a piece of wood to hold open a window in the house and came in cursing about having things she can't get to to use. Even though there are tons of pieces of scrap wood accessible, she wanted to use her saw... that she has several feet of crap piled in front of. Yes, I'm once again getting the blame for this... even though everything in the garage other than my Jeep and bike (neither of which is in her way) belongs to her. I also got blamed for the rotten strawberries I'd put in the produce drawer (and told her I'd placed them there) because she forgot about them. I was making room for something she wanted to put in the fridge. And the rotten tomatoes too. She'd bought those, told me I could use some if I wanted, then never used them herself. How is this stuff my fault??

Any wonder I can't wait to move?! Or at least get back out on the road for awhile!

I love Spring.

2010-04-18T19:44:00.000-04:00

Your straps are showing!

2010-04-16T09:40:00.000-04:00

Mine, not so much. =)

I've seen these on etsy, but figured I could come up with my own and save the $$. I used a piece of batik fabric my mother was tossing in the giveaway pile and a small amount of polar fleece from the same pile sewn in for a bit of padding. End result? LOVE. I've always hated those nylon straps on things, they're so uncomfortable. Now, total comfort (and totally washable). =) Total cost? $0

Pepperminty!

2010-04-15T22:44:00.000-04:00

Yum! Perfect with a little scoop of Trader Joe's organic chocolate soy ice cream. =) I used the peppermint patty version of this recipe. I didn't have enough peppermint extract so I ground up a couple of candy canes found in the cabinet. Did the trick quite nicely. Might have to try the eggs next Easter...

Tomorrow, I'll post pics of my sewing project from today. =)

FIVE things

2010-04-12T11:34:00.000-04:00

So, I'm reading this book, Clutter Busting. One of the exercises is to pretend you can only keep 5 things. What would those 5 things be? Hmm, only 5, huh? That's a toughie.

1) My camera (okay, not so tough on that one) - I'm counting this as one though if I had to I'd condense it down to the camera body, a couple lenses and a tripod. All would fit in my awesome camera backpack so that should count as one, right? heh

2) My computer. Obviously need that to process photos - wish it was a laptop though.

3) My Jeep. (Crappy pic but it's all I got right now.) =)

4) My phone. I've easily lived without a cell phone before, but my job makes this a necessity. This also takes the place of an mp3 player and also works as my internet connection.

5) My bike. (Again, crappy pic... but you get the idea.) I bought this not long after moving to Alaska and it's moved with me to WA then IN and will be making the trip back west soon. It's been neglected of late and needs a serious tune-up, but I love it... and it fits me. =)

Interesting what didn't make the cut. #1 was the easiest to come up with. #5 was the hardest. It was a toss-up between the bike and my knitting/crochet stuff... but I'm betting I could stash my needles/hooks in the camera bag and find more yarn down the road... is that cheating? =)

I asked my mother this same question. What were her 5 things? She got as far as her sewing machine and supplies (counting as 1), her knitting supplies (again as 1 though she wanted to lump this in with her sewing stuff), her TV/VCR (again as 1), her books (again, counting as 1). She didn't say a 5th though I'm pretty sure she'd already filled a BIG moving truck with the first 4!

So, what would YOUR 5 things be?

Flash your Stash

2010-04-11T17:59:00.000-04:00

People have been "flashing" their "stash" on Ravelry this month. I figured it was my turn to flash. I have just a few balls and skeins around. heh Mine has relocated to the corner recently. It's completely ~~out of hand~~ awesome, I know. I figure it can't take over as long as it's shorter than I am though... right?

Some details can be seen on my flickr page. These used to live under my bed, but with the dog not being able to climb the steps to the bed (and my fear that he'll jump off, injuring himself even more if he did), the mattress has relocated to the floor and the totes to the corner. I actually think I somehow have more space in my room now. I think it's just the way the bed is placed - something I've been wanting to do for awhile now. I used to rearrange things all the time, but since I've been in this one room, I haven't really been able to. It's a really nice change. =) I like being able to see the pretty colors too. Spent a bit of time today rearranging these, putting like fibers together and putting the summer yarns on top so they're more easily accessible now that it's getting HOT outside! I think maybe we've skipped Spring and jumped right into Summer!

The hunt...

2010-04-04T22:22:00.000-04:00

Last year, I missed the egg hunt with my niece and nephews because I was on a plane to Arizona. Not so, this year!

Along the way, some found out we don't always get what we want.

She's so dramatic. But all ended well. =)

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Easter prep

2010-04-03T22:07:00.000-04:00

We had a busy day. We started off with growing a field of flowers...

And finished with bacon and eggs...

Fun day. =)

Tomorrow, watching little kids hunt for Easter eggs...

Spring!

2010-04-01T12:09:00.000-04:00

The teensy yellow dafs have been open for about a week and the slightly larger yellow double dafs have been open nearly as long. But these are the ones I really like! So pretty!

The raspberries are also making a valiant effort to return to their prior glory!

I love Spring!

Focus

2010-03-31T11:41:00.000-04:00

Something to ponder:

32 ways to refocus

What's important in your life? Are you making it a priority?

Kitty Heaven

2010-03-25T11:49:00.000-04:00

As I've been decluttering... there have been more bags and boxes around than usual.

Xander is not complaining.

The end of an era...

2010-03-23T15:03:00.000-04:00

Said goodbye to my little car today.

It was towed off to hopefully be fixed and serve someone else well for many years to come. I bought this car in 2001 in Alaska and it made it down the Alcan to Washington and then to Indiana without any issue. The past year, it's finally been really showing its age and has required more work than in the past. More recently, it once again refused to start... even with a jump. Rather than paying to have it fixed and chance trying to make the money back when it sold - if it sold as there are tons of these for sale right now well below their worth - I decided to cut my losses and give someone a killer deal and let them get it running again. I'm now back down to one vehicle. I hope my Jeep runs as well as this little car has over the years. Thanks for a great 9 years of service!

Spring!

2010-03-21T23:24:00.000-04:00

First weekend of Spring has brought more spring cleaning, sorting, shredding (papers, junk mail) and packing up stuff I don't need/want so I can make another trip to Goodwill. They're going to get used to seeing me there. heh It's amazing. I basically live in one room when I'm actually home, yet I still managed to accumulate way too much stuff! Or at least, way more than I need. How do I have FIVE water bottles?! Okay, a couple of those were given to me so it's not entirely my fault. Keeping the two I like and tossing the others in the box along with an electronic dictionary/thesaurus and 5-language translator (my phone does all that) and even my discman that hasn't been used in close to two years since I switched to mp3s...Since I can view them all online now, I also ditched all my medical coding magazines. Geez, those things are heavy! The only magazines I have now are knitting ones. *sigh* I really need to go through those and scan the patterns I want so those can go too. Way more time-intensive though so that'll wait until I get through most of the rest of this stuff. Tonight, I tackled shoes. Over the past two years, I've discovered I'm fine wearing the same few pairs of shoes over and over and really don't need that many. This is partly due to all the travel and the limited space in my suitcase (I pretty much just pack and black and a brown pair of flats these days), but even at home, I really only wear a few pairs so... time to cull! 11 prs out the door...

I'm also organizing/shrinking what I am keeping to save on space. I have most of my winter clothes now in a large space bag so I can suck the air out to save space. I also finally found a large dvd storage book so I can ditch all those plastic cases that take up so much shelf space! This book takes up about the same space as 20 or so plastic dvd cases in total space and is only about 6" wide... but it'll hold 92 movies! Plus another 16 I think without the info sheets. Not that it's anywhere near full, but I'm still coming out ahead on space even with what I do have so it's all good. =)

I thought about using space bags for the yarn as well, but I remember reading somewhere that it wasn't good the yarn to be squished up like that. Anyone know any different?

Cut through the clutter...

2010-03-17T02:52:00.000-04:00

I saw a challenge posted on another blog that involves paring down your "stuff" to what you really need by finding 10 items per week you no longer need/want and passing them on in one way or another. I just stumbled across this and the writer has gone through twelve cycles now, I believe. I'm working on a shorter time frame (hopefully), so my goals will be a bit different. Instead of a number of items and doing it on a weekly basis, I'm going to spend at least 15 min a day (probably more) going through things and deciding what I can do without and more than likely coming up with 10 items a day. If today was any predictor of things to come, this should go well. Just today, I filled two large bags with clothes and a grocery sack full of books headed for the library's book sale. All are already in my Jeep (minus the half dozen books my mother swiped before I got them out of the house) so there are no excuses not to drop them off tomorrow. =) I didn't bring that much stuff with me from Washington - most of what I didn't sell before moving is in a storage unit in eastern WA still - and I've done fairly well in getting rid of things when I've bought more, esp while on the road... but I still have way too much crap here that I don't need. There are things here that I brought from WA that I haven't touched since unpacking my car nearly two years ago now. Ridiculous! I find it comical that there were so many things I haven't touched that I thought I couldn't do without and had to find room in the car to pack (or paid to mail to IN). I'm just itching to get my hands on that stuff in WA now. I know I could have gotten rid of so much more than I did. All in due time, I suppose.

Circles and Squares

2010-03-15T11:08:00.000-04:00

My old water bottle holder has definitely seen better days, so it was time for a new one! I started by working up a circle the size of the bottom of the bottle:

Then worked up from there in a square mesh pattern - dc, ch2 - alternating between two skeins of cotton since I didn't have quite enough of either to finish one of these. Finished off with a simple chain strap using both strands of yarn. Love how the colors came out! =)

Another quick, easy project that will surely get lots of use!

The plan for today? Spring cleaning! Well, sorting and tossing (donating). I know I need to trim some cargo weight before I move and nearly two years on the road has definitely taught me I don't need half the stuff I have here! And less other stuff means more of the stash can come. =) Still working out the details... and figuring out if I want to go newer (more expensive, more reliable) or older (more problems, unknown expenses). So many decisions...

Chocolate and Crochet

2010-03-12T18:55:00.000-05:00

No, not chocolate-covered crochet!

My latest finished crochet item:

I decided I wanted to use up some of the partial skeins I have sitting around. I don't know why, but the partials kind of bug me Cotton is always so handy but I wasn't in the mood to make another wash/dish cloth so I went with more of a mitt design, intended to be a face mitt. I started with about a 2" chain and worked hdc in the round until I was nearly out (which nicely coincided with how long I wanted it to be - love when that happens!), adding a loop in the last row so it can be hung to dry. The stitch results in a little texture for a good scrub, but no too rough. =)

And my latest baking project:

One word: YUM! My sister got me this cookbook for Christmas... or my birthday... can't remember which since I got them at the same time. heh (The other was a knitting book!) Anyhoo, I tried out the chocolate brownie recipe last night and was pleasantly surprised! Unlike the last batch I made, this one doesn't use any oil. =) They came out a bit cake-ier, but still dense and yummy. I mixed up a half batch (should have quartered it) of chocolate mint frosting to top them off. Mmmmm, I think I have a new favorite!

We're finally starting to get some Spring weather too! Yay!

The little guy's on solo walks for awhile though. Poor Mugsy has a tender back - x-rays show severe spondylosis and a compressed disc resulting in him walking like a drunken sailor right now - and is on dog-bed rest for a month. Yep, that means no stairs so... guess who's getting a good workout half a dozen times a day? Thank goodness he's only 37-lbs and not a full-size lab!

Color test your career

2010-03-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

I always like taking these test just to see how accurate they are. This one's actually pretty good! Take the Color Career Test... quick and easy. See if your "best" occupation is what you're already doing.

Best Occupational Category

You're an ORGANIZER

Keywords:
Self-Control, Practical, Self-Contained, Orderly, Systematic, Precise, and Accurate

These conservative appearing, plotting-types enjoy organizing, data systems, accounting, detail, and accuracy. They often enjoy mathematics and data management activities such as accounting and investment management. Persistence and patience allows them to do detailed paperwork, operate office machines, write business reports, and make charts and graphs.

ORGANIZER CAREERS
Suggested careers are Administrator, Secretary, Printer, Paralegal, Building Inspector, Bank Cashier, Private Secretary, Statistician, Operations Manager, Financial Analyst, Bookkeeper, Medical Records Technician, Developer of Business or Computer Systems, Clerical Worker, Proofreader, Accountant, Administrative Assistant, Banker, Certified Public Accountant, Credit Manager, Store Salesperson, Actuary, Dental Assistant, Business Education Teacher, Food Service Manager, IRS Agent, Budget Analyst, and Underwriter.

ORGANIZER WORKPLACES

Your very careful, conscientious, conservative nature gives others the confidence to trust you with handling money and material possessions. Structured organizations that have well-ordered chains of command work best for you.

Suggested Organizer workplaces are large corporations, business offices, financial lending institutions, banks, insurance companies, accounting firms, and quality control and inspection departments.

2nd Best Occupational Category

You're a CREATOR

Keywords:
Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional

These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or whether they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.

I've been a bookkeeper and am now a medical coder (very detail-oriented) and used to proofread a lot of friends' papers. And anyone who has seen my kitchen cabinets (when I have my own place) could easily guess that disorganization annoys me... though my hotel rooms don't always appear so organized. I usually know exactly where everything is though. I do have a creative side too and I think sometimes these two sides fight against each other. heh So, I guess they hit the nail on the head...

It's never too late... practical is over-rated

2010-03-01T23:08:00.000-05:00

Seriously. It's never too late to learn something new, to change directions, to make different choices, to dream of bigger and better things for yourself. I had someone today tell me she was too old to learn something new. It's not true! Don't limit yourself. Don't let others tell you it's too late or you're too old or that you made your choices earlier in life and have to stick with them even if you're not happy where you are in life. Remember when you were a kid and thought that pretty much anything was possible? Let your inner child dream of what could be... and take steps to make your life what you've always wanted it to be.

I'm constantly thinking of what's next, where I want to be, what I want to do. Life is a journey and I'm nowhere near settling down... not quite yet. I'm still filtering through my plans for the next big changes in my life, but things are starting to take shape with lots of soul-searching and research and planning. I'm getting excited for the new adventures to come!

So, what have you always wanted to do? Are you doing something to get closer to that goal? Are you already there? Have you made a big decision that completely changed your life? I've always admired those who've thrown out the practical in favor of what they love or are in the process of doing so. I also admire those who are perfectly happy with who and where they are in life. That's what I want! Someday, I'll get there too...

Not huge... but it's progress (for me, if not for the publishing industry)

2010-02-21T13:47:00.000-05:00

I'm up to about a 17" square... and I'm liking it so far. I'm alternating the number of rows of each color, though I need to keep larger stripes of the tan multi since I have so many more of those than the others.

A nice, easy, mindless project to work on while watching more sports these two weeks than I have in the past year! heh Yep, I'm a total sucker for the Olympics.

It's a nice balance for my techy side.

Thankfully, I had a gift card from hotel points and downloaded a few books to my nook soon after I got it... and I'm not a super-fast reader so most are still unread. Publishers are in an uproar over ebook pricing, thinking they're losing a lot of money on hardcover book sales. Apple did their part to screw up pricing with the iPad as well by agreeing to higher prices with the publishers. Ebook prices on B&N have jumped significantly over the past week... and many I've seen continue to rise even after the initial increase. Two books I splurged on (whew) and purchased for just under $10 apiece... are now $18-19 each! Ridiculous. I don't know about others, but I can't even recall the last time I purchased a new hardcover book so they're certainly coming out way ahead on me. I refuse to pay those prices for something I'll read once and give away. I already thought many ebook prices were too high since the publisher/bookseller is already saving in printing and shipping/packaging costs on these electronic files, but now? I'll definitely be watching the mark-downs and occasional freebies offered on B&N... aking with the large number of always-free ebooks available online from various sources. Raising the prices just means fewer sales... from my end at least. The majority of my prior book purchases were either inexpensive paperbacks... or more often, used paperbacks. The only books I'll buy soon after release are occasional must-have cookbooks, but even those are most often paperbacks. We'll see how long this lasts. I have to think that at some point, the publishers will wake up and realize they need to embrace the new technology and cater to their customer base rather than trying to hold onto the past. Times change, businesses need to change too. Have book publishers learned nothing from the music industry?

A beautiful end to a long week

2010-02-19T21:38:00.000-05:00

Just happy it's finally Friday.

First shot at granny

2010-02-17T10:27:00.000-05:00

Tried my hand at my first granny square last night. I brought along some Lion Suede with the intention of crocheting up a blanket while watching the Olympics. I liked this square and once I figured out that the pattern was using UK abbreviations and not US ones (heh), it wasn't hard at all! This one's still a bit messy since I didn't trim/weave in ends yet. I wanted to be sure I liked the end results before committing with the scissors. =)

I'm thinking about using this as a center and working out from there. What do you think? I'm thinking some sort of striping in these colors. I have way more of the variegated than anything else.

Chocolate-y Love

2010-02-14T18:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day all! Since I was heading back on the road today, I decided to whip up a couple of recipes to bring along. I pulled out my recently-aquired copy of Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar and flipped through until something caught my eye. It didn't take long...

First up... Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies:

Yum! I added a couple of handfuls of vegan chocolate chips. Next time, I'll probably cut back on the oil and sub with some applesauce. These are a little on the crunchy side for my preference, but yummy all the same. Would be great with a scoop of vegan ice cream!

I also had to try the Deluxe Cocoa Brownies:

It's always hard finding a good vegan brownie recipe, but these are pretty darn good! They're not too cake-y and not too gooey so they hold together well. Added a handful of choc chips to these as well. Wow, they're rich, but yum! Just cut 'em small. =)

How could I forget

2010-02-09T18:04:00.000-05:00

our quest to try a good veggie restaurant in Portland?! Trying to be prepared, I went to VegPortland.com and printed a list of veg-friendly restaurants, nicely organized by region, and off we went, planning to pick a restaurant depending on where we were when lunchtime rolled around. We first decided to try the Blue Moose Cafe since it sounded like it had a wide enough variety to please me as well as the omnivores I was dining with. We got there only to discover it was closed up and apparently being remodeled into a different restaurant. Dang. So then, we picked a pizza place, Dove Vivi, and discovered they didn't open until 4p - it was Sunday... and only 1-2p. Running out of nearby options, we decided to check out LaurelThirst Public House since it said they served breakfast 9-3 daily. It had to be open! It was! One of the three of us voiced reservations about going in - it's next to a tattoo shop. She referred to it as a "biker bar." heh Okay, it was super dark inside and the staff was a bit, well, odd... and not so good at math... but the food was great! I got the vegan breakfast burrito. It came with these yummy potatoes and was easily enough for two meals. That and a drink for under $10! I left happy... even if it was so dark in there I could barely read the menu... =)

OR and SoCal Revisited

2010-02-08T10:40:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I finally uploaded the rest of my pics from January so there are several new pics from Oregon and a few from SoCal on my flickr pages (the links will take you there). =) Here are few highlights...

My last weekend in Portland, we not only hit the falls that I posted previously, but we also went off in search of Pittock Mansion which we'd heard provided a gorgeous view of downtown PDX and Mt Hood. We were not disappointed...

even if there was a pesky cloud hovering over Mt Hood. haha Being winter, the grounds were not at their best, but I can't wait to see this place in the Spring/Summer! It promises to be absolutely beautiful.

Even in winter though, I love the PNW. I love how everything is covered in a blanket of cushy, vibrant moss and ivy, making everything seem so soft and inviting.

I really can't wait until I can call this are "home" permanently. It's just a matter of time...

With the pouring rain nearly every day the first week I was there, I didn't do a lot of shooting in SoCal. It figures I'd get there just in time for the ONE rainy week of the whole year! heh Though, when it wasn't pouring down rain with solid grey skies, the passing storms did make for dramatic skies.

It was a week before I knew these snow-capped mountains were even there!

What a nice surprise! It really is a pretty area, but definitely not somewhere I could live.

At times, I take for granted the places I get to go, the things I get to see with my current job. I feel my time on the road is coming to an end. I'm not sure I'm truly ready to put down firm roots anywhere quite yet (will I ever grow up?), but having a bit more control over where I am is sounding better and better lately. Having a life/friends I see on a regular basis. It all sounds so good. And I feel a pull toward school again. It's time to move forward...

Finally joined the 21st century

2010-01-31T14:56:00.000-05:00

Friday, I finally got a phone that does more than just make calls... oh, so much more! I didn't order any of the cases available so I pulled out some cotton and a crochet hook and went to work...

Not too bad. I used a simple single crochet stitch and added a foldover, overlapping flap so I wouldn't need a button. Does the job.

The phone itself is awesome. I went with the Moto Droid and I'm already hooked on one of the games I downloaded. haha And my nook is supposed to be delivered on Tuesday...

Double Blooms with a Single Leaf

2010-01-24T22:24:00.000-05:00

I'm liking this whole crochet thing. It's fun learning new skills and I'm having a blast looking for new patterns to try. I found a great pattern for a flower bath puff and added a knitted leaf (Ravelry link), knit in the round so there's no wrong side. The yarn is Lily Sugar'n Cream cotton in Violet Stripes - nice long color changes. Here's my first attempt at following a crochet pattern:

And the finished product:

Quick, fun and easy. Now... on to the next project! =)

Crochet 101 - Results

2010-01-21T01:36:00.000-05:00

Finished my first crochet item! Here's the result of 5 skeins of Lion Suede - 3 in eggplant and 2 in vineyard.

I worked the majority in double crochet, changing colors as each skein ran out and finished with a row of single crochet on the edges. Finished size is 50" x 17", total cost = well under $10. heh This was a nice, easy first crochet project - great for practicing but simple enough for my brain to check out after a long day of work. =) I'd originally thought I'd use this yarn for a blanket, but this was all I had. I do have more of some other colors that will go nicely together so a cozy blanket may yet be in my future...