Plans for 2011, Plans for the Day

Maui vignette

ON COOKING:
Ah, the weekend. It has been majorly cozy around here--snowed last night, just a little, and when I picked up milk on the way home, I got a broasted chicken too, ready to serve. That solved dinner easily. My doggie and I loved it :)

Earlier in the week I made a crockpot of split pea soup. It was bubbling along all day while I was at work. It was so piping hot after I walked my dog, I didn't even care that it was not pureed. It was fantastic and warmed me up well! That will be dinner today, too.

I want to try making these too, don't know why sauerkraut sounds so good to me these days, but I had bought a large jar of it at the store that has been sitting in my fridge without being used.

ON THINGS TO DO:
I have been looking on Ravelry, and saw I have 6 WIPs listed as incomplete. This next week I am going to seriously work on getting some of them finished. Two of them are completely done, but just need the loose ends sewn in! It'll be easy to get those off my list!

One that is very easy to finish is a destined for the frog-pile sweater. I finished the body a year ago then realized it is both too big, and the designed neckline overly large. Here I document it B4 I frog:

(someone on Rav made one with a reduced neckline by about 5 inches and it looks much better.) I just don't want to try this pattern again--I restarted about 4 times total. We're done. I can use that gorgeous silk yarn for something better. I love cardigans....

ON NEW SKILLS:
I also have a small pile of mending to do, including mending a pair of shoes! Do any of you have a favorite pair of shoes that have done this to you?!--I was wearing them at work in late August or September, and toward the end of the day, all of a sudden the sole was flapping when I walked! What the?! It has come unglued from the insole! I'm off to the hardware store to find a glue suitable to put that back together. Geez, I've never had to cobble before....

While at the store, I am going to look for citric acid and rennet. The latest issue of Hobby Farm Home has instructions for making your own mozzarella cheese, with good photos. I have always wanted to make my own cheese! If I can find those two ingredients, I should be on a roll!

The local community college always offers jewelry making classes which I want to take this winter. I usually try not to do anything extracurricular in the deep winter b/c I hate driving in the bad weather, but the college is only about 7 minutes from home, so I should take advantage of it!

And finally, the library is going to be starting a writer's group later this month. I have not forced myself to write since NaNoWriMo2009, but I really would like to get in the habit again. I think belonging to a local writer's group would be a good thing! I write fiction and poetry, but it has been a while!

ON COLOR:
I am going to be repainting my living room, at least one of the bathrooms, and my back room before spring. I have been attuned to color lately, and so here is a photo I snagged from this blog's post, that is from a Pottery Barn catalog:

I want one of my rooms that color, how gorgeous! I really love the black and white accents. Another paint I want to get a hold of is Rustoleum 'Heirloom White' that I saw on a blog where someone repainted an old piano bench. What a lovely color and easy if it is sprayed!! I could use that paint on a myriad of furnishings I want to change. And a third color I LOVE and that may become my next generation green living room is called 'Grazing Field' by Sherwin Williams (see painted dresser here). I am hunting for that color at the hardware store today....My living room has already been 3 different shades of green since we moved in 18 years ago, first a dark forest green, then sage green, then a very light pea green which I am heartily sick of now. If I paint it yet another green, my sofa slipcover and the other furnishings will continue to go with it, and I like that idea. Plus, I love green!

The other option I was thinking about was going with a nice gray or silver color in the living room, that would be very new for me. I love this pic on the Glam Lamb, that room rocks! That's the darkest gray I think I could do, but it is very calming, no?

ON GARDENING:
I have been looking at seed catalogs. I LOVE planning my garden. This year I am going to plant some of those hull-less seed-bearing pumpkins (Snack Jack, SnackFace, etc) to make roasted seeds out of. Yummy! I expect a large harvest of those. I may set up a new garden patch in the back yard to accomodate them--the creeping jenny has been taking over the grass anyway, so I might as well plow it under. Thinking about getting a couple of chickens too, but I have to look into the city rules for that first. (My doggie would love them!)

ON SURFING:
Check this out: cool idea to make a moroccan style lamp, what a great idea!
And, I love all the brackets for shelves that The Glam Lamb put together!

Happy Happy January to all my blog readers!

Stuck on K

It's been some time, and I'm "busting at the seams" with cool links to share. I am still alphablogging, but currently stuck on K...


So, I thought I'd share some of the best links I've found recently:

One food link--these crispy black bean tacos inspired me to have a go at my own version, which was so simple and so hearty and so good I can't even tell you. Rustic food at its finest.

Something I spent 20 minutes making: a hyperbolic tawashi!

I took it to work for dishwashing there....now I need to make a couple in pretty colors for my own kitchen! This yarn looks like doodee in the photo :(

Here's a cute tawashi flower to crochet! It would be fun to have a pile of these for washing dishes with (I bet they'd be nice made in double-stranded dishcloth cotton), or to add to a bag.....

I really want to point people to the Horst Schulz African Adventure pattern, found here. There is a group on ravelry devoted to this amazing composition of color and scraps!!! This is truly one of the most stunning knit designs I've ever seen! In addition, Phazelia (on Ravelry) has made a bag out of these segments, and Phazelia's pattern is here. So beautiful! Sorry, but I don't have a pic to post, you have to go there to see this amazing creation...but I'm going to start on it soon!


Here is a cute granny square bag to crochet, it looks really cute worked up in the right colors!

Wanna see some more amazing color knitting? This is the coolest blog--it's in some scandinavian language (sorry, I can't tell which) but the photos more than make up for that. Her patchwork garments are gorgeous!

Here's a cute felted bag--I really like the look of the flower, and think I'll knit up a few to stick on my ugly-as-all-getout orange tweed bag I made of Cascade...maybe I can salvage it if I bury it in flowers.....

I like this pattern for mosaic garter stitch--I think it would make a nice washcloth pattern.

Another nice market bag--I might try to make one of these this holiday weekend. I'm looking at 3 looming days of TIME TO MYSELF!!!! No work, but lots of housework to catch up on, dog-grooming, shopping a bit, and FIBER STUFF and cookouts, lying in the sun, reading...

Here is a really cute shrug, made with the same pattern as the sweet pea shawl--and she calls it the Maui Shrug! I love this one

Free amigurumi patterns--I love this heart, it almost looks like a cartoon! It would be fun to make a big fat pillow with this pattern and my size U crochet hook!

This is a great gift idea, or stash-buster...a knit "soap sweater"!!! Good idea =)

Anyone looking for free vintage crochet patterns should look here: crochet treasuresLooks like a good resource if you don't have a pile of vintage mags of your own....

And finally, a crochet fan-lace that would make a lovely curtain, and it's free. I love how this lace looks....

Wish I had some other pics, but at least we can document some fun links, right?! Happy Crafting!

Free at last, free at last....!

I am freeeeeeeee! Sooooo excited to be FINISHED with the 100 mile long blanket! The Moderne Log Cabin blankie is finished, it's on DS' bed, I don't have to work on it any more, and life is good =D

I finished it in a marathon knitting session at 2 AM Christmas morning!!! Boy, was I glad to be done! It is pictured on his double bed, somewhat stretched out after he was holding it up by one end. It is huge, woolly, and warm; I hope he likes it :)

Now my guilt is assuaged (I'm guilty for starting a quilt for him when he was 5 years old. He is now 20, and the quilt was never finished, while his sister has had a finished hand-made quilt for 14 years.) But the surprise blankie I started for her this year is unfinished--it's just about as far along as his quilt! Heh. Now I can blog about it, b/c it is no longer a surprise:

"Flowers in the Grass."
Maybe it'll be done in time for next Christmas. (I can't believe I just said something about knitting for next Christmas, have I gone mad?!)


Here's Aim's list of things she is free to do now:
1. find additional yarn to finish the Aran Wrap Cardi
2. finish ballerina wrap cardi
3. find additional yarn to finish Summer Sampler Lace (or find a narrower edging to make what I already have work....)
4. make some mittens and hats (fair isle +/- cables of course!)
5. make DD's flowers in the grass blankie!
6. finish my Maui socks (I have 1-1/2 socks done)
7. reap the benefits of my Yarntini Sock Yarn of the Month club which starts in January. Can't wait!!!

I think that's plenty. I'd love to get working on my Hanne Falkenberg kit, too; I must sit down and really chart out the instructions so I can follow them.

Here is one of my ornaments, crocheted by me about 25 years ago :)Pattern from a Leisure Arts publication in the early 80s. Here are the other ornaments I made back then (oh, and I added a pic to the last post like I promised):

Do NOT laugh at the twisty candle....

Nor this tiny, furry wreath!

Happy Christmas, all!



.

Clean Slate

I am so glad I've logged my surfing escapades here. I just lost everything that was on my computer. All the cool places I was gonna blog about next, as well as all my files, photos, pattern downloads, and weblinks (and my resume, among other things) are all gone. I spent all of Thursday night re-formatting my hard drive, and re-installing Windows, and keeping my fingers crossed that the hard drive was salvageable...luckily it seems okay now. But, oh! The things I lost.

A word of advice...if you've been thinking that you should back up your files onto disk lately, DO IT! Don't wait :(

The flip side of this trauma, is that I get to start the new year with a clean slate. I have my blog's links to keep me happy and busy for a long time. I stored 99% of my digital photos on Flickr (thank God the Maui pics are safe!) And, I have Ravelry and all you wonderful bloggers out there to keep me well-supplied with more inspiration!

Next, I must do some other slate-cleaning....b/c I'm inspired now, you see! It actually feels good to start anew.

One thing I'm sorry I lost is all my Paper Panache downloads. This is a paper-piecing website that hosts a new free quilting pattern every couple of months. The patterns I collected over the past year are lost. They are only available free for a short time. Sigh. Well, it's not like I'm doing much quilting or sewing anymore, so I can let it go...(I'm still reeling, can you tell?!)

But, I can still use the computer, and 2009 is rolling in! We have our health and prosperity intact, so there is a lot to be thankful for!!! I hope everyone out there has the same.

Have a lovely holiday season! (Hope you like the blog's new look!)



.

Wow

The HOLIDAY SEASON is in full force, and I am so happy to be "in" for the weekend. I'm done running around; we had our little trip for Thanksgiving to Grampa's, and drove home the same day, then I had to work 2 hours this morning (not bad, I know) and do some errands. One and one-half hours after entering the grocery store I came out with a huge cartload of goodies, and now we have a pumpkin pie and a cherry pie in the oven! Yay.

Because we ate out, (actually out of state), there is no such thing as leftovers, nor next-day turkey sandwiches here. And we couldn't stand the idea of no pies....

I hope those of you who go to the crazy shopping malls this weekend are safe. Did you hear about the Walmart employee who was trampled to death when the store opened? That is just crazy, what an awful thing. You will never catch me fighting with the crowds for the sales. That is not something I have ever done! Uh, uh. This one's holiday shopping is going to be accomplished on-line this year. Yeah!

Remember back a couple of months when I panicked and said I thought I didn't have enough yarn to finish the Summer Sampler Lace project? Well, I was right. I just ran out completely while knitting on it during our 4-hour drive, and I still have half the edging to go. Sigh. This will be put aside until after the holidays, when I can go about ordering yarn to (hopefully) match.

Other knitting from the bottom of the bag was then pulled out, the Jaywalkers sock I started in Maui in June. Half the stitches were off the needles, and since it had been about 7 months since I put them down, I had to concentrate to figure out where I was (it was just after the heelflap). By the time I got done fixing and studying it,and was able to knit one round, we had just gotten off the main road and started to drive the country lanes and I got really car-sick from looking down. I had to open the window and look forward till we arrived, and it was a while before I felt right again. Sheesh!

I am going to crank on gifts this weekend. I am knitting and crocheting furiously on two gifts (that are currently too large to take in the car). That is all the gift-knitting I planned on this year. But I am also planning a great load of other home-made stuff for gifting. And that's all I should say for now!

Hope everyone's knitting is moving right along. And I hope all your holiday plans are filled with special times and lots of family. Now, to go tackle that pumpkin pie....

.

Soup Day

Oh, how I wish my feet were still in Maui! But since they are not, today is going to be a soup day in my kitchen. I am going to make some hearty, warm, cheap food that satisfies to your bones!

I read this article about soup-making without stock, and became very inspired. Granted, I've done this tons of times in my past, but reading someone else writing about it somehow legitimizes it...So I'm gonna get into the kitchen and cook! It's perfect soup weather, cool and overcast, and something warm and hearty for the tummy is just what the doctor ordered.

I need to run to the store anyway--I'll swing by the farmer's market and see what soup makings I can find...

I am thinking a crockpot cheese soup would be good, but minestrone really sounds better right now. With big spiral pasta...What are your favorite soups?



.

Breakfast

Jackfruit in Maui

In keeping with Simple September, I have been trying to go back to making things from scratch. Breakfast is one meal I have always been fond of making myself. I have been collecting breakfast recipes for 25 years.

Now I have a new fav. This is so easy, I can't even begin to tell you. It is called Scrambled Pancakes, and it tastes just like a piping hot spoonbread. It is so delicious with real Maple Syrup over the top, I almost ate DH's portion as well as mine (but I saved it for him, and he liked it, too!)

This is definitely my new go-to easy hot breakfast dish. YUM

Here's the recipe:

Scrambled Pancakes
4 eggs
2 c milk
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 T vegetable oil

Mix with whisk. Pour into hot pan; cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Serve with your normal pancake toppings--it rocks with maple syrup, but fruit would be good, too! I would guess this serves 4.

In my experience it never fully sets up, but thickens into a spoonbread consistency (that may be because I was stirring mine almost constantly b/c I didn't want it to burn...we'll see what happens next time I make it.)

I'd love to expand on this further in the future, by adding dillweed or other savory ingredients and going without the sweet toppings.

Now, more time in the kitchen with Aim: yesterday I made these simple crackers from Angry Chicken: They are really good! My doggie likes them too, so I may use this recipe as a jumping off point for making dog-treats (by incorporating peanut butter, cheese, or chicken broth to make them savory).

Not much knitting got done--I also made raspberry coconut cookies. And Coconut Ice, but at the time of this writing have not cut into them yet...I was a busy girl in the kitchen, again. Must be the onset of cooler weather! I'm starting to think about baking bread, making chili, crockpot recipes, and beef stew.

I will likely be incommunicado most of this week, so don't be surprised if I don't post again til next Sunday. I have to study and go to classes around work to recertify in BLS & ACLS this week, as I have let them both lapse. And, I am also auditing a class in basic archeology at my community college which starts today, so I'll be up to my neck this week!

Have a good week, everybody!

.

Hey Yo, It's Your Birfday

Hi all! Today is my baby's 21 birthday. I cannot believe it!

It seems like only yesterday we were having power struggles about potty training! Oh, how I remember those days... I started a quilt for him when we moved into this house. He was in kindergarten at that time. The quilt top is not even fully pieced yet! Oops.

We are taking him to Sonic for dinner tomorrow. We are so excited to have a Sonic around here--I cannot even tell you. It has been 7 years since I had Sonic food. Oh how I love that stuff! We will have to find reasons to drive the 20 miles in that direction more frequently now. :D

(P.S. Lest you think we are real cheapskates, there's a reason why we picked Sonic for our b-day treat...when he was 18, he was planning a "road trip " with his friends to the nearest Sonic, which, at that time, was the distance from Chicago to St. Louis! You'd better believe we put the kabosh on that idea. A car full of teens driving hundreds of miles...don't think so!)

Anyway, it's kinda the "in" joke now. He's never had Sonic food. Neither has DH for that matter, and I don't think DD has either.... I'm freaking about the birthday thing--seriously, he's going to be of drinking age, YIKES!

Other freak-worthy news: DD told me she is going to be deployed to Iraq next year. I'm really freaked out about that. Mom's biggest fear....

On the knitting front, I am into my 3rd skein of Cascade 220 for the Aran Wrap Cardi. I am not needing the charts, finally. First armhole is done, and a small portion of the back. I'm not really flying through this. How I wish we were made of $$ so I could just stay at home and knit whenever I want!!!

I am busy trying to upload the last of my Maui photos onto Flickr. Two days agoI had a warning that there was not much virtual memory left in my hard drive, so I thought I'd better clean up some space! Unfortunately, before I realized it was likely the photos hogging up the space, I accidentally uninstalled my sound card software. I spent all night yesterday after work trying to upload and reinstall it, to no avail. So my monitor has no sound. Grrrr.

I hope to go to knitting tonight, and work on the Aran Wrap Cardi. I am really enjoying that project, but I need to finish up on the Summer Sampler Lace. It is hard to switch back and forth from worsted weight to lace weight yarn. And this week's sinus infection had me comfort-seeking by knitting with thick and cushy, squishy wool :)

Here's a photo of the yummy Caprese Salad I had for dinner tonight:

The only thing that would have made it better would have been some chewy bread...however, I wasn't all that hungry, and had a hard time eating all that bocconcini!

Caprese Salad:

-fresh mozzarella (bocconcini is best)
-fresh tomatoes
-fresh basil
-olive oil
-red wine vinegar
-sea salt

Toss together. YUMMY! Great with a chunk of chewy bread and a glass of Chianti, for a summer meal! Enjoy :)



.

Aran Wrap Cardi

Sea star and cucumber(?) at Maui Ocean Center.

My tentative adjustments to the Aran Wrap Cardi are the result of the yarn I picked to use. It's Cascade 220 from my stash, and it's a tweed. If I were to start over, I'd probably use a solid colored yarn. But this has been in my stash in large quantities since I bought it to knit a cabled poncho out of it. (The instructions for that were ridiculous, so I frogged it in frustration.) This yarn is one of my favs when I look at the ball:
But when I see it knit up, I'm having a hard time with it. It reads a very dull gray. It bothers me just like my Hemlock Ring disaster. Dull is NOT my most fav color when it's dull outside, and since I won't be wearing wool any other time but when it's dull and cold, this is most unfortunate!!!
Back to the adjustments. I was going to change the zigzag panels. One side of the cabled zig-zag has reverse stockinette, and the other has seed stitch. In this tweed yarn, you can't even see seed stitch definition, and that texture blends in and dulls the definition of the zigzag on that side. Also, for some reason, I can't get the seed stitch mojo going--I have to keep looking at the charts to see what stitch goes where for that, and it feels like it is slowing my progress down. So I was thinking both sides of the zigzag would be better done in reverse stockinette.

But NO, I am not going to frog it and start again. I decided ultimately to leave it as is. Partly because I caught a glimpse of this in natural light, and it looks way better than I was thinking!!! Yay for natural light :) And I think the change would alter the dimensions also. Apparently I could use some practice with seed stitch too, so I'm leaving it as is....It's just such a distracting yarn. (Gee, wish I was knitting this in a deep rich warm solid color, just like the Rainey Sisters!)

But:

1. I want to use this yarn up.
2. I want to see how this pattern looks knit in tweed.
3. I want to wear something made of Cascade 220! So I will soldier on (it's not that bad-looking in the right light. I love knitting with this yarn! Cushy, squishy wool. One of my go-to favs...)

So that's where I am right now. I just started the third repetition of charts. I had to mark up my chart page with the errata, and change the chart rows numbering. I also ended up putting white-out over the old numbers as I kept looking at those and getting all messed up! Now it's a piece of cake. Here are my notations to myself:


I'm having lots of fun working on this project. Today was great, a rainy and cold precursor to fall, and I cranked on the cables while I watched "The Young & The Restless" on Soapnet...See, there's a reason for soap operas to exist--they are a great excuse to sit for an hour and knit!!!!!



.

Blog Sob Story

Maui Leaf: the spots are from a virus....but what a cute virus :)

I feel like whining. I spent so much cumulative time on setting up my blog the way I liked, then I really just wanted to change the "look" of it by adding some background pattern or color. Blogger told me to back-up my files and everything would be okay, only when I did that,I lost all my lists. I just spent much of my holiday weekend adding my fav blogs to lists again, and realized some of my favorite buttons and artwork are missing too! Dang Blogger.

But, since I have put this much effort into it, I hope it is worth it. I love the new blogroll lists that keep me updated on all my favs with so little effort!!! Now if I can just get the Mapstats visitors list to show up. What is up with that?! Grrrrr.

Oh well. I can play with it ad infinitum. But the good thing is I got a long stretch of unadulterated time to mess with it this weekend, and did. So, nyah! (BTW, I can't seem to find one of my fav blogs--I thought it was called sheep something, and she always posts great pics of sheep. The whole blog is about sheep. I think she's from the UK or Ireland. Anyone know the blog I'm talking about?!)

Regarding Simple September--Aaaaaaaaah! I just realized that my participation in this means that I won't be able to run out and get the new Mason-Dixon book as soon as it comes out in the next week(like I was planning to do!) The first of many limitations I'm sure I'll be feeling this month!!! Oh, well. Like I said, I can go shopping in my basement, and I'm GOING to!

I have a huge box of workbasket magazines I got on Ebay. I can't wait to go through them, slowly, savoring the finds! I had a previous giant stash of them that I demolished (tearing out pages I wanted to keep!) about 12 years ago. I've been rueing that...if for no other reason than tearing up vintage items makes me wince, now!

I am having fun re-experiencing the sewing blogs I loved a couple years ago, before knitting overtook my whole life :D I added some of them to my "Other Blogs" list--you should check them out. There are some of the cutest things there....


<
.

Clutter

More Maui--botanical garden with bulbous base palms....

Haven't given a knitting update in a couple of posts: because I haven't done knitting! So far I am one chart repeat into the Aran Wrap Cardi--not much, I know. There are some changes I'm making to the pattern, which I'll post soon. The wool is a bit warm with our current heat wave of 90 degrees, so I am waiting for the nice fall weather to come back in. I did knit 5 hours worth on the Summer Sampler Study Stole, the other night. I'm into chart #11 at this point (of 12, and then there's the edging!!!)

I am a packrat. When I have a love of something, I collect books about it first-off, then gadgets, gizmos, tools and supplies related to that something. I have a cookbook collection that would make you cringe. I have quilting books, sewing books, crochet and knitting books, gardening books, medical books, books by my favorite pulp author Betty Neels...That's just the books, folks. Wow, how DO I live in 900 square feet with other people and two 80-lb dogs?!

So, I was inspired when I saw this link at Junie Moon's website. The video is a bit long, but it really rang true with the way I've been feeling. Less clutter, less stuff, less consumerism. You should watch it if you get a chance:




De-cluttering is going to be a good thing for this household, and so will changing our consumer habits. (I can always go shopping in my basement....)


.

A quilting break...

Foot-fish (using his fins for feet!) at Maui Ocean Center

Now it's time for a break. I have a history of quilting, starting with a really hilarious attempt for my first quilt when our kids were infants. Then, I worked and worked on becoming better, attending quilters guild meetings, buying books, scouring the library for patterns, and making notes wherever I went to get ideas. I was completely 100% immersed in quilting....

Then we bought this house. It is too small--I know, I know, I have whined about that so much you guys probably know that by heart! But it's true. One of the only reasons I quit quilting and sewing is that this house is so small to have a work-table to leave out all the time. I transferred to yarnwork, and hence my quest for improving my knitting began.

This has all gone on for the past 15 years or so. And I still have the MOTHERLODE stash of quilting fabrics. But it's not until recently that I have been able to even look at the stash again. My love of quilts is being reborn.

See, I tend to be an all-or-nothing kinda girl. When I have a fascination, an obsession if you will, I latch onto it like a wolf onto a piece of flesh! No letting go until I master it!!!! (Lovely simile, eh?!)

But, some of my favorite blogs are those of quilters, and I've recently begun visiting them again. And look what I found! There is a scavenger hunt on at Bunny Tales...and it ends with the winner being drawn Thursday August 28. So if you want a fat-pack of great cute quilting fabrics, this is the place to enter. If you do, please mention me for sending you :)

Squeeee, I'm so excited to see who wins!!! Love the cutie country quilts. One of these days I'll get around to adding pics of my quilted FOs. There are a lot of little ones, and a number of big ones I'm proud of too. And of course, there's the unfinished one I started for DS when he was in kindergarten!!! He's now a sophomore at college, but, what can I say?!

Good luck you entrants!

Toyland

Maui botanic garden

Cute stuff: look at this cute free giraffe pattern! So fun, I'd like to make one for my little nephew for Christmas...

Don't you just love knitted toys?! They are so cuddly and can be extremely cute :) I really like the patterns that Anna makes! They are surreal, and adorable! I love Jean Greenhowe's patterns too.

I'm embarrassed to say that I still have the Crafty Alien Kitty in progress. It's in pieces. I started that nearly 2 years ago. And the Baby Bobby Bear also. And the Jess Hutchison Bunny. And the Kittyville hat, for crying out loud! IT JUST NEEDS AN EAR!

Okay, before I start another project, I have to make an attempt at some of those. Geez. I want them off my list :)

Onward!

.

Lacework Sunday

What else, but a lovely plant in Maui!

Oh, my. Looooooook at these books on Irish Crochet Lace. Another group of books I really want to add to my collection! Irish Crochet has been a fascination for me for decades. I was first and foremost a crocheter, initially knitting in my 20s for baby bootees for DD! (Which as you can see, has snowballed into out-of-control knitting ADD!)

However, old habits die hard. I have a collection of really neat lace crochet books, some of them vintage. Dover Press (check out the McCain and Obama paper dolls!) has had some fun re-prints of old Irish Crochet patterns, which I added to my library in the late 1980s. (Their books are nice and economical.) Didn't find much else on the Irish-crochet topic for many years, with the exception of random finds in an antique store. Then, in recent years, and much thanks to Ravelry, I have seen many other references that I'm all excited about!!! Not that I really need to acquire more books, mind you. That IS my achilles heel. Acquiring books. I need a room I can devote to library shelves, as currently some of my books are sleeping in plastic bins in the crawlspace!

Here's one of the Dover books I own:

Taken from Mindy's blog, here are some really great links for tatting and lacework:

1. Tatting. There are some neat techniques pages here.



2. Australian Crochet History This is where those history of Irish Crochet books are found.



3. Lace Archives This is a great on-line archive of lacework of all types. Really neat!

Here is a sample page scanned in there, check out this Filet Crochet masterpiece by Mary Card:
click to see it close-up

And, I found a really neat on-line way to get your lace eye-candy. It is the Lacis museum; they have some spectacular slideshows there! You can find any type of lace there--knitted lace, crocheted, whitework, etc...Love it!

Okay. Now my own lace project, the Summer Sampler update--finally finished chart #9. One of the prettiest charts, and not as technically challenging as the 7/5 maneuver in an earlier chart, but somehow it had me by the throat for a couple of weeks. BIG SIGH of RELIEF! Finally started chart #10 today. Only 3 more charts, then the lace edging to go...interesting :)

Now, to deviate entirely from the delicate subject of lace. You have to check out this next website, a compendium of cake-decorating flops! My absolute favorite so far is this one, ha ha haaaaaa!~. What a scream that blog is!


.

Virtue

Sunset on Maui

I exercised a rare budgetary virtuosity today. I decided NOT to go to the Stitches Market, but instead went to Barnes & Noble and got the fall issues of some knitting mags I've been waiting for. Then I popped into my LYS and picked up 36" size 8 circular needles. I really am kinda pumped about making something in the Fall 08 issue of Vogue Knitting. And, I have a bone to pick with them.

Why do they sell a magazine with partial patterns in it?! You have to either send a SASE and request which charts you need or go on-line to download the charts at your own expense. EXCUSE ME, didn't I just pay $7 for your freaking knit magazine? Why are the patterns in it incomplete?! That little comment in there bugs me: "due to space constraints some portions of certain patterns are unable to be printed in the magazine". Nope. Doesn't hold water. Not when there are pages and pages and pages and pages of advertisements hogging up half the magazine's bulk. You could very well have put the freaking cable charts in there too. What a lazy way this well-known publishing house has gone. I'm really miffed.

Nonetheless, I hope to knit this soon:


It's the Aran Wrap Cardigan by Angela Hahn., on page 107 of the fall 08 issue of VK. Here is the designer's list of errata and tips. I was turned on to this pattern by watching the Rainey Sisters progress on theirs. Now I just have to get the stinking chart from Vogue....

Anyway, I was speaking of virtue. Maybe it is not virtuous of me to vent like that on Vogue...but on the Very Virtuous Side, I saved a ton of $$ today by not going to Stitches! Though it only comes round once a year, and this year it's closer to me than ever, I can't bring myself to go. I didn't go last year either. And I didn't DIE or anything =p So I guess I will simply sit on the edge of my seat and await my online purchases. I already shot my wad. (where on earth did that phrase come from?! My dad always used to say that...)

And while I was exercising said Virtue, my Hello Kitty books from Amazon arrived in the mail today...
The first is the cutest picture book I could ever hope for.

Lots of laughs all around :D Some of the pics in here kill me (especially Geisha Girl Kitty, and Airplane Pilot Kitty...)

The other is the story of the business side of HK, which I can't wait to read. I like that kind of stuff.

I am making another mosaic stripe washcloth. I like these, they're pretty, thick and useful. Fun to have some variety in our washcloths. I like this pattern so much, I think I'd like to make something bigger in it--maybe a towel, or rug or mat...I'll have to think about it :)


Happy Saturday everyone.

.

Stuff

Central Maui. Sugar cane fields. Haleakala.


Hey. Here's one for ya....

Your Birthdate

You're a restless rebel with an unpredictable nature. Bright but unbridled, you tend to seek out wild experiences over new ideas. People are frustrated by your great potential, but you love your unconventional life. You're a heartbreaker. People get attached to you, and then you're gone. Your strength: Your thirst for adventure Your weakness: Not taking time for slow pleasures Your power color: Hot pink Your power symbol: Figure eight Your power month: March

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Hmmm. Okay. (what the heck is a power symbol?!)

I started a total rip-off project. I am such a copy-cat! I saw Amy #7's King Charles Brocade bathmat she was knitting on size 11s out of double-stranded sugar n cream...and HAD to make one myself. So, I got on ravelry and found a dishcloth pattern for the texture-pattern, printed out the chart, and started knitting. As if I don't have enough distractions--I am sooooooo pulled in all directions by my knitting projects!

Anyway, Amy #7 told me that she got the giant skeins of SnC Solid yarn for $3.79 at a Michael's store where they were clearanced. I then trekked to 3 area Michael's stores, but only scored some yarn at the first one. But I'm glad I did :)

Here's a pic of my bathmat in progress:


Is it not cute?! I'm using the chart from here, and only knitting the pattern rows w/o border stitches (except that I did 2 rows of seedstitch along starting row, and will do the same when I come to the cast off.) It's not the color I would have picked, my bathroom always being blue or green, but hey, a Sugar n Cream bathmat is not to be ignored--in ANY color! Cushy! Soft!

Although I dreamed big, yesterday did not give me the time to do all I wished. Oh, well, such is life at 46. But I did get to knit on said bathmat while watching the Olympics. That Men's Swimming 100m x 4 Relay was awesome! Gave me the absolute chills! Go TEAM USA, woo hoooooooo!

I have studiously ignored the Ravelympics. I have so much on my plate now, it's not funny. And I don't need more pressure! I do that to myself all the time :D So, I'll just watch y'all cranking out the projects, and keep on cranking (more or less quietly) on my own. We'll all get to the same place in the end....

Happy Knitting This Week everyone.