Hats! (part 1)

When I first learned to knit, I made a lot of those fruit caps. They were easy, quick, and always got a big response. I still love to knit hats. Through facebook, the mom of one my friends got in touch with me, looking for hats for use in baby photography sessions. We talked about a few ideas, but in the end, she left all the choices up to me. Yay! And, uh-oh. Choosing patterns and colors is already hard enough! I think I made some good choices - I did subject the little nutmeg to modeling detail. He's still a pretty good sport!

Here is a Long Tail Pompom Pixie Hat - I liked this one for its use of the thick-and-thin bulky yarn. In this case, the yarn is Berroco Hip-Hop.


Again with the pompoms (because, pompoms are awesome!), this is the Snow Bunny Pom Hat, in Malabrigo (held double) and Lamb's Pride Bulky (I think).

Wouldn't you know that someone else wanted in on the photo session.



I'm thinking "Lorelai" is going to be his first word - that tongue is out all the time as if he's trying to make the "L" sound.

Yarn Along - March 14

Another week, another yarn along!

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr.

(this picture was tricky - Putin is in the picture and just kept staring through the work! Creepy.)

I still have yet to find another book. I flipped through recent issues of Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting. I did stop to read an article in the Wall Street Journal about the elderly in Japan who are knitting following last year's tsunami. So touching - I have yet to meet a knitting who, in a time of crisis, does not pick up the needles! There really is something so soothing about the rhythm of making each stitch. Their yarn group has a website, Yarn Alive - please check them out!

I am working on several things that have a something in common. ALL the increasing! I had to double 400+ stitches on the rainbow "blob", the green hat needed a brim, and the hexi-flat increased as well. Thankfully, the hexiflat also decreases, so that feels like an accomplishment. The green hat just needs a buckle and has me doing a wee bit o'grumbling (more on that later this week), but oh well.



May your mid-week be pleasant - the weather here is stunning!!

Yarn Along - March 7

from small things:

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading?

For me, February seemed to last a really long time. Maybe because it was a leap year? It ended in a whirlwind though, a very positive one. My reading has been on the back burner. I tried to start In the Garden of Beasts, but just couldn't do it. My parents both recommended it. I am sure at some point I will try it again. I also borrowed Revenge of the Radioactive Lady as an e-book from my library, but I haven't even put it on my kindle yet, so I don't think that one will be read right now either. So what have I been reading? Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett - it is a very sweet book about a little girl who yarn bombs a town! Adorable. The illustrations are wonderful too as the town goes from black and white to color. We were excited to recognize a few items from Jon Klassen's book I Want My Hat Back.

And the knitting. You can see in the photo two little critters. They are two knit monsters from Rebecca Danger's book and are gifts for Ravelry friend. The rainbow blob they are all on top of? That is a new yarn / new pattern for a yarn company, so I suppose that is my "work knitting". It is coming along and the colors are refreshing, hinting of spring that is certainly on its way!

Socks

I love socks. I do love knitting socks but other projects tend to distract me. I still have several single socks waiting for their mates, and I owe Dan a new pair as well. Over the weekend I finished up a straightforward pair of toe-up socks that were a sample for Interlacements in Sweet Feet, a new yarn.

This pair is the "Wagon Wheel Gap" colorway. Very pretty colors in there - purples, golds, burgundy and a hint of green. I was pleasantly surprised to see the subtle stripes emerge as I knit.


I used to consider myself a "Top-down" sock knitter, but after knitting this pair toe-up I might have to revise that. I know the sequence of top-down socks so well: Cuff, leg, heel, foot, toe. I was a bit surprised to find that knitting the sections in the reverse order actually seemed to go by faster! I do believe that I will be giving toe up socks another go - maybe even for my socks in need of mates!

This Moment - Snowman

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

from souleMama



(Have to add this - that purple hat she's wearing? Toasty Topper - a knitty pattern I made when she was 2. Still fits her when she is 4! Good pattern!)

Assorted DIY

I can't show you my knits in progress right now as one is a pile of pieces and will be much more interesting when it is put together and the other is a sample knit in a new yarn. I can show you some of the DIY things I have tried over the weekend.
We finally reached the bottom of the Marshmallow Fluff container. I had spotted a recipe in Make the Bread, Buy the Butter and it looked easy enough.

Tah-dah! It was straightforward, though I did make the mistake of not whisking fast enough. The only consequence of that mistake was that it took longer to get to the final product. Now I know for next time. I made a full pickle jar, plus that mason jar, plus a smaller pint jar full of fluff. It is different from the storebought, but just as delicious - the Lorax and I have each enjoyed fluffernutters with it. Now, if my brother's homemade peanut butter business would take off we would really be set! I am not yet ready to tackle making my own peanut butter, but I really should. Food prices are only going up.

Last night for dinner I tried making these Quick French Dip Sandwiches:

Source: kitchensimplicity.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

I used prepackaged roast beef (again with the food prices going up - roast beef at the deli counter was ~$10 a pound!!). These were delicious and quick, just as kitchen simplicity promised! We all liked them enough that they will be worked into the dinner meal plan rotation. It was salty, but I loved it.

Our master bathroom has one of those huge plain wall mirrors above the sink and I thought this was brilliant. I called my local Mr.FixIt and showed him the picture and let him take it from there. I didn't want to have to fuss with changing the lights, so we kept those the same.

Obviously, this is still in progress - I will be priming it all and then painting the trim and shelves white. I am thinking about maybe a pop of color inside the tower - maybe a different color, maybe mod podge and some scrapbook paper or wrapping paper? I'm not sure yet - certainly pinterest has more ideas? :)

I am sure it is quite clear how much I love Pinterest ()
I just wish sometimes I didn't see great ideas that are dead ends. I can not stop thinking about this shirt -

Source: polyvore.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Can not find it for sale anywhere! I follow the links to polyvore and see it with all kinds of cute looks, and they just link back to pinterest. Please let me know if you ever see this shirt for sale!

Source: store.delias.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

And these sneakers? Adorable! Only available in size 11. I have big feet, but not that big. And I checked zappos too. Bugger.

Have a good week - we've got school vacation and good weather!

Spice Road Cap - Unwrapped

I feel like so many of my knitting projects lately have been under wraps, that is the way of it when you knit for others. One of the projects I recently test knit has been released, so I can share it here!
Presenting TECHknitter's Spice Road Cap:

Straight from the Ravelry pattern page:

Spice Road Cap is knit flat, all in one piece and shaped via short rows. Although the cap is seamed, there is no needle-and-thread sewing. Instead, the welt is constructed using slip stitches and the back seams by a three-needle-bind-off, while the lower brim is added by means of picked-up stitches.

I especially enjoyed knitting this hat with such a unique (and easy!) construction. The pattern is chock full of information about why you would use a technique or stitch (reminded me of the tv show "Good Eats"!). I used a hand-dyed worsted weight yarn from Romney Ridge Farm.

Wrong gauge, still a success!

Valentine's Day is coming up next week. (It's already the middle of February?) New holidays mean new hats! I have had the I Love Mom beanie in my queue for a while, so I took full advantage of a naptime or two, which currently are all over the place and not consistent in their length as he is actually teething now, to work on this "holiday hat". Good thing the hat works up quickly, because my first go at it (with some unlabeled worsted from the stash) in making the 3-6 month size turned out way too big! See?


The second version, using Berroco Comfort DK and the 6-12 month sizing worked out much better.


I kept the first hat as well, and made it a "Dad" tattoo for the Lorax.


This is the first (and probably last) time I have intentionally made my kids "matchy-matchy".

Cute right? Not creepy, or even an Awkward Family Photo. This was tricky to get a shot of the two of them with both in focus - someone is always moving!! This made me think of a photo of my brothers and I that was (professionally) taken way back when - also not an awkward photo, but all three of us are in hand-knit sweaters, made for us by a family friend. Mom found the photo!

I think we were around ages 8, 5 and 3? The woman who made these has 4 boys of her own (pretty close in age to us!) - I wish I could see these sweaters now - I would appreciate them so much more!

Photo Challenged

One thing I enjoy about having a blog is that I feel some sort of (self-imposed) pressure to have good photographs. How do you get good photographs? You could take a class like I did (and would totally take again), and you have to just take pictures. Lots of pictures. I do take a lot of pictures, but wanted to push myself a bit. I challenged myself to a "30 day photo challenge" that I spotted on pinterest. (More on that in a minute). Today I found, and promptly pinned this one:

Source: untangling-knots.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

I snapped my first photo, "in action"

Me, working on a sock sample for Interlacements.

This is not my first photo challenge.

Source: wildolive.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Let's ignore the fact that this particular challenge was from August, 2011 and it is was January when I tried it. Let's also ignore the fact that I lost track of it on the weekends and there was a week when my whole house was sick. Let's ignore that I also only shot photos on 21 days.

Practice is practice.

Found it on Pinterest!

I love the internet! Here's some fun stuff from Pinterest I have found and tried.
Did you know you can use a stand mixer to shred chicken? Sure, you could use the two fork method, and I have and I don't like to. This way? After the chicken is cooked I can drop it in the mixing bowl, walk away and voila! Shredded chicken. Totally worth washing the extra dish!

Source: simplyhealthyfam.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

From the same source that offered the shredded chicken tip, SimplyHealthyFamily had a quick and easy BBQ sauce recipe. I will make this again!

Source: simplyhealthyfam.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

I made these oatmeal "cupcakes" yesterday - they are neither cupcakes, nor muffins. The result is more like baked oatmeal in a round shape I suppose, to me they tasted healthy but could have used some more sugar or something. I tend to always follow a recipe when I cook (not my taste buds unless it is something I have made a zillion times). My husband tried them this morning but could only eat one and I think I will be eating the rest myself, so as not to waste them. Meh. I think this is the first pinned recipe that has let me down! Oh well.

Source: greenlitebites.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

I was inspired by seeing outfits on pinterest to seek out a pair of everyday stud earrings. I found these on etsy and liked that they sort of matched a yarn ball style necklace I received for Christmas. I couldn't stop thinking about this, so I ordered them, and I am very pleased! Earrings are from VDazzled Jewelry.

Source: etsy.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Happy Pinning!

Baby Rock'n'Rollneck Sweater

A full-sized (baby) garment at last! There has never been a shortage of hats or cowls or other small things around this blog, so it feels quite good to post this one. I have had the Baby Rock'n'Rollneck sweater on my mind since last year when I saw PeacefulKnitter's version, WifeMomKnitter's version, and of course, ColourKnits version!

I have had the red Rowan Calmer in my stash for a long time. I claimed the brown in a Ravelry swap and figured they would work together. I love this yarn (but heard it has been discontinued!). I've been calling this the "Brick Rolled" sweater - in reference to the color and the "RickRoll" internet meme (specifically the Muppets version). Anyway.

My gauge was off, so I did a bit of math, thank you Ann Budd & her "Favorite Formula"! I knit the 18 month size to end up with a 6-9month size sweater. I am quite pleased that it is spot on!

Yarn Along - Jan 25

From small things,

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us!

The key things I have to show for the week are progress on the monster (he's got eyes!), and Nate's Baby Rock'n'Roll Neck sweater is just about done. I have ends to weave in and I have an idea in my head that I want this sweater to have a robot on it, down at the bottom stripes. Maybe felted? Maybe crocheted? I'm not sure, so I might wait on it for now. It deserves a post of its own and will have one in the next few days.

I picked up The Knitter's Life List from the library today. It is interesting to thumb through and would make a great book for a new knitter I think, but at this stage in my knitting game, it is not one I want permanently on my bookshelves. I also have been reading The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of The Little House on the Prairie. I really enjoyed the first 20% of this book. It was funny, light-hearted, made me giggle as I recognized myself in the writing about the fondness for the "Little House" series. The little nuggets of information about what was probably real or probably fiction has been really interesting as well. Then the book takes a turn to making the comparison of "Girlhood / being a girl is just like being out on the wild prairie and the days of the pioneers". Ummm. Ok. I am not so thrilled on that part, and to me most of it seems like a stretch, but whatever. Then there was a section about the legal "stuff" of the day involving settlers and the Native American Lands. It just feels like this is filler and I do suppose there is a place for it. But eh. It is a light read and I'll be done with it soon. Good thing, as it is a library loan to my kindle so I only have it for a short time. I am very pleased that I finally figured out how to borrow the library books on my kindle, but there was a bit of drama and confusion there that was totally unnecessary.

Yarn Along - Jan 18

From small things
~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

I feel like I have made good progress on the knitting front this week. Nate's Brick-rolled sweater has one sleeve done, I've got the knitting done on a test knit (that would be the red thing on the left), and the Monster-to-be is working up nicely. Working on the monster has gotten me to use my circular knitting needles again - specifically Magic Loop. Interestingly, the test knit was knit back and forth as if the circular knitting needles were straight needles and the sleeve was knit on double pointed needles. A variety of techniques, a variety of projects, and I continue to work on more and line up the queue! I am halfway through "MockingJay" and on the whole am very impressed with the series. My husband has started reading "Hunger Games" and is enjoying them as well.

Will Work for Yarn

I have another knitting job to add to my resume - blocker. A fellow knitter put out a call looking for someone who loves blocking. She finished Rock Island and did not have the space to block it. I replied to her that I didn't mind it and I had received a set of blocking wires for Christmas that I was itching to try out. We worked out a deal and she sent along the shawl and payment. Here it is blocking with the wires:

I have to say that I don't think I really saved any time using the blocking wires as compared to using a bunch of pins but it did make getting a straight line at the top and down the center spine a lot easier! I do like how I could easily adjust the spacing to ensure each section was a uniform width.

What does one earn for blocking a shawl? I jumped when the offer was made - Wollmeise! A skein of 100% Superwash in 'Tambopata' - there's that teal-ish green again with black. And then I won another skein of Wollmeise on a Ravelry giveaway! Also 100% Superwash in 'Feldmauschen' that is sort of brownish-greyish-plum? Tricky to photograph, but oh so pretty.

My precious....

Found it on Pinterest!

I am a big fan of Pinterest and the feeling of 'pseudo-organization' it brings me. I have the usual boards on there and a few that I created. I have started a new board that I am calling "I Tried It!" where I can pin things that I have actually done having found them on pinterest. Several weeks back I found this pin sharing the brilliant idea from GoodenessGracious.com to use an apple slicer to chop up potatoes for french fries! I did it! It works! I did have to go back and cut a few wedges that were thicker than I liked, but look - photo proof!

And this recipe for the "Oven Baked Parmesan Seasoned Fries" are what I made. Yummy!


Today is such a blah day. The Lorax is just about over her cold, the baby is in the middle of it and I can feel it coming on. I am happy for the opportunity to knit with bright green yarn from Knit Picks; it will be in tomorrow's "Yarn Along" post. We woke up to a slushy inch or so of snow and to work out some of my daughter's energy, I did take her outside while the baby was napping.

Probably a bit overdressed for slush that was melting, but she was kept warm and dry, so my job was done. She's throwing a snowball at me in this photo.

Yarn Along - Jan 11

From small things:
~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

I finished up book #2 of The Hunger Games, "Catching Fire", which I really enjoyed. Then I was stuck. I borrowed the book from amazon on my kindle (yay!), but their fine print only allows you to borrow one book each month (boo!). Jokingly I complained to my husband and on facebook. I suppose I could have gone to the library and actually gotten the book, but I was lazy. Lucky for me a friend on facebook had the book on her kindle and was able to loan book #3, "MockingJay", to me. As expected, even early on I am hooked and very curious to see how this series plays out.

I have been working on several items that at this point in time I can't share with you. That's one of the downsides of being a sample knitter or test knitter, the designs are under wraps for a while. The sweater I was working on for Lorna's Laces is finished, blocked and currently en route to Chicago. I believe it will be on display at TNNA. I also took on a quick little knit sweater for an upcoming book.

The yarn shown in the picture above is also for sample and test knitting. The red is for a hat and the bottom cake is for a pair of socks. Yay for knitting work, but I am certainly going to try and squeeze in some of my personal projects again so I have something to show on the blog. Otherwise, you'll just get baby / kid pictures. Like this one:

Oh My, Wollmeise!

Last week I participated in a fast action swap online. Person A put up something, Person B says "Mine" and then Person B puts up something new. I had fast fingers and claimed a skein of the ever elusive, Wollmeise! A whole skein! I have a few minis for the Beekeeper Quilt, and that's great and all, but this. This. Is. Yarn. (said in the voice of the Dad from "A Christmas Story" - This. Is. A. Lamp.)

This color is "Sabrina" - a green-ish teal that is a real bugger to photograph. It is actually pretty close in color to my phone case, which is the teal one. I have spent the last few moments wandering around the house, hoping the camera battery lasts to get an accurate picture.

That's kindof it.

Also kindof.
Anyway, it's lovely. I would love to start on it right away, but I've been hired to knit on other things right now.

New Year, New Foods

From small things
~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

New Year, New Foods abound around here! We've been given the go ahead from the pediatrician to start giving the little nutmeg "solid" foods. With the Lorax we waited quite a long time, but this time around I think it is more that we are ready for it. And not, at the same time, if that makes any sense; already this wee one is not so wee anymore! I've been refreshing myself on Super Baby Food. For now we are working just with some cereal, though I am looking forward to making up my own baby food purees again.


I've finished with TipsyBaker's Make the Bread, Buy the Butter - I'm plotting to make my own vanilla extract and other things. I really enjoyed the book - it's got the right amount of snark and sass and I have totally thought several things she wrote in the book. I've added the second installment of "The Hunger Games", Catching Fire to my Kindle. I'm only a handful of pages in and already completely sucked in to the story.

You'll notice the books are on top of a knitted "thing". It is a sweater in progress, and is just about finished. It is a model knit for Lorna's Laces. It is for TNNA in a few weeks, so for now, it is under wraps.