J.O.'s March

the boy turns ONE!!

2011-12-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

well, it has finally happened, despite my best efforts to turn back time, little mister O turned 1 year old on Dec 1st. i can't believe this year has gone by so fast, when i think back on the teeny tiny baby i brought home last january it just doesn't seem like this could be the same one. he is crawling, standing up, drinking from a sippy cup, tearing up paper and getting into all sorts of innocent mischief! he can clap, babble in nonsense syllables, play peek-a-boo, bob his head up and down in time to the music and give super slobbery kisses! for all these things i am truly grateful.

happy birthday little ollie! (as you can see he was NOT crazy about that chocolate cupcake... i didn't even change his shirt because i knew he would barely touch the thing and i was right)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-04T21:27:00.001-07:00

although this is a little late, i still wanted to post our thanksgiving day meal!! maybe not as elaborate as some of our other years, but leaps and bounds better than last year (since i was on bedrest and no cooking was done!) we made our favorite sage-roasted turkey (see below) as well as roasted garlic mashed potatoes, candied ginger and orange cranberry sauce, brown butter green beans with toasted almonds and maple-glazed carrots! delicious!

i have so much to be thankful for this year. i can't begin to name all of the blessings in our lives, but at the top of the list is my healthy, beautiful little family and dear friends near and far. what else matters right? so here's to another thanksgiving day here and gone.

adventures in cloth diapering

2011-08-07T17:33:00.011-06:00

who knew there were so many options out there when it came to cloth diapering! i started looking at all sorts of options while i was still pregnant, trying to decide which would be the most practical for me as well as the most affordable. i initially stumbled across g diapers in a baby magazine at my OB/GYN office and thought they were cute and such fun colors (i mean seriously, who can resist that cute little white "g" on the butt of a baby?). the more i looked into the hybrid cloth/disposable design the more excited i got. we initially purchased four covers and 6 cloth inserts as well as the disposable inserts to use when we were "out about town." although to be honest, the disposable inserts fell into disuse and we are pretty much exclusive cloth option parents now. the cloth inserts, while nice, were super pricey so i decided to make my own.they may look like kitchen dishcloths but they are actually made of an old flannel sheet (100% cotton) from goodwill. i used this tutorial and made about 20 prefolds out of a king-size sheet and some old towels and automotive microfiber cloths. the cloth inserts basically just lay right into the breathable liner and the cover velcros shut. like so:with this set-up you can simply replace the cloth insert for a diaper change or if needs be (when it's more than just a wet diaper) you can unsnap the whole liner out of the cover and replace both! Oliver has outgrown the small size and is now in mediums, so we started over with the homemade prefolds, hunting at the goodwill for some old, quality bedsheets and found a purple and a plaid flannel, way more exciting than just plain white. so, bottom line (no pun intended) is that we are loving them. and a happy bum makes for a happy baby!!

p.s. please forgive me for not posting in so many months, i have no good excuse really, just too lazy to put down the handheld itouch internet access and walk over to the actual computer! after all, convenience usually trumps all else!

the diaper bag project

2011-03-10T19:11:00.004-07:00

this was one of those projects that i had planned to work on while i was on bedrest, but that chunk of time got cut short with oliver's arrival (also it would have been a little difficult to pull the sewing machine up to the couch...) when my in-laws were here a few weeks ago, i finally found the time to make a diaper bag! i used a nice, heavy home-decor fabric for the outside of the bag and a cotton, quilting fabric to line it.

the inside features six pockets around the sides that stay fairly closed due to the elastic trim. these have been perfect for storing extra burp cloths, outfits, bottles, you name it! and then larger items, such as blankets (see below) can go in the main space.
i fashioned an adjustable strap out of D-rings mostly so that my husband could use it as well (and he actually picked out the fabric too!).last, but not least, we have one large, divided pocket on the front of the bag, perfect for papers, calenders, and appointment cards (you can tell we've mostly just taken the boy to the pediatrician and back).it works great! i unfortunately didn't keep track of how i made it, so if i ever need to make another one, i'll be making it up as i go, like i did with this one. and now i'm just waiting for opportunities to use it more!

arrival of the kiddo

2011-02-28T19:37:00.003-07:00

i am aware that it has been a million years since i have updated my blog and there is a very real possibility that no one is even reading it anymore (except my sweet sisters right?). please accept my apologies. words can't do justice to the roller coaster ride of the last 4 months, but i'll throw out just a few to give you the basic idea: bedrest, 2 months premature, NICU, etc... to show for it all, we were finally able to bring home our little boy Oliver Odin. we are blessed to have a healthy little kiddo who is about to be 3 months old, he's an absolute fighter and is doing great. now that he is home and finally fattening up, we will be trying to reestablish some form of normalcy. i do have some fun projects to share, but it will have to wait for another post, as the aforesaid little one is in my lap with the hiccups and a funny look on his face (probably a disaster in the diaper area). so, again accept my apologies, life has been wild.and please don't write me off completely, i will try to get another post up before another 4 months pass by.

for the boy!

2010-11-14T14:52:00.003-07:00

so, these projects came out of the yummy box of yarn that i showed in my last post, and i love the way they all turned out. first this little hat, it's super soft and made from a neat slip-stitch pattern that makes it really squishy and soft, i can't wait to slip it on a little head (and see if it actually stays there, as i understand some kids just can't take that...which makes me think i should make a few little hats that can tie under the chin, hmm, another project?)
second, we've got the little knitted bell-bottoms. which i just couldn't resist making, although now that i've got them done, i'm pretty sure they will fit poorly over a diaper, but they are still cute and they were a quick knit, they are pretty small, so maybe he'll get to wear them a few times. the yarn is sooooo soft (and fully machine washable and dryable)!

this little green sweater is one of my favorites so far! it is the perfect spring grass color and is super soft and stretchy, great to slip over a little onesie! i just can't wait to try these on an actual baby (with my luck they won't fit or something sad like that...) but i couldn't be happier while knitting them, they are just so cute and small!
i started one more project this weekend, another sweater, but once i finished it i felt extremely unhappy with it and am now just building up the nerve to unravel all the hours of work. i love the color and the yarn, but somehow it doesn't look like it would even fit my hand, much less a baby! it's so tiny, i can't quite figure it out, so i have resigned myself to unraveling and i will post it when i have made it again (it really is a good thing these things are so small.)

SO, there are the recent items to be added to my stash of baby knits. i will probably take a break for a few weeks from baby items so that i can knit up some christmas spirit...exactly what i will be making for the holidays is still to be decided, but i love christmas knitting!

i hope everyone is enjoying fall! it's soup & bread, sweater & scarf weather, my favorite!!

Little Boy Blue Elephant

2010-11-01T19:30:00.004-06:00

such a sweet, powder blue elephant to fit in a little baby's hands. this one was commissioned for baby "j", a nephew of one of my coworkers. he is super cuddly (i'm referring to the elephant, although i'm sure the baby is too!) this yarn is cotton-ease, which is one of my favorites to use for toys and baby clothes. it is machine wash & dry and can be found at michaels or joanns, which always seem to be close by! and as a bonus it comes in nice colors!

and although this little elephant is already on its way to a new owner (sigh!), i do have a few other baby boy items that have found a home in my house... just a few done so far, but oh so many more projects in the works! i have to make sure that our new arrival is warmly provided for given his january due date!

even more projects are on the way, sometimes i wish i had more hands (or maybe i could train my feet to knit), so you will have to stay tuned as the finished projects come off the needles. i know that at this point a lot of you are doubting that i will have any more blog posts for a good 2 more months, understandable given my track record (and i haven't lost the irony of my last blog post being titled "i haven't disappeared" and then indeed no further post for 2 months...) but i sincerely hope to share my projects with you several more times this fall at least.
now, take a deep breath and get excited about the possibilities that new yarns can offer! aren't the colors awesome? and a whole box full of new yarn always makes my heart melt (this one was a birthday present from my sweet husband!).okay, i will post again soon, i have the most gorgeous cashmere, lace scarf to share as soon as i remember to take a good picture!

i didn't disappear...

2010-08-07T09:32:00.002-06:00

but i wouldn't blame anybody for thinking such a thing. my camera program is still installed on our "retired" laptop and so everytime i am on the computer and think about updating my blog, i say to myself "i don't feel like it right now since i have to get out the other laptop, so i will do it tomorrow" and of course the proverbial tomorrow never comes. so i'm doing it today, better late than never.
i have a few new projects, some which are surprises though, so this is the only one i can share right now. one of my friends just added a little boy to her family and this bear had to come along. it's a debbie bliss bear pattern that i've been wanting to try, a lot smaller than my other favorite bear pattern (see my february 28th post), but still big enough to squeeze well. washable and dryable if necessary.i am headed to my little brother's wedding in salt lake in a few days, and hopefully will be finished with and be able to post my other projects upon return... until then.

mr. monkey

2010-05-23T18:46:00.003-06:00

one of my coworkers is expecting a little girl in july. i was excited to give her this little monkey this last weekend, and admittedly a little sad to see it go, i liked it so much. two different recycled sweaters contributed in the yarn category, both being very soft and fully washable/dryable...which i'm sure will come in handy with a little one.my "etsy" shop is only days away from being updated! i've got a few turtle rattles, some hats, a doll and some jewelry to post. i don't know why it always takes me so long to get an update together, but i'll let you know you when you can check it out. in the meantime, enjoy the end of may!

it's a bird, it's a plane....

2010-05-02T19:22:00.004-06:00

it's SUPERMAN! batman is no longer the only soft, stuffed superhero in our home. tonight i finished up superman's cape/lining and got him all put together. there is something uniquely satisfying about finishing each one of these toys.the superman symbols on his chest and the back of the cape are partially embroidered to get better detail in the shape.the yellow shield shape underneath the embroidery and superman's hair were my first efforts with intarsia knitting... which i have to admit always held some degree of intimidation for me, but upon completion made me supremely happy. the cowboy's head (see previous post) was not knit with the intarsia technique and i felt it could have been better, so i made it a goal of mine to try it on this doll, and it worked awesome! a definite must for any larger chunk of colorwork. on the needles now: a baby shower gift for one of my coworkers who is due in July... but the baby shower is in a few weeks, so i will be able to post the completed project then. and after that...who knows?

batman makes a friend

2010-04-04T20:21:00.004-06:00

i recently got an order to make a cowboy for a friend of mine in Utah. upon completion, the cowboy seemed to make himself right at home and chum up with batman... this is the way they looked on the morning i mailed the cowboy off to his new owner (my husband is the prime suspect in this "match" seeing how they were not left in this position the previous night). but the end had to come and the cowboy is now on his way to be a little boy's birthday present, hopefully he likes him as much as we did. here are just a few shots to remember him by.the handle-bar mustache was nate's genius idea, as well as the main design for the cowboy hat, which was somewhat of a knitting-engineering dilemma (the key is pipecleaners...) and the rest of the details just kind of fell into place. yeehaw!!!
i really love making these toys. for anyone out there reading this, i'm always up for custom orders! in other knitting news, my lone mitten also got a mate. i am all finished with another great project (well, finished except for the blocking). thanks again to my mom for the book of patterns. i can't wait to make another pair, and i really can't wait for winter to roll around again so i can actually enjoy them out in the real world.what's on the needles now? well, since batman lost his cowboy buddy, i'm whipping up a suitable superhero friend to fill the void. check back soon.

making my return to blogland...

2010-02-28T11:40:00.003-07:00

even if this post doesn't amount to much, i am sure that anyone actually reading it will just be silently thrilled that it is something new... i did not fall off the face of the planet i assure you, i just became a really bad judge of how quickly time was passing. this cute bear has been keeping me company for a few weeks as i've sewn up his seams and made sure he is sufficiently stuffed, but he will soon be shipped off to a new home and hopefully become a fast friend of a new baby girl in my husband's extended family. this is one of my absolute favorite knitted toy patterns from toys to knit, and i've made him several times. also happily eating up my time has been the following mitten (soon to be mittens) from a pattern book that my mom gave me for Christmas. the patterns are so fun and it's the first time i've knit with laceweight yarn and size 0 needles (which is basically the equivalent of string and toothpicks). the process has been a little slow, but so fun and satisfying to see the end product!this little girl is another trial of my doll pattern that i wrote last fall. the same pattern as the batman, but obviously with girly variations and i think it turned out pretty fun.i again must apologize for subjecting the few of you that check this blog to "the last post of 2009" for a few months now. i will try to be better about not letting my posts become rare and stagnant. in the next few months i hope to get around to so many of the projects that i have had my eye on for awhile... and will attempt to not get sucked into the void of time again. maybe i should make a rule for myself that i have to post something at least once a week, if only a single snapshot of something that happened! i will try this out and see how i fare. (feel free to censure if i am slacking)

the last post of 2009!

2009-12-31T18:55:00.006-07:00

first of all merry christmas! and happy new years too! i have been a little lax as of late in the blogging world, trying to finish last minute projects for Christmas. so after last weekend, the whirlwind subsided and i'm getting around to a more recent post for all of you that are tired of seeing that turkey picture from last month. i have just a few projects to share at this time, first of all there is batman!this was knit for my husband, and finished on christmas eve, right at the last minute!
this little hermit crab came from a knitting book given to me by a friend for christmas and i cast on the day after, i couldn't wait to try the complicated patterns. it turned out so great, with pipe-cleaners in the legs to make it poseable! now who wouldn't want a knitted hermit crab!!!these little turtles are some of my favorite toys to knit right now! they fit in the palm of your hand and there is a rattle in them (actually a cat toy with a bell in it), so they are really fun!and for the future...oooh, cashmere. 400 yards of it just waiting to become something amazing and soft and heavenly...i just have to decide what. there are so many projects to be made this year, and i will keep you updated on all of them! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

happy thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T10:04:00.003-07:00

What a wonderful holiday! first of all i do want to say how thankful i am for the best family and friends a girl could ask for, i just wish we were all a little closer... for those of you that couldn't make it to Indiana this year (and that was all of you :) i wanted to share our meal with you through pictures, it was delicious if i do say so myself.
the menu was: sage roasted turkey, homemade gravy, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, apricot-ginger cranberry sauce, cornbread and cranberry stuffing, brown butter and almond green beans and sausage stuffed mushrooms. nate doesn't really care for the stuffing and cranberry sauce, so the mushrooms were especially made for him. and to top it all off, our favorite apple pie recipe that has granny smith apples, a crumb topping and the most amazing custard filling.

we saw the stuffed mushrooms on one of food network's holiday specials, here's the recipe, they are delicious. i hope everyone's day was filled with good memories and good food. maybe next year everyone can come here?

homemade doll pattern

2009-11-11T15:37:00.004-07:00

so i have finished my first official "toy pattern"... i've been trying to get some things ready to sell and have felt limited by not being able to sell toys that are not made with my own original patterns. my friends here in bloomington commissioned a "pirate" doll for a Christmas present and it gave me the perfect opportunity to try my hand at a toy pattern. so these first pictures are of the dummy-doll, plain as can be (but i still think it's cute that way)and then by simply adding the right elements for the character, i can turn my dummy...into a pirate!!! arrr, matey!nate says his favorite parts are the thumbs and nose! this is only the first official one i've made but there will be more to come before too long. stay tuned for more knitting projects especially since the holidays are rolling in!

the great KNITTED pumpkin

2009-10-18T18:25:00.003-06:00

i knit a few of these last year and had so much fun that i ordered a bunch more orange yarn from joann's.com and set to creating a whole pumpkin patch for decorating with this fall. they are such a quick and easy knit. best of all the pattern is free: the great knitted pumpkin! you can make them big or small or in-between by changing the yarn and needle sizes, so really the possibilities are endless! the pattern shows green leaves attached to each stem, but i made all of mine without leaves because i thought they looked more traditional and simple. i don't know how many i will have by the time the craze passes but enough to be able to tell that it is definitely fall. and the weather outside is confirming that here in indiana! it's been a might chilly and we've been scraping ice off the car already. the leaves are pretty though, i hope to get a few shots of those before all the trees are bare and ready for snow.
happy fall everyone! happy pumpkin knitting!

the great ESCAPE!

2009-09-21T20:57:00.003-06:00

1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be? --Kenai Lake, Alaska (anyone who says otherwise doesn't know about kenai lake!)
2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car? paul simon-Graceland
3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do? put on a long movie like pride & prejudice or bleak house and curl up on the couch with my knitting and then i would order take out and tip all the delivery people exorbitant amounts!
4. What is your guilty pleasure? greasy cheeseburgers
5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home? Russia
6. Last book that you couldn't put down? the brothers karamazov (i've only got about 100 pages left) and the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society that i just finished tonight
7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch? anne of green gables
8. What is your favorite local escape? the goodwill or michaels, you never know what you might find
9. How do you escape on a budget? i buy sweaters and unravel them and then dream up stuff to make with all my new yarn
10. Best food you've ever had while on vacation- good sushi!

(my sister katie tagged me for this escape... thanks, kates!)

and i know the monkey photo has nothing to do with this post, but he looks like he's thinking about an "escape" and he's one of my favorites... i don't know if i ever showed him to any of you, he belongs to my nephew morgan now.

the deconstruction of a sweater!

2009-08-30T12:03:00.003-06:00

this was actually a pretty nice sweater, but about 10 sizes too big. it was $2.99 at the goodwill and made of 100% beautiful chocolate brown lambswool. thrift stores can be an excellent source of great wools and cottons if you are willing to look for them. so i decided to take it apart! i washed it first to get the thrift store smell out. the next step is taking apart all the seams. usually a sweater will have side seams and sleeve seams and if there is collar or button band then those are the first ones that need to come undone.

depending on how the sweater was knit, there is usually a bind off row at the top of each piece that you have to undo before you can complete the fun task of just pulling on the string and watching it unravel. (for this sweater there was no bind off row, so it just fell apart after i pulled the seams out).
and in the end i got about 1200 yards of beautiful wool to recreate into something else!!!
i do have plans for this wool, but i haven't started on them yet, i will keep you all posted!

recycled elephant!

2009-08-02T14:39:00.003-06:00

so, i've been working on this little guy for awhile. the pattern i was attempting to follow was full of many, many poor ideas and mistakes, so i had to spend some extra time making him look like a cuddly elephant and not an alien life-form. he spent a weekend with nate and i as a fully-finished elephant (even accompanying us to a Reds baseball game in Cincinnati) before being handed over to one of my coworkers who is expecting a little boy next month.

i forgot to take a picture of the unsightly sweater that this yarn once belonged to, maybe next time i will remember. but the good news is that a $3.00 sweater made this whole animal and left me with plenty for another, nothing like a good washable cotton recycled sweater!he is sure happy that nate let him sit on his lap and help drive! woohoo! go reds!

my striped cardigan

2009-06-24T20:49:00.002-06:00

i bought this yarn on clearance last year for my birthday (thanks mom for the gift certificate). they didn't have enough of any one color so i mixed it up a bit with the stripes! the pattern is the "sienna cardigan" from interweave knits and it is truly one of the warmest, coziest sweaters, perfect for people that don't turn their heat on much in the wintertime. not so perfect for hot and humid indiana summer days... sorry i didn't post this when i first finished a few months ago. but better late than never.

and yeah, the pictures aren't really that great, i'd like to blame it on the camera but it's really probably just me and my inability to get simple settings correct!

After 1 1/2 years...

2009-06-02T17:07:00.004-06:00

the Christmas-present canvas that my husband gave me finally became a painting. I am ashamed to admit how long it took me to commit an idea to paint form... but i won't say that i don't enjoy the empty canvas and seeing endless possibilities everyday leading up to the actual painting. there is something so promising about a blank canvas. but, i love to paint and have really enjoyed working on this one for the last few weeks. i think it turned out kind of cute. hope you enjoy.
So far it seems i can't paint anything but Russian folk women, but that's not the worst thing right? I still think of Russian babushki with a fondness and can't help it.

happy mother's day!

2009-05-10T19:22:00.004-06:00

i just want to say thank you to all the great mothers and mother-figures in my life. happy mother's day everyone, what a blessing it is to have a mother that loves you...like my little kangaroo here, taking care of her little roo! she's now happily hopping around with my darling little niece mckinley jane!

2009-03-20T17:46:00.006-06:00

thanks to my sister kate i felt the desire to go and do some window shopping of my own...the clothes i would wear if i had the cash, here's my look.it's funny how even though i don't own any of the things above, i feel like i do in some weird "cyber-reality" way. on another note, i am finished with the sweater i was knitting but have yet to take a decent picture of it, be patient with me... my photo skills are not world-class.

and last, but certainly not least!

2009-02-02T16:22:00.003-07:00

here's my lovely aunt peggie modeling the bag that megan made for her! well, to all of you followers, that completes the bag swap of 2008, thanks for participating and i can't wait until next year, so much talent to swap around...

wee little knitting!

2009-01-27T15:35:00.004-07:00

well, one of my co-workers just had a little baby girl named Audrey and i had been wanting to make one of these little cardigans for awhile from the Debbie Bliss book Essential Baby...(isn't it amazing how the timing just "worked" out?) i used a recycled pink cotton from a sweater that i unraveled and it ended up super soft and definitely baby friendly (washable and dryable). the embellishments with embroidery seemed to really complete the look of the sweater, i almost couldn't give it up :)

i know these aren't the best lit shots, i really need to remember to take my photos in the daytime, not at night when i want to get something posted, but i'm sure you will not judge too harshly.
sweet little baby clothes and toys are some of my favorite things to knit!

the Great Bag Swap, part 1.6

2009-01-27T15:26:00.003-07:00

well, i have a few more pictures of bags to share with you all so we'll just get right to it! first of all here is my mom with the bag that grandma vi sent her.and here is my sister kate with the bag that peggie made for her, and an internal view to boot!so, that's almost all of them, we haven't gotten to see a picture of the bag that megan made for peggie yet but i promise it will get it's own spotlight and not get left out, but i know the rest of you are wanting to see these fabulous bags, so enjoy them and stay tuned for the conclusion!!

the great BAG swap of 2008, part 1

2009-01-12T17:05:00.004-07:00

well, here is what you have all been waiting for: the photos i've received so far on the bag swap... this post will hopefully urge you that haven't sent me photos (and i believe you know who you are:) to send them my way so we can all share. first we have Grandma Vi's bag, courtesy of Kate!and here is my bag, made by mom (aka lynne!), inside and out!!!
here is megan with her bag, made by teresa!and finally (for this post at least) we have teresa with my bag!well, there we are, thank you everyone for participating in our annual little swap. i really love this exchange and i can't wait to see what our theme is next year, i hope everyone will be involved again... and i hope to get part 2 up on this blog soon so we can see the other bags exchanged! thanks again for a great success!

winter knitting!

2009-01-03T12:15:00.005-07:00

this is a baby set that i made for my friend rochelle's little boy, grant. the pattern is all original and i love the colors that she picked out. i still have to acquire a picture of him dressed all up in it because it is pretty cute, but until then i hope you can picture it with a little kid body inside it, all squirming around.the hat has a little button band that comes up under the chin and buttons on the opposite ear...

and the sweater has a little hood and is lined with a soft brown flannel.

overall a very fun little project that turned out fairly well.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!

2008-12-10T16:06:00.007-07:00

i am so excited for Christmas this year. i always feel so excited every year to put up the tree and decorate and create that wonderful Christmas feeling in my house. i snapped a few shots from the other night when we put up our little tree.

this tree topper is kind of a funny story. i've been looking for something for awhile and i could never find anything to match the rest of my ornaments and look nice on top... and the other day i found this santa and he was a little messed up, his belt was broken and his beard all matted and he was actually a "fishing" santa, he was originally holding a trout in his left hand and the "staff" in his right was a fishing pole. not being a real big fisher, i took him apart a bit and pieced him back together and i just can't resist the big busy beard and the colors, he's a perfect match for the tree! (the tree is not huge, so maybe he's a little big, but that's okay!)

and for the first time ever we don't live in a basement at Christmas time so we had this space up above the kitchen cupboards, so we bought a garland, it really ties the room together in a festive way.

you may remember saint nicholas from an earlier blog, he finally gets his moment to shine underneath the tree on my new tree skirt. (okay, the skirt isn't really new, i made it last year but i made it after Christmas and never got to put it on display)

my last photo for today is just a little of the Christmas cheer i'm preparing. my friend rochelle and i had a jewelry night this week and it got the juices flowing, more to follow, soon.

there are more Christmas projects in the works, but as they are by nature Christmas "presents" i am trying to be secretive and not share the pictures with the world, so stay tuned to see what fun things i've got to show you... after Christmas, (or maybe littls hints at things before Christmas). Merry Christmas all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2008-11-27T17:02:00.003-07:00

i wish we could all be together for the holidays, but since we can't i'll share a little of mine with you all. here's our yummy feast for the day.

so, at the 12:oo position we have garlic mashed potatoes with "the real deal" turkey gravy. following a clockwise direction we next have "sage-roasted" turkey. it was awesome and not dried out at all, something i was pretty stressed out about. next is the extra yummy cranberry-apricot relish (made with fresh ginger and orange juice!) and then the other red salad is a cranberry salad compliments of the midwife at the ob-gyn office i work for. at the 9:00 position we have brown butter and almond green beans. and then a good old crescent roll! it was delicious!!! and although it was just nate and i eating, it still felt like a festive Thanksgiving. I'm so grateful for such a holiday where we can reflect on all the blessings in our lives. i hope everyone else had an abundant holiday also. the day is not over yet, we still have pumpkin cheesecake in the fridge... better hurry back to the kitchen!

believe me, i know it is not christmas yet...

2008-11-07T18:33:00.004-07:00

but, as a knitter, i have to get a headstart on some of these "Christmas" projects or else they will never get done. i found some discounted red tencel yarn the other day at my LYS and i was inspired to cast on this adorable father christmas. i just couldn't help myself. but i promise not to display until at least after thanksgiving. (but i will share, now!) the original pattern did not feature buttons on the front, but they really add character.

so, i think he will make a nice addition to the christmas decor around here. What do you think? he's super long too, the pattern said about 18" but i would say about 20" at least. i don't know why i thought he'd be a little thing... oh, i was definitely wrong.

okay, enough early christmas cheer, back to november now right? happy thanksgiving month!!

in the past few weeks... (oh, and happy halloween!!!)

2008-10-31T14:59:00.005-06:00

so, yes, i've been doing stuff, just never getting around to documenting and posting. my knitting projects are taking over all my time, you won't find me complaining though. first, my little pumpkins are basically my only halloween decorations. a super easy, super quick little knit with some bulky brown sheep yarn called shepard's shades. i think i might use some more of it in a sweater i've been eyeing. it feels awesome to work with, and i love the soft bulkiness and rich colors.

a few other little projects are also jumping off my needles. i made this hat a few weeks ago after i saw the cast-on technique featured at the local yarn store here. it's a two-color cast-on followed by a chevron pattern resulting in what looks like a braid. i thought it made a really cute edge and wanted to try it out. this is definitely a "scrap" hat of whatever was in my bag during that specific car ride... i believe it was on a trip to the zoo. i was also trying a different decrease technique... came out kind of funny, it needs some tweaking, but it felt good to broaden my hat making horizons.

and last but not least of course, a few toys. i've been wanting to try this cute chicken pattern for awhile, from Itsy Bitsy Nursery... a little altered as far as the embellishments and attached pieces, but definitely just as endearing as the original was to me. destined for my shelf of knit toys that enjoy hanging out with each other. and the last picture is a peek at what is to come... what with Christmas and all... i'm getting a head start. stay tuned!!!

covered bridges of Parke county

2008-10-12T11:38:00.002-06:00

took a tour of Parke County this weekend, the "covered bridge capital." the drive was beautiful with all the leaves changing, and the bridges weren't too bad themselves.

Applesauce!!!

2008-10-12T11:28:00.007-06:00

it first started with the applepicking at a local u-pick orchard near indianapolis...

my friends Rochelle and Grant helped me collect some of the best ones

then i got the apples all home and washed them all up to look nice and pretty...

and on a nice friday afternoon i turned them into the yummiest applesauce. i only ended up with enough for three jars, but that's alright. i can't wait to open them up in the middle of winter and enjoy the fresh apple taste.

TA DA!!!!

a wearable creation!

2008-09-17T21:02:00.003-06:00

well, it can be worn. i've done it twice now. i just wanted to post a few pictures so you could all see it.

hope you're enjoying your wednesday!!

my sweater is...almost DONE!!

2008-09-09T15:39:00.004-06:00

well, thanks to chunky yarn and big needles i finished up this little number last night with a success!! i'm excited that it actually turned out, and it's really cute on as well. i still have to graft together the underarm stitches, but all in all it's an actual sweater. i took good notes on all the steps so i have an actual pattern under my belt now. it's exciting to think that after applying some math and measuring skills i can actually create something that fits. it has started a whole slue of ideas in my head of sweaters and other things to create and make, articles of clothing that i can make fit like a glove!!! once i get it all done and blocked i will take a picture of it actually being worn, but i was eager to share. thanks for all the positive feedback.

the yarn makes a comeback

2008-09-08T10:29:00.003-06:00

about a month ago i was going through my closet and sorting yarn and packing up. i found a sweater which i had knitted a few years ago and have since decided that i didn't like. so, being of a "reuse it" persuasion, i unraveled my hard work and started cooking up a new sweater in my mind. now, there have been many times that i've thought about writing my own patterns, but haven't actually done it. but now is not that time. i actually started to write MY OWN pattern for this sweater and am about halfway done. these pictures are from saturday night, i got about 11 inches knit. since then i've done the sleeves, started the V-neck and am about to start decreasing up into the shoulder area.

i even tried it on last night after i got up to the underarms and it's actually cute! that's the best part, it might actually be a wearable sweater! anyways, i will post more pictures as i finish up these next few days.

stained glass "quilting" square

2008-09-04T17:34:00.003-06:00

i bought this stained glass about a year ago up in denali national park and haven't had windows in which to display it, i'm so excited that now i do, so i put it right in our front window and i love it. i love that it uses the same pattern as a quilting square and the colors are so fresh and green... everything about it is perfect. so, the house is still coming together.

The Purchase of New Stools

2008-08-28T18:42:00.002-06:00

well, the move has been made and the search is now beginning for all the little furniture/home items which seem to be necessary. in lieu of a dining room table we are using our counter to eat at, which demands some type of seating. i found these stools today at a furniture exchange and they go really well in my new kitchen. i still have to clean them up a bit, but overall i'm satisfied and my kitchen is now upon the brink of completion. now that bigger things are getting put into place, such as seating, the yarn will soon find it's way out of it's current home and tempt me into starting all sorts of new projects. which i will of course share once they are started. til then.

the great yarn PURGE

2008-07-27T20:09:00.003-06:00

Ideally this should never have to happen, but when you're moving across the country it becomes necessary to try your best to wittle down as much as possible. I went through all my yarn (no easy task i promise you) and sorted out the keepers and the less fortunates... and found all my purses too (i'm building up my inventory in hopes of securing a spot at a saturday market in the near future, maybe in Indiana). so, here is the process of sorting, and the mess i made on friday night...
these are my keepers, the yarns that had the most promise!

and another shot of the bags. i got everything now in just one of those monstrous plastic containers, which is great. and the other benefit of going through my whole stash is that now i'm inspired by all my yarns and have a million little projects stirring around in my mind... more to follow, i promise.

the demise of the sea monster

2008-07-14T12:05:00.001-06:00

well, i don't have a photo to post today. the octopus i was knitting is no longer. i was too frustrated with the legs to continue and i didn't want to buy more yarn, so i frogged the whole thing. never felt better! i will still make it sometime, but i will buy yarn that is matching for the whole octopus and then i won't have to deal with the frustrations of a million different gauges. stay tuned for better projects to be up and running soon.

guess what this is?

2008-07-06T21:48:00.004-06:00

i joined a "knitted toys" group on ravelry and agreed to test knit this pattern for a sea creature, which will be revealed at a later date as it becomes more defined in shape... and her version was knit with a fingering weight yarn. unfortunately, i have an abundance of bulkier yarn, more like a heavy worsted weight, and i figured i would use it instead and just have a slightly bigger animal. well, slightly bigger is an understatement, this thing is huge!!! the good thing is that it is eating up my stash that is probably due for some shrinkage.

this other photo is also a work in progress, a new bag that i am making.

they shouldn't take too long to finish. i promise to keep you updated with the finished projects, coming soon.

weekend accomplishment

2008-06-29T20:50:00.002-06:00

so, here are some of the projects i finished up this weekend. friday night was our lys fiber night and i came really close to finishing up the zebra but didn't actually put the mane and eyes on until i was listening to nate's jazz gig on saturday night at a little coffee shop down the street.
but then i found myself on sunday afternoon without a planned knitting project, so i picked up a dishtowel that i started a few months ago and finished that up. and then for good measure in the photo department i thought i would include a shot of us at the bees game in salt lake with kate and jordan! it was an awesome night!
so basically, i finished some projects and will start digging around in my stash for something else to work on... who knows what will be next.
(i just love the little zebra, he's so soft and floppy)

2008-06-27T11:24:00.003-06:00

this is my newly finished little yellow sweater.

the yarn is brown sheep's serendipity tweed, a cotton/wool blend... unfortunately the cotton doesn't make the wool part less itchy so i have to wear a t-shirt underneath instead of just a tanktop. oh well, it's still cute. i may redo the side seams to take it in a bit, i haven't decided yet. in the hot weather we've been having it's just a little on the hot side, so i haven't been wearing it a ton. but i love it and i think it turned out cute.

starting out

2008-06-26T12:51:00.001-06:00

well, i guess this is the big day... i'm speaking specifically to my sisters who have been urging me to start a blog of my own. i suppose i'm now officially "in" on the blogging.

i'll have to figure some things out with posting pictures and stuff, but i will do my best to be diligent at sharing all of my latest projects and creations.

so, until next time, happy blogging.