Nellbie Knits

Beat the Rush

2011-12-04T22:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but I really am not a "shopping in the mall" kind of person. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But I can't deal with crowds and I'm spectacularly impatient. (I'm flawed.) But knowing oneself leads to incredible other ways to get that Holiday gift giving completed. Here are a couple of cool websites I'd recommend to complete some of those holiday shopping requirements.

Turtle Girl and my friend Tiffany turned me on to Scentsy. It's a cool wax warmer that fills your house with delicious scents. She's having an online party here. Just click the link at the bottom to join her party. There are lots of cool warmers and wonderful holiday scents to get your home in the holiday spirit.

Another friend of mine has become an independent consultant for Stella and Dot jewelry. Super cute! I may have spent a little money here lately. Check it out here! My favorite are the initial and birth stone charms. Plus there are lots of really shiny things for holiday parties.

Kara Weaves towels, napkins, and aprons are so lovely. Handmade in India. Beautiful for daily use.

Finally, you can't go wrong with anything from my little sister's former employer, Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan. My sister learned to love food and cooking while working at this deli. And let me tell you, the bread is to die for!

Hope this helps a little. Good luck at the mall!

My Annual Yarn Binge

2011-12-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

Ever since I've been a part of the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club, I place an annual order using my discount coupon. While I realize I'm not saving a huge amount, I really don't care. This one order satisfies my STR craving for the rest of the year. So without further adieu, I give you the 2001 STR Haul.

If the slide show isn't working for you, check out the link here.

Close Enough

2011-10-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

The fourth socks from Toe Up Socks for Every Body are done. I think these might be my favorite so far.

Pattern: Crocus Socks from Toe Up Socks for Every Body
Needles: KP US size 1.5
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Lettuce
Date Started: March 26, 2011
Date Finished: September 26, 2011
Mods: None- But I did knit these two at a time on a magic loop. That's not why it took me 6 months between sock pairs. (You might remember a certain wedding shawl that took up a lot of time.) I might knit everything 2 at a time from now on. No more remembering how many repeats or how many cuff rows. And definitely no second sock syndrome!

The color in this photo is more true to life. Unfortunately, I didn't have anything closer in color to the Louet Goldenrod shown in the book. (Look here.) But it's OK, I really wanted to use up stash yarn.

Plus, this Malabrigo yarn practically glows. The color is incredible.

Makes me think I need a new camera. Hmmmmm....

Lily of the Valley and a Wedding

2011-09-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

About 6 months ago, my sister asked me to knit her a shawl for her wedding. Even though I quickly agreed, fear gripped me. I'd never knit something so intricate, so fine. And it had to be perfect. I mean, it would be on her arm for her wedding. That's a lot of pressure. And I really only knit socks. A flurry of emails went between us. I would ask, "what style do you like?" "Surprise me!" she replied. "Would you like ivory or a color?" "Whatever you think." "Thanks for the input," I would think to myself. I settled on the Lily of the Valley Shawl from Lace Style. It's really beautiful and the pattern looked straightforward. On June 16, I finally got underway. As of August 23, it was blocked and drying on my guest bed. On August 27, my little sister was married while carrying it on her arm.

Isn't she gorgeous? That's our father, not her husband. (for the record!)

That's her new husband. But you came for the knitting, didn't you?

Pattern: Lily of the Valley Shawl (Ravelry Link)
Yarn: Alpaca with a Twist Fino in Champagne- 1 skein
Needles: KP Options size US 6
Date Started: June 16, 2011
Date Finished: August 23, 2011
Mods: Are you kidding? I was just trying not to screw it up!

Edging details. That's the only time I felt like it would go haywire. I had to pick up eleventy million stitches!!!

Nupps! Don't be afraid! You only need loose knitting and sharp needles.

The alpaca has amazing drape. I couldn't be happier with how this came out. I may even knit more lace... someday. But for now, I'm back to my socks.

Dries Turns 2

2011-05-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

Today is my nephew Dries's (rhymes with Peace) birthday party. He turns 2 tomorrow but Memorial Day is a better day to have the party than the day after Memorial Day.

Anyway...

A few weeks ago, Dries saw my phone that had a picture of a robot on it and started wanting the robot. He said, "Aunt Nell robot!" over and over. We taught him to dance the robot but I was thinking how he really should have his own robot.

Wouldn't you knit almost anything for this kid?

Pattern: Robbie the Radiant Robot (my Rav Page)
Yarn: KP Wool of the Andes in Calypso Heather, Caution, and White
Needles: KP Zephyr Needles in US size 6
Date Started: May 8, 2011
Date Finished: May 27, 2011
Mods: I sewed the antennae onto his head. The pattern says you only need to attach it with a pipe cleaner but it didn't feel 2-year-old-proof to me.
Comments: I really love the way his eyes slant toward each other. It was unintentional but makes him look mad.

Toy knitting is notoriously fiddly. There are too many parts and too much sewing. This project has the same issues but I really love the results. I might knit one for myself. Mostly, I hope Dries likes him as much as I do.

Happy Birthday, Dries!

A Sweater So Cute

2011-05-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

Today I finished the Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan. This sweater is so cute I almost want to have a baby girl so she could wear it someday. Brian even mentioned (jokingly) that we should have a baby just to wear the sweater.

Pattern: Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan (my ravelry page)
Yarn: Madeline Tosh Vintage in Grapefruit
Needles: KP Harmony Needles US size 8 and 9
Date Started: March 21, 2011
Date Finished: May 29, 2011
Mods: None
Comments: Oops #1- I thought this was a baby sweater. But I cast on and quickly realized it is made for Child's size 2. I was planning this as a baby shower gift. I need a new plan for that one. Oops #2- I was happily knitting along and when all I had left was the button band, I ran out of yarn. This cardi would have taken a lot less time if I had ordered 1 more skein from the get go. I ordered new yarn on 4/1/11 but I think I was a little mad and didn't take the hour I needed to do the button bands until a couple of days ago. Oops #3- I blocked it today. And it appears to have grown some in the bath. I didn't bother with a gauge swatch because it was supposed to be a baby present. Maybe I need to find a 4 year old girl instead of a 2 year old girl to wear it.

All the oopses aside, it really is an adorable knit.

There are two things I love the most on this knit. The color and the buttons. We all know Madelinetosh yarn is gorgeous and wonderful to knit with but this color just blows me away. Sometimes it's orange. Sometimes it's pink. It's the perfect fun, playful color for a kid's sweater. And look at the stitch definition. Just love this yarn.

The buttons are from Hancock fabric in Napa. They don't have a huge selection but the whole time I was knitting this, I was thinking of some kind of flower buttons. It's the color, again. The color feels happy, bright, and springy. Daisy buttons really work perfectly.

Truth be told, I was knitting this as a precursor to knitting the adult version for myself. I have the yarn picked and the gauge swatch knit. Just need to cast on. But WAIT! There are a couple more things in the queue that have serious deadlines. First, a super secret baby shower gift for a friend. Second, my sister asked me to knit her a wedding shawl. I'm thinking this one. Even though it really scares me, I'm going to give it a try. If you have any advice on the lace knitting, let me know. I really am a little scared. In any case, no time for socks or sweaters for me for the next couple of months.

New Landscaping

2011-04-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

When we moved into this house, the yard on the north side was a jungle. You couldn't access that area without boots and a machete.

See? And this is early Spring. In high summer, it was a wall of green.

The stepping stones were messed up and the sprinkler system valves were an eyesore. We have a small yard and didn't want to waste this much valuable space.

About 6 months ago, we pulled everything out. Well, we hired someone to pull everything out leaving a blank space to design a new patio and path. While we were at it, the front garden had become completely overgrown. So we cleared that out too. The house went from this...

to this...

What a difference! You could actually see the house. I felt bad that we took out the big tree in front. But it was really messy and the roots were starting the shift the driveway, so it had to go.

Today, the landscapers finished the job. Here's the new front of our house.

There's a whole new garden!

Now you don't have to walk up the driveway to get to our front door.

Then, the path curves around to the side gate.

Through the gate we added a path to a patio extension. They were even able to hide those hideous sprinkler valves!

The plants will eventually fill in and up. Plus, there are already lots of bees visiting the new flowers!

What a huge change! Usable space!

You can see where the concrete meets the pavers. Eventually we'd like to tile the old concrete patio and the front porch to look a little more cohesive. (Although, power washing made a HUGE difference!) Every project we do on the house makes me want to do 15 more things. We still need a new gate and now I'd like to extend the paver path around the entire house. Someday. Someday.

We will be outside a LOT more this summer now that we have so much more space.

There's a Hole in My Heart

2011-04-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

Missing my mom today. She passed away 8 years ago today. This song really touched me when I first heard it.

Shape Of You by Jewel

September settles softly
leaves are starting to fall,
and I recall
the last time you were here,
your laughter a melody that lingers still

There's a hole in my heart so i'll carry it
whereever i go, like a treasure that travels
with me down every road,
There's this lonely loss so deep, Kinda
bitter kinda sweet, there a hole in my
in the shape of you

Time steals so swiftly
as children having children of their own,
and around life's merry-go round goes
and there you are wanting what you can not hold

There's a hole in my heart and i carry it
wherever i go, like a treasure that travels
with me down every road,
There's this lonely loss so deep, Kinda
bitter kinda sweet, there a hole in my
in the shape of you

Even though my heart aches theres a smile
on my face cause just like a window to heaven,
theres a light shining through this hole in my heart

Theres a hole in my heart,
Theres a hole in my heart,
Theres a hole in my heart,
But its in the shape of you

Finished Just in Time

2011-03-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

I go back to work today. My knee is feeling great and I'm hoping that I'll be just fine. Now I just need to remember how to do my job! (just kidding, mostly)

Anyway... With the back to work deadline looming, I knit my fingers off the last 2 days to finish the third project in my "knit the book" project. I finished weaving in the ends this morning.

Pattern: Bouquet Socks from Toe Up Socks for Every Body by Wendy Johnson
Yarn: Scout's Swag Superwash Merino in Maravilla
Purchased: July 1, 2010
Date Started: February 28, 2011
Date Finished: March 20, 2011
Mods: None.

Here's a close up of the pattern. Truth be told, I didn't love knitting these socks. I couldn't figure out why I wasn't digging the process as much as I did with the two previous socks in this series. Then it dawned on me, there are eleventy million purls in this pattern. Too.Many.Purls. They turned out beautifully but not a pattern I'm likely to repeat.

Close up of heel. I love, love, love this toe up heel flap. I've always preferred a heel flap but, since my feet are a dainty size 12, I like to knit socks toe up to be sure I don't run out of yarn. Until this book, I thought I was relegated to short row heels forever. But Wendy saved the day. Now I can have heel flaps and toe up socks. Swoon!

Check out that gorgeous toe. Thanks again to the Stash and Burn girls for pointing out the Cat Bordhi video on You Tube. I finally figured out Judy's Magic Cast On. In fact, I didn't know I was doing it wrong but I always had a seem on the toes of my socks. Not terrible but not really what was intentioned. Now my socks have smooth even toes. Double swoon!

At the rate I'm going, I have knit 3 pairs of socks in 2011. Part of me thinks, "I'm already even to my sock knitting total for 2010. I'll knit 12 pair this year! YEAH! GO socks! I'll get through my stash!" But then, the realist in me remembers that I'm going back to work and my knitting progress will probably slow way down. Plus, I'd probably like to knit a few things besides socks on 2011. We'll see. No promises. But I'm excited to have my knitting mojo back.

Iron Chef Lunch

2011-03-14T11:42:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, Iron Chef Morimoto opened a signature restaurant in downtown Napa. Brian and I haven't had a chance to eat there yet. On Saturday, a few friends came into town to have a wonderful lunch. This was 2 months in the planning and it was worth it!

You know it's going to be a great lunch when Dana Corwin, editor-in-chief of Food and Wine Magazine and frequent Top Chef judge is hanging out. Not the best picture because I was trying to be sly.

On to the food...

Hot and Spicy King Crab Appetizer. Pay no mind to the empty shell, I just couldn't wait to dig in!

This was a HUGE appetizer. I couldn't eat it all. And the leftovers were just as fabulous on Sunday.

Lunch Sets- The Morimoto version of a bento box. Salad, Sushi, Tempura vegetables, and the main event- Sea Urchin Carbonara.

Amazingly rich and flavorful- I could only eat a few bites because it was so rich. But every bite was a dream. I finished it off with Brian's help later on Saturday night.

With lunch, I had a flight of Morimoto's signature sake. 2 oz. pour of 4 different grades including an 5 year aged sake. It was interesting to taste the differences in each grade. I feel like I have a decent palate when it comes to wine but I know NOTHING about sake. On Saturday, I had a little education.

Donuts with flavored sugar and honey for dessert. Our table hemmed and hawed about getting dessert because we were so full. So glad we did. These were light as air and so fun to eat with all the flavored sugars and honey to make each bite unique.

Check this out! Even the take out box is fancy.

We are so lucky to have too many restaurants to choose from in a relatively small area. However, we were missing a high end Japanese/sushi place. Morimoto really shines in filling that gap.

Keep On Knitting

2011-03-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

I'm not back to work for 2 more weeks. So I just keep on knitting. Trying to save a little money means serious stash diving. I checked out my stash and found a pattern on Ravelry that would work with this poor yarn that has been lingering in stash limbo for almost 4 years. (What did we do before Ravelry???)

Pattern: Chromosome Scarf
Yarn: Tahki Yarns New Tweed in Sage
Purchased On: From The Masked Chicken in a secret pal swap on April 24, 2007.
Needles: KP Harmony size 10 US
Date Started: 3/1/11
Date Finished: 3/6/11
Mods: None. The scarf is a little shorter than I usually like. But the cables look really good in this yarn. And of course, the color is perfect for me. Nice quick TV knitting.

I also cast on for the third sock in Wendy Johnson's book, Toe Up Socks for Every Body- the Bouquet Socks. I'm using Scout's Swag superwash merino sock in Maravilla. This yarn isn't too old. Just purchased last July. But the model sock is knit in a beautiful bright orange. Maravilla was just the ticket.

The orange is even brighter in person. These are going to be really cheerful socks.

Thanks to Stash and Burn, I found and watched this video by Cat Bordhi on how to do Judy's Magic Cast On. I was doing the cast on completely wrong. The toes on these socks don't have that seam line that I always get. Woo Hoo!

WIP-Less

2011-02-28T13:54:00.000-08:00

Can you believe the title? It's true! I finished all of my outstanding WIP's. Including this little beauty that was cast on in July 2007.

Pattern: Kusha Kusha Scarf Kit from Habu
Yarn: Habu Textiles A-20/21 1/20 silk stainless steel- I bought the kit from Churchmouse Yarn and Tea
Needles: KP Options- size 8, 6, 4, and 3
Started: July 2007
Finished: February 26, 2011
Mods: None

This project felt never-ending. Slogging through miles of stockinette using yarn as thin as thread was difficult. Maybe that's why I was constantly setting it aside for other things. Finally, Kusha Kusha's time as come.

I'm also working on "knitting the book", Toe Up Socks for Every Body by Wendy D. Johnson. I loved knitting the first pattern in the book so much (Rosebud Socks) that I'm planning on knitting each pattern in book order and in the original color. Although, I'm not going to use the original yarns. I have plenty of stash to use up and matching up the color gives be a good reason to go to dig deep and pull out some almost forgotten yarn. This is the second pattern featured in Wendy's fabulous book.

Pattern: Laurel Socks
Yarn: Vermont Organic Fiber Company O-Wool Classic 2-Ply in Sage
Purchased: May 7, 2008
Needles: KP Options size 1 1/2
Date Started: September 2, 2010
Date Finished: February 25, 2011
Mods: None. But I must say, I LOVE her toe up heel flap construction.

Close up of the lace design.

My gauge changed from knitting the first sock to knitting the second. In fact, I nearly ran out of yarn during the bind off. Hopefully, no one will ever notice even though the look of it bothers me a little.

So that's it. I officially have nothing on the needles*. That won't last long, of course. I probably won't even make it through the day.

*Technically, I'm still working on the Sheldon Plays Dress Up Kit from Knit Picks. But I prefer to think of this as hibernating since I've finished 2 of the 4 outfits. You see, it's really 4 projects and I've done 2. You see the logic here, right?

More Baby Gifts

2011-02-08T20:53:00.000-08:00

I seem to be at the age where everyone I know is procreating. Since Brian and I can't quite decide if we are into the baby thing, I knit for others. My college roommate just had a baby boy. I think the owl hat and sleep sack set are just the thing- especially since he lives in Boston!

Pattern: Owl Hat and Sleep Sack (raveled separately)
Yarn: Berroco Vintage in Sandy
Needles: US size 8
Date Started: 1/29/11
Date Finished: 2/7/11
Mods: I changed the bottom of the sleep sack for easier diaper access. After consulting the mommies in the Stitch and Bitch I go to, this seemed to be the way to go. I really love the little owls. I seem to be on an owl kick.

New Years Goals 2011

2011-01-28T11:01:00.000-08:00

If you've been reading this dilapidated blog for any amount of time, you know I don't make resolutions. I prefer to make goals for the year. 2011 is no different. I supposed it's time to publish this year's list.

Lose weight (of course!)
-Eat more vegetables
-Exercise
Get back into knitting and blogging
-Baby Gifts
-Sock knitting by the book
Simplify my life
-Watch what you buy. Is it really a need?
-Go through garage and spare room to get rid of things
Work on the House- This might not all happen this year. But we need to start moving on some of these items.
-Paint!!!!
-Windows
-Floors
-Landscaping

One way to simplify is to reuse/repurpose. Check out A Beautiful Life's fabric giveaway and support her trying to simplify!

Clearing out the UFO's

2011-01-26T18:08:00.000-08:00

It's well into the New Year and I'm stuck on the couch. I had a meniscectomy on my right knee on the 20th. So for the last 6 days. I've been almost completely stuck on my couch. Streaming movies from Netflix and my UFO pile have been keeping me company. I'll spare you the pictures of my Franken-leg but here are some of my UFO's that managed to become FO's.

Pattern: Cotton Anklets that I made up
Yarn: Patons Stretch Sock that I bought at Joanne's one day when I was desperate for knitting and no where near a LYS
Needles: KP US 3
Date Started: 10/12/10
Date Finished: 1/21/11
Mods: None. But I wish I'd made the cuffs longer. These slip a lot.

Pattern: Little Bubbles Baby Set from Knit Picks
Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy Sport
Needles: KP US 2
Date Started: 5/26/09
Date Finished: 1/24/11
Mods: None. This is for a co-worker who who is expecting next month. The colorwork isn't perfect. But I don't think the baby or momma will mind.

Pattern: Bramble Owl Kit
Yarn: I think Louet but it's from a kit
Needles: DPN's US 8
Date Started: 9/27/09
Date Finished: 1/26/11
Mods: None. Not sure he really looks like an owl. Maybe more like if an owl and an alien had a baby. Oh well. He's not THAT ugly.

I only have 2 UFO's to go. Can you believe that?!?!?! I plan on being UFO free by the time I go back to work in a month. Here's to starting a new year with new projects.

Mishmash

2010-09-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

This post is a mash up of what I've been up to since I last posted. Let's start with the knitting.

Pattern: Pembroke Vest- Raveled here
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy- Dusky Aurora
Needles: KnitPicks Options in US 5
Date Started: 8/24/10
Date Finished: 9/1/10
Mods: None. But I do need to learn to read and follow a pattern. I had to restart 2-3 times.

I especially love the buttons I picked.

I'm working on the Laurel Socks from Toe Up Socks for Everybody. So far, so good.

I made salsa from tomatoes I grew.

And I canned it- But forgot to take pictures.

A little watery but tasty.

That's about it. I cleared the garden yesterday. And cleaned the gutters. Suddenly it really is feeling like fall.

Birthday Dinner- AKA Food Porn

2010-09-13T00:21:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying, I have the best husband. I got 2 fantastic dinners for my birthday last week. The first was totally unexpected on the actual day. Brian got home early and took me to Bouchon in Yountville. I had the charcuterie plate for an appetizer and a mountain of mussels and fries for dinner. Delicious.

But the main event came on Saturday night when we went to Ame in the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco. In the spirit of full disclosure, Brian worked for the owners (Lissa and Hiro) at Terra in St. Helena when he was paying his way through college. That being said, this was one of the most amazing meals of my life. Starting out, we had champagne and an amuse bouche of smoked trout that I forgot to photograph. Oops.

Then, we moved on to cocktails and items from the sashimi bar. I had a citrus blossom martini. Brian had a "hirotini"- ginger and cucumber. Yum.

The Poke Appetizer- This was a culinary massage. I could have satisfied with just this.

The Kaisen Sashimi Salad. Can't believe the cuttlefish was so tender.

Next more cocktails- Rhubarb Rye for me. And a cherry rum drink for Brian.

For me- Foie Gras and Unagi Napoleon. Maybe the best dish I've had in years. So rich and flavorful. Yet perfectly balanced and so incredibly lush. I'm spoiled.

For Brian- Octopus carpaccio. Fresh, fresh, fresh.

Finally, the main courses- with wine paired by the sommalier. Did I mention I'm spoiled?

Brian had the fish special- Halibut cheeks and short rib tortellini

Whole lobster with uni and yuzu butter for me. Seriously? Decadence upon decadence. It just never stopped. In fact, we were so full and thrilled that we couldn't possibly eat more.

But we didn't get off so easy.

This was frozen yogurt with melon soup that the kitchen sent us for my birthday. I lagged in taking the pic. So we'd already had a couple of bites. Oops, again. Anyway, perfectly refreshing and incredible.

Not a terrible way to turn 33.

I Made the Sauce From Seed

2010-08-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed with growing tomatos. Simply because I want to make this sauce. It is just THAT good.

I grew these tomatos. They are a speckled Roma variety. They are delicious, meaty, and perfect for sauce.

Herbs, herbs, herbs. Oregano, basil, and parsley ready to add their fresh flavor.

The first step in the recipe is to roast the tomatoes and garlic with olive oil, salt, and pepper. DO NOT skip this step. It's what really gives body to the tomato flavor.

I had 4 trays of tomatoes hit the oven. The house smelled amazing.

See????? Delicious, oozy, tomatoey goodness.

Toss it all into the food processor. Add a little wine.... and....

Dig in. Fresh and wonderful. LOVE it!

The Knitting Nook

2010-08-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

I've seen a couple of blog posts dedicated to this pouf from CB2; an offshoot of Crate and Barrel. I saw it so many times and it really started to grow on me.

Here she is! While I love the coral color, I went with the grey. I think it looks great next to my little knitting chair.

The only thing I'm not loving is that I thought it was a little bigger. Or at least, taller. I was counting on it to be more of a side table. But it's a little too short. The pouf adds a little whimsy to one of my favorite places in the house to knit, read, or work on my computer. And so far, the kitties aren't that interested.

I also finally hung some pictures. Kind of amazing how much more "lived in" a room looks with a few accessories and some pictures on the wall. Slowly, the house continues to come together.

Garden Update

2010-07-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

We had a really hot week this week in Napa. 90-95 degrees every day. I'm not a fan but the garden loves the hot weather. Check it out...

First planted...

And Now...

I may have tried to squeeze too many plants in there.

The tomatoes are threatening to grow taller than the fence.

The plants finally decided that they are supposed to make vegetables.

Eggplant

Jalepeno

Roma starting to get red

This little tomato is on the only one of my seedlings to survive. I'm pretty psyched about this guy. I sure hope he's tasty!

A Rose is a Rose

2010-07-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

After buying Wendy Johnson's book, Toe Up Socks for Every Body, I was really inspired to go deep stash diving and cast on.

Pattern: Rosebud Socks
Yarn: Sundara Sock Yarn in Cupid
Purchased: July 20, 2006- That's deep stash!
Needles: KP Options Circulars US 1 1/2
Date Started: June 18, 2010
Date Finished: July 11, 2010
Mods: None.

I've never done a toe up sock with a heel flap. Toe up patterns always seem to have short row heels. I LOVE the heel flap.

This pattern was really fun to knit. It was interesting but not too complicated.

The Rosebud socks are the first pattern in the book. (I even knit them in a similar color.) I enjoyed knitting them so much, I may just cast on for the second pattern today. This could turn into a "knitting the book" project. But no promises on that yet.

Finally Finished

2010-06-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

In the quest to finish some of my lingering WIP's, I finally tackled the seaming and the blocking of Central Park Hoodie. And it's DONE!!!!

Pattern: Central Park Hoodie. Raveled here.
Yarn: Valley Yarns Northampton in Fawn
Needles: Knit Picks Options in US size 10
Date Originally Started: 6/27/08
Date Frogged: 8/1/09
Date New Version Started: 8/14/09
Date Finished: 6/23/10
Mods: I made the body and sleeves longer than the pattern calls for. I'm 5'10". So my monkey arms have to go somewhere!

Thank goodness for blocking. I tried it on before and it was a hot mess. But once blocked, it looks like an actual sweater. I can see myself grabbing this instead of a jacket as I run out of the house. Very useful type of sweater. Too bad it's 85 degrees here today!

Blanket for Bigger Baby

2010-06-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

I went to visit my nephew yesterday. Of course, my sister and her husband were there. But you know who the star of the show is, right?

He turned 1 on May 31. And I, like the terrible aunt I am, was in Mexico. He got his presents yesterday instead.

Pattern: Moderne Baby Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting. Raveled here.
Yarn: Berroco Comfort- it's machine washable!
Needles: KP Options size 8
Date Started: 10/14/08- Before he was born
Date Finished: 6/9/10- A little after his first birthday... oops!
Mods: I did a crochet edging instead of picking up more knit stitches.

The boy loved it. He bounces up and down saying, "happy, happy, happy." Quite possibly the cutest thing ever.

Quick and Lovely

2010-06-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

This really is the perfect summer knit.

Pattern: Ptarmigan Cowl by Jared Flood
Yarn: HandMaiden Swiss Mountain Cashmere and Silk in Amethyst
Needles: KA circulars size 8
Date Started: June 11, 2010
Date Finished: June 18, 2010
Mods: None. And it fits over my big head. Raveled here.

The yarn is absolutely delicious. It's soft, yet warm and it has beautiful drape.

The stitch pattern up close. Love this one.

It all started with a moth

2010-06-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

It's been getting pretty warm up here in Napa. So we've been opening the windows, especially at night, to get some cool breezes flowing through the house. Suddenly, there it was. A moth. IN.MY.STASH.ROOM..... Not good.

When I started imagining the wool munching party that the moths were probably having, I decided the stash needed more protection. And since I haven't really looked into the depths of the stash in awhile, I decided to take on the great stash reorg of 2010.

Yesterday, I took all the stash out of the closet. I made sure both my stash spreadsheet and ravelry were totally updated. I thought the reorganization would take 3-4 hours. But 8 hours later, I learned one thing.... I have A LOT of yarn. Holy cow.

138,788 yards to be exact. And there's more on the way. yikes.

On the up side, I own a lot of really nice yarn. Yarn that deserves to be knit. There's also a lot of yarn that I've grown out of as a knitter. You know what I mean. The cheap sock yarn I thought was fantastic until I discovered handpainted varigated merino. Some of my yarn needs a new home. But just getting it all sorted and reorganized took all of my energy. Someday soon, I'll have to come up with a destash list. Or maybe I'll just gather up what I don't want and donate it to a knitting club somewhere. We'll see.

Until then, it's all sorted and fluffed and safe from hungry moths in ziplock bags. And for added insurance, I bought these sachets today. They actually smell really great.

Here's a link to my stash page on ravelry. Enjoy. And then tell me what to knit with it!

Electric with Ideas

2010-06-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have so many ideas that you aren't sure where to start? Or stop, for that matter?

According to Ravelry, I have 6 WIPS. A couple of them just need seeming or finishing and they'd be done. If my anal self were in charge, I'd require myself to finish these before casting on or buying anything else. But we all know, Anal Nell is so NOT in control at the moment.

Yesterday I went to a baby shower in San Francisco. Good excuse to go to Imagiknit. Not good for the wallet and all the ideas already buzzing in my head. I went there specifically to buy yarn and the pattern for this. My friend knit is and it's lovely. I already have a single ply laceweight in this champange/bronzy color. And I wanted something softer to warm it up.

I think the silk with the malabrigo lace will be perfect. Now I just need beads and I can jump in. Unfortunately, Imagiknit didn't have the pattern. So I had to order that online anyway, plus a little something else. You know, for free shipping.

Also, this may have jumped into my basket yesterday.

Totally squishable.

Also, yesterday the June Shipment of the Rockin' Sock Club landed in my mailbox.

Sweet Pea- Gorgeous, of course.

Amoung other projects I want to start...
1. Tea Leaves Cardigan- Maybe the tiny version
2. Ptarmigan
3. Anther pair of Leyburns
4. This gorgeous baby blanket.
5. A Traveling Sweater

I'm also talking myself out of placing a MASSIVE Blue Moon Fiber Arts order. The little devil on my shoulder is mentioning something about a sock club discount code. So I'm being swayed bigtime. I know I should fall back in love with my stash. But new yarn is so... delicious.

In case you were wondering, I have been knitting a little.

Pattern: Bamboo Socks
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock in Zombie BBQ
Needles: Knit Picks Circulars in Size 1
Date Started: April 2010
Date Finished: May 20, 2010

So there. I am getting something done.

Where to begin? Or end? Or... Or.... I'm spinning a little at the moment. Secretly, I'm really excited to be so inundated with ideas. I haven't been knitting much lately. And I hope this means my mojo is back.

May Springs Eternal

2010-05-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

The first two days of May in Napa have been absolutely gorgeous. Brian has the flu. So we've been keeping a low profile and enjoying the 80 degree weather. The plants are also enjoying the sunshine. And lots of changes have happened in the garden.

The lime tree has a pot.

The herbs have a barrel.

The lemons are blooming. And the bees are loving it!

The tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are nicely settled in their bed.

Gustov is hiding in the bushes.

While Hans is climbing the orange tree.

And finally,

The first pink rose bloomed. Hopefully April's showers will bring lots and lots of May flowers.

House-aversary

2010-03-05T11:41:00.000-08:00

1 year ago today, we moved into our first house. So many good times have already been had here. And there are so many more to come!

We bought a house that didn't NEED a lot of work. But it sure has been a lot of work. Wallpaper, paint, new fences... I didn't know what fun those things could be. And how much more there is to go!

As you well know, I'm enjoying the garden the most. And I've been searching high and low for the perfect gnome. I found him yesterday and thought it an appropriate anniversary gift to me!

We're still working on his name. There's a long list going on facebook.

I also grabbed these little mushroom stakes because they are just so cute.

Once the rain stops, we'll have to find the perfect place in the garden for him.

Teal is the New Black

2010-03-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

My sister gave me a gift certificate to The Loopy Ewe for Christmas. So I placed an order in mid- February. I didn't realize it at the time but there's something similar with all of my purchases that day. See if you can figure it out...

Zauberball from Skacel

Lakeshore Drive from Sweet Georgia

Neptune from Colinette

A Knit Kit- Finally in a decent color. The white one looks like a pod of birth control pills!

Now that's a lot of teal/blue/turquoise yarn. Wonder why I was feeling "so blue" that day.

Stitches West 2010

2010-03-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Brian and I made the trek from Napa to Santa Clara for a commando visit it Stitches West. We were only there for an hour or so because we were trying to get to my sister's house at the same time the baby got up from his nap. (Of course, that didn't work because babies have their own timing.) And in classic Nell style, I forgot the camera. So you'll have to make due with pictures of acquisitions only.

Anyway, I made a few quick purchases to show you.

First stop was Blue Moon Fiber Arts where 3 skeins jumped into my hands. (And I got to catch up with the wonderful TapMouse!)

Socks That Rock Lightweight in Valentino.

A purply Rare Gem in Mediumweight

And a skein of De-Vine in My Blue Heaven. I've been ogling this yarn since Stitches last year. And the one thing I really wanted was this delicious skein. The color didn't come out very well in this photo. It's much richer and more saturated in real life.

Off we went to Wabi Sabi

Sock yarn in Peach Berry Smash. I haven't tried their yarn but this is lovely and smooshable.

Finally, Miss Babs' never disappoints. The sheer number of colors this woman dyes is incredible.

Sock yarn in Cleopatra. Can't wait to see how this knits up. But for now, I'll just pat the skein.

I'm still knitting around here. Not just collecting yarn. Another cabled raglan for a friend's baby just needs sleeves. And my Central Park Hoodie needs the arms sewn on. They just aren't fitting correctly and have sent to time out.

New Fence

2010-02-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

When we bought this house last March, we knew the fence was rotted out. In fact, we got a little money off the purchase price to be able to replace it. Of course, we decided we could live with it for a while in it's poor condition.

But winter came with wind and rain. And the old fence had clearly come to the end of it's life.

See? The only thing keeping the fence up is the bottle brush trees that we want to take out.

This morning, 3 guys showed up and took the old fence down in about 15 minutes.

New fence holes and posts went in.

Tops are squared off.

Slats installed.

All done! No more lean!!!

It took three guys, four hours to demo and put in the new back fence. It seriously would have taken Brian and I a week and marital counseling to do this.

So pretty! The side fences need replacing too. Unfortunately, neither neighbor seems on board with that at the moment. They are in bad shape but not falling over. We'll just live with it for a while. The major issue was the back fence and now we can really start to make the yard into the garden/living area we want.

Seedlings Started

2010-02-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it's raining again today. Sigh... But there is a bright spot I got my seed starting kits going. I got this set from Burpee. Hopefully this gets the garden off to the right start.

You get little soil pellets in a tray. Just add water and... poof!

Soil!

There are tons of herbs and a few veggies in there.

Had to make a map of what's where.

The coolest part of this system is that it's self watering.

You just add water to the bottom tray and a special fabric layer draws water up to the bottom if the individual pots. Perfect for me since I ALWAYS forget to water indoor plants.

Popped on the top for an instant greenhouse.

Now I just have to wait for the little plants to start sprouting!

The Start of the Garden 2010

2010-01-29T15:30:00.001-08:00

It's been raining cats and dogs for about 10 days. And everyday I have off and planned to work outside, it would rain. Today was finally only cloudy. So I got to work.

Well, really I started to plan a few weeks ago. Ordered seeds online from Seed Saver's Exchange.

Rain Boots were purchased.

Plans and drawings are started. Because, after living here about a year, we have realized that the garden needs a LOT of work for it to be the outdoor space we really want. We're getting a new back fence in a couple of weeks.

See? We need a new fence. And I can't rip out the trees that the fence is leaning on until the fence is fixed.

So I started small today.

Planted a new little lavender.

Trimmed the tree back. I should have taken a before picture. Trimming involved me and a bevy of tools on a ladder. It filled up the "yard waste" bin which signals the end of working outside for today.

But hopefully, this will be a very fruitful season.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was all about my nephew Dries. He was 6 months old at the time and getting his first teeth. That kid could not be cuter. We had a blast making funny faces and noises at him for about a week.

He just got a haircut in this photo. Wanna see the before?

Uncle Brian made Dries laugh.

Here's his Christmas present. My sister was on an All-American sailing team at Harvard. So I thought her son should have a sailboat quilt to drool all over.

I'm not making blogging promises. But I hope to see you here a little more in 2010 than I did in 2009. We'll see...

New Ride

2009-10-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

Until yesterday I've been driving Brian's 1997 Civic. It had 178,000 miles and it was really starting to fall apart. Basically, we were putting more into it than the car was worth. Although we loved that car and it had been reliable for us, it was time to bite the bullet and get a new car.

2009 Honda Fit Sport- I really needed a car that gets good mileage since my commute is 40 miles. Also, I wanted a fun, sporty looking car that handles well. Finally, I really wanted a 4 door car. I rarely have passengers. But the 2 door Civic was really not cool when I wanted to transport more than 1 other adult. And if we ever decided to have a child.... The Honda Fit really met all wants.

Here's the passenger side. I got the Blackberry color with black interior. I'm saying it's dark blue. Although there is a little purple in there.

That's my car's butt. HAHA!

We hadn't planned on getting one with the fancy navigation system. But this was the last one on the lot. (Cash for Clunker cleaned them out!) Now I just have to figure out how to use it. With the end of the model year and a Costco discount, we got a great deal too. YAY! No more praying that I make it home. This little beauty should last me the next 10 years.

I Admit It

2009-09-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

I bought yarn. Mind you, I haven't bought yarn in MONTHS. OK, like 2 months. But still.

The Loopy Ewe sent me an email and I couldn't resist some Lorna's Laces in their new colorways.

Cookie's Deep Dark Secret

Nightmare's Night Out

Zombie BBQ

Amy's Vintage Office. OK- this one's not new but I've been wanting it for awhile.

I also got a Namaste Zuma bag in Black from Scout. No picture but I LOVE it. I encourage you to score a Namaste bag if you don't have one. They are fantastic!

Now I really want one of these. But I really need a knitting chair for the office more. So I'll hold off on another knitting gadget for a but.

Hope you are having a fantastic weekend!

The Saga of the Red Kitchen

2009-09-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

When we bought this house, I knew one of the first things we would do was pull the wallpaper off the kitchen wall and paint. Little did I know the trials and tortures this would entail.

A week or two after moving in March, I started scrapping. And scrapping. And scrapping. I used fabric softener, Dif gel, a fancy paper scoring tool, and a razor blade. NOTHING worked. And I managed to chunk the dry wall in the process. Yes, the paper was applied directly to the dry wall. UGH!

The wallpaper that refused to come off.

Then, someone at work suggested renting a steamer. Apparently you can rent them at home improvement stores for about $50 a day. Well, for $100 you can buy one and amazon will bring it to me. Say hello to my little friend!

That sucker worked like a charm. It was messy, steamy, and still took 8 hours but the wallpaper finally came off. And with much less wall damage. I figured it was worth buying since I still have 2 bathrooms with wallpaper of doom to pull out.

Safety first, kids!

Finally, the wallpaper was GONE!

Once a color was chosen, painting began...

It looked REALLY BAD. I mean this is crapping my pants, thinking about plan B kind of bad.

Oh my goodness! What did we do???? But facebook friends reassured me... just keep painting... And I did.

After 6 coats, the color really became what I wanted. A nice, rich, velvety red that makes the room feel warm and cozy.

Shoot! I should have moved the ladder!

The color is off in this one. But you get the idea.

So here we have it... Before...

and After....

Family Room before...

and after...

The patio furniture finally made it outside.

Slowly but surely, the house is coming together.

An FO for the little ones

2009-08-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

This year, there are no less than 15 babies being born to people I love. It's quite clearly out of control. And I just can't knit that fast. However, there are some babies whose moms have been through so much with me, I can't deny them the handknits.

The Cabled Raglan Baby Sweater may be one of my new baby favorites.

Pattern: Cabled Raglan Baby Sweater- Rav
Needles: Knit Picks Options US 4
Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport- Malted Milk
Date Started: 6/17/09
Date Finished: 7/25/9
Mods: I did not use any closure on this sweater. No buttons. No snaps. I think it'll be cute to just let it be open and it'll be easy to throw this on over any outfit.

The organic cotton was wonderful to work with. And I'm always impressed that Knit Picks can offer such quality at such a low price.

In Which Brian Buys a Grill

2009-08-07T17:50:00.001-07:00

In lieu of a trip to Sock Summit this weekend, I'm basking in the glory of my new exhaust manifold and catalytic converter. I hope my sarcasm is coming through here. I'm very annoyed that my weekend trip was put on hold. And the car still needs a new transmission. Unfortunately, we're in the unenviable position of having a Honda Civic that just NEVER stops. It has 175,000 miles and this is literally the first time the "check engine" light has come on. I can't complain but we have to start thinking if putting money into the car is worth it. On one hand, we can't buy a comparable car for what the car is technically worth. But we're headed to putting more into the car than we'll get out. For now, I we're fixing it. But in a year or two, I'll have to look for a new car. sigh....

But that's not what this post is about... Brian bought a grill.

Well, really it's more than a grill. It's a ceramic refractory cooker. If you're interested it's a Komodo Kamado. And it's a beast. Watch the Today Show segment.

It arrived bright and early this morning in a big truck.

I've never received anything in a crate before. Yikes!!!

Brian couldn't wait to bust into the crate.

The guys who makes these is Art Linkletter's grandson, Dennis. He lives in Indonesia. That's where our (not so) little guy came from.

Here's where is gets really interesting... We have to move this around our house, through the garden to get to our patio.

Not sure we're ready for this. There were lots and lots of theories of how to do this. It's on wheels but there's no solid walkway from the garage to the patio. We have silly little stepping stones that are of no help at all in this situation. So we settled on wheeling it over the garden on boards.

At 500 pounds, Brian and I got a workout getting this far. But we didn't count on the uneven terrain and all of the boards breaking. (On a side note, there was much snail carnage!!) At this point we were out of cheap plywood and had to take a quick trip to OSH. A very grumpy Nell and a very optimistic Brian returned with 4 particle boards that seemed thick enough to roll the final 30 feet.

At the lip of the patio, we were almost stuck again.

But a final push got us to the concrete patio. (Is it just me or does it look like an alien robot???)

We made it!!!! Brian's so proud.

A moment of silence please for all the lumbar that was sacrificed today...

When we put it where we wanted it, Brian said, "if we sell this house, the cooker comes with it."

Good. Because rolling that through the garden was not fun. I'm told I will be paid back in pulled pork which makes my backache totally worth it. Tomorrow, we go to Costco for MEAT. Look out!

Welcome Summer

2009-06-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

I walk through my little garden everyday. And about two weeks ago, I noticed little green spheres attached to my tomato plants. Guess what?!?! They are tomatoes!

The red cherry tomato plant was the first to put on fruit. This one is the biggest. I'm counting on him to turn red. For years I've been growing tomatoes in pots and never got fruit. I probably forgot to water them or they didn't have big enough pots. So this year, I just want 1 red tomato and I'll be thrilled.

Here's the Super Sweet 100's. The plant is TALL. I read that some people get 300-600 fruit per plant from these. Seriously, I just want 1 from each plant. There's also a Mama Mia plant for sauce. OK, I amend my hopes... I want 1 red tomato from the cherry plants and 1 batch of sauce from the Mama Mia. That would just be awesome!

Look how big the plants are getting! I had to upgrade the tomato cages.

The lemons are growing from the tiny buds...

to actual fruit.

The Baby oranges are growing.

Although lots of the persimmons have fallen off the tree, there are still about 20 hanging on. I hope they make it until harvest.

This explosion of growth lately can be attributed to one thing.

Summer has arrived. Thank goodness for AC.

Even my gorgeous hydrangeas are wilting a little in the heat. Once they get a drink in the morning, they'll be just fine.

A Pair of FO's

2009-06-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've been remiss in showing you my knitting progress. There have been lots of opportunities to knit lately. And deadlines (such as births) have passed. So I can show you a couple of things...

Pattern: Jenny Wren Socks
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock S188 from The Loopy Ewe
Needles: KP 2.5mm, magic loop
Date Started: 1/1/09
Date Finished: 5/29/09
Mods: None. But I sure am glad these blocked out nicely. And the yarn really softened up.

And yes, I finally bought sock blockers. I heart them.

Here's a close up of the cable details

Also, Driesy got a sweater. Even though it's going to get warm here in the next week or two. It's still cool at night. And no nephew of mine will be without a handknit sweater to keep him toasty!

Pattern: Baby Yours by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee from Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Yarn: Koigu KPPM P418 from Purl Soho in NYC
Needles: KP 3.5mm
Date Started: 4/12/09
Date Finished: 6/1/09
Mods: None. But I wish this wasn't seemed. What a pain!

What I really love is the button. Cute but matching the cable motif. Now I only need a pic of Dries in it. Ahem, Sally!

The Garden, She's a Growin'

2009-06-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Remember how the garden looked just 3 weeks ago?

Well, check it out...

Yup... There might even be tomatoes this year.

I'm promised by the woman at the nursery that these will become these...

Patience. She said it'll be a year before they are ready. And here I thought they had all died.

In the meantime, the jasmine blooms

as do the roses

And, finally, the hydrangea

Patience. Not the best of my virtues.

Boys and Babies

2009-06-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

What is it about men holding a baby that just melts my heart?

This is Dries meeting his Grandpa. (my dad)

Here's Dries with his Dad.

Funny about love at first sight.

Andries Willem

2009-05-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

My sister gave birth to her son, Andries Willem, via C-section at 12:30 this morning. We're calling him Dries which is Dutch and rhymes with peace. He was 9lbs. 4oz., 21 in., and a FULL head of hair. (Just like when his mom was born.) He's really cute. And so far, he seems skeptical of me which is a good sign.

Mom, Dad, and Baby Dries

Aunt Nell is very silly!

That's some hair!

Happy Birthday, Dries! We're so happy to meet you.

The Office

2009-05-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have a glorious week off from work. I was supposed to go to my 10 year college reunion. But most of my closest friends decided not to or they just had a baby. So the prospect of flying cross country, renting a car, and not seeing all the people I really wanted to made the trip not so feasible. However, I had already asked for the time of from work. A week that will now be devoted to home improvement. WooHoo!!! You know sometimes there are projects that linger because you want to be sure you have a couple days in a row to work on them. And a day after to recover. I'm taking full advantage.

First up... Finish painting my office. I had the color up on the walls for a few weeks. But I needed to do the trim and the ceiling.

Before...

After...

The terrible curtains with the brass rods are gone. And there's color!!!

Clearly, I need a bigger bookcase. Especially since most of my books are still in boxes in the garage! Maybe I should destash books. Hmmm....

This empty corner is just begging for a big comfy knitting chair. It's going to be a couple more paychecks before I can make it happen though.

I love the color. It's Halcyon Green from Sherwin Williams. Sometimes it looks more blue. Sometimes it looks more green. But it always reminds me of beach glass.

Notice I didn't show you the closet. It's a mess. But my whole stash is in there. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to organize it. So for now, no closet shots.

And it wouldn't be home improvement without some sort of injury.

This is Nell's shin vs. the ladder. Proof that once again I am very clumsy and very pale.

Where I've Been

2009-05-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

About a month and a half seems to be the pace at which I can handle blogging these days. The house/garden/snail war is stealing my knitting and blogging mojo. I'm still here. Just not as tied to the computer as I used to be which is both good and bad. Anyway, here's some pictures from the last month and a half of so. Enjoy...

In February, there was a book signing and Stitches... Both of which I forgot to take my camera to. Duh!

Me and the fabulous Lauren Groff.

Finger puppets from Malabrigo

Silk Lace from Stitches- Someday I will knit lace...

Miss Babs Sock Yarn in the color Nell. Tapmouse was Nice enough to make sure I got some!

A new KA needle set. They have a swivel join!

In March, we moved. You've seen all that. And I'm trying to repress memories of said chaos.

In April, my little sister came out for my big sister's baby shower.

Big Sis with the tattoo onesie

Little Sis looks on as Big Sis opens gifts

There were cupcakes. Yum!

Then off to Napa to taste some wine. (Not Big Sis, of course!)

That's about it. We ordered furniture. But until it's ready in July, I leave you with a picture of our family room.

They are surprisingly comfortable!

The New Digs

2009-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

I realized I didn't show you all the pics of the new house. Luckily, there's not much that needs to be done. Although, not much seems to take a LOT of time. I've been stripping wallpaper for about 4 days now. It's kinda ridiculous!

Anyway....

Here's the front yard. You've seen that. The tree with no branches on the right now has bright white flowers and a really bad smell. Also, it leaves little flower droppings EVERYWHERE. You can sweep and sweep and sweep and there are more flowers. It's pretty but I kinda hope it ends soon.

The kitchen. Notice the feather wallpaper from hell. UGH! It is my nemesis.

See???

Fireplace. I think that little nook is supposed to be for wood. But it makes such a nice kitty bed.

Formal living and dining room.

Brian's office. Hurray for built-ins. Otherwise, he would have tried to steal my desk.

The true spare room. The old owners LOVED built-ins. They are really nice quality. So we feel lucky. Plus, all the appliances came with- even the washer and dryer. Thank goodness! Saved us so much money!!!

There's even a central vacuum. Brian really loves this.

I'm picking colors for my office/studio.

Meet my gardener, Brian.

You want lemons? We have lemons!

And the roses are on their way. Hopefully the herbs grow big and strong!

The kitties are adjusting. Although, mostly they are just sun spot lumps.

Bye, Bye #434

2009-03-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

As Mark Twain famously said, "Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated." Holy Cow! We moved in to a house that really didn't need any work. And I can't believe how much work that has been!!! It all started on March 6 when the movers came. OK, really it started well before that. Here it all is in pictures.

We started packing up all our stuff from the old apartment. Now, our old place was 730 sq ft. Not big for a 1 bedroom. How on earth do we have so much stuff???? (stash not withstanding!)

I'm a little type A. And this kind of chaos really had me on edge.

Finally, moving day came. Thank GOD for movers!!!! Seriously. It would have taken Brian and I all day to load the truck from our 3rd story apartment. The movers knocked it out in an hour and a half.

Most things made it into the truck.

But lots of stuff didn't. Bye, bye ugly (but comfy) brown lazy boy. In our new house, we literally had our bed, the two bar stools that came with the house and my desk. That's it. It's hilarious not to have any furniture. People want to come visit and I tell them to BYOC. Bring your own chair.

So far, the cats were NOT happy. Their reactions really show their personalities. Eva was pissed. In fact, she continued to hiss at Milo for the next couple of weeks.

And Milo was really freaked out.

How sad is it that ALL the stuff from our old apartment literally fits into 1 stall of our new 2 1/2 stall garage. We moved into a 1900 sq ft house. We've been so used to bumping into each other all the time. It freaked us out a little to be talking and not to have the other person able to hear at any time. We kept saying, "where are you???" It's great.

When I went back to the apartment a week or so later to finish cleaning and throwing the little odds and ends away, I was treated to this sight.

Awesome! Puke on the walkway. Yeah, I knew we had lots of reasons to move. But this sealed the deal.

Bye, bye #434. It was a great 7 1/2 years.

Movin' On Up

2009-02-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

7 Bank Boxes
3 Plastic Bins
2 Priority Shipping boxes
1 Random Box of Fiber

A few nights ago, I packed the stash. (Do you remember when I promised myself I would never outgrow 2 plastic bins? Me neither.)

Why put them into boxes you ask? Well (the big news I alluded to awhile ago), we are in contract on a house! We put in the offer early last week and they accepted without a counter. Phew! The inspections look good. So barring any loan issues, we are moving! I'm nervous and scared and a little overwhelmed by the work that needs to be done to get out of our current apartment. We're also moving to a new town which adds a whole other level of me figuring out things like where the best grocery store is.

But mostly I'm excited. We've saved a long time for this. The house gives us a yard and about 2 and a half times the square footage of our current place. And roots to a the community my husband grew up in. Yup. We're moving to Napa.

Surprise Package

2009-02-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

Don't you love it when a package shows up on your doorstep that you aren't expecting/forgot was on it's way???? Me too!!! Robyn sent me a package for being the 6500th commenter on her blog. Isn't that nuts? 6500 comments??? Wowza!

I opened the box to find this bag full of goodies. While it's the perfect size for a project, it's currently in use as my work bag. I love the mix of sturdy khaki canvas with the girly sequins. But wait! There's more...

Paton's Kroy Sock yarn...

Red Cashmere/silk blend. So pretty and soft...

Nelapsa Baby Alpaca. Unbelievably soft! In fact, I'm in the market for a baby alpaca. But I need it to stay a baby. Let me know...

And a bunch of goodies too! The hot chocolate is already gone. Yum!!

Thanks Robyn! I love your blog with tales of the boys, hockey, and Canadian delicacies. (Poutine!) Congrats on your 6500th comment!

Enviro-Napkins

2009-02-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my little sister made us a set of cloth napkins. At first, I didn't think we would use them very much. I mean, look how pretty they are.

As it turns out, we use them all the time. And they wash really well. In fact, we've pretty much stopped buying paper napkins and paper towels. That's a lot of environmental savings. The only problem? We need more!!!

It started with these.

Purchased from Purl. Perfect for napkin edging, I thought!

I did go to Joann's and picked up 3 yards of super cheap muslin for the main panel. A lot of cutting, some edging using Alicia's brilliant tutorial, and a few hours later... Voila!!!

Reusable napkins- 6 green and 6 red. I'm still working on my binding skills. I figure these will get so much use and so many washings that they don't have to be PERFECT. They were really good practice for future quilt binding projects.

Lots of handy cloths to have around the house.

Your Kid Goes to the Dentist

2009-02-04T01:26:00.000-08:00

And this is what happens...

That more or less sums up my 4 years of college. No, seriously.

Goody Goody Leyburns

2009-02-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to finish these before January was out. But there were many errands to run on Saturday and finishing was just too low on the list. Yesterday, I went to Lauren's book signing and then home to watch the game. (More on the signing later this week.) At about 8pm last night, I cast off on the second sock. Nothing like a KAL to make me productive!

Pattern: Leyburn Socks by the brilliant Minty
Yarn: STR Lightweight in Goody, Goody
Needles: KP options, circular, size 2.5mm, magic loop
Date Started: January 13, 2009
Date Finished: February 1, 2009
Mods: I cast on 60 stitches and carried that same number through the whole sock. They are a little tight to get on. But once they are on, they are so comfy!

There are lots of other (non-knitting) projects going on around here at the moment. Some of these are making me very nervous. (For the record, I'm not pregnant!) Anyway, blogging and commenting may be sparse this week. We'll see. But if all goes well, there may be big news soon.

Late At Night

2009-01-30T00:54:00.000-08:00

Craig Ferguson is hilarious. He sometimes opens the show with singing puppets. This one in particular had me rolling!!!

Just because this is my favorite part of The Sound of Music.

Try this one...

Who can resist a yodeling monkey?!?!?!?

You Never Know

2009-01-28T03:07:00.000-08:00

I had a friend in college named Lauren. She was tall, blond, and tough- the kind of girl I always wanted to be. Lauren rowed crew which means getting up ridiculously early for a ridiculously difficult work out. She was loyal, kind, and brilliant. From the looks of things, none of this has changed in the 10 years since I left Amherst.

My favorite story about Lauren involves a bar, dancing, and some pushy women from another school. It ends with punches thrown and Lauren keeping a Corona bottle in her hands as we left "just in case!" The stuff that college legends are made of. (At least at small New England schools where that kind of thing is rare.)

I hadn't seen her in about 6 years. Then, I read in the alumni magazine that she's married her college sweetheart and had a baby boy.

And in between all that, it turns out she is a fantastic writer. Lauren Groff wrote "Monsters of Templeton" which has been named an "essential title of foreign literature for 2008" from La Fnac. It's also a New York Times Bestseller- quite an honor.

Anyway, she'll be in town signing books this weekend if you are interested. Here are dates and locations. I'm hoping to make it to Oakland on Sunday to say hi and buy a book. Gotta support young genius, ya know?

Hilarity Ensues

2009-01-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

Still here. Dragged Brian to the yarn store for prize packages today. (WooHoo!) Then to Macy's for cast iron pots. Unfortunately, they didn't have the closeouts that they have on the web. Check it out... A blue one and a tan one. After the sale price and shipping, they are still less than the smaller pan's regular price. Score! Even though the weather is gorgeous here, I'm still dreaming of soups. These pans are perfection! Finally, we were off to Whole Foods for salmon for dinner. Yum.

After this week at work, I'm glad to have a couple of lazy days with yarn and movies.

I got home and White Trash Mom reminded me of one of my favorite Funny or Die videos ever. The squeal at 1:47 in is worth the price of admission.

Enjoy your weekend!

Springy Socks

2009-01-15T11:21:00.000-08:00

On Ravelry, the Socks that Rawk forum is holding a KAL focused on the leyburn sock pattern. Most of you who read this are already signed up and knitting. The idea is to get as many colorways of STR knit up in this pattern. Turtlegirl is moderating the group and keeping track of which color each person is using.

I went stash diving and found this.

STR Lightweight in Goody Goody. When wound on Tuesday night, it turned into this.

And by the end of the evening, I had 5 inches of sock.

These socks are literally FLYING off my needles. Minty is a genius I tell ya!

A couple things I'm learning while knitting these up.
1. I still don't LOVE the color. It's knitting up beautifully. The fabric is fabulous but the colors just aren't me. Don't worry, I'll still wear them.
2. Judy's Magic Cast On... Where have you been all my life?!?!?!?
3. I have too many things on my needles. I can see "Finish it February" in my future.

The Big Winner(s)

2009-01-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who guessed projects for my 400th post contest. You all reminded me of the projects I really want to knit. I really didn't think anyone would guess it but someone got it right on the nose...

Congrats Marisol from Purls Just Wanna Have Fun is our big winner!!!!

Jenny Wren Socks in Noro Kureyon Sock- Color 188. She even had the color 188 right. Wowza!

I also pulled a number from the random number generator because that's how I roll. #4 is Chemgrrl!!! Send me your addy's and I'll get prize packs out to you two in a couple of days.

Now let's talk about the Noro sock yarn. I LOVE the colors of the yarn. The way it transitions is gorgeous. However, the fiber itself is really rough. I've heard it softens up a lot when washed. I hope that's true. I also broke the yarn a couple of times by tugging it too hard. And it tangles up at times when I pull it from the ball. Having never knit with Noro before (I know!!!), I wasn't prepared for these challenges. We're getting through it together. I think Noro and I will be friends but not BFF.

Have a great weekend! I'm on today and tomorrow which means I have a Monday/Tuesday weekend instead. I have the next three weekends off though. YAY!

I Hate To Say It

2009-01-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

But... Did you see Oprah yesterday? It's "best life" week and financial guru, Suze Orman, was on. Don't tell anyone but I was pretty inspired to take more control over our financial situation. (Technically, we are financially separate but the tax man and legally we are one household.)

Suze made some really good points. Here are a few of my favorites. I'm going to try to incorporate these into my life as a way to support Control the Clutter.
*No wants until you are out of debt. Needs only. (For the record, all we have is my school debt. But it's still debt.) I don't promise to be perfect here. But buying something I don't need will not make me happier than being out of debt will.
*Prove that you are wealthy by being financially sound. Not by showing off to the people around you.
*No shame. No blame. Suze was applying this proverb to money but I think it really applies to all areas of my life.
*Have 8 months of living expenses in savings. Yes, she said 8 MONTHS. Wow. That's a lot. She mentioned that in this economy it's taking around 8 months for people to find new jobs once they have been laid off. If you think of it as a total, it's an overwhelming number. But little by little, I want to get to this place. Think about how secure that would feel.

One of the things I'm going to try is Fall In Love With Your Stash Fridays. Since all my yarn is packed away I sometimes forget the loveliness that is my stash. And I'm hoping this will make me more aware. Again, I can't promise it'll be every Friday but I'll give it a go.

First up, a Christmas present from my little sister...

Liberty Family Farms Yarn- I don't know the color name, content, or length. But it is local to where I grew up. The sheep are raised, sheared, and the yarn is spun in Hart, Michigan. It is SO SOFT. I was the lucky recipient of 2 beautiful skeins. I could pet it all day long.

You have about 3 hours left to enter the contest. So far there are lots of good guesses. But I'm not gonna say if anyone is right until tomorrow. ;)

The 400

2009-01-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

This is my 400th post. Can you believe it?!?!??! Who knew I had that much to say!!

It's about time for a contest, dontcha think? Yeah, I think so too. On January 1, I really wanted to cast on something new. Can you guess what it is?
1. Guess the yarn
2. Guess the pattern
Here's a hint... I blogged about this yarn and this pattern together at some point.
If anyone gets both right, they will get a prize. If there are more than 1, I'll pull a number.
If anyone gets one of the two right, I'll pull a number out of these people too.
If no one guesses right, we'll still pull a winner.
Sound good?
Edited to add... Deadline is Friday at midnight Pacific time.

In the mean time, I cast on for the Leyburn KAL on the Ravelry page. I'm knitting them in STR lightweight- Goody, Goody. This is the coolest KAL. Everyone is doing the same pattern but in a different color. Fun, huh?

Brian and I went out Saturday night to Houston's in San Francisco. Yum! I absolutely LOVE the grilled artichoke appetizer. It's amazing.

Notice we couldn't wait to dig in! I had ribs for dinner

And this was a hot fudge sundae. Yum!!!!

We walked down the Embarcadero after dinner to try to work off that dessert. It was so beautiful.

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Hello New Year!

2009-01-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

Not being one for resolutions, I've been thinking about my annual goals today.

1. Lose the weight- In 2008, I lost 25 pounds. Woot! This morning I weighed 199 pounds and I'm looking to be around 170. That's roughly 30 pounds from what I weighed when I met Brian.(I never weighed myself in college but I think I was around 170 then too.) It's totally doable. I just need to apply myself a bit more. And if those numbers seem high to you, remember that I'm 5"10" and Dutch- meaning there's a lot of built in hip and thigh.

2. Control the Clutter- We hope to purchase our first home this year. And moving a bunch of crap really does not appeal to me. I just need to go back to asking the question, "Do I really need this?" before buying something. I did a decent job of this in the last quarter of 2008. So I'm trying to keep the momentum going. Not only will this decrease the weight of the move but it will increase the weight of my pocketbook. Knitting from the stash, culling my clothes, and using trading services (ie. Paperbackswap and craigslist) will all contribute to lowering the amount of stuff we have. Spending money more deliberately will keep my focus on what I am so lucky to have not on what I don't.

3. Focus on Other Parts of My Life- Nursing school and finding a new job took up so much of my 2008. I started to lose sight of some of the other areas of my life. I need to read more. Get out of my house and explore my world more. Spend more time with friends and Brian. Just get back to living a richer, fuller life that isn't so 1 note.

Thinking about the possibilities for this year has made me very, very happy and excited. I'm counting this as the last of the 8 days of happiness. I really enjoyed the challenge of focusing on the little things every day that made my life brighter. I can sometimes get bogged down in the little annoyances. This challenge helped me to shift my lense a bit which is always a worthwhile exercise.

Here's to all of you who listen to my ramblings and here's to a fantastic 2009!

It's Still New Year's Eve To Me

2009-01-01T01:42:00.000-08:00

I worked tonight until 11:30. So I didn't make it home until after the clock struck midnight. I'm not a HUGE New Year's person. So that's just fine by me. But I did promise to show you the last 2 FO's of '08.

Baby's First Merlot
Pattern: Baby Mine by Yarn Harlot
Yarn: Yarntini Merino Sport in Merlot
Needles: Knit Picks US size 5
Date Started: 12/6/08
Date Finished: Knitting- 12/12/08, Buttons- 12/31/08
Mods: None

The buttons are shell from JoAnn's. In person, they reflect the pink a lot better than they do in photographs. It was decided that the baby born in October is too big for this little sweater. So I'll have to start something else for her. Oh well, there are lots of babies coming and I'm sure one of them will fit into this perfectly.

Stripey Scout Socks
Pattern: My own toe up formula
Yarn: Knit Picks Sock Blank that I dyed in Scout's dyeing class
Needles: Addi Turbo US Size 1.5
Date Started: 9/14/08
Date Finished: 12/29/08

Since the yarn was dyed as double knit fabric, the stripes match up perfectly. I even wore them to work tonight. Love 'em!

Happy New Year!!!!!

Things That Made Me Happy Today

2008-12-29T17:24:00.000-08:00

1. By midnight I will have 2 more FO's. These will get shared with you later in the week.

2. Christmas is over. Don't get me wrong, the holidays are great but it's also exhausting. I worked all weekend and today was just a day to get my life back in order. No Christmas parties or shopping or baking for other people. Trust me, the laundry HAD to get done!

3. Today is the last Monday of the year. I work a wacky schedule so Monday isn't that big of a deal anymore. But still...

That's it for now. I gotta go finish those FO's!

Making Plans

2008-12-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

With all the babies coming this year, (especially my nephew!) I've been making big knitting plans. And these plans are making me VERY HAPPY. As does the shipment of Blue Moon yarn I received from their barn sale. Note- all the pattern links are ravelry to protect the surprises from those-who-should-not-be-snooping!

1. STR Medium Weight for this

2. STR Mediumweight in Quilla for another one of these.

3. STR Heavyweight in KMBFLA for her.

4. STR Mediumweight in Moirae for him.

5. STR Heavyweight in Black for another one of these.

6. STR Mediumweight in Nyame for this.

Lots of plans with hopefully plenty of time!

Finally, here's the latest from the Yarn Pirate Booty Club. Unfortunately, I can't continue this sock club for awhile. Need to save money and knit what I have. Boo! Luckily, I have a lovely stash to knit from. But it's sad to give up a spot in such a great sock club. I wish Georgia continued luck in her dyeing business. With talent like hers, I have no doubt she'll be around a long time!

Happy Christmas

2008-12-26T17:04:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely Christmas at my mother-in-law's house.

We sat around opening presents, drinking wine, and just enjoying each other's company.

Aaron got new PJ's.

Aunt Diane loves her new scarf.

I love my new llama. (And all my other gifts!)

Especially this package from KnittinWolf. That's a washcloth and homemade soap that smells AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much, Dawn.

Brian and I exchanged gifts on Christmas morning. Well, I gave him the books I bought him. And he reminded me that my gift is going to be late. Oh well! I like having many days of gifts.

Then I worked from 3-11 on Christmas Day. It was actually nice. Not too busy and there were lots of visitors. Lately I've been taking care of really cute patients with lovely families. Plus there's holiday pay. So no complaints here.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

The Night Before, The Night Before

2008-12-23T00:55:00.000-08:00

Since my in-laws do everything Christmas on Christmas Eve and I just got home from work, it's still the night before the night before for me. I'm not sure if anyone else has heard this but in college we were always told the important night for sleep was actually NOT the night before the competition but the night before, the night before. I guess that's more fun to say than 2 days before. Anyway...

Things that made me happy on this penultimate night before Christmas Eve. (that's right, penultimate!)

1. The 1984 Coke Commercial that my mom LOVED. Bear with the pre-PC iterations of different ethnic groups. Mostly it just made me smile at my mom's love of this song.

2. Work went really well tonight. I even made the suicidal patient laugh. Score!

3. I was uninjured in a parking lot scuffle at Borders today. Trust me, there was a CRAZY lady in an SUV that looked dangerous. Procrastinators, beware!

4. My Blue Moon barn sale package arrived. (Downside- it's in the apartment office building.)

5. I'm getting a pedi tomorrow. Or that's the plan if I can get motivated in the morning!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2008-12-21T23:01:00.000-08:00

Things that made me happy today.

1. Knowing when I'm stretched too thin and being OK with not being everything to everyone.

2. Only 1 Christmas gift left to figure out.

3. I'm not in the Midwest. My Dad called from Michigan. Apparently it's really, really cold there. (Note to self- No more complaining about the rain and NEAR freezing weather here.)

4. We aren't traveling this year. (Of course, I'm sad not to be with my family at Christmas. And I will miss them very much.) But when the lead story on the local news is all about people stranded at airports, I'm glad not to be one of them; unlike last year.

5. Taylor Swift and Def Leopard together on Crossroads. It's genius.

Happy Solstice and Stay warm!!!

C'mon Get Happy

2008-12-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

Day Two of happy things...

1. Sleeping late with a two kitty heating system.

2. Pushing Daisies. Why'd they cancel it????

3. It's a Yarntini Christmas

That's for TapMouse who chided me for the lack of yarny goodness lately.

Tagged- The Sequel

2008-12-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

Then, Katie tagged me post things that make me happy for 8 days. This'll take us all the way through Christmas. So I can't promise it'll be consecutive days. But I'll absolutely make it to 8.

What made be happy today...
1. Getting done what needed to get done without spending extra money and without losing my patience. (I'm probably the least patient person you've ever met.)

2. Orange Clove scented candles from Old Navy. Smells like mulled cider and warmth.

3. The DVR- Working pm shift shouldn't make you miss your shows!

And the big one... My sister is pregnant!!!!!! I can finally tell you all I'm getting a nephew in May!

Now that I've shilled for Old Navy and Comcast... We'll get more happy things tomorrow!

Tagged- Part 1

2008-12-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

Sarah tagged me to do this meme. And since I'm a joiner, I'm in!

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was in my senior year at Amherst. (not UMASS) And I'd just gotten my first job offer with Abercrombie & Fitch. It was a great time. Just had to graduate and then I was employed close but not too close to home. I was surrounded by friends. And there was the familiarity of being in a place for 4 years combined with the excitement of getting ready to move on.

2)What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

1. Sleep in- Hear that kitties?!?!?!?!
2. Get stuff for more brownies
3. Plan Brian's family's gifts
4. Cuddle with kitties to stay warm. (Heat's still not on in our house!)
5. Ship presents to Michigan!!!!
And then, go to work.

3) Snacks I enjoy:
There's not much I don't like... nachos, hummus, grilled cheese, artichoke dip... there's so much to love.

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Pay off all my student loans. Buy a big house in Napa. Pay off our families' debt. Then, travel. Travel. Travel. There are so many places I haven't been and so many I'd love to see again.

5) Places I have lived

Hamilton, MI- Home
Amherst, MA- College
Columbus, OH- First job
Dublin, CA- Last 7 years. (So many already!)

I'm not gonna tag anyone. But jump in if you want to!

Dragging Ass at the Mall

2008-12-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

I'm sick. I have a killa cold which allows me to speak in a Kathleen Turner voice and smell like Halls. I know, supa sexy! But Christmas waits for no cold. (and since I heard yesterday on the radio that the mailing deadline had passed) I really had to start the shopping. I managed to start and finish shopping for and wrapping my family's presents today. All that without killing anyone at the mall. They'll get shipped tomorrow. (for an extra "dawdler's" fee, I'm sure.) Now I just have Brian's family. That's a little easier since it doesn't HAVE to be done THIS SECOND!!!

But since I obviously can't talk about anything I got today, I'll show you pictures of the cookie exchange I went to on Sunday.

It was organized by some ladies from the Stitch and Bitch I regularly attend. It was just the thing I needed to get into the holiday spirit.

How can anyone be grinchy with all these cookies around?!?!?!

And the babies had fun too.

I made these caramel brownies.

This batch is before the top was added. They are gooey and seriously delicious. But SO EASY!!!! Recipe here.

I finished the Baby Mine sweater but it was determined to be too small for the baby born in October. Since there are eleventy million babies coming, it definitely won't do to waste. Just needs buttons, then I can show it off.

What I've Been Up To

2008-12-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

It's suddenly busy, busy, busy around here. Yesterday I graduated from my new grad program. So as of tomorrow, I'm unleashed on the public on my own. It's a little scary but I do think 18 weeks of training has made me ready. Plus, there will always be people around me to help and answer questions.

Other than that, I have a deep case of Christmas denial. I haven't started shopping at all. Oops! Hopefully I'll get into the spirit soon. In general, I'm just annoyed at the crowds and traffic. Yup, I'm the grinch this year. Hopefully my heart will grow three sizes in the next week or so. ;)

What I do have it new hair...

It's short! And red! (Try to ignore my acne. It's just another thing to make me feel festive!) I got it cut today and I wasn't planning on going this short. Hopefully I can still pin it back for work. If not, oh well. My whole life can't revolve around work, right?

I have new shoes too... Check 'em out!

I've been knitting too.

The Super Secret Project is coming along. Still lots of garter stitch to go but maybe it'll be ready for Christmas. Although, this is NOT a Christmas gift. Therefore, there is no pressure to finish. But it would be nice...

Because there are other things I'm enjoying knitting.

This is for Brian's cousin's baby, Grace. I'm actually almost done. Just gotta graft the underarms, weave in the ends, and block. So 95% there. 1 baby gift down. About 1 million to go! (See, I'm so cranky!)

Although, there is a little holiday spirit around here.

I picked up these ornaments at Bath and Body Works. They are so soft! And I love how they look so sleepy.

I'm off to look for some holiday cheer!

Things I've Done

2008-12-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

I'm kind of a lazy blogger lately. So here's a meme to keep you occupied while I try to come up with something with more zing!

Things I've Done (In Bold)

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars (I'm not a camper. But this was on a beach in the Caribbean with a bunch of friends and a bonfire. How bad can that be?)
3. Played in a band (I was drum major but played the saxophone. I think those balance out in terms of coolness.)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (at least probably)
10. Sung a solo (no one wants to hear that!)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (Drove through on the way back to Frankfurt from Normandy. But I guess that counts.)
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables (Herbs count, right?)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (I call them mental health days!)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon (just a 1/2)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (McDonald's Drive through counts, right?)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (etsy)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (I still sleep with my teddy bear.)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper (High School sports)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (Deer hunting with Dad.)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (maybe...)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (My friend from college has a famous mom)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (Much to the dismay of my mother-in-law)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit (I witnessed a car accident in Ohio and they tracked me to California to testify.)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

I have to travel more!

Nuts for Nuts

2008-12-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

You can take that title any way you want! But there's a lot on the web lately about nuts. Maybe it's a holiday thing. Anyway, here's a video about how they harvest nuts. It reminds me of how they pick up golf balls at the driving range.

By popular demand, here's the recipe for my nuts. I can't remember where I found it. So I fail miserably at giving credit where credit is due. I apologize. I'm sure it was on one of the food blogs I read. If I find it, I'll amend the post.

Sugar and Spice Candied Nuts

1 cup dark brown sugar
1-2/3 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons Kosher salt
3 pinches of cayenne pepper (you could leave this out if you want.)
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 pound walnut halves
1 pound pecan halves
1 pound hazelnuts
2 egg whites, room temperature
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Mix together sugars, salt, cayenne and cinnamon; set aside. Beat egg whites until frothy but not stiff, add water and stir until combined. Add nuts and stir to coat evenly with the egg white foam. Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture and stir until evenly coated. Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with a Silpat or parchment paper--you may need to put mixture on two cookie sheets.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally as needed. Remove from oven and separate nuts as they cool. Let cool for at least hour before storing in tightly closed container.

Makes 3 pounds

Note: This recipe was first created using only walnuts. But (the author) quickly found that you can mix or match the nuts to your liking. The mixture of walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts is the author's current favorite. If you only want to make 1 pound of nuts, divide the egg white and water by half and use a combined I cup of sugar--1/3 dark and 2/3 white, a pinch of cayenne, and only 1 teaspoon of salt and cinnamon.

Drive By

2008-11-30T21:23:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show you another cute little thing I've been knitting.

Meet Sheldon...

He was going to go to one of the numerous babies entering my life this year. But he's almost too cute to give away. We'll see.

Here's the latest Rockin' Sock Club Yarn. And here's the latest Yarn Pirate Booty Club shipment. Nice, huh?

That's it. Gotta run. The new Britney documentary is coming on soon!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T23:08:00.000-08:00

This year for the holiday we went to my brother-in-law's house. It's a beautiful home and we had a great time.

But first, I spent the morning cooking by butt off! I made mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn bread, artichoke dip, goat cheese and fig spread, and sweet and spicy nuts. Check out my nuts!

Yum! While they baked, Brian and I made lots of comments about how good my nuts smelled. Yes, we are 5 years old.

There was a small setback.

Ouch! I burned my knuckle taking the nuts out of the oven.

Custom made centerpieces

Dinner is served

My brother-in-law's girlfriend has two adorable kids. Sydney finally warmed up to me. I just think she likes my crazy red hair!

That's Brian's grandma in the foreground and Brian on the left. I should have taken more pictures but we were having so much fun talking and laughing that I kept forgetting to snap pictures.

I really feel like the holiday season is getting started now. Check out these adorable stitch markers!

Abbondanza

2008-11-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

Abbondanza- It's one of my favorite words. And I'm lucky enough to have experienced it in my life. Abundance is something that we tend to overlook because it seems like everyday life. This year the news has been all about foreclosures, economic crisis, and war. But today I choose to focus on the abundance of love I am so lucky to have in my life.

Here are a few things (among countless more) that I am thankful for this year.

1. My husband, Brian, who believes in me when I don't believe in myself. And who truly supports me "for better or worse." Without him, I would not have gone back to school nor would I have the courage to really be myself every day. We have our moments but I'm so glad I get to spend my life with someone who is always on my side.

2. My family. They are crazy but I love them! And my in-laws have always accepted me as part of their family. And I'm very grateful that I don't have to "earn" their love.

3. The amazing number of babies coming into my life. I have around 10 babies being born this year to people I love. There can't be a bigger blessing in life than children. Although watching the people you love become parents is pretty amazing too. (at least until they are teenagers!)

4. Friends who understand where I've been and where I am. My high school and college friends who have seen me change over the years. My nursing school friends who have helped me grow into a new career. And blog friends who are supportive, caring, and understanding of my current addictions. (yarn!)

5. My job. The last company I worked for recently declared bankruptcy and is in the process of closing their doors. I'm very lucky to have made the career change when I did. I see it as a sign that I made the right decisions for me and my family. The new job isn't perfect. But I learn something new everyday. That is a blessing in itself.

6. I hate our apartment. But as long as my want list is, I have every single thing that I need. My head is dry. My toes are warm. And there will be much feasting and love today. Anyone who has all this truly lives a life of abundance.

I hope you too have abbondanza in your life. And that you realize even the littlest blessings can be and should be appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mmmmmm...malabrigo

2008-11-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

Oh Webs! What are you doing to my resolve???? I'm not supposed to be buying yarn. But you still send me an email to pre-order Malabrigo sock. And then, your discount and shipping policies make it silly to only buy 1 skein. Sigh... Well, what's a girl to do????

Impressionist Sky

Chocolate Amargo

Solis

They really are quite lovely.

Joining the Ranks of the Unoriginal

2008-11-14T13:48:00.001-08:00

Still working away on the Super Secret Project. But I had some handspun yarn that just kept staring at me....

This is spun out of Corriedale pencil roving from Crown Mountain Farms. It's kind of the perfect first spinning roving since you don't really have to do much drafting. And I'm impatient like that.

Anyway, it's been staring at me for a while. Trying to tell me what it wanted to be. Then, I remembered the Unoriginal Hat. It just seemed perfect for this yarn.

Pattern: Unoriginal Hat by The Yarn Harlot
Yarn: Handspun from CMF Corriesdale Pencil Roving- Eire
Needles: Clover bamboo dpn's in 6 mm. I should have waited until I could get 7 mm dpn's but again, I'm impatient.
Date Started: 11/9/08
Date Finished:11/9/08
Mods: I had to make the hat a bit taller. (Should have gotten the right sized needles!) So I did more decrease rounds on the top. Unfortunately, it makes a weird nipple on top of the hat.

See? My hat has a reservoir tip! When it's on, you can't even see it. So no big deal. But when it's modeling on a roll of toilet paper, you just have to tuck in the tip.

Much better!

Knitting and Christmas

2008-11-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

I decided this year that I'm not knitting Christmas presents. (I can hear my family cheering in the distance.) The things I knit for other people never really come out the way I want them too. And the recipients are subjected to gifts that are less than what they'd hoped for. But that doesn't mean I'm taking knitting out of Christmas all together.

Enter Franklin and his adorable drawings.

Did you know he made ornaments? Yeah, me neither! Well, they are available here.

Maybe this is the year that we'll finally get a tree.

I Heart Books

2008-11-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

When Knit Picks announced their book sale in October, I jumped at the chance to get some more inspiring books.

As you can see, I went a little overboard. Bottom to top: Mason Dixon Knitting: Outside the Lines, Essential Baby, Itty-Bitty Hats, Itty-Bitty Nursery, The Little Box of Socks, The Knitter's Book of Yarn, 2-at-a-time Socks, Free-Range Knitter, It Itches, and a Never Not Knitting Calendar.

Why so many baby books you ask? There are about 7 people in my life who are pregnant. And 1 baby is already here! Time to get crackin'.

Yup. This'll keep me busy for a while.

Coffee and Yarn

2008-11-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

I entered the Starbucks and Yarn swap on Ravelry. It's been a while since I've had the time or willingness to swap. And it felt good to be involved in the knitting community again.

Yesterday, I had a good day at work until the very last hour. Then a small thing became a big thing. And I left in tears. Really the whole thing was kind of silly (ie. no one died or even got hurt). But I've been feeling nitpicked from my new preceptor and last night pushed me over the edge. So what could be better than coming home to my swap package on my doorstep!

I went to school back East. So I have a very nostalgic feeling anytime something is from Boston.

Of course, I opened the box last night. But I carefully repacked it for the photo shoot this morning.

Fair Trade Coffee, a handknit cup cozy, a Boston mug, Regia yarn, and (my favorite) Hot Tamales. What a great package!

Regia yarn in perfect colors for the weather lately.

Cup Cozy knit in Sea Wool. This makes me want to cast on sea wool right now! The fabric is so nice that I'm currently wearing it as a wrist warmer!

Thanks, Lisa!!!! You really made my day better.

How I Instill Confidence in My Patients

2008-11-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I took care of a patient with a very thick accent. While I was giving him his medication he asked me, "do you boat?" I truly didn't understand what he was asking me. After I'd asked him to repeat himself 3 times, I was getting kind of embarrassed that I couldn't figure it out. Then he gestured to the TV. There was a commercial for the iphone. So I thought he was asking me if I had bought an iphone. "No," I replied. He asked me why. I said, "It's too complicated." He gave me a funny look. I smiled and left the room.

Later in the day, I went in to check on him. He looked at me with a very serious face and asked me, "Why don't you boat? It is your future!" AHHHHH!!!!! He's asking me if I'm going to vote. "YES! YES! I'm going to vote!" We had a short conversation about the candidates and I left the room.

Then it occurred to me... I accidentally told this man earlier in the day that I don't vote because it's too complicated. Hopefully he wasn't too concerned about the medical care he was receiving!

As you know, it's not complicated at all. So get out there!

You Know You Wanna

2008-11-03T20:34:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is undoubtedly the most exciting and important election of my lifetime. And I'm lucky enough to live in a place where my vote counts. Make yours count too. Get out tomorrow and vote!

What I Lack is Focus

2008-11-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

I have lists and lists and lists running through my head this morning. There are projects I need to get done, projects I have to start, and the projects that are just calling me from all my blog reading. So maybe the best thing to do is sit down and organize...

On the Needles-
1. Super Secret Project (SSP)- Coming along well. It's pretty easy knitting so this is perfect for TV watching.
2. Stripey Sock- #2 still isn't cast on since I got distracted with SSP
3. Kusha Kusha scarf- This has been lingering for FAR too long.

Need to start-
1. My Starbucks and Yarn swap gift. This shouldn't take too long. I'm just procrastinating for some reason.
2. Baby gift for Brian's cousin- The baby was born Oct. 14. So I need to get in gear!

Want to start-
1. Central Park Hoodie, round 2.
2. Hanami- I should probably hold off until Kusha Kusha is done. Incentives work well for me.
3. New socks- I have sock ADD at the moment
4. Stranded Mittens- The big question... Anemoi or Galileo? Or maybe I can score a Fiddlehead kit...
5. Unoriginal hat- This will look great in my first handspun I think.
6. Tangled Yoke- I have the yarn. And it's so pretty!

See what I'm saying?!?!?! I'm all over the place. Now that I have it outlined I think I have a game plan. For today...
1. Starbucks and Yarn gift- I want to get the package out this week. And the project shouldn't take too long.
2. Unoriginal hat- Again, I think maybe I can bust this out today.
3. Decide on the cousin's baby gift pattern and yarn. Just get this one prepped.
4. Knit on SSP as time allows.

Don't remind me that laundry and maybe a shower should be included in this plan!

So I don't leave you pic-less today...

Yarn Pirate- Orange Crush. Yum!

Another Timesuck of Massive Proportion

2008-11-01T23:02:00.000-07:00

Brian and I have lived in this little crappy apartment for more than 7 years. It's nice enough but it's very small. And we don't really love the town we live in. So, after a LOT of indecision, we have decided to jump into the housing market. It seems like a good time to buy. Yesterday, we went month to month instead of signing a new lease. And I spent a good portion of today online looking at houses. Have you heard of zillow? OMG! You can see what they think the house is worth, what it last sold for, and what houses around it sold for. It's the best! You can start to see which houses are overpriced and where bargains might be. Check it out!

Thank you for the comments on the last post. Some of you were with me and some were against but all were pretty well thought out and passionate. At the very least, people are really getting involved this election. What could be better than that?

Milo says, "Phew! Made it through another Halloween!"

I'm Not Usually This Bothered

2008-10-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Every time I see a "Yes on 8" ad, my blood starts to boil. I try not to be political on the blog. That's not what you come here for. And most of my views aren't usually too popular here in California. But on this topic, I just cannot hold my tongue. Proposition 8 would ban marriage between same sex couples in California. Honestly, I can't figure out why this is necessary.

Love is love. Simple as that. My marriage to Brian has nothing to do with the State of California or even the church. It is a commitment we made to each other. Why shouldn't everyone be allowed to make that commitment to the person they love.

The Yes on 8 campaign is running ads about how we'll have to teach our children about gay marriage in school. So? What's so bad about that? What's so terrible about teaching your children to accept lots of different people as they are? I really wish someone would explain it to me since I cannot even see part of your argument. The courts ruled on "separate but equal" decades ago. Civil partnerships are not enough. Having two different names for marriage is inherently discriminatory.

In fact, here are a bunch of questions I think anyone voting yes on 8 should think about deeply before voting.

1. Why do you care who someone else loves? Isn't the world better with more love in it?
2. Why would teaching your children that there are many versions of love be a bad thing?
3. Why can't you see denying same sex couples the right to marry is the same as banning inter-racial marriage? Surely you wouldn't think to back a ban on inter-racial marriage in this day in age.
4. How can you possible be "in defense of marriage" but be attacking people who are willing to pledge their lives to each other? I would think lowering the divorce rate would be a more worthy cause.
5. I realize you may have "moral" objections to homosexuality. But doesn't your morality require equality over discrimination even though you may disagree?

All I ask is that those who are leaning toward voting yes on 8 really think about these questions. Then vote your conscience.

I hope your heart leads you to vote no on 8.

A Little Indulgence

2008-10-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

So far, October hasn't been the best month at Control the Clutter. I decided I'd done so well in September that I could make a little Knit Picks purchase. And well, they had a great book sale going and there's been some yarn I've been looking at... you know the rest.

Imagination Sock Yarn- Lost Boys

Imagination Sock Yarn- Frog Prince

Imagination Sock Yarn- Wicked Witch

This yarn is 50% Superwash Merino, 25% Alpaca, and 25% Nylon. It's very, very soft! And I really dig the fairytale names they're using. At $4.99 a skein, it's a steal.

More on the books and my most recent projects later this week.

Today is my first day on pm shift. That's 3-11 this evening. I'm currently watching the new Indiana Jones while Brian makes breakfast. Much better than my 4:45 am wake up call yesterday. I have a feeling this sleeping later thing is going to work out just fine!

Stripey Number One

2008-10-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Check these out!!! I just finished the first of my socks from yarn I dyed.

Aren't they cute?!?!?!?!

They're even cuter on! I'm giving away my photography secret. 1 breakfast in bed tray with a white background. It's my WT version of a light box.

Here's the stripe sequence. Since the yarn was double knit when dyed, the second should come out the same as the first. I hope! I'm going to cast on later today. Thanks for the dyeing lessons, Scout! I love how these are knitting up.

Here's a peek at the latest Yarn Pirate Booty Club shipment. So pretty!!! This might want to be something other than socks...

Win, Win

2008-10-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Kristy was doing a raffle to support her Chicago AIDS run/walk efforts. 100% of the funds she raised went to providing free civil legal aid to those with HIV/AIDS. A good cause with even better prizes...

And I was lucky enough to get picked as a winner!

A Piddleloop bag that represents the number of people affected by AIDS with red ribbon trim.

A view from the top. It's the perfect size to hold a sock project. And, of course, you always get top notch quality from Piddleloop.

Finally... There was yarn.

Wollemeise- Rosenrot. Oh so lovely!

Thanks to Kristy for a great prize. But more importantly for supporting a great cause.

A Great Yarny Day

2008-10-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday, I had the day off from work. And the stars lined up so that I got to see two good friends.

First meet up was with Ruth. She and I have been blog friends for awhile but we've never met in person. Her HS reunion was in Clovis over the weekend and she was flying out on Tuesday from San Francisco. So her mom and I tag teamed the 3 hour trip. We met in Dublin at one of my favorite breakfast places. Yumm! After we were fortified with coffee and bacon we headed for the airport. But we did manage a picture.

Ruth's on the left. Me on the right. Some poor, unsuspecting breakfaster was nice enough to comply with the picture requests.

And Ruth was sweet enough to leave me with a couple of gifts.

Red Rocks Fiber Works Aspen Sock Yarn in New Aspen Tree. Very pretty, soft, and local to Denver where Ruth lives.

She also made me one of her great stitch saver keychains with my name on it! You can snag one from her here. Thanks, Ruth!!!! Hopefully next time we can meet up for longer than a couple of hours. :)

Then, I headed back to Oakland to pick up my friend Elena from nursing school. She and I had a big vent about new job tension and feeling like idiots. Just what we needed!

She'd never been to Imagiknit and it was a beautiful day to be in the City. Over the Bay Bridge we went. The staff at Imagiknit was super helpful and patient. Elena picked out a bunch of projects for Christmas presents. I picked up yarn for a Super Secret Project. (My sister can't/shouldn't peek on ravelry!) With our yarn bags full we walked over to BiRite Creamery. Salted caramel and creme fraiche ice cream.... YUMMY!!!! It was such a great time, we even had free street parking.

Wanting to beat the traffic out of SF and not having quite our fill of yarn store, we went back to take a look at Article Pract. I picked up some gorgeous Prism lace weight that's destined to be a Hanami. See... pretty, huh?

I'm not a pink girl. So purple will be a really nice substitute.

What a fun and relaxing day! I really needed it.

My First Football Game

2008-10-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, my nursing friend Tiffany invited me to the 49er game. I'd never been to a professional football game. I had no idea what I was in for. Her Dad has season tickets- Score! We left at 8:30 from her house to tailgate for a 1pm game. Apparently, the true fans take this seriously!

They have dedicated tailgate supplies.

Three hours before the game was starting, the party was well underway.

Our tailgate neighbors even had a beer bong. Yikes!

This little kids wagon was transformed into a stereo blasting hip hop and a beer filled cooler on top. It was HILARIOUS!

Stacey, Lauren, and Tiffany in their 9er gear. After a couple of bloody mary's and burgers, we were headed into the stadium.

It was a perfect day; not too cold. That's pretty rare at CandleStick Park.

Here come the 49ers!

The 9er noise drum core.

Banjo Joe

Even though the 49ers lost, we had a great time!

Three Day Weekend

2008-10-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

This week I happen to have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. It's so nice. Brian had yesterday off too. So we went to San Francisco for lunch. There's a little street called Belden Alley that has nothing but great restaurants on it. They all have outdoor seating and there are white lights strung across the alley so it's very romantic and lovely. We chose Belden Taverna since we hadn't been there before. Yum! I had Chipotle Pappardelle pasta. Brian had Halibut. It was such an indulgence to have a bottle of wine and sit outside in the San Francisco sunshine.

I've also had some time to knit on my Socktober socks.

They're coming out really neat. I turned the heel on the first one yesterday. Maybe I can finish it up this weekend but we'll see. There's a birthday party and a 49er game to go to in the next couple of days.

Hope you're having a great weekend too!

One Month Down

2008-10-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the 1 month mark for Control the Clutter. It really hasn't been easy. And I didn't do as well as I had hoped. But there are definitely times I put things back on the shelves because I knew I shouldn't buy them.

There were non-need purchases. A new alarm clock, bottle of perfume, and books. All of those were purchased on gift cards from work. So very little money was spent. The books will go up on PBS when I'm done. But still, I didn't need them. No extra chap sticks have been purchased. And no yarn. (Sock clubs and already purchased but not yet received yarn excluded.) I'm finding Netflix and PBS a huge help with this endeavor. Entertainment that doesn't cause clutter and doesn't cost any more than what I've already budgeted makes it easier to say no to that shiny magazine at the grocery checkout.

But I can do better. So I'm going to extend this another month. Although, there may be a 1 hour reprieve today because there's a huge book sale at KnitPicks. I'm not made out of wood, you know!

Just so there's no post without a picture. Check out Brian and his brother as kids.

Pretty cute, huh? That's Brian on the left. What a ham!

Recovery

2008-10-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

Don't take the title the wrong way, I haven't checked myself into Hazelton or Promises, Malibu just yet. The fact is I still haven't completely gotten used to getting up at 5:30 am for work. Throw my Dad and going out to wonderful dinners all week and I've literally been recovering all weekend. I've slept at least 8 hours each night AND napped for 2-3 hours a day. Trust me, I could sleep even more but I realize it's getting ridiculous! I love having my Dad here but it really wipes me out!

It took me all day yesterday to catch up on blogs and comments. Today I have been reading and doing laundry. My life is so exciting!

Besides, I had the third book of the Twilight series, Eclipse, to keep me awake. It's just as good as the first one. Love it! Just finished this evening. And it's all I can do to not dive into the 4th one this minute. That will have to wait as I have a case study to present for work tomorrow.

I apologize for the ridiculously boring post. Good thing I have a pretty yarn picture to balance it out.

Zen Yarn Garden Squooshy Sock Yarn- Adriatico

I won a contest celebrating her 4th blogaversary over at NotScarlett's Blog. The colors are so soft and lovely. And the yarn itself is super squishable! Thanks so much, NotScarlett!!!!

OK- I'm pretty sure I can't delay the inevitable work any longer.

Excuse My Language

2008-10-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

But... FUCK YEAH!!!! Only 13 years too late.
Have fun in jail, asshole.

Ze Germans

2008-09-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the movie Snatch? Well, there's a great running joke through the movie that the characters have to be protected from Ze Germans. It's kind of silly. But it seems fitting to mention since some lovely German yarn landed on my doorstep this week. When Handgefaerbt showed up on the Lime-N-Violet Chum, I knew I had to get my hands on some. (This is a pre-clutter free commitment purchase!)

Here's why...

HydraPound

Green Elve

Atlantis

An extra skein included in my order!!! Love that!

This yarn is squishy and lovely. Too bad Kirstin is on a little vacation for the next couple of weeks. Apparently I wasn't the only person to see her skeins on the chum...

The latest installment of the Rockin' Sock Club came this week too. Click here to see a spoiler picture.

You might be thinking that these latest posts are kind of all over the place. Well, I found the fabulousness that is scheduled posting. Blogger lets you write a post and publish it a couple of days from now. My Dad has been in town since Thursday. So I pre-wrote all my posts last week. It worked really well and took the pressure off coming up with something witty when I come home exhausted.

Anyway...Not much else happening here. Although I did go to Borders (with a gift card- no money spent!) for Eclipse. This is the third of the Twilight books. I was so excited when they found one in the back. Apparently these books are popular! HAHA! If you don't hear from me for a week or so, you know what happened.

The Sewing Bug

2008-09-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

I've caught it. My little $55, Post-Thanksgiving sewing machine is seeing a lot of action lately. I'm slowly learning and working on improving my sewing skills. This has me wanting a new, fancier machine. But that will have to wait. No extra wants around here!

The immensely talented Heather Bailey had put out a new line of fabric. And it's GORGEOUS!!!!

This will be a Barcelona Skirt by Amy Butler. I made a basic A-line skirt last September and I love it. I'm trying to push myself into dressing more girlie. Plus people are so impressed when you tell them you made the skirt yourself. (no matter how simple it is!)

I'm also starting to pull together fabrics for a queen sized quilt.

More Heather Bailey in brights.

Heather Bailey pastels.

I'm thinking a little brown will set off these perfectly. But who knows...

All of these were purchased pre-CTC. And just because I'm not buying more things at the moment doesn't mean you can't!

Nova Made My Day!

2008-09-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

I won a contest over on Nova's blog a few days ago. Well, look what she sent me!

Practice Roving...

Spunky Eclectic Merino Roving in Emerald Isle. So pretty and so extremely soft!

All for use on this...

What a beautiful spindle! It's unbelievably gorgeous. I'm not sure how she gave it up but I'm glad she did!!! Thanks so much!!!!

Foggy Tesseraes

2008-09-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

When I went to Boston this Spring, these socks were the runner up for the "which socks should I knit on vacay" contest. Well, they had to be knit sooner or later, right?

Pattern: Tesserae from KnitSpot
Yarn: Yarn Pirate BFL in Fog
Needles: Size 1 dpn's. I broke about 6 needles knitting these socks- 1 set of ebony and 1/2 a set of bamboo. Did I mention I'm a tight knitter!?!??!
Date Started: 6/27/08
Date Finished: 9/14/08
Mods: None- except I had to knit the XL size due to my gauge. Oof!!! I know my feet are big but....

Close up of the pattern. I think these turned out beautifully. The YP BFL is very thin and a little splitty. But I loved it anyway. It's so, so, SO soft. And super warm. But maybe BFL is better saved for scarves or cowls. Hmmm...

Also, the new Yarn Pirate Booty Club shipment came yesterday. Click here for a spoiler. Perfect for Fall.

What's next???? Well, as I'm diving into my stash, I reached for the Knit Picks Sock Blank that I dyed at Scout's Fabby Dyeing class. Here it is in the "blank" form...

And here's how it's coming together when knitted...

Pretty cool, huh? We'll see how it goes.

Thanks for being patient with me while it takes me a week to comment and post. I'm still working on balancing the computer time with laundry and talking to my husband time!

And a Control The Clutter update... I'm doing really well when it comes to stuff. Not so well when it comes to eating out. So that's my goal for this week. Try not to buy food EVERY DAY! So unnecessary! Although I didn't bring in more stuff, I still spent too much money this week on food... Try, try again!

Did I mention I finished the first 2 Twilight books?!?!? They are AMAZING!!! I love them. And yes, I'm a little ashamed to be so into teen books. I'm borrowing the next 2 from a friend at Stitch and Bitch on Tuesday. Kind of pathetic. But I love it!