Finished Object:

Siofra Baby Bonnet by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: sox that rock in sweet pea

Socks are the So Much Yarn Basic Baby Sock knit on size two needles...

Sorry for the poor photos...my model is full of beans (literally) and wasn't being cooperative... These are for Bump so we'll see how he likes them when the package arrives in Minnesota in the next week.....

I really will knit for Beer though.

only look....

if you can stand the cuteness of a wee tiny baby wearing wee tiny tweedy slippers....



You fell over didn't you?

p.s.

These are made of a bit of cashmere I had laying about...I've probably already ruined him for plain old merino...

work in progress...

A wee pair of socks for a wee tiny baby...

Finished Object x's two

Purperium Sweater

Happy Feet DK

Turtle Buttons

Turned out amazing...I've just been waiting for the perfect buttons... and the perfect baby to put in the sweater...

which brings us to the second Finished Object



photo courtesy of Mom & Dad



Little Boy

8.1lbs

William Robert

Joined our family 11/26/2011

For months now you've heard me referring to Bump...I would like to introduce you to him. Blog meet Bump, Bump meet the World. I think he's perfect He's simply wonderful and I couldn't be happier for my brother and sister-in-law (who is doing great by the way)

Welcome to the family Little Dude! We can't wait to see you and cuddle with you!

Another Conversation...

Me: hey, can you help me get ready and run the vacuum around?
D: No problem! I'll get right on it...
*me looking around the corner because the vacuum sounds louder than normal*
Me: omg

Only a man would shop-vac the house...

Thanksgiving Part deux

Every year we celebrate Thanksgiving with either D's mom or my family. Well that leaves a whole lot of people that we don't get to see on that day that are equally important to us. So when we moved into our home here we started a Day after Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner part II party...A time when we gather all our friends and family that we didn't get to see on Thanksgiving in our home to celebrate all over again. It's a wonderful evening filled with everyone we love and enjoy. There is more food than any of us know what to do with, and the house is filled with laughter.

It's one of my favortie parties of the year...

Happy Day after Thanksgiving

C.

Giving Thanks...

I am thankful for this moment today...knitting with my mom while G and D watched football.

I hope your day was filled with moments like these with the ones you love.

Rain Rain Rain......

Every time I watch a movie that is based on the Northwest all I see thru the whole movie is buckets and buckets of rain falling and I think to myself...'whatever, it's not like that here'. Most of the time I'm right in that proclimation, except this week apparently. Storm blew in Monday night, and I mean BLEW in and it hasn't stopped raining buckets and buckets since. I was hanging out on the floating house yesterday afternoon with Mom and G trying to figure out a way to just spend the night instead of getting on the road and suffering another white knuckle drive...however, I didn't pack a change of clothes with me so home I went. The upside today is that the wind has stopped. Still pouring buckets and I have nothing but errands to run today.

I'm complaining a lot.
I'll stop that immediately.
The good stuff today?
1. I get to run my errands with my mom and we're going to lunch at a new diner I've been wanting to try...
2. I don't have to work today
3. I get to spend the morning with the dogs by the fire knitting a little bit before I head down to Seattle.
4. Thanksgiving is tomorrow and for that I'm excited.

I was going to snap a picture of the rain but miraculously it has settled back to a typical drizzle....

Now... back to my knitting!

Happy Wednesday
Stay warm
stay dry
Keep Joy in your heart for all you do today!!
carmel

p.s.
while I was hanging out at the Floating House (for those who are not familiar they are houses on the water...and their rental is right across lake union from the house used in Sleepless in Seattle) I felt the house move, I mean I knew it was moving because the hanging pots and pans and the hanging light over the table move slightly but this was a full shift and I gotta tell ya, very unsettling and cool at the same time....Can't wait for tomorrow!

crazy is as crazy does...

I'm knitting like crazy now but seem to be accomplishing nothing...I have a stack of stuff that needs just a little bit more done and it will be a finished object...
a second sleeve
a button band
buttons sewn on
eyes to knit up (owl)
finish a yoke
knit a second slipper
weave in tails (i really really need to be in the mood to do this otherwise it drives me bonkers)
Along with hauling a 17lb turkey down I5 this Thursday I'm packing up my knitting basket so I can maybe work on this stuff while the turkey finishes cooking and I can hang out with Mom, D, and G on Lake Union.

It's pretty stormy here today so I'm thinking about mom down on the lake in the floating house she is staying in....there is a part of me that secrety hopes it got rocking pretty good but I doubt it. I think they anchor in pretty well.

I'll post pictures of everything soon.
I hope
that is, if I have stuff finished to photograph....

Happy Tuesday!
c

Why it's important:

To be mindful of things you post on the internet....(I do my best not to be hurtful or inapropriate always)

but there are moment that always come back to tease you....

A friend reposted a picture I put up probably 4 or 5 months ago now and I had totally forgot I had even posted it let alone what I had written underneath it.

I crack myself up...
Mostly because what I posted about this is true.
I will not knit this pattern for this one reason...

My fear is this: If I knit this for someone I have a feeling deep down that I will be watching Modern Family one night eating a bowl of cheerios and Dan Rather will cut in with Breaking News of a person wearing a Knit Ram Hat raiding the local taco bell, with live footage and I will be busted as an accessory.......

Joy in my Heart...

I've come to the conclusion that if you don't do something with Joy in your Heart then it really isn't going to be worth it in the end. I'm not talking about the big things either. Everything you tackle in your life should bring you happiness, even if it's laundry, because lets be honest people, the best feeling in the world is climbing into bed between fresh laundered sheets pulled taut on a bed.

best

feeling
ever
Joy in your Heart

it's the best way to keep moving forward.

The more you do.
The more Joy you have.



Before Sedation and stitches. He seems happy with himself.



Most of you know that we had to take Mr. Brown to the emergency vet Tuesday night.
No worries, he is doing fine.
He cut the back of his leg open just above his foot. He hit something in the back yard with it. It was dark and we still haven't found the culprit although we have our suspitions...
He had to be sedated mildy which the nurse said he seemed to enjoy (I wonder where he gets that from)
So he is resting.
Gabby is mad at him because he got a car ride and she didn't so we are going to make that up to her tonight.
She gets a cheeseburger at McDonalds and then we are taking her to PetSmart to pick out a new ball.

post sedation-stitches and the comedy effort getting him home. safe sound and sleepy

Who!

I'm currently knitting a toy for Bump. A Big Stuffed Snowy Owl...with a minor tweak...this owl belongs more in the Tropics because he is a brilliant green. Galapagos Green to be exact!
The yarn is Sprout 100% Organic Cotton so it'll be nice and soft to cuddle with, not to mention the diamond pattern created with knits and purls giving a nice texture for little hands to explore...I've completed the body section and am beginning the rounds for the head.
I love it.
I'm probably going to make one for myself.
The Pattern is by Purl SoHo and is free on their website. You can print it but all in all it's 29 pages long because they give you very very good instrucions with photos...but then again you are hauling around a mini book to knit the pattern....
I'll post more details and links when it's finished.

for now, here is your sneak peak....

I have to get cracken on this and a few more items I have for him because word came down yesterday that he could arrive any day now...

Post Retreat in Pictures...

I've finally crashed.
I get super excited for this retreat every year...(see the post from Friday Morning)
I knit late into the nights
Get up before anyone on vacation rightfully should (p.s. I'm not the only one who does this on the retreats)
Knit in my room till 5:30 a.m.
Wander into the main living room because the coffee has been put out by then, and talk with the other knitters who wake before the sun like moi.
Suck down more coffee than I probably should and settle in for a day of knitting broken up by wandering thru town looking for lunch, and then again for dinner.
So here are some photos I took with my phone around Langley and my knitting...


Leaving Mukilteo on the Ferry....this is the Mukilteo Lighthouse




Pretty pile of leaves on the sidewalk




the fall colors were in full glory around town...




I walked past this little deck alley when I was strolling thru town. I was completely alone on the street at this moment. I walked past, stopped, got my camera app ready, stepped backwards and as they were making their way towards me, I snapped the picture and it's possible I did a little run to get away, about a block later I looked back and one was peeking around the corner at me...




I didn't realize I had set my knitting across the table from me but there it was, we were having breakfast together.




The windstorm that came up. Blew a table and umbrella off the dining deck at the inn, flickered the lights a few times as well.




Morning sunrise after the storm. Taken from my little deck




Bumps tee sweater knit in Dream in color Cocoa Kiss




Sunday Sunrise...isn't this light beautiful?




A Little alone time knitting in my room, and yes that is Harry Potter on the TV.




Bumps Sleep sack...I knit on it a bit while waiting for the ferry back home.




And baby A's little Baby Gaga poncho took less than a day and is super adorable!



Knit while you wait...

Well that was the plan.
It was solid...
Except
The Lodge keeps their dining area incredibly dark.
Instead, as I await the Seahawks fans to arrive....
I will sip my beer, sample some calamari and try to people watch regretting my lack of lighting and the partial knit owl stuffed in my handbag...

We are to be a party of seven
Right now it's just me
My stilettos
My Guinness
And a project I can't work on....
Guess I'll watch the game and cheer when the other bar patrons do
Happy Sunday Night
Xoxo
Carmel

Last Day...

Plus Rule #2

When in Doubt....

Knit Prozac....

Good Morning

From the Saratoga Inn So Much Yarn knitting retreat...day 2

Rule 1 for a Successful Retreat

And the first finished project...
This is a knit baby tee for Bump. The yarn is dream in color classy in cocoa kiss. The lighting is horrible, I'll try for something better later today. I'd love to credit the designer and her website...I think her blog is Sam Lamb...which leads us to Rule #1

1. Don't leave the white binder with all your knitting patterns at home on your dining room table.

Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!

omg omg omg!
I woke up feeling like it was Christmas and Thanksgiving all rolled into one, minus all the cooking, cleaning and general hulabaloo that goes along with those holidays. It's the So Much Yarn retreat today on Whidbey Island! I've been awake since 4:30 a.m., thank you Mr. Brown and Gabby.
It's possible that I've over packed my yarn, notions, and knit items versus clothes, we'll find out when I get there.
I have packed an assortment of delicious snacks for all of to have tonight as well as for me to munch on while knitting.
That reminds me, I need to pack that bottle of vodka in the cooler for Happy Hour at the Inn tonight.
Like I said, it's possible that I have packed an unreasonable amount of yarn for a 2.5 day knitting retreat but two things ring true;
     1. I've never been reasonable
     2. I might get bored, frustrated, annoyed, or quite possibly finish what I was working on not have a back up.
It's happened in the airport once, it wasn't pretty.
D wishes he could go with me, but really this is a girl thing and we are there to knit and he would want to sightsee and, to be honest, I'm going to be 45 minutes from our house. It's not like we can't shoot over for a day during the year and have a little visit.

I just noticed, it's super windy today. That's going to make for one crazy ferry ride. Usually I stay in my car but I think this time I'll go up on deck just in case I need to hurl over the handrail.

I'm so excited I want to be in line for the ferry right now, but that would be insane (which I am a little bit) so I"m holding off till 9:00, okay maybe 8:30, 8:15? The ferry dock is 2.5 minutes from my house I could leave at 8:50 and make the 9:00 o'clock boat. But that would be crazy to leave that late and hope to still make the boat. Too much anxiety to even think about.

I was emailing with D yesterday asking him to help me gather things together and I asked if he could get the blue cooler down for me so I could pack my cold items in it. Of course being reasonable and a nice guy he asked me what I needed it to hold (we have a variety of sizes and he wanted to find the one best for my needs, pretty sweet huh?)
I said, I need it to hold
1 bottle of vodka
2 bottles of club soda
2 bottles of cranberry
2 limes
2 stella artois
1 package of hummus
Pomegranate seeds
and
cheese
His response?
"That is a huge distribution of alcohol to food...bring easy projects"

What's a little baby knitting without a cocktail?

For the record I have crackers for my cheese and pita chips for my hummus and there is an amazing grocery store in town where I can find some hard salami to go with all of it. Oh yeah and for my healthy oils I packed a tin of Chili Lime Almonds.

Happy Friday! I'll be tweeting @carmelknits, and posting updates/pictures on here all weekend so stay tuned!
xoxo
Carmel

p.s.
Mom, based on the list above dad might be onto something.......

Finished Object

'Who' hat by Sara Amoroso
Pattern is free via Ravelry
Yarn is Tweedy Cashmere by Filatura di Crossa

Such a fun pattern to knit!
I'm off to Whidbey Island for a knitting retreat tomorrow and while I'm there I will scout for the perfect vintage buttons to put on her hat...

This is for my mom to wear while she is here for Thanksgiving and in turn will probably give to our friend Don...

Who...

To: Mom
From: Me

'who' loves ya?

This will be waiting when you arrive! Can't wait to see you.

p.s.
If its to big we can give it to Don after you've broken it in...

Finished Object:

Baby Feeties by Anne Sahakian

It's a free pattern on Ravelry you can find it here 

Uses a minimal amount of worsted weight yarn.

size five needles

takes about 1.5 hours

perfect
I love these. I love carrying them around in my pocket when I am done knitting and showing them to people. They visibly melt when they see them.

I have some suggested rules for wear,

since I don't know that they will stay on very well, my recommendation is that they are worn in the home and lounging around on Sunday mornings instead of out for the Sunday morning jog to the dog park.

but they are adorable and I imagine there will be more made before the babies arrive.

Here are some final details:
the Tweedy Cashmere by Filatura di Crossa are for Bump.

the pink merino by Malabrigo are for Miss A.

I hope they enjoy them as much as I think their parents will.

It's possible that I looked for a long time yesterday to find a baby to try them on for me... but I was afraid that I would have to leave them with the baby and knit another pair (not a hardship by anymeans but I haven't reached the point in my knitting life where I randomly bestow knit booties on babies in my office waiting room, maybe next year)

Tell me what you think...

Sunday Morning Slippers

In my mind I see Bump, his dad, and bug brother dog Rupert getting up, heading downstairs, making some coffee/bottle/dish of water, lounging on the couch reading the morning paper in their slippers...these tweedy cashmere feeties will be for Bump while he cruises the editorial section and sips his warmed bottle while leaning on Rupert... In the meantime I'm scouring the waiting area for a baby to try this one on for sizing and my own personal delight!

Squeeee!

Wee tiny baby shoe!

Finished Object:

Smocked Slouch V
Designer: Jill Zilenski
Yarn: Tweedy Cashmere by Filatura di Crossa (let me double check because I could just be making that up...)
Look at that I was right....(just checked Ravelry)
Needle: Size 7
Time it took: probably about 1 day of knitting off and on.
Modification: I shortened the number of rounds between increases from 6 to 3. I find that regular slouch is pretty slouchy and have never made the super slouchy version but for smaller heads, decreasing the rows between increase rows makes it perfect. Plus it still fits my big nugget nicely!

Like is said in my post Saturday this is for a friend who I went to Elementary school with (go St. Louise!!)
I attended one semester of high school with her before we moved to Minneapolis and then lost touch, which happens...Thanks to FB and social networking we reconnected and thus she sent me a special request to knit a hat.
Ta-DA!
Her bus duty hat is complete and ready to make its way to Portland.

Now, back to my regularly scheduled knitting for November...all about the babies.

Happy Monday
C.

We interrupt baby knitting...

>
> For a special request.
> A friend from way back in elementary school who I connected with again via Facebook is a teacher in Oregon. She sent me a message the other day that she was on bus duty for the year and her post was right by the Columbia Gorge brrrrr!
> So quick like a bunny I'm whipping out another smocked slouch for her in Tweedy Cashmere....
>
> Don't worry mom I am making one for you but a different pattern by Baby Cocktails!
>

omg...

my knitting just took a janky turn....mostly my fault. I wish I could blame it on not being able to read but that's not what happened.

WE CAN blame it on my being able to read and then make up a completely different and 'interesting' way of doing something.

It's not the pattern

It's me.

I'm going to fake it till I make it right....

but for now, it's all janky up in here (i really enjoy saying that word)

Maybe it'll be less janky by tonight, hopefully by tomorrow morning.

I did say a much more fun word than Janky when I was working on it but it's not a nice word for blog consumption but it rhymes with 'duck' followed by it.

'nuff said

I'm going to get my janky arse back to what I should be doing....

Bang Bang

It's what I call my Buffalo Chicken Recipe.

Dale loves it.

Loves it so much that he asked for it twice this week.

It's crazy easy and it's good for you.

The trick?
Remove the skin from the chicken

Don't deep fry it

So here it goes, I'll share with you my Bang Bang Chicken







Carmel's Bang Bang Buffalo Chicken

1 whole roasted chicken from the deli. Pull all the meat you can off of it and set aside
1 cup of white rice
2 cups of water

1 tbls olive oil

1 tbls butter
1 cup - 1 bottle of Moores Buffalo Wing Sauce (this varies depending on how saucy you want your chicken)
4-5 shakes of a hot sauce of your liking, I use Tapatio

3-4 ribs of celery. I cut one in to sticks because that's how D likes them and then I dice the rest for me.

1 tlbs favorite non-fat bleu cheese or ranch dressing

In a sauce pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss in your cup of white rice. I like to precook this a bit till some of the grains turn opaque, then add your two cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for 20 minutes.

Remember that chicken meat you set aside and the skin you fed to the dogs, which is why they are sitting right behind you in the kitchen? Take that and roughly chop it.

In a separate sauce pan melt your 1 tablespoon of butter, toss in the chicken and stir it up to coat it. Now add your buffalo sauce. Remember less for just coated, more for saucy. Now add as many shakes of your favorite hot sauce as you want, I use about 4-5 of ours.

Reduce the heat, cover and let simmer till the rice is done, stirring it occasionally.

Now, dice up your celery, not super fine but not chunky either.

By this time, the rice should be almost done.

Grab your favorite bowl and scoop in 1 cup of rice, put a scoop of the chicken and drizzle some sauce around (did I mention I like it saucy?). Add 1 tablespoon of the Ranch or Bleu Cheese and sprinkle with your celery.

Literally 30 minutes to an amazingly delicious dinner.

Makes about 4-5 servings so we always have some to take for lunch the next day.

I hope you like it.

I know D does and I do too.

I like the diced celery because it adds a nice crunchy texture to it.

This is one of those recipes that came about because it was what we had in the house and I didn't feel like schlepping to the store.

Wanna make the chicken in the crockpot?
take some frozen chicken tenders and toss them in the pot

cover with buffalo sauce

add a few shakes of hot sauce

cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

20 minutes before the chicken is ready cook your rice

dice your celery

rip open your jar of dressing

you can also shredd the chicken and serve it on kaiser rolls with a dollop of dressing and a few sprinkles of celery.

Quite the versatile little dish isn't it?

Happy Friday

C.

Progress

immie tee by Carrie Bostick Hoge
Yarn: merino big by lanna grossa
I think Miss A is going to look adorable in it!

Moving right along....

Little A's Frost Flower Tee is coming along. I finished the first 24 rows of the lace chart which is very easy to understand...That being said, when I'm knitting across the lace panel I read the instructions outloud to myself just so I don't lose track of which spot I am in...The dogs don't mind it, they probably think that I am reading them a story...

"and next, K2tog, YO, P2, K3, Backflip, SSK K4, K K K"

Best story line ever.

Basically I need to do one more repeat before separating for the arms...sounds ominous doesn't it? Maybe I should read ahead make sure I'm smart enough to pull this off...

Speaking of the dogs (you guys knew I had dogs right?LOL)

Back when we first adopted Gabby she would always get up with me and Quintus would stay in their bed nice and warm. He would eventually come down for breakfast and then mosy on back upstairs and go to sleep. Well, this was fine until I had to get them to go outside again before leaving for work...Gabby made that all easier and she loved having a job to do. She would sit at the top of the stairs and when I said 'Gabby, go get your brother' She would turn and CHARGE down the hallway and bonsai Mr. Brown (Quintus) causing him to get up. He would stumble down the hall half asleep and possibly grumpy

Bless him, he never thought it was my fault.

It eventually reached a point where he would here me say the words, I would see him eyeball me a little, and just as Gabby turned to make her charge he would be up and rolling down the hall....

Well, we haven't played this game for a few years now, that is, until this morning.

Mr. Brown has taken to going back to sleep in what used to be my knitting chair and he sinks into the cushion, curls up and you need a crowbar to get him out of it, or apparently you just need Gabby.

This morning as I was fruitlessly trying to get him to move, shaking the cushion, semi-yelling at him to move his big arse, I looked up and said 'Gabby get your brother'

Holy Smokes! She charge the chair, JUMPED and landed right on top of him then jumped off!

She was extremely happy with herself.
Me, I was happy with her too.
Quintus?

He's not speaking to us.

Let the Baby Month Begin....

I mentioned it before but I have a new nephew and niece arriving soon, just in time for the holidays no less. As a knitter I've been pretty slack in getting things knit up for them and so with a little under a month and a half to go November will be all about baby knitting...a hat or two might slip in there for adults but for now I'm focused on the baby knits.

I finished my last smocked slouch yesterday evening and cast on for the first baby project. A wee little pullover for my niece. It's the Immie Tee by Carrie Bostick Hoge her website is here 

The model is Carrie's daughter Immie and quite possibly is what makes this little sweater so adorable.

The lace panel is the Frost Flower and Carrie has written it out very clearly.

I'm not using a fingering weight but a dk pale pink cashmere on size 6 needles. I think it's going to be perfect.

Below is the finished Smocked Slouch by Jill Zilenski. This time I used Dream in Color Classy and it's super slouchy! I'm in love with my new winter hat.

Also, if you hop on over to America's Knitting you can read my review of the Yarn Harlot's visit to Seattle!

Link for website is here