Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Almost a MONTH!
I cannot believe it’s been nearly a month since my last post! And I was doing so well at my target of minimum 1 post per week. It’s time to get back on track.
Knitting:
Remember this-
Yeah… First try was the Yarn Harlot’s Unoriginal Hat. The photo above is the second try where the gauge was wayyyyy too tight. And then there was the third try where I figured out that I didn’t have nearly enough yarn to knit a hat with that yarn. So it was frogged and set aside for something else. I might just have to do a cowl or a short scarf with buttons.
Instead I got started on this:
It’s soon to be another monster from Rebecca Danger’s Big Book of Monsters. It was supposed to be a “ball shaped” monster, but I decided I wanted more of a pill shape, so I’ve added a bunch of knit rows before the decreases. Since I hate seaming and hand sewing I’m going to pick-up the stitches to start the arms and legs and just knit them to the body like that. It will be so much easier, though typically slightly frustrating to get started.
Sewing:
I haven’t been sewing much; I’ve been pretty well stuck on the knitting. I’ve got a ton of stuff saved up on my pinterest board for future projects. I need to make another trip to the knitting sewing shop I discovered a month ago.
Biking:
After taking some time off because of the heat-wave, we’ve gotten going again. In the middle of the month we went to Columbus, OH to visit family and rode 30 miles on their trail system. It was LOVELY. There were a lot of people out in the park we started out on, but as we made our way towards the city there were fewer and few people. I took my camera but didn’t get many photos on the bike ride. We did get some of a heron that took flight close to where we were biking, and I got some photos of family pets but otherwise the camera didn’t come out.
Photography:
Saturday will be photography day. It has now been decided. I haven’t really had my camera out much, just a few shots here and there. I did get a photo of our bike gang, the Regulators*, on Saturday.
Cooking:
I bought a slow cooker cookbook (This one) and have been making some of the chicken recipes. I’ve made2 so far, and they’ve been kinda meh. I haven’t given up yet though. I’m trying to do two Crockpot meals per week to cut down on kitchen time during the week. I really like this book on principle though, not a single recipe that begins with “Open a can of cream of mushroom soup”. The challenge is our family’s particular food exclusions- I have to cook with very little fat, no beef or pork, and little/no dairy. Then you add personal preferences: I don’t like beans or peppers (the veggies, not the spice) and Mr. TEK doesn’t like most vegetables. Another challenge is our location. We live in a more rural town 30 minutes outside of Detroit, while we do have access to some “fancy” foods, there are some that just are not carried at our local Meijer, like porcini or cremini mushrooms.
Travel:
I’m planning a short camping trip for us. We’re going to the west side of the state for just two nights. Our major point of interest is the beach. I’m planning to spend an entire afternoon on the beach and hopefully watch the sun set. It should be a great opportunity for some photography.
*the Regulators are comprised of me and my husband. Yes, we are nerds, thanks for asking.
Duke would rather wear a chicken helmet. I promise.
Knitting:
Remember this-
Yeah… First try was the Yarn Harlot’s Unoriginal Hat. The photo above is the second try where the gauge was wayyyyy too tight. And then there was the third try where I figured out that I didn’t have nearly enough yarn to knit a hat with that yarn. So it was frogged and set aside for something else. I might just have to do a cowl or a short scarf with buttons.
Instead I got started on this:
It’s soon to be another monster from Rebecca Danger’s Big Book of Monsters. It was supposed to be a “ball shaped” monster, but I decided I wanted more of a pill shape, so I’ve added a bunch of knit rows before the decreases. Since I hate seaming and hand sewing I’m going to pick-up the stitches to start the arms and legs and just knit them to the body like that. It will be so much easier, though typically slightly frustrating to get started.
Sewing:
I haven’t been sewing much; I’ve been pretty well stuck on the knitting. I’ve got a ton of stuff saved up on my pinterest board for future projects. I need to make another trip to the knitting sewing shop I discovered a month ago.
Biking:
After taking some time off because of the heat-wave, we’ve gotten going again. In the middle of the month we went to Columbus, OH to visit family and rode 30 miles on their trail system. It was LOVELY. There were a lot of people out in the park we started out on, but as we made our way towards the city there were fewer and few people. I took my camera but didn’t get many photos on the bike ride. We did get some of a heron that took flight close to where we were biking, and I got some photos of family pets but otherwise the camera didn’t come out.
Photography:
Saturday will be photography day. It has now been decided. I haven’t really had my camera out much, just a few shots here and there. I did get a photo of our bike gang, the Regulators*, on Saturday.
Cooking:
I bought a slow cooker cookbook (This one) and have been making some of the chicken recipes. I’ve made2 so far, and they’ve been kinda meh. I haven’t given up yet though. I’m trying to do two Crockpot meals per week to cut down on kitchen time during the week. I really like this book on principle though, not a single recipe that begins with “Open a can of cream of mushroom soup”. The challenge is our family’s particular food exclusions- I have to cook with very little fat, no beef or pork, and little/no dairy. Then you add personal preferences: I don’t like beans or peppers (the veggies, not the spice) and Mr. TEK doesn’t like most vegetables. Another challenge is our location. We live in a more rural town 30 minutes outside of Detroit, while we do have access to some “fancy” foods, there are some that just are not carried at our local Meijer, like porcini or cremini mushrooms.
Travel:
I’m planning a short camping trip for us. We’re going to the west side of the state for just two nights. Our major point of interest is the beach. I’m planning to spend an entire afternoon on the beach and hopefully watch the sun set. It should be a great opportunity for some photography.
*the Regulators are comprised of me and my husband. Yes, we are nerds, thanks for asking.
Duke would rather wear a chicken helmet. I promise.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Todd's Hat- Finished!
Here is Todd's Hat:
Doesn't look much different from the last photo, huh? yeah, the only difference is that there are no scraggly ends hanging off.
Project details:
For: Todd
Yarn: Cascade 220 Black and Orange
Needles: Addi Turbo Click US8 (love these needles!)
Pattern: Mish-mash of the hat patterns in Last Minute Knitted Gifts with a colorwork chart of my design- base image is copyright by the band GlassJaw. I hope they don't mind my interpretation! Please note, due to the copyright I will not be sharing the chart on this blog.
I like knitting hats that are quick, mostly easy, but have some details that make it fun to knit and watch develop. This hat definitely fits that bill! Next up- Another hat for me!
Doesn't look much different from the last photo, huh? yeah, the only difference is that there are no scraggly ends hanging off.
Project details:
For: Todd
Yarn: Cascade 220 Black and Orange
Needles: Addi Turbo Click US8 (love these needles!)
Pattern: Mish-mash of the hat patterns in Last Minute Knitted Gifts with a colorwork chart of my design- base image is copyright by the band GlassJaw. I hope they don't mind my interpretation! Please note, due to the copyright I will not be sharing the chart on this blog.
I like knitting hats that are quick, mostly easy, but have some details that make it fun to knit and watch develop. This hat definitely fits that bill! Next up- Another hat for me!
Monday, August 1, 2011
I'm actually finishing things!
More than just the hat for Todd, I've finished the curtains for my kitchen windows too! They had been languishing for quite some time. I sewed one of them, just a simple, flat curtain, with two fabrics, and the other set was just hemming a cheap Target set.
Not much of anything else, just had to take some time off of biking because of the heat and my adventure with hives. Yeah, allergic to another antibiotic. That's two that I'm allergic to, as well as the one that I might be sensitive to. It's awesome being me.
I was taking pictures of the knitting projects I have in progress and Duke felt the need to help, but first the knits...
1. Bunny Nugget. Another long-standing project. It's been sitting on my desk for months, waiting for me to get some stuffing. Now that I have the stuffing, I'll be putting in the eyes and doing the finishing. It will be a cute addition to a baby gift, maybe with an attached i-cord to tie to attach to a pacifier or some velcro to wrap around the handle of the carrier.
2. Shadow Cable Hat from the Fall 2011 Interweave magazine. I had started the Yarn Harlot Unoriginal Hat pattern, but then I got the new IK in the mail. Frogged it and immediately started this hat. It's going super quick, but I'm not sure about the drape. I'm knitting this bulky yarn on 11s, but I think I'd be better off getting some 13s or 15s out and seeing how that looks. I'm concerned it's going to be too stiff. I've got time to think about it though.
3. Another Monster is soon to be made. I got the yarn today at a new yarn and fabric store in my town(!). It is right by Duke's vets office. I found it when I went by to pick up his special food. It's a super cute shop, but I'm not sure what it is called. I just saw a hand-lettered sign that said "Fabric & Yarn; Knitting & Quilting" and had to find it.
And here's Duke, investigating my backdrop set-up.
Not much of anything else, just had to take some time off of biking because of the heat and my adventure with hives. Yeah, allergic to another antibiotic. That's two that I'm allergic to, as well as the one that I might be sensitive to. It's awesome being me.
I was taking pictures of the knitting projects I have in progress and Duke felt the need to help, but first the knits...
1. Bunny Nugget. Another long-standing project. It's been sitting on my desk for months, waiting for me to get some stuffing. Now that I have the stuffing, I'll be putting in the eyes and doing the finishing. It will be a cute addition to a baby gift, maybe with an attached i-cord to tie to attach to a pacifier or some velcro to wrap around the handle of the carrier.
2. Shadow Cable Hat from the Fall 2011 Interweave magazine. I had started the Yarn Harlot Unoriginal Hat pattern, but then I got the new IK in the mail. Frogged it and immediately started this hat. It's going super quick, but I'm not sure about the drape. I'm knitting this bulky yarn on 11s, but I think I'd be better off getting some 13s or 15s out and seeing how that looks. I'm concerned it's going to be too stiff. I've got time to think about it though.
3. Another Monster is soon to be made. I got the yarn today at a new yarn and fabric store in my town(!). It is right by Duke's vets office. I found it when I went by to pick up his special food. It's a super cute shop, but I'm not sure what it is called. I just saw a hand-lettered sign that said "Fabric & Yarn; Knitting & Quilting" and had to find it.
And here's Duke, investigating my backdrop set-up.
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