my feet hurt

 but are these shoes not worth it?

in an attempt to make friends with my feet after what i put them through i decided a nice sunday afternoon of knitting just for them might do the trick.

my first thought was how cute and seemingly simple these little slippers are.

a few minor changes to the gauge to use a substitute yarn, minor mathematical calculations and then car crash.

first i would like to thank fellow ravelry knitter tiny owls knits for her amy march's slippers


i did have the yarn the pattern called for but i had some cascade yarn pastaza left over from the log cabin socks i made for my father in law and i wanted to make something similar for myself.

the mods began by adding two more increase rows at the beginning, minor mathematical equasions to get the rest to self adjust and then i hit the heal.

it was like reading a foreign language. i love new techniques and i enjoy learning them even if it is the hard way. through around forty repetitions i called it quits on the instructions and decided to spend some time working short rows but ripped it out and decided in the end to cast off the 24 stitches i had remaining by splitting them in two (12 on each double pointed needle) and casting casting them off together using a third needle. it took me most of the afternoon to figure it out so i am done with it for the day.

i happy

work/life balance?

no.

after two weeks of me attached to my iphone as my only usable communication outside of work for.. well work.

really i dont even leave work because my need to be connected keeps me at the office but at home this mac user communicates via phone.

stressful.

today, when i came home from work i had awaiting me this beautiful 27 inch LED backlit display with a wide screen monitor computer with a wireless keyboard and magic mouse.

what a great hubby.

this machine capable of allowing me to work remotely (commute time = extra sleep) greeted me with the new broken bells album.

i happy.

super-chic

 

ok “super-chic” was the name of the feature in my lucky magazine that inspired me to find a yarn that would give a similar result as their fantastic “popcorn” cashmere blend scarf. (cashmere-blend scarf, $275, autumn cashmere. the tannery, cambridge, ma, 617.492.1811)

certainly not a reference to me or my scarf.


this is for miss peggy. i think the pink scarf will no doubt look better on her !

the goods again:


needle us 10-6.0 mm

yarn: plymouth yarn poppin (66 yards)

color  09

pattern here

blog nods

yeah- another external lsbs web feature.


if you knit and you blog about knitting consider joining this wonderfully supportive group who shares your interests.

and congratulations to all lesser known skein bloggers for spending the time and commitment to sharing their personal knitting stories by blogging and for taking this group to a new level by creating a website specifically for us. i am lucky to be featured and thankful for the their supportive community and especially for those dedicated to the upkeep and maintenance of the LKS website.

happy knitting & happy blogging

happy easter. happy me.

happy easter!

the pattern for these cute little white chocolate and milk chocolate egg cozies can be found here at drops designs website

the goodies:

2 skeins naturally harmony 10ply in brown 03
2 skeins naturally harmony 10ply in cream 02
needle us 6

absolutely no modifications. what a fun pattern to knit. even better they found stardom! you can find them on americas knitting website in their project section. for those of us who don't own a yarn shop and secretly wish too this is a website dedicated to the support of yarn shops with a knit shop directory, yarn shop spotlights and projects~ like these little cuties.


today i am going to make soap. i just bought another copy of soapylove to send across the pond to an english friend who just came for a visit and fell in love with my copy.


her highness soapylove just came out with her new spring news letter. you can get a copy here. 


happy easter. happy knitting. happy soaplove.

today is the day

welcome home little ipads. we are in love with you both. yes twins!

it is also the day i have played with the design of my blog. i cant seem to find something i really like but it needed a face lift. feedback is welcome.

happy ipadding

sister and yarn goodness

last weekend dad and i drove to austin to see my sister who was visiting a friend. our plan was to have brunch at the south congress street cafe which turned into lunch because we got off to a late start. i highly recommend this joint and even more so i highly recommend not going over the weekend. however, should you decide to offer your custom to this popular SoCo eatery over a saturday or sunday~ expect a 45min plus wait. this worked out for dad and i because we were 45 minutes late.

sorry sarah...

amongst all of the retro airstream turned gourmet catering vans, old motels which used to rent by the hour turned nostalgic sleeping accommodations and over populated good restaurants is hill country weavers. known for their huge supply of almost any make of yarn including imported japanese yarn goodness producers habu~ this place will keep me occupied for hours.

the above recently acquired:
grey- berrocco ultra alpaca fine
brown- habu cotton nerimaki slub
gold/cream- habu silk mohair kusa
raspberry- habu non twist cotton boucle

a little something for the new year

i have been looking for a yarn that would make a scarf that my mother in law bought a while back.. it was chenile and soft with little light weight puffs in it.

i found something similar when i fell in love with sageyarns poppin scarf and checked out her blog~ what wonderful and clear instructions on how to knit with this yarn. i checked my locals and as it turned out i had to order the yarn on line.

the goods:

1 full skein plymouth yarn poppin in white
needle US 10
pattern: poppin goofballs

i love the pattern but i have had 4 knots in one skein thus far…. not cool.

and we are in a new year...

finally taking down the christmas decorations.... and i still have not sent all of my gifts out yet(!) it has been unusually cold here in texas~ not good for motivation. i am in my second week of weekend couch potato'ness'.

my holidays were tested with what patience i have while knitting lace, try as i might i went through many "learning opportunities" playing with different patterns. the project was lace trim for pillowcases. for the bamboo pillowcases i chose bamboo blend yarn and for the silk pillowcases i chose silk blend yarn.

i have yet to declare my resolutions for the new year.... but for my family and friends who have yet to receive their christmas presents, i am sorry.

so here it goes everyone~ for 2010 i resolve to start my christmas presents with time to finish them (again)~ and i apologize for spoiling your late (again) gift.

we deep fried a turkey

and yes- we are still alive to tell the tale

may peace and happiness be with you!!!

happy baby knitting

meet miss scarlett's feather and fan baby cardi.

this was really fun to knit.

the goods:

us needle 9

cascade yarns 220 wool.. in a wonderful christmas green (less than 220 yards)

pattern thanks to leigh foster can be found here

beside the obvious modification (yes i got rushed for time and did short sleeves).. i also turned the collar inward and tacked it in rather than outward. i really did not like the way mine looked showing the purl side.

i have to admit i had moments where i was sure this was going to be WAY too small but to be sure i went out to baby gap and bought a size newborn-03m onesie to check for size. once i washed the pieces and blocked them it turned out to be big enough (i think) and the feel of the yarn was softer than when knitting.

i hope little miss scarlett likes green!!!

la crème glacée napolitaine savon

thank you thank you thank you to the wonderfully talented soap goddess and fellow blogger debbie chialtas.

i bought her book soapylove (you can buy her book at amazon.com) and found myself ordering strawberry and rich dark chocolate scents (for soap!) on line and learned how to avoid all of my previous soap making disasters-- but the ideas!!!! after all of my excitement i decided on making as many of these wonderful neapolitan soap bars as i could.



i could just eat them.

i ordered the popsicle molds from amazon but all of the "professional" (aka. non local craft store) chemical colorants and scents came from debbie's line at bramble berry.

packaging was fun as well. i did the heated saran wrap treatment she describes in her book and then just bagged them with clear candy bags and added a bow.

for the cards i found this retro bath image from dreamstime designed by dust for a few dollars and printed them on 4x6 glossy photo paper.

happy thanksgiving everyone!

is it new year’s yet….?

well i have had another birthday. (usually one of my favorite days of the year) only so much has happened this week i blinked and all of the sudden even all of the leftover turkey was gone.

we even took the low road when it came to thanksgiving. a sort of ‘bird in a box’. many thanks to whole foods creative culinary team for providing our thanksgiving meal for our guests and keep us sane for the day.

it is saturday now and the olds have hit the road headed homeward. last night we all went downtown to the holiday river parade & lighting ceremony, a mere 5 in over 150,000 people who trekked to the san antonio riverwalk to see this over 20 year old parade. i don’t want to offend those who get up real early on thrusday and crowd the streets of new york for the traditional macy’s parade but this is definitely the way to go. after some champagne & dinner we get to sit with a warm cup of coffee on the edge of the river and get to see these river boats turned christmas float boats sail past us, …margarita anyone?

what a great day to have a birthday

on nov 24th in 1859 charles darwin publishes on the origin of species.

and today...why not buy an original?

"Rare Charles Darwin Book Found On Toilet Bookshelf"

thank you npr.

is it really november?

this time last year i was given the means to purchase a set of interchangeable circular knitting needles for my birthday. one year later i have found the perfect set.

i was price shopping (yeah- for a year)

playing with my new kit…. i note there is no comparison to my previous knitting experience with my old love of addi or my newer ka bamboo circs… it is as if anthony bourdain had just discovered they joys of drinking and smoking late in his career… i found these super pointy, light, interchangable needles with joining cables that feel soft and already broken in a new addiction.

my first project turns out to be a preemie cap the day after the needles arrive. the pattern can be found here.

yarn: lily sugar'n cream stripes in lime green

needle: us 6

mods:

i cast on 38 (not 35) stitches using us 6 throughout. the first 13 rows were all knit and then worked stockinette instead of the pattern’s ribbing at the beginning. i want the brim of the hat to be turned so i knit the hat about an 1/2 inch longer than the 3.5 to 4” the original pattern calls for using the medium preemie instructions.

finished using pattern… i knit to 4”

rs (k2, k2tog) repeat (29sts)

ws p

rs (k1,k2tog) repeat (20sts)

ws (p2tog) repeat (10sts)

rs (k2tog) repeat (5sts)

5 stitches left (icord to 4”)

note the tooth mark on the second to last of our satsumas. bad opal.

tired of being tired...

i had high hopes for this weekend~ my father in town, a few good meals, some chores and catching up on work.

alas, i feel tired and under the weather and decide it is best to stay at home and do as little as possible.

i have not picked up any knitting in a while. not out of coice, i have just been too busy. dad brought with him a few knitting books to tempt me and out of one of them i found my nephews christmas present... am i running out of knitting time already????

i also decided to give this tutorial a try. it gives instructions on making your own cookie cutters only the supplies are hard to come by and in the end i managed to come up with this. (ignore the copper tape seaming it together~ i am working on that part)


i could not find a sheet of copper that was hard enough to keep shape so i went with aluminum. i cut one inch strips (oh yes... if someone could tell me where to buy this i would be most grateful).

i am learning.

it will get better.

happy fall

you know you have good friends when... thank you our kind neighbors.
happy fall.

more orange

ok, so i need experience learning how to photograph while misquotes are dining on me and the humidity fogs the lens.

alas.. here is our gem. we lost one but have the potential of 5 it's first year.

our little satsuma tree bares fruit....

i heart orange

thank you colour mart.

thank you for all of these wonderful orange colors to choose from....

in my library

i dont know how i missed it. first published in november of 2008 ~ a stitch in time: v.1:vintage knitting & crochet patterns from 1920-1949 should have already been sitting on my bedside table giving me sweet dreams.

now i become aware of it's existence, oh joy!, only to find out it is out of print.

how can that be. it has not even been a year.

this was a book i had to have. it contains 60 of these retro original patterns with conversions for todays knitting terms and yarns. complete with pictures of both 'then and now'.

i found it. i overpaid. i had it shipped from england. it came. i want to call in sick this week. i don't want to leave it.

thank you jane waller and susan crawford.