jaykayknits

Sneak Peek

2012-01-23T17:37:00.000-05:00

For all you fans of the TV show Parks & Recreation:

Soon, it will be a Ron Swanson hat. I know - I'm excited too.

First sweater of 2012

2012-01-21T18:01:00.000-05:00

It's finished!

My first FO of 2012 - and boy was it a big one! I talked before about how this will be the year of sweaters for me, and I'm now able to mark the first one off my list. The pattern, Aidez by Cirilia Rose, was a fairly quick knit. It took me about 20 days, and could have taken less if I really focused on it during my down time (or taken a break and started another sweater.... whoops). But, hey, sometimes a girl's tired after work.

Even though I'm modeling it, this is a birthday gift for my younger sister's birthday, which was January 12 (I'm not too late!!).

The whole time I was knitting this, I was planning on making one for myself, but now that it's done and I have photos of me wearing it, I'm not so sure that it looks that great on me. Good thing it's not for me!

The second sweater I've started is for my older sister's birthday, which is February 16 - they don't leave me much time in between their birthdays to make gifts! This next sweater is the Uptown Poncho by Rosemary Drysdale, and it's also shaping up to be quite a quick knit. It's my first time doing entrelac, and I'm already finished with the front panel - it's very addictive!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2012-01-17T16:26:00.000-05:00

Just like most of the US, Asheville has had an unseasonably warm winter (it's 61 degrees today!). Unfortunately, that means hardly any snow. We've had a couple of teeny tiny snows - just enough to dust the ground and cars. But when there are little snowfalls here, that means there are bigger snowfalls up in the mountains around us! One of our tiny snows came the Wednesday after Christmas. The next day, our awesome friend Travis and I decided to drive up and hike around on Max Patch, a bald mountain outside of Hot Springs, NC, which is about a 45 minute drive. As we climbed higher, the snow grew deeper, and when we parked, we were surrounded by a gorgeous, untouched winter wonderland.

It's a short hike up to the top, where breathtaking mountain views await (you may remember Max Patch from here and here).

This is my "I'm loving every second of this but my face is frozen" face

While we may not have too many more snowfalls this winter (who knows?), I'm really glad I got to see the mountains completely snow covered - it's just so peaceful.

2012

2012-01-03T18:37:00.001-05:00

I've been hesitant to write a 2012 resolutions/goals post because I am so terribly terrible at meeting my goals, but I figured just taking the step to write them down was better than not. I mean, even if I don't accomplish all my goals for the year, how can I accomplish even one if I don't make any? I've thought long and hard about what I'd like to accomplish this year, and I think another reason that I'm hesitant to declare it in writing is because I'm afraid I'm going to fail at some of the things I want to try. But again. How will I know if I don't try, right?

At first, I thought I would try to knit 12 sweaters in 2012. I mean, it made sense. All the numbers were there. 12 months. 12 sweaters. 2012. I even picked out all the patterns I wanted to make and ~~hoarded~~ stashed enough yarn for 7 of them. But then I decided that I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to do that because if I didn't accomplish it, I would be a failure. But seriously, who fails if they don't knit 12 sweaters in a year? So I'm not going to say that I'm going to knit 12. But I will say that 2012 is going to be the year of the sweater. I've already started my first one, Aidez by Cirilia Rose!

And no matter how many sweaters I knit, I want at least one of them to be of my own design. I can totally do that.

Speaking of design, I want to publish at least 4 new patterns this year. I can also totally do that.

I want to become a better photographer. That will probably include taking a photography class at our local community college, a resource I need to be taking way more advantage of (they offer a class called Backyard Chickens, how awesome is that?!). Easy!

I'm always striving to be a better wife and friend - to be a better listener, a more caring person. A better person all around. One who exercises even when I don't want to and who eats healthy ~~all~~ most of the time. I can be that person I'm striving for. And I need to be happy with myself for trying, even if I don't always do my best.

And finally, I want to concentrate on finding a job that makes me happy. Really happy. It's something I haven't had in a long time - a job that I wake up in the morning looking forward to going to. One where I feel like I'm doing more than just going through the motions. It's out there somewhere.

So there it is, friends. Happy 2012! I have a feeling it's going to be a good one!

Christmas Roundup

2011-12-27T09:01:00.001-05:00

Now that Christmas has come and gone (I hope you all had a wonderful one!), I'm able to share some of the gifts I knitted up for the holiday. As much as I enjoy doing a handmade holiday, I really need to make myself start earlier - I found myself finishing a gift on Christmas Eve!

{click on each photo to go to the Ravelry project page}

First off, I made my mom a couple of different things - a simply garter stitch infinity scarf that worked up in about an hour with some really neat yarn I found at my LYS.

and a pair of socks!

I made my little sister an Owls sweater (I actually started this sweater back in.... FEBRUARY and had plans to give it to her for something else, but it got pushed to the back burner, so I decided it would be a Christmas gift!)

I'll probably end up moving the buttons, since they're on the armpit owl, but we both like just the one set of buttons instead of putting them all the way around.

And lastly, my in-laws moved into a new house last summer, and have this awesome cabin-like living room that they call The Tree House, so I thought this pillow would be the perfect thing to rest on the couch!

I have a couple of other things I've made, but they haven't been given yet, so I'll keep those a surprise!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Hoping all who celebrate have a wonderful day, filled with love, laughter, warmth and light.

Merry Christmas!

{via}

On the 12th day of Knitmas

2011-12-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve!

With only one day left until Christmas, there's not much time left to get shopping done. There's definitely one thing you can get for a knitter that you can't go wrong with - and that's a gift certificate to your local yarn store. Don't know where your local yarn store is? Check out KnitMap - all you have to do is plug in your zip code, and it will tell you where the closest yarn stores are to you. You can even search for stores open right then, whether or not they have classes, wifi, and seating for people to sit and knit.

I'm lucky - I have 5 yarn stores within just a few miles of my house!

Check out the other days of Knitmas:

On the 11th day of Knitmas

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Only 2 days until Christmas! While time is running out to have gifts shipped to your house, there are still things you can buy and have wrapped and under the tree in time for Christmas day. Thanks to the internet and Ravelry, PDF pattern downloads are readily available to anyone with a PayPal account. While it can be a little difficult to try and pick out a pattern for someone else (although you could always pick out something you want them to knit for you!), there's almost a guarantee that there's at least one pattern they'll love from Brooklyn Tweed's collection, Wool People.

Here are some of my favorites from the collection!

{click photo to be taken directly to a page where you can download the PDF}

Allegheny by Thea Colman

Levenwick by Gudrun Johnston

Seraphine By Lucy Sweetland

Check out the other days of Knitmas:

On the 10th day of Knitmas

2011-12-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite days of Knitmas, as this product that I can personally vouch for. I own 2 project bags and a zipper pouch from madbird, and they do so much to help keep me organized. They're made with amazing attention to detail, wonderful craftsmanship, and the coolest fabrics!

{click photo to be taken to listing}

Check out the other days of Knitmas:

On the 9th day of Knitmas

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Winter Solstice!!

I always carry a little notebook around with me so that I can jot down notes, sketches, or just any ideas that pop into my head throughout the day. I saw these awesome notebooks from Redz Shadow and immediately bought some - they're just perfect! Small, portable, and with the perfect covers for any fiber enthusiast!

{click photo to be taken to listing}

{ps: she also sells yarn!}

Check out the other days of Knitmas:

On the 8th day of Knitmas

2011-12-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Happy First day of Hanukkah!

One of the fun things about finishing a knitted project is picking out the accessories that go with it. Yes, I'm talking about.... buttons! Let it be known that I love buttons. Especially big, natural looking ones. So when I saw these lovely buttons from Field Hands, I fell in love. Not just with these, but with all of his buttons. They're just gorgeous.

{click photo to be taken to listing}

Check out the other days of Knitmas:

On the 7th day of Knitmas

2011-12-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I enjoy a nice adult beverage while knitting - especially if it's easy, mindless knitting. That way, if I end up with more than one drink, I don't have to worry about messing up! These awesome pint glasses from Bread and Badger are perfect for the drinking knitter in your life.

{click on photo to be taken to listing}

Check out the other days of Knitmas:

On the 6th day of Knitmas

2011-12-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

For today's Knitmas gift, I'm kind of at a loss for words as to why I love it so much. The talent of the artist, Yelena Bryksenkova, blows me away, and I just absolutely love how she drew this girl wearing her handknit sweater while doing all kinds of different activities. While the artist made these into greeting cards, I could see these arranged in a big frame, all together, hanging in a knitting nook or studio.

{click on link to be taken to listing}

Check out the other days of Knitmas:

On the 5th day of Knitmas

2011-12-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

For me, knitting is almost like therapy - it helps me unwind after a long day of work, relaxes me and also works my brain (well, sometimes). As soon as I saw this bag from Astor Knot, I literally laughed out loud and muttered, "that sounds like something I would say!"

{click photo to be taken to listing}

Need I say more?

Check out the past days of Knitmas:

On the 4th day of Knitmas

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Knitting's not all about the yarn. Don't get me wrong - a lot of it's about the yarn, but there's so much more to it. Lately, I've seen these incredible yarn bowls popping up everywhere. The idea is so simple! String the yarn through the opening to give it a safe place to live while you're knitting - no yarn cake or ball to keep up with, no lint (or in my case cat hair) can get in the yarn, and no sneaky children or animals can get into it!

{click photo to be taken to listing}

This particular yarn bowl from Blue Sky Pottery, I think, is simply stunning. There are so many out there - all it takes is a simple search on Etsy, or Google even, but I recommend you try to find one from someone local. Because it's always nice to support your local artists during the holidays (and all year!).

Check out the past days of Knitmas:

day 3

day 2

day 1

On the 3rd day of Knitmas

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

I love displaying knitting prints around our apartment - it's a more creative way to show how much I love the art and craft of it. This awesome print combines two of my favorite things in the whole world - knitting and narwhals! It's absolutely precious and you know I couldn't resist buying this for myself from Sadly Harmless on Etsy. Now I just need a place to hang it!

{click on the photo to be taken to the listing}

Check out the past days of Knitmas:

day 2

day 1

On the 2nd day of Knitmas

2011-12-14T17:46:00.000-05:00

Something every knitter can use is more yarn to put in their stash. And when I say yarn, I mean yummy, gorgeous merino/cashmere/silk blend yarn hand-dyed by the wonderful Tanis of Tanis Fiber Arts. This yarn is something I've been lusting over for a while - really hoping it will show up under my tree (or wreath, as it may be)!

{click on photo to be taken to the listing}

I mean, really. This is just stunning. And I can only imagine how luscious it feels!

Check out the past days of Knitmas:

day 1

On the 1st day of Knitmas

2011-12-14T17:37:00.000-05:00

I really enjoy counting down the days before Christmas - it's so exciting! While I'm sure most people have already finished most of their shopping, I thought it would be fun to count down the 12 days of Christmas with some gifts the knitter in your life (even if that person is you!) would love! Introducing... the 12 days of Knitmas!

First off, this awesome hand painted charm by Tuckoo and Moo Cow on Etsy. Not only is this awesome artist from Asheville, but seriously - how awesome is this? What knitter wouldn't want this sweet charm hanging around their neck or wrist?

{click on photo to be taken to link}

She's got so many amazing things - cufflinks, earrings, bookmarks, rings - I highly recommend clicking over to check out her shop! Stay tuned for the rest of the 12 days of Knitmas!

The Giving Tree

2011-12-09T17:15:00.001-05:00

Most of you probably remember the book by Shel Silverstein. I love it. I think there are many different lessons to get out of it, all of them great. I ran across this yesterday, and just had to share! Happy Friday!

Getting Festive

2011-12-05T16:23:00.001-05:00

We live in a tiny apartment. I'm talking 550 square feet tiny. Cozy and just perfect for two people and two kitties, but still small. So small, in fact, that we don't have anywhere to put a Christmas tree. And before you say, "well you could put up one of those little artificial ones!", please know that I have Christmas tree rules. They are as follows: it has to be big enough to put presents under, and it has to be real. Fake Christmas trees are for the Grinch (not really, I understand that they are convenient, cheaper and more sustainable, I just don't like them. Don't get mad at me if you use an artificial tree, I still love you!). So instead of a Christmas tree, I picked up a few wreaths from a man in the PetCo parking lot (don't worry, he was legit), and they've added such wonderful holiday spirit to our tiny abode. They smell great, and are really helping me get into the season - we've even hung up our stockings (with care, of course), and put some Christmas lights up around our bookshelves.

I'm listening to instrumental holiday songs on Pandora and have plans to watch lots of Christmas movies in the next few weeks. However, there's one thing I've been doing that really is the opposite of having Christmas spirit. And that thing is not working on my Christmas knitting like I should. I struggle with this every year. I have such amazing ideas for things to make for people, but when the time comes, what do I do? I make something for myself!

{ravelry page}

My new winter hat! The pattern, Gespeg, by Ariane of Falling Stitches, was a super quick and simple knit - it took me just a couple of days to finish the whole thing. I just love the end result! I used less than a skein of Malabrigo worsted, and it is seriously the softest and warmest hat I own. It's definitely going to get lots of use this winter!

I started working on my Christmas knitting again last night and promise to stay focused this time. I wouldn't want Santa to skip our apartment because I didn't finish anyone's gifts, so I'll be good! Just 20 days left! Hope you're finding the holiday spirit too (and not slacking on the holiday knitting like me)!

Swatching

2011-12-01T17:25:00.001-05:00

I hate it. I rarely ever do it. But I've decided if I'm going to get a little more real about this whole designing thing, I've got to start doing it. Especially when designing colorwork patterns. I'm really glad I did, too - the bottom design looks much better than the top, and the top was my original sketch. And I know - I said I wasn't going to start with my whole colorwork fun until I was finished with my Christmas knitting. But I lied. A little swatching never hurt anyone though, right?

two is better than one

2011-11-19T10:50:00.001-05:00

It's what almost everyone wants - a mate. Someone who compliments them perfectly, brings out their best features, and makes heads turn when they're together. I am, of course, talking about two yarn colors. My first attempt at color work was my fiddlehead mittens, and I immediately fell in love. It keeps the knitting interesting - even if it's just simple techniques - and looks so professional. One of the Christmas gifts I'm working on right now is a color work design, and I love it so much.

Over the past couple of months, I've been doodling on my graph paper, coming up with color work patterns left and right - it's so fun! But really, the best part is selecting two perfect yarn mates - and I've had a great time picking out yarn colors that go together perfectly.

I've said it before, a million times over, but I love everything about Maya's hand-dyed yarns over at Springtree Road. Her colors are just to dye for (oh, puns). These two colors were born for each other. They were also born for me to make them into a pair of amazing tall socks.

These two skeins of Knit Picks Palette are wonderful - I just love the pistachio color, and it's complimented so well by the light blue of the clarity. These will probably become a hat.

These last two are a bit more bold and may not be enjoyed by everyone else as much as me, but I think they're just fabulous together. I'm a HUGE fuchsia fan, and the amazingness of the frank ochre just really sets it off. Plus, who doesn't love Malabrigo's amazing colors? I'm planning on turning these into a sweet pair of mittens.

Once I finish up all my Christmas gifts, I'm going to dive headfirst into a sweet pile of color work awesomeness - and I don't know if I'll ever want to come up.

FO: Dahlia Cardigan

2011-11-14T16:17:00.001-05:00

I finally finished something! It seems like it's been forever since I got to post about a finished knitting project. This may have taken me two months to finish, but I am oh so happy with the finished result. I'll admit - at times the cardigan was a little boring, but I am so glad I stuck it out and finished it.

You may recall that I ran into some trouble with this knit, due to my own error, but fixing it turned out to be much easier than I thought it would be - thankfully! All it took was a little grafting and cutting. So glad it was so simple!

I only made one modification - I added on 8 stitches in length. I didn't want it to be too short, and it really came out the perfect length for me. I'm pretty short (5'3" on a good day), and it fits me perfectly. For the body, I worked the 35.5" size, but probably could have left a few inches off - there's quite a bit of fabric in the front. I thought about going full sleeve, but I really like the look of a three quarter sleeve with a long sleeve underneath, so I stuck with that length and worked the arms for the 30" size.

{ravelry link}

All in all, I'm very pleased with how this came out - it will definitely get a lot of wear this fall and winter! Next up on my plate are some Christmas gifts - I have 10 days to complete 3 gifts, and although it's a pretty crazy deadline, they're all relatively small gifts, so I think I can do it!

November, November

2011-11-09T15:38:00.004-05:00

November 9th. Where did that even come from? The past few weeks have been a whirlwind, and I'm thankful that there are some relaxing holiday breaks headed my way soon. In the past few weeks, I've celebrated my birthday (28!), wrapped up the cross country season (4th in the state!), my awesome husband started a new job, and we've gotten to hang out with many amazing friends. Knitting is slowly coming along - I'm just half a sleeve away from finishing my Dahlia cardigan, and I'm really looking forward to spending some time over the next few weeks finishing up some Christmas gifts. Now that cross country season is over, I'm able to come home right after work and have some relaxing knitting time, which is something I've really missed.

{This is where we went hiking on my birthday - Devil's Courthouse - so gorgeous!}

I've starting thinking about some things I want to accomplish in 2012, and I can't wait to share them with you here on the blog! I'm not always super great at meeting my goals, but I think this is really one I can tackle and am looking forward to starting.

How's your holiday knitting going?

help!

2011-10-17T06:54:00.000-04:00

I've run into a problem here with my Dahlia Cardigan - all my own fault. If you don't know anything about the construction of this cardigan, it's a little different than anything else I've made. Without going into too much detail, the sleeves are done as an afterthought thumb hole is done. Scrap yarn is knitted in, and will be removed, and the live stitches picked up for the sleeves. Here's my problem. One of my mods was making the back longer, so I added 8 stitches to the bottom. When marking the first sleeve, the stitches are counted from the bottom. Example - the instructions were to knit 60, then add in the scrap yarn. What I realize now, after I've finished that entire side and have started on the other, is that I forgot to account for my 8 extra stitches on the bottom. So my scrap yarn is placed 8 stitches too low. I realized this when I placed the scrap yarn for the second sleeve and they were uneven. So, my question to you, dear fellow knitters, is HOW can I move my sleeve to the right place WITHOUT frogging back the entire right side?

If you can't understand my jumbled mess typed at 6:30 am on a Monday (and I don't blame you if you can't, I definitely don't have time to edit this), here's a photo:

Not the best photo, I know. Right under the words "scrap yarn" is the yarn I knitted in for the armhole. I need to move it to the left 8 stitches without undoing that entire side. I have a few ideas, but want to hear what you guys have to say - especially if this has happened to you too!

A Bit Icy

2011-10-13T14:57:00.003-04:00

The first weekend in October, we had quite a cold spell. As in, lows in the mid 30s cold spell. It was so wonderful! I wore so many handknitted goodies - it was wonderful! We woke up early on Sunday, grabbed coffee, and drove up to Craggy Pinnacle, about 15 minutes drive on the Parkway, for a short hike. It was awesome to see the top of the mountains covered in rime ice on our way up.

And it was even more amazing once we reached the top. It was strange to be around ice in early October, but I absolutely loved it!

This tree was so cool! And covered in ice, even cooler (what a terrible pun, sorry)!

We stopped to take a picture under the tree, and right as we were snapping it, a huge chunk of ice fell off the tree and hit me right on the nose. Perfect timing to show off my fiddlehead mittens!

Jake is so brave, standing on the ledge like that. I was a wuss - couldn't do it!

Even though my schedule's been crazy, I've found some time to knit on my Dahlia cardigan, and it's coming along! Can't wait to be finished so I can wear it. On another note, is anyone out there going to SAFF next weekend? I'll be there! I'm so very excited!

Recent Happenings

2011-09-29T10:16:00.001-04:00

I honestly cannot believe October 1st is Saturday. I am, however, beyond thrilled about it. If you need to know only one thing about me - know that I am obsessed with Autumn. I just can't help it. It probably has something to do with the fact that my birthday is in October, but I really think that it has way more to do with the amazing weather, the gorgeous foliage, and the smell of the Autumn air.

With that being said, it has been a while since I've updated and I apologize - time has been slipping away! I've started a new job (yay!), which has kept me busy, and I've also started helping coach the cross country team at my old high school, which has been very interesting. It's helped me get some running in, but has also made me realize that I have absolutely nothing to talk to high school girls about. Hopefully that will change as I get to know them better. I've also been sick, which is no fun. I'm at home today, on my first day of antibiotics, hoping to kick this bacterial respiratory infection I've got to the curb.

I've been doing a little knitting - not as much as I would have hoped, but with work and cross country, I'm often gone from the house for 11 hours, so I'm pretty exhausted when I get home. Most recently, I finished a yummy, warm cowl knit up in some Malabrigo Silky Merino, gifted to me by a dear friend. I just absolutely love the yarn! And the cowl! I'm already planning on wearing it this weekend, when the temperatures drop down into the upper 30's!

(ravelry page)

I've started a couple of pairs of socks, which are on hold right now because I couldn't help cast on for the Dahlia Cardigan in the new issue of Interweave Knits. I'm past the lace panel, and have joined the right side of the body together, so this picture isn't an updated one, but I wanted to share it anyway. I just think this cardigan is so gorgeous - can't wait to wear mine!

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs right through Asheville, and we can get to it in about 10 minutes, so this time of year is especially amazing to take a morning weekend drive. We've been doing that pretty frequently. It's just something you never get tired of.

Hope you all are enjoying the start of Autumn as much as I am (besides the whole being sick part) - any special knitting projects on your needles?

Summer Break

2011-08-10T11:13:00.000-04:00

I feel bad for neglecting the blog world this summer. I really thought I would have more time, and more things to write about, but I really haven't. We've been in and out of town and time seems to be literally flying by (is it really almost the middle of August??), but I'm definitely looking forward to starting back to work and getting into more of a routine. And Fall? Yeah, I'm totally ready and excited for it. Pumpkins, tights, boots, sweaters, apples, cool weather, gorgeous leaves - I can thinking of nothing more awesome.

Our travels started a few weeks ago. We headed up to Jake's parents house in Charlottesville, where we hung out for almost a week. It was lots of fun! We took a day trip up to DC, saw some friends, had some incredible Ethiopian food, and I teared up at almost every monument. They're just so touching.

We came home for 4 days, then headed out on a secret anniversary trip Jake had planned. We started out in Grayson Highlands State Park, which is gorgeous. We took a nice hike and had a picnic up on a mountain, enjoying the views. On our way back down, we picked so many wild blackberries and blueberries and just feasted. So many people were there just for the berries - they brought lots of buckets and recruited all their kids to help them pick the berries. One lady we talked to had 50 pounds already and was planning on making lots of jams and pies. It was so sweet to see these families out together gathering food, I loved it.

After that, we spent the night in a sweet little inn in Damascus, VA - one of my favorite little towns in the mountains. We took the scenic drive back to Asheville, stopping along the way to admire all the beauty in our surroundings.

It was a wonderful anniversary - I loved every second of it! We were home for a week, while I scrambled to finish a wedding gift for a wedding this past Saturday. I pulled it off the blocking mats Saturday morning - cutting it really close! But I'm really happy with how it turned out, and hopefully it is something the couple will treasure for many years to come.

{ravelry page}

The wedding was great - so wonderful to see so many old friends, and spend some time with some really wonderful ones.

And now we're back home. And it feels great. The kitties have taken over my suitcase, showing us that we can't leave ever again.

two years.

2011-08-01T10:17:00.001-04:00

Two years ago today I married my best friend. In some ways I can't believe it's already been two years, but in others I can't believe it's only been two years. I love you, Jake. Life just keeps getting better with you - and the best is yet to come!

wedding photos by altmix photography

a yard too short... twice

2011-07-27T19:53:00.000-04:00

Well, more than a yard, actually. Almost 200 yards.

We're going to a wedding next weekend, and I needed a little something to keep me warm in case I get cold in the air conditioned buildings. I fell in love with Trousseau the minute I saw it, and knew it would be perfect. I started out with lace weight, then quickly moved up to sport to make it go a little quicker. I soon knew I wouldn't be able to complete the entire large size with the 2 skeins I had, so I decided to do a combination of the small and large. I just knew I would have enough yarn, so I plugged along. And, of course, I ran out of yarn right before I started the edging. No problem, I thought - I had skein of Knit Picks Telemark that would contrast the yellow well. I was plugging along, binding off, when....

I ran out of yarn again. So I looked through my stash and saw that I had a few skeins of Knit Picks Palette in the same color as the telemark, so I finished the bind off with that. In reality, it's not noticeable, but I couldn't believe I ran out of yarn. Twice.

But, after all that stress, I really like the finished product!

{ravelry link}

I made a few modifications, mainly because of my yarn shortage, but I'm glad I did. This is the perfect size, and had I made the large size, I think it would have been too big. I worked up to the last increase section, then worked one repeat of chart B, then chart C before binding off.

Finally!

2011-07-17T22:37:00.000-04:00

It's finished! After basically a year since my first attempt, my Featherweight Cardigan is finished! And I absolutely love it.

It's perfect - open, flowy, lightweight yet warm. I just love everything about it. And the stripes make it fun and give it some color. I'm really glad I added the stripes, too. I think they add a lot.

{Ravelry Link}

I didn't make too many modifications, besides the stripes and knitting my collar in k3,p2 ribbing instead of st stitch. I stopped knitting the increases once I got to 54 arm stitches, which worked out great. One thing I remember from the first time I tried to knit it was that the arms were a little big, so I'm glad I stopped when I did.

I've got 4 other projects to finish up, hopefully in the next few weeks, and then I'm planning on getting a head start on my Christmas knitting!

A dedication to the furballs

2011-07-07T19:25:00.000-04:00

It was July 2008. We walked into the Charlottesville SPCA not knowing what to expect. We knew we wanted two kittens. We contemplated two from different litters, but didn't think that would be fair to split up families like that. So we grabbed the two of you - you were snuggling each other in your hammock. You had four other brothers and sisters and I wish we could have taken them all. We played with you for a little while in the "kitty city" room before taking you home.

You guys were so.small. Teeny compared to what you are now (especially you Fozzie!).

You were, and still are, best friends. You do everything together - sleeping, bathing, wrestling and playing. We are so thankful for you.

I know it's silly to write this to our cats, who will never read this, but they have brought so much joy into our lives - they truly are our children. I can't believe you guys just turned 3. Thanks for being so awesome. We're so glad you picked us to be your human parents.

Giving in and loving it

2011-06-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

I've done it. I've given in and joined Pinterest. When I first heard about it, I thought to myself "how stupid. you just click on pictures that you like and it saves them?", when in reality, it is so so much more than that. I used to get caught up in design blogs and recipe blogs and spend hours and hours going through them, bookmarking pages of things I wanted to try or things I wanted my future home to look like, and then I realized that was a huge waste of time, so I stopped. But with Pinterest, all the hard work is done. See a photo of something you want to make? Click on it, and it will take you to the original source - most of the time with directions included. Here are just a few things that have caught my eye that I plan on doing sometime in the future:

doily lamp

christmas lights through canvas

It's also a great source for color boards, which are always nice to have when planning any project

source

Seriously, check it out. I'm really happy that I did. And if you do, look me up. I love seeing other people's inspirations!

My favorite 7 year old

2011-06-24T18:14:00.000-04:00

Is, of course, my niece. How could it not be? She's adorable, fun and (of course) a genius. She's in town visiting from Minneapolis and is staying with my parents most of the time she's here. But last night she came over for a sleepover at Aunt Jenny and Uncle Jake's house, and we had a blast! We watched movies, ate homemade pizza and popcorn, snuggled, played with the kitties, stayed up late and laughed a lot. We also walked to the park for a photo shoot! She's so fun and photogenic - I thought I'd share a few photos from the afternoon.

I know I'm totally biased, but seriously... how lucky am I to have such an awesome niece?

Featherweight Update

2011-06-22T12:23:00.000-04:00

I have, indeed, been working on my Featherweight Cardigan. After last attempt's disaster, I knew it needed to be something I loved to make it through. So I decided on stripes, a bit longer length, and to spice it up a bit, I gave the stripes a little life. Currently, I'm working on the collar - the body is done. Then, all I'll need to finish are the sleeves and give it a nice blocking and it'll be ready to wear! I've got to say - I'm really happy with it so far. Which is obvious, because it really hasn't taken me too long to make - I haven't been able to put it down!

Excuse the iPhone photo - it was all I had with me! Like I said earlier, I gave my stripes a little life. They gradually get wider down the cardigan. I increased each pair of stripes by two rows starting with 10 rows each at the top and ending with 20 rows each at the bottom. The bottom pink stripe is done in k3, p2 ribbing, as is the collar, which I am about a fourth of the way finished with. This is one I seriously can't wait to get off the needles!

What are you working on? I'd love to see pictures!

Saturday Stitches

2011-06-18T11:32:00.001-04:00

After two weeks of silence, I'm back with a Saturday Stitches! Missed the last one? Here it is!

Saturday Stitches was inspired by the knitter. It's amazing to see a finished project that totally changes the way you look at the original pattern, and that's what Saturday Stitches is all about - showing off those projects. As always, click on the photo to be taken to the knitter's Ravelry project page, and click on their name to go to their Ravelry page and add them as a friend! All photos are property of the knitter.

This first project didn't necessarily change my mind about the original pattern, but I just absolutely love how gldelx personalized it by adding some of Portland's bridges (it doesn't help that Portland holds a very special place in my heart, as we used to live there and it is my favorite place in the world!) - how awesome is that?

Definitely not sure I would have given this next original pattern a second glance. Not that it's ugly or anything, just not sure it's really my style. But LisaGry's project is making me really consider knitting it. How great does it look on her?

Happy Saturday!!

Summer Craze

2011-06-17T16:28:00.000-04:00

Well, summer is here and things have gotten crazy. I thought summer was a time for relaxing? It seems the only ones relaxing around the Sadler house are the kitties.

School ended last Friday, and since then we've driven to Virginia to help Jake's parents move (got lots of knitting done on the way up and back though!);

I got a nice, hip new haircut;

Drove to Georgia for a few days with my mom to stay at my grandparent's house and pick my niece up from the airport;

homegrown tomatoes!

airport waiting

beautiful niece!

And finally, I knitted up a quick and comfy pair of slippers.

{rav link}

All in less than a week. I'm tired. But am slowly settling in to the rhythm of summer. I've got lots on my "to do list" and I can't wait to get started!

FO: Pisgah

2011-06-07T07:15:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I was able to finish up the lacy, spring/summer scarf I was working on. The pattern, which I have named Pisgah, is simple and beautiful - I could have been done in just a couple of weeks if I hadn't gotten the 'itis. This is my last week of work, and this will be gifted to the lead teacher I've been working with. She's been a wonderful mentor, and a great friend - couldn't have asked for a better match!

While the scarf turned out fairly wide, by adding one more repeat, I could have made a nice stole. I'm thinking about making another one for myself like that - I love having big comfy knits to wrap around me!

The yarn I used was Araucania Ulmo cotton. I got it on clearance a few years back, and I really enjoyed knitting with it. The cotton makes it perfect for spring and summer and gives it a nice drape.

{ravelry page}

Isn't my mom such a wonderful model? She didn't want to show her face, but she's still beautiful! I'm thinking about releasing a pattern for this, but can't decide... any thoughts?

FO: Sunshine Mystery

2011-06-01T17:38:00.000-04:00

My mystery shawl came off the needles last night and spent the night on the blocking mats. I pulled it off, all crisp and nice this morning and wore it to work. I'm always amazed at what a good blocking does to lace - just totally transforms it. I should have taken a before and after photo.

I haven't measured the final dimensions, but it's a great size - I was worried it was going to be a little small. I got a little behind on this shawl because I SAT on my only pair of US 4 needles and they broke (diet time?) so I had to get some more. Instead of just buying another pair of needles, I decided to splurge and get a set of KnitPicks interchangeable needles. I don't regret it a single bit. They are amazing. And now I won't continue to just buy crappy needles that I will eventually sit on and break (who does that?).

These photos aren't the greatest - I took them on my iPhone while I was at my parents house this afternoon. But you can get the general idea. The shawl is bright - perfect for summer (and my usual drab wardrobe).

{ravelry page}

Overall, the pattern was great. Jen did a great job - well written and easy to understand, and really fun! I enjoyed the mystery of it all and would definitely do another mystery KAL in the future.

Girl Crush

2011-05-31T15:39:00.001-04:00

I totally have one. Her name is Jill Andrews, and she's amazing. I was first introduced to Jill through her old band, The Everybodyfields. This band, especially their album Nothing Is Okay, is really special to both Jake and myself, and is always welcome in our CD player. So I was totally devastated to hear that they were calling it quits in 2009. We saw them live numerous times, and they never let us down. They duo has since gone on to create their own individual albums, and Jill's music has been my favorite of the two. We saw her a few months ago in Asheville, and this past weekend we had the chance to see her (for free!) at the White Squirrel Festival in Brevard, a nearby town (yes, there is such a thing as white squirrels). This is when I realized that my love for Jill Andrews goes beyond her voice and music. When I saw her unpacking her van wearing a vintage sundress, adorable blue flats, and carrying an awesome vintage suitcase, I knew then that I wanted to be her. See?

Yes, I realize I sound like a stalker. But I'm not going to get plastic surgery to make me look like her or to gain about 7 inches of height so I can be taller like her (but I totally might get my hair cut like that). I will, however, use her for inspiration to finally pick up the guitar again. I'm sure that it's no coincidence that the first song I learned how to play was an Everybodyfields song. And I will definitely, definitely encourage all of you to check her out.

Spring Break Stripes

2011-05-28T15:41:00.000-04:00

Yes, I realize it's not Spring Break anymore. But since that's when I started this thing, that's what it's called. This pattern was.... interesting. I wasn't sure how I would like it after I got about 8 stripes in, but so far I'm really liking it. It was, however, boring. Like, so-boring-that-I-only-did-11-stripes-and-left-off-the-border-because-I-was-so-over-knitting-it boring. I didn't even block it.

But I do really enjoy it. I have a few complaints about the yarn, though. While I love the drape and feel of it, it easily gets stuck on things and pulls, which is annoying. The yarn is made up of one strand of silk and one strand of linen, and the linen is the one that keeps getting snagged on things.

I am, however, happy to be finished with it. It's been far too long since I've had a finished project to wear. Good to see you again, production.

{details on my Ravelry page}

Also, notice the color I'm wearing? Ridiculous.

Saturday Stitches

2011-05-28T15:16:00.000-04:00

{missed last week's? here it is!}

Veera's Golden Wheat Cardigan pattern is beautiful. She's a great designer. But there was always something about this design that didn't make me head over heels in love with it. And then I saw Usimarjaana's version. And fell. Fell hard.

Her mods are perfect. When I start this project, I'll be using her pattern page as inspiration. Plus that color? Amazing!!

Next up is Yuki77's Water to Sky anklets - I'm not sure I would have ever given the original pattern a second look without seeing her finished socks. I love me some anklets, and these are great! Hers have inspired me so much, that these are at the top of my "to make" list!

I love how the solid color allows the lace to really pop - can't wait to make my own!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Red Cabbage & Turmeric

2011-05-24T19:13:00.000-04:00

No, this is not a recipe.... not for food, anyway. After checking this book out from the library, I decided to give natural hand dyeing a shot. It was a lot of fun, and I'm definitely going to be doing more of this in the future - I loved the whole process! I had in mind a purple color mixed with hints of yellow, so I decided to give red cabbage and turmeric a try. First I simmered half a red cabbage for about 45 minutes to make the dye, then I stuck in my wool. Since this was my first try, I didn't want to use anything super nice, so I used a couple of skeins of Paton's wool in white I had in my stash.

I absolutely loved the color the dye made - such a rich purple! I added a little lemon juice to bring out the pink in the dye, then mixed in literally a sprinkle of turmeric. About 2 hours later (45 minutes for each lot), I had two washed skeins of.....

bright yellow yarn?

Obviously turmeric is a tad stronger than I expected. But I love it, nonetheless. The first lot came out just a tad brighter than the second, but it's not really noticeable in the photo. I'm not sure what this yarn will become, but I'll still use the two skeins together, just alternating rows.

I've got lots more dyeing in mind, and really love the ability I have to experiment with it all. The best part? It's all natural, so I know I'm not exposing myself (or whoever wears the yarn) to any chemicals.

Featherweight Cardigan

2011-05-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to get started on this project (don't judge me on the start date) last August. It's such a cute cardigan - simple, airy, and perfect for spring, summer and fall. I chugged along, and after a month I had this:

Not too bad, right? Except... notice the color of the sleeve compared to the body. Not the same. The yarns were from the same dye lot, but the colors were definitely not the same. So I put it away for a few months because I was annoyed. I finally picked it back up in March and finished the body.

And now, at the end of May, it looks like this:

I just hated it. It wasn't just because the of the color, either. I wanted it to be longer. So instead of putting more time into something I knew I would never wear, I frogged it. It always amazes me how quick it is to unravel something that took months to make.

But I'm not going to let this get me down. I still love this cardigan and want to make it, just with a few mods. After looking through the (many) projects on Ravelry, I've decided I want to stripe it. And make it longer, and with longer sleeves. So I made a little trip to one of the yarn stores in Asheville to get something to stripe it with. And I just couldn't decide. So I got too much.

I need your help! Here's what I can't decide on - the number of stripes, and the colors to use. I was originally going to do 3 stripes, using the original lavender, the blue and the pink. But now I'm thinking just two stripes will be better? What do you think? And what other color? I want to use the original lavender color, but I can't decide which color goes better with it.

What are your thoughts?

Saturday Stitches

2011-05-21T10:54:00.000-04:00

I'll admit it - I spend too much time on Ravelry. But I'm not ashamed (should I be?) because it's an amazing website, full of resources, tips, and enough knitting patterns to make your head explode. There are a couple of websites that do a semi-regular post featuring some of Ravelry's newest patterns - one being French Press Knits, and the other being Falling Stitches (I'm sure there are more, but I just don't know about them). And while it's great to see some of the newest stuff out there, one of my favorite things about Ravelry is looking at people's finished projects. I absolutely love finding a knitter's finished project that makes me look at the original pattern in a totally different way. Has that ever happened to you? You see a pattern and it doesn't really do much for you, but then you see a version of the pattern and your whole mindset of the original changes. It's amazing how other people's creativity and interpretation of something can change your whole view of the original. So that's why I'm introducing Saturday Stitches. Here I'm going to show some of those finished projects that have just blown me away - hopefully I'll stay on it and there will be a new post every Saturday. And if you happen upon a project on Ravelry that you think would fit well here, feel free to email it to me! Also, to view any of these project pages, you will need a Ravelry account. They're free, and if you're a knitter you should have one anyway because it's the best website ever. And please remember that none of these pictures belong to me - they've all been taken by the knitter themselves. Click on the picture to be taken to the Ravelry project page, and click on the Ravelry user name to be taken to the knitter's profile where you can friend them because they are awesome.

Longcardi by Freckle

When I first saw this sweater, I instantly fell in love. I'm pretty sure it's a combination of the color, the lining (how bad ass is she??) and the construction of the sweater. Here's the original, which I like, but not enough to knit. Freckle's makes me want to knit it, for sure.

Next up is Lilalu's Sedum

I like the original, but it always just looked so bulky and restricting to me - like if I tried to wear it I would get claustrophobic and wouldn't be able to breathe. Lilalu's looks so great - loose and super comfy - as comfy as a pair of well loved sweatpants. And I absolutely love the fingerless glove detail she added... a girl after my own heart, for sure.

And that wraps up the first edition of Saturday Stitches - I'd love to hear what you think of it! Happy Saturday!

Mystery Shawl

2011-05-19T13:55:00.000-04:00

One of my (too) many projects right now is a mystery KAL, hosted by Knitting Like Crazy. It's the first "mystery" anything I've ever done, and so far it's been really fun! It's pretty crazy knitting something when I have no clue what the outcome will be. Every Friday she posts a new clue on her blog - this past Friday was clue number 2, which I just started today (don't worry, it's short!). Here's my progress towards the end of clue one:

Pretty cool, huh? And let's talk about the yarn for a second - love it! It's some hand dyed yumminess from Gnomenapper. The color is so rich and incredible! The colorway is Vitamin C, but it's so orange it could totally be called Cheeto Fingers (gross, I know, but you know how orange your fingers get when you eat cheetos? Yeah. It's that orange.).

If you're itching to start a project, head on over to the Knitting Like Crazy blog and cast on for the mystery shawl - next clue is published tomorrow, and then only one left after that!

In other random news, how cute is my husband in spandex??

Startitis

2011-05-12T12:03:00.000-04:00

Startitis - 1. the inability to finish a current project without starting another, often resulting in multiple unfinished projects; knitting ADD

That's right, I've got it. It seems I've come down with a heavy case of the 'itis. Startitis, that is. I can't stop starting projects, even though I haven't finished one since before Spring Break. Right now, I have no less than 5 projects on the needles. And all I want to do is start others. I mean, have you seen all the awesome new (well, some of them aren't so new) patterns on Ravelry? Here are some from my recent faves (click the photo to be taken to the Ravelry page):

I mean, can you blame me?

It's unfortunate that I don't have enough time, nor hands, to make all of these things right now. Because that's what I want to do. Help!

(note that none of these photos belong to me, they all belong to the designers/photographers that took them. i take no credit. i am not worthy.)

the color pink

2011-05-09T16:04:00.003-04:00

I have always had hatred for the color pink. I'm usually more of a blue, green and purple girl. Yet somehow, two of my most recent projects have had pink or have been some shade of pink, and I currently have two projects on the needles involving pink. What's wrong with me?

{365 day 102}

And I just noticed I'm wearing pink leggings in the above picture. Pink. Everywhere. It's in pictures I've been taking, the things I've been knitting, the clothes I've been wearing. Maybe it's just a spring thing? Or maybe I'm turning into the girly girl I never dreamed I would become (although I'm almost 100% sure that means I have to start wearing makeup, and that's not going to happen. I've tried.).

Love From Me

2011-05-02T15:33:00.000-04:00

Love From Me is a project headed by Sara Harley - a book of art that aims to calm the soul and raise money for charity all at the same time. I'm honored to have one of my photographs included in this amazing project, and would love for you to all take a couple of seconds to click over and preview the book, and if it rubs you the right way, purchase one! 100% of the proceeds are going to The Rose Fund, a charity which helps cancer patients who are facing financial difficulty as a result of dealing with their treatments, so you know your money is going to a good cause.

gloom

2011-04-27T20:00:00.000-04:00

it's pretty gloomy outside. We've been lucky so far, and most of the big storms have missed us. However, right now we're under a tornado watch, and the bad weather is quickly moving our way. While I'm not a fan of tornados and all the damage they can bring, I do enjoy a relaxing thunderstorm. So I am hoping the weather dies down enough so there's no damage, but not so much that we don't get a nice thunderstorm. In the midst of all this gloomy weather, I'm bringing bright colors into my life!

I've decided I needed a nice, lacy spring scarf to wear out. The weather during the day is nice enough for a skirt or dress, but it definitely gets chilly here at night, which I discovered last weekend while we were out downtown. So that's when I decided I needed a nice scarf to wrap around me when the evening chill sets in.

It's working up quickly, and I'm hoping it will be finished soon!

What else will help make seem a gloomy day a little brighter? Why, puppies of course! My little sister got a puppy a few weeks ago, and oh my goodness he's a precious one! Meet Cooper:

I may just have to steal him.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T13:21:00.000-04:00

Hope you all are having a wonderful, relaxing day, celebrating however you choose!

This is a photo I took last night when Jake and I ventured up to Asheville's Sky Bar for the sunset - we live in such a beautiful world!

Pillow Talk

2011-04-21T17:51:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things about being married to my husband are the conversations we have while laying in bed at night trying to fall asleep. We seem to have our best conversations there. Whether the conversation is a serious one, about our future or a tough life decision, or a ridiculous one, like last night's conversation - we just seem to connect better there. Last night's conversation went a little like this:

jake: "What if cars ran only off farts? And not like you could just fill your tank up with farts, but what if you had to constantly fart? Would you do it?"

jen: "Well if that were the case, then farts wouldn't be looked at the way they are now. It would be totally normal for people to fart all the time. So, yeah, I'd do it."

Then we watched a few ridiculous youtube videos, and stumbled upon this one, which we both have decided this is the best video in the world, and that if we ever have kids, they will end up just like this one.

Then the conversation turned to Jake's newest obsession: The Royal Wedding.

jake: "If we have kids, we should probably have them at the same time as Prince William and Princess Kate. That way they can grow up together."

jen: speechless. laughing.

This post really has no point, other than to prove that my husband is awesome. He never fails to make me laugh, and comes up with the most ridiculous ideas. And I love him for that.

it's one of those days

2011-04-18T13:53:00.001-04:00

you know, the kind where everything you do, say, hear, think, read - EVERYTHING - makes you feel like crap? I'm feeling a little lost in life, and I think that's what is at the front of all this. Call it a quarter-life-crisis, a mental block, whatever - I just need some direction.

Not sure what to do on a day like today, so I try to surround myself with things that make me happy. Like kitties, knitting, my camera and tea (and my husband if he wasn't at work). And I listen to things like this:

and this

I think I'm going to take my tea, knitting and camera and go for a long walk so I can surround myself with this

FO: Running River socks

2011-04-17T12:01:00.001-04:00

Finally, I finished my socks! And I couldn't be happier with them.

{365 day 106}

This pattern looks much more difficult than it really is - it was really simple. The river section is a simple rib, moved left and right by simple increases and decreases. And the toe, oh how I love the toe! It's an anatomical toe, which makes it easy to figure out which sock is which. I'm not sure why all socks don't use this toe - it's awesome. This yarn was great for the project - and if you don't have any of Maya's awesome sock yarn, I recommend buying some right now. Such great colors, and lovely, squishy yarn. I've got about 180 m of yarn left over, maybe enough for a pair of fingerless gloves for the fall?

Pattern: Kalajoki

Yarn: Springtree Road Muscadine Sock in Framboise

{My Ravelry link}

And over Spring Break, I started working on Veera's Stripe Study shawl (rav link), and am loving how it's turning out! I knitted on it all week and got through 10 out of 12 stripes. I've set it aside for a little while to work on a few other things, but I'll pick it up again soon! It's a great "on the go" project, for sure.

update: i've changed the commenting system around on the blog, which has, unfortunately, deleted all of the old comments. they're still saved on blogger, but don't show up with the new system. this new system will allow me to respond to everyone directly, but only if you leave your email address! and i've said it before, but can't say it enough - thanks to everyone who leaves comments, they all make my day! and now i can respond to you!

Spring Break

2011-04-17T09:37:00.000-04:00

...is almost over... Where does the time go? The beach was a wonderful, relaxing trip. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't as perfect as we'd hoped, but we still managed to relax on the beach and get a little tan, which is always a positive. It's never good to wear a dress and look like you have white tights on.

There was only one morning that it was clear enough to catch a good sunrise, and even then it was a bit foggy, but still beautiful. And I'm not sure what it is about the beach in the morning and dead jellyfish, but they were everywhere.

All those dark blobs? Dead jellyfish. We saw at least 30.

There's not much to do on Edisto Island unless you're sitting on the beach or hanging out in the State Park where we camped. So when it got cloudy and windy, instead of going to the Piggly Wiggly or getting ice cream at the gas station/subway/ice cream shop, we hiked to go see a bit of South Carolina's history. This shell mound is dated from about 2000 BC, and is where Natives would go and throw their "trash". The amount of shells is insane - they're just packed in every square inch of the ground.

One of my favorite things about South Carolina is the spanish moss. Love the color, the texture and the look of it.

Before heading home, we spent the morning in Charleston - but not before stopping by a yarn store, of course! And even though my resolution is to only use stash yarn, I always buy some yarn when we go on vacation. That way I'll have something to remember our trip by.

I decided to try some yarns I hadn't tried before, and I know I'll be glad I did. Always good to branch out a bit! The top is a skein of Ella Rae Merino Lace, which I'm thinking will be a great shawl, and the bottom is 2 skeins of Louet Gems sport weight. I chose these colors because I wanted to get something close to resembling spanish moss, since that tied in with our vacation.

Of course, as we walked out of the parking deck in Charleston it started raining, and we had neither rain jackets or umbrellas. We still had a good time walking around. Charleston is so historic and cool. We both agreed that our favorite things are the alley ways scattered throughout. You never know what you'll find when you walk down them. We walked down one and stumbled upon a graveyard. And, as with most things in Charleston, the graves were really old. My love for ghosts and ghost stories is undying (pun?), and I can't help but be fascinated by graveyards.

Ahhh, Spring Break.... sad to see you go! Back to work tomorrow - definitely going to be a rough Monday morning! Happy Sunday!

FO: Vintage Beach

2011-04-07T20:30:00.000-04:00

It's finished! And my mom did an amazing job with the lining and the straps - couldn't be happier with it! Finished just in time for the beach - can't wait to tote it around!

{ravelry details}

Off to pack and clean - I've already got my beach knitting projects planned out, and have plenty of books to read! Can't wait for this break - we both need it!

Pearl The Yarn Destroyer, Part 2

2011-04-05T15:11:00.002-04:00

This post is a continuation of a post that I did for Knit & Crochet Blog week. Click here to see the first part

When we last left our fearless knitter, we were all concerned about the fate of the yarn Pearl had destroyed. Would it survive the attack, and live out its dream of being knitted into a gorgeous accessory?

"ouch."

"I've been watching a lot of Grey's Anatomy, maybe I can try a simple surgery and fix it up."

"still ouch."

"Crap, that didn't work. Looks like I'm going to have to call in a specialist - Doctor Winder!"

"Don't worry, ma'am. This should be a simple fix - I'm happy to take care of it."

"Oh dear, this looks worse than I thought. I'm going to need to remove the yarn's guts and try to put it all back together."

"All better! There were a few complications, but all should be fine in terms of recovery. There should be very minimal pilling, and no knots to speak of. All in a day's work!"

"Oh, I'm so happy - thank you Doctor Winder!"

And the best news of all? Pearl The Yarn Destroyer is locked up, and will be for a long, long time.

(or will she?????)

disclaimer: no yarn was harmed in the making of this blog post

Sunday Sunrise

2011-04-04T12:57:00.001-04:00

I'm so happy I have someone in my life I can convince to wake up at 5 on a Sunday morning, drive an hour, and hike straight up a mountain - all to watch the sunrise!

365 day 93

I really think we live in the most beautiful place in the world. See more pictures on my Flickr account.

2KCBWDAY7 - Knitting Time

2011-04-03T10:37:00.000-04:00

Day 7: Your Knitting or Crochet time

I have no clue why, but the title of today's post made me think of this video, and I feel the need to include it:

Anyway, as this is my first time doing KCBW, I've really enjoyed connecting with lots of other bloggers. I appreciate every single comment you all have left, and I really hope you keep coming back to my little blog, as I will be keeping up with all of yours!

Now, on to today's post....

I will admit, I'm a TV knitter. Either TV or music. But for some reason, if it's too quiet, I have a hard time concentrating. And that goes with everything - in college, I could never study unless I had music going, and I've been known to sing along with the music playing while my head is buried in a book. There is, of course, music playing as I type this. My favorite knitting spot is our couch, with a cup of tea and two kitties snuggled up at my side (although it gets a little hard to knit when the cats actually crawl in my lap.... and I wonder why everything I make is covered in cat hair from the time it is finished). Lately, I've been watching the old seasons of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix, because it's something that I don't really have to pay attention to. Music-wise, my knitting has been full of The Decemberists newest album, The King is Dead , Horse Feathers, and sometimes I'll stream our local NPR station. I have been known to knit in public, even though people make fun of me, and I almost always have knitting with me in case I need it. My favorite place to knit outside my house is my parents house. They have this great wood stove with a super comfy chair in front of it, and I love curling up there and knitting away.

365 day 38

So, that's it! My first KCBW done! I really enjoyed reading everyone else's blogs, and seriously hope you enjoyed mine as well - come back again soon! And stay tuned for the second half of Pearl The Yarn Destroyer - it will be coming next week! I had so much fun with it, I think it, or something similar, is going to become a semi-regular feature, so be on the lookout!

2KCBWDAY6 - Something to Aspire To

2011-04-02T12:30:00.000-04:00

Day 6: Is there a pattern or skill that you don't yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to tackle in the future, near or distant?

There's not really a pattern that I'm dying to make, but don't think I can. I feel like I'm at the point in my knitting where I can look at almost any pattern and think to myself, "yeah, I can make that.". A skill I need to work on though is designing. So far, all of my designs have been pretty basic - cowls, scarves, hats and fingerless mitts, and it's time to branch out.

{my edgemont hat design}

I have a notebook full of sketches of sweaters, cardigans, and even a coat - it's time to act on them. I'm about to start designing my first garment, and I will admit, I'm a little nervous. I know it's mostly all about the math, which I totally love, but I'm still a bit intimidated. I have a feeling once I get going, it won't be as difficult as I think, but it's taking that first step that's stressing me out. Just gotta keep telling myself I can do it, right? Because without confidence, we can't do anything!

2KCBWDAY5 - Something a Little Different

2011-04-01T13:31:00.000-04:00

Day 5: And now for something a little different....

I present to you, the story of...

Pearl, The Yarn Destroyer.

"I'm so excited about all my new yarn! It's so pretty and soft and the colors are just wonderful!"

"Let me just set them down for a quick second. They'll be fine right here."

Enter, Pearl, the well known Yarn Destroyer around the apartment.

"Oh boy, new yarn! It looks expensive too. I shall pick one, destroy it, and if I'm quick enough, I will take it back to my secret lair under the bed."

"But first, I must call on my minion Fozzie to be a lookout. Make sure the coast is clear, fuzzbutt!"

"Purrrrfect. This blue one looks especially expensive. I shall destroy it."

"Oh.... god.... the wool.... so... gooooood! Must.... destroy!"

"Oh cat litter. I've been caught!"

"My yarn! My beautiful yarn! Can it be saved??"

To Be Continued.....

2KCBWDAY4 - Where are they now?

2011-03-31T12:56:00.000-04:00

Day 4 - Whatever happened to your _________?

I've written about my girasole before.

It was supposed to be a gift for someone else. But about halfway through, I realized that person would never be able to appreciate what all had gone into making this gorgeous blanket, so I contemplated keeping it. Then, in a flash of brilliance I realized who the perfect recipient would be - my grandparents. My grandparents are incredible people. They truly love unconditionally, which I feel is a hard concept for most people these days. My grandmother is a quilter, and my grandfather a woodworker, so I knew they would appreciate the love that went into every stitch of this blanket. They have provided so much love and comfort to those they know in their lives, not only family, but anyone that crosses their path. I hoped that this would provide them with as much love and comfort as they have provided for me throughout my life, and while I know it can't come close, knowing that they sleep beneath it at night makes me feel wonderful. No, this is not used as a lap blanket in my grandparent's house, it is the comforter they placed on their bed so that they could use it every night. I am so fortunate to have them as grandparents.

2KCBWDAY3 - Tidy Mind, Tidy Stitches

2011-03-30T14:54:00.000-04:00

Day 3: How do you keep your yarn wrangling organized?

I'd be lying if I said I was super organized. At one point, my yarn stash was literally a pile of yarn, with no organization whatsoever. But I've grown since then, and I have to say I'm happy with how my yarn is organized. The most important thing I feel that I've done was to photograph all my yarns and upload them to my Ravelry stash. It took about a day to do them all, and it was amazing (or sad?) to see yarns I'd completely forgotten that I owned.

Quite honestly, if someone was trying to take the first step in getting organized, I would recommend this, or at least something like it. Knowing your inventory is key. I also made sure I got my knitting bag organized, since I use it on a daily basis.

This great bag was a bridesmaid gift from my cousin, and it's really come in handy for my knitting. It's huge, and can hold tons of stuff. Usually, these are the only things that I make sure are inside:

1 & 2: my wonderful organization bags by MadBird. The big one holds any yarn I'm using, and the little one is for things like pens, stitch markers, scrap yarn, extra needles, and darning needles.

3: This great little notebook is where I write down notes on what I'm currently working on. The cover is handmade from The Fig Leaf.

4. My Nook - need I say much more? I have tons of knitting patterns stored on here. That way, all I have to do is make sure I have the yarn I need, and I can start most any project I want.

5. I picked this notebook up at a used book store, which is weird because it was brand new. It's full of pretty, white, unlined pages. This is where I sketch out ideas I have for patterns. It's great to have with me all the time, because I never know when an image will pop into my head.

6. Ruler and scissors. Duh. I usually keep a tape measure in my little pink bag, too.

I've still got a ways to go, but I'm happy with where I've come so far. Hopefully soon I'll have a nice big set of shelves that will help me organize my yarn in a better fashion, but when you're living in a 450 square foot apartment with your husband and two kitties, there aren't too many options!

Knitting & Crochet Blog Week: Day 1 & 2

2011-03-29T16:30:00.001-04:00

So I totally forgot that this week was Knitting & Crochet blog week, so I dropped the ball yesterday (whoops), so I just figured that today I would combine the two.

Day 1: Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.

I haven't been knitting really all that long compared to a lot of people. Combine that with the fact that I'm cheap, and it's no surprise that I have yet to try most of the yarns many people probably blogged about during day 1. So far, one of my favorite yarns to use is Malabrigo - and I love it all. Lace, worsted, silk - it's just amazing. And the colors? Don't get me started.

{lavender haruni}

{hooded scarf}

And while I love yummy, out-of-my-budget yarns, I must admit I also love Knit Picks. Gorgeous yarns at a more-in-my-budget price? Who could say no? I have yet to meet a Knit Picks yarn that I don't love.

{spring swallowtail}

{pumpkin spice handwarmers}

Day 2: Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?

This time last year, I had just started working a Girasole blanket for my Grandparents, which was a huge undertaking (literally! it ended up being over 8 feet!).

{love & comfort}

I feel that this is the year I've improved the most - both in techniques and knowledge of craft. I made my first sweater, tried my hand at stranded colorwork, and knitted my first socks.

{comfy cozy socks}

{between green and grey}

{oatmeal pullover}

If there's one thing I've really realized the past few months it's that I've been knitting in my comfort zone, and it's time to step out. 2011 will hold many things for me, knitting-wise, and I'm so excited about it.

March Madness

2011-03-28T14:04:00.000-04:00

March seems to have crawled to a stand still. I'm assuming that it's because my spring break is coming up in a couple of weeks, or it could be because we're having what feels like a winter weather blast. But for whatever reason time is slowing down, it seems to be giving me more time for knitting. If all goes well, I could end up with 4 finished projects during the month of March. Starting the month off, I finished these convertible mittens for a friend.

{ravelry page}

My second finished project was my Merlot Lace, and right now I have two projects in the works. First off, I'm working on a beach bag for our spring break trip, and it's coming together nicely.

I love the colors - I don't know why, but they have a vintage like feel to me. My favorite project of the month I believe will be the socks I'm making from the Kalajoki sock pattern. I'm using some gorgeous Springtree Road sock yarn, and I feel like the pattern and yarn were just made for each other. I'm finished with one sock, and am itching to start the second.

After I finish up these, I've got a few pairs of "man socks" to knit, then I'll be working on a couple of my own designs.

Back to the original title of my post - have any of you been watching the NCAA men's basketball tournament? It's really the only big sports event that I have to watch every year, and this year is no exception. Every year we make a family pool, and everyone fills out a bracket and it's a big competition between us to see who can pick the correct winners. It's so much fun - and watching all the games is even more fun. It's always fun to pull for the underdog, and this year, there are 2 major underdogs in the final four, which will be played this coming weekend. I can't decide who I want to win it all, but I do know I want one of the underdogs to win - either Butler or VCU. If you're watching, who are you pulling for?

FO: Merlot Lace

2011-03-19T20:20:00.000-04:00

I definitely took a chance with this one. I was hesitant, because I'm a person who always thinks things look really cool on other people, and then when I put them on I look like an idiot. But this really surprised me - I love it!

Pattern: Sophia by Juliet Moody

Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool

This is a perfect shirt for Spring. I wore it around this evening as we went on a walk, and it was amazing! Eventually, I'd like to make another with nicer yarn, perhaps a cotton. But as 2011 is the year of stashbusting, I went with what I had, and am very happy with the outcome! It's open and airy, comfy, and pretty cute, if you ask me!

Look what else I saw on our walk - they smelled amazing!

Spring is here

2011-03-16T12:55:00.000-04:00

And with Spring comes pollen. And sinus pain. And that's what I have right now. I took the day off of work because I woke up this morning and felt like I had been smashed in the face with a baseball bat. The medicine I've taken so far is helping and I'm feeling a little better. Enough to do some knitting! I'm still working hard on my 4 projects, and am almost finished with the second. I'll make sure to share them all when I'm all finished! Just 23 days left to finish them - still hoping I can pull it off!

So, dear readers, I have a request for you. We're leaving for Spring break in a few weeks and going beach camping (yay!)! I'm so very excited! But here's my dilemma: I need some good book recommendations! So far, the only one I have planned to read is Water For Elephants, but I need more! I'm up for anything - other than trashy romance. So please, send your favorite book recommendation my way, because I'd love to read it.

Sunny Saturday

2011-03-12T16:35:00.001-05:00

(best popsicle ever. Raspberry, Peach, Ginger. so good!)

Now off to knit and watch some basketball! Hope you're all enjoying a sunny Saturday where you are!

How my needles started clickin'

2011-03-06T21:07:00.000-05:00

In honor of National Craft Month, I thought it would be fun to share my story of how I started knitting! It's not super exciting, but fun, and hopefully will inspire you to write up your own story - which I'd love to read!

In the Winter of 2007, Jake and I were living in Portland, Oregon and I was working for the Portland Boys and Girls Club. One day, a co-worker came up to me and asked me if I could supervise her "Yarn Club" while she ran a few errands. I agreed, and walked into a room with about 6 elementary school aged girls in it. They were practicing making slipknots, finger knitting, and some of them were actually knitting! It was so cool to see. Each girl had to complete a certain number of steps before they could actually pick up a pair of needles and start knitting. Some stopped at finger knitting and were content with creating the cutest little scarves that they wore around, but a couple had worked their way up to the needles and were really good.

Inspired, I went to Wal-Mart after getting off work and bought a skein of the ugliest green acrylic yarn (don't know what I was thinking.... it was hideous), a pair of size US 9 needles, and a "Teach Yourself How To Knit" book. I got home, learned how to cast on and make a knit stitch, and I was off. I knitted for about 30 minutes and made a gross blob of garter stitch, full of holes and uneven stitches. It had, of course, many more stitches on it than I had cast on and was, in general, an eyesore. I showed it to Jake, disgusted with the hideousness of it, who did a wonderful job reassuring me that it was my first try, and of course it wasn't perfect. So I ripped it out. And I tried again. And eventually got garter stitch down (I made my mom a scarf for Christmas, and she still wears it. I cringe every time I see it, it's so obviously handmade by someone who had no clue what they were doing!). I didn't continue on with knitting too much - I enjoyed it, but didn't know much, and was quickly getting bored with scarves.

Fast forward to Fall 2008, which is when I say I really learned how to knit. We had recently moved to Athens, Georgia, and I needed something to occupy my time, as Athens wasn't really my favorite place. I picked the needles back up, decided I wanted to knit a hat, and at the end, this is what came off:

Ugly. But, hey, it was a hat! And I didn't stop there - I learned cables, and made a bag

Tried lace for the first time a couple of months later,

And I haven't looked back!

Over the years I've tried many different crafts - jewelry making, painting - but none of them have clicked like knitting has. It relaxes me and brings out my creativity in a way that I never thought possible. Plus, I get to make my own clothes and accessories! Not many people can say that!

Hope you enjoyed my story - if you write up your own knitting story, please leave me the link in the comments - I'd love to read it!

a glimpse of spring

2011-02-28T17:03:00.000-05:00

It's almost here, guys! In just a couple more weeks we can officially welcome Spring. This past weekend, we took a quick (and by quick I mean less than 24 hours) trip to our old stomping grounds in Athens to watch a UGA basketball game. And guess what we saw?

Gorgeous blooms! Just a sure sign that Spring is on the way. In the next 39 days, I'm hoping to finish up 3, maybe even 4 knitting projects, two of which have yet to be started. Can I do it?

Friday afternoon walk

2011-02-25T15:29:00.000-05:00

books

2011-02-23T18:07:00.000-05:00

365 day 52

"For our teacher, Eknath Easwaran, who understood the appeal in the eyes of a glossy black calf on its way to the slaughterhouse many years ago and inspired us, and thousands of others like us, to give the gift of life."

- dedication in Laurel's Kitchen

The past couple of days, the mailman (or woman) has been good to me. Yesterday I received my copy of Knit. Sock. Love. and I'm already itching to make some socks, which is weird because I've only made a couple of pairs. It's just the photos. They're gorgeous.

And today, my copy of Laurel's Kitchen came. It's always amazing to find a great vegetarian cookbook, and for some reason, I love them even more if they're old. This cookbook was first published in 1976. This along with the Moosewood Cookbook, which was first published in 1977 are a must have for any vegetarians out there.

Also on the topic of books, I finished The Help by Kathryn Stockett this past weekend. Please read this book. That's really all I have to say. It will make you a better person.

no knitting...

2011-02-21T18:31:00.000-05:00

updates, that is. there has been knitting. just don't have much to report at the moment.

I did get some wonderful vintage jewelry from my mom that belonged to my grandmother and great-grandmother, and have some great ideas for transforming them into things I will wear. I've got lots of pins and clip on earrings, and the best part is that they are a part of my family, which makes them just that much more special. This is the first thing I've transformed (although I'm not sure you can call adding a chain a transformation) - a gorgeous gold leaf pin that belonged to my great-grandmother.

365 day 47

This past weekend we went up to Virginia to visit Jake's parents, and got to hike out to the longest hand carved tunnel east of the Mississippi - a mile long! Such history behind it - was awesome to see.

Luckily for me, it was filled with water. I say luckily because inside the tunnel are lots of bats and lots of darkness, and I am fond of neither. But it was fun to play on the railroad tracks - something I was never allowed to do as a child!

Looking Glass Rock

2011-02-14T19:20:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Although I'm not a huge "valentine-r" myself, I do want to say that I appreciate each and every one of you that read & comment (and those that read & don't comment!) on my little blog. It means so much to me!

Although we didn't really do anything today, we did go on an amazing hike yesterday. We drove about an hour to Looking Glass Rock and started the trek up to the top. Click the link for a picture of the mountain from a distance - it's gorgeous!

We hiked up to the top, which is a bald, rocky outcrop. As you can imagine, the views were stunning.

It was a great hike! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous recently, and I love seeing signs of Spring popping up all over the place.

There's also a gorgeous drive-by waterfall near the trail head, called Looking Glass Falls, so we stopped by for a couple of photos.

I spent this afternoon laying in the park down the street from our apartment, reading in the sun. Feels so good to have sun on my skin!

Wishing you all a wonderful valentine's day - the Avett Brothers put it best - "if you're loved by someone, you're never rejected" - and each and every person in the world is loved by someone, so celebrate it!

Craven Gap

2011-02-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

In sticking with my new year's resolution to get out and explore Asheville's beauty more, we went out for a hike today off the Blue Ridge Parkway, on a trail called Craven Gap. It was a beautiful day, and one of the neat things about this trail is the cacti. Yes, cacti. They're not looking too pretty right now, with it being winter and all, but it was still pretty neat to see them.

365 day 37

It hasn't snowed in weeks and has been relatively warm, so I was surprised to see these huge icicles hanging from a rock. There were so many - and the sound of the water dripping from them and the occasional one falling off were the only sounds to be heard on the trail.

I just love the little details in nature. Doesn't this look like a small world within a rock? Makes me think of Horton Hears A Who!

Loved all these tiny little mushrooms -

Such a beautiful Sunday! Not sure if we'll be watching the Super Bowl tonight or not, but I know I'll be knitting no matter what! I'm almost done with one project, and already have a couple more lined up. I'd love to see and hear what you're knitting on!

Edgemont

2011-02-04T15:30:00.001-05:00

Finally! A new pattern!

Edgemont is a simple, fun hat that uses less than one skein of Malabrigo worsted. Featuring four sections of two alternating cables surrounded by reverse stockinette stitch, this is a quick knit to help you (or a friend!) get through these last months of winter!

Thanks to my beautiful little sister for modeling!

absence

2011-01-31T20:13:00.000-05:00

A little over a week ago, our computer got sick and wouldn't turn on. We feared the worst, and dropped it off at the computer doctor, but picked it up today and only had to spend $30 for all their doctoring. Such a relief. Anyway, that semi-explains my longish absence.

This past week was a long, rough, emotional week. I won't go into detail, but just know it's been hard. And I'm struggling. But the good news is that it will get better, and life will go on. And positives will come from life's hardships.

On a brighter note, Jake and I got to take a nice hike a couple of weeks ago - to an amazing frozen waterfall! It was perfect - there was no one else around, the trail was covered in snow and ice, and the end result was just breathtaking -

I also finished up a couple of knitting projects! First off, my Oatmeal Pullover - it's been finished for a little while now, but I finally got some pictures while we were out hiking

And that thing I have around my neck? It's the fun pattern from Melynda Bernardi of French Press Knits! It's supposed to be an ear warmer, but I prefer wearing it as a cowl.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Monday and are spending time with the ones you love.

365 day 23

between green and grey

2011-01-17T17:09:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice about which pattern to start next, I've started the Fiddlehead Mittens! I'm absolutely loving the pattern so far. I cast on yesterday and have finished the outer shell of the first mitten. They're about to get a major soak and block, because they'll be a little snug once the lining goes in. It's not surprising, considering that I didn't check my gauge at all, and am using yarn that's a little smaller than the pattern calls for (Knit Picks Palette). My hands are pretty small so I'm not too worried.

This is my first real colorwork project, and it's really fun! And, of course, who doesn't love the way the colors look on the inside?

What's on your needles?

Potato Garlic Bread

2011-01-13T17:52:00.003-05:00

I've had a few requests for the recipe I used for my potato garlic bread, so I thought I'd post it here for everyone to try!

It was a very simple recipe, and turned out really yummy!
Recipe is from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day - definitely recommend this book!

Ingredients (makes 4 one pound loaves - I made two larger loaves - see pics above):
1 whole head of garlic
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup mashed potato (i used 3 potatoes)
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Roast a whole head of garlic by wrapping in tin foil and baking for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. Allow to cool and cut off the top of the head. Squeeze out the roasted garlic, measure 2 tablespoons and set aside.

Mix yeast, salt, sugar, mashed potato and garlic with the water. Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon. Cover, not airtight, and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses - about 2 hours.

20 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees F, and stick pizza stone inside. Place a broiler pan for water on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising dough. Sprinkle the dough liberally with flour, and slash a scallop or tic-tac-toe pattern in the top using a serrated bread knife. Leave flour in place for baking. Slid loaf directly onto hot stone. Pour one cup of hot tap water into the broiler pan and quickly close the door. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until deeply browned on top.

Snow Days...

2011-01-11T21:07:00.000-05:00

...mean baking!

homemade potato garlic bread

We got about 8 or 10 inches of snow Monday topped with some ice Monday evening, so I've been stuck at home, working on various knitting projects and baking (the bread was so good, in case you were wondering). I realized I've got no less than 5 knitting projects going on right now, and all I can think about is what I want to cast on next. I'm pretty sure I have a problem. I'm all finished with my oatmeal pullover - it's blocking now. 2 of my projects are the majority of the way finished, and the other 2 are just beginning. Goodness. I need to get some of these projects off the needles, because there are other things I want to make. But.... I can't decide which one. Should I start these awesome socks in some of Springtree Road's yummy new sock yarn (i have the framboise colorway - so beautiful!)? Or should I start the fiddlehead mittens I've been wanting to make forever? Help!

and it spread

2011-01-04T19:15:00.001-05:00

I've decided since one of my resolutions is to take more photos, I'm going to take on project 365. And I'm going to make sure that I'm in every photo. The goal is to make myself feel more comfortable both in front of and behind the camera, and also to make myself be a little creative. I'd heard of project 365 before, but the idea of including myself in all the pictures came from Michelle Carter (blog/flickr). Watching her photos from the past year has really inspired me to give this a try. Most of the photos have been boring so far, but I'm loving playing around with my new camera.

day 4

I finished up my final project for 2010 a couple of days before it ended - luckily, because I've been sick pretty much ever since. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I didn't even make it to midnight on NYE. But not that embarrassed, because I needed the sleep. I'm finally feeling a bit better today, but still have a little way to go. I had a request from a friend of a friend to make one of my Beautiful Dawn neckwarmers for his wife in a red cotton (rav link) - I really like the way it turned out -

day 3

I'm also starting a new design! It's really my first go with colorwork, and I'm so excited for it! I've got the colorwork design all drawn out.... any guesses as to what it is?

You can see more of my pictures on my Flickr page, and keep up with my project 365 there as well! I will, of course, sign off this evening with some kitty photos! Who doesn't love those, right?

2011!

2011-01-01T20:57:00.000-05:00

2010 was a rough year for the Sadlers. Needless to say, we're both glad it's 2011. It's a new year, which brings - of course - the resolutions for the year to come. Now I'm not going to kid anyone. I'm not a resolution keeper (ah, 12 days of cooking anyone? although, i did cook most of the recipes, I just haven't blogged about them yet - that will come though!). I know saying "oh, I'm going to blog EVERY DAY!!" is just misleading. That's not going to happen. But I do have a few things I'd like to improve on this year. And, what's even awesome? I've already started on one!

our white Christmas - we got 12 inches of snow!

- be more organized! This is the one I've started. I've started by winding up all my skeins of yarn, taking pictures and uploading them to my Ravelry stash page. This is still in the works, but I've done a good chunk of my yarn. This will help me to remember what all I have, which will help me with my next goal, which is....

- stash busting! 2011 will be the year of knitting with yarn from my stash. The only time I plan on buying yarn is if I need more for a project that I'm working on, or am ordering for a specific project that I am going to start as soon as the yarn arrives.

- continue to experiment with new recipes. I've really enjoyed my 12 days of cooking, even though I haven't done that great of a job documenting it.

- spend more time exploring the beauty of Asheville. Id' like to try and go hiking once a week, but seeing as how right now it's winter and it likes to snow here, I'm just going to say that we're going to do a better job of getting out and spending time outdoors.

- take more pictures! I got a new camera for Christmas, and I'm SO excited to put it to good use.

There are other things I'm sure I'd like to try to improve on, but these are at the top of my list!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year - cheers to a happy and healthy 2011!!

sunset at The Grove Park Inn

FO: Sweet Potato Sweater

2010-12-16T13:00:00.012-05:00

It's been a while since I've finished something that wasn't a Christmas gift, and it's been even longer since I finished something for myself. So I'm very pleased to show you my Sweet Potato Sweater!

ravelry link

I love everything about this sweater - the color, shape, fit - everything! You can read more about it on my ravelry pattern page.

12 Days of Cooking: Day 5 - Tofu Burgers

2010-12-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

Now I know that not everyone that reads this blog is a vegetarian, and that's fine. I'm a vegetarian for my own reasons - reasons that I will not push on anyone, nor will I judge anyone for not being a vegetarian. Just wanted to say that first off, because I know a lot of vegetarians who are judgmental and pushy about their beliefs, which I feel makes people dislike vegetarians.

That being said....I do realize that not everyone will enjoy this recipe! It was, however, very good. I left out the mushrooms, as I think mushrooms are totally disgusting, but they probably would have been good for holding the burger patty together a little better.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
7 oz Swiss brown mushrooms, finely chopped
11 oz hard tofu
2 large garlic cloves
3 tbsp chopped basil
2 c breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 1/2 c extra bread crumbs and extra olive oil for shallow-frying

Heat oil in frying pan and cook onions over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Add mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes (or not. because they're gross.). Cool slightly. Blend 9 oz of the tofu with the garlic and basil in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the onion mixture, breadcrumbs, egg, vinegar and sweet chilli sauce. Grate the remaining tofu and fold through the mixture, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Divide the mixture into 6 parts and form into patties, pressing together well. Coat them in the extra breadcrumbs. Heat 1 cm of oil in a deep frying pan and cook the patties in two batches for 4-5 minutes each side, or until golden. Turn carefully to prevent them from breaking up. Drain on crumpled paper towels and season with salt. Serve on bread rolls (toasted!) and with any extra toppings you'd like (we used a salad mixture, tomatoes, and a little cheese).

This was a great, pretty simple and quick meal - and it was good for leftovers the next day! We had sweet potato fries with ours, and molasses cookies for dessert - it was a great meal!

Last night we helped my parents set up their Christmas tree - it was really nice, since our apartment is way too small to fit a tree.

12 Days of Cooking: Day 4 - Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread

2010-12-14T15:19:00.000-05:00

This was the first time I was making bread without the help of my bread machine, so I will admit, I was a little nervous. It worked out great though! Instead of using a bread tin like the recipe called for, I used one of our pizza stones, and the bread came out with such a great crust on it - nice, flaky, crispy crust (now I'm wishing the bread wasn't all gone so I could eat some right now!)

It's not the prettiest loaf in the world, but that's okay! I could have done with some more pumpkin flavor, so next time I make it, I think I'll add a little more pumpkin than the recipe calls for. The recipe came from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, a wedding gift from our dear friend Ashley, who always gives me cooking inspiration!

Ingredients:

1 pie pumpkin (or can of pumpkin puree - I opted to use a real pumpkin and it was fun!)

2 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast

1 tablespoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup rye flour

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

neutral tasting oil for greasing the pan

(Skip this step if you use canned pumpkin) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Split the pumpkin in half starting at the stem and place cut side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes. Pumpkin should be very soft all the way through. Let cool & scoop out seeds. Scoop out the roasted flesh of the pumpkin and mash it with a fork or puree in the food processor. Set aside 1 cup for the dough and use the rest for something else pumpkin-y (i saved mine for pumpkin biscuits and will be making them tonight!)

Mix the yeast and salt with the water, melted butter and honey in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded food container (not airtight).

Mix in the oatmeal, pumpkin and flowers without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor or a heavy-duty stand mixer. If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour (I didn't use a machine and had no problem getting everything together to make a dough. It takes a little longer, but when you don't have a machine to use, your hands are the best machine!).

Cover and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses, approx. 2 hours.

The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 9 days (The amount of dough this recipe makes can make up to 3 loaves of bread, but I recommend using it all fresh. I made it into two loaves and the first was significantly better tasting than the second, which I baked 2 days later).

On baking day, lightly grease a 9x5x3 inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off a 1 1/2 pound piece (cantaloupe sized). Dust with more flour and quickly shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go (if you do what I did and take the pizza stone route, you can make a bigger loaf).

Place the dough in the prepared pan (or stone!) and allow to rest and rise for 2 hours, or 40 minutes if you're using fresh dough.

20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with an empty broiler tray for water on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the over. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the over door. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

Definitely recommend this recipe - the bread was just delicious! And if you're like Jake and me, you'll have a hard time waiting until the bread is cooled off to eat - I mean, who doesn't love fresh, warm, soft bread right out of the oven?

And for all you in warmer places than myself, we've had terrible wind around here making the 19 degree temperatures feel like -1 and -2, so I've been making myself at home, well, at home! Although Jake convinced me to go out and take a walk the other night - it was beautiful!

Hope you're all staying warm! And can you believe Christmas is only 11 days away???

12 days of cooking: day 3 - black bean and rice soup

2010-12-12T13:05:00.000-05:00

As simple as this recipe sounds (and was!) it was so perfect for a chilly late fall evening. Something that can be made very quickly and simply, this was very filling, super yummy, and really healthy! The recipe comes from an old International Vegetarian cookbook I bought at a used bookstore when we lived in Portland.

Ingredients:
1 lb (about 2 1/2 cups) dried black beans
6 cups water
4 cups veggie stock
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 1/2 teaspoons each of cumin and oregano leaves
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cups sour cream
4 green onions, including tops, thinly sliced
6 radishes, thinly sliced
lime or lemon wedges

Rise beans and sort through, discarding any foreign material. Drain well. Place beans and water in a 4 to 5 quart kettle and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until beans swell and absorb most of the water (30-45 minutes). Add stock and continue simmering, covered, until beans are tender (about 1 hour.)
Meanwhile, heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until onion is soft. Set aside.
In a blender or or food processor, whirl about 2 cups of the beans and a little broth until smooth. Return puree to kettle. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt, onion mixture, rice and vinegar. Cook over medium heat until soup is steaming.
Serve with sour cream, green onions, radishes and lemon or lime wedges on the side.

The great thing about this recipe is that it requires very minimal supervision, and the beans can be left cooking while you do other things. And if you don't have time to use dried black beans, you can opt for canned and have dinner ready even faster! I left off the sour cream, green onions and radishes, and added fresh cilantro and topped with a little cheddar cheese. It was delish!

I've got my second loaf of Pumpkin Oatmeal Bread in the oven as I type, and can't wait to tell you all about it!

It's also snowing again - we got a couple of inches last night and are expecting a couple more through tomorrow evening. This is the second Sunday in a row that it's been snowing, and we've been enjoying the snowy mornings by walking down to the local bakery, enjoying some coffee and a bagel and walking home, taking in the beautiful cold snow.

The kitties are also enjoying their snow days :)

And I'm getting some more Christmas knitting done!

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday afternoon!

12 Days of Cooking: day 2 - Gingerbread

2010-12-07T14:46:00.000-05:00

This was my first time making gingerbread - and let me tell you....it was incredible! There are few things I love more than the smell of fresh ginger, and this bread really mixed the ingredients together so that the spices and molasses really came together and made for an incredible, dense bread (although I'd call it cake - it's not really a bread). It would go really well warm paired with some vanilla ice cream or yogurt, or baked into cupcakes with some cream cheese frosting.

I used this recipe, and I'd definitely recommend it - I didn't change a thing!

Next, I'll be making Oatmeal Pumpkin Seed Bread (it sounds so good!) and Black Bean and Rice Soup.

On a side note, we've had some snow here -

not a whole lot, but it's allowed me to have the past 2 days off of work (yay!!), so I've been able to do some Christmas knitting and gift making. I can't show much here on the blog until after Christmas - don't want to risk anyone seeing their gift early!! - but I can show some little sneak peaks!

12 Days of Cooking - Spicy Butternut Curry

2010-12-06T16:31:00.000-05:00

This recipe come from a book I got at Ross for like $3 called Pumpkin, Butternut & Squash: 30 Sweet and Savory Recipes. It's really a cute little book - lots of great pictures, and who doesn't love pictures of food? However, this is the first recipe I've made from this book, and the recipe had a few errors in it. The final dish turned out okay - I should have served it with some rice - but all in all I think I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

(picture from Amazon)

I, of course, took no pictures, but I assure you - it was quite the orange dish! Very pretty to look at, if nothing else! The recipe is below, with my changes in bold.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sunflower or peanut oil (The first error came with the amount of oil - I found that it was not even close to enough oil to stir fry everything that needed to be stir fried. I added the 2 tablespoons, and within just a few minutes, it was gone and things were starting to burn a little. I just eyeballed it and added what I thought would help get me through - maybe another 3 or so tablespoons.)
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 onions, finely sliced (I found 2 onions to be a bit much - I used one complete onion and probably could have used less)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
a pinch of ground turmeric
1 lb. tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy cream (I subbed half & half)
1 large package of spinach (I left this out)
a pinch of ground cumin or garam masala
sea sald and fresh ground pepper

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet or wok, add the mustard seeds and stir fry until they pop. Add half the butternut and all of the onions and stir fry gently until onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic, ginger, salt and pepper and stir fry for one minute. Add turmeric and stir fry for one minute more. Add the tomatoes and remaining butternut, bring to a boil (this was a little strange to me, as the only liquid that was in the mixture was the juice from the tomatoes. I found that I needed to kinda squish the tomatoes a little in order to get most of the juice out, which was barely enough to cover the bottom of the skillet. The more it cooked, the more juice they produced, but I would keep a close eye on it for the first few minutes to make sure it doesn't burn), then reduce the head and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Add the cream, bring to a boil and simmer, stirring until thickened. Add spinach and cumin or garam masala, cover, and steam for 2 minutes until the leaves collapse.

I would definitely serve this with rice if I were to make it again.

Up next? Gingerbread!!

12 Days of Cooking

2010-11-30T16:27:00.002-05:00

So with the holiday season upon us, I've decided to try a fun new thing. In years past, Jake and I have done a "12 days of Christmas" type thing where we gave each other a small, ridiculous gift for the 12 days leading up to Christmas. This year, we've decided we don't need to keep buying stupid crap to junk up our house, so I've instead decided to do "12 days of cooking"!

Starting tomorrow and going until Christmas, I'll be trying out 12 new recipes. I've gone through and picked them all out, and I'll be posting them here, along with a review of each one. Since there are 25 days until Christmas (starting tomorrow) I won't be doing a new recipe every day (I mean, I know my limits here people), but it will be more like every other day.

Here's a list of what I'm planning on making:
- ~~Tofu Burgers~~
- ~~Gingerbread~~
- Veggie Curry
- Butternut Squash and Sage Pizza
- Tomato and Lentil Dahl
- ~~Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread~~
- ~~Spicy Butternut Curry~~
- ~~Pumpkin Biscuits~~
- Spinach-Feta Bread
- ~~Black Bean and Rice Soup~~
- Butternut Risotto
- Golden Tofu and Cauliflower Soup

It should be fun!

Also, I'm totally wanting a pair of Toms for Christmas (hint, hint).

life list

2010-11-16T19:58:00.001-05:00

So with the passing of my 27th birthday a few weeks ago, I had a slight freak-out about 30 being so close. I know, I know..... 30 is still 3 years away - BUT... 3 years ago, Jake and I were living in Portland and that seems like just a few months ago. The moral? Time goes by very quickly.

So, to make sure I do things I want to before time slips away from me, I've decided to make a list of things I want to do before I turn 30. Some will be big, some will be small, but all are things I've wanted to learn how to do and figure there's no time like the (semi) present to get them done.

- learn how to crochet so I can make cool things like this.
- knit a sweater for every person in my family
- learn how to play one (hopefully more) of the following instruments: fiddle, banjo, mandolin
- write down the children's book i have floating around in my head every day, even if no one other than any future children i may have read it
- start graduate school
- take some photography classes
- volunteer more of my time to people less fortunate
- get a pattern published in a major publication (got plenty of ideas for that one!)

I will, of course, continue to add to this list should anything else come to me, but for now.... this is what I want to accomplish in the next 3 years. It's possible.......... right?

And so this isn't a photo-less post, here's a friend I made at SAFF -