I knit. Any questions?

Careful what you wish for...

2011-11-21T15:59:00.001-07:00

Gawd! Will she ever shut up?!?! I guess I over did it, but I've been so cranky and anxious for about the last month, Mary Poppins would have punched me in the mouth. I won't bore you with too many of the details, but after enduring an allergy patch test that nearly drove me up the wall--and coming no closer to finding out what IS driving me up a wall--and finally biting the bullet and getting an MRI on my knee, I decided there is no way around not whining in public. I wish I could say I feel better now, but at least I don't feel worse, so hey! At least I have that going for me. Stay classy, Jelli.

My slender link to sanity has been knitting, of course. I'm posting a few photos here, and I'll give you details later in the week. I've been so ~~lazy~~ preoccupied I haven't even posted any of these on Ravelery--I'm an equal opportunity slacker. It's not just my own blog that I've been ignoring.

Tulips Colorful Cardigan

Sock Swatch

Pretty Baby Sweater--a gift

The buttons cost more than the yarn, but so worth it!

I started this Traveling Woman Shawl on the way home from our Minnesota road trip. I've actually finished it AND another shawl. Not bad for a slacker.

Last but not least, a few weeks ago I managed to kill my 20 year old Kitchenaid mixer. Fortunately Costco had this bad boy on sale:

It was love at first sight!

More tomorrow. No, really. REALLY! And thanks to those of you who sent me emails, wondering what the hell happened to me. I also promise to catch up on my blog reading. ::sigh::

On the road again...

2011-09-22T16:48:00.002-06:00

We're off to Minnesota to visit Tilly and her parents and to celebrate her daddy's birthday. I'll try to blog from the road but you can follow our adventures on my Twitter feed. Don't miss exciting stuff, like us turning around after half an hour on the road, to get the camera I forgot at home; Ogallalalalala; and our 2nd Starbucks of the day. Did I mention the dog throwing up in the back seat? Awesome! Don't you just love car trips?

Meme Monday--Getting My Lemming On

2011-09-19T15:32:00.000-06:00

I've never been much for memes. I'd rather read about other people than tell you stuff you can hold against me in the future. But I've been challenged by a certain other blogger, and I figure that gives me license to copy and paste her work. Also, we have a lot of things in common, which is even more of a reason. (I highlighted where we answered pretty close to the same.) Here's the link to the person who started the meme.

Age: Recently turned 55, and I act like a two year old at times, so if you take the average, I'm 28.

Bed: Queen sized, and barely big enough for two humans and one eleven pound dog. Guess which one takes up the most room?

Chore that you hate: Don't really hate any of them, although dusting seems pretty pointless--it just keeps coming back from nowhere.

Dogs: See "Bed."

Essential to start my day: Quiet time and coffee. Take either from me at your own risk. And I am not kidding in the slightest.

Favorite color: I really can't pick a favorite color. That's like picking your favorite child.

Gold or silver: Gold! White or yellow --- but, gold all the way.

Height: 5'4"

Instruments that you play: Have tried piano, guitar, and violin. Found I'm best at the MP3 player.

Job Title: Assistant, but I really prefer Empress.

Kids: Two really great ones!

Live: I prefer Tape Delayed because you can cut out the parts where I look really bad and say things I regret.

Mom's name: Rose, which I think is very pretty.

Nicknames: I never had a nickname growing up. Now I have a husband who has about a hundred different ones for me, and no I won't tell you any of them because I will never be allowed to live them down.

Overnight hospital stays: Two, see "Kids." I should have left earlier from the first one--my roommate hadn't given birth yet and whined INCESSANTLY. The second one, I had a private room and I have fond memories of the adjustable bed and the half dozen pillows that surrounded me. I'd probably still be there if the coffee had been decent.

Pet Peeves: Bad personal hygiene. We went out for lunch today and the hostess had a runny nose. She kept wiping it ON HER FINGERS then she would hand the waiters the menus and napkins as they seated people. We left. Gross! What are you, three years old? Blow your nose then wash your hands! Did I mention gross?

Quote from a movie: "I'm not gonna play... by their rules... anymore." ~ Phil Connors (Bill Murray) Groundhog Day

Right or left: Right. I can't even wave goodbye with my left hand.

Siblings: Seven sisters. And no, I'm not making this up.

Take-Out-Food: Chipotle, hands down the best fast food take out place EVER. And not just because I like their cheap margaritas.

Underwear: Clean is best. Words to live by.

Veggies: Love most of them. Even eggplant.

What makes you run late: Blogging and staying in the shower too long. Sue me.

Xrays: Yes --- regularly at the dentist and several other times throughout my life.

Yummy food: Pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks--non-fat, hold one pump of the sweetener, light whip, a slice of the gingerbread loaf on the side. NOW please.

Zoo Animals: Anything but snakes. ANYTHING.

Tell me about it...Winter

2011-09-16T18:52:00.000-06:00

Do you love it? Have you gathered up all of your wool socks and sweaters, put 'em in a big pile and done a snow dance around it? Are you searching Ravelry for turtleneck patterns? Or do you hate Old Man Winter with a passion and can't stand the thought of summer EVER going away?

Tell me about it!

Here Kitty, Kitty!

2011-09-15T11:33:00.000-06:00

I keep coming across cat stuff that just will not leave my brain alone. It's like an ear worm, but with felines. One cure for an ear worm is to sing the entire song. Here's my cat-on-the-brain solution: pass it on to you! Even if you don't like cats--and I'd keep that fact to myself--you should click on these links.

This cat moved from Colorado to Manhattan for five years--but didn't tell his family.

GirlAnachronismE sent me this link. I'm wondering how many lives that kitty used up.

Last, but not least--obey the kitty!

And because I occasionally like to toss in something about, oh I don't know, KNITTING, here's an extremely amazing tip for avoiding those holes that seem to appear at the top of your gusset out of nowhere. Sounds like a disease, doesn't it? Anyway, it's slap-your-forehead simple and makes me want to cast on a pair of socks right this minute just to try it out, because I have ~~ten thousand other things~~ nothing else to do today.

* Found this photo on Google Images. I think it's from funnyjunkz.com and I couldn't figure out if it's copyrighted or not.

LOS●ER

2011-09-14T12:47:00.000-06:00

LOSER
los●er [loo-zer]
noun
Slang
a. a misfit, especially someone who has never or seldom been successful at a job, personal relationship, etc.
b. a person who wakes up their neighbors at 3 a.m. with their loud, obnoxious, illegally mufflered piece of crap automobile
c. a twenty-something who moved back home with his momma because some woman probably got tired of living with a LOSER
d. a person stupid enough to deprive a knitter of her sleep, thereby rendering her cranky and dangerous; see CIRCULAR KNITTING NEEDLES

Now that I've depressed the crap out of myself...

2011-09-12T13:00:00.000-06:00

How about something funny?

I found it here. Anybody else got any funny knitting links they'd like to share? If they're NSFW please indicate. It won't stop me from posting the link but it's good to know. We don't want anybody fired for links to knitted codpieces. Just sayin'...

Eating Le Big Mac on My Soapbox

2011-09-11T19:30:00.002-06:00

Today is the 10^th anniversary of 9-11 and I’vebeen debating all day long whether or not to post something about it. While Ido have giveaways on my blog partly for the purpose of upping my readership, Idon’t like pimping, even if you think it’s for a good cause. A couple of daysago I passed by a church in my neighborhood and the marquee out front wasinviting people to their 9-11 picnic. What the hell do you do at a 9-11 picnic?Play pin the bomb on the mosque? Picnic and 9-11 on the same sign doesn't seem right.

Maybe that church just wanted people to remember those whodied and the families they left behind. Maybe that was the goal of the 9-11television specials that were on all week, or the 9-11 anniversary pins, keychains, and coffee mugs you can buy online. But commemorating such a horrendousepisode in our country’s history without talking about how to keep it fromhappening again anywhere isn’t enough of a remembrance. If we’re going to print In God We Trust on our money we should still be concerned about thelives of people all over the world without thinking we’re going to look likecommie-pinko-hippie pushovers. Patriotism isn’t being blind, deaf, and dumb to what's happening on the rest of the planet.

Real patriotism asks the hard questions and brings up stuffwe’re not always honest about, just like those forms at your doctor’s officethat ask you how many drinks you have in a week and if you use recreationaldrugs. Let’s at least be honest about the fact that our nationalistic intuitiontells us anybody who looks Arabic is born wanting to blow up sky scrapers, and the metric system is downright un-American. These beliefs are wrong and we all know it, but we’re not the onlyones guilty of confusing patriotism with nationalism. A few years ago the city of Parissupposedly raised over $40 million dollars tokeep out corporations like McDonalds. But this wasn't really about corporations, it was about defending what it means to be French. Le Big Mac isn’t going to destroy French culture, but thisguy? If I were French I would be le worried, but I wouldn’t blame Americans.

I hope 9-11’s legacy will be more than just airport bodyscanners and pat downs. I imagine those who died that day would be sad at theidea of their surviving families still living in fear. Maybe before another ten yearspass, we can figure out how to coexist while ridding the world of the bad guys who think that destroying one way of life will save another.I have my doubts, since we can’t even agree on who the bad guys are, but Ihaven’t given up on the idea. In the meantime, I go about my daily life and tryto be the kind of person other people don’t want to blow up. It’s not much, andit won’t keep me safe from life’s random acts of cowardice. But it does keep mefrom being that paranoid neighbor who has a year’s worth of dried food in thebasement and thinks the government implanted a homing device in her head whenshe had her tonsil taken out. That’s good enough for now.

Tell Me About It

2011-09-09T19:35:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Helen, Rebecca, and Natalie, the winners of my latest giveaway! I'll let you know which prize is yours and get them on their way soon. Thanks everybody for all your great comments. And don't fret if you didn't win. There will be more giveaways in the future because I LOVE doing them!

I know lots of knitting bloggers have FO Fridays but since I don't seem to be finishing anything I can blog about, instead I'll do Tell Me Friday.

Yesterday I got my brand new (hopefully) permanent crown put on. My dentist is a really nice guy--DH once yanked him off the golf course because I had a tooth ache the day before I was supposed to fly out to Someplace I Can't Remember. (His diagnosis was that I clench my teeth in my sleep and he had a night guard made for me. I seriously love wearing this thing, which probably says something about oral fixations and such but we won't go there today.)

Anyway, while he's gluing in the new crown yesterday, he asked me why I thought people didn't go to their high school reunions, especially if they still live in the same town as their high school. I wasn't sure how to respond since it seemed to me he'd answered his own question. He thought maybe it had to do with cliques and maybe people didn't want to socialize with the people who reminded them of what a tough time high school was. When he took his hands out of my mouth I said something about not really remembering my high school as being particularly "clique-y." It was more like a been-there-done-that-bought-the-tee-shirt kind of experience for me, so I didn't see the need to get on an airplane and revisit the whole thing. No, I've never been to a high school reunion.

Have I missed out on one of life's greatest experiences? Is my perception that hanging with a bunch of people who are way older and dumpier than we ever dreamed we'd be a much more fun night than I give it credit for? If I went to one of my high school reunions, would the guy from my geometry class who used to ask me to study with him admit he had a crush on me, since I barely passed geometry and he was a mathematical genius?

Tell me if you've ever been to your high school reunion. If so, did you like it? If not, why not. Were the hotties still hot? Did the geeks end up inventing Post It Notes? And if you're like me and have never gone, why have you skipped it? Tell me, I'd love to know!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

2011-09-08T09:13:00.000-06:00

The random number generator did its thing and I've notified the winners. They have 48 hours to email me back. Congratulations to everybody!

I'm going to compile the great organizational tips from the comments and post them in the near future, now that I'm organized. Ahem.

DD's doing well in school, the book process is moving along, and the weather has finally cooled off here. Life is good. What's up with you?

Inspiration

2011-09-05T17:13:00.000-06:00

Who or what inspires you? Last week Donna Druchunas gifted me with, among other things, this bounty from her garden:

Most of these lovely veggies ended up in a delicious pasta sauce I created--inspiration never tasted so good!

When I created my new studio, I was inspired to tackle some projects that have been hanging over my head for a while now. Somehow in my newly organized space, it was easier to sit down and get the work done.

Every time I read through the blogs I follow I'm inspired by you, my fellow bloggers. There's so much creativity out there, I'll never be able to create all the projects on my wish list, but that's O.K. The desire to try is what inspires me.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway. As a special Thank You to those who follow my blog, if you leave a comment on this blog post about what inspires YOU you'll get an extra chance to win. It doesn't have to be knitting or cooking inspiration either. Tell me about anything that lights your creative fuse.

Happy Labor Day!

I am one lucky dog--you can be too!

2011-08-31T21:11:00.000-06:00

First of all, thanks for all the nice words--I'm convinced they made me feel better faster, which just proves that whining works.

Time for the fun stuff! The "surprise" I've been alluding to for weeks now? This empty nester now has her very own space to create and work and relax in. I still almost can't believe it. I've turned our guest room into the studio I've been dreaming of for years. Check out these before photos:

This is one way to make sure guests don't stay long, but I don't recommend it. And don't even get me started on the closet in this room. I'll spare you the photos, in case you've just eaten.

And now the after photos:

This is my new desk and chair. The clock hanging on the wall above the cabinet was made by my son many years ago, and it's very special to me.

I love the chair by the window. Unfortunately, I haven't had as much time to lounge in it as I planned, but it's lovely to sit by the window and knit or read, even if it's only for a short while. The footstool is the reason for my second and third trip to Ikea. They were out of it when I decided I really did want it after all.

I love the shelving, my favorite Ikea purchase. DH and I put it together and while I wouldn't call it a walk in the park, we did it without snarling at each other even once. Notice the picture above the rocking chair...

I love all the little cubbies that hold my stash and books. It's so nice to have everything where I can find it and get at it easily, and there's the perfect amount of space for the vertical swift I picked up at Sock Summit. I'm hoping I'll get back to inkle weaving now that I can find my loom without sending out a search team.

I honestly feel like I'm more productive already, even though the closet is not completely organized, and I still need to find window coverings and do some wall patching.

Yes, I know how lucky I am, and I know I had a lot of help and inspiration getting here. This brings me to the best part--the giveaway! There will be not one but THREE lucky winners. I always feel bad when I draw one name, knowing that everybody else is disappointed--not this time!

Here are the prizes:

Donna Druchunas has been such a huge inspiration for me. She has been so generous with her knowledge and expertise, and has given me yarn, books, and so much more. It is because of that generosity that I'm offering three of her books and some very yummy lace-weight yarn as two of the giveaways.

The third giveaway is inspired by Sock Summit. It's the necklace I showed in this post, and some delicious sock yarn called Twinkle Toes.

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment here. The first name I draw will get to choose first, the second name goes second, and so on. Want to up your chances of winning? Leave another comment with your favorite organizational tip or a link to one, and you'll get an extra chance.

Remember, all comments must be on this blog post to be eligible for the drawing. I'll pick the winning names on September 7, around noon MST, by way of a random number generator.

Good luck everybody and thanks for stopping by!

Keep Calm and Carry Yarn

2011-08-26T16:14:00.000-06:00

I hate to use words like 'gastrointestinal' in a blog post, but I figure if I do, you won't ask for details. Trust me, you don't want to know. I'm only surfacing today because somewhere in my foggy brain I recall something about a contest and a surprise and who knows what else I said.

I've been saving the few working brain cells I have for basic functions like sleeping and whining, but I promise the moment I have the energy to do anything more there will be one heck of a giveaway on this blog. Seriously. And my surprise? Let's just say it was worth three trips to Ikea...

Parents of College-Bound Kids: It Will Be O.K.

2011-08-17T15:50:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, DD moves out of our house and into the dorm. This is a good thing. Let me repeat: THIS IS A GOOD THING.

The last few days I've read so many blogs, tweets, and Facebook posts from parents who are ready to have a nervous breakdown because their adult child (emphasis on ADULT) is doing what they raised them to do--grow up. I have a headache from all my eye-rolling. Seriously. The obstetrician cut the umbilical cord eighteen years ago. It's your turn now. Get out those scissors and finish the job. IT WILL BE O.K.

I know I will miss DD's presence. I know I will worry about whether or not she's eating right, being safe, doing homework on time, wearing clean underwear, hanging out with good people, and all the other things I've worried about for the last eighteen years. But now these decisions are hers. For all those years, I cooked the meals but didn't force her to eat them. I told her how to be safe online but didn't restrict her internet access. I reminded her that doing homework first, then playing X-Box was a much better plan then vice versa, and let her deal with her teachers when she ignored that advice. If she smelled funny and we were going to be in the car together, I gave her the choice of changing her clothes or riding on the roof of the car. She wasn't the most fastidious kid in the world but she never chose the car roof, not once.

I suppose I should sympathize with parents who are freaking out because their kid will be on their own. If you spent their childhood making sure that they couldn't handle life without the training wheels, then I guess you do have reason to worry, and I'm sorry about that. But just like cats landing on their feet, so will your kid. They might get bumped and bruised along the way, and have to go commando because they haven't done laundry in a month, but they'll figure it out.

Don't get the impression that I think my daughter has this whole thing nailed and will never call home crying or complaining. *I'm not that stupid. But I am so excited for her! I know that after all the gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair, she is going to find out she can handle way more on her own than she ever thought she could. She's going to learn and explore and grow and turn into the most magnificent woman I can image. She's going to change the world--this I am certain of. She changed mine and her dad's eighteen years ago, and nothing has ever been the same.

-----------------------------------------------
So I just got a little verklempt myself, but when I think about DD's closet now having room for her stuff that's presently in the guest room closet... stay tuned!

*My son turned out pretty damn wonderful in spite of me, so I'll let my track record speak for itself.

I'm anonymously famous!

2011-08-16T17:41:00.000-06:00

Check out the cover of the next Piecework Magazine. See those mittens? No, I didn't design them--Donna Druchunas did. But I made them, which is a little bit like saying you proofread War and Peace for Leo Tolstoy. Or something like that.

This is not my exciting news that is worthy of a giveaway, by the way. Stay tuned...

Me and My Arrows...

2011-08-15T20:36:00.000-06:00

As usual, I'm up to my butt in alligators. DD moves into the dorm on Thursday and there's chaos and piles o'crap everywhere EXCEPT FOR ONE PLACE...

Let me explain the arrows in the crappy iPhone photo:

The yellow arrow is pointing to my new vertical yarn swift. The nice people from The Oregon Woodworker were letting people demo their swifts at Sock Summit. I saw this bad boy hanging on their booth wall and that was all she wrote. I love it! No more schlepping my swift and ball winder downstairs to the kitchen.
The red arrow is pointing to the Sock Summit tote Donna gave me. Thanks Donna, you're the best!
The blue arrow is pointing to the yarn swift bag I bought from Slipped Stitch Studios. They were at Sock Summit too, and had some really great things. The link is to their Etsy shop (and the bag that ran a close second to the geisha-print bag I bought) if you want to check it out. I'm going to keep my original yarn swift in it so it won't get dinged up. It'll be great for travel--you just never know when you're going to need a yarn swift on the road.
And last but not least--the green arrow is pointing to something in that one place I alluded to. It's almost ready to be revealed and I am so happy and excited about it I can hardly stand it.

I'm going to have a post-Sock Summit, Empty Nester, and EXCEPT FOR ONE PLACE give-away on Friday. There will be details in the next few days. Stay tuned...

What's the hurry?

2011-08-08T11:10:00.000-06:00

The trouble with life in the fast lane is that you get to the other end in an awful hurry.

—John Jensen

I am decidedly NOT in a hurry to get to the other end of anything in summertime. If I had my druthers, mornings would begin about 9 a.m. and end about 2 p.m. The rest of the day could then commence, but at a leisurely pace. Cocktails at 5. That being said, I'm up to my eyeballs in deadlines and unfinished and unstarted projects. (I stole "unstarted." Come forth and claim credit.) My carpets haven't seen the vacuum cleaner in so long they probably wouldn't recognize each other. I have a hundred ideas for new patterns racing around in my head, along with updates to my blog template. Those days that should start at 9 a.m. will have to end at 2 a.m. if I'm going to finish anything before Fall gets here.

Here's a tidbit from Anne Hanson, since I promised you Sock Summit goodies: tie knots in the yarn tail of your gauge swatch to correspond to the needle size you used. Brilliant! My own riff on this for those X.5 size needles--tie one extra knot separated from the knots for the needle size.

There will be more from Sock Summit soon, I promise, but I'm off to a book meeting. I'll leave you with a hint of a project that just needs seaming. And soaking. And blocking. And mailing. ::sigh::

Sock Summit 2011, Day Four: When do they open the 2013 registration?

2011-08-01T21:14:00.000-06:00

I'm writing this last post about Sock Summit on the train from Portland to Tacoma, Washington. I'm going up there to spend a few days with family before I head back to Denver. I wish I could take the train back! Right this moment, I've got wifi and a glass of wine. Just polished off a bowl of Ivar's clam chowder and it's so lovely, just sitting back and watching the scenery go by. Nobody xrayed me or grabbed body parts--this is so much nicer than air travel! When I finish this post I'm going to knit a little, if I don't have another glass of wine...

I had another class on Sunday with Anne Hanson, and the poor thing was pretty much fried by then--she came to Sock Summit directly from London and has one more teaching gig before she heads home--but she was gracious and attentive, as always.

The Fleece to Foot Challenge was Sunday--pretty cool, but no one finished their second sock. Not surprising, since they had to comb the fleece, spin it, then knit the pattern, all in a few hours. Crazy! Here are the three sheep that gave it up for a good cause:

Here's one of the teams:

I heard a rumor that the next Sock Summit (2013) will take up the entire Oregon Convention Center. I'm not sure how they're going to top a flash mob, live sheep and the biggest yarn market I've ever seen but I plan to be here.

I'll try to post about the classes I took before fly back to Denver, but I'm making no promises. I'll be surrounded by nieces and nephews I haven't seen for a while and I'm hoping some of them will sit still long enough for a few knitting lessons. But oh how I wish you could all have been at Sock Summit with me!

Sock Summit, Day Four: Crazy Good!

2011-07-30T22:49:00.000-06:00

Today I took JC Briar's sock pattern writing class. It was only a half day class but we tried to convince her it should be six hours. Or maybe one of those two-day intensive workshop things they do after Stitches. Or hey! How about an entire WEEK. The only reason she didn't run from the room screaming is because we had the door blocked. Ahem.

It was a great class with a ton of information. I'll hit the highlights of this, and my other classes when I get home and get my notes organized.

Another cool thing about Sock Summit, besides the flash mob, is getting to see new books and meet the authors. I saw Ilisha Helfman walk by and asked if I could take some photos of her stunning scarf. She showed me her new book Jazzknitting, An Introduction. It has some of the most amazing knitting I've ever seen! I'd never heard of jazz knitting until I talked to Ilisha, and I would love to take a class.

Isn't this amazing? Click on the close up below. Gorgeous!

It's been almost overwhelming at times. Not only have I gotten to hang out with Donna Druchunas, but today I'm walking around the convention center and in a matter of a few minutes I see Cookie A, The Yarn Harlot, Carrie Sullivan, Shannon Oakey, Tina Newton, Anne Hanson, Cat Bordhi, Franklin Habit, and Anna Zilboorg. I swear I almost had to sit down, I was so verklempt. But it gets better. Sivia Harding happens to be standing there wearing her fabulous new sweater. I tell her how gorgeous it is AND SHE TAKES IT OFF AND HANDS IT TO ME. No, not to keep, but so I could see the construction. I know I got all fan girl on her but I don't care. Sivia is just the nicest person you could ever meet and is stunningly beautiful too.

I don't know how they can possibly top Sock Summit 2011, but I'm sure Tina and Stephanie will come up with something.

Sock Summit, Day Two: The Mother of all LYS

2011-07-29T18:08:00.003-06:00

A prudent spouse will only say that she showed great restraint and practicality. Color me prudent at the yarn market today. Ahem.

Let me instead divert your attention to the world's largest sock:

It's been on the needles since 2006, and has travelled to many shows and knit shops where knitters are invited to jump right in and knit a bit. Takes about 45 minutes to knit one round of the 1500 cast on stitches. Think about that next time you're freaking out about a shawl with a 350 stitch cast on. Skacel is promoting this behemoth. I should have counted the number of circular needles in this bad boy when I sat down and knitted a needle's worth. See the binder in the center of this crazy mass of yarn? The hosting group invites knitters to sign the guest book after they've taken a turn. So far, they've filled five binders.

The sock will probably take a few more years. The plan is to make the leg twelve feet long before they start the heel. Right now it's seven feet long.

There's a sock hop tonight, and everybody is supposed to show up in 80's style clothes. I just can't make myself revisit the nightmare of spandex and gigantic shoulder pads, so I'm showing up in skinny jeans. Or as skinny as jeans can get when they're on my ass. Double ahem.

I'll leave you with an iPhone photo I took just before we started our decent into Portland. Extra points if you can name this mountain.

Sock Summit, Day One--The Madness Begins

2011-07-28T19:04:00.000-06:00

Here's a few photos to make you wish you were here. Details will be forthcoming when/if I make it out of the yarn market alive.

The first photo is the line outside of the yarn market, right after they opened the doors. The yellow arrows are pointing to the line to get in. I stood on the stairs where I took this photo, for several minutes and never saw the end of the line. Crazy! I'm half hoping they'll buy everything before I get there. I only brought one suitcase.

This is the dragon where people were going to meet today, to trade stitch markers--the stitch markers I forgot to pack. Fortunately, DH has Fedexed them to me, and I'll do my trading later.

The convention center hangs banner from the different conventions and meetings happening here. I think this is the banner from the very first Sock Summit two years ago. I'll show you this year's banner in another post.

And finally, just for fun:

I wish you all could be here!

One More Reason to Never Watch TV Again

2011-07-20T17:50:00.000-06:00

This is going to be a totally random my-god-what-is-she-talking-about kind of post because I've recently discovered I'm allergic (or sensitized) to sunscreen, and at this very moment I'm having a reaction to the sunscreen I put on a little while ago. So yeah! Good times!

These are some of the stitch markers I made for the Sock Summit stitch marker trade. Yes, I'm going, and yes, I realize how lucky I am, and yes, I'll bring you back something. Giveaway time! W0ot! Stay tuned... If I can put two coherent thoughts together tomorrow, I'll blog a little more about Sock Summit and some book related things, and if I haven't started to pack by then, I'll ask for volunteers to kick me in the butt.

Totally off-topic and random: DD just turned the TV on, and it was tuned to the TLC channel. Some guy was talking about his addiction to pulling hair out of drains, and he was wondering how to tell his girlfriend. I cannot make this crap up. And yes, I'm sober. I think I'll kill my TV now.

Because not everybody thinks about yarn 24/7

2011-07-14T16:47:00.000-06:00

This is an actual made-up conversation DD and I almost had on our way up to the dentist this afternoon:

Me: Cool! Look at those clouds! That group looks just like roving. Quick! Grab my phone and take a picture.

DD: What? Take a picture of what? What the hell is roving?

This is a photo she took on our way home, actually, and no the clouds didn't look like roving anymore.

Does this blog post make my butt look big?

2011-07-13T10:50:00.000-06:00

I have so many *WIPs going on at the same time, it's almost depressing. A couple are gifts that I know won't be finished on time. Some are work related that MUST be finished on time. Others are for me, so they've been pushed to the bottom of the heap. Great! Now that I've written this down I really feel like a slacker, so to distract myself, let's talk about my ass instead.

I've been trying to lose a few pounds--I will settle for ten, although in all honesty it should probably be more like fifteen or twenty. For a couple of months I was keeping track of my food intake and weight loss with this app. The result? Five pounds over two months, not much bang for my depravation buck. It would have been more fun to give myself a Twinkie enema. I know I should be happy with ANY negative number, but I need some instant gratification in my life, especially since everything else I'm doing is all about the Long Term and nothing about the Right Now. Not that I'm knocking the app--it's pretty good for keeping track of your food intact and exercise regimen, and it does a great job of reminding you to log your meals. But I don't know. When I upped my calorie budget because I got so damn hungry I almost ate my shoes, that's when I would lose a little weight--but only sometimes. Most of the time the scale didn't budge.

Now, the website has added this little device you clip on, to record the number of steps you take, your activity levels, and how much and how well you sleep. Apparently, good sleep is important to weight loss and might explain why I suck at it. The Fitbit Tracker wirelessly uploads the data so that's one less thing to think about. Applying my no-fail logic, something with such a dumb name will never work. This means, of course, that it probably WILL work, since my track record for getting rid of my extra ass poundage is pathetic. I know nothing. Do not listen to me.

I've decided to order the Fitbit Tracker and give Lose It! another chance, if for no other reason than to eat better, nutrition-wise. It can't hurt to consume more fruits and veggies and less salt and fat. I'll let you know how it goes, from time to time, but it's not going to become a focus of this blog.**

If you're reading this blog post today, July 13, 2011, please note the fact that today is National French Fries Day, according to the Punchbowl widget in the sidebar. This explains so much...

*Works in progress, for you non-knitters
**Notice how I neatly dodged the whole accountability thing.

I've been seeing other blogs...

2011-07-09T12:25:00.000-06:00

Here's the linky to my latest guest post on SheeptoShawl.com, and here's another photo from the Cherry Creek Arts Festival:

The kids are busy in the kitchen making pasties--extra points if you pronounce it PAST-ies and not PASTE-ies. Triple points if you know the difference.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Cherry Creek Arts Festival Redux

2011-07-07T16:47:00.000-06:00

I guess it's technically not a redux if this is the first time I've mentioned the Cherry Creek Arts Festival on this blog, but I like the word REDUX and I did tweet about it, so redux it is!

It's probably been ten years or more since the last time we attended the CCAF and it's changed a lot. The thing is absolutely huge--I'm pretty sure we didn't even see it all even though we wandered around for hours. Thank goodness for the ice-cold and not expensive beer stands is all I can say. That was probably the most affordable thing at the festival, next to the free water from Eldorado Springs. When the guy found out we've been customers of their delivery service for a long time, he gave us several bottles. Since it was really hot that day and (for me) porta-potties and multiple beers are a bad combo, the water was appreciated.

Don't get me wrong--there were lots of gorgeous pieces of art but $5,000+ for a painting is way outside of my budget. $500+ for a photo is out of the question, too. I was beginning to think I'd be leaving empty handed, and I was also lamenting the lack of fiber artist, when I came upon this booth:

This is Krista Gorrell of Slim Pik'en Design and she has the most gorgeous hand felted accessories. I bought this infinity scarf:

The colors are stunning and the quality of her work is superb. Plus, her helper in the booth held my beer while I shopped. You can't get customer service like that in a mall. Krista and her associate were a whole lot friendlier than some of the people working the other booths. Call me cranky, but if you're going to ask me to spend a few mortgage payments on your artwork, maybe look up and say hello when I walk into your booth. Just a suggestion...

CCAF is a great place to take the family, even if you can't afford much there. They have a ton of stuff for kids to do--painting, clay, chalk art--and they even let adults participate.

We also got to see the Oscar Mayer Wiener Mobile, which is always fun. Sorry, Wiener fans, I didn't get a photo but I hear there might be something on Twitter...

Here's something I would have bought if I had somewhere to put it:

Aren't they cool? They look almost like they're knitted.

We had a lot of fun and we're not going to let ten more years pass before we attend another Cherry Creek Arts Festival, but I'm hoping I win the lottery by then. Or maybe Krista will come back and I'll just buy her stuff and beer. Works for me!

Got brains?

2011-06-30T22:58:00.000-06:00

Last weekend DD and I were hanging out together after she had another round with the oral surgeon. She was on light duty, so to speak, so we were looking for low impact activities. Got Paint? came to mind, and we trekked on over to the mall, figuring we'd spend the afternoon painting and bonding. Those paint-your-own-pottery studios are a blast. You get to make a mess creating cheesy, useless chotchkie, and somebody else cleans up. If only the rest of my life could be this way...

The pottery studio is pretty close to a Borders bookstore that some moron attempted to blow up the night before. (Take note of the guy's last name.) Apparently, he has nothing better to do than try and blow up bookstores and strip clubs. I don't get the connection, but I doubt he does either. We had no idea this was going on until we drove up to the mall and saw the crime tape and the news trucks everywhere. We checked things out on our phones while we were debating whether or not to stay. That's kind of a weird discussion to have, but post 911 and Columbine, it didn't feel out of the ordinary. I told DD we'd go inside and if my crap detector went off, we'd go someplace else. That's just how it is nowadays--welcome to the new reality.

We ended up spending several hours there and I painted a big ol' coffee mug with my new logo. It took me a little while to feel totally comfortable and maybe that's why the mug looks like a blindfolded kindergartener painted it, but we had a good time.

You just have to wonder what possesses people.

Odds and Ends

2011-06-25T14:17:00.000-06:00

I was trying to clear my brain yesterday. Multiple projects for multiple people, an unexpected trip to the oral surgeon for DD, and a serious case of start-itis left me out of focus. I decided to play with the camera and worked on shallow depth of field shots. This close-up of my wee bit of lavender isn't exciting but does illustrate fairly well the concept of shallow depth of field.

DD had a complication from her wisdom teeth removal back in March. I will spare you the gross details, but all is well now. She is one tough cookie, that daughter of mine! One day she will come to the Way of the Wool, and sheep everywhere will rejoice. Or not. Her choice. Last night I started a blanket for her new dorm abode. It is black and gold, the University of Colorado colors. The part of my brain with common sense says to plan on finishing this in time for Parent's Weekend at CU, mid October. The Screw Delayed Gratification Finish It NOW part says get it done in time for move-in day, mid August. Let's see which side will win. I haven't started working with the gold yarn yet, so no photos. I find black notoriously difficult to photograph, so I'm not wasting the pixels.

Work on The Book continues. Everyday I'm thankful for Donna's guidance and wisdom. Without it, I'd be in deep dodo. She has such a clear vision of what our book will be--I have no doubt it will get written and published and be something we can be proud of. I have no clue how many copies we can sell, but I do know what all my relatives and friends will be receiving gift-wise for a long, long time. To borrow a phrase from Knitterella.com, yes, I did write it and no, you can't return it.

Have a lovely weekend everybody!

Book Update

2011-06-21T19:40:00.000-06:00

I'm in the midst of getting test knitters for the patterns we will feature in the book. This can be challenging, requiring skill, timing, and diplomacy on my part. You might be surprised at just how diplomatic I can be--I could be called by the U.N. at any moment, that's how good I'm getting at this. But wait, it gets better. One of my responsibilities is to contact yarn companies and ask them for yarn. I send an email or make a phone call and like magic, they send yarn--FREE YARN--just because I ask for it. Dropping the name of a famous and published knitting author certainly helps. But still, I love this part of the job. I hope I never got over the excitement of when they email me back and say, "Sure! We'll send you yarn. How much and what color?" I'm sure I'll come back to this moment when I'm in the middle of writing my chapters and I get a terminal case of writer's block while ripping my hair out by the roots. Or not. I'm working on developing the cocky side of my personality, the one I never show you. STOP LAUGHING. I GET FREE YARN.

But here's the thing I'm discovering about that free yarn. Designers who have gotten to the point where yarn companies will supply them with yarn for their designs have earned it. By the time they're well known enough to have that privilege, they've put in countless hours swatching, drawing, knitting, frogging, cussing, and worrying about whether the designs will be accepted and liked enough to be knit by anyone. And I'm sure the yarn companies don't mind the publicity. Don't get me wrong--designers don't get all of their yarn for free. But when somebody like The Yarn Harlot or Donna Druchunas or Jared Flood even mention a yarn in their blogs or books, people rush out and buy it. (This only partly explains my enormous stash.)

I don't know if I'll ever get so famous knitting-wise that my name alone will get me free yarn from Plymouth or Brown Sheep or Cascade. But I intend to keep on working hard and having fun at all this. For me, that's the point, but having a dream can't hurt.

#2,293 from The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said:

You're not famous until my mother has heard of you.

—Jay Leno

R.E.S.P.E.C.T

2011-06-14T15:57:00.001-06:00

Most people who read my blog are knitters and crocheters, so you get what I'm about to tell you. For my non-fiber followers, I'm probably not talking to you. If you follow this blog, you most likely "get it" or are at least polite enough to act like you do. For that, I thank you. For everybody else...

Knitting is NOT like watching paint dry. For the record, I have watched paint dry and it's not nearly as exciting as taking yarn and pointy sticks, or hooks, and creating something wonderful. Seriously. Even knitting something hideous is way more fun than most non-knitters seem to think it is. I don't knit because I'm old and don't have any other options like wild sex or sky diving. I knit because I love the feel of yarn through my fingers; because I love taking a big ball of string and turning it into this; because I can't NOT knit.

I'm not into proselytizing. When a non-knitter friend or acquaintance doesn't get excited over something I've made or has zero interest in my blog, I don't try to force them into the Enlightenment that is Knitting. If you are meant to know The Way of the Wool, it will happen. But say I tell you I have some photos you might be interested in and that they might be on my blog later, how about not rolling your eyes and asking me to email them to you instead. This kind of thing gets your name permanently engraved on my "I Won't Even Knit This Person a Rope to Climb Out of a Burning Building" list.

Some day I will be too old or too blind or senile to knit. (I hope I don't miss it. I imagine that would be like missing my very best friend forever.) I'm sure it won't happen for a long, long time and I've got the yarn stash to back up my optimism. But if I'm in The Home and you're the one who has to listen to me tell you, for the 47th time that day that I used to knit and blog about it, or that I used to party with the Yarn Harlot, or that I worked with Donna Druchunas, please just smile and nod your head. Otherwise, I've got one word for you--bedpan. Enough said.

I have no idea who Joe Palen is.

2011-06-13T12:51:00.000-06:00

Awfully nice of them to let people use THEIR OWN CELL PHONES IN THEIR OWN CARS, wouldn't you say? I'm wondering how they feel about knitting in public. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my knitting. And do you get the irony of this photo? No, there's nothing oppositional about me, nothing at all.

# 2,499 from The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said:

If I had permission to do everything, I wouldn't want to do anything.

--The one best thing Joe Palen ever said

Pattern Revision--Sandia Crest Socks

2011-06-12T22:42:00.001-06:00

For those of you who have downloaded the Sandia Crest sock pattern, there was a mistake in the gusset decrease section. I've corrected the mistake and reworded the section for clarity. Sorry about that!

Shout-out to Yarn West

2011-06-11T22:21:00.000-06:00

Yarn West is a lovely LYS in Evergreen, Colorado, where I used to live once upon a time. Unfortunately they didn't exist when I lived in Evergreen. It's a pretty quiet place when you get over the novelty of herds of elk in your backyard, so it would have been nice to have a yarn shop close by. And yes, John Hinckley Jr. did live there when he was a kid. I used to get asked that a lot. His parents left shortly after the whole infamous mess, and I'm not sure I would have known who they were if I saw them in the grocery store, but I can point out where they lived if you're interested.

Laura Watt opened Yarn West just over a year ago. She is seriously one of the nicest people you will ever meet and absolutely the nicest LYS owner I know. I hadn't seen her in a while and today she remembered my first AND last name, and knew everything that had come into the store, yarn-wise, since the last time I was in. She never makes you feel like you have to buy something, so of course I do. Not that I need coaxing... YW is such a nice place to hang out and knit or fondle the new merchandise or whatever. I seriously think she would be alright with a person camping out there for the day, knitting and socializing. She just makes you feel at home, and to me that's what your local yarn shop should be about.

Happy one year anniversary, Yarn West. Here's to many, many more!

Notice anything new?

2011-06-10T22:04:00.000-06:00

I really should have waited before I unveiled my new look but I couldn't stand keeping it to myself a minute longer. Jill Zielinski Designs created this great new logo for me, and I love it! She's going to do a blog banner when she gets back from TNNA (lucky woman!) For now, I slapped the logo at the top of the blog and made the favicon myself. I haz skillz! Thanks Jill, for hanging in there and creating my new look from the dozens of crazy emails we exchanged. You are the best and the check is in the mail!

But wait--there's more! I've had something up my sleeve for a while now, and I'm finally ready to reveal it. I am co-authoring a book with Donna Druchunas of Arctic Lace fame. How cool is that? She and I have been working together for a couple of months now. The woman is like The Yarn Harlot--never sleeps and swears she does--and has a hundred projects going on at the same time. I'm doing fun stuff for her like editing, knitting, writing, and rounding up test knitters, among other things. Check out this issue of her blog, Sheep to Shawl, for details about the book.

I can honestly say that when I started this blog, I never envisioned all this happening so soon. I had dreams, but this is crazy-good don't wake me stuff. If I stop to think about it all I get a little panicky. Fortunately, I'm so busy I don't really have time to think about it too much.

I'll leave you with a bad iPhone photo of the other thing I've been doing with the spare few seconds I have--jewelry making, an old love of mine I've recently revisited. I bought the large bead at the center of the necklace at a bead show Donna and I attended a while ago.

But wait, there's more... hint hint.

Fastest Kitchener in the West

2011-06-07T16:58:00.000-06:00

I'm a big fan of the Kitchener Stitch. Yeah, I'm aware that officially brands me as a knitting geek, but whatever. I've been called worse.

Yesterday, I'm pretty sure I broke some kind of record for Kitchener-ing a pair of sock toes. Had to be less than three minutes for the pair, because that's all the time I had to finish them and head out:

Sadly, I didn't have time to properly block them (or take a decent photo) but I haven't figured out how to block and dry socks in a matter of minutes. Yet.

I made these socks for a tennis buddy who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Marcia is a tiny little thing who can just drive you nuts on the court with her diabolical shots. Some of us made her food she can reheat when she doesn't feel like cooking, but since I figured she has enough problems, I decided to knit her something instead. These are your plain vanilla generic socks with a baby cable cuff, in Cascade 220 Superwash. I hope they'll keep her feet warm while she's undergoing treatment, and remind her she's in our thoughts daily.

Her prognosis is excellent. She's keeping her family and friends informed through a wonderful resource: mylifeline.org. Please check it out when you have a few minutes. Cancer patients or their friends and family can set up a website to let people know what's happening with their particular situation. There are features such as a Helping Calendar, a photo gallery, and the Laughing Medicine Page. All this is provided free of charge and donations to this 501(c)(3) are tax deductible.

Enjoy your summer. I'm working hard at doing just that. There's only 72 more days until DD moves into the dorm. Not that I'm counting or anything...

Ikeahh!

2011-06-05T15:33:00.000-06:00

Our brand spanking new Ikea is due to open the end of July, more than two months early, but not nearly early enough for me. I need stuff from them so badly I could scream. Oh. Wait. I did scream last night, after searching for a hat blocking form for almost an hour and not finding it. Desperate times, but I can hold on.

Until Ikeahh! does open, I'll settle for the little things I can do now, like getting my circular needles organized. Today I went from this:

to this:

This Happy Bags etc. organizer was kinda sorta free. I used a gift certificate I got from A Knitted Peace, for spending $mumble-mumble in the last year.

I've searched all over the web and can't find a link to this organizers, which is a bit weird, but contact A Knitted Peace and I'm sure they'd be happy to send you one.

Taking a Deep Breath

2011-05-31T23:13:00.000-06:00

This is not a photo of knitting, because there has been very little knitting lately, except for a few inches of the yellow cotton thing that I can't show you. What there has been a lot of this past week is family, food, and grandbaby cuddling, and that's O.K.

This photo was taken at the Denver Botanic Gardens, in the Japanese Garden section. I love this place. In the center of all the craziness that came with DD's commencement, the few hours we spent there probably saved my sanity. It's my Lourdes. It's where I came to the realization that I will never, ever come close to being able to juggle everything I want and need to do, and hold on to what little sanity I have left. If I don't love it, it goes to the bottom of my bottomless list. And if I do love it, it's O.K. to move it around that list--I'll eventually get back to it.

I'm admitting to the fact that sometimes, for me, multitasking means blogging, walking the dog, and knitting all in the same day. I realize there are people who do these things simultaneous, and if you are one of them, don't judge--several times this week I held a baby, made sandwiches, did laundry, checked my email and Twitter feeds, and carried on conversations with a room full of people, all at the same time. So clearly I have skills. I'm just judicious about when I use them.

I do feel bad about all your blog posts I haven't read, let alone commented on, and the comments on my own blog that I haven't acknowledged, but I hope you'll cut me some slack. I'm taking a deep breath, lingering in my happy place a little while longer, and getting some extra sleep so I can get back to my knitter's life with a vengeance. I just hope they left a beer in the refrigerator. That would help.

2011-05-28T10:27:00.001-06:00

We did it!

Because I ran out of mint...

2011-05-20T23:05:00.000-06:00

I'm knitting something new but it's secret stuff that I can't show you--I'm told there are rules about these things. Whatever. I'll knit fast so I can show you, one way or another, sooner or later.

So what else have I been up to, you ask? You may have heard things, especially if you read blogs like Traveling Ann. Do not listen to the rumors. I'm not nearly as nice as she makes me out to be. Or as sarcastic. O.K, fine! I'm sarcastic--I'm working on that telling the truth stuff. If you follow Donna Druchunas (Twitter (@druchunas) I'll be left here tomorrow night when the End of the World thing happens. Fine with me. My yarn stash is way to big to leave behind and I'm pretty sure The Rapture is carry on bags only.

In case you're also going to be around for the weekend, you might want to try this tasty adult beverage I concocted. It was inspired by a drink called a Moscow Mule. I'm calling mine the Atlanta Mule. Cheers!

Atlanta Mule

1 ½ oz Vodka

½ oz peach schnapps

3 oz ginger beer

Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled rocks glass, stir gently, then garnish with optional stitch markers, or mint sprigs.

My Rock Island Shawl--Ta-da!

2011-05-16T17:11:00.000-06:00

I love this thing so much, I almost can't believe it came off my needles. Don't get me wrong--it's not without mistakes--but I'm not going to point them out. I'll just wrap this beauty around my shoulders and feel the love.

Unblocked, it measured 21x46 inches, and blocked out to 42x64 inches. I probably could have stretched it a bit more but this is exactly the size I envisioned. Anything bigger would probably look silly on me--I'm on the short side.

If the sun ever decides to stay out for an extended period of time, I'll get DH to take a photo of me wearing it. For now, here's one of those "I took it in the bathroom mirror" shots, and an artsy-fartsy photo.

There's more details on my Ravelry page, for those who are interested.

And can you believe I already have another project going? Stay tuned...

Yesssssssss!

2011-05-15T17:27:00.000-06:00

Rock Island is finished and on the blocking wires. Photos and numbers tomorrow; celebration tonight!

Photo from Barbellsandbacon.com

Confession Time

2011-05-13T15:25:00.001-06:00

I broke Blogger yesterday so nobody would know I haven't posted for a while. I'm obviously delusional about my powers, since I also thought I'd be finished with my Rock Island shawl by now.

I have progressed to the center part of the shawl, which is all garter stitch, decreasing at the sides and center. Some people get all bug you-know-what crazy over big chunks of endless garter stitch, but I love this--little decreases that make the rows a tiny bit shorter every other row. Before you know it, the decreases will meet in the center, about where the nubbin ball of yarn is in the photo. Then, there's a four-stitch Kitchener bind-off, which I can do in my sleep. Not to brag on myself, but if I can break Blogger, then Kitchener is a slam dunk.

I'll leave you with a tasty little recipe for sangria. It's healthy too, if you consider the fruit. O.K., maybe not exactly healthy body-wise, but mental health is important too, and I feel way better after a glass or two. ¡a su salud!

Sangria

1 bottle red wine—Rioja, Côtes du Rhône, or whatever red floats your boat—doesn’t have to be expensive but not rotgut either

4 oz Cognac—go for something fairly decent

¼ to ½ cup organic sugar, depending on the wine and your particular sweet tooth

1 organic apple, cored, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced

2 organic oranges, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced

juice of two organic oranges

1 organic lime, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced

1 organic lemon, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced

about a cup of fresh seasonal berries

1 cup sparkling water

Mix together all ingredients except berries and sparkling water, and chill overnight. The next day, pour over ice in a pitcher, add sparkling water, and gently stir. Pour into tall glasses and use some tongs to fish out some of the sliced fruits and add to each glass. Garnish with the berries and enjoy!

If you’re not going to serve the entire pitcher right away, I suggest not pouring the sangria mixture over the ice in the pitcher. Rather, once the sangria mixture is chilled, pour each serving over ice in individual glasses, then top off each glass with an ounce or two of the sparkling water. Don't forget the berries and fruit.

You can certainly can make this without using organic fruits or organic sugar, but you won't get that virtuous feeling. I just like using organic fruits when they are in a solvent such as wine.

Tink is a four-letter word, and so is lace.

2011-05-07T16:11:00.000-06:00

This past week just needs to be flushed down one of our brand new toilets. I won't go into any more detail, otherwise people will read this blog then want to jump off a bridge. Line forms behind me, by the way.

At any rate, there has been knitting and not nearly as much wine swilling as you'd think. I'm going to call that maturation on my part. That, and my wine stash is getting a little thin, so I'm conserving for the rest of the weekend.

In spite of much gnashing of teeth and cursing, my Rock Island shawl is making progress. I'd say that I'm making progress on it, but that would be giving me way more credit than I deserve. I've gotten so good at tinking lace it's really kind of scary. I'm not going to count getting good at fixing mistakes as a good thing. You know what I mean.

Here's a sexy close-up:

If you aren't familiar with Rock Island, it's a triangle shawl worked from the outside in. I love this type of construction. There are increases and decreases on both sides, so all I can say is, count your stitches after every single row. Yes, that's a PITA, but trust me on this. If you're on Ravelry, pay no attention to those who say Rock Island is a slam dunk piece of cake. Those are the same people who wake up with perfect hair every day, and never gain weight on vacation. They are not to be trusted.

Tomorrow is supposed to be nice weather-wise here in the Denver area, so I think DD and I are going to the Botanic Gardens to have a little lunch and take some photos. If you're ever in the area, or happen to be lucky enough to live here, check it out. It's one of my favorite places in Colorado. DD and I try to go several times in the summer. We stop at our favorite falafel place and then picnic in the gardens. It's a lovely way to spend some time together--as long as we both eat the same garlic-heavy lunch. Otherwise, the drive home is kinda rough.

Have a great weekend, everybody, and Happy Mother's Day to my mom. You were right, by the way, about damn near everything, and I don't mind saying it. Love you!

And the winner is...

2011-05-05T16:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks everybody for all your kind words about Katie and please forgive me if I didn't respond to you personally for your kind words. We miss her terribly but are trying to focus on our happy memories.

I really wish I could send this giveaway to each and every one of you, but I'll do another giveaway very, very soon--stay tuned!

The winner is...

Ann, of The Adventures of Traveling Ann. Congratulations!

We will love you forever, Katie Cat.

2011-05-04T13:53:00.000-06:00

Our beloved Katie went peacefully this morning. She was the sweetest little thing on four paws you can ever imagine. We will miss her forever.

I will have the giveaway drawing tomorrow. Thanks for understanding.

My Birthday Giveaway*

2011-05-03T11:01:00.000-06:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll just shut up and wish you all luck.

*Click here for details!

It's almost my birthday, so you know what that means...

2011-05-02T13:10:00.000-06:00

Yarn. Yarn so soft it's like petting angels. I'm not kidding. And there's also a giveaway. But first, I'm going to be a tease and make you read about my weekend.

I celebrated May Day and my upcoming birthday by going to the Great Western Alpaca Show. It's not just about alpacas. There was all the usual fiber festival stuff--classes, vendors, and very expensive food and parking. I sat in on Donna Druchunas' Japanese crochet class, which was really fun, then afterwards she bought me lunch. Thanks Donna! Pretty awesome in itself, right? But wait--it gets better. And more expensive, much more expensive...

I got to pet this guy. I can't remember his name, but the kid who raised him was awfully proud. Alpacas are so soft and fluffy, you just want to squeeze them like a pillow, but since they will kick the snot out of you, I restrained myself.

This white alpaca was being shown in the ring. It looked like the alpacas were doing some sort of agility course--you can see some of the stuff in the background. I have no clue why alpacas would need to do this, but it was fun to watch.

Maybe alpacas like to do crazy stuff and need to get tired out, otherwise they get out of control. Embiggen this photo and check out the signs:

One of the vendors had this very cool knitting machine that she let people take a turn at. You crank the handle and it makes a tube which you can use for socks and scarves:

Now for the pricey part--if you knit, you know what I mean. In my defense, it was on sale for the alpaca show, and tomorrow is my birthday. I couldn't help it and I don't care:

O.K. Enough with the teasing. To celebrate my birthday I'm going to have a giveaway--a very pretty project bag containing yarn and other goodies. No, it won't be qiviuk, but it will be something nice, I promise.

You don't have to do anything to be entered. If you follow my blog you'll automatically be in the drawing. It's just my way of saying thanks for reading. But if you aren't a follower, or for an extra chance at winning, leave a comment about why anyone would take an alpaca up a flight of stairs. Let's make the entry deadline midnight MST, May 4. I'll draw the winner on Cinco de Mayo, which is celebrated mostly here in the U.S., and mostly by drinking beer and eating stuff that gives you gas. Party on!

Busted!

2011-04-28T16:09:00.000-06:00

In my family I have many titles--She Who Will Be Obeyed and She Who Always Puts The Toilet Seat Down being several among many. But the title that's probably most often used is She Who Reads The Directions. (I know what you're thinking. Cranky bitch isn't a title; it's a description. So there.)

DH used to buy me a new cell phone anytime he upgraded his, because he knew I'd open up the manual first thing and follow the instructions for setting up email, taking photos, using the apps--all the things you actually buy a cell phone for. I've also installed hard drives in our computers, a new thermostat in our home, and re-lit the pilot light on the furnace because I READ INSTRUCTIONS. You'd think this would carry over to knitting. Ahem.

I present to you two pieces of lace. This is the edging for Jared Flood's Rock Island Shawl. Notice how the lace on the right is wider than the lace on the left, even though they're both knit on the same size needle, with the exact same yarn. The lace on the left appears narrower because its left side curls up slightly. Not a good scenario. Embiggen the next photo for a clue as to why.

In case you aren't able to read the text under the Edging Chart section, it says something about "executing the symbol action that corresponds to the side of the fabric you are working on." Then, check out the symbol chart at the bottom. The same symbol on the opposite side of the fabric IS NOT WORKED THE SAME WAY. More than a minor detail, wouldn't you say? I might have noticed this way before I'd knit a couple of feet of lace if I'd read the instructions, ALL OF THEM, thus saving me from having to start all over again. I might even have noticed it if I hadn't ignored the little voice in my head that kept saying, "Something is not right here." I surely would have noticed it if I'd gone to Ravelry and looked over other knitter's project notes, especially the ones that said "a k2tog on the wrong side is a ssk on the right side." I'm pretty sure that would have gotten my attention.

Learn from my mistakes, people.

Yours truly,
She Who Acts Like She Knows How To Read A Knitting Pattern But Clearly Does Not

You Can Blame Costco

2011-04-25T16:16:00.000-06:00

This is the reason the weather here in the Denver area is going to be crappy for many more weeks to come:

Damn you Costco! Damn you and your hypnotic hold on my common sense!

Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding--And It's Not From Costco!

2011-04-24T18:54:00.000-06:00

I just happened to find myself in my kitchen today and thought, "What the heck. While I'm in here I might as well cook something." I came up with Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding. This is pretty good stuff, if I do say so myself. DD and I had it for breakfast, with a little maple syrup. The leftovers will probably end up as dessert.

For dinner tonight I'm slathering a leg of lamb with a garlic and rosemary paste then tossing it in the oven. I'll serve it with creamed spinach and mashed sweet potatoes with shallots and jalapeno. Round Two, later in the week, will be shepherd's pie. Not bad for the Costco Queen!

I had bread that was in danger of going stale. There was also a bag of dried cherries in the pantry, along with some bitter sweet chocolate chips, and I always have some pecan streusel stashed in the freezer. The rest is history, or bread pudding. Feel free to use any sort of chocolate chips if you don't care for the bitter sweet kind--white chocolate chips would be good. I don't bother to take the crusts off the bread but if you're the persnickety sort, trim them away. I use 1% milk but you can live on the edge and use whole milk or even half and half.

Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding

2 teaspoons butter, for coating baking dish

5 slices day-old country-style white bread, cut into 1” cubes (about 5 cups)

1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

½ cup dried cherries, cut in half if large

3 whole eggs

1 ¾ cups milk

pinch of salt

¼ cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ to ¾ cup pecan streusel topping—recipe follows

Prepare streusel topping.

Butter a 1½ quart baking dish. Layer 1/3 of bread cubes in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the chocolate chips and half the dried cherries. Layer with another 1/3 of bread cubes and sprinkle with remainder of chocolate chips and dried cherries. Top with remaining bread cubes.

In a separate bowl beat together eggs with the milk, salt, sugar, and vanilla, until well combined. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread cubes. With a spatula or your hands, press bread to submerge it into the egg mixture. Sprinkle evenly with the streusel topping.

Let mixture sit for 15 minutes, then turn on oven to 375 degrees (350 convection.) Preheat oven heat for 15 minutes.

Place pan in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until bread pudding is very puffy and the center springs back when pushed.

Let rest for 20 minutes. Bread pudding with settle somewhat. Serve plain, with powdered sugar, maple syrup, or whipped cream.

Pecan Streusel Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted

½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter, chilled and cut into ½ inch cubes

Stir together flour, pecans, brown sugar, and salt until well combined. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour, or mash the butter into the flour with your finger tips, until the mixture is crumbly and no large pieces of butter remain. I like to squeeze the mixture into pieces about the size of small marbles or large peas, so that when they're baked they have a little crunch to them. Chill for 30 minutes before using, or freeze for future use. To use, sprinkle onto bread pudding, pies, muffins, etc., then bake as per your recipe. If using frozen streusel topping, there is no need to thaw it beforehand.

Crazy, Sexy Knitting

2011-04-22T13:13:00.000-06:00

This is the first 1% of the lace edging of Jared Flood's Rock Island Shawl. Yes, you read that correctly. Good thing I really, really, really love my new Signature circular needles. I'll pause here so you can drool jealously all over your keyboards.

The yarn--Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock--is dark and inky and gorgeous. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do at night but that's why I work on multiple projects at once. The pattern is challenging but fun--challenging in the fact that I am going to be knitting on that lace edging FOREVER. But the good news is once that's finished it should be like a hot knife through butter.

And for everyone who wanted to know about the needles--they are worth every cent, I'm sorry to say. The stiletto tips are fantastic for getting into those tight situations like a YO/K2tog combo, and the shafts have just the right amount of grab. Sexy! And don't get me started on the swiveling, soft cord.

Here's a Friday shout-out to beckyknitstoo, for inspiring me to get outside and work on my own tiny ~~planter~~ garden. It consists of a clematis and three lavender plants, one of which doesn't seem to get enough sun and stays puny. It will probably be moved and replaced with something that doesn't mind shade. If the weather isn't too crappy this weekend, I'll dig out my pots and prep them for planting. I haven't decided what will go in them--probably whatever Costco has. I've been happy with the things I've bought from them the last few years, but it's hit or miss as to when and what I get. And if I plant stuff anytime soon, I'll be dragging the pots in and out of the garage until the frost danger is past. I usually wait until Mother's Day but this year I'm feeling like I want to get started early.

Our downstairs glass has been replaced, the BS letter to the architectural committee has been sent--we have to get "permission" to add motion detector lights and security gates on our sliding doors and front door--and the alarm system is up and running. I don't think there's much more we can do. If this doesn't keep my yarn stash safe, nothing will.

Please cross your fingers for me, that this Friday night is bland and boring, and has nothing more stressful than the crapload of laundry I need to fold. If you want to come over and help me, I'll provide the wine and Cheez-It. Have a fabulous weekend, everybody!

Twiddling my Thumbs with Barbra Streisand

2011-04-21T09:50:00.000-06:00

My Signature circulars hit Denver at about 3:45 a.m. this morning, according to the USPS tracker thing, so MAYBE I'll have them in my hot little hands by this afternoon. I hope so, because I'll be trapped at home waiting for the security alarm company to show up--perfect time to knit, right?

In the meantime, here's a time-suck link that is really stupid and funny, the very definition of a time-suck. Click away, but you've been warned. And no, I have no idea how this has anything to do with Barbra Streisand.

Loose Ends

2011-04-18T13:22:00.000-06:00

First, proof the weekend didn't suck total ass:

The center balls are Russian sock yarn, gifted to me. Thanks Donna! Through the magic of the interwebs I was able to figure out it's a 95/5 wool and nylon blend. There's about 1200 yards, so I think a huge comfy shawl will be just the thing.

The other yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd, in the Grand Street Ink colorway. It will be cast on as a Rock Island shawl as soon as my Signature circular size seven stilettos arrive in the mail. Fingers crossed for Wednesday. I was good and pissed off at the vandals when I went to the Signature site, but I don't regret it. I'm going to slam out the work I have--patterns to finish proofreading and a colorwork hat thisclose to being done--so I can cast on the second they get here.

I also went to a bead show and bought a couple of really gorgeous beads that will hopefully end up on shawl pins. I've been looking for a decent pair of round nose pliers and found some on sale at the show. I guess things are looking up.

Now for what you've really been waiting for: DD didn't go to After Prom. She had to be back at school at 8 a.m. the very next day to work a two hour shift for a music competition, then after that she planned to spend an entire day at StarFest. So she and The Boyfriend, who is also a Star Trek geek, decided to call it an early evening. It turned out to be rather fortuitous, since they would have gotten back to our house right as the sh!t was hitting the fan had they gone to After Prom. I guess things have a way of working out. They missed all the drama (DD slept through most of the ordeal) and I didn't have to dress up like a waiter or a giant condom--they had all the volunteers they needed so DH and I stayed home. I don't even want to think about what it would have been like if we would have worked the last shift of After Prom and came home to the pile o'crap that was our Saturday morning.

Now we are dealing with the insurances issues, which DOES suck ass. We are also having outside motion detector lights installed, as soon as we can get an electrician to show up. Note to our electrician neighbor who said he would install them yesterday and couldn't bother to walk the 50 feet to our house or call us to say he couldn't make it: They will be selling snow cones in hell before you ever get another free hockey ticket from us, so yeah! Have a great week, dude!

We're also arranging for other security measures, and DD decided which college she'll be attending, so let's just say I'll be yarn shopping from my stash for a while. Have a great week everybody!

Weekends Suck

2011-04-16T08:29:00.000-06:00

Maybe you remember last weekend.

This weekend isn't looking any better. At least they caught the bastards this time. I'll write more when I get over feeling like I need to bludgeon somebody, and we get the mess cleaned up.

I really hate weekends.

It Was Worth the Drama

2011-04-15T22:11:00.001-06:00

Did she go to After Prom and get married? Stay tuned...

Prom II--The Horror Continues

2011-04-14T22:43:00.000-06:00

Since this purports to be a knitting blog, I'll give you some knitting:

Colorwork is not my forte but I'm getting better and better at it. This is a hat for another designer. I really love this pattern and yarn--Cascade 220. It will be an epattern in the near future and as soon as it's out, I'll post a link.

With stranded knitting, I'm much more comfortable holding the yarn in separate hands, even though I'm a continental knitter through and through. It's the tensioning of the yarn in my right hand that takes practice. Usually, I'm pretty loose, but that actually helps in stranded knitting. I'm having no trouble with puckering on the right side of the fabric. I won't be switching to English knitting anytime soon, but I'm getting more competent with it. I think my floats look pretty good.

Some of you might recognize the fact that I'm using the Philosopher's Two-handed method of stranded knitting. It's what I was taught and the method I like the best. I am not a fan of long floats--if there's any place to catch a finger or jewelry on a long float I'll find it. I like the weaving action of this method and I don't feel like the weaves show through all that much.

As for prom--tonight we found out that one of the activities planned for After Prom is... wait for it... wait for it... a wedding chapel. I'm assuming this brilliant idea came from the same sh!t for brains that thought the parent chaperons should wear black and white. I'm pretty sure they caught on that I'm not very thrilled with this boneheaded scheme when I said something about punching somebody in the face if my daughter should come home with any stupid ideas. Ha ha. Apparently, the wedding chapel was done at another school and everybody thought it was a real crackup. Yeah. I'm laughing my ass off.

Eight hundred wedding rings have been purchased, presumably so the "happy couples" can pose for a photo opportunity. I guess if the kids are going to get stoned and knocked up on prom night, a wedding chapel makes sense. I can hardly wait.

Prom is a Four Letter Word--My Best Rant EVER!*

2011-04-13T15:32:00.000-06:00

I have no idea when prom and all the required accoutrements turned into the soul-sucking big deal that it's become, but I really need the person responsible for this to smack themselves upside the head. And do it hard, REAL HARD.

I thought finding The Dress would be the last big battle in this war on my sanity. I should have known. And no, the PBS (prom bullsh*t) isn't emanating from DD. It's coming mostly from other parents. The fact that this surprises me is proof I shouldn't be allowed to handle sharp objects.

Prom is Friday night, with After Prom immediately following--in a different location. As if the kids can't/won't make a side trip to Trouble on the way to After Prom. Fine. Nice. Whatever. I understand the reasoning behind all of this; they're trying to keep our kids safe. The idea is to keep the kids corralled in one place so they don't spend the night drinking, smoking pot, and having S. E. X. I guess they want them to do something different for a change. But here's the kicker--I got the email LAST NIGHT that they need parent volunteers for After Prom. DH volunteered our services two months ago and not a single person got back to him, which led me to believe they have all the volunteers they need (further confirmation about my sharp object theory). I'll just fast forward to the insult-to-injury part: the parent volunteers are expected to wear a uniform--a white shirt and black pants. They don't want the kids to be confused about who we are and why we're in the school gym with them at four o'clock in the morning. Yeah, the kids are going to take one look at us in our white shirts and black pants and say, "Whoa! How can I even think of S. E. X and D. R. U. G. S. when my parents are wearing black and white? No, I'm going to follow the straight and narrow path because a uniform means somebody is being serious! Subliminally, they remind me of cops!"

How about this: instead of worrying that our kids are smoking doobies and doing the Big Nasty, why don't we give them ways to deal with the tremendous stress they're under right now? HELLO. The time to begin dealing with S. E. X and D. R. U. G. S was about eighteen years ago. In the real world, that horse probably left the barn a long time ago--have you checked your kid's facebook page lately? Meanwhile, our kids are reminded on a daily basis that if they don't get top grades and get into the best schools they are doomed, and oh by the way, they should probably work on curing cancer, the current financial debacle, and global warming, in between studying for finals and doing volunteer work at a homeless shelter. But hey, no pressure! So what if we threw you into the deep end of the pool before we taught you to swim. You're smart, you can deal with it. Besides, your parents will be wearing a white shirt and black pants. How awesome is that!

*Yes, I realize this rant isn't really about Prom, but academic stress isn't a four letter word, unless you're talking about Math, which for me IS a four letter word.

Monday--WooHoo!

2011-04-11T17:22:00.000-06:00

Today is a good day because:

We got brand new low flow toilets and they're only going to cost $25 each, and that includes installation. This is thanks to a water conservation program from our city water department. I got to take the first test flush and I am way more excited about this than I should be.
The windshield installation company said they'd be here between three and five p.m., to replace DD's vandalized windshield. I'd have bet big money they wouldn't show up before six. Instead, the guy arrived at 3:30. Time to buy a lottery ticket!
The Ribby Cardi is on the blocking wires and should be ready for the zipper tomorrow.
DS (Tilly's daddy) started blogging. He knows more about photography than I ever can, and will feature lots of photos on his blog. So if you want to see some really good pictures, check him out. This link is a video of one of his dogs balancing a piece of doggy bacon... really funny!
I'm doing some stranded colorwork and it really looks good, even with a plumber supervisor talking ENDLESSLY, mostly about non-toilet stuff.

Sophie is making sure I do a good job.

I have high hopes for the rest of the week. Here's hoping your week started this well too!

Knittus Interruptus

2011-04-09T10:00:00.000-06:00

Well. I was going to post a little something about my Ribby Cardi, which is getting an i-cord bind-off on the front bands, and how I never correctly estimate how long it takes to do an i-cord bind-off, yada yada yada. But instead I thought I'd show you what it looks like when your daughter's car is being dusted for fingerprints because some asshat(s) decided to smash the windshield, because THAT IS JUST WAY MORE FUN THAN AN EFFING I-CORD BIND-OFF.

We aren't the only ones to get hit. I'm thinking we can all get together, compare the damages and plot revenge. I am so glad I downloaded that pattern for a voodoo doll.

Anybody Want to Buy a Sweater on EBay?

2011-04-06T17:22:00.000-06:00

My bff is one of those rare people who used to knit, and was very good at it, but doesn't knit anymore. One of the first things she ever made was a pair of argyle socks. I think that's pretty impressive, for a newbie knitter. About 30 years ago, she made a Lopi sweater similar to this one, for her husband.

He picked the pattern and yarn and she poured her heart and soul into that sweater--it's really beautiful. He. Never. Wore. It. She never knit anything ever again.

She is still pissed off to this day. I don't think I blame her.

I'm Finished Except for the Seaming--Ha!

2011-04-05T12:07:00.000-06:00

I always get a kick out of cruising the UFO's on Ravelry and seeing, "I'm finished except for the seaming." ROFLMAO! Honey, you are nowhere near finished, but you are at the fun part.

Call me a freak, but I really do enjoy seaming. *Sometimes I put it off, and I have no clue why. I guess it's one of those knitting chores that you're supposed to hate--I hear that all the time. But really, seaming is the icing on the cake, the cherry on the sundae, the lime in the tequila. It's the make or break part of any knitted and seamed garment, crochet too. Even if the pieces--body, sleeves, collar--are knitted to perfection, if the seaming is crap, all your hard work just ends up looking like, well, crap. No pressure, eh?

Here's my Ribby Cardi, main pieces knitted, and laid out to form the sweater:

No, I am nowhere near finished, because I still need to weave in all the yarn ends, seam the sleeves and body, attach the sleeves to the body, knit on a collar, pick up stitches on the fronts for the zipper bands, then add an i-cord bind-off for the zipper bands and along the collar, then baste and sew in the zipper. But before I do all that, I need to steam the edges flat. If this were a wool yarn, I'd go ahead and block all the pieces first, but since it's a cotton blend that's just going to end up being tossed in the washer and dryer, I'm not going to bother. But I do want the edges nice and flat for seaming. This is where my little-used iron comes in handy.

The sleeve edge on the right hasn't been steamed flat. Notice how it curls. The sleeve edge on the left has been steamed and is nice and flat, making it very easy to see the edge stitch and the one next to it. Between these two stitches is where you'll find the horizontal bar that's picked up for mattress stitch seaming.

Since this particular yarn--Berroco Weekend--is comprised of four plies, I'm going to divide my seaming yarn in half, to keep the seam bulk to a minimum. Obviously you can't do this with a single ply yarn. In that case, I'd consider seaming with a smaller gauge yarn in a color that closely matches the garment.

As for steaming the seams, yes, I do use an iron, and no, I'm not concerned about killing this yarn even though it is mostly acrylic. I don't press down on any spot for more than a second or two, but the iron does touch the yarn and I do use the steam setting. I find that it takes a lot of work to actually kill acrylic--I really have to use force and show it who's the boss. For this sweater, however, I'm not going to use the iron on anything but the seams and edges. There's no sense tempting fate.

*Yes, I started this sweater over a year ago--delayed gratification!

With Apologies to Dr. Seuss and Eskimimi

2011-04-03T15:17:00.000-06:00

The topic for the last day of the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week:

Write about your typical crafting time. When it is that you are likely to craft – alone or in more social environments, when watching TV or whilst taking bus journeys. What items do you like to surround yourself with whilst you twirl your hook like a majorette’s baton or work those needles like a skilled set of samurai swords. Do you always have snacks to hand, or are you a strictly ‘no crumbs near my yarn!’ kind of knitter.

Ode to the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week

I have knitted in a car.
I have knitted in a bar.
Trains have seen knitting. Airplanes, too.
But mostly it's home--how about you?

Eggs and ham with yarn, you say?
Why not, say I. Stains wash away.

Will I knit with wine or beer?
Yes, oh yes! Let's pour some cheer!

I don't need quiet when I knit.
But not while counting--I have a fit!

I'll knit alone or with a friend.
My right to knit, I will defend!
I'm creating, I'm not ignoring.
Give me a break! At least I'm not snoring.

Let's knit a sweater!
Let's knit some socks!
Let's knit in a tree house!
Let's knit in a box!

Knitting, knitting, everywhere.
People are staring, but I don't care.
With millions on Ravelry and more to be had,
It's the non-crafters out there who should feel sad!

I do so love knitting and crochet.
So thank you, LYS's, thank you I say!
And thank you Eskimimi, for all that you do.
Can't wait for next year. How about you?

Love,
JelliDonut

Putting the EEK in Steek

2011-04-02T12:01:00.000-06:00

The topic for day six of the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week:

Something to aspire to. Is there a pattern or skill that you don’t yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to (or think you can only dream of) tackling in the future, near or distant? Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication and mastery of the craft? Maybe the skill or pattern is one that you don’t even personally want to make but can stand back and admire those that do. Maybe it is something you think you will never be bothered to actually make but can admire the result of those that have.

I like to think of myself as a ballsy kind of broad but *steeking, just the idea of it, makes me want to hide under a Kaffe Fassett blanket. Speaking of things I admire but will never knit:

photo from the Kaffe Fassett Studio

Go on, I double-dog dare you. This is the Madras Blocks Throw, from the Kaffe Fassett Studio, for the Kaffe Summer House collection. Just thinking of dealing with all those yarn ends makes me want to scream, but knock yourself out. I love this, but I know my limits.

Back to steeking--it's actually a technique I will attempt and conquer one day. I'm thinking I'll start with a cardi for my granddaughter Tilly, then work my way up to a Bohus sweater for me. The patterns featured in the Bohus link are generally done on size 2.5 mm needles--SOCK NEEDLES--which means it will take for-freaking-ever. This is Yarn Harlot-type knitting--she knits so fast that sparks fly off her needles. Me? It will be more like a slow motion video.

*THIS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART--These are graphic photos of knitting and scissors. You've been warned.

Haiku You!

2011-04-01T14:41:00.000-06:00

The topic for day five of the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week:

This is an experimental blogging day to try and push your creativity in blogging to the same level that you perhaps push your creativity in the items you create.

This is a photo I took last year in Jamaica. Here's the blog post linky.

And here is my haiku. There has never been a haiku in this blog before, so yeah, I'm pushing it. Enjoy.

Teaching Giovanni to Knit

Yarn slides through fingers,

unskilled and eager to learn.

Four hands, one friendship.

Where are they now? 2KCBWDAY4

2011-03-31T14:33:00.000-06:00

The topic for day four of the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week:

Whatever happened to your __________?

Write about the fate of a past knitting project. Whether it be something that you crocheted or knitted for yourself or to give to another person. An item that lives with you or something which you sent off to charity.

I don't really have any trouble letting go of an item that I've knitted and gifted. My step-dad taught me years ago that once you give somebody something, it's not yours anymore and that person is free to do whatever they want with it. He doesn't knit, so I'm not sure if he'd change his tune about knitted gifts, but I doubt it. He's a pretty straight-up kind of person. I tend to knit it, give it, and forget it. But I SERIOUSLY love these gift tags. All that being said, if you knit an unappreciative person a very looooooong scarf, you could always strangle them with it. Just sayin'...

This is a short post and not 100% on topic, because DD had all four wisdom teeth yanked today. She hates being fussed over, so I give her space when she needs it, but my mind is mostly on her and not blogging. This would be the perfect time to give her another knitting lesson, with her being stoned on Vicodin and not able to run from me, but maybe I'll save that for tomorrow.

The Naughty and the Nice

2011-03-30T20:03:00.000-06:00

The topic for day three of the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week:

How do you keep your yarn wrangling organised? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organisation exists on many levels. Maybe you are truly not organised at all, in which case I am personally daring you to try and photograph your stash in whatever locations you can find the individual skeins. However, if you are organised, blog about an aspect of that organisation process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organised stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry.

You should probably be sitting down for this post. I'd suggest alcohol, too. Maybe practice averting your eyes quickly. You've been warned.

First of all:

No, this isn't the naughty. This is the nice, what there is of it. It's the yarn wrangling doodad I bought at Madrona. It's about as organized as I get, aside from some pretty fabric baskets I bought on sale from Amazon. I half-assed thought about saving them for gifts, but Little Miss Greedy Pig has kept them for herself.

Enough of the diversionary tactics--here's the naughty, in all its shame:

Doesn't look so bad, except that this is the best this particular spot has ever looked, and that's because I spiffed it up before I took the picture. I also Photoshopped it. And left out the huge pile o'crap to the left. But wait! There's more!

Once again, you're probably say, "Jelli, it's not that bad!" But see the plastic space bags on the left? I DID NOT PUT THEM THERE. But I did move the dozen others that were blocking the boxes containing yarn that you see on the right. I'm fairly certain that putting space bags containing tee shirts that you are never, ever going to wear again in the closet where your spouse stores yarn is grounds for divorce. ARE YOU LISTENING TO MEEEEEEE?

Someday we will be empty nesters and someday I will have the office of my dreams, with shelving and storage and a wine refrigerator, and maybe even a bean bag chair and a little bell I can ring when I need more ice or a cappuccino. If you're going to dream, dream big.

Skill + 1UP--Braggin' on my Bad Self

2011-03-29T14:33:00.000-06:00

The topic for day two of the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week:

Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?

JelliDonut isn't usually about the long post, so if you need it down and dirty, skip to the last paragraph. That's the important one. But if you have a few minutes...

I'm not one to linger over past achievements. As I was looking over my Ravelry projects page, I was surprised at how many of my finished pieces I haven't even bothered to put there. My ideas for patterns have come so fast and furious, one is barely off the needles before I'm starting on the next. Not a bad problem to have except that I want to publish them and hopefully see them on the needles of other knitters. How about we just do a Vulcan mind meld? And don't get me started on the 7,382 patterns in my Ravelry queue. There's so much talent out there, it's hard not to fall in love with something new every day.

But as far as stuff I've actually finished, I've dabbled in colorwork a tad:

and added beads to my knitting for the first time:

But really, the biggest leap I've taken is how serious I've gotten about knitting and everything that goes with it.

This (mostly) knitting blog is just a little over a year old. I swear I woke up one day and said, "Hmm. I've got some time on my hands. Why don't I start a blog today?" Crazy, but that's how I roll. See the cliff. Jump off the cliff. I figured out early that good photos help, so I got a decent camera for my birthday last year, then took some photography classes so I could produce better photos of my FO's--that's finished objects for you non-knitters.

I've started an Etsy shop, which has been woefully neglected lately, but was the result of several hats I designed. The plan is to sell the prototypes on Etsy and maybe the patterns too.

Speaking of patterns, a few months ago I got a tech editor to work on the pattern for one of the hats that started me on Etsy. Her four pages of notes for just one of my patterns only mildly freaked me out, and I'm more determined than ever to get my patterns out there. I've even contacted someone about designing a logo for me. Get my autograph while you can--I'm gonna be big and I'm not just talking about my butt.

I attended Madrona for the first time, and I've taken several other knitting classes from some pretty experienced teachers. I think it's paid off because I've been asked to test knit, and to do some knitting for the portfolio of a pretty cool designer. I'm not bragging here. I'm still pretty stunned that somebody thinks my knitting is good enough for their patterns. Stunned and humbled.

I have begun working with a well known knitter, designer, and author who lives here in Colorado. The job title is still up in the air--I'm torn between aide-de-campe, adjuntanté, and She Who Must Be Obeyed--but I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to help her get her first e-book and e-patterns published, and her seventh book released.

Last, and decidedly not least, in the past year I've made so many friends from and because of knitting. I've been gifted with socks and yarn, quilted pin cushions and books, words of inspiration and thoughtfulness, and I've even met some of you. A year ago, I never would have dreamt any of this was possible. Not a bad way to spend a year. Can't wait to see what the next one brings!

A Thin Line Between Love and Hate

2011-03-28T10:31:00.000-06:00

As you can see from the new gadget in the sidebar, I'm participating in the 2nd Annual Knitting & Crochet Blog Week. Because really, I don't have nearly enough to do. I have stuff going on right now that would turn your hair gray, but that's another blog post. At least this gives me a focus for the next seven days.

Here's today's topic:

Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.

The yarn yearning is easy--I want Wollmeise, which is German for "ha ha, everybody has this yarn except you." It's almost an urban legend to me. Does it really exist? Will I have to travel to Germany to actually own some or do I have the guts to just order it online without ever having touched it beforehand? How will DH handle it if/when I tell him I'm flying to Germany for yarn?

I don't loathe too many yarns, and I don't feel badly about the ones I do, but I'll always feel a little sad that I HATE knitting with silk yarn. I've tried to love it, but I can't. It's like trying to love a pair of shoes that just kill your feet. They end up in the back of the closet gathering dust. Maybe you take them out once in a while and pet them and dream about the outfits they'd go with, but that's always the extent of it. I dyed some silk yarn about 18 months ago and still love the resulting skein, but I just can't imagine knitting an entire ANYTHING with it. I know I should give it away but I'm not quite ready to give up on it. I'll figure out something.

Tomorrow's topic is about whether or not I've acquired any new knitting skills. Does drinking wine while I knit count? Stay tuned!

I like to think she gets it from me.

2011-03-26T14:51:00.000-06:00

But she's too good at math, so I know better.

A little more Madrona

2011-03-24T14:50:00.000-06:00

I was lucky enough to get into the Photographing Your Fiber class, conducted by one of my favorite knitting personalities, Franklin Habit.

The rumors about me stalking Franklin were just that--rumors. I only hope he wasn't too freaked out when I happened to be sitting at the table next to his, the night of the banquet. Totally not planned. A very stylish woman from Florida asked me to sit with her and SHE picked the table. If you click on the Franklin link you can read his very nice account of Madrona 2011. There's a great panorama photo of the banquet. I'm right in front of the podium with my back turned toward the camera, so that he couldn't get a clear picture of my face, just in case.

Here's a few yarn pr0n shots I took in the class. What do you think?

Read about my free TSA massage! Awesome!

2011-03-22T12:11:00.000-06:00

I've been flying a lot lately--three trips in six weeks--and now that all my travel has been completed I'm glad I won't need to go near another airport for a while. I'm getting used to the whole post 9-11 paranoia thing, but I sure am nostalgic for the good old days when going to the airport was part of the fun of travel. Now it's more like a test to see if you've got the cojones to actually take a trip.

I remember when "security" meant some grumpy guy in a uniform asking if you were carrying any liquor or cigarettes in your suitcase. Not usually a problem for me--drink it and smoke it before you leave is my motto. But I always felt like I looked guilty even if I wasn't.

Apparently, I never did nail the innocent look, because on all three trips I took in the last six weeks I got "selected" for extra screening on at least one leg of the trip. The first time, it was 5 a.m. and I was in that damn DNA zapping machine before I knew what was happening--I'm so NOT a morning person. The second time, I was more than a little irritated but didn't want to piss off The Man and risk missing my flight. By the third trip I'd already made up my mind that I was done with being irradiated and I would just get to the airport in plenty of time for my free TSA massage if it came to it. Which of course it did.

Honestly, it's no big deal. It took a little courage on my part to tell them I was requesting the pat-down but I'd already decided I wasn't going to take my chances in the Orgasmatron machine anymore. I know they say it's perfectly safe, less radiation than an x-ray, yada yada yada, but who gets that many x-rays in less than two months unless they're sick?

It was all very professional. You have the option of going into a private area, but I decided not to. You stand on a cushy mat, with your feet apart, while they play the Where's Waldo game all over your body. The most "invasive" part was the karate chop move to my hooha, but if you've ever been to a gynecologist you've had way more than that done to your private parts while naked and on your back. I just wanted to get to my gate so I could knit. As long as they never, ever screw with my knitting I'll keep flying.

Zombies in Minneapolis

2011-03-21T16:47:00.000-06:00

Just spent the weekend in Minneapolis with DS and family--that means Tilly Time! She's eight months old now and NEVER stops moving. Here's what she thinks of peas:

DS is a great photographer and found this exhibit in a cool, funky neighborhood in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Photo Center is a great resource for professionals and amateurs alike and the current show is well worth seeing. After we checked it out and were on our way to Uptown--the place where I did my baby stalking--we passed this building that I had to photograph. DS indulged me and turned the car around so I could get a picture. I think you can see what caught my eye:

Of course I immediately thought of Lorna's Laces Zombie BBQ. I guess chartreuse, red, and purple are the standard zombie colors. My own skein of Zombie is currently on the needles and will be a pair of leggings for Tilly. I'm hoping Lorna's has a matching red for a sweater.

Next up--I get felt up in the Minneapolis airport. Stay tuned!

2011-03-20T16:09:00.001-06:00

Do I look like stalker?So I'm in the Apple store in uptown Minneapolis and I spot a baby wearing a really cute knitted hat. Unfortunately I couldn't really Kinnear the baby--she was in one of those carriers that you strap on your front, making a stealth iPhone photo pretty much impossible. (Parents can be funny that way.) When I abandoned the sneaky tactic and just flat out asked if I could take a picture of the hat, SHE TOOK IT OFF THE BABY'S HEAD. Lady, that was so not helpful!

You are not going to believe this

2011-03-17T10:19:00.000-06:00

DD tried on a total of two dresses and fell in love with the second one, a cocktail-length one shoulder number in a deep blue satin and not expensive, which I picked out. Yeah, I know. I'm on my way to the 7-11 up the street to buy a lottery ticket, because this kind of luck WILL NOT LAST.

I'm almost sorry it barely took 20 minutes because we had such a great time. And it gets better--she already has shoes that go perfectly with the dress.

Let's make that two lottery tickets.

If I never post again...

2011-03-16T12:21:00.000-06:00

It's because I'm taking DD prom dress shopping this afternoon. Wish me luck.

For those of you who read blogs on your cell phone or iPad, I've updated my mobile blogging. This blog should now be easier to read and prettier for you. Thanks, Blogger, for making it so readily apparent that this feature not only exists, but that I needed to switch to draft.blogger.com to access it. Good thing I'm fluent in Snark too.

What do Kinnearing and ebooks have in common?

2011-03-15T15:06:00.000-06:00

Absolutely nothing as far as I know, but I needed a segue, hence the title.

I spent last week in Indian Wells, California and you might want to be sitting down for this next sentence. I did absolutely zero knitting. The bff and I went out for the BNP tennis tournament, among other things, and I never even took my yarn out of the bag. Sad but true. I did manage some reading on my Nook, however. I've yet to buy a Nook knitting book and I'm wondering what they're like. Anybody try this yet?

I came upon this NY Times article today. Feel free to weigh in on the topic. I'd love to hear your opinions on this too.

Now for the Kinnearing:

The guy in the white shirt is Kevin Anderson, a South African tennis player. I think the other guy is Rik De Voest, also of South Africa. If I'm wrong, feel free to let me know.

FYI--the cell phone coverage in the Indian Wells/Palm Desert area stinks. I don't know how realtors and teenagers survive. Lots of times I couldn't even get enough bandwidth to send a text, let alone do any mobile blogging, and I couldn't cobble together enough time to sit down with my laptop in a Starbucks and do any kind of work that required an internet connection. You'd think with all the $$$ out there, they'd have gold plated cell towers but what do I know.

The rest of the week doesn't look good for knitting, since I have some knit-related computer work I'm doing and the rest of the BNP is being televised until about midnight every night. I'm trying to catch up on my blog reading, but Blogger is being weird and not letting me read anything older than about 16 hours, so I have to use Google Reader. I hate Google Reader--it's so ugly it makes me want to dig out my own eyeballs with a spoon, so it's taking me FOREVER to read all the blogs I follow, but I'm working on it. I was also going to rant about Daylight Savings Time kicking my butt, but I'm too tired. Talk amongst yourselves.

Madrona Treasures, Part 3

2011-03-02T14:41:00.001-07:00

Remember these?

Until Madrona, it was pretty much the only thing I'd ever won. It was some sort of tennis shindig and winning it meant I was out of the running for the really good prizes, like free lessons. I brought it home to DD which made me look awesome, so not a total loss.

I won this in a drawing at Madrona:

I showed it in an earlier post that was done on my iPhone. I still haven't gotten the hang of mobile blogging--none of my formatting shows up--so it's a really crappy post. Plus, I neglected to mention that one of my favorite bloggers has a pattern in this book. Ann McClure, of The Adventures of Traveling Ann fame, has a lovely pair of socks featured in this book: Eyelet and Feather Socks. And no, I'm not giving away this copy. It's mine, all mine. There are 101 patterns in this book, all of which use my favorite weight of yarn, sock yarn. Seriously, you want this book. But you can't have mine. I'm hoping I'll meet Ann some day and she'll autograph it for me.

I will leave you with a screen shot I took of an online 8 ball:

Ahem. More on this later.

Madrona Treasures, Part 2

2011-03-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

Do you know what this is?

I bought it at Madrona, so I can do this:

Pretty cool, huh? I'm hoping this little doohickey will make it easier to knit two strands together. You use it with center pull balls but obviously unwinding from the outside. The top tier, which is attached to the spindle, spins quite easily. You can pull straight from the skeins, or unwind the yarn a little bit at a time. I'm still getting used to it, trying to make sure it doesn't change my tension, so for now I just pull small lengths of yarn as I need it. I'll try knitting straight from the skeins on my next new project.

It's from Chameleon Colorworks, but I don't see it on their website. If you're interested, maybe send them an email.

But wait! There's more...

The Madrona Treasures

2011-02-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a Nicholas Cage adventure movie, doesn't it? It certainly was an adventure, but more on that later. I'm waiting for the statute of limitations to expire.

The first Madrona posts will be all about the goodies. Here's one of my favorite non-yarn purchases:

This is a blocking wire kit from Handworks Northwest. According to Franklin Habit, it was put together specifically for Churchmouse Yarns and Teas, a lovely shop in Bainbridge Island, Washington. I don't see it on the Churchmouse website, but if you'd rather have this one instead of the one featured on the Handworks site, you might give Churchmouse a call. From what I can tell, this one doesn't contain the 18 fine wires and the T pins that are in the "deluxe" kit. That's O.K. with me, since I already had some.

What I really love about this kit is the storage sleeve. My old set came in a cardboard tube that was already dented by the time it got delivered. Thanks USPS! This one is some sort of really tough plastic--made it through the baggage hold of Frontier Airlines just fine, in only a cardboard box. I also love the heavy wires in this kit. You can block lace until it begs for mercy and these wires don't bend out of shape. I've already used them and I had no trouble with snagging--the ends are hand polished and it comes with a small piece of polishing cloth so you can smooth out any rough spots that might have been missed. It also comes with instructions, something my old kit didn't have. They give you some great tips on wet blocking and how to use the wires.

My next goody is pretty cool. Even DH thought it was awesome. Stay tuned... and have a great week!

Travel tips, or why mace should be allowed in your carry on

2011-02-25T15:21:00.001-07:00

Remember when traveling to your destination was almost as much fun as when you actually got there? Yeah, me neither. But seriously, I do remember a time when airports were interesting and flying somewhere was exciting. It's still exciting now, but mostly in a 'I wonder how many people on this plane have the swine flu' kind of way. Makes those three day car rides from hell look a lot more appealing.

But never fear, I'm here to help. Check out these tips I've put together from my last trip:

Always allow yourself plenty of time for checking your bags, getting through security, and people watching at your gate. Tip: If you're pressed for time and in danger of missing your flight, you're more likely to be selected to be zapped with DNA-changing x-rays or felt up by a TSA employee with hemorrhoids and a bad attitude. I don't have the hard data to back this up, but Murphy's Law is real and TSA knows it.
Always carry plenty of hand sanitizer. Some people believe that the self-flushing toilets in airport restrooms are magical, so they don't need to wash their hands after. Tip: Staring at these people as they blithely stroll past the soap and water does no good--they just ignore you. This is where mace would be handy.
Flights are more likely to be full these days, practically insuring that there will be no overhead bin space by the time you get on the plane. Tip: Telling the gate agent she is a f*cking bitch because she won't let you carry on a bag that is only slightly smaller than most of the bags in the cargo hold doesn't help you. Neither does screaming that you and your companion are a lesbian couple. No one cares. We, your fellow passengers, only care that you tried to hog OUR share of the overhead bin space.
If someone is going to bring their own meal on board, it will always be something with extra garlic and/or onions, and they'll always be sitting next to you. Tip: If you stare longingly at their food they'll eat it faster. You can always offer them a mint when they've finished their General Tso Chicken with Forty Garlic Cloves.
Before you board, check out the gate area to see who's knitting. Tip: If one of your dpns accidentally becomes lodged in the thigh of the personal space-stealing person seated next to you, it's good to know where the nearest knitter is seated. He/she probably has a spare.

And speaking of crammed:

Next post will be about Madrona. Have a great week!

And lo, there was stash enhancement!

2011-02-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a peek at my stash enhancement from Madrona. I'm so excited about the Shelter and can't wait to get it on the needles. The colors are glorious! It's a strong yarn, but not itchy. Can't remember what the red is--I'm at the airport waiting to board the plane and all the yarn is safely (I hope) tucked into my checked luggage. The yarn on the right is from Toots LeBlanc. Somebody in one of my classes was wearing a scarf made from this yummy stuff and the second I touched it, I knew I would own some. Gorgeous!

I have more stuff to show you after I get home, but it's not yarn. Don't you think I showed an enormous amount of self restraint?

2011-02-19T14:07:00.002-07:00

Now I can no longer say I never win door prizes. Check out what I just won at Madrona. Man, I hope I don't already own this!

The only two classes I was able to get are awesome, fortunately, and they're also both taught by Franklin Habit aka The Panopticon. If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen a tweet about Franklin's cute butt. I swear, this is what happened--I was in the bar, minding my own business when that damned Dolores VH hijacked my phone. AND she owes me $50. Take my word for it--she's bad news and I will never again party with sheep. Live and learn.

2011-02-15T15:40:00.001-07:00

And the winner is... Lucky number 13! I'd post a photo of the random number generator page but the free wifi at Denver International Airport is so agonizingly slow I'd miss my flight. So, I'm using my trusty iPhone to post this. KathyB, send me an email and we'll work out the details. Congrats!

Why is Cupid naked, and would he like free yarn?

2011-02-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

I am a hopeless non-romantic and probably the least sentimental person I know. Maybe it comes from being fairly low maintenance--I don't mind eating alone in a restaurant and I think it's rather silly to celebrate things like the anniversary of the day DH and I met or the first time DD went to a sleep-over. Not to imply that if YOU do these things you've been dipped in honey and rolled in sugar and make my teeth hurt, but that's just me.

I don't get all bent out of shape about getting a table at the perfect restaurant on Valentines Day, mostly because DH is usually working on that day and if we do go out to dinner, it's usually later in the evening. Are we going out tonight? Who knows. Will I get flowers and candy? Who knows. Do I care? Not really. I just want the damn cat to stop barfing today. Told you I'm low maintenance.

But I did promise a giveaway today, and it's mostly in celebration of my blog being a year old. Just leave a comment about how you feel about Valentines Day. Love it? Hate it? Didn't even realize today is Valentines Day? Whatever. Just leave it HERE in the next 24 hours (noon, MST). I'll let the random number generator pick a number and I'll post the winner tomorrow, on my way to Madrona. Here's what the lucky winner will receive:

It's a skein of lightweight Socks that Rock, in the colorway Garden Daze. It's killing me to part with this but if you knit something gorgeous with it and send me a photo I'll feel better.

I have also succumbed to that crazy thing that happens to people when they're about to leave for Rhinebeck or Stitches East/West, or any other fiber festival/workshop. I'm knitting a sweater that I hope to wear at Madrona. Seriously. Because I don't have enough to do right now, what with packing, deciding WHAT to pack, making sure the stuff I have to do for DH and DD before I leave gets done (think FAFSA and other alcohol-required chores). I am hopeless, but at least I'm wearing clothes.

True confession--I really, really like split pea soup

2011-02-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

Don't gag. I'm not talking about the thick green stuff that came out of Linda Blair's mouth. What I love is a velvety, smoky soup that's hearty enough to make me forget the way-below-freezing temperatures we've had to endure this endless winter. O.K., maybe not exactly forget but a good bowl of split pea soup makes it seem a little less brutal.

I turned this:

into this:

Here's the linky to the recipe, and here are my mods: I couldn't get one big meaty ham hock, so I bought a couple of smaller pork hocks, and I didn't bother with the dark bread croutons and mustard. I used half water and half chicken broth, and upped the quantity of onion, to reflect a more traditional mirepoix. (I was taught the amount of onion should be equal to the weight of carrot and celery combined.) I sauteed the mirepoix in olive oil instead of butter--the flavor didn't suffer and I cut out a little bit of saturated fat. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Or soup dinner.

The recipe also calls for putting the soup into a blender or food processor and pureeing it until smooth. That's a pain in the butt--you always spill it or splatter it on the ceiling. I like using a stick blender instead. Yes, me and my gadgets, but it's one more thing I'd hate to cook without. They're perfect for making creamed soups, crepe batter, smoothies, and lots of other things. They've also gone way down in price since I bought mine. Stick blenders--they're a good thing! (Martha stole that line from me, by the way. Seriously. But she's got really good lawyers. Whatever, Martha.)

TINK is a four-letter word, but so is WUSS

2011-02-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

The last time I checked Ravelry, 3106 people had posted Saroyans. That is a lot of love for one free pattern, my friends, and there's a reason why. It's a lovely knit--simple, fast, and beautiful. Of course, when so many people knit the same pattern, somebody is going to come up with mods (modifications, for you non-knitters.)

This is the first side-to-side scarf I've knitted, and I love the construction technique. There's something about decreasing to the bind-off that I adore. The rows keep getting shorter and shorter (and faster and faster) and before you know it, you're binding off. Initially, you increase until the piece is the width you want. Then, you coast along, knitting evenly, until it's time to start the decreases. When I first started the decrease section of my Saroyan, I wasn't happy with the way it looked. The original pattern calls for a k2tog (knit two together) decrease. While I love this decrease for sweater armholes, I didn't like the way it looked for this scarf. To my eye, it really doesn't match the increase--m1l (make one left). But of course, I kept knitting. It's like a recipe, right? The first time you make it, you follow the recipe EXACTLY.

A couple of inches later I came to my senses, and did what I should have done before I started my Saroyan. I went on Ravelry and read about how others worked theirs. When I saw this one, I ripped back and started the decrease section over again, and I'm glad I did. I really like the mods sushikette came up with, and I'm going to keep them in mind when I make my next Saroyan. You can't have too many of a good thing.

My initial foray into Saroyan got me to thinking about how I approach knitting in general. I'm not a novice knitter. I need to be brave and follow my instincts, think outside the box. THINK before I start. I know enough about shaping and cast-ons and bind-offs to know that one method doesn't work for all patterns. I might not go where no knitter has gone before but I don't have to be a sheep either. I have skillz and I should trust myself to use them. While TINK is a four-letter word, it's not the worst thing in the world. To rip off a phrase--knit on!

It's like that movie GroundHog Day, only with yarn

2011-02-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

The weather keeps doing the same thing, over and over and over again--snow, freezing cold temperatures, and gray skies. I'm more than a little sick of it, especially when I think about not going any place warm for another five weeks. I am, however, going to Madrona, so don't feel too sorry for me. A few weeks after that, I finally get to (hopefully) spend some time in the sun. The BFF and I are going to the BNP Paribas Open. We have a free place to crash, we're flying on points, and half of our tickets for the tennis are free. Like I said, don't feel sorry for me. In fact, maybe you should be just a little jealous, because of this:

Kaleidoscope Yarns had this luscious yarn on sale and I couldn't resist. It's the new Tilli Tomas DK weight Symphony. Just in time for Valentines Day, this red is so damn gorgeous, I want to make out with it. The mohair/silk blend is pre-stung with little bitty glass beads that catch the light and make my heart beat faster. I still haven't decided what I'll do with it. If you have a pattern you think would really showcase this yarn, let me know. Each skein is only 117 yards, so I'm thinking something lacy, but I'm open to suggestions.

I have a huge list of things I need to finish before I leave town. The bobble hat pattern needs to be completed and sent back to the tech editor. I completely changed the layout and I'm tinkering with some added graphics, but I need to get my butt in gear. I also have some contract knitting to complete, and my BFF asked me to make a couple of dog sweaters. Here's my Sophie squeezed into the first one:

The dog it's meant for is about half Sophie's weight, but she was a good sport and modeled it for me anyway. I don't have a pattern for the sweater. I just sketched a design and did the math to get close to the size of a sweater that BFF already has. Hopefully, this one works. When you know how to do shaping, it really makes it enjoyable to simply knit away and see what happens. Just do it! Nike stole that line from me, by the way. Seriously.

Sigh. I just glanced out of the window and it's pretty much a blizzard out there. I think maybe I can use some sympathy after all.

Last but not least, congratulations to Lea Ann, winner of the digital scale. Those of you who didn't win, stay tuned... I'm thinking Valentines Day would be a great day for another giveaway to continue the celebration of my first Blogoversary.

Lucky Number Nine

2011-02-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

Come out, come out, wherever you are! The 9th comment comes from Lea Ann. Congratulations! I've had a hard time getting in touch with her, but with our bitterly cold weather, I'm afraid she might be having problems. I'm going to give her more time to contact me, just in case. If anybody knows Lea Ann, or can get in touch with her, that would be great if you could let her know. If she's unable to get back to me, I'll give the random number generator another spin. I'm just hoping everything is O.K. with the winner.

Meanwhile, we continue to have really, really, REALLY cold weather here. I think it finally got above zero, but not by much. Somewhere, there's a beach with my butt on it. Why aren't I there?

I was saving #200 for something special...

2011-02-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

My grand plan was to announce the winner of my digital scale giveaway in blog post #200, which is this post. I've emailed the winner and the person hasn't gotten back to me yet. Maybe it's fate or the way things were meant to be today. I don't know. But I do know that sometimes things get put in your path and you have to change directions. I'm sure I'll hear from the winner sooner or later, and I'll announce the name, but for now...

Today I want to dedicate blog post #200 to Kate. Please read her story. It's eloquent and courageous and thoughtful. Don't worry--it's not sappy and you won't be asked to donate anything. Just read it and be inspired. I promise, you will be.

I wasn't kidding!

2011-01-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

I wasn't kidding about how much I rely on my digital scale for knitting. This is the tiny nubbin of yarn that was left from the last scarf I finished. I haven't measured to see how many yards/meters it actually is, but it's not much. I never feared, however, that I'd run out. Between the calculator and the scale, it was a slam dunk.

There's one more day before the random number generator picks the lucky winner of this scale, so if you haven't entered, you better! Here's the linky.

I have a little secret...

2011-01-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

DH likes to do laundry. I'll pause here for a moment while you swoon.

A few days ago he brought home this little gadget:

The knitter in me thought, "Ah ha! Perfect for machine-washing hand-knit socks;" however, the package says it's for washing lingerie. Perfect for those matching bra and pantie sets! This totally cracked me up. Matching socks I've got, but I don't remember ever buying matching underwear. When you're mammarily challenged, you don't get a lot of choices, underwear-wise. You're just happy to find stuff that fits. Besides, I'm old school. I don't like my underwear pretending it's outerwear, so who's going to know my skivvies don't match?

It doesn't matter anyway. If I were to start sporting matching underwear DH might get suspicious about cabana boys, but since we have neither cabanas nor the boys to go with them here in our town home complex, he has nothing to worry about. Besides, there's nothing sexier than a husband who does laundry. Don't worry honey--I probably have cabana boys on the brain right now because it's 66℉ here in Denver. Not exactly hand-knit sock weather, so I guess the little laundry gadget won't be getting much of a workout.

Reminder--there's only three days left to enter my digital scale giveaway.

I've heard of this, but I thought it was an urban myth

2011-01-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

A long, long time ago I think I mentioned something about making Wednesday a food blog day or a recipe day--something along those lines. I have failed miserably at this. But never fear. Today I make up for it, but first, a little story.

As you probably know (the screams would have been a dead giveaway) DD is now driving. We have become a three person/three car household, but let's not dwell on that. I get a phone call from her this morning. She's at the grocery store, between classes, to buy ingredients for Boyfriend's birthday cake, and wants to know if she can pick up anything for me. Yeah, I know, it's crazy, but don't pass out on me yet--it gets better. Brace yourselves... she didn't ask for money. Let me repeat this--SHE DIDN'T ASK FOR MONEY. If this is a dream, don't even think about waking me up. I mean it.

To celebrate, I offer you one of my favorite cocktail recipes. Not only is it tasty, but it's got apples in it, so really, it's a healthy drink too. Cheers!

Sparkling Apple Cocktail

Epicurious | November 2010

1 ounce apple juice
1/2 ounce cognac
1/2 ounce simple syrup
4 to 5 red or green apple chunks
3 ounces champagne

Combine the apple juice, cognac, simple syrup, and apple chunks in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a cocktail glass. Add additional ice, if needed. Top off with champagne. Stir and serve.

I like to use apple cider instead of apple juice, and you can sugar the rim of the glass with cinnamon sugar for a festive touch. Use a good cognac--it makes all the difference and really highlights the apple flavor. Toss in a cinnamon stick for garnish. Nice!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the digital scale. And don't drink and drive. Seriously.

Let's try a little experiment, shall we?

2011-01-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

The top photo shows a yarn cake, with the scale set on a solid surface. Note the weight: 96 grams.

The bottom photo shows the same yarn cake, with the scale set on a soft pillow. Note the weight: 26 grams.

Apparently, this particular scale must be placed on a solid surface, which I would probably know if I'd kept the instructions, or even read the instructions.

A few of you are probably smacking your foreheads and shouting, "Idiot!" Well, good for you Smarty Boots. The rest of us will quietly learn from our mistakes.

Don't forget to enter my digital scale giveaway, and if you win, don't put your scale on a soft pillow or chair cushion when you use it. I lead by example. You can thank me later.

In which I give away a digital scale and give TMI on various family members

2011-01-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I love gadgets. My niece once told me her mom said I have every kitchen gadget ever made. This from a woman who thinks Hamburger Helper is gourmet if you use organic meat. Whatever. This happens not to be true--I've been jonesing for one of those little blowtorches you use for creme brulee absolutely forever and nobody has taken the hint. I have no idea why. It's not as if I can't be trusted with open flames. Really.

One gadget I do have that gets plenty of use is this:

I don't know how you cook without one of these, but that's not my main use for it. It's great for weighing yarn. As you sock knitters know, I like mine two-at-a-time and most of my favorite sock yarns come in hanks big enough for a pair. That means I end up dividing them in half. That's where the scale comes in. Weighing is much more accurate than eyeballing.

It's also been handy with my latest ~~obsession~~ project--scarves knit sideways with a single skein of yarn. If you've made this scarf, you've seen the clever diagram she uses. It shows the percentage of yarn used for the increase, even, and decrease sections. Very clever! I've designed two scarves, with a third one in the works, using this method. It keeps me from running out of yarn, a knitter's worst nightmare, and makes writing the pattern a bit easier--I know when to start each new section based on how much yarn I've used. It will also make it easier to substitute yarns and to use a different gauge. I'm betting you've already thought of a bunch of ways to use a scale like this.

Here's a photo of the second scarf in my planned series of three:

I made increases until I was happy with the width, then I weighed the yarn and figured out how much I'd have left for the center. Easy peasy.

If you've dropped hints for a digital scale and those hints have fallen on deaf ears, then let me possibly make your day. I'm giving away this scale as part of my blogoversary that I've really been hyping lately. Yeah, I crack me up too.

But wait--there's more! If you're one of my blog followers and the lucky number generator picks YOU, I'll throw in a skein of Cascade Heritage sock yarn, in the very yummy shade of raspberry, color number 5617. If you don't knit or don't want the yarn or aren't a follower, the second number picked will receive the yarn.

There will be more giveaways before the end of January, or at least the details will be released before then. DH is getting a colonoscopy at the end of the month, and this is just my little way of not only celebrating, but reminding you to get yours. Helluva segue, isn't it?

To enter the digital scale giveaway, just leave a comment about digital scales (and/or colonoscopies) ON THIS POST. If I've remembered my hormone patch and I'm in a good mood, I'll move your comment here if you inadvertently leave it on another post. You're taking chances if you don't leave it here, however. Just sayin'...

This giveaway closes at midnight, Mountain Time, January 31, 2011, which is when I'll draw the winner(s).

I hope my dog doesn't mind sharing

2011-01-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get myself together. I've promised you patterns and blogoversary giveaways, and I'm working on them all, really I am. But I've been distracted, seduced really, by yarn and stitch pattern books. There have also been lunches with tennis friends and knitting with knitting friends, but I won't use them as excuses. Except for Paula, who ordered wine at lunch and me being the sheep that I am...

I'm quite pleased with the scarf DD is modeling. The pattern is simple and fun, but it won't write itself. It's next for the tech editor. Pretty sure I haven't scared her off yet.

I've also been fooling around with some Pagewood Farms. Yes, I know these are both scarves/shawlettes, and yes, they're both knitted sideways, but that's how obsession works.

Last, but decided NOT least, DD has been accepted at two schools so far, both of which we can afford. She's also awaiting word from two Alpo schools--that's what DH and I will be eating if she decides to go to either one. Just as long as it doesn't mess with my yarn money, I can deal with it. I have my priorities.

In which I am taught a thing or four by a tech editor

2011-01-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

There's been knitting lately here at Chez JelliDonut. Lots and lots of it actually, and some of it's even been of my own design, but more about that in a moment.

I discovered the beautiful Saroyan and this is my version.

The yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Sweet Pea, from the 2010 sock yarn club. I'm not even sure if it's available to the public yet. I wish you could see the subtle color variations--there are lovely pale greens and pinks that my crappy photos don't show. Yes, I'm aware the yarn was from a SOCK CLUB but to my mind (what's left of it) socks in this pale a shade would end of being ruined by the linings of my shoes, never mind by walking on my less than spotless floors. Thus, a scarflette was born.

I love wearing this beauty. Not only does the pattern make me look immensely clever, but it keeps me warm without that hot flashy feeling. I am in love with knitting little scarves and I have a pattern to finish writing for a pretty little thing I just got off the needles, but more about that in a moment. Yes, I know I've already said that, but I'm stalling here, so work with me.

I did a very little bit of Christmas knitting. Here's one of the few knitted gifts I managed. It's Jared Flood's Wool Leaves. The original pattern is for a baby blanket, but I morphed it into a lap blanket for my bff.

The yarn is good old Encore. I wanted a yarn that could go into the washer without a lot of fuss. My bff is a clean freak with two dogs, so I figure she probably washes afghans way more often than I do. It's an easy pattern that's a pleasure to knit. Jared Flood's patterns are well written and gorgeous, which brings me to my own patterns. Ahem.

I made the decision that if I'm going to get serious about writing patterns, a tech editor is in order. The anxiety of releasing a pattern and waiting for the errors to show up via people who are trying to knit your pattern but don't know what in hell you are trying to get them to do is just not my idea of a good time. The cost of a tech editor is more than worth it, as are you, my blog readers. If I'm going to offer you a pattern, I want it to be the best it can be. Having somebody else to blame for my mistakes doesn't hurt either.

I submitted the pattern for this hat (it's the top photo in the linked post), and got back FOUR PAGES of notes from my tech editor. I have to admit that a whole boatload of her input was spot on, and I've already learned a lot about pattern writing. As soon as I get the go ahead, this pattern and the yarn to make it will become part of my Blogoversary Big Bang Giveaway. I haven't forgotten you, my peeps, and if this hat isn't to your taste, never fear. There will be other goodies. But more about that later.

Happy 18th birthday, Chicken Biscuit!

2011-01-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

Today is DD's 18th birthday. Obviously, she doesn't read my blog. Good thing, I'd be dead meat if she did. For the record, Chicken Biscuit is DH's nickname for her, and she loathes being called by any nickname, let alone Chicken Biscuit. I think it's kind of cute, but I can see how a nickname like this could seriously impede your social life, so let's just keep it to ourselves, shall we? I'm not ready to be dead yet.

Speaking of dead, you probably thought I was--it's been so long since I posted. No excuses, at least none that make sense. But I'm back and with lots of changes in mind. It's almost my one year blogoversary, and I'm thinking I need to spice it up a bit. Stay tuned... I've got lots of patterns to finish writing up--it hasn't all been bonbons and cabana boys. As soon as they are given the once-over by a tech editor, I'll share them--the patterns, not the cabana boys. You'll have to get your own. I'm also planning on a fun blogoversary giveaway.

There's been knitting and not all of it Etsy-related. My adorable little granddaughter Tilly shall receive these:

The poncho, hat and booties are special to me, and not just because they are for Tilly, although that is reason enough. They are close to my heart because the yarn was an unexpected gift from someone I consider my muse (thank you, Nancy), and the pattern was purchased with a gift certificate from one of the most generous knitters I know (thank you, Mary.) Sharing is what makes knitting a special thing, although a little cashmere now and then doesn't hurt.

Last but decidedly not least, thank you to everybody who emailed me and got my butt back in gear. I missed you!

Wake me when it's over

2010-12-13T23:07:00.004-07:00

For this post, I'm breaking my own rule about keeping it short. There's no way to be brief when you're talking about the holidays, and almost getting beaten up by a pissed off crazy guy, so here you go...

I'm not exactly at my best this time of year. It would help if I were an organized type of person, but I'm only half-assed organized on a good day, and that doesn't feed the bulldog during the holidays. From about the middle of November on, clean underwear is about the best it's going to get. I know this about me. And if I get through the holiday season without a mental breakdown, it's all good.

Still, every year I do the same thing--I make these grandiose plans: to shop and mail early; make my own holiday cards and actually mail them before Groundhog Day; bake lots of cookies; craft multitudes of handmade gifts; host a holiday party or two; make donations to the charities I support. I have accomplished exactly one of these things. Happily, the donations have been made and that makes me feel somewhat better. Somewhat.

I did manage some hand-knitted gifts for the most special people on my list--my kids and my mom. Actually, I was surprised at how many I did manage to knit, but I have a couple more I really want to make--some booties and a sweater for Tilly, and a hat for DH. At least I got some gifts in the mail today. Tomorrow, I'll tackle the cards. Yeah, I crack myself up. I'm hoping they don't raise the postage rates before I actually mail the cards. Higher postage rates would put a serious dent in the Etsy shop I just opened. I have actually made a sale, by the way, and I'm thrilled about that, but there's a lot more work to be done. Why I chose to do it now, I have no clue. Like I need more pressure during the damn holiday.

Don't get me wrong, I have some holiday spirit in me and I don't mean chardonnay. Last week a guy on a bike called me a f*cking bitch and I'm pretty sure he was going to pound me into the sidewalk had we not been next to a street with lots of traffic and witnesses, all because I reminded him that bikers are supposed to give pedestrians a warning when they pass them, especially when it's on a sidewalk. Especially when there's a perfectly good bike lane right next to that sidewalk. I'm guessing I was pretty close to a pounding because of all the screaming and spitting he was doing, but when he threw his bike down and stomped toward me, my main concern was the three dogs I was walking and my new sunglasses. See, I really like these sunglasses, and two of the dogs belong to my bff (the other was Sophie), so as he came closer, I widened my stance, pushed the sunglasses firmly onto my face, and looked to see if there were any cars coming that I could flag down. And here's the odd part--I was not scared at all. I've never seen a grown sober man spit so much while screaming and this absolutely fascinated me. Was he aware that he spewing spit like a freakin' volcano? Was he embarrassed about it? How did he know that I actually am a bitch? A lot of crazy stuff was going through my head but fear wasn't one of them.

Maybe it was my new HRT patch making me ~~stupid~~ brave. (That is a whole other post, I promise.) At any rate, the guy took one look at this middle aged woman wearing a hot pair of sunglasses and a look of resolve, turned around, picked up his bike and left. As he rode off I told him to be careful not to fall, since he wasn't wearing a helmet. When he yelled "f*ck you lady," I yelled back, "Merry Christmas!" then I walked home. And really, I was mad for about a minute, and the holiday spirit I was bound and determined to hang on to lasted until today, when I finally had to pull up my clean big girl underwear and mail my Christmas gifts before I ended up having to call them New Year's gifts. Or Valentines. Or April Fools gifts. Apparently, I've got the ignore-crazy-bikers strength patch. I'm thinking I need to step up to the get-through-the-holiday-season-without-getting-committed strength patch.

Happy holidays, everybody!

Knitting with silk--or not.

2010-11-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

I tried, I really did. Several stitch patterns, several gauges, over an entire day--and I just can't make it happen. I wanted to love this yarn--I dyed it at Knot Hysteria last year--but I just can't make myself love knitting with 100% silk.

One thing I can pass on about knitting with silk yarn--don't try to wind it on a ball winder. Experts say it will slip off the cake and get stuck in the gears of your ball winder. I hate when that happens! For once, I listened to someone who knows more than I do (that would be everybody who's ever knitted with silk yarn).

The photo of the ball and swatch is actually closer to the true colors--soft silvery gray and pink.

On a brighter note, my Garden Patch Hats are featured in an Etsy Treasury today. I'm thrilled and honored! Here are the linkies.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf495461ae28eef521fb293/thingamajigs-for-your-head-hair

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63022940/eat-your-fruits-and-veggies-baby-hat

Check out Etsy, if you haven't already. It's fabulous, and not just because I have a shop there.

My new Thanksgiving short-cut: Kosher turkey!

2010-11-26T19:27:00.001-07:00

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to everybody. Even though my Thanksgiving food prep time and amounts were drastically cut this year, I was still too ~~lazy~~ slammed to blog.

For the past few years, I've been cooking my turkey on our gas grill. I love this method. The turkey always turns out juicy and delicious but you really do have to brine it, otherwise you get sawdust turkey. Until now. Since I forgot to put myself on the list for an organic turkey at Vitamin Cottage, I ended up going to Whole Foods, which is where I found the kosher turkey. Oy vey, this bird was pricey, but so worth it! It's kinda sorta already brined via the way it's slaughtered and cleaned. I suppose you could go ahead and brine it, but I was afraid it would end up with an ankle-swelling amount of salt, so I took a chance and grilled it as-is--I just slathered this bad boy in lots of oil, stuck some chunky mirepoix inside and let the magic of the grill take over. We were not disappointed.

Along side the turkey, I served mashed potatoes, because you have to, you just have to. Also, roasted beets, carrots and parsnips, and my world famous dressing. It's got potato bread croutons, crumbled corn bread, toasted pecans, and dried chanterelles among other things. I usually add some sausage, but in an effort to make the meal less of a heart attack-inducing event I skipped it and it was just fine. I also didn't make any bread, because I was finally able to convince myself that dressing IS bread. No need for another one.

Instead of pie (OMG, never thought I'd ever use that phrase) I served this:

I crumbled a few gingersnaps to layer a la parfait-style, sprinkled on a few toasted pecan pieces, and topped it with waaaay less whipped cream than what the recipe called for. Oh yeah. THIS is a keeper.

You may have noticed the Etsy thingie at the top right-hand corner of this blog. I am now officially obliged to knit my fingers to the bone in the hopes of actually making a little money off my craft. Please visit my Etsy page if you get a chance. Sometime soon I will offer a couple of the patterns here and on Ravelry. I'm arranging for a test knitter now and will have the patterns once-overed by a tech editor. That should take care of ANY profit I make on Etsy. Gotta love capitalism!