Bungalow 312

End of Term

2012-01-16T11:51:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again. Semester end.

Things I would rather do than grade papers:

Dishes.
Clean the litter box.
Organize drawers, closets, cabinets.
Fold laundry.
Clean bathrooms.
Pay bills.

If you know me, and you know the things I hate to do, you know this is saying something.

I'll be back as soon as I have climbed out from under the paper pile.

Good Things #1

2012-01-07T13:56:00.004-05:00

Is this oatmeal? Why yes, yes it is.

I'm having trouble coming up with a list of fantastic finds every week, and truth be told, I'm so exhausted by Friday afternoon at this time of year that blogging Friday evening just isn't in the cards for me. So since it's the new year, I am changing the title to "Good Things" and I'll be posting from time to time, but not every week necessarily.

Here's what I've been into lately:

If you're bored of your regular oatmeal, try this baked oatmeal. It's delicious, and despite the blogger joking around about it being cookie-like, it is not too cookie-like to be considered breakfast. I made mine with 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup applesauce to make it a little healthier, and the fruit mixture I used was 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup golden raisins.
Design Seeds is the perfect place to visit if you are thinking about redecorating or painting a room. Much color inspiration here.
Former student and gymnastics world champion Jordyn Wieber was on the Ellen DeGeneres show this week. This girl's drive continues to amaze me!
Shawn Cornally has the right idea about education, and several of my colleagues agree with me. Perhaps we need to start a counter-reform movement.
This lined drawstring bag tutorial makes me want a sewing machine.
I've been listening to Professor Joanne B. Freeman's lectures on the American Revolution through Open Yale. If you're a history buff or history teacher and want a refresher on the founding of our nation, check them out. She sprinkles in so many anecdotes, quotes, and diary passages not only from our founders but from also from the common man that I could listen to her talk all day.
The 2012 Declutter Calendar has inspired me to make my own declutter calendar specific to my own home.
Before buying gas lately, I've been consulting Gas Buddy. Just insert your zip code and you'll get a list of area gas stations with price per gallon in order from lowest to highest. While I won't drive across town or wait in line for a half hour to buy cheap gas, it has helped me find a nearby station on the lower end of the spectrum.
Wool People 2 came out this week. Love.
Amid all the crazy Christmas crafting, I read The History of the World According to Facebook. Hilarious!

NaKniMitMo 2012

2012-01-02T16:21:00.010-05:00

January is here once again, and with it NaKniMitMo, National Knitting Mittens Month. I am not going to set lofty goals this year, as I've found that it just doesn't work for me, but I would like to work on a few projects.

WIP #1: Breathe Deep
My Breathe Deep mittens are about 60% of the way done. I've got one mitten knit, minus the thumb, and I'm about halfway up the second mitten. Unfortunately, I didn't finish them by the end of December for the B challenge in the Stash Down A to Z group. Just like the Avery Cowl, it appears I'll be finishing these a few days late as well.

WIP #2: Magic Mirror
I began a pair of Kristel Nyberg's Magic Mirror mittens a little over a year ago and worked on them during NaKniMitMo 2011 but didn't quite finish. Again, one mitten is finished minus the thumb, and the other is nearly done. I gave up on them last year when I discovered a mistake, but I've probably only got a few hours left on these once I rip back to the mistake.

New Cast-on: Cozy Thermal Mitts
I have enough yarn left over from the Avery Cowl to knit a pair of fingerless mitts, so I'm going with one of my go-to mitt patterns, Karen Everitt's Cozy Thermal Mitts (also my C project for the Stash Down A to Z January challenge). I've knit this pattern twice before, but gave both pairs away, so I think it's time to keep a pair for myself!

I've got quite a long list of favorited mittens in my Ravelry favorites. I leave you with a list of new patterns I added to my favorites list in 2012. And I'd love to hear about what mittens you are knitting or what mitten patterns inspire you, so please leave a comment!

Whoo Gives a Hoot? by Elaine Fitzpatrick
Komeeta Mittens by Odessa Reichel
Peerie Flooers Mittens by Kate Davies
Perianth by Barbara Gregory
Carlisle by Jared Flood
Midlothian Mittens by Laura Chau
Day Trip Mitts by Debbie Orr
Peacock Mitts by Stephannie Tallent

In the Kitchen: Lentil Soup

2011-12-29T16:33:00.004-05:00

I got the Williams-Sonoma Soup cookbook for Christmas, and while I already owned it, getting it again served as a reminder that I have been wanting to make some soups from this cookbook. So today I whipped up a pot of the lentil soup. It's really good, and really easy (which you don't always find with Williams-Sonoma recipes), so I will definitely be making it again.

The recipe requires that slices from one entire lemon be inserted into the soup while cooking (they are removed when the soup is finished cooking). At first I thought that this would make the soup too acidic, too lemony, but it's perfect. You can definitely taste the lemon, but it's not overpowering. I used a small lemon, by the way. I think a large lemon might be a bit much. The lemon and two teaspoons of curry are what give this soup its flavor. It's good on its own, but it would also be delicious served over the top of some basmati rice to make a heartier meal.

Williams-Sonoma has a recipes section on its website, and you can find more of their lentil soup recipes here.

Before I post the recipe, I also wanted to share one of my favorite podcasts with you. Spilled Milk, hosted by Matthew and Molly, is hilarious! Their tagline is "The show where we cook something delicious, eat it all, and you can't have any." The episodes are very short, so they are perfect for listening while cooking. Check them out!

Lentil Soup
Slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, with juice
1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained
6 cups stock (I used 4 cups chicken and 2 cups vegetable)
1 lemon, sliced
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and their juice, lentils, stock, and lemon slices. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard the lemon slices and bay leaf.

Just before serving, stir in the spinach, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the spinach is wilted but still bright green. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Christmas Knitting Unveiled

2011-12-27T19:47:00.010-05:00

Wow. It's been a while since I posted to this space, but I have to tell you that I enjoyed some time away. I was a busy little beaver the week before Christmas, making, making, making, and I can finally show off all my handmade gifts!

Today's post is all about the knitting. First off, the Kidlet Caps!

Kidlet Cap #1 (for Kidlet #3)

Pattern: Hans Jungck's Cap, Scandinavian Caps for the Guys by Carol Anderson
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Charcoal and Blaze
Needles: Size 5, 3.75 mm

Kidlet Cap #2 (for Kidlet #1)

Pattern: Christopher Anderson's Cap, Scandinavian Caps for the Guys by Carol Anderson
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Denim; Cascade 220 Wool in Atlantic
Needles: Size 5, 3.75 mm

Kidlet Cap #3 (for Kidlet #2)

Pattern: Mark Jungck's Cap, Scandinavian Caps for the Guys by Carol Anderson
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Orchid and Charcoal
Needles: Size 5, 3.75 mm

These little beanies were fun, quick knits. I'm glad I purchased the pattern book, as the charts will come in quite handy for knitting future colorwork hats. The three patterns above came in sizes that ranged from Child Small to Adult Large. A word of warning, though: the decreases at the tops of the hats are strange and didn't produce a deep enough hat as written, so I completely modified the tops of the hats.

Next up, a pair of socks!

Fisherman Socks (for Mom)

Pattern: Polperro Hornpipe by Deep Sea Knits
Yarn: On Your Toes Bamboo in Ivory
Needles: Size 1, 2.25 mm

These were a fast knit as far as socks go. I finished them way back in the summer after only a week of knitting. Do you remember this post? Yep. These socks.

Cabley Cowl (for the SIL)

Pattern: Rita's Reversible Cowl by Misti International
Yarn: Cascade 128 Superwash in Baby Denim
Needles: Size 13, 9 mm

This cowl worked up fast, fast, fast! If you need something cozy and quick, I highly recommend it. It would be fabulous knit in alpaca. It was even fabulous in the 128. Basically, it's 6 x 6 ribbing with a garter stitch edge and a cable on the fifth and tenth lines of the pattern repeat. There are three cables on one side and two on the other, with purl ridges in between the cables, thus making it reversible. I will probably make this again.

And finally, the pièce de résistance. This is the project that I am most proud of.

Joel-o's Chullo (for the Brother)

Pattern: Doubled Chullo by Kenny Chua
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Extra Creme Cafe and Cordovan; Plymouth Worsted Merino Superwash in Olive Green
Needles: Size 6, 4.0 mm and size 4, 3.5 mm

I enjoyed knitting this so much that I wrote the designer to tell him how fantastic it is. I followed the directions almost to the letter. I left off the braids and instead of knitting the edge, I did a single crochet edging. I was having trouble getting the earflaps to lay flat with the knit edge, which was quite tight. The hat is reversible; just flip it inside out and you've got a solid-colored hat. Of all the projects I knit for Christmas, I feel like this one was the best executed.

So, Christmas knitting finished December 22, in plenty of time to be washed, blocked, and wrapped.

How about you? How did your Christmas knitting go?

Fun Finds Friday #3

2011-12-17T08:46:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the Saturday edition of Fun Finds Friday! Fun Finds Friday is late this week because I was at the staff Christmas partay last night, and I do mean par-tay! I'm feeling it a little bit this morning. :)

What have I been up to this week?

Shopping for fabric to make these blankets for little ones who love to watch movies on Friday nights!
Planning a trip to the salon. Wanting some festive nails for the holidays.
Loving this book. Thank you for sharing, Susan! It's the perfect gift for two knitters I know.
Watching this video over and over, and wondering just how you construct an amazing instrument like that.
Thinking it's about time to watch White Christmas. I just love this scene and this scene. Awesome choreography on the second one.
Hoping for a pattern for these mittens.
Reading this infographic about Christmas trees.

The making absolutely, positively must begin in earnest now that I am off work. These hands will be extremely busy this week!

Alphabet Soup Sunday #3

2011-12-11T18:18:00.004-05:00

Now that my Avery cowl is blocked and photographed*, I can't imagine that I thought about ripping it back. When I cast off, I thought that perhaps I had mismatched yarn and pattern, that the textured stitch pattern really needed a true solid rather than a semi-solid.

What was I thinking? It is beautiful.

Pattern: Avery by Melissa LaBarre
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Superwash Merino Worsted in Lindsey's Wallpaper
Needles: Size 9, 5.5 mm

Now on to my B project. I have really been tossing around a few possibilities. At first I thought I would do the Big Herringbone Cowl by Purl Bee, but another cowl didn't seem to fit the bill after the Avery, and I would like to finish my Guernsey Wrap sometime soon. Then I thought about the Birdcage Mittens by Eli Stubenrauch using the Dream in Color Classy that I was going to use last month to make a pair of selbu mittens. But I've been doing quite a bit of stranded knitting for Christmas gifts, so doing one more stranded project didn't seem to fit the bill, either.

So I've finally settled on Kirsten Kapur's Breathe Deep. According to several Ravelers, the pattern knits quite quickly. Just what I need amidst all this Christmas knitting!

*Many thanks to Ms. Anyssa for her mad photography skillz, and for Mother Nature for granting us a sunny weekend!

Fun Finds Friday #2

2011-12-09T20:34:00.002-05:00

Loving these bags.

Playing this video over and over, because it amazes me.

Cracking up at this podcast, especially this episode.

Watching this TV show, even though I am not a big science fiction fan.

Wanting to try this pasta sauce, but haven't felt like cooking lately.

Thinking that this scarf, these mitts, and this sweater look really cozy. Fair isle dreams, my friends!

Alphabet Soup Sunday #2

2011-12-04T19:37:00.004-05:00

The moderator of the Stash Down A to Z group (yours truly) has some bad news to share with you. She is sorry to say she did not finish her A project on time.

I tried, really I did. Mother Nature even intervened and gave me a snow day, and although I knit quite a bit on my Avery cowl that day, I still didn't finish. I fell asleep before 10:00 with about six or seven rows left. So I finally wove the ends in and blocked it yesterday. Unfortunately, the weekend has been so gray that there was very little light to take a nice photo, so pictures are going to have to wait until next Sunday.

In the meantime, I've been Christmas knitting, so I have yet to cast on my B project. It's the Big Herringbone Cowl by The Purl Bee. If you haven't visited The Purl Bee, the blog put out by Purl Soho, please do. I think you'll find it inspirational.

Sorry for the lack of photos in this post. Pretty pictures next Sunday!

Three-Country Shawl KAL Update: Gray Guernsey

2011-12-03T14:00:00.004-05:00

Poor, poor Guernsey just ain't as far as she should be. She has been sitting idle for a few weeks while my attention has been turned elsewhere.

I did knit a little bit in November, so she is a little farther along than the above photo shows. I have decided not to frog, since when I finish, I know she will be a classic, timeless wrap in a neutral color that will surely get a lot of use. Perhaps when the Christmas knitting is done and I am on break, I will go on a mad knitting streak and finish her by the end of December.

Perhaps.

Fun Finds Friday #1

2011-12-02T18:15:00.007-05:00

Sipping Bell's Winter White Ale.

Casting on this epic scarf.

Hoping to make Nutella Bread Pudding for breakfast Christmas morning.

Ordering these ornaments for some wordy friends.

Munching on some dill pickle popcorn from Cravings.

Thinking that if neighborhood dogs must bark incessantly, the least they could do is bark this.

Trying Door-to-Door Organics to see if I like it and the pricing is reasonable.

Putting Fork in the Road Local Artisan Diner on my list of restaurants to visit again.

First Snow Day 2011-2012

2011-11-30T13:43:00.008-05:00

It is traditional for me to blog about the first snow day of the year. Last night Mother Nature unleashed like a woman scorned. She blasted us with seven inches of heavy, wet snow between yesterday afternoon and daybreak today. This is the kind of snow that snaps large tree branches as if they were mere twigs, but luckily, she spared all my trees.

And then she graced us with sunny skies and warm (well, warm for a Michigan winter) temperatures.

Fury followed with a smile.

Mr. Scoots wanted to say hi. Here he is, looking out the storm door. Can you see him? The reflection of the street almost obscures his little face.

Alphabet Soup Sunday #1

2011-11-27T10:59:00.010-05:00

I have come to the conclusion that if I try to have regular features on my blog, I blog more. So that said, here are a few of the regular features you can expect from now on:

Alphabet Soup Sunday—A progress update on my current Stash Down A to Z project (or a finished object post).
Fun Finds Friday—A list of a few items that I've found as I've scoured the web (yes, including Pinterest) from the past week, or what I'm currently into.
Self-Imposed Socks—As you know, I've dropped out of the Plunge and have joined the Self-Imposed Sock Club group on Ravelry. I'm going to begin the challenge in earnest in January, so the first of the once-per-month posts will occur in late December when I announce my January sock pattern.
Three-Country Shawl Crawl—This feature will only occur monthly as well. I will update you on the projects I've been working on for the Three-Country Shawl KAL group, which includes the quarterly shawl as well as any projects I'm working on for the mini-alongs.
Tuesday's Tally—This feature will return soon with a new One a Day project. For now, I'm keeping it under wraps!

In addition to the above, you can expect random posts about the Kidlets, holiday or other event photos, and anything else that strikes my fancy.

So now, on to today's Alphabet Soup Sunday post. I am a fickle, fickle knitter, and the Aquaphobia socks have gone back into the UFO box. I just don't know about them. The pattern is lovely. The resulting sock is lovely—until I put it on my foot. Then I notice that due to the slipped-stitch pattern, the instep is shorter than the sole.

This results in the toe being tugged onto the instep, so the pattern doesn't end at the toe as in most socks. I also couldn't seem to make a short-row heel work well with this pattern due to the extra large number of stitches that are cast-on. A short-row heel was just too wide.

I love the colorway far too much for these to become a pair of socks that I will never wear, so I think for now that they are going to sit in time out. I'm thinking of taking the stitch pattern (minus the cable) and making a pair of fingerless mitts or mittens out of them. The stitch pattern creates a nice, dense fabric that I think will be perfect for keeping my hands warm without adding a lot of bulk.

In the meantime, remember this yarn?

Which I acquired at this event?

It is becoming this.

And here is a progress photo:

I have three days and far to go, but I am loving it.

Too Many Toques

2011-11-25T19:01:00.007-05:00

About a month ago, I posted that my school's fundraiser (a bake sale) to buy hat and mitten sets for struggling families was in jeopardy (due to the health and wellness policy—no bake sales). Remember? Our bake sale brought in $400 annually, and since we couldn't hold a bake sale, we had to come up with an alternative. So I began knitting hats. I told the ladies at my knitting group about it, acquired charity yarn, and even acquired one already-knit hat.

Then we held our alternative fundraiser: junior high staff vs. intermediate school staff scooter basketball. We charged $3.00 for admission.

And we made over $800. $800!

In the meantime, I made two hats that are now going to be given to another charity, since we made enough to buy enough hat and mitten sets for the families on our list. I also dug out two hats that I made this past year that I know I'm not going to wear, so I might as well give them to someone who will use them.

This is Rib-A-Roni. I knit this hat in a single afternoon, so I highly recommend the pattern for charity hats.

This hat is my favorite of all four. The pattern just came out a couple of weeks ago. It's the Beluga and Firefly Hat, the latest design by Susan B. Anderson for Spud & Chloë yarns. I would like to own one of these myself.

I knit this hat about a year ago. I rather like this pattern, too. It's the Prepared for Vancouver? beanie. Marina Hayes designed it right before the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. When I started knitting it, the pattern was still free; it now costs $4.00, so perhaps not ideal for a charity hat.

Finally, remember this?

Yeah, it's the hat formerly known as the Beret of Badly Misbehaving Yarn. Just not my color. The pattern—One Day Beret by Kirsten Kapur—is perfect for that skein of variegated yarn that is making you want to barf because it pools like mad. The beret is knit from the center out, so it's easily sized down for kids.

I'll probably hold onto these hats until I can knit some matching mitts/mittens for them. But now there's no rush, since I know the families in our community will be warm this winter.

Have you been knitting for charity recently? If so, what patterns are your favorites?

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T23:54:00.003-05:00

Our 31-pound, antibiotic and growth-hormone free turkey from Otto's.

Kidlet #3 doing what we all do best on Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving from Bungalow 312!

Ravelry KAL Groups

2011-11-13T10:25:00.014-05:00

End of term is always challenging, and even more challenging when you aren't feeling well. I'm happy to say my cold went fairly quickly—I felt much better on Tuesday—but tests, quizzes, and assignments had piled pretty high, and with grades due this Friday, I had to hunker down and spend my time this week with red pen in hand. Grades are done. One term down, three left.

Then the annual "winterizing" began yesterday. A big shout out to my BFF (as the kids would say) Carol for coming over to help me. We worked for a solid three hours, which would have been six had I been alone. Who am I kidding? It would have been eight had I been alone. The garage is cleaned out except for some trash which needs to be hauled away. The hoses are in, the water to the outside is turned off, the storage shed is organized. The front lawn has had its final mow—the back, not so much, because these little buggers don't seem to want to fall down this year.

But there has been a little bit of knitting. I wanted to highlight some Ravelry groups that I am quite enjoying right now by showing some projects I've been working on for those groups.

Stash Down A to Z
Whoa, Nellie. I cannot believe the success of this group that I started a few weeks ago. We already have 140 members and 9 finished "A" projects. For my "A" project, I have picked back up the Aquaphobia socks I began in March. I am now just past the heel on the first sock, so I need to get cracking on these!

Self-Imposed Sock Club
I dropped out of the Plunge. It was a tough decision. I wanted to gut it out just to see how many socks I could make before the year's time was up, but after churning out three pairs of socks on schedule, I was so burned out that knitting Carol's birthday socks was darn near impossible. And I don't want to feel that way about knitting socks! So the way I am going to deal with this is to go back to the self-imposed sock club à la the Yarn Harlot. I will churn out a pair of socks a month, which will leave me time to knit other things and will keep me much happier, I think. Since my "A" project is a pair of socks, I am killing two birds with one stone this month.

Three-Country Shawl KAL
This group is tons of fun! In the forums, there is a thread titled "Drunk and Disorderly." What more could you want? The goal of this group, which consists of American, British, and Canadian knitters, is to knit a shawl based on a theme of the moderators' choosing every three months. And from what I can tell, scarves and cowls also count! The theme for Fall 2011 (October-December) is "That's Heavy, Doc." We are working on shawls/scarves/cowls that made out of DK or heavier yarn. I started a Guernsey Wrap by Jared Flood in October...

... but it is not holding my attention. I think the yarn is going to become Purl Soho's Big Herringbone Cowl instead. One of the girls in the group is urging me not to frog it, so right now, it's on hold.

Village Hopelessly Overcommitted
The first sentence of this group's description is "Got a WIP to FO ratio of 9-1?" Uhhh, yep. That's me. So of course, I joined. This group began as a team for the 2008 Ravelympics, but they had so much fun they decided to stay an active group. This month's challenge is WIP Wrestling, trying to finish as many WIPs as possible. I've decided to focus on two (in addition to the Aquaphobias).

GAP-tastic Cowl

Magic Mirror Mittens

So what are you working on these days? And what are your favorite Ravelry KAL groups?

The View from Here

2011-11-06T13:21:00.003-05:00

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blogging to blow noses, drink juice, eat soup, and nap.

Stay healthy, wherever you are!

Plunge Pair #4

2011-11-03T18:43:00.004-04:00

Do you hear them? I do. I hear angels singing. They are singing in joyful chorus. They are singing the Hallelujah Chorus.

These socks were long in the making, if you count backwards from the day I cast on the first pair with the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad pooling yarn. I began blogging about Little Giants on June 18. Do the math. Or don't. According to the Date Duration Calculator, that's 139 days of thinking about green and white yarn, knitting green and white yarn, blocking green and white yarn, or blogging about green and white yarn. It's time to be done.

And by the way, according to the Date Duration Calculator (isn't that a nifty thing?), I am only a mere 71 days behind in the Plunge.

Yarn: String Theory Colorworks Entanglement in Chlorophyll
Needle: Size 1, 2.25
Pattern: None, but project notes can be found here.

Happy Samhain

2011-10-31T18:46:00.003-04:00

The fields are harvested and bare,
And Winter whistles through the square.
—Anne Mary Lawler

All freezes again—
among the pines, winds
whispering a prayer.
—Riei

Despite growing up Catholic, I've always thought there was something to the Celtic holiday of Samhain. The ancients had a good thing going by formally observing the end of the harvest. In not only Celtic culture but also in Mexico, it is a time when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead gets just a little bit thinner. Who can resist lighting some bonfires, telling stories of the ancestors, or offering up some goodies to a loved one who has passed away?

So tonight, I'm spending a few hours in the dark, saying good-bye to the Light. We'll see you again at Beltane.

Happy Samhain (and Halloween) from Bungalow 312!

In the Kitchen: Rachel Ray's Christmas Pasta

2011-10-30T08:19:00.005-04:00

Since the brother and SIL moved back to Michigan, we have instituted a monthly family dinner. This rotates from house-to-house. With the exception of summer, we've been pretty regular about our little soirees. Since the SIL is hosting Thanksgiving this year, I took October. The dumb thing on my part is that I scheduled it for the day after Seventh Grade Camp.

I don't know if I've ever blogged about Seventh Grade Camp before, but suffice it to say, it is not for the faint of heart. Three days (it used to be five) of teaching in the woods with well over 200 12- and 13-year-olds is not for the weak-of-mind nor for the weak-of-body. Here's how you know it was a good camp:

No one died.
No one got lost in the woods.
No one got sick enough to go home.
No one got homesick enough to go home.
No one was naughty enough to get sent home.
No one tipped a canoe on the lake.

Anyway, I was not going to want to cook yesterday, so Mom came up with the idea of making spaghetti sauce last weekend and freezing it. Reheat the sauce in the crock pot, cut some crusty bread, whip up a salad, and make the pasta, and there you have dinner. Brilliant, Mom.

I went with Rachel Ray's Christmas Pasta. I have made this recipe before, and it is always delicious. I've linked to the original recipe, but I alter the meat amounts slightly because I'm just not a fan of veal. The meat ingredients I use are as follows:

1/4 pound pancetta
1/4 pound bulk hot Italian sausage (can use links, but not as easy)
1/2 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound ground sirloin

And with that, I will leave you with a Halloween drawing courtesy of Kidlet #1.

And next, Kidlet #2 wearing her John Lennon glasses.

And finally, Kidlet #2's photo of Kidlet #1 cheezing for the camera.

Tuesday's Tallies #2

2011-10-25T16:47:00.000-04:00

Crash and burn. This week I knit one square. One measly little square. So as you can imagine, picking the square of the week wasn't difficult at all.

Square of the week: I have no idea what this yarn is, and this photo does not do it justice, either. I am a bad, bad blogger today.

And the reason I knit only one square? Because I'm still knitting these socks. These are the socks from hell.

But they are Green and White. And speaking of Green and White, this was pretty damn fantastic.

In other news, I started a new Ravelry group! Here's the little blurb that tells you what it's all about:

Do you have a large stash yet keep buying more yarn? Do you have a long queue yet keep knitting what’s new and shiny? This is the group for you! Each month, we will be selecting a letter and consulting our queues to knit a pattern that begins with that letter. Join us on our alphabetical journey as we knit down our stashes and our queues!

My A project is going to be to finish my Aquaphobia socks, which I started in March.

But I cannot start them until I finish these.

Sigh.

Toques for Tots

2011-10-22T18:39:00.005-04:00

It seems like forever since I blogged about a finished object here. And now I have two!

The people at work are still procreating like mad. I'm not kidding. They are taking Genesis 1:28 quite seriously, and I thank them, because it means I don't have to. I think a couple of handknits are the least I can do to support their efforts. Ahem.

I picked up a ball of Cascade Cherub Aran in a girly-girl pink and purple colorway. It's nice and soft and best of all, inexpensive. One ball made two baby hats, making these two very, very inexpensive baby gifts.

Pattern: Baby Tri-Peak Hat by Woolly Wormhead
Yarn: Cascade Cherub Aran in colorway #508
Needles: Size 7, 4.5 mm

Pattern: Modern Rib Hat by Susan B. Anderson
Yarn: Same as above.
Needle: Size 7, 4.5 mm

Speaking of toques, the school where I teach supports our community's Christmas foundation by fundraising to provide hats and mittens for children whose families are struggling to make ends meet. The way we have done this in the past is with a bake sale, which has brought in about $400 annually. Unfortunately, due to the new health and wellness policies, we can no longer hold bake sales in schools.

While we are looking at fundraising alternatives, I told the teacher in charge of this charity event that I’d knit a few hats this year. The kids range in ages from 18 months to teens, so we need toddler through adult sizes. I'd like to make hats that I know the kids will like; I don't want to knit something they won't like or want to wear just to knock them out quickly. They deserve to be as stylish as the kids who have money. So if you have pattern suggestions, I'd appreciate a comment!

Tuesday's Tallies #1

2011-10-18T16:28:00.002-04:00

I knit seven, yes, seven mitered squares this week.

But I cannot tell a lie. I knit none on Tuesday. None on Wednesday. One on Thursday. One on Friday. Two on Saturday. Two on Sunday. One on Monday.

So, you see, I knit seven squares, but not one a day.

Does it matter?

Nope, because I've got seven more squares than I did last week at this time.

Square of the week: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight in LL Cool Sock

In the Kitchen: Oatmeal Cookie Oatmeal

2011-10-16T20:13:00.004-04:00

I woke up this morning wanting oatmeal. Real, honest-to-goodness, takes-forever-to-make oatmeal. I went to the cupboard to get started on it, but alas, I didn't have any dried fruit or brown sugar or maple syrup. About the only oatmeal-appropriate mix-in I had was walnuts, and those alone weren't going to cut it.

So I made it tonight instead.

Oatmeal recipe below. And no photos of the oatmeal, just a gratuitous photo of the Kidlets from today's outing at Grand River Park. This is my new name for them. One can hardly call them Small Children anymore, except for #3, but collectively they're just not that small anymore. So now they're Kidlets. Like Chiclets, but made of kid instead of gum.

Do not let the Kidlets deceive you. They aren't asleep, just resting from a session of horseplay.

Oatmeal Cookie Oatmeal
Adapted from Trader Joe's recipe

1 cup steel cut oats
Water or milk for preparing oatmeal
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 pinch cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
Brown sugar to taste

Prepare the steel cut oats according to package instructions. When the oats are nearly finished cooking (when nearly all the liquid is absorbed), stir in the applesauce, cinnamon, raisins, and almonds. Cook for a few more minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Top with brown sugar to taste. (The more brown sugar you add, the more this will taste like an oatmeal cookie rather than oatmeal.)

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

One a Day

2011-10-15T16:39:00.003-04:00

Indian summer is over. Really over. Highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s and 40s for the next ten days. Skies are partly cloudy again and the wind is blowing. As Pooh Bear would say, it's a blustery day. I just rolled up the awning over the bedroom dormer window and Mother Nature gave me a new hairdo.

Since it's getting colder, I think it's time to bring out Blankie again. I began Blankie in the summer of 2008 at Bear-Moose.

This was a practice square that never made it into Blankie, and now I wonder where it is.

Three years later, Blankie is still only about 1/3 of the way done, so I think it's time to do something about that. And you know me. My solution to almost everything yarn-related is to join a knitalong.

The idea behind the One a Day group is to encourage Ravelers making large projects to knit one element, one row, one whatever every day until the project is finished. For Blankie, that means one mitered square, of course. We post progress on our blogs every Tuesday. For this week, I've got three and a half squares done so far—not bad for parent-teacher conference week, if I do say so myself.

I'm in this group for the long haul. In addition to Blankie, I started this project some time ago. And I want to make this. And this. And also this. So we've got enough potential One a Day projects for the next century, at the rate that I knit.

Check back on Tuesday for the week's tally!

Fun Finds—Ways to Wear a Scarf

2011-10-14T16:25:00.003-04:00

It was fun while it lasted, but our Indian summer is over. Time to dig out the sweaters and pashminas.

Nia, a knitting acquaintance of mine, posted this video on Facebook this week. If you're tired of tying your scarf the same old way (I am in a European Loop rut myself), it's the video for you. Plus it's fun, the music is kicky, and you will learn a lot in less than five minutes.

Source: youtube.com via Kimberlyn on Pinterest

In the Kitchen—Asian Slaw with Ginger-Peanut Dressing

2011-10-09T19:16:00.010-04:00

Throughout the neighborhood, everything says, "Autumn is here."

The leaves are turning.

Feet make the telltale swish swish through leaves not yet blown off the sidewalk.

Marigolds, the flowers of the dead, are in full bloom at Lansing Fire Station 7, fitting for a station whose flag is raised no more.

Harvest decorations are out.

Squirrels are busier than usual.

And fall wreaths adorn many a door.

Yes, all signs point to fall. All, that is, except one. The thermometer. With a high of around 80 degrees, it just doesn't feel like fall. So this Sunday I put away the crock pot and decided on a cold salad for dinner. I had pinned this Asian Slaw with Ginger-Peanut Dressing from Once Upon a Chef to my Pinterest board earlier this week, so I decided to go for it. It's delicious. I made it almost as called for in the recipe, substituting broccoli slaw for half of the shredded coleslaw (so I used 2 cups coleslaw and 2 cups broccoli slaw). To make this more of a full meal, some cold sliced grilled chicken would be delicious on this.

Happy Indian Summer!

Socktoberfest 2011

2011-10-08T15:44:00.007-04:00

It's Socktoberfest once again. And I gotta tell you all, this lady is socked out. I lost my sock-knitting mojo about a month and a half into the Plunge, way back in August, and it hasn't come back. I don't know where it went, but I'm thinking it has something to do with this:

This is a sock I was knitting for my best friend Carol, who always gets a pair of socks for her birthday. Carol loves blue, and for three years I knit her blue socks. I was sick of blue socks. But Carol is also a Michigan State fan (aren't all sane Michiganders?), so I thought that I would stray from the blue theme and knit her a pair of green and white socks. I purchased a skein of Tailgate Sock from Knitters Brewing Company, and I chose to knit Skew. Because what could be more perfect than a pair of green and white striped socks for a Michigan State fan? Right?

Yeah, right.

Do you see stripes in the socks above? Because I sure don't. I see flashing and pooling, and I abhor flashing and pooling. But others don't, and the flashing and pooling wasn't the worst I'd seen, so I knit on. I finished the first sock (which included reknitting the heel and part of the leg to get them to fit) and started the second.

And then the yarn did something completely dastardly:

REALLY? REALLY? YOU'RE ALREADY HORRIBLE POOLING YARN, AND YOU CANNOT BE COURTEOUS ENOUGH TO THIS KNITTER TO AT LEAST POOL THE SAME WAY ON BOTH SOCKS?

And what's worse, I can't believe I wasted time knitting this much of the foot when I knew two inches back that it was going to be horrible. The yarn is taking a time-out in the UFO box, and it may never ever get to come out to play again.

In the meantime, I have ordered more yarn and am working on plain vanilla socks with afterthought heels.

The yarn is String Theory Colorworks Entanglement Self-Striping in the Chlorophyll colorway. Sigh. Isn't it perfect? Look at those orderly stripes, marching right up that leg with Spartan pride. Go right through for MSU. Watch the stripes keep growing.

One sock is done, and that's where I stopped. Because despite the fact that I love my alma mater, I am just that sick of knitting green and white yarn. I think if I can gut it out, though, I will finish them by the end of Socktober.

I don't want to rain on anyone else's Socktoberfest parade, though. Natasha was so nice to make a new badge for Socktoberfest, which I promptly stole for my sidebar. Go steal it. She wants you to. Cast on some socks if you haven't already. And if you have, post a comment to tell me what you are knitting!

Fun Finds—Fall Treats

2011-10-07T18:11:00.004-04:00

I cannot get enough of Pinterest. You've heard of social bookmarking? Well, this takes bookmarking a step further. This is social pinning. As in thumb tacks and cork board, but without the thumb tacks and cork board. Stop what you are doing. Right now. Stop reading this blog. Go look at it, then come back.

Since I joined Pinterest and started pinning all manner of things, I've discovered lots and lots of fun goodies that I never would have come across if I hadn't joined Pinterest. Lately, I've been pinning quite a few delicious treats that scream "Fall is here!" and I thought you might like to check out a few. I haven't tried them yet, but they are on my fall agenda.

Who can resist a good pumpkin bread?
Pull-Apart Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread
Cream Cheese Rippled Pumpkin Bread

Some extra special to go with your apple cider:
Lattice Apple Cider Cookie Tops

As if caramel isn't good enough...
Apple Cider Caramels

And finally, when you get tired of drinking your favorite October beer (is that possible?):
Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate

Go join Pinterest. Follow me, and leave me a comment here so I can follow you!

In the Kitchen: Taco Soup

2011-10-02T12:34:00.006-04:00

Fall is upon us in full force! I don't know what it's like where you live, but last night it dropped to 39 degrees in this neck of the woods. Here at Bungalow 312, I have decided to celebrate by making a vat of soup. And before sharing today's recipe, Scooter and I have some very strong opinions on the subject matter of soup, which we would like to share here:

Soup is best made in vat quantities. Making any less is a colossal waste of time and energy.
Soup is one food I can eat as leftovers for an entire week without getting sick of. If I do get sick of it, it freezes well, so there is no point in making less than a vat. (See #1.)
Contrary to the opinion of Uncle Steve, soup should never, ever have chicken or turkey feet as an ingredient. The only exception to this rule is if you are going to starve, I mean literally die of starvation, and the only thing you have on hand is water and chicken/turkey feet. Then maybe it would be okay to make soup out of that.
Pickling spice, extremely thin noodles, and celery salt are essential ingredients to make Chicken Noodle Soup with a capital C, N, and S. There are dozens of good versions of chicken noodle soup, but they are not my Grandma Gerger's, so they cannot be called Chicken Noodle Soup.
The best Chicken Noodle Soup is made with extremely thin homemade noodles. Grandma used to make the dough, roll it out into a nearly paper-thin sheet, and cut it into strips with a knife to make very thin, flat noodles. Aunt Irene, if you feel so inclined to give me a box of these for Christmas this year, you will be handsomely rewarded with something handknit.
White chili is better than red chili.
Ground venison makes good red chili. Every November, when deer hunting season begins, I tell History Teacher Brian that if he manages to shoot a deer, I would be happy to take some ground venison off his hands and make some chili with it and bring it to school for our lunches. He has yet to deliver. Hmmm.
Potato soup is yummy, but not the potato soup with the eggs in it that my dad made when I was growing up. To quote the Small Children, "Boo! Yucky!"
Ever since the Great and Terrible Beef Stew Revolt of my childhood, I still cannot be convinced to eat beef stew. One of my fears is that I will be invited to a dinner party and have to eat it in order to be polite.
In the fall and winter, nothing beats soup for dinner or for lunch. Nothing.

Today, I am not making Chicken Noodle Soup. Nor potato soup, nor white chili, nor red venison chili, nor soup with chicken/turkey feet (thank God I am not dieing of starvation). And of course, no beef stew.

Taco Soup
Adapted from Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup chopped red onion
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package Ranch dressing mix
2 (15.25-ounce) cans whole kernel corn, undrained
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (12-ounce) beer*
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Toppings: Shredded Cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese, blue corn tortilla chips

Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Combine meat mixture and remaining ingredients except for toppings in a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours. Serve with toppings.

Makes about 16 cups.

*Original recipe calls for light beer. I never use light beer. Use Mexican beer if you have it on hand, or if not, a lighter-tasting (though not necessarily light) ale or lager will do.

Blog Silence

2011-09-27T15:53:00.000-04:00

I don't like it!

One thing that makes me very, very sad is when one of my favorite bloggers falls silent. You really do feel connected to people reading their blogs. People you don't know seem like friends, and you can't help but think, "I haven't heard from so-and-so for a while. I wonder what she's up to?"

My blog posts have slowed to a trickle this year, and it makes me sad. Some days I feel like I don't even have time to take care of myself, my house, and my classroom much less get up the energy to write a blog post. I used to blog more. I used to knit more. I used to play more. I used to play practical jokes more. I used to read more. I used to walk more. I used to enjoy life more. I don't know what's gone on in the past year or two, but I certainly don't like it.

Priority rearrangement beginning now. Look for some changes.

Stitches Recap

2011-09-11T11:22:00.005-04:00

Well, friends. Among the whirlwind of going back to school, stash enhancement has occurred. And it occurred in a big, big way. Before I post the picture, I feel the need to defend myself and say that all of the yarns below are for a specific project. I hope to work on most of the projects over this winter, so I'll share the yarns and patterns as the time comes. A couple of the yarns are for super-duper secret gift projects. Anyway, I don't think I need to buy yarn for a really, really long time. Or ever, perhaps.

As you can see from the photo, I also picked up a pair of Signature Needles DPNs. I was hoping Signature would have their sock circulars out by now, but no such luck. Maybe these DPNs will help me eliminate sock ladder, which I get every time I use DPNs to knit socks. I also picked up the cutest mid-size project bag from Erin Lane. It's perfect for a project that involves two skeins of yarn, such as a shawl or a scarf. Ms. Anyssa was lucky enough to win a set of these bags (as a Stitches door prize) just as she was entering the booth to shop for a bag!

Speaking of Ms. Anyssa, she was one lucky girl all around. She was quite the Stitches celebrity, on account of finishing her Westknits Earth & Sky for the Westknits Mystery Shawl KAL. She had stayed up until 2:00 A.M. the night before Stitches to finish it, and although she wore it unblocked, she got quite a lot of attention for it. So much so, in fact, that Kimberly-of-the-Bunny-Ears who was manning the information booth stopped her to tell her that MR. WEST WAS IN THE HOUSE!

Yes, we totally stalked him. Yes, we got to meet him. Yes, he loved Ms. Anyssa's shawl.

Other Stitches highlights included pre-dinner cocktail hour in Pam and Jean's room, with cosmos courtesy of Pam.

We, the sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Fiber got to eat in the swank private dining room at the hotel. Delaine reserved a table for ten and they sat us here, as there was no party booked. We got so lucky! Well, maybe it was lucky for them, because I'm sure had we been sitting in the main part of the dining room, the other patrons wouldn't have appreciated us. I can't tell you what happened, because what happens at Stitches stays at Stitches. But rest assured, we should all probably attend confession.

The next morning, Anyssa and I took Knit One Below—Socks with Elise Duvekot. Both of us knit stupid pretty much the entire day on account of the hangover due to the cosmopolitans we had consumed the night below. Elise was super patient with us, and two of the skeins in the yarn photo are for the Inside-Outside Scarf from her book.

Anyssa and I have decided that Stitches is too much fun to cram into just two days, so next year, we're going for a third!

Stash Enhancement is Imminent

2011-08-18T07:33:00.002-04:00

I'm not really the girly type, but I've just got to say this: SQUEEEEE!

Michigan Fiber Festival!

Stitches Midwest!

I'm going to both! I've never been to either!

SQUEEEEE!

In order to not completely blow a budget, I have done a very sensible thing. I have gone through my Ravelry queue and favorites and made a list of items I would like to make along with how much yarn and what type they require. I will only buy yarn that I love, and I will limit it to what is on the list below.

Here's my pattern list:

Spectra: How can you not love a good Stephen West pattern? Will get something scrumptious in a semisolid fingering weight for the main color, and for the contrast color, something much softer than Noro.
Inspira: I have been wanting to knit this gorgeous cowl ever since I saw Celery Stalks's original. Just fantastic. I have yardages for both the Mesa Rock version (worsted or Aran weight) and the Steampunk version (fingering weight). I will get one, not the other, and I'm leaning toward the Mesa Rock, because Lord knows I don't need another fingering weight project in my queue.
Rill: I need enough lace weight for two scarves. I'd like one skein of some sort of silk and merino blend and another skein that is made without animal fibers (for you-know-who).
Larix: I would really love it if someone is selling Unique Sheep yarns, but if not, I will look for something similar.

That's it. Four patterns, five projects. Pretty reasonable, huh?

Of course, it will not be my fault if other yarn grows legs and decides to leap into my cart when I'm not looking. There's only so much a knitter can do.

Plunge Pair #3

2011-08-16T22:44:00.004-04:00

I finished my third Plunge pair almost a week ago, but I have been a very lazy blogger. Meet Hedera-esque, a mostly stockinette sock with a Hedera lace panel running up the outside of the foot.

As much as I'd love to claim it, this pattern modification isn't my idea. I queued it when I stumbled across Kazen's project on Ravelry, and the simplicity of it appealed to me. We're running knit-along each month in the Plunge group, and Hedera-esque was our July KAL. Some knitters played with the lace panel a bit more, making it meander instead of running a straight path down the sock, or making the panels diverge while also knitting intarsia. As you can see, I was not so adventurous.

I did, however, try out a new heel I had never knit before. This is the heel from the Show-off Stranded Socks, an all-in-one heel flap and gusset. Essentially, you knit the gusset while also knitting the heel flap and instep, continuing in the round until you get to the heel turn. It looks really nice and neat.

The socks are a little baggy, although I think it's more to do with the fact that I used a 2.25 mm needle over 64 stitches (rather than my standard 60 for a stockinette sock) than it is a problem with the heel. I will likely knit this heel again on a sock that overall fits better before I make a final decision about whether it's a good fit for my foot.

Pattern: Hedera by Cookie A.
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Rayon Vert
Needles: Size 1, 2.25 mm
Ravel it!

Plunge Pair #2

2011-07-20T21:07:00.003-04:00

I finished my second pair of socks for the 26 Pair Plunge yesterday, nine days ahead of schedule. They are blocked and photographed! But this is all I can show you until after Christmas.

They are a gift for someone. I can't tell who. Shhh! Es un secreto.

Plunge Pair #1 = Done!

2011-07-12T10:50:00.004-04:00

Meet Sea Spray, the first of my finished pairs in the 26 Pair Plunge.

I cast on these socks June 12 and bound off July 2. That's 21 days total, but remember, I was knitting bits and pieces of other socks in there. My deadline for these socks is July 14, so I'm twelve days ahead of the game.

These were knit for the June Sock Knitters Anonymous challenge, which was to take a self-striping yarn and manipulate the stripes to form waves, chevrons, geometric shapes, etc.

I used a feather and fan stitch to create waves on the front of the leg and the instep, and I used plain stockinette stitch on the back for stretch.

These were the first pair of identical self-striping socks I have knit.

And my first afterthought heel. How'd I do?

Pattern: None—Did my own thing.
Yarn: Lana Grossa Meilenweit Colortweed in colorway #1004
Needles: Size 1, 2.25 mm
Ravel it!

The next pair must be done by July 28 to stay on schedule. Wish me luck!

Plunge Preparations

2011-06-18T19:14:00.006-04:00

Plunge preparations are under way in a BIG way. The sock yarn stash has been reviewed, the queue has been updated, and lists have been made. There may even be charts and graphs and calendars on my computer. (I'm not saying there are for sure, but there might be.)

One sock has been fully knit.

I finished it in a week. Which was a big relief, because had I not been able to do that, I would not be up for this challenge. In keeping with my vow not to "cheat" too much, I will not start the second sock before The Plunge officially begins on July 1. (I may or may not be consulting a chart right now that tells me the sock should be finished by July 21 in order to stay on schedule.)

Another sock is going to be cast on soon, using this yarn:

I am naming this sock "Little Giants," and if you hail from these parts, you will know what "Little Giants" refers to and should very well be able to figure out who these socks are for.

Aside from Plunge preparations, I have been working on a little crochet project.

It's the Starling Handbag by Alice Merlino, and the small size couldn't be cuter. Perfect little bag to hold a pair of socks-in-progress. Perfect little bag to give a sock knitter. Perfect little bag to give a small child, once it has been embellished with flowers knitted and crocheted from this book. Perfect little bag to give your mom for Mother's Day, filled with soaps and handknit washcloths. You get the idea.

I have also been winding and splitting yarn like a madwoman for the second half of the Three Fates Yarn swap I am hosting for Blankie Mania.

There are twenty participants in the swap. Which means twenty skeins of yarn that have to be divided into twenty little balls like the ones you see above. The last time I checked, 20 x 20 = 400. Then those 400 evil little balls have to be made into skeinlets and labeled. And then shipped using PayPal shipping, to twenty different addresses.

And this is the second half of the swap. Which means I already sent out 400 little skeinlets back in April. This swap has now been going on for three months, and it is not yet over. I do not know what I was thinking doing this at the end of the school year. Thank God the ladies in the swap are patient, patient people.

The next time I suggest hosting a swap, I would be much obliged if someone would slap me into next week just for suggesting it. Really.

Break over. Time to make the skeinlets.

The Plunge Rules

2011-06-05T11:43:00.008-04:00

So this 26 Pair Plunge thing doesn't start until July 1. But according to the rules, you can count WIPs. Now, I don't know how I feel about this. On one hand, it seems like good motivation for ADD knitters like me to finish up those WIPs. On the other hand, it seems a bit like cheating. After all, you could knit a bunch of pairs down to kitchenering the toe (or up to binding off the cuff, if you are of the toe-up ilk) and then just finish them and count them. I have decided that in order to feel as if I really challenged myself, I must knit at least 50% of the pair after July 1 for it to count in the challenge. In other words, I have to knit at least one sock of the pair. I don't have any WIPs in my box that have progressed further than that, anyway.

Which means no knitting more than one of the Man Socks this month. And they are progressing quite rapidly. I've already got half of the first leg done.

When I first knit this pattern (Charlene Schurch's Garter Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks), I thought they would never end. I even knit them with a short cuff.

Reading those old blog posts is pretty comical now. I made a bunch of mistakes and had to keep ripping the socks back. To be fair, they were only my second pair of adult socks. I think I'm much better at matching yarn to pattern now, too.

I think the Schurch books are going to come in really handy during The Plunge. I'm scouting out other fast-knitting sock patterns, too, so if you have some suggestions, please comment!

Taking the Plunge

2011-06-04T19:23:00.001-04:00

I am crazy.

I am taking The Plunge.

The 26-Pair Plunge.

Others are taking the 52-Pair Plunge, but I am far too wimpy for that.

To celebrate this momentous decision, I am casting on a sock. A man sock. Who is it for? Only Christmastime shall tell.

To see the socks knit by this last year's Plunge finishers, click here.

Sock Mojo?

2011-05-31T20:58:00.007-04:00

Nope. More like sock no-go.

First, I thought that this yarn...

...wanted to be these socks.

Uh-uh. I wasn't feeling the love. I needed something simpler. So then I thought that the yarn wanted to be these socks.

Wrong again. Too tight. This yarn is indecisive. I listened to it a little more, and I thought it told me that it wanted to be these socks.

Thrice thwarted. Again, too tight. Naughty, naughty yarn went into the WIP box.

Then this yarn whispered to me...

...and I thought perhaps it wanted to be these socks.

This yarn was coy. It kept acting like it wanted to be those socks, and all was going well, but then I turned the heel and realized once again, too tight.

Then a little bird flew by and whispered, "Maybe you have lost your sock mojo because you are knitting too tightly. Maybe you are stressed. Knit simple."

So now I think this yarn...

...wants to be a pair of Desk Drawer Socks.

So all in all, I haven't had much fun knitting socks lately.

But I have had fun.

Too much STUPID FUN!

Random Faves

2011-05-15T11:21:00.007-04:00

Favorite #1—FO
Who doesn't love a finished object? I finished my Briochette scarf a couple of weeks ago.

Now, if only I loved blocking as much as knitting...

Favorite #2—Sock Stash Knitdown
The Stash and Burn Group on Ravelry is holding a Sock Stash Knitdown this year for those of us who have a tad bit too much sock yarn in the stash. Each month, prizes are drawn from the names of knitters with finished objects made of sock yarn. My hope is to knit down at least one ball of yarn per month, and so far I'm on track.

January—Waving Lace Socks, made of Araucania Ranco Multy

February/March—Clockwork, made of Malabrigo Sock and Plucky Knitter MCN Fingering

April—Briochette, made of Three Irish Girls Adorn (see above)

May—Faceted Rib Socks, in Abstract Fiber Mighty Sock (on the needles)

Favorite #3—Craft Gossip
I am loving this blog. All sorts of crafty goodness (or should I say good craftiness) pops up here. Use the menu at the left to look at particular types of crafts. My favorite? The Home and Garden section.

Favorite #4—Talenti Gelato
The season for frozen treats is nearly upon us, and I just discovered Talenti at my local supermarket. My favorite flavor is Sea Salt Caramel. Sweet/salty combo = delicious! Just ignore the nutrition information and don't eat more than 1/4 pint in one sitting!

Favorite #5—Rain
This rainy weekend is making my grass seed grow, and has afforded us the perfect weather for reading and knitting, perhaps the last weekend of the season perfect for slouching... although I have to say, I'm ready for some sunny days around here! And the lawn really needs to be mowed!

ABCs of Stash Reduction—Arlene's World of Lace

2011-04-22T10:56:00.007-04:00

The last few months have seen, to put it impolitely but to call it like it is, a shitstorm of attacks on my livelihood and on my profession. In fact, before coming over here to chat with you all, I wrote yet another letter to my state representative. For the first time in my career, I have been scared about my financial future. And therefore, for the first time, my enormous stash is looking like less of a burden and more like what I will be knitting from so as to save money in uncertain times.

So I bring you the ABCs of Stash Reduction. In the coming months, I'll be working my way through the alphabet, one project at a time. A is for Arlene's World of Lace. "Arlene" is cool. She doesn't design your typical, lacy, triangular, grandma-would-wear-this shawl. She knits some pretty funky stuff. Her tagline is "Knit. Lace. Different." And it sure is different. Check this out. And this. And this.

I am knitting Briochette.

Briochette is a fingering-weight scarf knit in zigzagging columns of—you guessed it—brioche stitch. The pattern is a fun one. It's not difficult but definitely requires attention. The pattern is segmented into three parts: beginning (tip to middle), middle, and end (middle to tip). To me, one of the best things about the pattern is that it is adjustable. Want a longer scarf? Just knit more pattern repeats in the middle section. My plan is use up nearly my full skein of Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock by weighing the yarn. When I have used up nearly half the yarn, I'll just double the number of repeats I have already knit in the middle section and then knit the end section.

I really like how when you view the scarf at certain angles, it looks almost striped.

And did I mention? The pattern is free. Which is just what this girl needs right now.

We Now Return to Regularly Scheduled Content

2011-04-08T15:37:00.004-04:00

March came in like a lion and went out like a... lion.

The world blew up here:

And here:

And even right here in my own backyard.

I've been to two rallies...

...and there are more on the way.

I have been silent here, but I have been writing.

Facebook posts.

E-mails.

Letters.

Blog comments to this girl, because some days I feel like she's the only one paying attention.

I am tired.

I am not giving up, but this space has to be a happy place again.

Look for knitting content soon.

Getting Back on Course

2011-02-28T20:15:00.001-05:00

I'm not fully ready to get back to my regular knitting content yet, but this video takes us one step closer.

Knitting as part of peaceful protest. You gotta love it.

Show Some Wisconsin Love

2011-02-21T21:24:00.001-05:00

Departure from Regular Programming

2011-02-20T09:56:00.003-05:00

I am in awe of the teachers and other Wisconsinites who have showed up to protest the reduction and elimination of their collective bargaining rights in Madison. My online time has largely been devoted to this cause over the past few days and I haven't had a lot of mental energy for anything else.

Bungalow 312 will return to its regular knitting programming soon.

Izzy and Izzy Hat

2011-02-12T15:05:00.007-05:00

There's something in the water where I work that is causing people to get pregnant. Therefore, another baby knit:

Izzy

Pattern: Sadie by Susan Dittrich
Yarn: Cascade Sierra in Cameo
Needles: Size 7, 4.5 mm
Ravel it!

This little sundress is pretty cute, especially if you knit the stripey version that the pattern calls for. I thought about it, but then decided to knit a solid version and a matching sunhat instead. The pattern comes in a few different sizes. I made the 17-inch chest size after consulting this chest size chart for babies. I figured since the chart said that a 6-12 month average size is 16 inches and a 12-18 month average size is 18 inches, the 17-inch size would be good for a 9-12 month old. Boy, was I wrong! We'll be lucky if Little Isabelle doesn't outgrow this dress by the summer!

Izzy Hat

Pattern: Emily Hat by J.L. Fleckenstein
Yarn: Cascade Sierra in Cameo
Needles: Size 6, 4.0 mm and size 7, 4.5 mm
Ravel it!

The hat, on the other hand, is most definitely knit for a baby that is much older. It's way too big for her right now, as you can see.

Aren't those cheeks the best?

The hat was a quick, easy knit, although I suspect that the instructions for the brim are incorrect. Something wasn't making the seed stitch look right, so I fudged it.

I liked using the Cascade Sierra, although as usual, cotton is tough on the hands. I was happy to get back to knitting with wool after this project!

Heatwaves

2011-02-07T17:55:00.007-05:00

No, we're not having an actual heatwave here, although a few seventy-five degree days sound really good right now.

No, it's my first pair of socks of 2011!

Heatwaves

Pattern: Waving Lace Socks by Evelyn Clark; Favorite Socks
Yarn: Araucania Ranco Multy in Heatwave
Needles: Size 1, 2.25 mm
Ravel them!

One thing that I really loved about making these socks is that the lace pattern, although 20 rows long, is easily memorized. I love it when I don't have to haul a pattern around with me!

I also loved this colorway of the Ranco Multy. At first I was afraid that the variegation would obscure the lace pattern, but as you can see, that didn't happen. Ranco Multy does have its drawbacks. It's not the softest sock yarn available, and it's not superwash. But I just love Araucania's colorways and the yarn does soften a bit with washing.

I am participating in the Great Sock Off of 2011. The idea behind this Ravelry group is that its members support one another in their quest to knit a pair of socks each month. So far, I'm 1/1! Another related KAL is the Sock Stash Knitdown that is going on in the Stash and Burn group. Stash and Burn groupies participating in this challenge are focused on knitting down their sock stash, whether it's by knitting socks or using the sock yarn for other items. In addition to the pair of socks each month, I also hope to knit some fingering-weight scarves, mittens, and cowls throughout the year.

Do you have a ginormous sock yarn stash? Come join us!

And finally, before I leave, I gotta throw the Detroit car industry some love. Outstanding commercial!

A Plucky Day

2011-02-05T17:13:00.004-05:00

Mission accomplished!

Why didn't I take my coat off before getting my picture taken? I had on a pretty cute outfit today. Sheesh.

In case you don't recognize her, the woman in the photo with me is Sarah Dimond, aka The Plucky Knitter. Isn't she just the cutest person you have seen in a long, long time? I have been waiting to meet her ever since I found out she is a Michigander and since I was a member of the Plucky Classics Club a couple of years ago. She was so, so nice, talking about the different bases of yarn she uses and showing some of the samples knit in her yarn. The one she is wearing in the photo certainly caught my eye. It's Vine Loop by Melissa LaBarre knit in Primo Worsted, the yarn that I went to get (but got something else, which I explain below).

She also had the Cilantro there, knit from her Superwash Merino Worsted. This is a nifty little pattern. It's an asymmetrical triangle shawl/scarf. Sarah and I both share(d) an aversion to knitting pointy shawls that may make us look like grannies. She has since been converted, but I am still on the fence. However, the fact that the point of this shawl is offset made it cool. She styled it around her neck a few different ways, and that convinced me that perhaps I should try it. And so I will.

By the time I arrived (around 10:30, only half-hour after the shop opened), colorways that I might have chosen in the Primo Worsted had already been snatched up. Bummer. There were lovely, lovely, lovely colors there, but I wanted something really special. I found something that I loved in the Merino Superwash Worsted, a blue-green colorway called Lindsey's Wallpaper. And then I met Liesl, who had hosted a Plucky show at her house a few months ago. She was wearing a Dark and Stormy knit in the same yarn base, and she let me touch it, and I was happy to leave with two skeins of the Merino SW instead of the Primo.

I'm happy to report that I left with exactly the amount of yarn that I had intended on purchasing, so I didn't sabotage my cold sheeping efforts too much. I met some people that I would like to see again sometime when I visit Kalamazoo or Grand Rapids. All-in-all, a great day. A Plucky day!

Snow Day My Way

2011-02-03T11:14:00.007-05:00

Snowtorious B.I.G.! Snowmageddon! SnOMG! Whatever hyperbolic term you want to give it, we got a lot of snow yesterday. The plows still haven't fully cleared the roads, so we have another day off today. Many people spent the day moving snow, some people went skiing or snowboarding, but here is a snow day my way.

I spent the day housebound with Mr. Scoots.

Mr. Scoots's view.

I spent quite a bit of the day chatting on Facebook, browsing Ravelry, and reading blogs. And I love this cowl and these mittens and the adorable wreath my friend made for Valentine's Day.

I photographed a few knitting projects. FO posts to come throughout this week.

I read the design chapter of Cookie A.'s Sock Innovation. I thought it might be a good idea before casting on the first sock of my own design.

Sock trio, charted and ready. Have you figured out the theme that binds them together?

I made this curry for dinner. It was pretty delicious, although the sauce turned out a bit runny. Is curry supposed to be like that? Several reviewers suggested to double the amount of curry called for in the recipe, and I agree.

I spent most of the evening untangling this skein of Malabrigo Sock yarn.

MALicious MALabrigo in Boticelli Red. Bad, bad, bad.

The Malabrigo Sock above along with this skein of Plucky Knitter MCN Fingering are going to become a Clockwork.

I just love Stephen West's patterns. I have plans to do a couple of Pogonas and a Purl Ridge Scarf as well sometime. I am doing the Clockwork for the Selfish Westknits Knitalong that runs through the rest of this month. If you have a Westknits pattern in your queue, you should come over and join us.

Speaking of Plucky, Sarah Dimond, Ms. Plucky herself, is coming to Stitching Memories in Kalamazoo for a trunk show on Saturday, and so I'm headed there for the weekend. Can't wait to meet Sarah and pet her yarns. Hopefully I will show some self-restraint and will only purchase the yarn for my Purl Ridge Scarf. And Mom promises to try a couple of new recipes out on me this weekend.

So, is it snowy in your neck of the woods? If so, what does a snow day your way look like?

Reading Cowl

2011-01-30T19:39:00.005-05:00

My Reading Cowl is now available as a PDF file on Ravelry!

Enjoy!

Still Cowl Crazy

2011-01-18T19:22:00.004-05:00

It's cold in these here parts, and therefore I am still cowl crazy.

Finally writing up a publishable pattern for this...

... thinking about designing something with this...

and knitting something similar to this.

Go wrap your neck. It's cold!

Cowl Crazy

2010-12-27T14:08:00.006-05:00

I have gone crazy. Cowl crazy. Crazypants for the Honey Cowl.

Punta Yarns Merisoft Hand Painted Aran in colorway HP91.

Punta Yarns Merisoft Solid in colorway SOL311.

Colinette Banyan in Neptune.

And have I ever been looking at cowl patterns in Ravelry! Here are a few of my faves:

Willow Cowl by Amelia Lyon
Butterfly Mobius by Clara Parkes
Reversible Cables Infinity Scarf or Cowl by Sarah Punderson
Marian by Jane Richmond
Encompass by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
GAP-tastic Cowl by Jen Geigley
#120 Double Cabled Cowl by SweaterBabe
Stockholm Scarf by knittedblissJC
September Circle by Melissa LaBarre
Challah Infinity Scarf by Pam Powers
#123 Sophisticated Boho Lace Eternity Scarf by SweaterBabe

So, do you have a cowl pattern that you've been eyeing?

'Tis the Season

2010-12-24T13:49:00.003-05:00

Christmas greetings from Bungalow 312! Scooter wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas himself...

Bungalow 312 Guide to Wrapping Christmas Presents

2010-12-21T14:57:00.002-05:00

Need to do a marathon wrapping session? Never fear, more tips are here!

Tip #1
Do not buy Christmas wrapping paper! Quality paper is expensive and the only thing you can use it for is Christmas. (Yes, my dear brother, ONLY for Christmas, not for Mom's birthday, even though her birthday is the day after Christmas. That's so not cool.) So, what should you buy?

Cute stick-on gift tags. Walmart sold some this year under the brand Holiday Expressions. I got 56 for $2.00. Yes, I hate Walmart, too, but sometimes giving in to corporate evil is worth your sanity.
Curling ribbon in various colors to match the gift tags.
White tissue paper. Get a big package so you have leftovers for all your gift wrapping needs in 2011.
If you are giving gift cards, small bags or gift card holders. See if you can find some in the same brand line as your tags. I got an assortment of 10 small bags for $5.00.
If you have clothing to wrap and need to buy boxes, see if you can find them in the same brand line as your tags. I bought some, again from Walmart, $3.00 for a package that contained two sweater boxes, five shirt boxes, and three boxes large enough for accessories such as a scarf or several pairs of socks.
Your key purchase is SOLID COLOR WRAPPING PAPER in various colors to match the gift tags. This will cost a bit more than buying a pack of cheap Christmas wrapping paper, but it's worth it in the end. I purchased five different colors (red, white, bright green, pink, and blue) from Target for $3.00 per roll. I will never use all of it, and now I have wrapping paper for almost any occasion in the coming year. All I'll need to do is pink up a funky bow and/or gift tag when I buy the greeting card, and I'm set.

Tip #2
Be kind to yourself. Turn on the Christmas tree. Light a pine-scented candle. Drink some egg nog. Put on some Christmas music.

Tip #3
Gather all your wrapping items (the above, plus tape, scissors, and black pen) before you begin. Set them on a bench or chair next to your work surface.

Tip #4
If you have a cat, give him/her a treat and some toys and lock him/her in another room. It seems mean, but it will be meaner if the cat eats curling ribbon and has to be taken to an emergency vet clinic. This will, of course, also wreck your wrapping schedule, not to mention your household budget.

Tip #5
If you haven't done so already, sort your gifts by recipient. Bring the gifts for one recipient only to the work table. I cannot stress this enough. Choose a color scheme for this person from your supplies. Henry Ford was a pretty smart dude, so you are going to follow in his footsteps and do this assembly line style. Division of labor is your friend here. Even though you don't have anyone to help you, you are going to pretend that you do. Use the following system.

Wrap all the gifts for that person.
Now add the curling ribbon to all the gifts.
Now fill out the gift tags and stick them on.
Put them all under the Christmas tree.
Return your supplies to the bench or chair.

Stretch and drink some egg nog. Get the gifts for person #2 on your list and repeat the above steps using a different color scheme. Isn't this clever? Each person will feel as if you tailored their gift wrap specifically to them!

Tip #6
Do not wrap the presents in the decorative boxes. The box IS the gift wrap! (I actually used to do this. Then I met people who didn't and wondered what the hell I had been thinking all this time.)

Tip #7
Keep a healthy perspective about how your packages look. After all, the wrap won't be on them very long before it gets ripped off. It doesn't have to be perfect!

Bungalow 312 Guide to Christmas Shopping

2010-12-20T22:07:00.004-05:00

All right, folks. Anyone out there leave their Christmas shopping until the last minute, like me? If so, there's not much you can do but grit your teeth, get in the car, and go. But I have a few tips that might make your excursion a little less painful.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE—PLAN!

Put some beer or a bottle of wine in the refrigerator to chill.
Make a list of the gifts you need sorted by location rather than by recipient. It's a good idea to think of this list as a guideline rather than set in stone. Don't plan on hitting more than three large stores (Walmart, Target, Toys 'R Us, the mall) in one day.
Map a driving route. Avoid the really busy streets if at all possible, even if it means that you might have to go a little out of your way. It might even take you a few more minutes, but it will be much less aggravating. The fewer drivers who cross your path, the better. When planning your route, also keep in mind that it is much easier to make a right turn than a left turn onto busy streets.
Take a large purse. It may seem counterintuitive to have to schlep around another large bag, but it will come in handy later. Trust me on this one.
Pack your purse with wallet, phone, bottle of water, bottle of caffeinated beverage of choice, and a snack or two. I like granola bars and trail mix. If you are a knitter, pack some easy knitting.
Unless temperatures outside are sub-zero, do not wear a winter coat. Wear a spring/fall jacket instead. Again, just trust me on this one. A little shivering on your way to the car will more than make up for not having to carry around a bulky coat later.

DRIVING/PARKING

Before leaving the driveway, tune the radio to one of those stations that plays Christmas music 24-7 at this time of year. It will help set the mood.
As you back out of the driveway, remind yourself that the number of idiot drivers on the road has increased tenfold this time of year. Vow not to be one of those idiot drivers and pray that you don't encounter many today.
Parking is one of the biggest hassles when it comes to Christmas shopping. That's because we are not resigned to the fact that getting a parking spot isn't as easy as it usually is and we make the mistake of trying to find a close spot. Give it up. If you are at a Target or Walmart type of store, your goal is to get a spot close to a cart corral. If you are at the mall, just take the first open spot you find. The time you spend looking for a close spot will be more than the extra minute or two that it takes to walk into the mall from a spot further out.
Remember where you parked so that this doesn't happen to you.

IN THE STORE

Take off your coat and put it in your purse. If I ruled the world, I would keep stores and shopping malls at a cool 60 degrees so that shoppers wouldn't overheat. But I'm not in charge of the world, so take off your jacket.
If there are carts available, take one as you walk in, even if you don't think you need one. You may stumble across a gift you hadn't thought of and substitute it for one later on the list. The fewer places you have to go, the better.
Take a moment to orient yourself. Check out the mall directory or read the overhead signs. Mentally map a store route.
Go. Be focused. Do not allow that pretty bauble or nifty gadget to distract you from your mission. As you walk, keep your eyes peeled for items that are on the list, whether they are on the list for that store or a different one. You might see something you had intended on getting somewhere else and will be able to cross "somewhere else" entirely off the list. I repeat: the fewer places you have to go, the better.
Get in line. Don't worry about finding the shortest one. Knit while you wait.
Get gift receipts.
Put all receipts, gift and regular in the same location. Don't worry about sorting now. Don't allow the clerk to put them in the bag.
Don't forget to rehydrate, recaffeinate, and feed yourself. It's also a good idea to stop in a bathroom from time to time when you see one rather than wait for the time when you really need one and can't find one.
When you feel yourself beginning to tire, spend no more than 30 more minutes shopping. If you keep going longer than that, your attention will likely wane and you will become much less efficient.
Pick up dinner on your way home. You are not going to cook this evening.

ONCE HOME

NO! No beer for you! Although it's tempting to leave the gifts in the car, go in the house, and relax, you are not done yet. Now is the time you must dig in and rally. Bring all the packages into the house and into the same room. If you live with others, do this away from spying eyes. On your way to the room, grab some tape.
Take out the receipts and sort them into two piles: gift receipts and regular receipts. Put the regular receipts away. Sort the gift receipts into piles by recipient.
Take the gifts out of the bags and also sort by recipient. Remove price tags and tape gift receipts onto gifts. Put back into store bags, one bag per gift recipient. This is going to make wrapping so much easier later.
Hide the gifts if necessary.
It's still not time for that beer. Change into some really comfortable clothes.
Reheat dinner if necessary.
Now... eat dinner and consume alcoholic beverage. And vow not to leave the shopping until the last minute next year!

Me Me Me

2010-11-27T10:25:00.011-05:00

I have been knitting a lot lately. It's the season for knitting. It's cold. It's dark. It's cold and dark. It's hibernating weather, and along with that comes a lot of knitting. Not just any knitting, either. Traditional knitting. Cables. Tweed. That sort of thing.

It's also the season for giving. Christmas is less than a month away. Many a knitter is frantically knitting away, hoping to finish that sweater for her husband or boyfriend. Hoping to have a pair of socks done for every member of the family. Making a knitting schedule so as to finish on time. Foolish, foolish people. I have been there, I have done that, and I am not going back to that dark, dark place. I am proud to say that everything currently on the needles is for... me.

The first is Shoormal, a delicious scarf I fell in love with as soon as the pictures showed up on Ravelry. I had to wait a few more weeks for Gudrun Johnston's book to come out (in e-book format; I don't know if the printed version is yet available), but as soon as it did, I cast on.

I am knitting it in Plymouth Encore Chunky Tweed. It's pretty soft due to the acrylic content, but this also makes me a little leery as I'm not sure it's going to block well. It doesn't need to block as well as a lace shawl, but it does need to get flattened or else it won't lay right. This is my first time working with this yarn, so only time will tell.

November is cable month in the Sock Knitters Anonymous Sockdown! Challenge. I chose a pretty simple pattern, Interlochen. It's just a 2 x 2 rib with cables thrown in every eight rows. Easy peasy.

Good light is hard to come by these days in Michigan, so pictures do not do justice to the yarn. It's a lovely semi-solid purple color. When you look at individual stitches, you see indigo, lavender, violet, and pink, and the yarn almost seems to glow. I really recommend you try Kelpie Fibers. Great little indie dyer.

My third project is Magic Mirror by Kristel Nyberg. Tons and tons of cabley goodness. I love these mittens, and I love the Cascade 220 Superwash Sport I am using. Much softer than Cascade Superwash, as the yarn is 100% merino.

This is the most complex cable pattern I have worked. It's not hard, but you have to pay attention, because this is what happens when you don't.

DRAT!

So, what have you been knitting lately? What patterns say "winter" to you?

Random Sunday

2010-10-31T18:29:00.009-04:00

The only way I know how to get back into blogging is to just go for it and compile the random thoughts swimming in my head.

October was crazy... just crazy. Between MEAP testing, parent-teacher conferences, camp, and my brother moving to Michigan, YIKES! I'm glad it's November.

Brother and SIL sold the house. Closing date is December 17, so we have about a month and a half until Small Children become Michiganders. Here's their response to the question, "What do you think about moving to Michigan?"
Small Child #1: I am sad because I won't know anyone and will have to make new friends.
Small Child #2: I am excited because I will get to make lots of new friends!
Small Child #3: Hi, Auntie Kim! I play with cars!

Small Child #1 lost her other front tooth. If you remember, she blew out her right central incisor when she was two years old by falling into an upholstered chair. (Yeah, to this day, I still don't get it, but that's her story and she's sticking to it.) Anyway, she is now symmetrical again.

Photo ganked from SIL's Facebook page.

This couldn't have happened at a better time.

In September I finished a pair of fingerless mitts. Totally easy knit, should have flown off the needles, but took me 23 days.

Red Thermitts

Pattern: Cozy Thermal Mitts by Karen Everitt
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wool in Poppy
Needles: Size 6, 4 mm
Ravel it!

I also finished the Simple Things shawl that I made with the yarn from my frogged Multnomah. That and the Blue Lace Scarf from hell are being blocked by Margaret. Thank God for Margaret, because I hate blocking.

At that point, my knitting mojo done up and left me. Only one project came off the needles in October, and I can't show it to you, as it's a gift and I don't want the recipient to see it should she happen to visit my blog. It was a pair of socks, so at least I did get something done for Socktoberfest this year. A half dozen or so projects were started and frogged this past month. All in all, I have probably knit at least another pair of socks, but alas, I have nothing to show for it.

When I completed that pair of socks, it was pair #8 for the year, so I am only two months behind my goal of twelve total pairs for 2010. That's two pairs per month from here on out. I think I can do it.

My two projects currently on the needles are black. Not exciting. Not conducive to returning the knitting mojo. Although perhaps the black yarn is fitting, as it's Halloween.

Again, I find myself glad that I don't live next to these people.

In crazy drama news, ThreadBear Fiber Arts closed. Sad, sad, sad. I'm not going to launch into the why here, as I would like to keep it classy. Suffice it to say that my knitting group lost its home. Even worse, several of my friends lost their jobs and there are enough hurt feelings going around to last a lifetime. While it may not have been unavoidable, it certainly didn't have to be this way.

I am, however, glad to know that Lansing is still chock-full of knitting shops. Rae's Yarn Boutique and Woven Art are very close, and there will be a new store opening up in Old Town sometime in November. Yay for Old Town Sticks & Strings, launched by Sabrina and Kathy! If you are local, you should definitely check it out!

Last but not least, this and this seemed like a good idea tonight. And I was right... delicious!

B312SC August: Sock Trio

2010-09-19T08:05:00.000-04:00

The beginning of the school year has delayed blogging, but now that I've got two weeks under my belt, I'm ready to get back to it. And I'm proud to report that all sorts of socks flew off the needles in August!

I decided to abandon the idea of colorwork for August. I cast on a few different pairs of socks but just couldn't get them to fit. I was particularly heartbroken over the failed Spot Check Socks, but I have frogged them and will try again next July with the same yarns. But all was not lost, as I finished three pairs that had been languishing on the needles.

Sparkly Mango Socks

Pattern: Desk Drawer Socks by me
Yarn: Berroco Sox Metallic in Guava
Needles: Size 1.5, 2.5 mm
Ravel it!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A.
Yarn: Araucania Ranco Multy in Verdigris
Needles: Size 1.5, 2.5 mm
Ravel it!

Misteriosos

Pattern: Mystery Sock '09 by Kirsten Kapur
Yarn: Cascade Heritage Solids in Cerulean
Needles: Size 1.5, 2.5 mm
Ravel it!

Desk Drawer Socks PDF

2010-08-24T16:48:00.002-04:00

My Desk Drawer Socks are now available as a free Ravelry download.

Cheers!

Camp Auntie Kim 2010

2010-08-21T12:02:00.007-04:00

This year's Camp Auntie Kim ran from July 27-30. A few of my favorite photos, first from Hawk Island.

Elusive photo of Small Children with arms around each other.

Small Child #2 may have a career as a machine gunner. Her goal: blast the boys into oblivion!

To the playground...

Come on. You know you want to.

The umbrella ended up being a splash pad favorite.

When you are a Small Child, it's all about the food. Enjoying a popsicle with Camp Counselor Carol.

And the annual visit to Michigan State University. Small Child #1 swears she is going to Cornell, but we'll see about that.

Not a bad game face for a six-year-old. (Small Child #2 not present, as she was having a bad day and didn't want to stand next to Sparty. Sigh.)

Small Children have big feet, but no one can match the Spartan.

Trying to cheer up Small Child #2 before heading over to the dairy.

Small Child #1 has such a sweet tooth. She claims that when her sweet tooth falls out she will only want to eat vegetables. We'll see.

Not sure if the cheering up worked or not.

Also, a big thanks to my friend Sara, who was generous enough to teach Small Children about the Love Window!

More photos can be found on my Flickr.

B312SC July: Wavy Tesseraes

2010-08-06T11:46:00.008-04:00

Yesterday I finished the July 2010 edition of the Bungalow 312 Sock Club (B312SC). I finished a few days late, but not too bad as far as these things go.

Pattern: Tesserae by Anne Hanson
Yarn: ThreadBear Fiber Arts Rob's Hand-Dyed Sock in Faded Jeans
Needles: Size 1, 2.25 mm
Ravel it!

The pattern is designed for solid sock yarn. After I knit about half of the leg, I was unsure as to whether or not I should continue. The variegation of the yarn was obscuring the stitch pattern. But I also liked how the waves in the pattern made the colorway look like, well, waves. And since these are for Carol and her favorite place in the whole wide world is her parents' private beach on Lake Michigan, I figured maybe this was meant to be.

These are the third pair of birthday socks I have knit for Carol... do you see a color scheme?

No blue socks for her next year. She needs to break out of her blue rut!

I am currently working on two pairs of socks, one of which will end up being the August edition of the club. The first is a pair of Spot Checks.

This is the colorwork challenge that I finally settled on after beginning and frogging at least two other socks. I am loving the way the eyeblaster yarn is popping against the navy, but doing colorwork socks has been a serious challenge for me. For those of you not-in-the-know, stranded knitting has little to no stretch. Therefore, fitting the cankles you see above can be quite difficult. Essentially, I knit the leg of the large sock, even though I usually knit a medium size, and I had to do some decreasing as I neared the heel flap. Not sure how well this will work; I'm going to have to knit the heel flap and continue before I decide whether it will fit well or not.

The other sock I'm working on is Kristen Kapur's Mystery Sock from Socktoberfest 2009 that I began last October. I have finished the first sock and am halfway down the leg of the second!

Lots of traveling and family/friends time this summer! Trip to North Carolina, a few days at Lake Michigan, Camp Auntie Kim, a day in Ann Arbor with Mom. I leave for Traverse City tomorrow, for Bear-Moose 2010. I can't believe that this is our fifth trip together. Small Child #1 was wee when we started these family vacations, and look at her now!

More vacation photos upon my return!

Stranded Knitting Redux

2010-07-16T13:38:00.012-04:00

Remember the selbuvotter mitten from hell that I tried to knit last year? I was having all sorts of issues with it: I am really, really right-handed and HATED knitting two-handed but wunderinstructor Janine made me; I had tension issues so that the top of the mitten was wider than the bottom; I decided not to knit the second mitten. I have not attempted stranded knitting since. And then several of my friends learned stranded knitting. And one in particular turned out a pretty pair of Spot Check Socks. And I was envious. And then along came the July Sock Knitters Anonymous Sockdown challenge. Colorwork. And Chrissy Gardiner is designing a mystery sock. And it's cute. So I went in search of figuring out a way to hold both strands of yarn in my right hand, and I found this:

IT WORKS! I am ecstatic. I can now knit with two strands nearly as quickly as I can with one, with none of the tension issues and none of the hand cramping. THANK YOU, PDXKNITTERATI, WHOEVER YOU ARE!

So, of course I went in search of yarn and an easy pattern that I could use to do some practicing, and in about two hours I had this:

Huron Mountain by Nancy Bush. Love that it was inspired by a place in Michigan.

And a couple of days ago I went in search of yarn to knit the mystery sock, and in about 30 minutes I had ordered this:

Wullenstudio Superwash Sock Yarn in Green, Green, Bad Moon Rising, Sherry Baby, and Purple Haze. Nifty names for colorways.

The neat thing about Wullenstudio yarns is that you can order them in 75-yard mini-skeins, perfect for colorwork! I ended up with one mini-skein each of the four colors above and a half skein of the undyed base yarn (appropriately called Natural Woman).

Sigh. I thought I was going to use August to finish a couple of sock WIPs, but it was not to be. August will now be devoted to colorwork.

Bungalow 312 Sock Club

2010-07-09T12:44:00.005-04:00

As you know from my previous post, I follow the Yarn Harlot on a regular basis. This year she had the brilliant idea to start her own self-imposed sock club. Having fallen victim to the "I really, really NEED that skein of sock yarn" bug myself, I can safely say that a good chunk of my stash is sock yarn. Recent inventory and reorganization of the stash cupboard confirm this.

So, without further ado, I announce the Bungalow 312 Sock Club. Each month, I shall attempt to knit a pair of socks that is currently in my Ravelry queue. Rather than random choice, I shall be choosing based on a Ravelry KAL, most likely the Sock Knitters Anonymous Sockdown! challenges or the Solid Socks KAL. Some months, particularly those when the KALs don't match anything in my queue, I will use to finish WIPs. A quick peek at my project page will reveal that I have several single socks knit. I'm not telling how many.

Now I announce the July sock...

This is Tesserae by Anne Hanson. Anne Hanson is this month's designer for the Sock Knitters Anonymous Sockdown! challenge. I'm using ThreadBear Fiber Arts Rob's Hand-Dyed Sock in Faded Jeans. At first I thought that the pattern stitch was being lost because of too much variegation in the yarn, but I sort of like the wavy effect the pattern and yarn are making, so I'm forging ahead.

Guess who these are for? Guess who has a birthday coming up in September?

Row 296

2010-06-30T12:32:00.006-04:00

Anyone else been following the Yarn Harlot this week? If not, I'll give you a couple of minutes to read her last two posts, "Public Service Announcement" (June 28) and "Continued" (June 29).

Okay, are you back? I don't know Stephanie, but I can completely commiserate with her right now. I can especially identify with this part:

There's some sort of charm on it where no matter how much I knit, more remains—and here's the really creepy part—it looks like I'm making progress, but I'm not.

And this part:

With this shawl, I can see that I'm making progress. I can see that I've got 14 more little leaves around the edge, but somehow, even though I'm obviously creating more knitting, there is still always more to be accomplished.

Why? Because I'm knitting this:

I know this Lace Kerchief Scarf isn't anywhere close to the mammoth Summer in Kansas shawl that Stephanie is working on, but then again, my skills are nowhere near hers, either. All I know is that I feel as if I have been knitting this blue yarn forever, and I'm on row 296, and I'm a little over halfway done, and I can't believe that I still have half to go, and I've already knit the 8-row unmemorizable-because-it-changes-on-every-row lace chart 37 times, and I don't want to knit it 35 more times, and I most definitely don't want to knit 280 more rows.

So I am going outside to mulch the flower beds.

The Frog Pond

2010-06-27T13:37:00.006-04:00

A trip to Cleveland for this year's mother-daughter vacation, a visit from my brother, and an afternoon of canoeing down the Looking Glass to celebrate my friend Jen's 30th birthday have kept me busy (and away from blogging) this week.

Holy Moses White Ale and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Great Lakes Brewing Company

It appears that finished objects have been slow to come off the needles lately, although I did finish a pair of socks for Mom.

Pattern: Escalier by Teri Charrois
Yarn: On Your Toes Bamboo in Tidal Blue Multi
Needles: Size 1.5, 2.5 mm
Ravel it!

Mom is allergic to wool, so I had to find an alternative to wool sock yarn. Despite the fact that this yarn has no wool content at all, I really enjoyed using it. It's very soft. Of course, she won't wear the socks until the fall, so how well it wears remains to be seen, but I liked knitting with it enough to use it again. The only bummer is that the skeins are quite short—only 328 yards. To do a larger pair of socks would require two skeins, but then there would be a lot left over.

I have also finished two other projects, but they have gone to the frog pond.

I know, I know. You're all screaming that it's gorgeous and why would I want to frog my Multnomah? It sat finished and blocked for a few weeks before I decided that it just wasn't large enough. I blocked the hell out of it, in fact, I blocked it to the specs in the pattern, but it just wouldn't stay around my neck. I thought about ripping back the feather and fan portion and enlarging the whole thing, but I just didn't know how to estimate whether or not I had enough yarn left to make it as large as I want. So to the frog pond it went. The reclaimed yarn is going to be used to make Simple Things instead. This way, I can just pretty much knit until I run out of yarn.

This was Whipped. I made it for my grandmother, and then I decided that she'd be more likely to wear a scarf than a shawl. So this yarn is becoming the Lacy Kerchief Scarf from the Holiday 2006 issue of Interweave Knits.

How about you? What projects have you sent to the frog pond recently?

Crotchety and Crochety

2010-06-14T09:40:00.000-04:00

So, no posts since May 10. I know, I know. It was the end of the school year, and I've been quite crotchety lately. Things are looking up now that I'm out, but the past few weeks have been pretty hellacious and the school year couldn't get over fast enough. Still love teaching, still love most of my students (well, I love all of them but I didn't like some of them towards the end), but I don't love all the craptastic malarkey that comes with working in the public sector right now. It's going to be very hard for me to vote this fall.

So what's a girl to do when she's crotchety? Learn to be crochety.

Making a huge granny square is very Zen.

I took an introduction to crochet class at ThreadBear at the beginning of May. And fairly soon thereafter, I started my first "real" crochet project.

Yes. It's another blanket. I'm using Attic24's hexagon tutorial. Such fun, but I need another blanket project like a hole in the head. Still, after seeing all the hexagonal goodness on Ravelry, I couldn't resist!

Reading Cowl

2010-05-10T18:33:00.004-04:00

A while back, I knit a pair of Susie's Reading Mitts for my good friend Wizzie. If you recall, I also knit her a matching cowl using the same stitch pattern as the mitts.

Since then, quite a few people have favorited said cowl, so I thought I'd post the instructions for how to make it here. In no way, shape, or form can I take credit for this idea, as there are many versions of this cowl on Ravelry and I owe the stitch pattern to Janelle Masters.

I used Malabrigo Silky Merino and a size 7, 4.5 mm for this cowl. The cowl has been gifted, so I don't know the gauge, but you can see the size and drape by checking out the picture above. To knit the cowl, you will first need to download the pattern for the mitts.

Cast on 100 stitches. Join for working in round.
Knit 4 rounds even.
Knit the turning round.
Knit 4 more rounds even.
Knit lace pattern.
Knit 30 rounds even (about 3 3/4”).
Knit lace pattern.
Knit 4 rounds even.
Knit the turning round.
Knit 4 rounds even.
Bind off.

Turn in edges and sew down to get “picot” edge. Voilà!

Damn.

2010-04-29T20:16:00.001-04:00

An Evening with Elton

2010-04-25T11:05:00.003-04:00

This is what I did last night. Of course, my seats were nowhere near as good, but that's okay. Thanks to my friend Carol for an early birthday present!

It simply amazes me that Sir Elton is still going strong. What an awesome career. Watching him just makes me tired!

Ate dinner once again at the Green Well Gastro Pub and had a drink at (where else?) The B.O.B. before the concert. Must-goes if you are ever in Grand Rapids!

Baby Mania, Take Three

2010-04-19T18:40:00.005-04:00

Emily's Sweater is finished. Buttons sewn on, and gift received.

Pattern: Baby Sweater on Two Needles by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Source: Knitter's Almanac
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy in Beach Fog
Needles: Size 7, 4.5 mm
Ravel it!

Oh, yes. Yet another February Baby Sweater has come into the world. I am sure mine is not the prettiest or most finely knit, but I'm fairly pleased with it.

I really like the way the purple buttons make the purple in the yarn stand out.

I have to say, however, that Elizabeth Zimmerman's "pithy" directions annoyed me. Is that knitter's sacrilege? Possibly. But the fact of the matter is that she doesn't mention even mention buttonholes until the yoke has already been knit. Yeah. You see the problem.

Dream in Color Classy. Yum yum. Perhaps my favorite worsted weight yarn. Love the colors. Love that it's superwash. A bit of advice when knitting with it, though... see the sleeves? See how they are a bit more purple than the rest of the sweater? That's why they tell you to alternate skeins while knitting. Some of us ignore those directions, and this is the result.

My Multnomah is off the needles, but it needs a good blocking before it can come out to play. It probably won't make an appearance here until the weekend.

8145 Eilers Road Socks

2010-04-18T11:41:00.005-04:00

My good friend Carol finally got her second pair of socks.

Pattern: Sanders Street by Phyll Lagerman
Yarn: Punta Yarns Merisock Hand Painted in HP74
Needles: Size 1.5, 2.5 mm
Ravel them!

Carol is my friend whose family has the cottage on Lake Michigan. I chose this yarn for her because the colors remind me of the lake. Carol loves blues as well, so I thought the colors would suit her. The pattern is named for a street in Detroit, but I named it for the street address of her family's cottage association.

The pattern is a simple one involving ribbing and a four-row pattern repeat, but it makes a nice texture. It's the kind of pattern you can easily memorize and knit while chatting without making mistakes.

I just love this yarn. Why? Well first of all, no pooling. Remember the first socks I knit for Carol?

Pooling pooling, grumble grumble. What I didn't know about TOFUtsies then I certainly know now.

The yarn is also very soft, very nice to knit with. I bought two skeins last November at Stitching Memories when I was home for Thanksgiving. The other skein is absolutely gorgeous and is very nearly a finished Multnomah. It should be off the needles tonight.

Where I've Been

2010-04-06T20:36:00.005-04:00

A whole month without blogging. Wow. I guess I needed that break. I learned something from trying to post so frequently during the Ravelympics: blogging isn't fun when you overdo it. I could never be one of those bloggers that posts every day. Anyway, now that I've been away for a while, I feel like getting back to it.

So what have I been up to this past month? I've been...

... hanging out with Small Children in D.C.

... trying to rejuvenate the Barn Raising Quilt KAL at my LYS by knitting some shop samples.

... watching entirely too much TV, including season seven of 24.

... knitting all sorts of socks.

... finishing a long overdue baby gift.

... trying to convince my mother that she isn't allergic to wool, discovering that I was wrong, and finding suitable sock yarn for her.

... thinking about spring yard cleanup but not accomplishing much.

... grading 105 seventh grade research papers.

... inspired by this and dreaming of knitting something similar.

... resting during my spring break!

Ravelympics Wrap-Up

2010-03-06T14:21:00.012-05:00

Hello, all. Sorry that I have been away from the blog for the week. I was posting fast and furiously during the Ravelympics, and I just needed a break from it all.

Ravelympics wrapped up with me finishing my Red Rivulets socks in the eleventh hour. Literally. I cast off at 11:54 P.M. EST on February 28. Although, if you use a 24-hour clock, it's really the 23rd hour.

But I digress. Here come the pretty pictures...

I do love this pair of lacy red socks. How fitting in February.

The best part is that I bought the yarn this past summer at the ThreadBear Fiber Arts garage sale for $5.00.

In hindsight, I wish I had selected one big project to work on for the duration of the games. I think I would have felt like I accomplished more. Next time I am going to challenge myself with a large project or new technique.

Still, I medaled in seven events. Not bad.

Pattern
Rivulets Socks by Wendy Johnson

Yarn
Regia Color 4-Ply in #5571

Needles
Size 1, 2.25 mm

Ravelympics—Days Thirteen through Fifteen

2010-02-27T13:18:00.005-05:00

Not a lot got done this week, but I did finish the cowl.

This cowl was entered in the Scarf Super-G and the Single Skein Speed Skate. I am standing on the podium, still waiting to receive my medals, so I'll display them when I do my Ravelympics wrap-up.

It's unavoidable at this point... there's no way I'm going to finish everything I set out to do. My focus over the next two days will be Baby Mania, Take Four so I can finish that and send it to the recipient. At the beginning of these Ravelympics I originally set out to get WIPs off the needles but it looks as if that is not going to happen. Typical.

Yarn
Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Chunky in Havasu

Needles
Size 10.5, 6.5 mm

Pattern
Chickadee Cowl by Kristen Kapur

Ravelympics—Days Eleven and Twelve

2010-02-24T19:30:00.000-05:00

Exhaustion. Exhaustion has set in, I tell you. I am trying to rally. Five more days until Closing Ceremonies, and I have a lot left to do... knit the sleeves and ties on Baby Mania, Take Four. Knit half a Red Rivulet sock. Knit an entire Sparkling Mango sock.

Yikes.

In a move that can only be described as tricky and sneaky, I decided to abandon the idea of designing a pair of fingerless mitts before the end of the Olympics. I was going to work on finishing up the baby sweater on Monday while I was home all day due to the snow day, but this nearly-finished cowl kept talking to me.

Frog me! Frog me! I want to be something else!

Who am I to argue? Mission accomplished... and a trip to the podium once again.

Now, I have to admit, I think that frogging a project is a pretty cheap way to earn a medal unless, say, you are frogging Kidsilk Haze or something like that. I'm not sure why the International Ravelympics Committee decided to make this a medaling sport. But hey, if they are handing them out, I will take it!

The above yarn decided that it wants to be a Chickadee Cowl, and it is over halfway done already.

In other news, I made the most delicious tuna fish a few days ago but neglected to take a photo of it before I ate it. If you want to make it, you are going to have to get yourself some American Spoon Great Lakes Seafood Sauce. If you're not from Michigan, you may not know about American Spoon. It's a little company that produces all manner of jarred goodies: preserves and salsas and grilling sauces and barbecue sauces and relishes and mustards. Yum! This seafood sauce, while excellent atop grilled fish, is even better when mixed with tuna. It's lemony and dilly and full of capers. Delish!

Because it is made with a Michigan product and because I made it and ate it during the Ravelympics, I hereby dedicate this recipe to my teammates.

Team Michigan Tuna
12-oz. can white albacore tuna in water, drained
1 T. mayonnaise
1 T. spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 T. American Spoon Foods Great Lakes Seafood Sauce
1 t. lemon pepper
1 t. dried parsley
2-3 baby carrots, grated

Mix together all ingredients. Serve on flatbread or in lettuce cups.

Anyone know of a place in the mid-Michigan area that carries American Spoon products? I have run out of sauce, and I would like more. A trip Up North is not in my immediate future, and I hate to pay for shipping... but I would really like more tuna!

Ravelympics—Day Ten

2010-02-22T11:50:00.012-05:00

When I woke up at 5:15 and looked outside, I didn't think a snow day was going to happen. But now here's the view from here!

In Ravelympics news, one Sparkling Mango Sock is finished.

Please ignore pasty white it's-winter-and-I'm-a-Michigander leg.

I have finished the body of Baby Mania, Take Four, and just have to knit the sleeves and about a mile of I-cord for the ties.

I have gone to the podium once again and earned another medal for the dishcloth I knit to award to a Team Michigan member in Saturday's fun and cheesy prize drawing.

I've discovered that I AM going to have to make up my own fingerless mitt pattern to match the charity hat after all, and I have investigated my options on the Ravelympics events list. It seems I might qualify for the Designer Original Dance, and I am also going to enter them in the Mitten Moguls and Charity Curling events as well.

Need a break from watching the Olympics but don't want to be out of the loop totally? I recommend the following:

You may have caught wind that Stephen Colbert and the Colbert Nation are sponsors of the USA Speed Skating Team. Stephen has been covering these Olympic games as only he can. Watch Colbert Nation Olympic coverage and/or his interview with Bob Costas.
Do you like podcasts? The Knitmore Girls' last episode is titled Olympic Fever. I haven't listened to this episode yet, but I love the Knitmore Girls so go check them out!

And last but never least, Scooticus wanted me to post a photo I took of him this afternoon and his own photograph of the same event.

Yarn
Lily Sugar'n Cream in Hot Blue

Needles
Size 7, 4.5 mm

Pattern
Michigan Square Cloth by Michelle L. Alanis

Ravelympics—Days Seven through Nine

2010-02-21T10:26:00.008-05:00

The games are half over, fellow knitters, Olympics spectators, and Ravelympians! This is cause for some serious reflection on my achievements thus far.

Of my six (yes, six, not five—I'll explain in a moment) projects...
2 are finished.
1 is 70% finished.
2 are 40% finished.
1 is not yet even on the needles.

Uh-oh. I've got to get cracking. Perhaps the gods will intercede and afford me a snow day tomorrow. We're supposed to get hit with 6-10 inches, but only about 3 inches of accumulation by the morning, so it's a bit iffy. But I could really use it to continue working on Baby Mania, Take Four, which is a little less than halfway done. I'm now working the left front.

The two WIPs, the Red Rivulets and Sparkling Mango socks, mainly sat untouched this week except for when I got them out to try to take a picture. The result:

The project not yet on the needles is the fingerless mitts I am going to make to match the Prepared for Ravelympics! hat that I made last weekend. I have found a pattern that I'm only going to have to slightly alter, so that's progress. Originally I thought I would be knitting them from scratch.

The plan is to work on the baby sweater today and finish it tomorrow, work on the socks throughout the week, and leave Saturday and Sunday to make the mitts. Is it doable? I think so.

As promised, fun and cheesy Michigan-related prizes were awarded to Team Michigan members yesterday.

I think my favorite is the cedar ornament in the shape of the Upper Peninsula. Very useful for hanging in a stash closet to keep evil yarn-chewing moths away. I also like the petoskey stone playing cards. You can never have too many decks of playing cards lying around, especially if you own a cottage Up North or on one of the lakes. Up North and lake weather can be tricky, so indoor activity items are necessary.

The grand prize was a Michigan dishcloth, hand knit by yours truly. This is my sixth Ravelympics project, which I didn't discuss during Opening Ceremonies because I wanted it to be a surprise. I'll tell you more about it and show you pictures when my medal is awarded.

There are 35 members of Team Michigan who have crossed the finish line. More prizes will be awarded at the end of the games to those who have finished at least one project, plus there will be a viewer's choice prize. Scooticus has been keeping himself busy by helping me keep track of the contenders.

He's making a list and checking it twice.

Writing is so hard when you don't have opposable thumbs.

Ravelympics—Day Six

2010-02-18T20:50:00.006-05:00

No progress yesterday.

Let me distract you from that fact by sending you some more Olympics amusement.

Ravelympics—Day Five

2010-02-17T19:15:00.005-05:00

We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you an FO post that has nothing to do with the Ravelympics.

Baby Mania, Take Two

Izzone Baby Sweater has finally had its ends woven in and its buttons sewn on. It's been gifted, and Rory's daddy (who was the student coordinator for the Izzone back in his heyday) just loved it. And I loved knitting it, until I ran out of yarn. Yep, ran out of yarn. About halfway through the second button band. I needed, oh, I don't know, say, about TEN MORE FREAKING YARDS.

I ripped out both button bands and the bottom ribbing to 1.25 inches. (It was originally 1.5, as called for in the pattern.) I bound off the bottom ribbing, reknit the right button band, and knit the left button band. And the left button band was still one row narrower than the right because once again, I ran out of yarn. But that was acceptable to me, so I bound off and went with it. You can't tell, can you?

Isn't this the most adorable thing ever? I knit this back in December and have been waiting to show it to you until I finished the sweater. Yes, I knit the matching hat before I knit the sweater. Yes, I know that if I had knit the sweater first, I would not have had the whole running-out-of-yarn problem. Yes, I know that I could have chosen a different-but-equally-cute stripey hat pattern with less yardage to match the amount of yarn I had left. Please do not point this out to me or I might have to stab out my eye with a knitting needle.

In Ravelympics news, I have been working on my WIPs Dancing socks. I'm nearly through the gusset on one, and am about to start the toe on the other. Scooticus has not appeared in any pictures lately because he has been doing nothing but sleeping. I, on the other hand, have not been sleeping enough. I have been staying awake to watch the Olympics every evening until Bob Costas bids us goodnight. This was great when I didn't have to greet 13-year-olds at 7:40 a.m., but apparently I have not yet realized that 6:00 comes very early and I am exhausted. I don't even feel like knitting tonight at all. I am going to ball the yarn for the Baby Cable Wrap Sweater, and we'll see if I feel like doing anything else. This may have to be a day off.

Patterns
Little Coffee Bean Cardigan by Elizabeth Smith
Candy Cane by Susan B. Anderson, in Itty-Bitty Hats

Yarn
Berroco Comfort in Adirondack and Pearl

Needles
Sweater—Size 7, 4.5 mm and size 8, 5 mm
Hat—Size 7, 4.5 mm

See them on Ravelry!

Ravelympics—Days Three and Four

2010-02-16T19:00:00.007-05:00

She steps up on the podium and waves to the crowd.

She receives her medals.

The music is cued. The teary-eyed athlete sings the anthem while all cameras are upon her.

Home of my heart, I sing of thee!
Michigan, my Michigan.
Thy lake-bound shores I long to see,
Michigan, my Michigan.
From Saginaw's tall whispering pines
To Lake Superior's farthest mines,
Fair in the light of memory shines,
Michigan, my Michigan.*

In case you missed the performance, here's the photo finish.

*Michigan, My Michigan by Winifred Lee Brent, 1862.

Ravelympics—Day Two

2010-02-14T18:29:00.006-05:00

Scooticus Scarfanbarficus went to the LOLCat Generator today.

Ahem.

Just a quick post today to let you know my Ravelympics progress from yesterday. I cast on the Prepared for Vancouver (mine is called Prepared for Ravelympics) hat and am about one-third of the way finished.

I also worked on the Baby Mania, Take Three sweater. Knit one whole sleeve, have one sleeve to go. This is not Ravelympics knitting, but it must be done. Sigh. Next time people I know have babies this quickly in succession, I am buying them gifts.

Today I leave you with the video link to Apolo Ohno's race last night... if you didn't see it, check it out. If you saw it, it's worth watching again. Craziness!

Ravelympics—Day One

2010-02-13T09:37:00.009-05:00

Scooticus and I thoroughly enjoyed the Opening Ceremonies last night.

Scooticus watches Team Canada enter the stadium. He thinks that Team Canada's mittens and Team USA's hats are very fetching, and if he had opposable thumbs and a bigger head he would wear them.

I do have to say, however, that the beginning was a bit anticlimactic. I was so ready. I had changed into my comfy clothes, gotten a beverage from the fridge, and had inserted my size 1 Hiya Hiya circulars back into the Red Rivulets sock, which had been taken out when I needed them for another project a few months ago. I sat down in front of the television with about seven minutes to spare, confident that I could easily figure out where I was in the pattern. After all, it's only a six-row lace repeat, and not very complicated.

And that's when I discovered it. I had knit the last row incorrectly! I had to tink back a row. Would this be considered cheating? I'm not sure how the International Ravelympics Committee would rule on this one, but I definitely did not want to start the competition by working backwards. So I tinked that row as quickly as I could and still had a couple of minutes to spare.

My needle went through that first stitch at the end of the countdown, and I was off.

Three rows later, I realized I read the chart wrong and had SSK every place I should have K2TOG. Rippit! Rippit!

Still, I did make some progress last evening. I finished the foot and have two rows of the gusset done.

Everything "north" of the bamboo needle was knit last night. Hmm... I may need to work a little harder in order to finish all my projects.

Today's goal is to work more on the sock and to get a jump start on the hat I will be knitting for Our Lady of Perpetual Fiber's Mitten Mania charity event that is tomorrow. I also need to finish up some other projects that need ends weaved and buttons sewn on.

Before I leave, Scooticus Scarfanbarficus wanted me to show you this video.

Scooticus would like to meet Miga, Quatchi, Sumi, and Mukmuk very much. He believes that much as the games can foster a better relationship between nations who might disagree with each other on the world stage, so can they foster a better relationship between domestic and wild animals.

Ravelympics—Opening Ceremonies

2010-02-12T18:00:00.005-05:00

A dastardly thing has happened only a few short hours before the Opening Ceremonies. I was reminded by my mother (who else?) that I really should be sending a baby gift to our longtime German friend whose wedding we attended a few years back. Ahem. To yarn shop I went and completely changed my Ravelympics projects. This isn't very captainlike, I know. Should have had the projects all properly tagged two days ago when the tagging tool was turned on.

But 'tis three hours 'til showtime, and I am ready to go.

The final verdict:

The Baby Cable Wrap Sweater will be competing in the Junior Olympics in both Cable Cross Country and Sweaterboard Cross.
The Red Rivulets and Sparkling Mango Socks will be competing in WIPs Dancing.
The Ruffled Baby Hat will be competing in the Junior Olympics in the Hat Halfpipe.
The Prepared for Vancouver? hat will be competing in the Hat Halfpipe and Charity Curling.

Scooter is ready, too.

I am Scooticus Scarfanbarficus, and I will not be outdone by a canine.

What a day it has been in Vancouver. First off, I want everyone to say a prayer for the family of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia. He was only 21, and he died today during a practice run. It must be terribly sad to lose someone so young, just when his family and his country were ready to celebrate his accomplishments.

And in celebration of tonight's Opening Ceremonies, I want to give a big Team Michigan HURRAH! to Michigander Mark Grimmette, who will be Team USA's flag bearer. What an honor! (And also please prayers for Grimmette, as he is also a luger and will be sliding down that slick, tricky course very soon.)

Mr. Obama Goes to the Verizon Center

2010-01-31T20:04:00.002-05:00

Even if you disagree with his politics, how can you not love this president?

I'm with you, O. March Madness rocks.

FO Frenzy

2010-01-31T10:28:00.011-05:00

Finished objects have been flying off the needles here at Bungalow 312! I only have pictures of two today, because one project still needs buttons (Baby Mania, Take Two) and another needs a serious blocking before it's ready for the camera.

These are a pair of Susie's Reading Mitts for a Christmas/birthday gift for my friend and coworker, Wizzie. No, Wizzie is not her first name, in case you are worried. I just love the turned hem of these mitts. It looks like a picot edge but is much neater. This was my first time working with Malabrigo Silky Merino, too. Pretty awesome stuff.

I also knit a matching cowl. And it just dawned on me that Wizzie is only second in photogenicity to the mother of Small Children. I'll have to remember this when I need a knitwear model.

Wizzie's best Zoolander pose.

My goal over the next couple of months is to finish all UFOs with the exception of the Sock Yarn Blanket and the Barn-Raising Quilt. Considering that I just cast on two new projects yesterday, this may be a bit ambitious, but I think it's possible to do it by the end of March. My plan of action:

Finish my Cruiser mittens and Baby Mania, Take Three before the Ravelympics begins.

Sweater, Baby Mania, Take Three. Yeah, you know the one. It was only a matter of time before this would jump on my needles.

This is the pair of socks I started yesterday for my good friend Carol. I am hoping to have a good start on these before the Ravelympics.

Yes, they are stranded. Yes, I am doing stranded knitting again. No, the selbuvotter mitten debacle did not deter me. Yes, I am holding one color in each hand. Yes, I am using my left hand to knit. No, I am not hating it. Yes, I am surprised.

I have the four pairs of socks to finish during the Ravelympics, and then in March I will finish the stranded socks and also my Girasole, which has been hibernating for far too long.

It's a bit bigger than this, but not too much.

After all of that, I will be able to knit whatever I want. What a concept. Wow. And with the size of my stash, the possibilities are pretty endless.

And I also just might be sick of teal, turquoise, and blue.

Patterns
Susie's Reading Mitts by Janelle Masters

Yarn
Malabrigo Silky Merino in Turquoise

Needles
Size 5, 3.75 mm for mitts
Size 7, 4.5 mm for cowl

Check them out on my project page!

Citius, Altius, Fortius

2010-01-20T17:49:00.011-05:00

Yeah, I'm such a nerd. I know.

The Vancouver Winter Olympic Games are right around the corner, and of course this can mean only one thing...

Ravelympics!

All hail Adonis Dionysus Bobicus Maximus!

Of course I will be competing in the games, but this year I am also the captain of Team Michigan. Are you a Michigander AND a knitter OR a crocheter OR a weaver OR a spinner OR a designer AND a Raveler? Come join us!

I am only competing in one event this year—WIPs Dancing. Heh. Yeah, I've got some WIPs that need to be whipped up and off the needles... four pairs of socks in progress, as a matter of fact.

Sparkling Mango Socks
30% finished, 70% to go

Cozy Toes I
50% finished, 50% to go

Red Rivulets
60% finished, 40% to go

Misteriosos
40% finished, 60% to go!

With all my captain duties, I think this will be plenty!

An Illustrated Snow Day

2010-01-08T13:17:00.012-05:00

A raging fire

and my Cruiser mittens

Chocolate with Bailey's

and one restless kitten

Snow, on the branches and railings it clings

These are a few of my favorite things!

Reflections on Declarations

2010-01-04T19:31:00.003-05:00

If you recall this post, last year I decided that I would not make New Year's resolutions, but rather I would declare a list of things I would like to work on in 2009. How did I do? Pretty ho-hum, I think, but I'll leave that up to you.

Declaration #1: Get Healthier
I worked quite diligently at eating more locally produced foods this past year. I joined the Titus Farms CSA. I shopped at local farmer's markets and the Lansing City Market. I sourced local meat, cheese, and milk. I put up food. I even considered joining a cow share program in order to consume raw milk, but I decided against that (seemed a bit inconvenient to drive to St. Johns every few weeks and distribute milk). I learned a lot from the Locavores group on Ravelry. My sister-in-law and I purchased a pasture-raised, organic turkey for Thanksgiving.

I also had the bike restored, but have yet to go on a bike ride because I cannot figure out how to properly adjust my helmet. Don't laugh. It's a feeble excuse, and it's sad, but true.

To work on in 2010:
1. Eat less.
2. Walk more.
3. Ride the bike after taking helmet to cycling shop for proper fitting.
4. Cook more and eat at home.

Declaration #2: Improve the House
2010 is going to be the Year of the House. I pretty much took a break from home improvement this past year; after all, I had the porch renovation done in 2008. There were some minor accomplishments. I decluttered my clothes and coat closets and gave away at least ten, if not fifteen, kitchen-sized bags of items to charity. I have a deck/patio plan and Dad is coming this spring to tear out the old deck, build a new smaller deck, and install a patio. I also removed the dead tree from the back yard.

To work on in 2010:
1. Paint rooms.
2. Begin to purchase nice furniture, starting with new mattresses.
3. Continue organizing closets and drawers.
4. Hang stuff on the walls.

Declaration #3: Reduce the Stash
Ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor.

Okay, seriously, the stash grew tremendously this year. Reality set in during the summer. I organized the stash cupboard and took pictures for all to see, which yielded some comments regarding the size of my stash relative to the amount of time I have been knitting. Small Child #1 told me I don't need any more yarn. Perhaps the biggest reality check came when a knitting friend revealed her stash cupboard, and to my horror I realized that my stash is larger than hers, despite the fact that she has been a knitter for ten years. Yikes. No, not yikes. YIKES!

Hence, the cold sheeping began in mid-October. Read all about it here.

So, that's how I did this year. Not great, but at least some progress was made. How about you? Did you make resolutions? Did you keep them?

And finally, to wish you a happy New Year, I leave you with a goody from the dudes at JibJab.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

More Music

2009-12-27T20:35:00.002-05:00

From the outfits to the organ to the orchestra, this is one serious choir. No messing around here.

Enjoy.

Christmas for Small Children

2009-12-27T09:17:00.007-05:00

First off, I hope everyone had a merry Christmas! I've been out of the loop for about a week while in North Carolina. Dad has snail-speed internet, so while blogging and logging onto Ravelry haven't been impossible, they have not been easy. Time was much better spent knitting than waiting for web pages to load.

Small Children are opening their presents from me today, so I finally feel like it's safe to post some pictures of what I've been working on the past few weeks.

Colors are true in the bottom photo.

Aren't these the sweetest little sets? I made them to complement these pink down vests. Little do the girls know that these are a throwback to the Izod era, but perhaps this is fitting for two little girls who live on Capitol Hill.

The buttons are so sweet. I got them from Aimoobaroo. Her shop is closed now, but will be reopening on January 4, so if you knit and craft for small children, her shop is well worth checking out.

Remember this hat?

I am proud to report that Small Child #3's hat from last year finally fits him, so he did not receive handknits this year. He did, however, get a puffy vest. Now I just have to wait for the SIL to send me pictures!

Yarn
Cascade 220 Superwash in Pink Rose and Lime
Cascade 220 in Atlantic

Needles
Hats—Size 7, 4.5 mm for most of hat; size 6, 4 mm for ribbed brim
Mitts—Size 6, 4 mm

Patterns
Button-Tab Hat by Marcie Nishioka

Small Fry Fingerless Gloves by Daniel MacBride

Snow Day

2009-12-15T20:45:00.002-05:00

Well, last week I did the secret teacher snow dance ritual three evenings in a row, and I didn't win. No snow day for me.

However, I did enter Lolly's snowy memory giveaway, and look what I won!

Knittiversary luck? You decide!

Whee!

Hands down, my favorite pattern in this booklet is the Portland Tweed Fair Isle Jacket. So tweedy. So yummy.

Thanks, Lolly!

Knittiversary

2009-12-15T17:18:00.002-05:00

Well, my knittiversary is again upon me. I can't believe it's been two years since I picked up the pointy sticks, but it has. And I can't help recalling how certain people, who shall remain nameless, thought that it would go by the wayside like so many other hobbies I began once upon a time. Phoo on you!

And I also can't help recalling how these same certain people have received knitted goods over the course of the past couple of years. Phoo on you again! Ingrates.

I have not been as prolific this year as I was last year, but my knitting sure has improved. Knitted goods since my 2008 knittiversary:
Washcloths—2
Breadcloths—2
Mittens—2.5 adult pairs, 1 child pair
Fingerless Mitts—1 pair
Sweater—1 child, 1 baby
Hats—4 baby, 2 adult
Neckwarmer/Cowl—1
Scarf—1
Socks—2 pairs
Baby Pants—1 pair
Yarn Ball Cozies—2
And a partridge in a pear tree!

Baby Mania, Take One

2009-12-13T18:45:00.006-05:00

The first of three staff babies arrived on November 21, so I decided it was time to finally seam the jacket and get it to little Harper. It's a good thing I knit the 3-6 month size rather than the newborn size, because who knows how fast she's already grown.

Against my nature, I went for a contrasting button this time. I think it's one of those things that people will either love or hate, and I'm hoping Harper's mommy loves it. My thinking was that purple and yellow are opposites on the color wheel, but this yarn is more on the pink side of purple than the blue side, so I chose a lime green.

This photo is truer to color than the other two.

I loved working with this yarn. It's hand-dyed by Nancy, owner of Woven Art. It's plied, so I found it easier to work with than a single like Malabrigo, but it's much softer than most other plied yarns I have worked with. And I love the semisolid color. AND it comes in 560-yard skeins that are quite reasonably priced. I have enough yarn left over to make these mittens and a matching cowl.

I think my seaming skills have improved. I used mattress stitch to seam up the sides, of course. The jacket is knit all in one piece, so the underarms had to be seamed, and this presented a bit of a problem. I haven't taken a seaming class, and I didn't know the right technique. The underarm seams on my baby kimono turned out horribly, and I wanted to get it right this time. I consulted The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe. On page 311, it shows how to sew together the shoulder of a sweater. I used this same technique, since the stitches were laying the same way as they would be for a shoulder seam. This Berroco Knit Bits video shows the technique. It's a little bulky, but at least it's not wonky.

I'm almost done with the first part of the Christmas gift knitting, the part that has to be shipped out to Small Children. Shhh! Don't tell.

And in the spirit of Christmas, I leave you with another a capella performance, this time from the Spartan Dischords.

Yarn
Woven Art Montana in Lavender

Needles
Size 8, 5 mm and size 6, 4 mm (I-cord button loop)

Pattern
Ribbed Baby Jacket by Debbie Bliss

Cold Sheep Knitdown
679 yards

Blankie Update

2009-12-06T19:51:00.004-05:00

The Amazing Technicolor Blanket has had all its ends (except the most recent row) woven in. Finally.

I made the mistake of not weaving them in as I went along—never again. I spent the entire afternoon yesterday listening to the Electric Sheep podcast and weaving in ends. I see that a new episode has been posted, which is good because my plans for the evening include seaming up the Ribbed Baby Jacket that I blocked a few weeks ago. Little Harper is already 15 days old, so I need to get the sweater to her mommy ASAP.

In other news, I have a confession to make. I fell of the sheep. I was doing so well… until I went to Mom's for Thanksgiving. I brought a pair of socks to work on and was finding that I did not like the fabric that was coming off the needle. I needed to go down a needle size, but alas, my size 1 needles were at home 70 miles away. So I purposely went out to purchase a single skein of worsted weight workhorse wool and pair of bamboo DPNs to knit a pair of plain footies with, knowing I would be breaking my cold sheeping rules. I figured, though, better to break the cold sheeping rules by one pretty cheap ball of yarn than not have anything to knit for the weekend. Went to Michael’s, bought a skein of Patons Classic Wool… but they didn’t have DPNs.

This is where it really went wrong.

I drove down the street to Stitching Memories and ran into Punta Yarns MeriSock Hand Paint, a yarn that I've never seen at any of my LYSs. It comes in gorgeous colors, and it's oh-so-soft, and two skeins came home with me. And the DPNs. I added three skeins of yarn to the stash. Damn.

One skein of the MeriSock is going to be for a present, but it still breaks the cold sheeping rules because I know I had other suitable yarns in my stash for the same gift. The other is going to be a Multnomah for me, but still, I know I have suitable yarns in my stash for a Multnomah already.

What did I learn from this?

When traveling to stay with family for the holidays, bring all your needles.
When traveling to stay with family for the holidays, take more than one project.
When traveling to stay with family for the holidays, avoid LYSs at all costs.

I’m climbing back up on the sheep now.

And finally, I leave you with this video, which I stumbled upon today. It's been ages since I've seen these guys perform, and they are fantastic.

Amusements While You Wait

2009-12-05T10:46:00.007-05:00

I am still in the throes of Christmas gift knitting. It's not too bad this year, really, as I have promised myself that I will not stress about it. I am knitting for only four people, perhaps a fifth if I have time, and the gifts are relatively small and quick. All other projects are in hibernation mode until the Christmas gifts get finished, although I did knit a few squares on the neverending sock yarn blanket yesterday.

So in the meantime while you wait for a finished project post, I have stumbled across another knitting podcast I'd like to recommend, Electric Sheep by Hoxton Handmade. Love it. If her British accent alone isn't enough to keep you riveted, the content is. She does an essay at the beginning of every episode as well as the usual "what's on the needles" and review sections. Extremely well-written and thoughtful. And she also typically discusses a hilarious YouTube video, or a strange website, or a neat shop she has found. I'll leave you with one of my favorites.

Combine some crazy Welsh dudes, a flock of sheep, some extremely ambitious sheepdogs, LED lights, and time-lapse photography, and what do you get?

Random Sunday

2009-11-08T13:03:00.005-05:00

Just a random assortment of stuff going on around here...

I have been sick with the cough-congestion crud for over a week now. It needs to go away.

It's the end of the first quarter. Grades due Friday. Lots of papers to grade in between now and then. Blech.

Today is gorgeous. Why does it have to be gorgeous on a day in which I have many papers to grade? Not fair.

I have a lot of squash. And quite a few beans. I want to cook something with them, but I don't know what. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Gift knitting has commenced in earnest with Christmas right around the corner and three babies on the way. Still working on these socks...

... these mitts are almost done...

... as you can see, so is this baby jacket, as it's currently on the blocking board...

... and I am trying to swatch for a pair of socks in this yarn, but the yarn is tangled.

If I have yarn, it will tangle at some point. Trust me.

I just blocked six more squares for the Barn-Raising Quilt, but this project is in hibernation due to gift knitting.

Most projects are in hibernation due to gift knitting, but I have pledged that I will not kill myself. So if you get something handknit for Christmas this year, lucky you. If not, I am sorry in advance.

It's 1:23 and I really, really need shower, so off I go!

Tailgating Mitts

2009-10-18T21:12:00.001-04:00

Another finished object!

I made these mitts for my good friend Jenny from the Block. Jenny is still young enough to go tailgating every MSU home game. Jenny thinks I am a granny because I knit. Despite her teasing, I have made her these stripey mitts to keep her hands warm.

In other knitting news, I have finished the first of my Red Rivulets socks and have just begun the second using Judy Becker's Magic Cast-On. If you haven't tried this cast-on, I highly recommend it. It's almost worth knitting a pair of toe-up socks just to try the cast-on. It makes the tiniest, perfect grafted toe. It's so cute!

Yarn
Berroco Comfort in Adirondack and Pearl

Needles
Size 8, 5 mm

Pattern
Raspberry Mitts by Krista A.

Cold Sheep Knitdown
415.8 total yards (Mom's mittens and neckwarmer started the knitdown!)

Going Cold Sheep

2009-10-18T21:10:00.004-04:00

Sigh.

The stash is SO big. Small Child #1 even told me that I don't need any more yarn. She's right.

A large stash in and of itself is not a bad thing. There are many positives to having a large stash, which The Yarn Harlot is quick to point out. But there are negatives.

Negative #1: Once upon a time I bought the yarns that make up my stash because I loved them, and I'm no longer feeling the love. Which is a shame, because I have many lovely, lovely projects in my Ravelry queue, and I have the yarn to knit them.

Negative #2: Money tied up in yarn is not available for other things. I need new tires for the Santa Fe. I need paint for the walls in my house. I need to gut the upstairs bathroom. I need to buy Christmas gifts. Good looks do not buy these things... money does.

Efforts to reduce the stash (and stash spending) thus far have not been successful. Time for drastic measures. I am going COLD SHEEP.

The rules:

I may buy yarn for knitted gifts if (and this is a big if) there is nothing suitable in my stash.
I may buy yarn if I run out in the middle of a project.
I may throw in a dollar or two here or there to split skeins for my Sock Yarn Blanket or my Barn Raising Quilt.
I may finish the year of my Plucky Classics subscription. As of December 31, no more Plucky.
I may buy yarn for the occasional LYS Swap to send to another knitter. (Of course, this means that I shall be receiving yarn, but a girl has to have fun sometimes.)
I may buy yarn with a gift certificate or Little Envelope of Goodness from ThreadBear.
I may buy yarn if I take a class and the class requires the purchase of yarn.

These are the only reasons for which I may buy yarn until the Michigan Fiber Festival on August 21, 2010.

Wish me luck.

Socktoberfest 2009

2009-10-11T10:11:00.006-04:00

October, and therefore Socktober, is once again upon us. Unlike last year, when I spent a 74-degree day at Uncle John's, this October has been chilly and rainy. The sun is out today in full force after a week of gray, rainy days, but as I write this, it's only 38 degrees.

Brrr. Time for knitting woolly socks.

Want some sock-knitting inspiration? Check out these finished projects. These knitters have committed themselves to the 52 Pair Plunge, a challenge to knit a pair of socks each week for an entire year. I think they are crazy, but I have to admit, they do beautiful work.

My Socktoberfest progress to date:

One pair is for me. One pair is going to be a gift for someone... but I'm not telling who!

The red pair is Wendy Johnson's Rivulets, my first toe-up pair. I'm knitting these for the Sock Knitter's Anonymous Sockdown! September challenge. The blue pair is Kristen Kapur's Mystery Sock '09, knit through the first clue. Kristen posts a new clue each Thursday. I haven't started the second clue yet, because I've also been knitting these:

A pair of tailgating mitts for my friend Jen. I hope they turn out well. If they do, I may have to make a pair for myself. Homecoming is next Saturday, and the Six South Sloths are reuniting. It's been a long time since I went to a tailgate, and even longer since I tailgated with the Sloths. Good times.