one moment...

that frustrating moment when you've been knitting for years and read a line in a pattern that not only stumps you but makes you feel like you've been faking it the whole time...

yup...i had that moment last night

we'll see if I pulled it off or not in the next few rows...until then keep your fingers crossed...

for now lets enjoy the beets I grew last year and that I am looking forward to growing again this year. 

Finished Objects

I've been a busy little bee lately.
Plus I'm on a hat kick.
It started with Felicity by Wanette Clyde
Then I revisited Seedling by Alana Dakos
Followed by Autumn Vines Beret, another by Alana. I finished this one last night and immediately started in on Rustling Leaves Beret by, guess who? Alana Dakos. A skein of Blue Moon Fiber arts came to me via my friend Marcy (thanks again darlin') and I knew two things immediately.
1. I was going to knit an Alana Dakos pattern with it.
2. It had to have texture, either cables or stitch manipulation.
Bazinga! Rustling Leaves

So here are the details of my FO's

Felicity:

Knit in Trilly Merino & Silk. I used two different shades of purple.

Size 5 and 7 needles and the same in DPN's (i started the hat on DPN's until the stitches started to spread out enough to go on a 16" ciruclar)

I added an extra 12 rows to make it more slouchy but it wasn't slouchy enough for my supersize nugget.

It's a gift for my sister-in-laws sister-in-law in Illinois(confused?)

This is a fun, relaxing hat and looks great on guys and girls alike.

Seedling:
This is the second time I've made Seedling. Last year I knit it for Red Barn Yarn's to use as a sample at TNNA. Back then I thought that the yarn made the hat huge. Turns out it's just a big hat, that's meant to be big and be worn slouch style. The best part of this hat is the embossed look of the seedlings shooting up from the ribbing...how sweet are they?

100% Cashmere by Filatura di Crossa used about 2 skeins

Size 6 needle and size 6 DPN's to close it up at the top.

I love this because of the construction of the seedlings. I need to make one for myself (someday)

This one is also heading to Illinois.



do you see the halo on the edge? Bunny Fur :)



Autumn Vines Beret: 

This is the FOURTH one of these I've made. This pattern grabs me and doesn't let me go! I love it. LOVE IT. It looks amazing and once it's blocked it transforms it!

I used Sublime Angora Merino in a soft pink. I can't believe how soft this yarn feels to the touch. It's the bunny in it I know and it feels just like touching a baby bunny.



Size 5 needles as well as a set of size 5 DPN's and a cable needle. I also like to keep a highlighter near by and highlight the rows as I complete them. Alana does an amazing job in her patters of writing out each and every row that you knit.



Blocking right now on a dinner plate balanced on a can of soup



Rustling Leaves: WIP I only have a 1x1 ribbing to show you on that...

this one is for me... 

I think that when the package arrives in Illinois it's going to be a free-for-all between Lynn, Emma, and Hannah on who gets which hat...I can't wait to see them wearing them!

Picture of the Week...

Happy birthday to my nephews who turned 21 this past Tuesday...

This photo was taken on their 18th Birthday when we took them to Orland. 

Location: Splash Zone of the Atlantis ride in Sea World 

Random little fact about me...

I knew I was adopted essentially as far back as I can remember. 

At one point in my life I had some confusion about how people acquire their last names, this also coincided with a brief love of all music by Olivia Newton-John.

We won't even touch on the movie Xanadu because I could have watched it for hours on the BETA tape when my parents finally rented it for me and alllowed me to pretty much commandeer the TV in the basement for 2 hours...

I did however check out ONJ Albums (vinyl) from the library and I would sit in my moms makeshift basement office with the headphones on listening over and over...

(yes mom I did this instead of my 3rd grade homework)

I digress...

Back to the name thing. 

Like I said, I had some confusion on where last names come from and how we get them... 

So much so that in my imagination, because we shared the same last name, Olivia Newton-John must have been my birth mother and was busy with her recording career so she had to give me to my mom because it was what was best for me. 

not too shabby. 

Recipe coming later today... 

p.s. 

I still love ONJ's music. In fact I was dancing around to it last night, which is probably what brought this memory to light. 

running behind...

I blame it on the three day weekend.
Yesterday I meant to do the weekend rewind.
Today I meant to post what I've been knitting
Tomorrow nobody knows.
Thursday I'll have a recipe for you all that I've made twice in the past week and it's delicious.

So how about this really quickly:
Friday was my first bowling league. 85-85-138 was my score for all three sets
Friday night was also a hockey game with friends.
Saturday I was lazy for the first part of the morning and don't feel one bit guilty about it, and Saturday evening was another hockey game that ended in an overtime shootout! Very exciting, especially since the Silvertips won!
Sunday is weigh in day and lucky me I'm down two pounds (i've been really focusing on getting my health on along with getting D's health on) Sunday was also my first sewing class. True to form I didn't purchase any of the supplies ahead of time instead choosing to wait till 3 hours before class started. Let's just say that sitting for two hours learning something new humbles you in a whole new way. I'm excited though. If this doesn't work out though I have a back up plan...

I knit a slouch. The Felicity pattern on Ravelry in Trilly Silk and Merino. It's beautiful.
I am currently knitting another slouch. Seedling by Alana Dakos in 100% cashmere in the perfect shade of red.

So there's the update
tomorrow will be pictures
and maybe by thursday i'll get my groove back.

we can all have hope right?

happy tuesday
c.

Hey Mom!

It's Sunday night.
Dessert Night.
Nothing fancy, just a little pudding with some cool-whhhip. (say it like Stuey from family guy)
It's the terra-cotta jars that make it fancy.
Mom gave these to me when I was home visiting last. Before they became pudding cups they held the most delicious yogurt I've ever tasted...

I can't get the yogurt but I'm not above begging for more empty jars...

So...

Mom, please send more jars.
Xoxo

P.s.
Had my first sewing class, traumatized is the only word to describe how I feel right now. I'm sure it'll pass...right?

Photo(s) of the week...

I'm getting antsy for boating season. We bought our boat last year right at the tail end of the season so we only used it a few times. I plan to use it a lot this coming spring and summer and I look forward to going back here, Banks Lake, with our friends for boating and camping again.

I also plan on trying to figure out a way to get to Minnesota this summer, if even for a couple days to spend trolling around lake Minnetonka on my mom's new boat and spending time with the niece and nephews...

Happy Friday!

It's Here!

You thought I was joking didn't you?
Well I wasn't! I picked up my new ball last night after it had been drilled and fitted for my fingers!
Isn't it gorgeous?
Tonight I get to throw it for the first time, pretty sure I'm going to make a fool of myself but truly that's when I have the most fun...

Tuesday: The Knitting

You would think that after my announcement of joining a bowling league yesterday that I will be giving up some prime knitting time.

Not true.

Not true at all...

I can knit between sets...

As for the Stash Busting Challenge... So far so good. One month down and I haven't purchased any new yarn. I'm actually enjoying the rediscovery of my stash. I have some really amazing stuff in my stash.

Now that being said I've bought many many new patterns in order to use up the stash. Thea Coleman releases new patterns over at BabyCocktails quite often and they immediately go into my cart on Ravelry. You can find Thea's website, patterns and cocktail recipes here.

My current projects in the works are two birthday presents for friends that are coming up...I'll post pictures as soon as they receive them...They turned out lovely and I think suited very well to their recipients.

I have a slew of things to finish up that just need little things
like
- sleeves
- a not so janky button band with buttons
- the body of a sweater
- the foot of the sock
- I have a few owls left in me as well so we'll see how those turn out...

As soon as I finish those I can start some stuff for Mom! (who since I couldn't reach her on the phone this morning must still be lazing about on a sailboat somewhere in the Carribean, we aren't going to talk about why I wasn't on that boat with her, something about money and me not having enough of it lol)
Mom fell in love with the Rocky Coast Cardigan by Hannah Fettig. It's from the book Coastal Knits, a collaboration between Alana Dakos (another favorite whose patterns end up in my cart as soon as they release) and Hannah Fettig. Both living on opposite coasts. The Ravelry link for Rocky Coast Cardigan is here. The only issue I've heard with this pattern is that the sleeves run small. Luckily my friend Kim did the same cardigan in the same size as my mom so I know who to go to for questions!

Happy Valentines Day!
Did you knit something for your Valentine?

Monday: Weekend Rewind...

Well you all know about the hockey game...what you may not know is that D joined a bowling league and after about three beers so did I...
At first, as I was signing up for my package I thought I was making a mistake, thought I had made a huge mistake thru out the rest of the night, but as I was being fitted for my custom bowling ball on Saturday, I was excited and I'm looking forward to playing!

At the same time though I am still thinking...

I joined a bowling league.

Rest of the weekend was pretty laid back.
Silvertips hockey game Saturday
Sunday was chores and some knitting to get my friends birthday present done...

Oh yeah, and I got some quality snuggle time with Mr. Brown this weekend.

See you tomorrow!

Fwd: There is a part of me...

Subject: There is a part of me...

That knows this seat can be risky, we are right above the glass at the hockey arena, but there is a part of me that secretly hopes I get  beaned with the puck just so I can tell the story.

After I return to consciousness that is...

Sent from my iPhone

Friday picture day...

I said earlier in the week that I take a lot of pictures.
I said yesterday that I was changing up the blog.
so here goes...
Friday's will be my picture of the week...


Mr. Brown my nightly knitting buddy...



a change is gonna come...

The thought has been rolling around in my head for a while.
I've also noticed  a lot of the blogs I follow doing this as well and I like it so it's time to put it into action over here.
Sometimes I write just to write
sometimes I write to show what I've been doing
but lately it's felt like I don't have anything to say, which isn't true, I typically have a lot to say and I think about a lot of stuff, all the time, at random sometime inappropriate moments.
So I've decided to organize the blog into a category and hopefully this will help organize some other corners of my world.
I have a couple goals here;
1. be more concise
2. have a daily theme
3. blog a minimum of 5 days a week leaving the weekend open for nothing or a massive brain dump.

It can be done. I see others doing it, and honestly I could ramble on for 7 days a week, but after a while I think you would read it in the teachers voice from Charlie Brown. So stay tuned. I'm still fine tuning the the categories and I hope that you all like them.

Maybe I'll start tomorrow...

I'm off to get my annual NASCAR license tonight!

that's right people I am a card carrying member of NASCAR

You're jealous aren't you?

Have a good rest of your day!

I just love this picture....they know I'm nearby they just don't know where...

someone is having fun with her camera app...

Shocker right?
Me take a lot of pictures?
Me use a fancy app to change them up a bit?

Not me...

Okay it is me, but in my defense there are so many things to photograph in this world and so many fun ways to do it, change it and make it yours, is it any wonder that I probably average about 100-200 photo's a week on my phone alone (many of which get deleted)

My current favorite app is Instagram.
You can change the color saturation, the framing, add some blur to draw focus to one part of the photo yadda yadda yadda... plus if you have family and friends who use it you can follow their feed and see what they are up to.

here are some of my favorites (some may be repeats of previous posts)

focus

this is a photo i took with a regular camera then edited with the app

Big Baby Gabby

stitches

texture

The green is my current project for me.

Gold Wheat Cardigan in Shiny Moss by Dream in Color

the other photo is a surprise

Startitis...

It's going around.
I see it all thru the blogoverse
as well as my living room.
I've been tyring to curb it and not let it show.
Knitting things in secret so I don't get the question....

"what are you knitting now? did you finish what you were working on?"

I tend to get nasty in my answer when I feel like I've been caught doing something wrong.

It's not wrong to start multiple projects at a time
but it would be easier to curb startitis if there weren't so many delicious fibers out there to play with, birthdays to celebrate, babies needs to be met.

Two things could help me with my startitis
1. More time in my day.
2. I need to become a faster knitter.

Plus...
it would be nice if during my stash-busting challenge if the yarn companies would stop sending me catalogs full of beautiful new yarns for spring...

Just saying.

Happy Monday

p.s.
I got on the elevator at work today and stood in it for a full minute before I realized it wasn't going anywhere...apparently it does help to push the button for the floor you want.

Carmel

Things I Buy...

In yarn shops when I am part of the Stash Busting Challenge (see button on side bar)
Sheep salt and pepper shakers...
I also come out of them with a bevy of notions, notion bags, and pattern books (to use up the stash)
These so far are my favorite and they are on my dining room table for all to admire.
I scored these beauties at Silver Creek Cabin knitting shop in Buffalo Minnesota. Well worth the drive my Minnesota friends!

Finished Object: Lucas

Pattern: Big Snowy Owl by Purl Soho (surprised?)

Yarn: Body - Cascade Magnum, about 2 skeins

         Eyes and nose - double stranded Lambs Pride Bulky

Needles: Size 15

Love: so much!

This is my moms birthday present, well part of her birthday present and it is currently on its way to her. He's huge, about 12-14 inches.

Soft and squishy and completely lovable.

I emailed my mom a photo of him wishing her a happy birthday...I think she is very exctied!

So, Happy Birthday again mom, Lucas will be there soon!
We love you
xoxo