tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215487202024-03-23T11:27:31.443-07:00The Whole Ball of Yarn(s)A journal of the things I do.allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.comBlogger309125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-71975717347409522882011-11-16T10:44:00.001-08:002011-11-16T10:49:42.328-08:00Decisions, DecisionsMy next sweater is going to be made from Malabrigo Worsted in Whales Road, and I am having trouble settling on a pattern. I like variegated yarns in fairly simple patterns, so no cables. I'm not overly fond of raglan (on me, anyway), but I think I'd rather do a mostly in-the-round sweater this time rather than stitching pieces together. I want casual and comfy...but stylish. Or at least not actively frumpy-looking.
Things that have caught my eye on Ravelry:
<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/brilliance-pullover">Brilliance</a>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/labyrinth-4">Labyrinth:</a>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snow-white">Snow White:</a>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tomato">Tomato:</a>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/varese-hoodie">Varese</a>
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Thoughts?allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-80706316881336673232011-07-25T11:17:00.000-07:002011-07-25T11:49:29.775-07:00The Scarf/Shawl KickYes, I said I wasn't updating this blog anymore. My knitting is on Ravelry, my cooking is on <a href="http://bits-of-bliss.com">Bits of Bliss</a>, and my book reviews are on <a href="http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com">On My Bookshelf</a>. But there isn't a place for rambly general knitting updates anywhere but here!<br /><br />I've been on a Clapotis kick lately. Easy, lovely, and endlessly modifiable, it is a stellar pattern to show off a handpainted skein (or a few). If you've been living under a rock, the pattern is <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTclapotis.html">at Knitty</a>. <br /><br />Here is a large-ish version in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-JLqx_6SgnlGw6jIyiS_qhQaYzQIpPuHque33HAei4i2Lv5JAFCYDVOrLa4X4YSNsa54SHtS8iV8g7ZYSHxS4zaTy4MTxuNIuyFzyaWrM8u5hwpJ750kAFYnU6-TNyeUVpohz/s1600/biggreen2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-JLqx_6SgnlGw6jIyiS_qhQaYzQIpPuHque33HAei4i2Lv5JAFCYDVOrLa4X4YSNsa54SHtS8iV8g7ZYSHxS4zaTy4MTxuNIuyFzyaWrM8u5hwpJ750kAFYnU6-TNyeUVpohz/s400/biggreen2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633359391196831778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAFuXIqYuANL7lMgmpQoS_luyorOYu1flvP_OaHVGobzM5nkw0UPMrLq3sJLWr9qkDz6_23ldzu9AkLmp-PyEtuK0ORmYFH0_kBgJtm3E5eK7aaZeBPCiigulHf5zZESuICbe/s1600/biggreen.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAFuXIqYuANL7lMgmpQoS_luyorOYu1flvP_OaHVGobzM5nkw0UPMrLq3sJLWr9qkDz6_23ldzu9AkLmp-PyEtuK0ORmYFH0_kBgJtm3E5eK7aaZeBPCiigulHf5zZESuICbe/s400/biggreen.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633359384156340578" /></a><br /><br />And a medium version in Ella Rae Lace Merino:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwRPa-4a10qup9oLGfMKcBL25A0G67Rvt8xTmcANP_3xHvfAkCE9MntSHukRyX1YiOdSNoH79vqBqsho64sToteyPJsf8sabjOi4XA7J3NBBMs0z-PtYRPRhDgToAvosQCH8J/s1600/hummingbird2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwRPa-4a10qup9oLGfMKcBL25A0G67Rvt8xTmcANP_3xHvfAkCE9MntSHukRyX1YiOdSNoH79vqBqsho64sToteyPJsf8sabjOi4XA7J3NBBMs0z-PtYRPRhDgToAvosQCH8J/s400/hummingbird2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633358143813828802" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVn8KFEl06DVewsJCE4he04t52Na6k4l5wA874edhS4Z3IZVAKEITkruVIDa3jNxJ9smI7Z8R80I8W71jA53PCI9d11g_3w2dPebtOUQox4rREMNAY_BL8rk449n7o4clp4wZ/s1600/hummingbird.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVn8KFEl06DVewsJCE4he04t52Na6k4l5wA874edhS4Z3IZVAKEITkruVIDa3jNxJ9smI7Z8R80I8W71jA53PCI9d11g_3w2dPebtOUQox4rREMNAY_BL8rk449n7o4clp4wZ/s400/hummingbird.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633358140010226834" /></a><br /><br />And a small version in a single skein of Mountain Colors Mountain Goat:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZE1Cd-R5Pvb6mw8RUVHTbQQGtXxMfBDcl9k7sxr_j-2QA58axOds4HdSawt_zWaNKQmrp_TS1pxIYNf_GL48_G4034AKcGqlhcbv_h6782SuyTO310OgzCDsUYHJQsEE_cP5/s1600/mountaingoat2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZE1Cd-R5Pvb6mw8RUVHTbQQGtXxMfBDcl9k7sxr_j-2QA58axOds4HdSawt_zWaNKQmrp_TS1pxIYNf_GL48_G4034AKcGqlhcbv_h6782SuyTO310OgzCDsUYHJQsEE_cP5/s400/mountaingoat2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633363127224416802" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIYtOlNhuMTgnNKRStPjO7gCqD3YLIku2hM3nfPuzNRFW215-E-ZcV8x1KdjCIYkfdjGHFYtV3RBFm4nx4OxsuRd-RkWreIxmbDId9LeHHSFUY6TVfNOndQepb2tZy-G8YrV6/s1600/mountaingoat.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIYtOlNhuMTgnNKRStPjO7gCqD3YLIku2hM3nfPuzNRFW215-E-ZcV8x1KdjCIYkfdjGHFYtV3RBFm4nx4OxsuRd-RkWreIxmbDId9LeHHSFUY6TVfNOndQepb2tZy-G8YrV6/s400/mountaingoat.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633363119315848802" /></a><br /><br />I finally finished the Branching Out in Malabrigo Sock I started ages ago. It's for me, and so was put on the back burner:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UjaS12o805JxX-T9942NTdejMseFOLw_jkOMLkPpdk72lKLOVnFsNHbmuChs-3xEESD3G-9IfuhK57UKTWHCnBIk-cNtRNYaps79C6FpRzbpaeAiClsg65fE_OVyQAKL9ncs/s1600/branchingout2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UjaS12o805JxX-T9942NTdejMseFOLw_jkOMLkPpdk72lKLOVnFsNHbmuChs-3xEESD3G-9IfuhK57UKTWHCnBIk-cNtRNYaps79C6FpRzbpaeAiClsg65fE_OVyQAKL9ncs/s400/branchingout2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633358136747755746" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJpLzgZBJ5MmvD6_gr4Ot11wHgzzmdnhSH64J0DSYp8aTGJTFOZs43x5qDw0dt4CAJXe8XTLmRkDrO9aMHycXfBaQmbvYLNiBsSG8iy0htv9zX3RTiFIqn0Z2ErsM2Wjqsn1d/s1600/branchingout.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJpLzgZBJ5MmvD6_gr4Ot11wHgzzmdnhSH64J0DSYp8aTGJTFOZs43x5qDw0dt4CAJXe8XTLmRkDrO9aMHycXfBaQmbvYLNiBsSG8iy0htv9zX3RTiFIqn0Z2ErsM2Wjqsn1d/s400/branchingout.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633358128899651378" /></a><br /><br />My current project is a modified version of <a href="http://www.knotions.com/issues/summer_2009/patterns/tesla/directions.aspx">Tesla</a> in Araucania Ruca:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOfeoGdC5xbWqJvgMFAa7O_YaEA9OpSpPmTRVqZX2n_vAk1Td7zxcaw-uaO3lEEv-Mx6-NK9YALfvhYTme05mBO-Ce9OVaiRvqlThcv4ZjFPbrB4OVXQI6dr6asVsa0Ng4Vp1/s1600/tesla.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOfeoGdC5xbWqJvgMFAa7O_YaEA9OpSpPmTRVqZX2n_vAk1Td7zxcaw-uaO3lEEv-Mx6-NK9YALfvhYTme05mBO-Ce9OVaiRvqlThcv4ZjFPbrB4OVXQI6dr6asVsa0Ng4Vp1/s400/tesla.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633358146855618306" /></a><br /><br />I've enjoyed the simple scarves and shawls I've been busting out lately. They make nice one-size gifts, show off the lovely yarns I'm drawn to that aren't practical for a sweater, and I can knit them anywhere without paying much attention. I can make them narrower or wider, shorter or longer, based on my available yardage. There is a time for challenging knitting, but this is not it.allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-894486532596624722011-03-03T14:00:00.000-08:002011-03-03T14:02:59.221-08:00Hiatus, reduxThis blog may have become redundant. I recently started a food-oriented blog, <a href="http://www.bits-of-bliss.com">Bits of Bliss,</a> which is now the repository for my cooking posts and recipes. Since my knitting is well-documented on Ravelry (I'm allisonmariecat), and my book reviews have been at <a href="http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com">On My Bookshelf</a> for some time, and with the Twitter thing (I'm allisonmariecat there, too)...there doesn't seem to be much for The Whole Ball of Yarn(s) these days. I'm not taking down the site - there are still lots of recipes and things that aren't elsewhere at this point; I simply won't be updating.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />Allisonallisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-87644531929633440612011-02-08T11:53:00.001-08:002011-02-08T12:15:45.412-08:00Would have posted earlier, but......knitting a blanket takes a really long time. Therefore, there will be many pictures in this post. Unfortunately, none of them will include Lilah, who refuses to pose today.<br /><br />Meet Lilah's "Big Girl" Blanket:<br /><br />To show the scope and grandeur of this thing, I pinned it to the chain holding up our porch swing. You can see it's not a perfect square - more a rhombus. I'm cool with that. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GVyFkut5quWIvCFYsEIyrqIwCz11wWgeU4qI0bBMEdkd5V_11zsCV50nyjqIxDSRlvSAhAijEUcoMD_QCJmHetTdDcDYNWel2LMYOYpw_rMAzmOFGbxR_wXgliiaYXobpQpF/s1600/blanketbig.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GVyFkut5quWIvCFYsEIyrqIwCz11wWgeU4qI0bBMEdkd5V_11zsCV50nyjqIxDSRlvSAhAijEUcoMD_QCJmHetTdDcDYNWel2LMYOYpw_rMAzmOFGbxR_wXgliiaYXobpQpF/s400/blanketbig.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571412453134841458" /></a><br /><br />The starting corner:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDLQQm1a-CUWR6zbNOhy2ZORoOaKQW49Vf3-gSsIoLOG2XaYqfEumujXtLPXWFT1aaPJP_QdCJdOJ2Wg5BjUEUT-i3vOYtJJ2I5ujGpQHMDPbmgKJl4la-B-XWkpZTTFbIA-t/s1600/blanket6.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDLQQm1a-CUWR6zbNOhy2ZORoOaKQW49Vf3-gSsIoLOG2XaYqfEumujXtLPXWFT1aaPJP_QdCJdOJ2Wg5BjUEUT-i3vOYtJJ2I5ujGpQHMDPbmgKJl4la-B-XWkpZTTFbIA-t/s400/blanket6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571411074505167442" /></a><br /><br />Spread out on the swing:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguesWZdOWJUe1JSz6njGlXIEdL7Yu_GjdllbnLQh033ybWGGisFZoius8vEnRx8g3fKtqaz38NOV1oSBQIMkq7oRLtvTi_vP9eTjNqUz1xrCoJqtIUMd5HXN36xxDAIgC_bExh/s1600/blanket4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguesWZdOWJUe1JSz6njGlXIEdL7Yu_GjdllbnLQh033ybWGGisFZoius8vEnRx8g3fKtqaz38NOV1oSBQIMkq7oRLtvTi_vP9eTjNqUz1xrCoJqtIUMd5HXN36xxDAIgC_bExh/s400/blanket4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571411068533594354" /></a><br /><br />Folded:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnoZOX8JKGbab51jiLhi2l7p_1sTJUQU0JYTyAwfIf9L7wFRmvVxk-9sk7ckX0DjEDAPhyKHx6zoaDM6KkA63WU3TEn3OuZ8KSlltKz0JIXg7aThMjj3dWYOrCOy7yfHaH-t9/s1600/blanket3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnoZOX8JKGbab51jiLhi2l7p_1sTJUQU0JYTyAwfIf9L7wFRmvVxk-9sk7ckX0DjEDAPhyKHx6zoaDM6KkA63WU3TEn3OuZ8KSlltKz0JIXg7aThMjj3dWYOrCOy7yfHaH-t9/s400/blanket3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571411065883329298" /></a><br /><br />Not that artfully draped:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3SZOG-xYQylMkUByf8_pzU_7GeEc3g_3NTQULmNO5Ny8-b_6ETfpv81GMjBPkTRJFywZGqV4BZXLRMcSwMkEXjZSNEeqr1iF-UyW8WjUuzzyD4Men5EV3C7sMlrt4HL4fXYJ/s1600/blanket2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3SZOG-xYQylMkUByf8_pzU_7GeEc3g_3NTQULmNO5Ny8-b_6ETfpv81GMjBPkTRJFywZGqV4BZXLRMcSwMkEXjZSNEeqr1iF-UyW8WjUuzzyD4Men5EV3C7sMlrt4HL4fXYJ/s400/blanket2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571411059571839282" /></a><br /><br />Ending corner:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBOM-BXTPQ45PqNLiEG9a1VOEAj-KlMv4BtOnVSlEfLb134IIh3q6FQACYrG8wTkWESAItyLRChO9oOgdbq8dNmc2XHrNGCn4s1qJiHNMjTvwH4jWLDPQwKJXvoFaoRK0kQ26/s1600/blanket1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBOM-BXTPQ45PqNLiEG9a1VOEAj-KlMv4BtOnVSlEfLb134IIh3q6FQACYrG8wTkWESAItyLRChO9oOgdbq8dNmc2XHrNGCn4s1qJiHNMjTvwH4jWLDPQwKJXvoFaoRK0kQ26/s400/blanket1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571411058107388530" /></a><br /><br />A side "corner":<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1iLXdtLcQ2ZwgZ98fsLlDbStbXpK25nZkjJn-45asSTODs0t-bwlx7bEwdwmv0gG079cJnjXzThyphenhyphenu_2w8TRfciXTFO75GPR8FpXYMbP2PN2W4G-beu4li9mGTVul_QnRH2MG/s1600/blanket7.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1iLXdtLcQ2ZwgZ98fsLlDbStbXpK25nZkjJn-45asSTODs0t-bwlx7bEwdwmv0gG079cJnjXzThyphenhyphenu_2w8TRfciXTFO75GPR8FpXYMbP2PN2W4G-beu4li9mGTVul_QnRH2MG/s400/blanket7.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571411948189826866" /></a><br /><br />Pattern: Winged it. I typed up more or less what I did on Ravelry. Basically, I started with three stitches and increased with a YO on each edge until I'd used almost five skeins, then decreased one stitch at each edge until I was done. I like Noro best in stockinette, just wanted an edging. <br /><br />Needles: Size 8<br /><br />Yarn: Noro Taiyo, colorway 6, 10 skeins (2200 yds)<br /><br />Notes: Best television knitting ever. Will I ever knit a blanket again? No. My next non-baby blanket will be someday when I learn to crochet. Man, it takes a LONG time to knit a decent-sized blanket. Love the yarn. I've always loved Noro colors, but wasn't fond of the mohair content in Kureyon. This is wool/silk/cotton/nylon. Very soft, fairly light but warm. Noro has quirks. For a not-cheap yarn, there are an awful lot of knots. And sticks. And it's very thick-thin. But I think of it as part of the charm. Yes, knots are annoying, but what I love about Noro are the colors, and that's what I'm paying for. Think how expensive they'd have to make it if they actually bothered picking out the bits! Lilah loves it. She says it's "so cozy."<br /><br />Reading: Rereading the Kay Scarpetta books. I remembered losing interest, and now I can pinpoint when and why: Blow Fly, when Cornwell switches to third person instead of Scarpetta's pov. Coincidentally (?) that's the same point at which she appears to start hating her characters. I need to get to book blogging!<br /><br />Writing: I have been writing some. I know, wild, right? I am at a word count - 3800. See, even posting a word count. Cross your fingers it keeps going up.<br /><br />Cooking: I'm more or less off cooking lately. Just not motivated and/or inspired. I did make a batch of granola, then another batch of granola. Oh, man, I just remembered I have to make ^&%&%* muffins for a preschool meeting tomorrow. Ugh.<br /><br />I may post again! You just never know!allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-83907521909400481412010-12-09T16:40:00.001-08:002010-12-10T13:13:41.031-08:00Check it out - it's a blog post!This has been a rebuilding year. I'm very open about my recovery from depression (which is ongoing), but that's not really what I wanted this blog to be about. It's meant to be a journal of my hobbies. This year, my primary hobby has been recovering from depression. I kept up the knitting-related posts because they gave a sense of normalcy, and there was something satisfying about documenting something positive, even if it was just a cute top I'd knitted. Cooking and writing are very difficult for me during periods of depression, and I've mainly documented my reading on LibraryThing and On My Bookshelf, so content-wise, once I went off knitting a few months ago, there simply wasn't any 'there' there. I am still not back to writing, though with an adjusted dosage of meds, I am now hopeful that I will be, at some point. My reading has been sporadic this year. For about half the year, I mainly re-read old, comforting favorites or genre novels that wouldn't have any emotionally wrenching surprises. This year, I looked at my LibraryThing entries for 2010, and I'm nowhere near even 100 books, which is odd for me, as I am generally somewhere close to 100-200. Books took longer for me to get through, and I would occasionally have difficulty with emotional content that was upsetting and put my book aside in favor of other activities. I was also sleeping a lot more, napping whenever I could. I am still in treatment, and I expect to be for some time, but a glimmer of interest in blogging popped back up around Thanksgiving. I found myself, for the first time in months, thinking, "I can't wait to finish this and get it on the blog." Anyway, rambling over. Onto the knitting.<br /><br />What derailed my knitting was a colossal failure in a custom-sized top for my sister-in-law. It was based on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ballet-camisole">Ballet Camisole</a> with some measurements tweaked for a good fit. I used Knitpicks Simply Cotton, which I find quite nice to work with. I was pleased with how the size-tweaking was going, and happy knitting it...until the end, when I noticed a couple of flaws. I am just now taking it out to see if it's as bad as I remember, and how I can fix it. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOWqxs-YnJyA1CVkkyj7A95ZRP0f8L90dB4joLntsoWYO8X1STaa_CnFI972jbaoOoia6Gtd6hMUqbs336KCD72dSW8CIySHsZWWHiRo64b2Sgw6hY6ZX7VN5km4hm_kw_vc_/s1600/balletcami2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOWqxs-YnJyA1CVkkyj7A95ZRP0f8L90dB4joLntsoWYO8X1STaa_CnFI972jbaoOoia6Gtd6hMUqbs336KCD72dSW8CIySHsZWWHiRo64b2Sgw6hY6ZX7VN5km4hm_kw_vc_/s400/balletcami2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549162724875328034" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq_zOmFpikfVtIHWFj73pjeKjXburnX338cn4Ahs9qgrUPcQSwA1xf3VZbk-Dq29S-frw2Wc5pLhg1_gYAMkdkPwDM2FW1fZRI4XS7CaPi8gjg-xDJQNWplthxpKR3p78RWK5/s1600/balletcami.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq_zOmFpikfVtIHWFj73pjeKjXburnX338cn4Ahs9qgrUPcQSwA1xf3VZbk-Dq29S-frw2Wc5pLhg1_gYAMkdkPwDM2FW1fZRI4XS7CaPi8gjg-xDJQNWplthxpKR3p78RWK5/s400/balletcami.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549162720114766066" /></a><br /><br />I finished it, folded it, and set it aside...and didn't pick up a new project for ages. Finally, I pulled out some of my special-occasion yarn stash, a skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk I'd gotten for my birthday. I wanted to make a scarf, but without the least bit of inspiration, I decided to simply cast on for a narrower <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lace-ribbon-scarf">Lace Ribbon Scarf.</a> I can do it without looking at the pattern, so it's great purse knitting, and while it may not be the best pattern to show off the Seasilk, well, at least I was knitting something. And when it occurred to me that the color is, shall we say, not suited to my complexion, I realized it's spot-on for my mother-in-law's coloring. Voila! Christmas present.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosrZb1nTuFAmNDYez3ct2SQTBPiR9Tl86q20o-RtmkS5z3eRRmjN_j3eoKcTR8Q5J_H9X7019x8rv2pO8xghjA3w64MyTrXSsT16kY9UA1331lODy4q0UMDVy_O9eUP32vJYj/s1600/seasilk.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosrZb1nTuFAmNDYez3ct2SQTBPiR9Tl86q20o-RtmkS5z3eRRmjN_j3eoKcTR8Q5J_H9X7019x8rv2pO8xghjA3w64MyTrXSsT16kY9UA1331lODy4q0UMDVy_O9eUP32vJYj/s400/seasilk.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549163206680326178" /></a><br /><br />Meanwhile, I picked up some handspun, handdyed yarn in a rainbow of colors from a neighbor. (<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/mamajudes">This is her etsy shop!</a> Gorgeous, plant-dyed, yummy yarns!) Well, Lilah picked it out, for a new hat and scarf for this winter. Super quick project. Basic ribbed scarf, basic ribbed hat knit in the round.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiis0Ji2GzSSLjQshm1tAkmQBPJ4RsRRmuh0ieGURAY3lanUi54JY0xcxDeTaND2BVsQyTZwc6Fznrg2d-5l3TlQ7kvkXb6ldnufbAry_q3Evsg4B7oKSEyjatDwXP4mhncAEOi/s1600/rainbow.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiis0Ji2GzSSLjQshm1tAkmQBPJ4RsRRmuh0ieGURAY3lanUi54JY0xcxDeTaND2BVsQyTZwc6Fznrg2d-5l3TlQ7kvkXb6ldnufbAry_q3Evsg4B7oKSEyjatDwXP4mhncAEOi/s400/rainbow.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549164366116803314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo__RsoW13WKbTrhn1vK3LXq8Pk_g1gcv5txpCCCbqIS1TznbBKOLUE4GWckXJWwfIHAYA3qf_ixdhmmdgIkGRsoMrqukwVookFWUR6dA2g8p5xAuqlukSWxImC3q-5QnlzIL/s1600/rainbowhat.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo__RsoW13WKbTrhn1vK3LXq8Pk_g1gcv5txpCCCbqIS1TznbBKOLUE4GWckXJWwfIHAYA3qf_ixdhmmdgIkGRsoMrqukwVookFWUR6dA2g8p5xAuqlukSWxImC3q-5QnlzIL/s400/rainbowhat.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549164362589163826" /></a><br /><br /><br />Since I couldn't knit the Lace Ribbon in front of my MIL, I pulled out a skein of Malabrigo Sock in gorgeous blues and greens and cast on a <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTbranchingout.html">Branching Out.</a> I've knitted several of these for gifts. It's a fun, simple pattern, and it's lovely. And I hadn't yet made one for myself!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PbWL5im-kPz2SIAeZRKoyTF_R5RZu6KKBdhF0LBW3oCCQ51DnaYCzGvFcTkc6Y5lUD4vk_rpQLAKhC6G7DiTQ-pTwQL7ekZqg_xnZ0cKkYf6f5W0AQbMqXtezHyIu2Tz1keJ/s1600/branchingout.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PbWL5im-kPz2SIAeZRKoyTF_R5RZu6KKBdhF0LBW3oCCQ51DnaYCzGvFcTkc6Y5lUD4vk_rpQLAKhC6G7DiTQ-pTwQL7ekZqg_xnZ0cKkYf6f5W0AQbMqXtezHyIu2Tz1keJ/s400/branchingout.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549162730880311234" /></a><br /><br /><br />We went shopping at the yarn store near my MIL's house over Thanksgiving (a lovely spot called Fiddlehead Yarns in case you're ever in Kenosha, Wisconsin), and Lilah picked out some Noro Taiyo and asked me to make her a blanket. Again, not wanting to do anything over-complicated that would be set aside and never finished, I started a diagonal blanket in stockinette with a garter edging. Very, very simple, but then, Noro doesn't need much in the way of texture or pattern. The colors speak for themselves. Lilah's very pleased with it so far.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJXAlsQlGXOVvBoEPkMg044E4KbjNhiWEIlDyau8PePf1hOl1NdKw1LmnlMYHy_TFu6ZfZ03OF7ZEFRb1pMv4HnpShKwjL1HA8Bbxdlvl1ej-6kgNnT0xJ8lznkYsqcwgGApS/s1600/noroblanket2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJXAlsQlGXOVvBoEPkMg044E4KbjNhiWEIlDyau8PePf1hOl1NdKw1LmnlMYHy_TFu6ZfZ03OF7ZEFRb1pMv4HnpShKwjL1HA8Bbxdlvl1ej-6kgNnT0xJ8lznkYsqcwgGApS/s400/noroblanket2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549162738296311618" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippLy56yKX33gsD47isxLD1ON-HsYZKdDNNrEutjpJuePMbdQnLTrXPWazpzZcv6Ykpq6oy-lmk3fXGUPfbnLEh0U7IgFt-0WQYvK20ytxAAKEqEBq8O_X6fgvXC4K0W0uRsiF/s1600/noroblanket.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippLy56yKX33gsD47isxLD1ON-HsYZKdDNNrEutjpJuePMbdQnLTrXPWazpzZcv6Ykpq6oy-lmk3fXGUPfbnLEh0U7IgFt-0WQYvK20ytxAAKEqEBq8O_X6fgvXC4K0W0uRsiF/s400/noroblanket.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549162734734546450" /></a><br /><br />Reading: I'm slowly adding to On My Bookshelf. There's one emotionally difficult literary novel (a quite excellent one, FALL ASLEEP FORGETTING by Georgeann Packard) that has taken me half the year to review. I've been lucky at how understanding the authors and publishers with whom I've established reviewing (and personal) relationships have been as I say yet again, "I'm behind on the book blog...I don't have time to review that..."<br /><br />Writing: Absolutely nothing in a while, following a period of not-very-productive attempts.<br /><br />Cooking: Again, not much of note here. I didn't even make my vegetable stock for the freezer this winter, instead relying on Rapunzel's vegetable stock cubes. I did make a nice tweak of classic (read: Quaker box recipe) oatmeal cookies by replacing cinnamon with cardamom and raisins with dried cherries. I added chopped pecans for a bit of crunch and to round out the flavors, and I loved them. I started musing about a cranberry-orange zest version, maybe apricot and almond, and Matt said, "Stop messing with my oatmeal cookies!" But playing with perfectly good recipes is a symptom of mental health for me :)<br /><br />So, that was a blog post! Will there be more? Who knows? As my recovery progresses, I'm hopeful I'll have more to share.allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-30612978086026883372010-08-13T07:13:00.000-07:002010-08-13T07:14:35.454-07:00Master of the ObviousI appear to be on hiatus. I just thought I'd post to acknowledge that :)allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-89931808475046901342010-06-02T12:42:00.000-07:002010-06-19T09:54:33.090-07:00Hello, summerAfter this point, I will not be properly dry until late September. Yes, the humidity has hit, the mosquitoes are biting, and summer is upon us. The garden is going nicely, despite some piggish squirrels and/or birds, and we've opened the grill for business. Lilah and I had our first beach afternoon. Time for me to finish up <a href="http://knitandtonic.typepad.com/knitandtonic/2006/07/sizzle.html">Sizzle!</a> The back is done and the front is clicking along. Edited to add: And it's done! Squee! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXuqEoRw6f1HkKSlO9zhlubXcg52ReyUEW17tFFjW9hx3-mw6PizXW2eFpa769i-8ZaPgwTp5AHGU-sfpEA_P6Z9j2aqK1oiK3NHb7L-8CaWiTPO0DTN3TtTgSGPO2a9VFE3T/s1600/sizzle2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXuqEoRw6f1HkKSlO9zhlubXcg52ReyUEW17tFFjW9hx3-mw6PizXW2eFpa769i-8ZaPgwTp5AHGU-sfpEA_P6Z9j2aqK1oiK3NHb7L-8CaWiTPO0DTN3TtTgSGPO2a9VFE3T/s320/sizzle2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484524546723107106" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0aXIy-tCRTjVcAbGKo2NFGXOTYknpqdM-1RjdtxilvuLByuef8Zi0Y1EcBVMb2zrQMgWqhCv6hCK7YbcYlv_bEYUlpOrMKFNWqzfPLkFqtsw3OSbjyRqJ1XWZc13tEHRNOjt/s1600/sizzle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0aXIy-tCRTjVcAbGKo2NFGXOTYknpqdM-1RjdtxilvuLByuef8Zi0Y1EcBVMb2zrQMgWqhCv6hCK7YbcYlv_bEYUlpOrMKFNWqzfPLkFqtsw3OSbjyRqJ1XWZc13tEHRNOjt/s320/sizzle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484524533427628866" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wjcKzU_p9rss_fIv9Dzb8Rq2kMQYenjlYIR9scS2zhfE26d7JZ0CdC3xZNN5qjfzHL9MFTDs9Im2rrY4SQO_ked7yuLzx_2047jfkVRrtbjKf6oZJORrkG28V-ZhyphenhyphentRQK5P8/s1600/sizzleback.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wjcKzU_p9rss_fIv9Dzb8Rq2kMQYenjlYIR9scS2zhfE26d7JZ0CdC3xZNN5qjfzHL9MFTDs9Im2rrY4SQO_ked7yuLzx_2047jfkVRrtbjKf6oZJORrkG28V-ZhyphenhyphentRQK5P8/s320/sizzleback.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484524574971057426" /></a><br /><br />Details: <br /><br />Pattern: <a href="http://knitandtonic.typepad.com/knitandtonic/2006/07/sizzle.html">Sizzle</a> by Wendy Bernard<br />Size: 38"<br />Yarn: Rowan Calmer in Coffee, between 4 and 5 skeins<br />Needles: Size 7<br /><br />Notes: I love this pattern! It’s simple and cute. I made the 38” size (for an actual measurement of 36”), but I should have gone with the 34”. Two inches of negative ease made me nervous, but I probably should have done the math to make it 36”. I added an inch to the length before waist decreases, and made the neckline an inch higher so I wouldn't fall out of there. I realized that I screwed up the trim - you’re supposed to pick up and knit 2 stitches for every 3 rows and I picked up every stitch. The armhole edging is looser than it should be, but not terribly so. I would make this again in a heartbeat. Wendy’s patterns have never let me down. Cute, simple, ingenious stuff.<br /><br /><br />Reading: I'm working to get caught up on the book blog. I'm currently reading Fall Asleep Forgetting by Georgeann Packard, and it's fantastic.<br /><br />Writing: Eh.<br /><br />Cooking: We grilled! Matt made ribs, and I made stuffed poblano peppers for us vegetarians. I made an absolutely divine dessert from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea, a frozen custard-truffle-thing called Darkness in the Delta. Man, that's some good chocolatey stuff. Whenever we grill, I throw on extra veggies, corn, and tofu to eat in lunches during the week. This time, it was tofu slabs (marinated in lemon juice and garlic), baby artichokes, and zucchini. And extra cobs of sweet corn. I used the corn, some brown rice, and a can of black beans as the basis for a yummy salad, finished with a simple lime vinaigrette. Oh, yeah.<br /><br />I was not impressed with Godiva's pistachio ice cream truffle. Not nearly nutty enough. So I shall embark on the quest for the perfect pistachio truffle once we get back. From Paris. Oh, yeah, I'm going to Paris. Did I not tell you? Matt has a conference there, and we had frequent flier miles and grandparents to babysit, so we're going on our first trip alone together since Lilah was born!allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-78440839357009338402010-05-11T11:37:00.000-07:002010-05-11T12:37:48.243-07:00Front Porch BloggingSo, instead of the one front and one back photo Matt usually takes, I talked him into taking a few of Camisa I could choose between. And I suggested the front yard instead of the back of the house, with siding as a backdrop. I started out standing in front of a tree, but you'll see he ended up getting cars in the background. I'm a terrible model, and he's no great shakes as a photographer, but I think we did better this time. After I said, "That's probably good," he even took a couple of angled shots.<br /><br />The front:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5u5ZpshW5OnCN_PlyWmmmaRw2JjWilDgMrZkJH2_kvvjiDRyGefYt9V4VNw73gPmezCvU9g8p7fT6TBBWDibfRoeoTuCoWBhdwNRXzqwQkhxiQdGMkw29ujuejLJpnZ9-ZBtx/s1600/camisafront.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5u5ZpshW5OnCN_PlyWmmmaRw2JjWilDgMrZkJH2_kvvjiDRyGefYt9V4VNw73gPmezCvU9g8p7fT6TBBWDibfRoeoTuCoWBhdwNRXzqwQkhxiQdGMkw29ujuejLJpnZ9-ZBtx/s320/camisafront.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470090415687902130" /></a><br />More of the front:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNjnWR-CP5co43uHXofZDc7eXL9T6GHR9X6eJLarU11_GIQz4xCXvGGaeFFd853ZLN7p6vTirNPEmB5wE6ipEVgIoxdkVwWLCv7rKPAO8acwxcndizIiNWlSyzyDuG0JUtsfv/s1600/camisafront2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNjnWR-CP5co43uHXofZDc7eXL9T6GHR9X6eJLarU11_GIQz4xCXvGGaeFFd853ZLN7p6vTirNPEmB5wE6ipEVgIoxdkVwWLCv7rKPAO8acwxcndizIiNWlSyzyDuG0JUtsfv/s320/camisafront2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470090408007107522" /></a><br />The back:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCOoYWnZIhtV8WNBLbQmlCpfx-88tDLp2JYgwtJnHGLWz983KOH6HdVJMNOjWAYvcWZkIGHsGuqp0vc93wryYrEftYP9NNkc-z7b6T2druL29ptmh7HUmw9bzXU5SsTo59vB7/s1600/camisaback.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCOoYWnZIhtV8WNBLbQmlCpfx-88tDLp2JYgwtJnHGLWz983KOH6HdVJMNOjWAYvcWZkIGHsGuqp0vc93wryYrEftYP9NNkc-z7b6T2druL29ptmh7HUmw9bzXU5SsTo59vB7/s320/camisaback.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470090405460736162" /></a><br />Lilah frequently interrupted the photo shoot with demands that her own picture be taken. No shrinking violet is that one.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAao0ujan8kpONCKaY-9bIO-J5IBtD_jf9T48gLf3p2mkJ74NGJYYOeRzMeK5vyrQlmLUZu5luaf6-6W2ksGwS4xKra9dYOJNcL9UsXIpWhg_bBJ1QWlVGHJmGBoUWRSD6P-NT/s1600/lilahxtremecloseup.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAao0ujan8kpONCKaY-9bIO-J5IBtD_jf9T48gLf3p2mkJ74NGJYYOeRzMeK5vyrQlmLUZu5luaf6-6W2ksGwS4xKra9dYOJNcL9UsXIpWhg_bBJ1QWlVGHJmGBoUWRSD6P-NT/s320/lilahxtremecloseup.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470090899507346098" /></a><br />Here's the one detail I'm not crazy about in the pattern, the side vents instead of proper hip shaping:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZotXrkPzX6D48x4dud0s60iVBib11wOVl1E5CsQC3HytxUJdpOL1tfG3f3aNx7JG57xEfednMH2T3v8VGAV1NpqE_gv0fVkCDtLcbGB489XokpQx4FQaDX15zJmf3blTArNPA/s1600/camisasidevents.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZotXrkPzX6D48x4dud0s60iVBib11wOVl1E5CsQC3HytxUJdpOL1tfG3f3aNx7JG57xEfednMH2T3v8VGAV1NpqE_gv0fVkCDtLcbGB489XokpQx4FQaDX15zJmf3blTArNPA/s320/camisasidevents.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470090891562943202" /></a><br />And a close up of the reverse stockinette top, basketweave center, and stockinette bottom.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQivrjtXJmqBcGFS1VC0kFBVKlDAzdiDOjLrM0A61PGvDm5OwKxJpbbHMCx7TK-iSbbKnwo1dbJHKzZV5ypjUWV072kDpQgypdaG5AUA3FzxtKStZ5H9TE4rjTjPsFoctid5WP/s1600/camisacloseuppatter.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQivrjtXJmqBcGFS1VC0kFBVKlDAzdiDOjLrM0A61PGvDm5OwKxJpbbHMCx7TK-iSbbKnwo1dbJHKzZV5ypjUWV072kDpQgypdaG5AUA3FzxtKStZ5H9TE4rjTjPsFoctid5WP/s320/camisacloseuppatter.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470090880083531346" /></a><br />And a couple of angled bonus pictures:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOO0SdgNZ3Ga4omS-yhmD53fQaoi1O8q6BDr8qPH-I3wlPhgFDjFXDvg5dWrftm5vxFEXWkXIkYhfdTtf5r66-T-CG3GymKKdiTlwnPEo5Th6Z9GKdomFzyOpN-gL4wwnKt0l8/s1600/camisaangle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOO0SdgNZ3Ga4omS-yhmD53fQaoi1O8q6BDr8qPH-I3wlPhgFDjFXDvg5dWrftm5vxFEXWkXIkYhfdTtf5r66-T-CG3GymKKdiTlwnPEo5Th6Z9GKdomFzyOpN-gL4wwnKt0l8/s320/camisaangle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470090388407741426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z775JNfyh1-P2_Ua7USqhVUTZR5YrqolTghzATubWVun9rijyLx46UV8kbsUqiYIMJvTgKoG6VtRKs_izIZox_rlmsp5dUjnQN7f2ZwAJzAQe5FkrplQkkCzMmM6n7OCwMa-/s1600/camisaangle2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z775JNfyh1-P2_Ua7USqhVUTZR5YrqolTghzATubWVun9rijyLx46UV8kbsUqiYIMJvTgKoG6VtRKs_izIZox_rlmsp5dUjnQN7f2ZwAJzAQe5FkrplQkkCzMmM6n7OCwMa-/s320/camisaangle2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470090379996702546" /></a><br /><br />Pattern: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/camisa">Camisa, by Kat Coyle</a> (Knitscene, Fall 2006, available <a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/knitting/patterns/camisa.html">for purchase here.</a> Size 36.5"<br /><br />Yarn: Rowan Calmer in Garnet, 6 skeins (I had at least half a skein left)<br /><br />Needles: Size 7<br /><br />Modifications: I have finally accepted that I have a long torso. So, as a matter of course, I simply add two inches in length to every sweater I make for myself. In this case, I added an inch below and above the basketweave pattern (concerned about having the basketweave cutting across the bust - I suggest the extra inch for anyone above a C cup).<br /><br />Notes: I really enjoyed knitting this. It's a clever design, easy but not boring. The edges do curl, and blocking din't really fix it entirely. Neither did ironing, though at least the bottom edge is sitting relatively flat. I'm not sure that side vents are my favorite hip shaping technique, but I don't think they're awful. The crochet edge isn't the neatest. Probably my fault, as I'm crap at crochet. I'm never sure I'm doing it right. I think applied i-cord would look neater as an edging. Overall, I like this. I think I'll wear it.<br /><br />Other knitting: Waiting for yarn for a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ballet-camisole">Ballet Camisole</a>, so I cast on for <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sizzle">Sizzle</a> in Rowan Calmer in Coffee Bean. I didn't bother to take a picture, as it's just an inch of seed stitch so far.<br /><br />Reading: Not anything terribly exciting.<br /><br />Writing: Some progress, not a lot.<br /><br />Cooking: I have tackled sourdough! If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may recall that I had some success with sourdough while living in Wisconsin, but have had one disaster after another since moving here. Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice had the answers I needed. I have another batch rising now.<br /><br />I made pesto to go with pasta and roasted red peppers and asparagus. No recipe, though. And my <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2009/03/on-needles.html">Triple Almond Brownies.</a> I made them for friends and fancied them up by baking them off in tartlet pans and serving with a side of cream whipped with amaretto and a bit of powdered sugar. Very nice. <br /><br />The garden is coming along. The zucchini and squash are in bloom, small green tomatoes and baby tomatillos have appeared. Strawberries are producing. My cilantro is growing so fast, I need to chop it down!allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-84720430985480233212010-05-02T06:50:00.000-07:002010-05-03T06:13:05.059-07:00Day 7: What a Yarn<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s1600/button.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s320/button.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463833981776945442" /></a><br /><br />Today's topic is: What a Yarn<br />There’s one love that we all share: yarn. Blog about a particular yarn you have used in the past or own in your stash, or perhaps one that you covet from afar. If it is a yarn you have used you could show the project that you used it for, perhaps writing a mini ‘review’. Perhaps, instead, you pine for the feel of the almost mythical qiviut? You could explore and research the raw material and manufacturing process if you were feeling investigative. <br /><br />My go-to yarns are Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool for sweaters, Malabrigo sock for scarves, and Rowan Calmer for summer tops. I love the drape of the Silky Wool, and it's soft, yet durable. The first project I made with Silky Wool was <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2006/04/outdoor-blogging.html">Somewhat Cowl.</a> I made an unfortunate choice to do a short-sleeved version, so I never wear it. I suppose I could try layering a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath. I also weighed at least 25 pounds more than I do now. When I tried it on recently, it was ridiculously big. When I run out of yarn with which to knit, I will frog it! I also made <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2009/02/has-it-really-been-that-long.html">Gathered Pullover</a> out of Silky Wool. That one is more forgiving on the fit. It's just more slouchy now, and less fitted, but doesn't look ridiculous. Matt's <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2010/02/progress-report.html">Hjalte</a> is my latest Silky Wool project. Someday, it will have sleeves. SIlky Wool is lovely to knit with, and it's reasonably affordable because the skeins have decent yardage.<br /><br />I made the <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2010/01/ta-da.html">Tesla Scarf</a> and <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2009/10/so-its-really-autumn-now.html">Love Bites Scarf</a> out of Malabrigo Sock. I was SO happy when Malabrigo started a sock weight line. I like the worsted for sweaters okay, but a scarf out of Sock is absolutely divine. I have three more skeins in various colors for future scarves.<br /><br />Calmer is not a go-to yarn for me, usually. It's more one I covet from afar because it's on the expensive side. If you've been following my blog, you know how ridiculously excited I was to find discontinued colors for about half off. I snapped up as many as I could. I first worked with Calmer for my <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2006/03/moving-on.html">Tempting II</a> from many moons ago. I wore that top once or twice this summer, but it's sort of big now, and I was never crazy about it. When I run out of my Calmer stash, I'll rip it out because the yarn is too nice to just sit in a drawer with the other unworn sweaters. This year, I've already made <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2010/02/blue-tomato.html">Tomato</a> and <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2010/04/long-time-no-blog.html">Audrey</a> out of Calmer, and I'm nearing the finish line on my Camisa. Love, love, love this yarn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s1600/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s400/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463769431865843234" /></a><br />Hosted by <a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/2010/04/join-knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-26th-april-2nd-may-2010/">Eskimimi Knits</a><br /><br />knitcroblo7allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-4009977630966852322010-05-01T06:48:00.000-07:002010-05-03T06:22:30.458-07:00Day 6: Blast From The Past<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s1600/button.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s320/button.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463833981776945442" /></a><br /><br />Today's topic is: Revisit a past F/O<br />Bring the fortune and life of a past finished project up to the present. Document the current state and use of an object you have knitted or crocheted, whether it is the hat your sister wears to school almost every day, or a pair of socks you wore until they were full of hole. Or maybe that jumper that your did just didn’t like that much… <br /><br />Darn it, I was going to do a photo shoot, trying on all my sad, unloved past projects, but the weekend was busy and Sunday, when I had the time, was too humid for me to want to parade around in one wool sweater after another. I talked about all my sad, unloved past projects <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2009/09/looking-back-sweaters-i-have-loved.html">in this post</a> but I would like to add photos. I think I still will, sometime this week when Matt's around during daylight hours.<br /><br />Besides the sweaters I made for myself, there have been other disasters. Like the Einstein Coat I made out of Pakucho Organic Cotton as a newbie knitter (yes, a coat made out of worsted cotton weighs about 42 pounds and stretches like made), the fair isle cardigan I made out of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride for my mother who lives in California (where 50 is considered cold), or the red and white striped sweater I knit for my father-in-law, which promptly acquired pink stripes with the first wash. When I was pregnant, I also made weird yarn choices for baby knits, so I made three sweaters and a dress that she NEVER wore. Argh. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s1600/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s400/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463769431865843234" /></a><br />Hosted by <a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/2010/04/join-knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-26th-april-2nd-may-2010/">Eskimimi Knits</a><br />knitcroblo6allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-43280017469774227522010-04-30T06:31:00.000-07:002010-04-30T06:31:00.239-07:00Day 5: Where do you like to knit?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s1600/button.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s320/button.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463833981776945442" /></a><br /><br />Today's topic is: Where do you like to indulge in your craft? Is your favourite arm chair your little knitting cubby area, or do you prefer to ‘knit in public’? Do you like to crochet in the great outdoors, perhaps, or knit in the bath, or at the pub? <br /><br />I knit pretty much wherever I'll be sitting around without anything to take my complete attention or requiring the use of my hands. I keep knitting in my purse and pull it out at the playground when Lilah is busy building sand castles. Or in waiting rooms, at my book club, in the car (not while I'm driving). Since I started knitting, I can't stand to sit and just watch television anymore - I knit while I watch. Same with the movie theater. Stockinette in the round is really the best for movie theater knitting. Nothing ruins a movie like dropping a stitch half an hour in! One of my favorite spots to knit is on our porch swing while Lilah plays, but that's not as common as knitting down at the playground/lake because when I'm outside our house, I tend to feel compelled to make a dent in the endless supply of weeds. With the right book (hardcovers are easiest), I've found that I can knit sitting cross-legged while reading, using a toe to keep the book open if it's uncooperative.<br /><br />Possibly the weirdest place I've knit is at Wrigley Field. I got some odd looks, but the guy next to me started asking questions when he realized I was able to follow the game at the same time (I was knitting a Booga Bag, which I could do in my sleep). I knit the whole way from Bratislava to Budapest in a rental van on vacation with my husband's family. I've knit standing in line at the DMV to get my license renewed. <br /><br />I don't have any qualms about knitting in public. Sure, sometimes I get weird looks, but I don't particularly care what random people think about it. But I do draw the line at events like weddings and graduations, because it just seems rude. Even if I know I can pay attention while knitting, other people don't get that, and may interpret it as not caring about the event. Same with therapy. Any time it's important enough that I feel my attention shouldn't be divided even a little bit, I leave the knitting at home.<br /><br />Knitting by the lake:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMHRHvFYZ_VCrOEu_t_x2I833TGtjq3AN81gTCTSVsVtWMb3W3yQrZf__7fjjTEVXsUo89dLRLVntoyladgfmos-Sb5EH3hxgMglMyk_49lueYtMfhtsNfZh3jrlY1p6C5yvc/s1600/knitting.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMHRHvFYZ_VCrOEu_t_x2I833TGtjq3AN81gTCTSVsVtWMb3W3yQrZf__7fjjTEVXsUo89dLRLVntoyladgfmos-Sb5EH3hxgMglMyk_49lueYtMfhtsNfZh3jrlY1p6C5yvc/s320/knitting.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464850011282681634" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s1600/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s400/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463769431865843234" /></a><br />Hosted by <a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/2010/04/join-knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-26th-april-2nd-may-2010/">Eskimimi Knits</a><br /><br />knitcroblo5allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-54836162193201237222010-04-29T06:26:00.000-07:002010-04-29T06:26:00.460-07:00Day 4: Wild Card<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s1600/button.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s320/button.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463833981776945442" /></a><br /><br />Today's topic is: Today's topic is about what other related crafts we'd like to learn someday. Knitting blog aside, I am actually not a particularly crafty person. So I decided to use the wild card question for Day 4.<br /><br />Do you have a particular knitting/crochet tool or piece of equipment that you love to use? Maybe it is an old bent pair of needles that used to belong to someone special, or a gorgeous rosewood hand-turned crochet hook that you just love the feel of? Write about what you love about it.<br /><br />Yes, I do! When I started knitting, all my tools were of the pink and blue plastic stitch marker variety, because they were cheap and I didn't know if the knitting thing would stick. After I'd been at it a few years, I decided I really wanted nice tools that made me happy to use. Here are some of my favorites:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvY9q0IhGQodhE5eXaCaEPHdNlHUMQV6-Jvu8hDtBKJOwp2pwmrO7Fg4V1nYhef0ViwIkBNyE1-6PQwWNA24N4y8L4YCfVkOGHVQ21puhuy4FmhV4wY_0OiKpYYqAVlqYE_8s/s1600/knittintools.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvY9q0IhGQodhE5eXaCaEPHdNlHUMQV6-Jvu8hDtBKJOwp2pwmrO7Fg4V1nYhef0ViwIkBNyE1-6PQwWNA24N4y8L4YCfVkOGHVQ21puhuy4FmhV4wY_0OiKpYYqAVlqYE_8s/s320/knittintools.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464869689534719426" /></a><br />The bag was a gift from KnitPastis, a knitblogging friend. When she started selling her creations online, I bought some stitch markers - the lovely beaded one is hers. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SGJOhAflCQu9h7xOUCLutOiiZiV64jug4wQlDI8eskB2yHEOA94-9-8Vd4smKZDP4GEcMm7hz7DacfO1dIQSG2Lq3VZ0nzzUXClRK6Sjpdpr0OwXH7xO9HrCQ1PgB94BRC8w/s1600/knittintoolsupclose.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SGJOhAflCQu9h7xOUCLutOiiZiV64jug4wQlDI8eskB2yHEOA94-9-8Vd4smKZDP4GEcMm7hz7DacfO1dIQSG2Lq3VZ0nzzUXClRK6Sjpdpr0OwXH7xO9HrCQ1PgB94BRC8w/s320/knittintoolsupclose.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464870278752797426" /></a><br /><br />The lovely wooden needle case was made by <a href="http://readingwhileknitting.blogspot.com/2009/04/get-em-while-you-can.html">Stefaneener's</a> father-in-law. The sock measuring tools, gauge square, wooden stitch markers, and Knitter's Rule are from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/karatstix">KaratStix's Etsy Shop.</a> I had coveted these after seeing them around the blogosphere, but it took me a long time to get mine. For the same reason I don't have a tattoo - I couldn't think of something that was so me I wanted it on my tools, and I didn't just want to get sheep and yarn. Finally, it hit me, and I asked her to design a Jane Austen-themed set, with tea things, pen-and-ink, books. Lovely, isn't it? And so much more substantial than my cheap plastic gauge. The notions bag is from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/katiefleck">Katie Fleck Designs on Etsy</a>, replacing a freebie cosmetics bag that had served in that capacity. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s1600/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s400/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463769431865843234" /></a><br />Hosted by <a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/2010/04/join-knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-26th-april-2nd-may-2010/">Eskimimi Knits</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />knitcroblowcallisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-50612828060986421142010-04-28T06:23:00.000-07:002010-04-28T06:23:02.203-07:00Day 3: One Great Knitter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s1600/button.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s320/button.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463833981776945442" /></a><br /><br />Today's topic is: One Great Knitter<br /><br />Write about a knitter whose work (whether because of project choice, photography, styling, scale of projects, stash, etc) you enjoy. If they have an enjoyable blog, you might find it a good opportunity to send a smile their way. <br /><br />I love all the knitters to whom I link off to the left. No, sorry, the right. I've always had a problem with that. I could pick any of them, really, but I'll talk about <a href="http://readingwhileknitting.blogspot.com/">Stefaneener.</a> I want to be Stefaneener when I grow up. She's a knitter, spinner, and dyer (from her homegrown indigo, no less). Gardener and beekeeper. Mom to four. Wow. She also got me into one of my culinary loves, preserving, with her talk of the fantastic cooking she does. And she runs. I've always wished I wanted to run...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s1600/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s400/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463769431865843234" /></a><br />Hosted by <a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/2010/04/join-knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-26th-april-2nd-may-2010/">Eskimimi Knits</a><br />knitcroblo3<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />knitcroblo3allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-11244950196622344902010-04-27T06:20:00.000-07:002010-04-27T06:20:01.030-07:00Day 2: Aspiration<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s1600/button.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s320/button.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463833981776945442" /></a><br /><br />Today's topic is: Blog about a pattern or project which you aspire to. Whether it happens to be because the skills needed are ones which you have not yet acquired, or just because it seems like a huge undertaking of time and dedication, most people feel they still have something to aspire to in their craft. If you don’t feel like you have any left of the mountain of learning yet to climb, say so! <br /><br />I choose to learn knitting skills in order to make the projects I want to make. I learned to cable when I found a pattern I really wanted to make that required it. I learned lace when I found a lace pattern. Knitting is a relaxing and satisfying hobby for me, and I don't have any particular level of mastery I want to achieve. However, one pattern in my queue really fits this "aspirational" question, and that's <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/PATTshipwreck.php">Shipwreck Shawl</a>. I love this shawl, and I really want to have one for myself. It involves beading, which I've never done, and it's BIG. After I'm done with my summer tops kick, I would love to get this on the needles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s1600/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s400/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463769431865843234" /></a><br />Hosted by <a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/2010/04/join-knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-26th-april-2nd-may-2010/">Eskimimi Knits</a><br />knitcroblo2allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-89240842103522706892010-04-26T06:25:00.000-07:002010-04-26T06:25:00.096-07:00Day 1: How did I get started?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s1600/button.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3KiNzMTGhugsEVQfMNknO-66WYd6dviHHMAceh67tf0c5mJX6jUpQbB7HJgG1EtWJavt27jGsLl77DvP5ovmqlREfoweenybQLdJ79y4KPo_67cPrFPHc2WUsOONyOrWhT9o/s320/button.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463833981776945442" /></a><br /><br />Today's topic is: Starting Out<br />How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting? was it a skill passed down through generations of your family, or something you learned from Knitting For Dummies? What or who made you pick up the needles/hook for the first time? Was it the celebrity knitting ‘trend’ or your great aunt Hilda?<br /><br />Sometime in late 2003, after getting married, moving to Wisconsin, and starting a new job, it got in my head to learn to knit. I remember knitting was getting popular at the time, but no one in particular inspired me. It just sounded fun. My grandmother has crocheted for as long as I remember, but aside from making some long chains, it never stuck with me. I approached learning knitting the way I approach most things: in books. I combed Amazon for promising-sounded introductory books and ordered <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Folk-Shawls-knitting-patterns-Knitting/dp/1883010594/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272208588&sr=8-1">Folk Shawls</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Experience-Book-Knit-Stitch/dp/1893762130/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272207578&sr=1-1">The Knit Stitch,</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vogue-Knitting-Ultimate-Book/dp/193154316X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272207608&sr=1-1">Vogue Knitting</a>. I didn't yet know about the magic of online yarn shopping, so I went to a craft store and bought some chenille yarn and size 10 metal needles. Yeah, I know. Chenille. Ugh. After trying and failing to cast on about a dozen times, I went to the craft store and switched to wooden needles and Lion Brand Wool-Ease. I noodled around with knitting and purling, and then I picked a stitch pattern from Vogue Knitting (St. Charles Brocade) and did a scarf. It curled dreadfully because I hadn't learned about needing an edging on stockinette projects. But it was recognizable as a scarf, and I was hooked. Then I did a scarf from The Knit Stitch (the Dr. Who Scarf, lots of fun), using Patons Wool I bought online (yay, online shopping!). Next, I did a hat from The Knit Stitch, my first project in the round, in Mountain Colors, and that was when I turned into a yarn snob. The Mountain Colors was so soft and pretty and so very much nicer than the Lion Brand or the Patons. Not an exciting story, by any stretch!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s1600/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s400/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463769431865843234" /></a><br />Hosted by <a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/2010/04/join-knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-26th-april-2nd-may-2010/">Eskimimi Knits</a><br />knitcroblo1allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-69815377764299288502010-04-24T09:31:00.000-07:002010-04-24T11:25:00.805-07:00Catching UpIt seems like I am always catching up. Here I go again. This time, it's in preparation for:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s1600/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUOmKCxTLshdSL8kmG290QI3adzgGsIIPU0z__WHwskjGinrcRml6W5rnE9Tx0Rxu_-HLMRuu0YeNqTLSmrKPNvZre1teS_Q8hvJXk3tNFfd-_p8iwMy2aLm1mOlq8T0Miu5s/s400/4527303865_0e64afe6b2_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463769431865843234" /></a><br />Hosted by <a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/2010/04/join-knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-26th-april-2nd-may-2010/">Eskimimi Knits,</a> it runs April 26-May 2, with a different topic every day. I am not a joiner. I rarely do knit-a-longs, read-a-longs, or any other-a-longs. But I first read about this on a lovely blog I recently discovered, <a href="http://theandipants.blogspot.com/">Untangling Knots,</a> and I thought, well, I'll at least SEE what the topics are. Then I can grumble that I don't like them and not participate. But...the first day's topic was sort of fun. And the second day's. And well, I could use an excuse to try daily blogging for a week. It beats monthly blogging! This isn't necessarily a knitting blog, but knitting is a big enough part that this seems like a good fit.<br /><br />Speaking of knitting: Still going on Camisa. I'm knitting the bottom of the back. Stockinette. Not much to say there. I'm not sure I'm going to like the side-vent approach to avoiding waist shaping. We'll see.<br /><br />Reading: I'm more or less caught up on <a href="http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/">the book blog.</a> I did just finish a fantastic book, The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant, which takes place in a fairy-tale-like German village where girls begin disappearing...and not for the first time. The ending was literally a nail-biter. <br /><br />Writing: Indeed! I dreamed the opening line for my murder mystery and magically found the exact voice I need. I'm re-writing chapter one in the new voice with some major changes. It feels like I'm finally writing the book rather than background. Much less wordy, less convoluted plot, much more divorced from reality. Um, not that it's based on any real-life experiences working in an insane theater company. Ahem.<br /><br />Cooking: So we had friends over for dinner, and I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wine-Bar-Food-Mediterranean-Flavors/dp/030735279X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271712701&sr=8-1">Wine Bar Food</a> for all the recipes. I made Parmesan Flatbread, Faux Gras (yes, faux! not a goose part in sight!), Crispy Toma Cheese With Eggplant (no Toma at my store; I used a goat's milk Brie), a spinach salad with crispy shallots, a stuffed wild mushroom pizza, and Amaretto Polenta Cake. Everything was lovely, though I actually didn't care for the faux gras; it was too meat-ish for me. I really like this book, written by Tony Mantuano of Chicago's Spiaggia restaurant. I haven't been to Spiaggia, but we have been to Mangia, his restaurant in my husband's hometown. The book is nowhere near vegetarian, but I love it anyway. It's organized by region (all vaguely Mediterranean) and explores the wines of each while providing small dishes to accompany them. I mix dishes from several different regions, and I've never cooked a dud from this book. I pull it out for entertaining; it's really not an everyday cooking source.<br /><br />We have a new Lilah-approved family meal standard. <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1599610">Sesame Noodles With Broccoli</a> has been a favorite recipe for me for a while, but Lilah was less enthusiastic. I revamped it a little and had her help me stir in the sauce, and she ate a big bowl and asked for more. It's also the only way I can get Matt to eat broccoli... Modifications: I leave out the hot chili paste when I make it for Lilah. I always leave out the honey. I don't like raw onions, so I leave out the green onion (although I sometimes stir-fry tofu to accompany this and will stir-fry the onion with it). I also use at least double the veggies (I had three broccoli crowns and four large carrots, which I used up) and don't bother matchsticking the carrots - I slice them and add them to the water when I add the broccoli. I always double the sauce for a pound of pasta, and we use whatever pasta is around (though I personally love soba, Lilah loves corkscrews and bow ties, so we use those a lot).<br /><br />Lilah stirring: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGmU1IC34s8thXyIryQv3UEblijLHGPZX9f7E3TxMObx4Osg6UOd_xd2vHAGxdEm6Ewmx4Fd0LNwpzTrqFVbwHESA6H_g1J59Sd7A4qf0r1v8M8lQ_gGXt_OfrkreTAOb8YAl/s1600/cookin.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGmU1IC34s8thXyIryQv3UEblijLHGPZX9f7E3TxMObx4Osg6UOd_xd2vHAGxdEm6Ewmx4Fd0LNwpzTrqFVbwHESA6H_g1J59Sd7A4qf0r1v8M8lQ_gGXt_OfrkreTAOb8YAl/s400/cookin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463085265387594130" /></a>allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-66255652846124689632010-04-13T06:06:00.000-07:002010-04-13T06:31:54.457-07:00Long Time, No BlogOops, I went forever without blogging again. It happens. Part of it is that Audrey has taken forever. It's actually quite a quick and easy pattern, but I wasn't knitting much, and then I spent some time after the front and back were finished dithering over whether or not to attempt short sleeves instead of the three-quarter length in the pattern. But I'm pleased with the result.<br /><br />Also, note the hair. I finally made it to shoulder-length, which means I can stick it up in a clip or a ponytail, so it's not driving me nuts anymore. I've convinced myself it looks breezy rather than messy.<br /><br />I can get Matt to take decent pictures, but he's not very artistic about it. You get the front:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidP2Ui6fgtixFQslGt130_jsca96fIw7cXCnhFcqXqK-BLgDazR6avccFVB2nJgiVNzY-6ErfXFaJrJ7i-YaAdFE0B3KIVYzril-IwKDPPmJnA_LxliRYmhcx6CeRa_bpu33SQ/s1600/audrey.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidP2Ui6fgtixFQslGt130_jsca96fIw7cXCnhFcqXqK-BLgDazR6avccFVB2nJgiVNzY-6ErfXFaJrJ7i-YaAdFE0B3KIVYzril-IwKDPPmJnA_LxliRYmhcx6CeRa_bpu33SQ/s400/audrey.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459608518727863586" /></a><br />The back:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9j82jClqbq51Vn3WnjQz97oEAkhGGL58sQWk3SXGrnuzC8LmKupQC6Pt_73UtXH-aYfEFbdbbvMx8ANU6rZOb1NH4OuZ3id5Fb-13pcEmKoQHMC9mvUDp240ivD7_izZkywsw/s1600/audreyback.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9j82jClqbq51Vn3WnjQz97oEAkhGGL58sQWk3SXGrnuzC8LmKupQC6Pt_73UtXH-aYfEFbdbbvMx8ANU6rZOb1NH4OuZ3id5Fb-13pcEmKoQHMC9mvUDp240ivD7_izZkywsw/s400/audreyback.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459608524117679906" /></a><br />The lace edge:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqnyxbwmgS7v4jew5c-r0rU2dxU4532s4T-zpIinr_nmGe5oXRPWw20A5Ec3fw-VA4A9efR8KBwg4OdaqJJ3k27tA0PprpNjGIDu_olGNaDAlVqfxBun7lFZHigiBExZyb2If/s1600/audreylace.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqnyxbwmgS7v4jew5c-r0rU2dxU4532s4T-zpIinr_nmGe5oXRPWw20A5Ec3fw-VA4A9efR8KBwg4OdaqJJ3k27tA0PprpNjGIDu_olGNaDAlVqfxBun7lFZHigiBExZyb2If/s400/audreylace.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459608540014801538" /></a><br />The increase line:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzJ1T9KEXH1Oqx-KMpJNVlvv9tKr5Z1GHilD3ZdTsYLcQElC4PIbNKcEWfvsL0Za_l0TCV4EaltIW_AqkQNmChNhWJpfoKL2LmrWGCKOEEw-kov4EuwK5WyRQ6wdtJPYHhWQ9/s1600/audreyincreaseline.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzJ1T9KEXH1Oqx-KMpJNVlvv9tKr5Z1GHilD3ZdTsYLcQElC4PIbNKcEWfvsL0Za_l0TCV4EaltIW_AqkQNmChNhWJpfoKL2LmrWGCKOEEw-kov4EuwK5WyRQ6wdtJPYHhWQ9/s400/audreyincreaseline.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459608532095484818" /></a><br /><br />Pattern details:<br /><br />Pattern: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/audrey">Audrey</a> from Rowan 35, size 36"<br />Yarn: Rowan Calmer, in Carnation, 5 skeins<br />Needles: Size 7 and 8<br />Notes: I really like this pattern. I like the visible increase/decrease shaping. I like the easy ribbing. I love the detail of the lace at the neck. It fits very well and it's comfy, but nice enough to wear with a summery skirt.<br /><br />Modifications: I decided on short sleeves. I cast on the number of stitches for each sleeve at the point of sleeve cap shaping, worked four rows, then started cap shaping. It worked beautifully, and I’ll use a short-sleeved top much more often. Based on past comments about the neckband being too big, I made the lace edging shorter than the circumference of the neckline. I really had to stretch the lace around to sew it on. It worked perfectly - I love the neckline on this. It stays up well, but isn’t too tight.<br /><br />Other knitting:<br /><br />The start of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/camisa">Camisa</a> in Calmer in Garnet:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqw2czoiR5a0MyaaiGDQTNW-_fyZfY2-65-T8N8zG82qoRweLOE7hYnXKnUHP2Np_XVB1PeIgboXP7ZcNVNuiEqNF14TxtxxPcjAW7XPK28zQQw3mP7uXn7mSMJC5geMVlEnEN/s1600/camisa.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqw2czoiR5a0MyaaiGDQTNW-_fyZfY2-65-T8N8zG82qoRweLOE7hYnXKnUHP2Np_XVB1PeIgboXP7ZcNVNuiEqNF14TxtxxPcjAW7XPK28zQQw3mP7uXn7mSMJC5geMVlEnEN/s400/camisa.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459608549292575202" /></a><br /><br />Oh! The garden has been coming along:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKw0gZwrh8OUhRYuzxx3PwKvE4K6i90Rjfspf_YZEbY9J2iNzwkc1S10W9wTGOOZkTrpjOdPr7pPFDWfhUGGz-E51KLp9K-Ua_G1a15YbElTbCjF-HuyaxqoW8VHy-rVCO8A5/s1600/raisedbeds.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKw0gZwrh8OUhRYuzxx3PwKvE4K6i90Rjfspf_YZEbY9J2iNzwkc1S10W9wTGOOZkTrpjOdPr7pPFDWfhUGGz-E51KLp9K-Ua_G1a15YbElTbCjF-HuyaxqoW8VHy-rVCO8A5/s400/raisedbeds.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459608760378571346" /></a><br />We built two raised beds, each 4 feet square, using <a href="http://www.eartheasy.com/grow_raised_beds.htm#a">this template.</a> One is a salsa garden, with tomatoes, tomatillos, onions, peppers, and cilantro. The other has squash, peas, strawberries, arugula, and carrots. Lilah and I are having a great time with gardening.<br /><br />Reading: I'm behind on the book blog again. Hope to catch up this week.<br /><br />Writing: Some. Lilah had her spring break last week, which is the opposite of spring break for me. I'm producing on the murder mystery, and noodling with snippets of other things.<br /><br />Cooking: Oh, two months of cooking? Geez. Of note are the <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001370.html">Natural, Homemade Thin Mints</a>, which are a bit of a pain but absolutely fantastic. I also made Dutch Crunch Vienna Bread from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice. Lovely, delicious bread. I'll be making it again, along with Reinhart's sourdough and bagel recipes. Love him. I also made pina colada muffins, which I've posted about before. I think those are the highlights. I'll try to remember to blog more so I can remember recipes :)allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-60074960452926564352010-02-25T12:07:00.000-08:002010-02-25T12:38:03.566-08:00Progress ReportI had a great time in the 2006 Knitting Olympics, and I've really enjoyed watching other knitters in this years' Olympics, but I decided not to attempt to start and finish anything in such a short period of time. I have enough challenges without challenging myself with knitting. However, I have been busy with my knitting during the Olympics...<br /><br />We haven't seen much of Hjalte around here, and there's a good reason for that. That sweater is my Everest. I thought I'd finished the front, but realized I'd bound off too soon and had to rip back and re-do the last few inches. I slogged along on the back for what seemed like eons. There's also the lack of a ball-winder and swift, which means I interrupt knitting time to hand-wind balls of yarn periodically. And it requires me to pay some attention, what with the 52-row cable pattern, so it's not suitable for all television knitting. Depends on how visual the show is. But, I have actually finished the front AND the back. Yes, that's right. If I seamed it, it would be a vest right now!<br /><br />Here's the front:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqODAmqTwTpDb_rtDXf1oYp3eFw24D-58t6wD8tKGWxC8WXgDKrYkLb7SJ3wd4H2wqopP2fk6CGjGT1AQW9RXQmS6vCK4Mvt6QiohUkGqNCeJkL86IyaKtNaMAN994SfOPJBp/s1600-h/hjaltefront.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqODAmqTwTpDb_rtDXf1oYp3eFw24D-58t6wD8tKGWxC8WXgDKrYkLb7SJ3wd4H2wqopP2fk6CGjGT1AQW9RXQmS6vCK4Mvt6QiohUkGqNCeJkL86IyaKtNaMAN994SfOPJBp/s400/hjaltefront.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442277857877100882" /></a><br />And the back: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseuHyh1VgCtulQB8OG2wR91TBpqqwOxEjlPD_3EDFcDeh-WewoR4JBs94jJVkibOdhgtaYn0HfVAE9MEhRRQCB0OAF7zIOhwpnbiR_EyxmOiLwbw2BYswAGedgJoMX1_pMQpq/s1600-h/hjalteback.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseuHyh1VgCtulQB8OG2wR91TBpqqwOxEjlPD_3EDFcDeh-WewoR4JBs94jJVkibOdhgtaYn0HfVAE9MEhRRQCB0OAF7zIOhwpnbiR_EyxmOiLwbw2BYswAGedgJoMX1_pMQpq/s400/hjalteback.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442277395979575554" /></a><br />And a closeup of the cables:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVSmm1Tx4EJoRHikDZBoCb3gAJy8Q1ILKBhaqbUCvdWoGK38LfvvP0iPB1K9W5sSLthjRfLrJfTi2Wh1P1ry3FXzV9sOoMoNJTgtSTZKYBFZgChHrsaxhVHpw8JHYCzmq7E7_/s1600-h/hjaltedetail.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVSmm1Tx4EJoRHikDZBoCb3gAJy8Q1ILKBhaqbUCvdWoGK38LfvvP0iPB1K9W5sSLthjRfLrJfTi2Wh1P1ry3FXzV9sOoMoNJTgtSTZKYBFZgChHrsaxhVHpw8JHYCzmq7E7_/s400/hjaltedetail.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442277419714566578" /></a><br />And just so you don't think I'm pulling a fast one by photographing the same side from different angles, here are the front and back together:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSf_NKkgYtaDAWrdGZFU4_J8z_b07KOUNOzYnOo1ZHfLZmbVMmt_gAfmdvjcBEGYPzoLaSsICFMwvae1s2IC3KpCy1GsnoVCmC7iM9vm-LNn_Q681AThmKfqr7v7I-Sb58L7K/s1600-h/hjalteboth.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSf_NKkgYtaDAWrdGZFU4_J8z_b07KOUNOzYnOo1ZHfLZmbVMmt_gAfmdvjcBEGYPzoLaSsICFMwvae1s2IC3KpCy1GsnoVCmC7iM9vm-LNn_Q681AThmKfqr7v7I-Sb58L7K/s400/hjalteboth.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442277411062341810" /></a><br /><br />The next sweater I make Matt will be stockinette. Maybe rib, if I'm feeling REALLY ambitious. I like the cabling, but it seems like every row takes forever. I'm really excited to have finished the front and back, though. I'll cast on for the sleeves tonight. I haven't held this up to Matt yet, but this is a big sweater. I hope it's not really really big on him (I would cry). He's a medium, and I'm making the Medium/Large size, but it's a big sweater. It seems bigger than a Medium/Large. I'm slogging along anyway, because it's not like I'll rip the whole thing out and re-size it, even if I could (and a 52-row cable pattern would make that an ordeal). So I'm just going to keep going and hope for the best. I started it just shy of a year ago (February 28, 2009 - thank you, Ravelry), so it's high time it was finished.<br /><br />Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/audrey">Audrey</a> is my easy knitting. It's in Rowan Calmer, in Carnation, one of the discontinued (cheap!!!) colors I picked up. It's a nice bright pink with a hint of orange. Like a pinker version of coral. It's easy and even kind of boring. I'm nearly to the armholes on one side, and really wishing I'd thought to do it in the round.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3NuaF71-6NTByBVuD_VZSp4GuDkF_vAul7s5YUsgm6aMqD8ji4FEx4Tz5SMvAhHZCx5pB710mMQo4M82S_y0Qm6ag6ZkTBGUcrDo8EAzIW7Pqecv5eVvHzJjjnieRKKUBtj0/s1600-h/audrey1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3NuaF71-6NTByBVuD_VZSp4GuDkF_vAul7s5YUsgm6aMqD8ji4FEx4Tz5SMvAhHZCx5pB710mMQo4M82S_y0Qm6ag6ZkTBGUcrDo8EAzIW7Pqecv5eVvHzJjjnieRKKUBtj0/s400/audrey1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442277379774470626" /></a><br />Here's a close-up of the increase/decrease line:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3pkFkq1ANYoPTrbnpByz05eB3YtmxVF9HVXtxgcgGWSfDFhWIu9qojvWNMR7DaCexEcyBmpATmGaDBurC_F7yizB976Lf3O4vE-fQtfu88Jup9KhZjm5Cn9GwBK1kSxvGWwv/s1600-h/audrey2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3pkFkq1ANYoPTrbnpByz05eB3YtmxVF9HVXtxgcgGWSfDFhWIu9qojvWNMR7DaCexEcyBmpATmGaDBurC_F7yizB976Lf3O4vE-fQtfu88Jup9KhZjm5Cn9GwBK1kSxvGWwv/s400/audrey2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442277393927009666" /></a><br /><br />I really think I'd get more use out of Audrey with short sleeves. I think she'd go well with a couple of my summer skirts, but it's too hot here for 3/4 sleeves in summer. However, I've only seen one project on Ravelry that adapted it for short sleeves, and I wasn't crazy about the look. Maybe it's the length, which is longer than I'd go (I'm thinking cap sleeves). Any suggestions? Is this a bad idea given the neckline and general appearance of the sweater?<br /><br />Reading: I just started Apple Turnover Murder, the latest Joanne Fluke mystery. These are really pretty fun. I'm WAY behind on my book blogging. I have a review to get up for The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley. It's the second Flavia deLuce mystery, and an utter delight.<br /><br />Writing: Some. Not a lot. But some.<br /><br />Cooking: Not a ton. Let's see, I did a mushroom pasta. I made <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/olive-oil-crackers-recipe.html">these olive oil crackers</a> for snack at Lilah's preschool, along with cheddar and apple slices. The crackers are delicious. I made them fairly thick and not really crunchy at all, but I think they'd be nice either way. Delicious.allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-70399076940896711842010-02-22T05:20:00.000-08:002010-02-22T05:26:01.490-08:00A Blue TomatoTomato, after blocking:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2VmNunzH4MOusziWm27pC70aieguKTsuo6rZtEcLmAJlHl4qH3IRS6ZHGCDYUkC5OrW_kzsCGnVpmnzdD8NBBY_savYd1rKqtlIkMN902zhqP0C6kiA6MWh3LM70G8G-Q0l0/s1600-h/tomato.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2VmNunzH4MOusziWm27pC70aieguKTsuo6rZtEcLmAJlHl4qH3IRS6ZHGCDYUkC5OrW_kzsCGnVpmnzdD8NBBY_savYd1rKqtlIkMN902zhqP0C6kiA6MWh3LM70G8G-Q0l0/s400/tomato.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440834445826030738" /></a><br /><br />Last weekend, we had snow. This weekend, I actually wore Tomato with my favorite jeans out to the playground with Lilah. Before we left, I got Matt to take pictures! Yes, actual modeled shots of a finished object. Weird wild stuff for a knitting blog. I'm trying this new thing where I'm not as self-conscious when a camera is pointed at me. It's a work in progress.<br /><br />The front:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dj_IwlFD45gNq9SDq11dtbkTM6nZ2hDWLRiOL_sRUVj6CcVgHGZBQsFPduqvQ9PCM-k7uZPHzSTSPl6vKK9ygI2DOm2D12hjCjPSCcIQ1I-nVtH6o-4_nZW0BMDacXmKkW4w/s1600-h/tomato1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dj_IwlFD45gNq9SDq11dtbkTM6nZ2hDWLRiOL_sRUVj6CcVgHGZBQsFPduqvQ9PCM-k7uZPHzSTSPl6vKK9ygI2DOm2D12hjCjPSCcIQ1I-nVtH6o-4_nZW0BMDacXmKkW4w/s400/tomato1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440834457533560018" /></a><br />The back:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtMOgLjVD4bAB7SYTFSQiEosbZB1_gPCiskKgp64EFEylEumBO_Xg8L4m1IRzkelB_k6wCzJR1ehXwYdSCnccLzKHx_FsWATIZhb5ICAnh2JmcsZW0G8vab8_SLwcVxRUHxbp/s1600-h/tomato2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtMOgLjVD4bAB7SYTFSQiEosbZB1_gPCiskKgp64EFEylEumBO_Xg8L4m1IRzkelB_k6wCzJR1ehXwYdSCnccLzKHx_FsWATIZhb5ICAnh2JmcsZW0G8vab8_SLwcVxRUHxbp/s400/tomato2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440834461282912818" /></a><br />Detail of back raglan line:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zH32Y-iYWV6dprrZw0KxB93MRDTlYqcEvA1Iz1NSocY8oWMxviQa3alVLK-cvNCUp-xX3lrb8RXBxPSWTi-Gae7KBM3e9zj_qrRt96rr0TcPbyraEo7OBcnd4kTcjr_nFjF8/s1600-h/tomato3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zH32Y-iYWV6dprrZw0KxB93MRDTlYqcEvA1Iz1NSocY8oWMxviQa3alVLK-cvNCUp-xX3lrb8RXBxPSWTi-Gae7KBM3e9zj_qrRt96rr0TcPbyraEo7OBcnd4kTcjr_nFjF8/s400/tomato3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440834467761531650" /></a><br />Front detail:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pruseE79UrTgJt3_Mn63F_k0sQQHhaaGEr19SLxlajJUSk_EaY0mGAQuZH3pLDQ3xDWD4HchpN8BS7szbbxagO3FDQelg2-u6DsgOWhuFRUDt9zM5QVphV-h1JNAMJ0EzoPs/s1600-h/tomato4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pruseE79UrTgJt3_Mn63F_k0sQQHhaaGEr19SLxlajJUSk_EaY0mGAQuZH3pLDQ3xDWD4HchpN8BS7szbbxagO3FDQelg2-u6DsgOWhuFRUDt9zM5QVphV-h1JNAMJ0EzoPs/s400/tomato4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440834477460962050" /></a><br /><br />The pattern: <a href="http://www.knittingdaily.com/media/p/13994.aspx">Tomato by Wendy Bernard</a><br />Size: 40" (see notes)<br />The yarn: Rowan Calmer, in Calmer, about 4 and a half balls<br />Needles: Size 6 and 7 circulars<br /><br />Notes: I really like this top, but I was living a bit dangerously using the Calmer. I didn't see any other projects on Ravelry using it, and as I got going, I realized my row gauge was way off. Instead of 25 rows in 4 inches, my row gauge was 32. And with a top-down raglan (and my being too chicken to adjust the increases to be less frequent), I was concerned. In addition, while I could get 4.5 stitches to an inch, I could only do so with stretching the fabric maybe more than I would want. So instead of doing anything crazy like, I don't know, swatching or something, I just ripped back the inch I'd knit and cast back on for the 40" size (my actual measurement is 36"). And you know what? It worked out fine in the end. If you look at the pattern photos, mine has a higher neckline and is more snug around the arms. It's less of a comfy t-shirt and more fitted. It *is* comfortable, though, just a more fitted look.<br /><br />The yarn: I love Rowan Calmer. I enjoyed my last summer knit with Knit Picks Comfy, but Calmer is delightful. Stretchy and soft and polished-looking. It's even better that I got a discontinued color for about half price. Otherwise, it's an indulgence.allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-61160063508225215762010-02-22T05:00:00.000-08:002010-02-22T05:18:27.229-08:00Two-Fisted Tank, the Real FO PostI posted about the Two-Fisted Tank <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2010/01/itching-for-spring.html"> right here</a> but it was too cold for modeled pictures. I am actually coming back with the promised modeled FO post. Usually, I show the FO on a chair or on the porch swing and say I'll do modeled pictures later. And either I never get around to doing photos or I talk Matt into taking pictures, don't like them, and never post. But not this time! Obviously, Matt and I need some practice to get this knitting photo shoot down, as I'm not sure the back door/siding is the most attractive background. There were also times when he snapped the photo before I was sucking in my stomach. And the first couple of pictures the top was bunchy, but we got into a rhythm where he would adjust it. Anyway, I think we're showing some improvement over my usual bland FO pictures.<br /><br /><br />The front:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIGRu6sr7FlPVUI-lMHa6jeYLsVIawwS-vY-fJLY0ti_WIWXQCebCv9VYI4Oe1pnPkP8xfQYKb8QowUhnnHNgrH0CKv1WIwMUveCGDYJ_S-FIjkv8ywQdnh9nSRIPC805NfXK/s1600-h/twofisted1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIGRu6sr7FlPVUI-lMHa6jeYLsVIawwS-vY-fJLY0ti_WIWXQCebCv9VYI4Oe1pnPkP8xfQYKb8QowUhnnHNgrH0CKv1WIwMUveCGDYJ_S-FIjkv8ywQdnh9nSRIPC805NfXK/s400/twofisted1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441052458600584578" /></a><br /><br />The back:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10UGRw77_NnaRHBvJI6TjGZ-kLiZlJ7RR_DxsCO2N2I5D3RWJvT8sYZ30zIqLS35Ulq6wpsC-8k_bFvGGHifbNfBXc3-0LF4js0eH2MrY9GgRArHY8TK2RAwBnH7AASuicJSf/s1600-h/twofisted2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10UGRw77_NnaRHBvJI6TjGZ-kLiZlJ7RR_DxsCO2N2I5D3RWJvT8sYZ30zIqLS35Ulq6wpsC-8k_bFvGGHifbNfBXc3-0LF4js0eH2MrY9GgRArHY8TK2RAwBnH7AASuicJSf/s400/twofisted2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441052464884565746" /></a><br /><br />The sassy, falling-off-the-shoulders shot:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITC52nL-SyW8b5daAeuikXKEI6MEbKuf2z57mai40_p9xlmigDAkh_9qkUUkGl2hpYTK2Jk-kdxjW07YvGISPajCQvv0DiFY4E-XDty3h-GHvcN0jdCoogoyCQf9rW0DcWTKR/s1600-h/twofisted3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITC52nL-SyW8b5daAeuikXKEI6MEbKuf2z57mai40_p9xlmigDAkh_9qkUUkGl2hpYTK2Jk-kdxjW07YvGISPajCQvv0DiFY4E-XDty3h-GHvcN0jdCoogoyCQf9rW0DcWTKR/s400/twofisted3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441052473455785330" /></a><br /><br />Pattern: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/two-fisted-tank">Two-Fisted Tank</a> from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pints-Purls-Portable-Projects-Knitter/dp/160061146X%3FSubscriptionId%3D1YZR91QYB6WCG3PM78G2%26tag%3Dravelry-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D160061146X">Pints and Purls</a><br />Yarn: Knitpicks Comfy Worsted in Honeydew, just over 4 skeins<br />Needles: Size 7 circ<br /><br />Notes: This is a fun, easy pattern. The top is not the most finished-looking summer top, but it's cute and the easy construction makes it good purse knitting. I was surprised at how much I liked Comfy, which is nice and soft. The straps are designed to fall down, so don't consider it if that will drive you nuts. To be honest, I'm not sure how much wear this one will get, but it was fun!allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-51245800800883069242010-02-11T07:17:00.000-08:002010-02-13T10:03:23.915-08:00Still Waiting For Spring<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4keb_NHacjFYv2oJEkseqODn9Ju5VaCnbD_we2zNj9QFqY7JZ2hsxDL-V49CxXmErhvcclMnW8maPVhH9VwuI48q_rF38_DRHQJPWCZnMPX4rpH89yR0pYFv1RmEbsA13sgB/s1600-h/blogmirando.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4keb_NHacjFYv2oJEkseqODn9Ju5VaCnbD_we2zNj9QFqY7JZ2hsxDL-V49CxXmErhvcclMnW8maPVhH9VwuI48q_rF38_DRHQJPWCZnMPX4rpH89yR0pYFv1RmEbsA13sgB/s320/blogmirando.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437787236519077394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXp1qE8hhe0LqRjauFkbGnw3t7dx_9enYihQbjVfCf3mJyAbDyI673ndf7r3lz6Q581-7Delze9yYekVBy1XUwzUw7bJQbJgY5B965HetfxBAL3EE_Wwp6lt-tMQxIkTB3-7DV/s1600-h/bloggeronimo.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXp1qE8hhe0LqRjauFkbGnw3t7dx_9enYihQbjVfCf3mJyAbDyI673ndf7r3lz6Q581-7Delze9yYekVBy1XUwzUw7bJQbJgY5B965HetfxBAL3EE_Wwp6lt-tMQxIkTB3-7DV/s320/bloggeronimo.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437787226886746098" /></a><br /><br /><br />Our groundhog, General Beauregard Lee, predicted an early spring. But that Yankee groundhog was right. It's winter here. Lilah and I have started some plants indoors, and this weekend, we were going to plan our raised beds for our tiny yard, which is covered in snow. We have planted carrots, thyme, basil, fennel (for our Swallowtail caterpillars), parsley, and some flowers Lilah picked out. The herbs and fennel will go in one of our front landscaping beds. The carrots will go in a raised bed out front. I think we're going to do at least one other raised bed, in the back, and plant some sunflowers in the landscaping beds as well. We have a sort of strange looking rose bush that sprawls on the ground. I'd like to move it, but that seems like a production. Once the raised beds are set up, we'll plant broccoli rabe, the carrot seedlings, zucchini, and who knows what else. Lilah is particularly excited about the carrots, and the fennel for the caterpillars. We used a biodegradable egg carton, along with some peat pots we picked up when we bought seeds. Lilah was thrilled to do the entire project. She scooped in the soil, made a space for the seeds, dropped in the seeds, and "tucked them in to be so cozy", then watered. She checks on her seeds every morning after she gets up. The flowers, thyme, and fennel have all germinated, and the carrots are just barely starting. We also did an avocado pit in a jar of water. That's taking forever, of course, but she hasn't lost interest.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnxSzZfW6Y43QBQrvU5fSNETZepVjHSvPfJ2PGCtWndBtKqzB05swt6-GKJQ-UoMT2_k7VJ_LXXETKqFtt8yOUXhvOFw-c-GPh3LYkAIvf3r9guASCAr7CAYp1NjOmY0BtMVE/s1600-h/bloggarden1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnxSzZfW6Y43QBQrvU5fSNETZepVjHSvPfJ2PGCtWndBtKqzB05swt6-GKJQ-UoMT2_k7VJ_LXXETKqFtt8yOUXhvOFw-c-GPh3LYkAIvf3r9guASCAr7CAYp1NjOmY0BtMVE/s320/bloggarden1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437787207711986706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQO83q_QPExOOKkaMjW2ii473xnPI06YU1G2CRsRyUsRaYUOp52Zp0gUzoWkCMgmzuSLUJILG2BWTpDH0_HgfQAj1ZssYArH0GhgOfBiIBOZzxlGe-xcTUprnmYgEEmGj1y3n/s1600-h/bloggarden2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQO83q_QPExOOKkaMjW2ii473xnPI06YU1G2CRsRyUsRaYUOp52Zp0gUzoWkCMgmzuSLUJILG2BWTpDH0_HgfQAj1ZssYArH0GhgOfBiIBOZzxlGe-xcTUprnmYgEEmGj1y3n/s320/bloggarden2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437787215110315218" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3lnGqghI-QIrOGNz7X6O7MUHmjNobinyHjw2kUI2YAYR82svyY_FT0-II7XYmMEVoX9M23PBfbeuB_i0ihewcB58LpZXS8Y3-_wzy1S1tLcW0XwL4aN0l5_yUJCJj5Cvzk66/s1600-h/bloggarden3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3lnGqghI-QIrOGNz7X6O7MUHmjNobinyHjw2kUI2YAYR82svyY_FT0-II7XYmMEVoX9M23PBfbeuB_i0ihewcB58LpZXS8Y3-_wzy1S1tLcW0XwL4aN0l5_yUJCJj5Cvzk66/s320/bloggarden3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437787222841295506" /></a><br /><br /><br />Knitting: I sucked it up and ripped back on Hjalte's back (after finishing the front...yay!!!!). Just one more pattern repeat to the neckline. I'm nearly finished with Tomato. Just the sleeve edging and neck edging to do. I love the top-down, in-the-round construction with no seaming! So nice and easy. This has been my purse knitting, and it's been a blast. I love Calmer, and I love the pattern. I expect to have modeled shots of this by the time it's warm enough for modeled shots of the Two-Fisted Tank. Meanwhile, here is some of my knitting out in the snow. My Tesla Scarf:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Vr0v6a8ldp51iydCmOzGBSeSS-CtMoOtPO6qF3Fb68NNHB76J7VhRJh7-peybq2t3upz8fq0Zu_NJ5aYvz90jwpWreQOXC5SDS8R_-c_huQXGuy6af57EgAFqHRgGhixSKeU/s1600-h/blogscarf.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Vr0v6a8ldp51iydCmOzGBSeSS-CtMoOtPO6qF3Fb68NNHB76J7VhRJh7-peybq2t3upz8fq0Zu_NJ5aYvz90jwpWreQOXC5SDS8R_-c_huQXGuy6af57EgAFqHRgGhixSKeU/s320/blogscarf.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437787568698818434" /></a><br />On my hands are fingerless mitts crocheted by my talented SIL.<br /><br />And Lilah's hat, mittens and scarf:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0_l4rJ6P_34aSroPetPN6h3Qniyn7LqXNk2DVFWQS6sFHHcyIILLWvz1UxuQf-7xn4bDMUWh3F69nwFiY91WNHXj1IMv9eF1vsvQW4uYE4IhbW4PF54n0DXbaeUFo___wGII/s1600-h/bloglilah.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0_l4rJ6P_34aSroPetPN6h3Qniyn7LqXNk2DVFWQS6sFHHcyIILLWvz1UxuQf-7xn4bDMUWh3F69nwFiY91WNHXj1IMv9eF1vsvQW4uYE4IhbW4PF54n0DXbaeUFo___wGII/s320/bloglilah.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437788080971028594" /></a><br />She loves wearing them! Most kids avoid bundling up, but Lilah really likes her special things I knit her. That's so awesome.<br />Lilah's preschool is a co-op, so parents volunteer in the classroom a couple times a month, bringing a healthy snack with them. My dad gave us a cute muffin/cakelette pan with bug shapes, so I decided to use those. Lilah loved helping to make bug muffins! I took an already healthified version of an apple bread recipe and tweaked it. These were the most moist, flavorful healthy muffins I've made. Even Matt liked them. My apple butter was my homemade version simmered with lots of spices. You could substitute drained applesauce, but you'll want to add spices to the batter or it will be bland. Lilah's school is nut-free, so I chose to add granola for a bit of crunch in place of the walnuts I'd normally use. <br /><br />Reading: Not much of note lately, but I did just receive a review copy of Alan Bradley's second Flavia deLuce mystery, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. The first, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, is well worth picking up if you enjoy mystery and/or precocious heroines. <br /><br />Writing: Nothing really in the way of page number progress, just more noodling. But that's better than nothing.<br /><br />Cooking:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO3cVIjWpLoklxT6ANyFaDlGBtBRIh1bj13mVsKEYPTOz57mVqSMjhCXjEVRXW81fuCYFjDnnCY5TfDXZEF45-8mPJDirMIpd7vZYV6HCD84_3qOtaOhvHMOyiwiMVwvWggHr/s1600-h/blogmuffins.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO3cVIjWpLoklxT6ANyFaDlGBtBRIh1bj13mVsKEYPTOz57mVqSMjhCXjEVRXW81fuCYFjDnnCY5TfDXZEF45-8mPJDirMIpd7vZYV6HCD84_3qOtaOhvHMOyiwiMVwvWggHr/s320/blogmuffins.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437787560820714162" /></a><br /><br />Apple Granola Muffins<br /><br />1/2 cup canola oil<br />1 cup apple butter<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup brown sugar<br />2 eggs<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />2 cups whole wheat flour<br />1 cup all-purpose flour<br />1 1/2 tsp baking soda<br />3/4 tsp baking powder<br />3/4 tsp salt<br />4 cups peeled, chopped apple (Granny Smith makes for a nice, tart muffin)<br />1 cup granola (I used Back to Nature apple blueberry)<br /><br />In the bowl of an electric mixer, add oil, apple butter, and sugars. Beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add slowly to liquid ingredients. Stir in apple and granola. Pour into muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (shorter for smaller muffins) or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Makes 16 large muffins. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Platinum-Backyard-Bugs/dp/B0016LXGD0"?>Get your own bug muffin tin here.</a>allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-24350637659233905672010-01-28T08:33:00.001-08:002010-01-28T09:00:16.252-08:00Itching for SpringI'm clearly ready for Spring. Working on Hjalte is really taking a backseat to my purse knitting projects. Partly because my purse knitting is one cute spring top after another (mostly in discount Rowan Calmer, yay!) and partly because I found an absolutely idiotic error that means, far from being finished with the back, I shall soon have to rip back several rows and re-do them. Delightful. Motivation is low for this project. <br /><br />On the needles at the moment:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5X-Cu4_WwSwSDNpmJ6Q4xLgg9SGFcEoQL_Sqejd0rtBuoryqM5DNH5CYTKNHLWJXO8lYQh8YgldMT3gZRDkfWQRHYaSduvr2hNAfyryytoQpZ6FcBydjE6mnRnv3Aa8sj6fF0/s1600-h/tomato.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5X-Cu4_WwSwSDNpmJ6Q4xLgg9SGFcEoQL_Sqejd0rtBuoryqM5DNH5CYTKNHLWJXO8lYQh8YgldMT3gZRDkfWQRHYaSduvr2hNAfyryytoQpZ6FcBydjE6mnRnv3Aa8sj6fF0/s320/tomato.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431830067796131778" /></a><br />Not the most exciting picture, but that's nearly one ball (of a projected 6) of Rowan Calmer in Calmer (a nice pale blue) that will become <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tomato">Tomato</a>. A blue tomato, whatever. I'm also not sure if this project is totally doomed. From past knitting with Calmer, I knew how stretchy it was, but I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out the gauge. I can easily stretch the fabric on size 7 needles to 4.5 stitches per inch, but will it be TOO form-fitting? I'm also nowhere near row gauge, which could be a huge problem on a top-down raglan. There's not really a way to easily add rows, I don't think. Unless I just knit even for a couple inches? I ripped back and started with the large size instead of medium to try to counter the gauge weirdness, but I'm not sure how to address the row gauge. Cotton tends to grow lengthwise, but will Calmer with how stretchy it is? Whatever, it's nice purse knitting, and I love knitting with Calmer. I was really excited to find discontinued colors nearly half-off at <a href="http://www.yarn.com">WEBS</a>, and armed with Christmas money, I bought a few sweaters' worth. Usually I get to sales once all the good colors are gone, but I got several that I quite like.<br /><br />I finished the Two-Fisted Tank from Pints and Purls. Here it is, pre-blocking:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSD14aHES5BUKSF6QWGFOEGDUaEgH9HXXKzLdueDQJ07c8y-smz7zpOTHIUKHB1E1DJhlrX67NrWiQyaHmtOO6QuMqLMOYstHyVjutXmCSyE65QpKnqlmgPAdqIoHSxIr93Cc/s1600-h/twofistedtank.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSD14aHES5BUKSF6QWGFOEGDUaEgH9HXXKzLdueDQJ07c8y-smz7zpOTHIUKHB1E1DJhlrX67NrWiQyaHmtOO6QuMqLMOYstHyVjutXmCSyE65QpKnqlmgPAdqIoHSxIr93Cc/s320/twofistedtank.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431830057762396066" /></a><br /><br />Not that exciting, but it's sort of cute on. I'll get my husband to take a picture this weekend. The straps do fall down, but it's designed that way. It's a very simple knit, great for the purse.<br /><br />Pattern: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/two-fisted-tank">Two-Fisted Tank</a> from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pints-Purls-Portable-Projects-Knitter/dp/160061146X%3FSubscriptionId%3D1YZR91QYB6WCG3PM78G2%26tag%3Dravelry-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D160061146X">Pints and Purls</a><br />Yarn: Knitpicks Comfy Worsted in Honeydew, just over 4 skeins<br />Needles: Size 7 circ<br /><br />Notes: This is a fun, easy pattern. The top is not the most finished-looking summer top, but it's cute and the easy construction makes it good purse knitting. I was surprised at how much I liked Comfy, which is nice and soft. <br /><br />Reading: I received a review copy of <a href="http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/brutal-telling-by-louise-penny.html">The Brutal Telling,</a> the fifth Inspector Gamache novel, from LibraryThing, and loved it. I immediately ordered the first four in the series. Penny has a fantastic setting in Three Pines, a village hidden south of Montreal, and her characters practically jump off the page. I'm only disappointed that there weren't more than four more for me to read. These are some of the best mysteries I've ever read. From Inspector Gamache and his team of misfits to the crazy, lonely, or helpful inhabitants of Three Pines, every character is infused with warmth and life. The first in the series is Still Life.<br /><br />Writing: Still noodling. Having some trouble getting going again.<br /><br />Cooking: Very little. I did make a baked potato soup from Cooking Light, one of my favorite cold weather meals. It's a bit warmer now, but I have the ingredients for a cheesy spinach soup from a culinary mystery (Dying For Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson).<br /><br />Lilah and I have been talking gardening. We had a great time watching our Swallowtail caterpillars grow fat on our fennel plant, so Lilah asked if we could plant more. I also want to add more creeping thyme. Without ground cover, weeds here are insane, but most ground cover is so pointless. Like that annoying vine thing (not kudzu - something someone planted on purpose) that covers much of our yard. Mint and thyme spread nicely and are actually useful, so I'm thinking of adding more. The squash didn't go that well last summer (squash bugs, ugh), but tomatoes did well. We just don't have much yard, and even less with decent sun exposure (darn east-facing house). And the clay here seems to need a lot of help, nutrient-wise. We may just go tomatoes and herbs and butterflies this year.allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-22440285641524573262010-01-19T09:50:00.000-08:002010-01-19T10:09:37.930-08:00Ta-Da!In plenty of time for use during the cold weather (though not today...today, it's to be in the 60s), the Tesla Scarf:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsQ58a7FSSoUdRH6iK7tRFHxKd2r7eoEusxi6RJF4Kqq82-gGcnyfG0thgviRdX2ieWHNB2fhVuusyPKTWYYVsj6U7Sbr14lZCe_okOjhdMrNNI2zo0DWd0OZvlktVZ83xIOu/s1600-h/tesla.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsQ58a7FSSoUdRH6iK7tRFHxKd2r7eoEusxi6RJF4Kqq82-gGcnyfG0thgviRdX2ieWHNB2fhVuusyPKTWYYVsj6U7Sbr14lZCe_okOjhdMrNNI2zo0DWd0OZvlktVZ83xIOu/s320/tesla.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428510324520793282" /></a><br /><br />Lovely and feminine from the diagonal ruffle at one end:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvtlp8VibkHG_4XYCUG9GYnhkS3JXFohg8TcsyUItC_SUSSsEc3EEqHeySnQr7U8KWDTSr0TVA-YFUtnCZG-oELXY_4oMYxT9A1tGoXE_jg0gKcnfNjQfZi_U4hhzGtxFzIbx/s1600-h/tesla2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvtlp8VibkHG_4XYCUG9GYnhkS3JXFohg8TcsyUItC_SUSSsEc3EEqHeySnQr7U8KWDTSr0TVA-YFUtnCZG-oELXY_4oMYxT9A1tGoXE_jg0gKcnfNjQfZi_U4hhzGtxFzIbx/s320/tesla2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428510332506600146" /></a><br /><br />to the cast-on ruffled edge:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ13zXRznnLON3JOriWtnyzFUUHO9RxgF26HtumbT-M9PCuhIr_kprEjwIt0dXKrK3fcXB0mOvdH04SKQz09_bdF59jMjwQXy3Sw_W_uX362-R1rzxvKMYhmb3k24orqt4UL45/s1600-h/tesla3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ13zXRznnLON3JOriWtnyzFUUHO9RxgF26HtumbT-M9PCuhIr_kprEjwIt0dXKrK3fcXB0mOvdH04SKQz09_bdF59jMjwQXy3Sw_W_uX362-R1rzxvKMYhmb3k24orqt4UL45/s320/tesla3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428510336566004498" /></a><br /><br />It's got drape and elegance and warmth:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdo20W9jqzsiGD4XZIFVVARjXfa0r7nYTzfHc9y962ATUeqhOyleTCZg1zxN-PoCpTovjAW-m5dnppGBN58MgozVtrK7PE_nUuk_X0GQCHQNGrbtYAGkDYN8UgIGLaaVNJUBP0/s1600-h/tesla4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdo20W9jqzsiGD4XZIFVVARjXfa0r7nYTzfHc9y962ATUeqhOyleTCZg1zxN-PoCpTovjAW-m5dnppGBN58MgozVtrK7PE_nUuk_X0GQCHQNGrbtYAGkDYN8UgIGLaaVNJUBP0/s320/tesla4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428510343080302322" /></a><br /><br />Pattern: <a href="http://www.knotions.com/issues/summer_2009/patterns/tesla/directions.aspx">Tesla Scarf</a> by Deb Barnhill<br /><br />Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Tiziano Red (just about one full skein)<br /><br />Needles: Size 5<br /><br />Notes: This pattern, which I first saw on <a href="http://turtlegirl76.com/2009/05/09/have-you-seen-the-new-knotions/">Turtlegirl's Bloggy Thing</a>, is a pleasure to knit. The ruffle at the cast-on edge takes a bit of concentration, but that's only one row. Once that's done, the easy-peasy lace pattern just clicks along. Before you know it, you're near the end and have only an ingenious diagonal final flourish to enjoy. I'm sure it's divine in the Sea Silk called for, but I had the Malabrigo on hand with a scarf in mind, so decided to go for it. I never regret using Malabrigo, and the scarf is soft and richly red with subtle variegation. All in all, a fantastic project. I'm going to miss this purse knitting, and I would certainly make this pattern again as a gift for someone special.<br /><br />In other knitting news, Hjalte is still almost at the armholes on the front. Whatever. The ribbed tube that was the early stages of the Two-Fisted Tank from Pints and Purls is a longer ribbed tube:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMae9hOZy5Y43tJzjK5SvLoG_nIhPdkEbbfEKZi4whQ882RZ46_RQwulLsyrtwQyohwGDKCG-kNyLzvb6njBBeMSIwj7jJ1SRiB7m3VzWvg5dWQveAHSvcOtaJkxR9hAdXnljR/s1600-h/twofisted.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMae9hOZy5Y43tJzjK5SvLoG_nIhPdkEbbfEKZi4whQ882RZ46_RQwulLsyrtwQyohwGDKCG-kNyLzvb6njBBeMSIwj7jJ1SRiB7m3VzWvg5dWQveAHSvcOtaJkxR9hAdXnljR/s320/twofisted.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428510351359767378" /></a><br /><br />I am definitely doing one of the Calmer tops after this. Maybe Audrey (in Carnation). Or maybe Tomato in the Knitpicks Simply Cotton.<br /><br />Reading: I finished re-reading the Thursday Next series, and finished Death at the Alma Mater, the third in the Inspector St. Just series by G. M. Malliet. Malliet manages to both parody and honor the conventional mystery novel, in a thoroughly enjoyable balancing act. The first in the series is Death of a Cozy Writer. This installment takes place at one of the lesser Cambridge colleges on alumni weekend, and is great fun (as expected).<br /><br />Writing: Not much this week. I've been up in the writing nook, but mostly getting started again.<br /><br />Cooking: I did a very nice roasted vegetable thing, with Jerusalem artichokes, carrots, potatoes, and garlic scrubbed, chopped, and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roasted at 425 for about 20 minutes. And served over farro (2 cups farro cooked in 5 cups salted water for 45 minutes, then drained) with parmagiano-reggiano. Delicious and simple. I used some of the leftover farro in a basic vegetable soup the next day. I haven't been very into cooking lately, but it seems like it's coming back a bit.allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-72903567320149488042010-01-14T07:56:00.000-08:002010-01-14T07:59:55.513-08:00Resolution-free knittingSo with my 2010 goals modest and relatively non-specific, here's what I've got on the needles.<br /><br />Tesla Scarf:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0j3kwVwYGZArDWHqERxDEyjDVNk1Ru2OLp51bCPxnxUZTx13TmIyIo4ACXkduvQocwQFNOexQq25cf-DCXQZMxfxAaBxE97skTru8bN03cwQXUp5Wl8_RZPQW0Qu5Z8Kkxxn/s1600-h/tesla.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0j3kwVwYGZArDWHqERxDEyjDVNk1Ru2OLp51bCPxnxUZTx13TmIyIo4ACXkduvQocwQFNOexQq25cf-DCXQZMxfxAaBxE97skTru8bN03cwQXUp5Wl8_RZPQW0Qu5Z8Kkxxn/s320/tesla.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426611620217522530" /></a><br />The <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tesla">Tesla Scarf</a> is too lovely not to knit. Being short on Sea Silk, I went with Malabrigo Sock that I had bought in a gorgeous dark red (Tiziano Red). I also skipped the beading on the cast-on, just because I was ready to start knitting and didn't have appropriate beads on hand. The ruffle was fun, and the lace pattern quick to memorize. Not quite mindless knitting, but close. And it seems to be going fast, considering I'm barely working on it at all. I have enjoyed my Love Bites Scarf so much that I wanted to make a couple more scarves for the rotation. I find that I'm cold this winter (maybe my blood has finally thinned after moving from Wisconsin), but a bulky coat gets on my nerves. Just the addition of a scarf helps me stay warm, although on really cold days, I still have to pull out a bulky coat.<br /><br />The Two-Fisted Tank from Pints and Purls: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXx5UEnrgh7Z2xaYDY9IeQrGp6f77wQn0NTAIaZPWBudltBk6CNwGNabRSBzuFkQpl6HOMEyRLHUdC9qexnqUARItAVc010X_G2Yv9_f5Px0JwUOmwtZmzoyhY6RlhvMJITLb/s1600-h/tank.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXx5UEnrgh7Z2xaYDY9IeQrGp6f77wQn0NTAIaZPWBudltBk6CNwGNabRSBzuFkQpl6HOMEyRLHUdC9qexnqUARItAVc010X_G2Yv9_f5Px0JwUOmwtZmzoyhY6RlhvMJITLb/s320/tank.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426620867175106562" /></a><br />Exciting, right? It's a 2x2 ribbed tube. But I think it'll be a cute top, if the falling-down straps don't drive me insane. It's in Knit Picks Comfy Worsted in Honeydew.<br /><br />Hjalte is clicking along on the front (the back is finished). I enjoy the cabling, but the rows seem really long. And I don't have a ball-winder and swift, so I have to stop knitting periodically to wind another ball of Silky Wool. I wouldn't say I hate the sweater; I'm just over it. I'm really ready to be done, but even after I finish the front, there are sleeves to contend with. And I really can't start another complex project until I'm done. I have my two easy-peasy projects on the needles, but the Twist & Shout and the Shipwreck Shawl I have planned probably won't go on the needles until it's too warm for me to wear. Sigh.<br /><br />The last of the Christmas knitting: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLjWY8T_a4OkF1JohPRHAcvgMd9nvoCDoIjWIAVIezvpp_xJn8yPKVX3zawxvs8vmpi7A6LwnqOmX9FSJrWqiQUKgnwWDqFZWY4BrKMMHN7XWMLe4j1iX_VAprm5QpO8I60_u/s1600-h/hatensemble.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLjWY8T_a4OkF1JohPRHAcvgMd9nvoCDoIjWIAVIezvpp_xJn8yPKVX3zawxvs8vmpi7A6LwnqOmX9FSJrWqiQUKgnwWDqFZWY4BrKMMHN7XWMLe4j1iX_VAprm5QpO8I60_u/s320/hatensemble.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426611612421048610" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRU1vG06_CLmaRmwHiMzBeXUICP851xV4OVffJDkkR0mdtSYLk2IEgkuww18fqEVaQfzEvBN_L_J711F84RBmHpJdEQZldJwvKp4DwcTRnngY9ufS9vvX42Zge65e-Oade494v/s1600-h/hatandmittens.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRU1vG06_CLmaRmwHiMzBeXUICP851xV4OVffJDkkR0mdtSYLk2IEgkuww18fqEVaQfzEvBN_L_J711F84RBmHpJdEQZldJwvKp4DwcTRnngY9ufS9vvX42Zge65e-Oade494v/s320/hatandmittens.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426611604440043586" /></a><br /><br />I finished the mittens in time for Christmas. It was a basic pattern I had printed ages ago, and I'm not sure of the source. The hat I sort of winged. I cast on 72 stitches on size 6 dpns and knit in rib until decreasing. The scarf is just 2x2 rib. Lilah really likes her hat and mittens. She specifically asked for a scarf "like Mommy's" to match, so I used the rest of the skein for a small scarf. The yarn is something I picked up from a local dyer at our city's art fair in October. She uses plant dyes, which is amazing. I mean, look at those pinks! Her etsy shop is <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/mamajudes">right here.</a><br /><br />Reading: I finished Shades of Grey, Jasper Fforde's new novel. It was fantastic. I should have the review up soon. I'm re-reading his Thursday Next series before going on to review copies.<br /><br />Writing: Regular work on the murder mystery has begun! Preschool is a fantastic invention.<br /><br />Cooking: Nothing at all, really. Totally uninspired. I've recently made more Pears in Bittersweet Chocolate and Pears in Pinot Noir, but I have yet to mail off my last "holiday" gifts. Maybe they'll be Valentine's presents...allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21548720.post-80330893712056833222010-01-14T07:09:00.001-08:002010-01-14T07:32:18.650-08:002009 Knitting Wrap-Up and 2010 GoalsI didn't really set goals for 2009, which is just as well. But I did manage more projects than I did in 2008, including some items I was very pleased with. My favorite (to-date) knitted sweater, <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2009/02/has-it-really-been-that-long.html">Gathered Pullover</a> and the <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2009/10/so-its-really-autumn-now.html">Love Bites Scarf</a> that I wear almost every day. I also adapted a pattern and came up with a cotton-linen <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2009/12/free-pattern-summer-bracelet-bag.html">bracelet bag</a> that will be a go-to last-minute gift idea for me.<br /><br />Setting goals I can't achieve actually adds more stress to my life, so I won't be setting very many. <br /><br />1. Finish Matt's <a href="http://allisonmariecat.blogspot.com/2009/11/geez-is-it-november.html">Hjalte</a>: Before I can knit anything else of any complexity, I have to finish Hjalte. It's been my almost-exclusive television knitting, but I don't actually watch that much television. I am finally nearing the end of the front. Then it's just the sleeves. Oy.<br /><br />2. Summer tops! With Christmas money, I made some cotton-blend yarn purchases, including Rowan Calmer, which I love. My purse knitting at the moment is from a cute book I got for Christmas, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pints-Purls-Portable-Projects-Knitter/dp/160061146X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263482383&sr=8-1">Pints and Purls</a>, a very basic ribbed tank top. In Knit Picks Comfy Worsted (a surprisingly soft, yet very affordable, cotton-blend yarn), and size 7 needles, it's going really quickly, and it's delightfully mindless. Other summer tops I have planned: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/arbor">Arbor</a>, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/siesta">Siesta</a>, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/audrey">Audrey</a>, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tomato">Tomato</a>, and <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/camisa">Camisa</a>. I may obviously not finish these this year, which is fine. It's just nice to have enough summer yarn to keep a summer top on the needles indefinitely.<br /><br />3. A sweater for Lilah. She's requested a purple sweater.<br /><br />4. I'm not planning gift knitting this year; I'll just add those projects in as they strike me. <br /><br />Non-knitting goals:<br /><br />1. In 2009, I read 116 books. Not terribly impressive after 2008's 217 books. Not that it's physically possible for me to top that one. I'm not setting a specific number of books as a goal for 2010, but I would like to be more organized with my book reviewing over at <a href="http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com">On My Bookshelf.</a> I'm entering review copies into my calendar with release dates. I also continue to be conscious of balancing my fluffy reading of mysteries and kids' books with literary fiction. This year, I'd also like to add a couple of classics I haven't yet read to my list. I haven't really determined what a reasonable goal for classics would be. One a month would be nice, but seems a bit much with review reading and entertainment reading. And brushing up on my Shakespeare thanks to the iPhone Shakespeare app :)<br /><br />2. Lilah is in...preschool! Someone else is in charge of her three mornings a week! This is exactly what I need for 2010 to be the year the murder mystery is finished. Though I am going to be saaaaaaaaaad when summer starts. I'm just getting as much done as I can while she's in school.<br /><br />3. I always set a goal of more frequent blogging. It's good for me to write something non-murder-mystery-related on a regular basis. I don't think I'll be a daily blogger, but maybe. Weekly would be good. Anyway, I'll throw a nonspecific "more blogging" goal out there.allisonmariecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00211696859124273031noreply@blogger.com1