Friday, December 18, 2009
Cheating
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Christmas time
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Christmas Knitting
Dana, Zach and I were discussing my Christmas knitting list this year. It is much less ambitious. I have about the same number of people on it this year, but I'm doing less knitting. Although just about every time I sit and look at my list, it gets longer. Of course everyone needs dishtowels and matching scrubbies and perhaps some mug cozies. I am making about 10 big things this year. Not all of them are knit or crochet.
1. Socks 1/2 done already (I know there are a couple socks on there, but I gotta keep them guessing)
2. Cookies
3. A D20 This one is a maybe. Although I've started so I should finish
4. This one I can't put in a link because they would know it is for them
5. A Customized Rubix Cube If I can every find a rubix cube
6. A scarf, that is done
7. Slippers X 2, done except for sewing and felting
8. An Awesome hat, that is done
9. Armwarmers for guild, I have the yarn and pattern.
So I am almost there. Like I said, I keep adding little things. I picked up some cotton yarn in holiday colors and I think I am going to make some mug cozies and some of my dish scrubbies and call it a day.
Zach and I don't really want anything big this Christmas. We both have our usual Amazon wishlists. You can see what I have been crushing on Etsy. Although most of the stuff on my favorites list is sold, it can be used to get an idea of what I like. Oh and in case anyone is feeling intensely generous this Holiday season and ounce of this Qiviut fiber would go a long, long way. Although 2 oz would work too. :) I mean, at least I'm not asking for Vicuna.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
In which I talk about food
But really, can you blame me after discovering Bakerella's website. I mean really, balls of cake on sticks covered in chocolate. So I've decided to give it a try with some pumpkin cake, cream cheese frosting and orange colored white chocolate and then I'm going to decorate them like pumpkins. I'm very excited about this.
I also want to make more Marshmallows. They are so tasty. Nothing like the kind you get in bags from the grocery store. My favorite marshmallow recipe is here. I've tried a few and think this is my favorite because she has done the math to split the recipe in half. She also has included a couple of great ideas for changing the flavor. Besides adding a puree or candy to the mix I replace part of the vanilla extract with some of the concentrated candy flavorings. My most recent experiment was with about 1/2 a vial of the orange flavoring. I added 2 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of orange zest. Then I dipped them in chocolate. ZOMG! good! You might wonder what to do with these pillows of awesome. Well, I just eat them straight or they would taste delicious in a cup of hot chocolate (especially with my next plan of replacing sugar in the marshmallows with crushed candy canes, peppermint cocoa, yum!).
I also have the ingredients sitting out for chocolate chip cookies. And I've been wanting to do some chocolate molds of pumpkins. I got a cute new mold on sale from AC Moore.
Another way I was thinking about food was I learned about the 3/50 project (I know, I am very behind the times). It is kind of an interesting idea. In a month, spend 50 dollars (total) at 3 local places. And then I sat down and thought about 3 local businesses that would suck if they dissapeared. Two of those are resturants. More food.
Java Joint. OMG! What would I do without them? They are kind enough to allow 10 or so crazy crafters take up there entire back room once a week. They have great coffee and drinks. Their food is amazing. I eat things there that I hate otherwise. Tomato soup, the olives and tomatoes on their greek pizza. I even love their vegitarian alternatives such as their veggie burgers. Nom. And the desserts, well, I can't really talk about those without getting drool on the keyboard. So good. And to be honest, if I spend my minimum amount there each week (usually about 10-12 dollars on dinner, drink and dessert) I have nearly hit my $50 mark.
Zach and I have recently discovered a relatively new resturant, Rib Station. The ribs are amazing, smokey meat popsicles. The turkey is moist and smokey and delicious. The banana pudding is superb. Their portions are huge and the price is great. You can get a 1/2 rack of ribs plus a side for about $9. Desserts are $1! I got a turkey sandwich last time and it was huge. My brain did not process the actual size of a 5 inch bun. Huge. So even with it being so reasonable priced, I think I've hit the $50 mark.
And then of course you add in the Yarn and More and I am well over. Although I haven't been in a while. I need to start saving for Christmas presents so I won't be spending much on me for a while.
And so this should be post number 198. Getting close to 200. I wonder what my giveaway will be. But no seriously if you know, could you send me a hint. That would be super. Now I am off to make some cake balls. Yay!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Best Weekend Ever!
So our plans to travel to Athens to see Julia Mae were delayed for a week. I blame Zach and him bringing home the illness. I decided it would be a great opportunity to go to Charleston and pick up some stuff for my swap package. Mmmmm...chocolate. So I decide to go on Thursday and Dana decides to go with me. Yay for company.
We leave for Charleston and decide to head to Kanawha City Yarn Company first since they close earlier. She has moved the shop one street over. And oh my goodness....was that the best idea ever. The store is so much bigger and brighter and the yarn...I got to see many yarns I hadn't previously had the pleasure of touching before. I bought some Mini Mochi yarn in a lovely purple green colorway. Dana got some Mini Mochi as well and some Malabrigo sock. Oh the softness. She was also able to find the correct color yarn for a vest she needs to make. She had to order it, so that means another road trip at some point. Woot! So amazing yarn FTW!
Well, we lucked out because the store was having an Open House Tailgate Party (same day as the WVU/Marshall game). There was food and a bunch of people sitting around knitting. So we sat down to join them. So nice and so friendly and such yummy food. There was this date/walnut/cream cheese/sugar on a ritz cracker dessert thing that was so good.
After that we decided to try and find Holl's Chocolates. There is one way out of the way, which I had been to. And another one that appeared to be right off the interstate. We went with that one. So easy to find and lots of parking. It was in the middle of Capitol Street Market. So I got some chocolate for me and my swap partner. Dana was able to find some ingredients for a meal she had been having trouble finding in Huntington. And best of all...I found some sparkling apple cider from WV Fruit and Berry. It is what we had in lieu of champagne at our wedding (held on college property, we are normally drinkers). Since we ordered several cases for the wedding, we had been able to have extra and had shared a bottle on our anniversary. But we had run out and didn't have one for this year. So I saved our anniversary. Yay! And we managed not to get lost getting back onto the interstate. Oh and I got a Honeycrisp apple from the market. So tasty. Possibly my favorite apple. Very very descriptive name.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
My dog is adorable!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Dangit!
- I didn't know how to knit (or spin or felt)
- I had just picked up crocheting after forever not doing it and loom knitting as something new because I had burnt myself out on scrapbooking
- I had a black cat named Ashes and a roommate named Steven
- I had no idea how to keep a blog or what I would even talk about that would be interesting.
- I started this to keep track of my projects (which for all I knew might suck until I figured it all out again) and assumed that the only people who would ever read it would be my mom and MIL. As I've mentioned before, I use Google Analytics because I like to see how many people read my stuff and how they find my blog (I know I'm a nerd). I noticed yesterday that my pattern blog had a huge spike on October 7th. Almost 90 people. Considering I average about 10 on that blog, I was intrigued to say the least. I was linked from http://www.whipup.net/. There are some awesome patterns and tutorials they have gathered. I was so excited they included my pattern in Halloween roundup. And who would have known 2 years ago I would be a pattern writer with patterns published somewhere other than my self-indulgent blog. And with other people actually making them. Considering I didn't know how to knit, writing knitting patterns seemed a little out of my league.
- I have commitment issues, I've also discussed this. So I'm shocked I've kept not only with this blog, but with this hobby. Granted it is constantly evolving with the addition of loom knitting, regular knitting, felting and spinning to my fiber skills over the years, so I'm less likely to get bored. It also helps that pretty much my entire social life revolves around fiber. And some of my best friends have been made because of this blog. I started this blog and really got back into the fiber arts and found Ravelry. Through Ravelry I found my girls. I don't know what I would do without them.
So it is kind of fun to see where she's been and I've been. So stick with me, at least until I get to post 200. There might be something in it for you.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
What you can accomplish
I finished my first Christmas project of the season. Stephen don't look here. Tracey, make sure he doesn't look.
I finished my fingerless mitts from the yarn I spun. One is just a touch shorter than the other and the thickness of my yarn is noticably smaller in the second one. So they aren't quite perfect. But they are warm and squishy.
And a few other small items that those with delicate sensibilities and my swap partner shouldn't look at. Unless they like body parts and to have surprises spoiled. I just need to find some lip balm for this (Not suitable for work). This is safe to look at unless you are my swap partner. This view is safe for all non-swap partners but this side is a bit more risque.
And someone at work was wearing this amazing shawl and I apologize if no one else gets a Christmas present because I am so enamored with this project. It is going to take a while because I have to write the pattern myself with just the notes and pictures I took while she kindly let me borrow it to take said notes and pictures.
Oh and I even added two new patterns over in the sidebar over there. Got the patterns and PDF's up for my Fleecy Felt loom knit slippers and my Round and Round Toe-Up crocheted sock. Enjoy!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Is it fall?
Look I finished something. It is a cross stitched patch for my Halloween costume. Yay! I hate back stitching. But it has gotten me infatuated with cross stitch again. I want to make all sorts of subversive cross stitches. The contrast of a pretty flowery border with a completely foul and depraved message is pretty hilarious. I've been looking through this flickr group for inspiration.
I also have plans to make some fingerless mitts. I am in love with this yarn.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
I'm an Aunt!


Friday, September 25, 2009
Nothing
One thing I have finished, I can't show. Although it is only 1/2 of a pair, it is also a Christmas present. I just hope it fits. And look at me working on Christmas presents in September. I think I'll only have about 7 presents to make this year. I don't think it will be quite so crazy this year.
I went to the Greek Festival today. Spanakopita and Flogeres for the win. Mostly because they are like the only things I will attempt to pronounce. And the gyro line was about 45 minutes long. I did get some roast lamb. Although the mixed pastries box will keep me very very happy for a while. Nom, nom, nom...
I lied! Speaking of Nom noms, I made my chocolate covered caramel apples. They are so tasty. I get granny smith apples (the tartness goes really well with how sweet the toppings are). I use the caramel wraps from walmart (much easier than dipping into caramel, less prep and less mess). Then I get the chocolate wafers from AC Moore and dip them in. The first one is dipped in milk chocolate then rolled in pecans and then milk and white chocolate was drizzled on it. The second one is dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with cinammon and brown sugar. So good.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Some Big Pimpin'
Thursday, September 3, 2009
It's Here!
My Fancy Kitty Kitten drumcarder has arrived. Actually it got here on Monday. I loves it. I've already been playing on it. Zach even said how fast my carding was going. He seemed very impressed.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Happy Birthday to Me!
And some fabulosity from Butterfly Girl Designs. My goodness these batts are scrumptious. Especially the Rocky Road (bottom one), it is filled with every sort of softness. Not that the purple one is in any way not soft.
Hobbledehoy Batts. I've been lusting after some of these batts for a while. Now that I have them, I was totally justified in my lusting. These ones have some yak fiber in them. Batts I've been wanting for a while, fiber I've never tried. Win, win.
Ok, first, these socks are hilarious. We can't quite figure out what went wrong. They appear to be Christmas oriented socks that should have said "Ho, Ho, Ho". As you can tell, they do not. Unless you are the person wearing them. When I look down at my socks, they are spelled right. I call them my "Oh" socks. (Office Space reference, ftw). Becca also got me Friday Night Knitting Club (which I have not read) and a super cute window decal that I did not get a picture of. It says "crafty geek" and here is the store she got it from. They are all so cute. It is a shame she doesn't have one that says "Craft Hoar". I think Dana would approve.
And although no one got this for me, I consider it a present. It arrived from the publisher on my birthday. My pattern is in the 2010 Crochet Pattern-a-Day calendar. Woot!
And there are unfortunately presents I didn't get pictures of (yay for fiestaware), but I loved them all. And I was even able to buy myself a little present. Ta Da! She shipped today. ZOMG! I can't wait. Funny story. My friend Grace and I had been wanting drum carders and have been talking about them and trying to find used ones and all that. Well, I finally bit the bullet last night. I had to make Zach push the "Commit to Buy" button because it was a lot of money. But I found out this morning that Grace bought hers last night too. Great minds really do think alike. I also picked up some silk noil and a llama fleece. Cause I really need more fleece before I even get what I have processed. But I am thinking of starting an Etsy store selling fiber batts. I think I need some practice before I do that. Anyone have any suggestions of what they would like in a batt that isn't already out there?
Monday, August 24, 2009
very busy
Friday, August 14, 2009
Piggyback
In honor of my birthday, I am going to help spread the word. So go here to find out more about how to enter to win. I am in the process of putting my box together, which is conviniently coming at a time after I just went through my stash. Woohoo!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Blanket time
Another square by me. Knitted Bobbles the Sheep square. I have decided I do not like knitting bobbles.
Square by knitting group girl, Dana
Random square by me.
Tapestry crochet square by me.
Swap square by Biogrrl
Swap square by Angie01
Swap square by Apicklenose
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