I skipped blogging Thanksgiving week because it was a holiday and frankly I had enough to do. I have hosted Thanksgiving in one form or another for the last 11 years; ranging from years where we've had as many as 13 guests, to subdue years where I didn't even bother with a turkey (last year). I don't do this because I love the holiday. My husband's schedule often traps us here at this time of year, so it is up to me to hold with tradition. I'll often take in 'orphans' at the theatre who are far from their families and otherwise have nowhere to go.
But this year was a lovely holiday. I cooked my turkey on Wednesday....which was the best decision ever. It take so much of the stress out of the day. Little One is crawling now and showed of her new found skill to a set of grandparents that were visiting for the holiday.
And last week...well it sort of imploded on itself. I'm hoping to be back on track now.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Ten on Tuesday...oops Wednesday
I missed Ten on Tuesday yesterday. I had planned on doing it last night but got caught up making baby food once I got the little ones to bed. Husband is in his load-in week, so I'm all alone with the kiddos. I made a batch of carrots, apples and pumpkin but the last one was a epic fail.
So, Ten Ways to Use Fresh Cranberries.
This is a topic after my own heart. I love cranberries. I'll go through about a bag a week. When they are in season I try to buy enough to last me the whole year.
1. Eat them right out of the bag...raw. They are so good and tart and I love the pop they make in your mouth. I'll grab a handful almost every time I open the fridge.
2. Make cranberry relish. It's one bag of cranberries, one orange (unpeeled) and one cup of sugar. Grind the cranberries and the orange and mix in the sugar. All done. I drain the juice and drink it separately.
3. Cranberry sauce. Throw them in a pot with some liquid (I like to use apple cider) and cook. I like adding this to my oatmeal in the morning.
4. Toss some into your salad. Throw some walnuts and Gorgonzola too and you've got a great salad.
5. Dry them. Though I used my dehydrator for this and they took quite a while.
6. Scones. So many great cranberry scone recipes out there.
7. Pie. One of my favorite recipes that I make most years is Cranberry Pie with Hazelnut Crust from Mary Engelbreit's Tis the Season cookbook. I think I could eat the whole thing in one sitting. It's wonderful with some tea or coffee and some knitting on a cold day.
8. Bread. Lots of great quick bread recipes. Pairs well with orange or pumpkin.
9.Jam/jelly/preserves. Considering my 3 year old's new obsession with jelly on everything, I'll be taking this one to heart.
10. Going old school with this one: string for garland. One for the string, two for me.
So, Ten Ways to Use Fresh Cranberries.
This is a topic after my own heart. I love cranberries. I'll go through about a bag a week. When they are in season I try to buy enough to last me the whole year.
1. Eat them right out of the bag...raw. They are so good and tart and I love the pop they make in your mouth. I'll grab a handful almost every time I open the fridge.
2. Make cranberry relish. It's one bag of cranberries, one orange (unpeeled) and one cup of sugar. Grind the cranberries and the orange and mix in the sugar. All done. I drain the juice and drink it separately.
3. Cranberry sauce. Throw them in a pot with some liquid (I like to use apple cider) and cook. I like adding this to my oatmeal in the morning.
4. Toss some into your salad. Throw some walnuts and Gorgonzola too and you've got a great salad.
5. Dry them. Though I used my dehydrator for this and they took quite a while.
6. Scones. So many great cranberry scone recipes out there.
7. Pie. One of my favorite recipes that I make most years is Cranberry Pie with Hazelnut Crust from Mary Engelbreit's Tis the Season cookbook. I think I could eat the whole thing in one sitting. It's wonderful with some tea or coffee and some knitting on a cold day.
8. Bread. Lots of great quick bread recipes. Pairs well with orange or pumpkin.
9.Jam/jelly/preserves. Considering my 3 year old's new obsession with jelly on everything, I'll be taking this one to heart.
10. Going old school with this one: string for garland. One for the string, two for me.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Snowpocalypse
I don't know how many of you heard, or how many of you were affected but we had some weather relate hell here in Connecticut last week.
Now I know snow. I grew up in Upstate NY. Boy do I know snow. I've seen it in October and I've seen it in June. I've lost my car in it. Not, 'oh-where-did-I-park-my-car' losing it. No, I mean, 'it's-in-the-driveway-but-I'm-not-sure-where-and-only-found-it-when-I-hit-the-roof-with-the-shovel-while-digging-out" lost my car. The storm October 29th was unprecedented. I will admit we really didn't prepare as well as we should have. Of course we heard snow and didn't really pay attention to the forecasts.
We'd yet to hit peak leaf season here. Many of the trees were still green, especially the oak, which tend to hang on till the last minute. My maple, which is the first to turn and lose it's leaves, was halfway shed. Well, the snow came, wet and heavy and in abundance. The trees didn't have a chance. We lost power around 3pm Saturday after it flickered on and off for about an hour or two. Of course after the power went out he peed his bed during nap and she pooped all the way up to her neck.
Little Dude was napping when we lost power, and when he woke up I told him that we were going to have an adventure. And boy was I right. We spent Saturday night listening to the trees being ripped to shreds around us. Our neighborhood is called Timber Village for a reason. I can't explain how exhausting or surreal it is to lay in bed all night hearing crack!!! and then bracing for the impact. We were exceedingly lucky. For most of us in the neighborhood the trees fell around our houses and cars. One guy down the street did have a branch breech his roof, but it could have been much worse. Some people in the state had trees go right through one or two stories of their houses. The swing-set in the neighbor's yard (that our kids play on) took a double hit and is currently unusable, but still fixable. The thing is these were perfectly healthy trees. The weight of the snow on the leaves just started to rip the oaks apart. (We have mostly oaks in the yard). Our beech shed a few more large branches, as it does every major storm. The branches in our maples were so bent over that they looked like weeping willows. Our neighbor's weeping cherry was peeled like a banana.
And with all these branches came down the power lines and the phone lines. No phones, no power. Luckily we are on town water, for many we know have a well. We also have a gas stove and old water heater that has a constant pilot light. It may be inefficient but it means we still had hot water. Many of our friends weren't so lucky. My husband's shop is a 1/4 mile from the power station and they rarely lose power, so we took as much of our fridge and freezer we could stuff into the one in the break room.
So Sunday came and went with no power. Then Monday came...daycare and my work were closed. We pulled the mattress from our bed into the living room where we have a fireplace and had both kids sleep with us. We spend the day in my husband's breakroom where there was heat and power. We had a cookout that evening where we attempted to cook as much as we could from our big freezer before we lost it all. A lot still ended up in the dumpster. Tuesday came and still no power. Wednesday I took the kids over to the Painted Sheep's apartment for baths and to do a load of their laundry. For though we had hot water, the house was just too cold to bathe them especially since they were both sick. The smoke from the fireplace and lack of humidifier turned J's hint of a cold into croup. Wednesday night we drove by daycare and saw that they had power. So Thursday and Friday the kids had a touch of normalcy and went to daycare. Thursday I hit the laundromat with some of our essentials. By Friday evening power was creeping closer and closer to our neighborhood. We saw the trucks all around us and decided to go out to dinner (not like there was much of a decision. We had limited food in the house) and prayed that when we returned it would be back on. When we got back home everyone had power except our block!!! Once again we huddled together in our mattress in the cold. I convinced my husband not to do a fire that night since the smoke was causing more issues than the heat it was generating. At 4:35am Saturday morning, just after changing Little Miss, we were blinded by bright lights all around us. We had thought that we had shut everything off but suspect that Little Dude just might be responsible for the blinding light show.
So now we have heat and light (and TV). It took all weekend to do the mountains of laundry with some still remaining. The cloth diaper pail was near toxic. We lost so much food. I lost an entire day's worth of breastmilk and had to use the freezer stash. I now have nothing in reserve. I can't let the kids play in the yard until we get a tree company out to get the remaining broken and hanging branches.
But we are alive, our house is intact, and now we are saving for a generator.
How was your Halloween?
Now I know snow. I grew up in Upstate NY. Boy do I know snow. I've seen it in October and I've seen it in June. I've lost my car in it. Not, 'oh-where-did-I-park-my-car' losing it. No, I mean, 'it's-in-the-driveway-but-I'm-not-sure-where-and-only-found-it-when-I-hit-the-roof-with-the-shovel-while-digging-out" lost my car. The storm October 29th was unprecedented. I will admit we really didn't prepare as well as we should have. Of course we heard snow and didn't really pay attention to the forecasts.
We'd yet to hit peak leaf season here. Many of the trees were still green, especially the oak, which tend to hang on till the last minute. My maple, which is the first to turn and lose it's leaves, was halfway shed. Well, the snow came, wet and heavy and in abundance. The trees didn't have a chance. We lost power around 3pm Saturday after it flickered on and off for about an hour or two. Of course after the power went out he peed his bed during nap and she pooped all the way up to her neck.
Little Dude was napping when we lost power, and when he woke up I told him that we were going to have an adventure. And boy was I right. We spent Saturday night listening to the trees being ripped to shreds around us. Our neighborhood is called Timber Village for a reason. I can't explain how exhausting or surreal it is to lay in bed all night hearing crack!!! and then bracing for the impact. We were exceedingly lucky. For most of us in the neighborhood the trees fell around our houses and cars. One guy down the street did have a branch breech his roof, but it could have been much worse. Some people in the state had trees go right through one or two stories of their houses. The swing-set in the neighbor's yard (that our kids play on) took a double hit and is currently unusable, but still fixable. The thing is these were perfectly healthy trees. The weight of the snow on the leaves just started to rip the oaks apart. (We have mostly oaks in the yard). Our beech shed a few more large branches, as it does every major storm. The branches in our maples were so bent over that they looked like weeping willows. Our neighbor's weeping cherry was peeled like a banana.
And with all these branches came down the power lines and the phone lines. No phones, no power. Luckily we are on town water, for many we know have a well. We also have a gas stove and old water heater that has a constant pilot light. It may be inefficient but it means we still had hot water. Many of our friends weren't so lucky. My husband's shop is a 1/4 mile from the power station and they rarely lose power, so we took as much of our fridge and freezer we could stuff into the one in the break room.
So Sunday came and went with no power. Then Monday came...daycare and my work were closed. We pulled the mattress from our bed into the living room where we have a fireplace and had both kids sleep with us. We spend the day in my husband's breakroom where there was heat and power. We had a cookout that evening where we attempted to cook as much as we could from our big freezer before we lost it all. A lot still ended up in the dumpster. Tuesday came and still no power. Wednesday I took the kids over to the Painted Sheep's apartment for baths and to do a load of their laundry. For though we had hot water, the house was just too cold to bathe them especially since they were both sick. The smoke from the fireplace and lack of humidifier turned J's hint of a cold into croup. Wednesday night we drove by daycare and saw that they had power. So Thursday and Friday the kids had a touch of normalcy and went to daycare. Thursday I hit the laundromat with some of our essentials. By Friday evening power was creeping closer and closer to our neighborhood. We saw the trucks all around us and decided to go out to dinner (not like there was much of a decision. We had limited food in the house) and prayed that when we returned it would be back on. When we got back home everyone had power except our block!!! Once again we huddled together in our mattress in the cold. I convinced my husband not to do a fire that night since the smoke was causing more issues than the heat it was generating. At 4:35am Saturday morning, just after changing Little Miss, we were blinded by bright lights all around us. We had thought that we had shut everything off but suspect that Little Dude just might be responsible for the blinding light show.
So now we have heat and light (and TV). It took all weekend to do the mountains of laundry with some still remaining. The cloth diaper pail was near toxic. We lost so much food. I lost an entire day's worth of breastmilk and had to use the freezer stash. I now have nothing in reserve. I can't let the kids play in the yard until we get a tree company out to get the remaining broken and hanging branches.
But we are alive, our house is intact, and now we are saving for a generator.
How was your Halloween?
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Resurrection
It's time to bring this back to life. I've often thought of this little blog. I've endlessly written posts in my head during the months I've been away from it. I just never made it to the keyboard to give them life. So I'm back. And there's so much to tell.
I guess first and foremost would be the birth of my beautiful daughter back in March. Introducing my little princess Miss A.
She came to us with more warning than her brother did. I woke on Sunday March 5th feeling different. I told my husband as such. We put our babysitter for Little Dude on warning and I had Braxton Hicks much of the day. I went to work as usual the next day and about mid-morning I called my doula. No sign of my water breaking, but I was having contractions about every hour or so. I wrapped up the project I was working on, had lunch with all my co-workers and told them that I didn't expect to be in the next day. My husband met me at home at the end of my work day, (yes, I worked a full day while in labor) we picked up Little Dude, hit the grocery store, had some dinner and then called the babysitter, the doula and the doctor. The babysitter came as we were putting him to bed, and he didn't want to let Mommy and Daddy leave. We arrived at the hospital around 8:30pm and Little Miss arrive at 12:13am on Tuesday, March 8th.
Little Dude adores his sister. He's such a good big brother. He informs everyone that she belongs to him. She's such a happy baby. She's a little girl who likes to watch what is going on around her. She loves to watch her brother. She has recently taken notice of the cats, much to their dismay. She's my delight. Especially in the morning, when I'm surrounded by grumpy boys, I love seeing her smiles and giggles.
Today she's 8 months old and here's what she looks like
Isn't she a cutie? Can you blame me for wanting to spend time with her instead of writing blog posts?
I guess first and foremost would be the birth of my beautiful daughter back in March. Introducing my little princess Miss A.
She came to us with more warning than her brother did. I woke on Sunday March 5th feeling different. I told my husband as such. We put our babysitter for Little Dude on warning and I had Braxton Hicks much of the day. I went to work as usual the next day and about mid-morning I called my doula. No sign of my water breaking, but I was having contractions about every hour or so. I wrapped up the project I was working on, had lunch with all my co-workers and told them that I didn't expect to be in the next day. My husband met me at home at the end of my work day, (yes, I worked a full day while in labor) we picked up Little Dude, hit the grocery store, had some dinner and then called the babysitter, the doula and the doctor. The babysitter came as we were putting him to bed, and he didn't want to let Mommy and Daddy leave. We arrived at the hospital around 8:30pm and Little Miss arrive at 12:13am on Tuesday, March 8th.
Today she's 8 months old and here's what she looks like
Isn't she a cutie? Can you blame me for wanting to spend time with her instead of writing blog posts?
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Hey, it's my birthday!
And in proper fashion, I am sick...again. The joys of being pregnant in the winter.
I've been very busy since my last post. The holidays arrived with a vengeance and we all survived. I did finish the Fetchings for Little Dude's teachers and they all loved them. I really liked the Malabrigo Rios. My only issue was how poorly they were skeined. Even using my swift winding them was a trial. One skein was so horrible that it took 4 people several hours to untangle it.
The fabric arrived too late to begin sewing before we left for our trip. We wrapped up the fabric and presented the gift and expressed our intentions. I started off well with the piecing but then hit a huge snag that is going to require me to pull everything out and start over. I had to step away from that project. Part of the problem is that it is a t-shirt quilt and even with interfacing the knit fabric of the t-shirts are problematic to quilt with.
I've also tackled my sewing pile. I've discovered that my biggest impediment to keeping up with my sewing, other than the all consuming 2 year old, is lack of a decent place to set up my machine. I don't really have somewhere that I can set up with good lighting and enough room to work. The upstairs, which is to become the office/fiber & art studio, won't be done before the summer. There are two rooms ahead of it in demand of completion. But I am making due in the meantime and have made much progress in the last week or two.
I'm in frantic gift knitting mode with a bevy of babies being born all around me.
I'll soon have pictures of all of this, once I clear off the camera card....which is once again full. I really let the photos get out of hand this year. I had been intending it as one of my summer projects, but with the Little Dude unexpectedly home with me all summer, there was little opportunity. Right now I'm just trying to organize the mass files and make my back ups.
So being my birthday I usually consider my intentions for the year. I'm liking the concept of intentions as opposed to resolutions.
I've been very busy since my last post. The holidays arrived with a vengeance and we all survived. I did finish the Fetchings for Little Dude's teachers and they all loved them. I really liked the Malabrigo Rios. My only issue was how poorly they were skeined. Even using my swift winding them was a trial. One skein was so horrible that it took 4 people several hours to untangle it.
The fabric arrived too late to begin sewing before we left for our trip. We wrapped up the fabric and presented the gift and expressed our intentions. I started off well with the piecing but then hit a huge snag that is going to require me to pull everything out and start over. I had to step away from that project. Part of the problem is that it is a t-shirt quilt and even with interfacing the knit fabric of the t-shirts are problematic to quilt with.
I've also tackled my sewing pile. I've discovered that my biggest impediment to keeping up with my sewing, other than the all consuming 2 year old, is lack of a decent place to set up my machine. I don't really have somewhere that I can set up with good lighting and enough room to work. The upstairs, which is to become the office/fiber & art studio, won't be done before the summer. There are two rooms ahead of it in demand of completion. But I am making due in the meantime and have made much progress in the last week or two.
I'm in frantic gift knitting mode with a bevy of babies being born all around me.
I'll soon have pictures of all of this, once I clear off the camera card....which is once again full. I really let the photos get out of hand this year. I had been intending it as one of my summer projects, but with the Little Dude unexpectedly home with me all summer, there was little opportunity. Right now I'm just trying to organize the mass files and make my back ups.
So being my birthday I usually consider my intentions for the year. I'm liking the concept of intentions as opposed to resolutions.
- The big one would be a successful pregnancy, birth and surviving the increase of our family.
- The second on the list has to be completing the Little One's room. My husband threw himself full force into the project. Right now it needs some electrical work and the closet framing before the drywall goes up. Then it is my project for a while. I'll do all the mudding and painting. He'll do the work on the floor. I've got a light fixture to pick out, window treatments to make, and some other decor stuff to deal with. Right now I'm trying to find fabric I like, as well as the light fixture. Our low ceilings, while helping with keeping heat costs down, limit my choices.
- Keep going on the sewing list. I need to finish my WIP list before starting anything new, excluding any of the above projects for her room.
- Try to keep up on the personal knitting. With pregnancy and nursing, sweater projects will have to wait. But socks and shawls are definitely doable.
- De-clutter the house. We a made a big dent recently and it felt great. It's time to let go of a lot of this stuff. I can't handle it anymore. Some days I'm ready to sell the lot and start over.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Ten on Tuesday
KThis one is a timely list. Since the week of Thanksgiving, one or more members of the household have been sick. This weekend the Little Dude had the stomach flu, which killed all our plans. I had it yesterday...and let me tell you, it is so much worse when you have a Little One kicking your already tender digestive tract from the inside. Now we're 10 days till Christmas and I've done almost nothing.
So here we go:
10 Things On Your To-Do List
So here we go:
10 Things On Your To-Do List
- Knit Fetchings for Little Dude's main teachers at daycare.
- Buy DnD gift cards for his teachers as well. (only his three main teachers are getting the added knitted gift)
- When fabric arrives for quilt, wash, iron and cut as needed.
- Sew quilt
- Christmas shopping...I'm ashamed to say we haven't done any of this yet.
- Decide if I'm going to bother doing any cookie baking at this point and do it if I am.
Address Christmas cardsand send out.- Wrap gifts.
- Try and get out to see Santa and get the yearly picture. Illness has thwarted this twice.
- Pack for our road trip
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Ten (or more) on Tuesday
10 Favorite Holiday Shows
A ten on Tuesday topic after my own heart. Much to my husband's chagrin I adore Christmas movies and I plan on passing that love down to our kids. These are some of my favorites but in no particular order:
A ten on Tuesday topic after my own heart. Much to my husband's chagrin I adore Christmas movies and I plan on passing that love down to our kids. These are some of my favorites but in no particular order:
- White Christmas--one of my top favorites. Don't know why but I love it.
- A Christmas Story--who doesn't love this one? (and shame on you if you don't). How could you not love lines like "You'll shoot your eye out!" and "Oooohhhhh Ffffuuuuddddgggee."
- Nightmare Before Christmas--a fitting movie for two holidays and Tim Burton to boot. I have CD memorized and I sing along.
- Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer--yes it's hokey stop motion but it's one of my favorites from childhood. I love the Island of Misfit toys. Burl Ives singing "A Holly Jolly Christmas" is one of my favorite Christmas songs...it always gets me in the holiday spirit.
- Miracle on 34th Street--the original only
- The Santa Clause--I'm not a huge Tim Allen fan but I love this movie. I've only seen bits and pieces of the second one so I can't really rate that one.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas--again another classic. Narration by Boris Karloff...come on! Frankenstein's Monster narrating Dr. Seuss....how can you go wrong?
- It's a Wonderful Life--to be completely honest I never saw the whole of this movie until several years ago. I know, I'm a freak.
- Home Alone--and possibly the sequel.
- The Bishop's Wife--Carey Grant...need I say more?
- The Family Stone--I love this movie no matter how much it makes me cry
- Mickey's Christmas Carol--this has a special place in my heart and my Little Dude has already watched it twice. (He's very into Mickey and Donald right now)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Plugging away
I've been to busy knitting to post.
I've finished the back and two fronts, blocked them and stitched them together. I finished and blocked the sleeves last night. So I've got the skirt and the collar left. There's a lot of knitting in the skirt. I'm not sure I'm going to make my goal to wear it Saturday, but we shall see. I might get the collar done first and get the sleeves on and at least have a bolero for now.
I am enjoying the pattern. It's not a difficult knit by any means and I really do like the yarn. I think I have a new stock wool.
I've finished the back and two fronts, blocked them and stitched them together. I finished and blocked the sleeves last night. So I've got the skirt and the collar left. There's a lot of knitting in the skirt. I'm not sure I'm going to make my goal to wear it Saturday, but we shall see. I might get the collar done first and get the sleeves on and at least have a bolero for now.
I am enjoying the pattern. It's not a difficult knit by any means and I really do like the yarn. I think I have a new stock wool.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Ten on Tuesday
10 Ways to Have Fun on Long Car Rides
Several people have asked where I get the topics....well I get mine from Carole Knits. I found her through my friend, The Painted Sheep.
- Knit- the obvious answer
- Read- I've never understood the people who can't read in the car. I've always read on car trips.
- Audio books- This is how we survived a long road trip with a 1 year old. Thank you Harry Potter.
- Talk- Sometimes it's the only chance my husband and I get to catch up on the random things in our lives.
- Sleep- a necessity when you are the back up driver.
- NPR- Love them
- Take some fun sidetrips....or just get off the highway and the same old rest stops to have lunch and pee in a really awesome local diner. The best hint to finding the best local grub is to check the license plates in the parking lot. If they are local plates...eat there.
- Wear comfy clothes.
- DVD player....this has helped us with longer trips with a very active toddler.
- Make sure you like the people who are in the car with you.
Several people have asked where I get the topics....well I get mine from Carole Knits. I found her through my friend, The Painted Sheep.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Race to Rhinebeck
So the yarn came Friday, but frankly I was too exhausted to do anything but open it and admire.
Saturday I started my gauge swatch. I needed 17 stitches over 4 inches. On the recommended 10 needles I got 16 stitches. On a 9, I got 18 stitches. WTF! A little more finessing I went with the 9's and seem to be making gauge. I cast on the back and set to it.
Sunday night I finished the back
Last night (Monday) I finished the right front and knit the left front to the armhole.
This project is my marathon knit. I the same spirit as the Tour de Fleece and the Olympic challenges, I plan on wearing this thing to Dutchess County Sheep and Wool at Rhinebeck. I'm also thinking I should have ordered another skein of yarn, but I think I can make that up in the sleeves. Being of petite stature I find that the sleeves are often too long. I probably can adjust the skirt of the sweater as well, for the same reasons.
Anywho...tonight's plan is to finish the left front, block the completed pieces and start the sleeves.
Wish me luck.
Saturday I started my gauge swatch. I needed 17 stitches over 4 inches. On the recommended 10 needles I got 16 stitches. On a 9, I got 18 stitches. WTF! A little more finessing I went with the 9's and seem to be making gauge. I cast on the back and set to it.
Sunday night I finished the back
Last night (Monday) I finished the right front and knit the left front to the armhole.
This project is my marathon knit. I the same spirit as the Tour de Fleece and the Olympic challenges, I plan on wearing this thing to Dutchess County Sheep and Wool at Rhinebeck. I'm also thinking I should have ordered another skein of yarn, but I think I can make that up in the sleeves. Being of petite stature I find that the sleeves are often too long. I probably can adjust the skirt of the sweater as well, for the same reasons.
Anywho...tonight's plan is to finish the left front, block the completed pieces and start the sleeves.
Wish me luck.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Need a lift...
It's a rainy gloomy day. I know better but would love to find some wool in my door when I get home. That would be just the thing to cheer me up and occupy my evening with more interesting things than laundry and dishes.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Ten on Tuesday
Ten Things in My Refrigerator Right Now:
- A quart of apple butter that I made this weekend.
- Organic milk for the Little Dude
- Some of my Mum's homemade sauerkraut. Best. Kraut. Ever!
- Jug of apple cider for hot mulled cider...one of my autumn indulgences.
- Inglehoffer cream style horseradish- the hottest horseradish sauce out there determined by our delicious but unscientfic tests at work. Good for clearing out clogged sinuses.
- Portabella caps waiting for some gorgonzola and carmelized onions to become the perfect dinner.
- Pure maple syrup from Vermont...some things I don't compromise on. Maple syrup is one of them.
- Orange juice. I'm pregnant. I inhale the stuff.
- Green olives. My husband's latest passion has been vodka martinis.
- Greek yogurt.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Ordered...
and now waiting. I've got enough Blackberry to make my Duster. I'm holding off on the other for now. I didn't want to wait while I made up my mind. I guess I'll finish up my socks until this comes. I'll be stalking my mailbox.
Well I'm exhausted and hungry so I'm going to eat and then crash. Let us all pray that the Little Dude sleeps in tomorrow morning.
Well I'm exhausted and hungry so I'm going to eat and then crash. Let us all pray that the Little Dude sleeps in tomorrow morning.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Almost there....
with a decision. I meant to order last night, but the night did not go as planned at all. Immensely irritated (read severely pissed off) at having to miss Stitch n Bitch and knowing I won't be able to attend the next few weeks I was in a mood. I turned my irritation towards housework and vacuumed before I picked up the Little Dude from 'school'. After we played outside I made dinner for the two of us (Pasta!!!) and after much fuss and tears and pleading for "Down!" he ate it. I also did three loads of laundry, stacks of dishes, set the dishwasher to run, bathed the Little Dude, put him to bed, mopped and cut my husband's hair. And even though I was rather furious with him, I refrained from shaving something into the back of his head. That's true love.
Once all these were accomplished, I settled down in the bed with my laptop to surf, and write and order away while waiting for the diapers in the dryer to finish....and I promptly fell asleep. My husband pointed out that once the screen saver pops up, it's probably best to go to bed. So I did and my yarn remains unordered. I've narrowed it down to a few color options: Currant, Blackberry, Lullaby and Indigo Heather. I'm leaning towards Blackberry.
I might order two sets to make another top from my queue. I've been wanting to make the Ballet Wrap by Nora Gaughan for quite a while but it falls in to the pile of items that my stash cannot supply. Plus it works well with a baby bump and seems like much of it is rather mindless knitting. Again, I'm slightly stumped on color. I might go more neutral as it is something that I would layer with a ton of other things. Or stop being practical and go with one of my other options (Currant or Hollyberry or Claret Heather) and have fun with the color.
We'll see what the night brings.
Once all these were accomplished, I settled down in the bed with my laptop to surf, and write and order away while waiting for the diapers in the dryer to finish....and I promptly fell asleep. My husband pointed out that once the screen saver pops up, it's probably best to go to bed. So I did and my yarn remains unordered. I've narrowed it down to a few color options: Currant, Blackberry, Lullaby and Indigo Heather. I'm leaning towards Blackberry.
I might order two sets to make another top from my queue. I've been wanting to make the Ballet Wrap by Nora Gaughan for quite a while but it falls in to the pile of items that my stash cannot supply. Plus it works well with a baby bump and seems like much of it is rather mindless knitting. Again, I'm slightly stumped on color. I might go more neutral as it is something that I would layer with a ton of other things. Or stop being practical and go with one of my other options (Currant or Hollyberry or Claret Heather) and have fun with the color.
We'll see what the night brings.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Decisions, decisions...
I'm still debating on a color for my Tilted Duster. I've decided that I need to order tonight, if I'm going to do this. I've banished the idea of a neutral. I've got too much of that going on in my wardrobe. Besides, if I've had to stop dying my hair funky colors because of the Little One then I might as well wear them.
I'm still looking at the Wool of the Andes. My top choices are the following:
Currant
Blackberry
Lullaby
Hollyberry
Winter Night
Indigo Heather
Amethyst Heather
Evergreen
I'm just stumped. This is the dilemma I have with online ordering. It's hard to pick when they aren't right in front of me. Looking through Ravelry I've noticed that several people have used Amethyst Heather, so that has moved that color on down the list. Any guidance, suggestions, or opinions would be appreciated.
I'm still looking at the Wool of the Andes. My top choices are the following:
Currant
Blackberry
Lullaby
Hollyberry
Winter Night
Indigo Heather
Amethyst Heather
Evergreen
I'm just stumped. This is the dilemma I have with online ordering. It's hard to pick when they aren't right in front of me. Looking through Ravelry I've noticed that several people have used Amethyst Heather, so that has moved that color on down the list. Any guidance, suggestions, or opinions would be appreciated.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Ten on Tuesday
I've nearly forgotten about these.
10 Ways to Have a Happy Birthday:
10 Ways to Have a Happy Birthday:
- My number one rule is that I wear a tiara on my birthday. Hey, it's your birthday. You should be Queen. This tradition started when I spent way too much on my wedding tiara, but it was the only gold tone one I could find. So I rationalized it by saying I'd wear it at every opportunity, and I do...only I have a collection of 7 or 8 by now. Even if I'm wearing respirator, ear protection, and goggles my tiara graces my head every birthday.
- Cake--a must. And the birthday girl/boy gets to choose the type. That's the rule in our house. Even if it means I'm making the pain-in-the-ass-to-make cheesecake that my husband loves and spraying myself and the kitchen with chocolate every year, so be it. He gets the cake he wants.
- Do something you wouldn't do on a normal day. Even a little something....just to make it special.
- Fill the day with people you like (and avoid the ones you don't) even if it means taking the day off from work.
- Calories don't count on your birthday.
- If possible, sleep in.
- Make the day about celebrating you, not some abstract number.
- Look at pictures of your childhood birthdays....this is always fun. Share them with family and friends and reminisce or just laugh at the clothing/hair styles.
- If you have your mom in you life, have her tell you about the day you were born. My mom finally wrote it down and sends me a revised document every year as she remembers more details.
- Indulge in something special just for you. Something you wouldn't normally buy. Hey, you survived another year. You've earned it!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Fall is in the air....
and making me ponder going off of my very strict yarn diet. The chill in the air makes me long for hot cider and warm knits. My needles are longing for some wool and my stash just isn't allowing me to knit what I would like. With Rhinebeck looming in the near future I have a strong desire to wear the Tilted Duster as I peruse the stalls. Frankly, I've settled on getting the yarn I'm just stuck on the color. I'm looking at Knit Picks Wool of the Andes. The colors are lovely and the price is right. Just what color do I go with??? A rich brown or charcoal?? Or do I abandon my neutral kick and go for a lovely jewel tone....if so then what? Blue to go with my eyes or a woodsy green??? A deep red or a glorious purple??? I better decide soon if I'm going to manage this in time for Sheep and Wool.
I've been eying this pattern since it was printed. I know several people who made it and have admired it on several knitters at various festivals. I'm always cold, as my husband will attest to, so I never can have too many sweaters/hoodies/jackets. Plus, I think it'll be the perfect pattern to accommodate the new baby bump I'm sporting.
In all the stress and strain of the summer we achieved something thought we could manage on our own....namely getting pregnant without jumping through numerous hoops and much heartache. Yet here we are. The Little Dude with be a big brother come this March.
And speaking of the Little Dude, I'm happy to say that his new 'school' is working out very well. He's very happy there and they just love him to pieces. He's learned so much in just the month he's been with them. He's counting to ten and getting much better recognizing letters. M (said with a slight growl) is still his favorite. His hands are better and better all the time. It's even hard for me to notice the discoloration that had been left.
I've been silent here since I went back to work myself. I confess to the mixture of being back on the job full time and the pregnancy has knocked me on my butt. I'm often falling asleep after Little Dude goes to bed. I'm going to have to fight that urge if I'm going to get my Tilted Duster done.
Off to stare at some color swatches...and maybe a few kits. If I'm going off the diet I might as well splurge my way to free shipping.
I've been eying this pattern since it was printed. I know several people who made it and have admired it on several knitters at various festivals. I'm always cold, as my husband will attest to, so I never can have too many sweaters/hoodies/jackets. Plus, I think it'll be the perfect pattern to accommodate the new baby bump I'm sporting.
In all the stress and strain of the summer we achieved something thought we could manage on our own....namely getting pregnant without jumping through numerous hoops and much heartache. Yet here we are. The Little Dude with be a big brother come this March.
And speaking of the Little Dude, I'm happy to say that his new 'school' is working out very well. He's very happy there and they just love him to pieces. He's learned so much in just the month he's been with them. He's counting to ten and getting much better recognizing letters. M (said with a slight growl) is still his favorite. His hands are better and better all the time. It's even hard for me to notice the discoloration that had been left.
I've been silent here since I went back to work myself. I confess to the mixture of being back on the job full time and the pregnancy has knocked me on my butt. I'm often falling asleep after Little Dude goes to bed. I'm going to have to fight that urge if I'm going to get my Tilted Duster done.
Off to stare at some color swatches...and maybe a few kits. If I'm going off the diet I might as well splurge my way to free shipping.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Not an encouraging beginning
I had mentioned before that I was going to start the Eva raglan sweater. I've been swatching over the last several days and I'm not happy. It has nothing to do with the yarn or the gauge but the pattern.
The English version is full of confusion and inaccuracies. First off it wants you to swatch in M3 but never explains what the hell M3 is. Luckily my friend NutmegOwl, who is familiar with French patterns was able to explain. M is short for stitch. M3 would be the third stitch pattern given in the instructions. Excellent...then it took me a little while to find a needle size...whatever.
So I swatch and swatch...and learn to cable without a needle to make it easier... and something doesn't seem right. Well that would be that the damn chart is wrong. I've had it on this pattern. Luckily some Foliage I traded for arrived and I'll make some boot socks while I figure out what to do next. I'm not sure I want to continue with this pattern at all.
The English version is full of confusion and inaccuracies. First off it wants you to swatch in M3 but never explains what the hell M3 is. Luckily my friend NutmegOwl, who is familiar with French patterns was able to explain. M is short for stitch. M3 would be the third stitch pattern given in the instructions. Excellent...then it took me a little while to find a needle size...whatever.
So I swatch and swatch...and learn to cable without a needle to make it easier... and something doesn't seem right. Well that would be that the damn chart is wrong. I've had it on this pattern. Luckily some Foliage I traded for arrived and I'll make some boot socks while I figure out what to do next. I'm not sure I want to continue with this pattern at all.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Ishbel
So I finished a project for myself....and I love it. You know, I could get used to this knitting for myself thing. Here she is.
Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda
Yarn: Ball and Skein Super Sock 416 in Atlantic
Thoughts: I love this pattern. I did the small stockinette section and the large lace, which left me a small amount of yarn left. Perhaps enough for some baby socks. I did the lace without a lifeline and had a few mishaps but nothing major. I had pulled out the needle on accident at one point, dropping maybe a dozen or so stitches, but they were easily recovered. I did have to do some tinking to deal with some mystery stitches (both appearing and disappearing ones) but nothing too drastic. I would definitely knit this one again.
I have some more of this yarn in a different colorway that is going be yet another Ysolda shawl. I'm also looking to start the Eva raglan pull by KatyTricot...but there are some issues with the English version of the pattern. I've written a few people on Ravelry for insight. I really have to say though, if it were my design and there were a bunch of questions posted about my pattern, I'd put the damn information on the main page. If enough people are having issues, there is obviously needed information that needs to be made readily available. I may just give up on this one and jump right into the Tilted Duster. The only thing is that I'm not sure I have enough of anything in stash for it.
On the Foliage front I'm arranging some trades on Ravelry so that I have enough boot socks for work this winter. I'll have to find a replacement yarn.
Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda
Yarn: Ball and Skein Super Sock 416 in Atlantic
Thoughts: I love this pattern. I did the small stockinette section and the large lace, which left me a small amount of yarn left. Perhaps enough for some baby socks. I did the lace without a lifeline and had a few mishaps but nothing major. I had pulled out the needle on accident at one point, dropping maybe a dozen or so stitches, but they were easily recovered. I did have to do some tinking to deal with some mystery stitches (both appearing and disappearing ones) but nothing too drastic. I would definitely knit this one again.
I have some more of this yarn in a different colorway that is going be yet another Ysolda shawl. I'm also looking to start the Eva raglan pull by KatyTricot...but there are some issues with the English version of the pattern. I've written a few people on Ravelry for insight. I really have to say though, if it were my design and there were a bunch of questions posted about my pattern, I'd put the damn information on the main page. If enough people are having issues, there is obviously needed information that needs to be made readily available. I may just give up on this one and jump right into the Tilted Duster. The only thing is that I'm not sure I have enough of anything in stash for it.
On the Foliage front I'm arranging some trades on Ravelry so that I have enough boot socks for work this winter. I'll have to find a replacement yarn.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Ten on Tuesday
Ten Things to Take on Vacation:
Frankly my last true vacation, one that was to somewhere we really wanted to go and didn't require a mandatory relative visit, was my honeymoon 8 years ago. I don't feel qualified to answer this week.
Frankly my last true vacation, one that was to somewhere we really wanted to go and didn't require a mandatory relative visit, was my honeymoon 8 years ago. I don't feel qualified to answer this week.
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