Yarn Martini

Praying Mantis, Knitting and Stuff

2008-12-21T09:40:00.011-05:00

So Bob is home watching TV, and he emails me at work. He was watching a show on praying mantis and here is what he wrote:

"Oh and the mantis just had sex and she ate him alive after cause he didn't get away fast enough, hence why the male will leave the bed and not want to snuggle after sex!!"

He needs a job.

Latest Knitting:
Above: Evangeline fingerless mitts made with Fisherman's Wool that I dyed with Kool-Aid.

Thrummed mitt made with Fisherman's Wool and Louet Northern Lights roving. The picture above is the inside of the mitten. Nice and toasty warm!!

Robin's Egg Blue Hat, made with Lamb's Pride Bulky. Nice quick knit.

And here is the weather report from Michigan:We got slammed with about 8-10" of snow Friday, and another 3-5" last night. Fun.

Now a quick recipe:

Feta Spread

1 block cream cheese
1 container feta cheese
Italian seasoning, about 2 TB
minced garlic, about 3-4 cloves

Mix all together, spread on crackers.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-27T10:29:00.002-05:00

Oohhh...our house smells soooo good!!!!!!! Not from turkey or stuffing or pie, but from a snack I am making: Spiced Chickpeas!!!!!!!
Here is the recipe:

Indian Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
olive oil

Spice Mix:

chili powder
curry powder
cumin powder
ground tumeric
cinnamon
ground ginger
salt
pepper

Heat over to 350. Drain and rinse chickpeas and pat them dry.
Mix spices to whatever ratio you like. I never measure anything, but I used about 3 TB chili powder and about 2 tsp of the other spices. Use your nose to tell what you like.
Drizzle some olive oil over the chickpeas and mix well. Add spice mix and stir until everything is coated.
Layer chickpeas on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

Variations on Spice Mix:
Cajun: Use creole seasoning and cayenne pepper.
Oriental: Use Chinese five-spice powder, ground ginger and a slight drizzle of sesame oil.

My dad is coming over for dinner, and I am just making turkey cutlets that are breaded and pan-fried, stuffing with sage sausage and mushrooms, and mashed potatoes courtesy of Bob Evans. Bob bought a pumpkin pie and we bought some desserts from Horizons Patisserie. They were sold out of almost everything by Wednesday afternoon and we only got some cashew bars and pecan things.
Special thanks to Bob for trudging to W-Mart on Thanksgiving to buy some last-minute items!

No matter how bad we think life can get for us, we always have family and friends to be thankful for.

Lucy's Fancy Sweater

2008-11-22T18:39:00.005-05:00

Lucy got a haircut, and she looked cold so I knit her a sweater. The color looks great on her! She did not like it much. She acted like she could not walk and leaned against the wall. It was great fun for humans, not so much for cats. I explained to Lucy that I would never hurt her, I would only exploit and humiliate her for my own amusement.Last weekend I made a great White Chicken Chili. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. Chicken Breast

16 Oz. White Beans

2 Large Onions (Medium Dice)

8 Oz. can Green Chili Peppers (Chopped)

3/4 Cup Chicken Stock

1 Tsp. Tabasco Sauce

2 Cups Half&Half

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1 Stick Butter (Unsalted)

1 Tsp. Cumin seeds (roasted and ground)

1 1/2 Tsp. Chili Powder

1 Tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Pepper

1 1/2 Cups Monterey Jack Cheese (Grated)

Butter and/or Olive Oil for cooking

Directions:
Notes: I found Fire Roasted Green Chilies at W-Mart. Next time I would use two cans of beans and two cans of chilies. Also, I only used 1 lb. of chicken breasts and green Tabasco and not as much sour cream.

The recipe came from Group Recipes, which is a great site. I plan on making this again tomorrow. It is best served with some crusty rolls.

Bob made a great pizza the other night. You can see it on his blog.

One Recipe, One Equation, and Cats Playing Yahtzee

2008-10-11T05:34:00.006-04:00

Almost Monte Cristo

You will need:

frozen waffles
sliced turkey
sliced ham
swiss cheese
cheddar cheese
raspberry or strawberry jam

Heat oven to 375 degrees, place waffles on a cookie sheet. Put them in the over while it is still heating up. Bake for about 5 minutes.
Flip waffles over and using two waffles per sandwich, layer one waffle with the turkey, ham and cheeses. Top with some jam and the other waffle. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until waffles are brown. Enjoy!!

And now for the equation:

1 unemployed man + his urge to download a "free robot game" = complete computer wipeout!

Everything on our computer is gone. Pictures, files, itunes songs, all the knitting patterns I saved, internet bookmarks, GONE. And I had a lot of knitting patterns and bookmarks!!! : (
I had The Tall One come over and reinstall the programs, so we ended up with a "new" computer with nothing on it.

Cats Playing Yahtzee
My cats love Yahtzee. They are pretty good at picking the right dice to keep, sometimes they beat me!

Non-Wedding Talk

2008-09-26T04:57:00.003-04:00

For those of you who don't know, Bob lost his job last week. We thought it might happen, but now it is a reality. I have no clue what is going to happen with the wedding now. What if we have to move? We can still have the wedding here, but it would be difficult. We have to go on a weekend retreat for the church, but what if we are not living here? I have not been doing anything for the wedding because I am not sure what is going to happen. Right now, we can't afford anything for the wedding so I have lost any ambition to plan anything. We can barely afford to live, let alone pay for a small wedding. I don't make that much money and if I had to live on my own with what I make, I would be living in my mother's basement. Bob and I don't live extravagantly, but now it is going to be difficult to live at all. We did go to Alpaca Fest in Birch Run last weekend. It was free to attend so that saved us some money!

In cat news, Lucy is going through a phase where she is chewing on cords. She is not being destructive, but just lightly chewing on random power cords, phone cords, computer cords, any cords she can find. I am not worried because she is not biting into the cords, but I have still been telling her "not for you!" and she stops.

My New Ride

2008-09-13T05:45:00.004-04:00

It is a Chevrolet Equinox. It is a car/SUV crossover and I love it! The color is bright blue (just like my old Focus) which I don't mind. The car has everything I could ask for...OnStar, XM radio, fancy rims, radio controls on the steering wheel and a nice smooth ride. My Focus was turning into a piece of junk (to put it mildly!) The front end struts and stabilizer bars were always breaking and it was a dangerous car to drive on snow. The Equinox is front-wheel drive (I did not opt for the AWD one) and it has some weight to it which will make it perfect for Michigan winters. The Focus also had front-wheel drive, but the thing was so light that it slid around the lane in snow making me feel like I was going to spin out, even at 20 mph.
The Equinox is a used 2005 model with only 55,000 miles on it. I was looking for a Ford Explorer Sport, but my sales buddy (who I know personally) said "you don't want that SUV" so I saw the Equinox and that was that. I have only put 35 miles on in in 3 days! I know gas prices are insane right now, but I don't drive that much (6 miles round trip to work) and gas is gas so I am not worried.

Here is a video on the vehicle

Also, it is now football season. Bob loves the Vikings so we spend most Sundays at Damon's to watch the game. I just take some knitting along to keep me busy!

Bounty from Mom

2008-08-17T11:03:00.004-04:00

My mother has a great garden and loaded me up with a lot of goodies the other day.
Tomatoes, basil, parsley along with some garlic and a lemon. I made a wonderful baked bruschetta using some regular bread.

Baked Bruschetta
I rarely measure anything, so use your own judgments and taste!

1 loaf French baguette
1 stick butter, room temp
4 cloves garlic, minced
dried oregano
diced tomatoes
mozzarella cheese, shredded
fresh basil leaves
salt & pepper

Cut bread into slices about 1/2" thick. Toast slices in oven and set aside.
Mix butter, garlic and oregano together and spread some of the butter mixture on each slice of bread.
Top with tomatoes, salt & pepper and cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.
Top with fresh basil leaves and serve.

Mom also gave me some homemade fish cakes (like crab cakes) and they were really good. I made a sauce of mayonnaise, lemon juice and dill to have with the cakes.

My stepbrother brought over a giant water slide for all the kids and the thing is huge!!!

Another Addiction....

2008-08-04T17:52:00.007-04:00

Spinning yarn!!! I have no clue why, but I just wanted to try it. After some not so good results, I finally found some great resources thanks to the very talented people at Ravelry. Now I have another passion that I am loving. Above is a practice run. I bought some wool roving that was blue and green and separated it into two strips. I plan on plying the two colors together. Below is the roving spun as is:Sorry for the blurry picture. One of my first attempts did not turn out so well......

Very uneven and "wormy". This was made right after spinning yarn "clicked". I used some random roving I had for needle felting. I think it is just wool, maybe with some alpaca too. The book Spin to Knit by Shannon Oakey says "your first yarn can be soncidered designer yarn, with the unevenness and thick and thin parts" and I have to agree. The spindle is made by me out of a toy wheel, wood dowel and a cup hook. I made another one today out of a large flat bead (some sort of stone) and a wood dowel. Butterfly Girl Designs has some lovely spindles!! The roving for sale on Esty is to die for!! I would order everything if my budget allowed, but I only ordered some BFL and a batt for now. I can't wait until they arrive! I still have plenty of the blue & green roving left but I am anxious to try new fibers.

My New Addiction...

2008-07-14T20:29:00.009-04:00

I decided to try dyeing my own yarn, and it turned out great! I used Kool Aid for the colors and here is a picture of the final product....
I call the colorway Grateful Dead because Bob said it would make a great tie-dye shirt.

Before I wound it up, it looked like this...I did another hank today with pink, orange, blue and green. The next one I would like to do is different shades of purple with some yellow, like an iris flower. I used the dip method, and will experiment with "painting" the color on as well. Below are some in-the-process pictures I took to document my adventure:This is the yarn as I wound it to form it into a long hank. (There is the plastic snakey-snake cat toy on the floor, you wind it up and it wiggles along the floor.)

Next I soaked the yarn in water:
Then it was into the dye for a steamy soak:

After that, I rinsed it and hung it up to dry. This morning I wound it into the hank you saw above. I gave it to my mom and she loved it. My adventure into dyeing has begun!

Mommy, We Have a Visitor!

2008-07-13T08:58:00.006-04:00

Lucy and Sake have a friend! He comes right up to the window and looks inside to see if I am home to give him peanuts. He is pretty friendly, I can open the door when he is outside and he does not run away. I just have to be careful that he does not get in the house!
At my old house in Hemlock, I had a chipmunk that would come right up to me and sit on my leg. I would call him and he would come running for peanuts.
My latest knitting project is completed, I nade it for my sister's birthday. It only took a few hours and turned out great. Yes, it is a thong.

Now for my secret indulgence........I love to watch Tori and Dean, Home Sweet Hollywood. I am not a fan of reality shows, or even a big fan of Tori Spelling, but I started watching the show when they had the bed & breakfast and liked it. They are so cute together!

One Year and Counting...

2008-06-28T09:54:00.005-04:00

Bob and I get married on June 27, 2009! He is in Minnesota right now and I miss him.
I have been knitting up a storm since he left on Tuesday. Here is what I have made so far...
They are Arizona Flip Flop Socks. They were fun to make and cute to boot!! I used Cascade Fixation yarn, it is cotton with a little elastic. Soft and stretchy.

I also made this...Calorimetry is the pattern. It is a headband/hat. Very quick to knit and it fits great. I just need a button. I am going to make a lot of these to give away (Aunt Sandy, you are getting one!) It is a headband that keeps your ears warm, and allows your hair not to get mushed like wearing a hat would do. It is great for when you are wearing your hair up or for keeping it out of your face on a windy day. Click on the picture to see it in action.
Today I am going to get some more yarn (like I don't have enough already!) and buttons for Calorimetry. I may even try to put some things in the garage, our place still looks like we are just moving in. My bedroom is like a storage area, and I want to get in nice and girly like I had it at my house. It will be my area to relax and knit, surrounded by quilts, embroidered table runners, lace and pastel colors. I no longer have a dresser, it was stolen from my old house along with my mountain bike, jewelry armoire (with a pearl necklace in it) and various other things that I cannot replace. I think one of the renters stole the stuff, they are the only ones who had access to the basement where my things were.

Dave Matthews & Rush

2008-06-12T20:13:00.003-04:00

Monday night, Bob, Andreja, Josh and I went to see Dave Matthews at the DTE Music Theater. It was a great show! On the way back home we stopped at White Castle for burgers and they were really good. On Tuesday, Bob and I went to the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit to see Rush, where we got to go backstage and meet the band.

You can read more about our concert adventures at Bob's blog.

Knitting-wise, I am almost done with Coachella. I was hoping to have it done to wear to the Rush concert, but that did not happen. My boss and his wife had their baby last night, so I have to get cracking to get the blanket done. It is not far from being finished, but as any knitter knows, nothing ever is! That is why we have so many WIPs!!! (that is Works In Progress for you non-knitters out there!) So I better get going on my projects........

I Got Lei'd!!!

2008-05-29T06:04:00.015-04:00

Memorial Day Bob and I went to a luau at my sister's house. It was fun! We drank pina colodas, Bahama mamas, and Washington apple shots from frozen ice shot glasses. Coconut shrimp, fresh fruit and pineapple salsa my mom made were the appetizers. For the main course, Josh made a sweet-n-spicy chicken that was very good.

My three nieces had a blast! Josh made them virgin pina colodas and they loved them. Jenna, her sister Hilah and Inara looked cute wearing their leis as headbands.Rocky the dog also got into the act by wearing a lei. He is the best dog in the world!! I want to steal him from my sister.
Ayden showed off his best Power Rangers move for me. Look at that shirt! How adorable. He is a great little guy.

Then there is my honey!! You can see Josh in the background cooking. My mom made some citrus rice to go with the chicken, and I made an oriental salad (Josh told me to bring it!) Everyone had a great time.
Bob said my sister looked like a Sold Gold dancer with her off-the-shoulder shirt, and my sister replied "What is a Solid Gold dancer?" Makes me feel old!!!!!!!!

Knitting News: I am almost done with Coachella and I tried it on, it is a bit too small under the arms, but looks great overall. I am using Paton's Brilliant yarn. It has some sparkle in it. The colorway is green/gold and I can't wait for the top to be done!

Sushi Night Again, and Wedding Talk!!!

2008-05-24T20:10:00.005-04:00

Last night was sushi night at Genjis and Bob and I tried something new, Ahi Tuna Poke. It was good, but really spicy! It is layers of fried won ton skins topped with spicy tuna, avocado and poke sauce. The picture of it is to the right. We were waited on by our favorite bartender/server, Amanda. We also had shrimp wrapped in shoestring potatoes then deep fried and served with wasabi mayo and cucumber rolls.

Today we went to the Antique Warehouse and I found a great brooch for the wedding! I want to wear it in my hair on our wedding day. So I have something old and blue at once!! The picture of it does not do it justice. Monday we are going to a luau at my sister's house so that should be fun.

3:30 A.M.

2008-05-21T03:37:00.006-04:00

For some odd reason, I cannot sleep. I think I am stressed out, but over what I do not know. The wedding planning is going along fine, Bob and I have only been engaged for 5 days and I already have everything planned, from the colors to the guest list, the bridesmaids gifts to the cake. My dress is picked out and we are just waiting to see if we can get the place for the reception and have to make a decision on food. I want everything to be done so I don't have to worry about it later. I just want to be able to show up on the day (tentatively June 20, 2009) and not worry about anything until then.

So now for wedding talk! My colors are Tiffany's blue/aqua and black, maybe with some silver mixed in. We are having a "retro martini bar/50's style/Audrey Hepburn" theme. I would like to have the reception at the Leopard Lounge at the Temple Theater. It would fit the theme perfectly! We are only having about 75 guests, with heavy hours d'oeuvres and cocktails. The one problem we have is where to get married. Bob has always wanted a church wedding, and he is Catholic and I am not. So that creates a problem. If it were up to me, we would get married on a beach in the Bahamas and that would be it. This is my second time around, but Bob has never been married. I have to admit that I like being able to plan a wedding (before I just got married at the courthouse, no reception, only family at a dinner).

Below is a picture of what I want my bouquet to look like, and to the right is the bridesmaids dress. Very simple. The blue of the roses is lighter than what my color would be, so I may have to find a different flower to get the color right.

Since Bob and I are doing this on our own, I am trying to keep things as reasonable as possible. I will attempt to make my own centerpieces for the tables, I don't plan on having any real flowers except for the wedding bouquet, bridesmaids bouquets, something for the flower girls, and boutiners for the groom and best man (men?) The big expense is going to be the food and music. I have no clue about wedding favors. Bob said he has never heard of them, that it must be a Michigan thing. I am pretty sure wedding favors are common all over. I am not having a bridal shower or bachelorette party. I do want to have my nieces and soon-to-been nieces as flower girls, and my nephew and youngest soon-to-be niece as ring bearers. Other than that, I really have no clue how a wedding "goes". I have not been to many weddings, and have never been in one. I am sure I will have a lot of input from people along the way.

Uncle Sam Wants You To...

2008-05-18T06:37:00.007-04:00

Have a beer for your country!!!!!!!!!

This was at the World Expo of Beer in Frankenmuth yesterday. Bob and Josh just had to have a picture of themselves with Uncle Sam. The beer fest was great, there were a lot of great stouts (my favorite!) and even some non-beer beers, like the one that looked and tasted like an orange creamsicle. You bought a ticket for $1.00 and each sample taste took one ticket. Everyone was very friendly, in fact the attendees kept offering "do you want to try a sip of this?" No, Mr. Stranger, I do not want to drink out of your cup! I could easily go to the vendor and get a sample!
One thing they did have was deep fried Oreos. They were too sweet!!!
There was a live band there, and they started playing Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond, and EVERYONE sang along! It was fun. The drummer of the band was my friend Donnie Brown, who I have not seen in a few years. He is (was?) the drummer for The Verve Pipe. It was great to see him. He played drums with my brother at the Munger Potato Fest last summer but I did not get to see them play.
After the beer fest, we went to Old Town with my sister, Josh, and my sis' friends Becky and Mike (who are also newly engaged!)
At the right is Josh, me and Bob having some great beer.

Big News!!!

2008-05-17T12:57:00.001-04:00

Bob asked me to marry him today, and I said yes!!! We don't have a date set, but it will probably be sometime next year. Now time to celebrate!!!!!!!!

Munchie Weekend

2008-05-17T11:24:00.004-04:00

I love to munch and appetizers are my favorite thing to eat! Here is a recipe for a cracker spread that I make (all measurements for seasonings are approximate, I never measure anything so adjust to your taste)
Feta Spread
1 block cream cheese
1 pkg. crumbled feta cheese (about 4 oz.)
mayonnaise, about 2 TB. (NOT Miracle Whip!!!)
Italian seasoning, about 1 TB.
minced garlic, about 2 TB.
Mix all ingredients above and serve with crackers or veggies. Best if refrigerated for about 2 hours before serving.

In other news, today is the World Expo of Beer in Frankenmuth and Bob, Josh and I are going to attend. I don't like beer, except for Guinness and some new stuff Bob bought that is thicker and richer than Guinness, so I don't see myself having too much beer today. Bob and Josh on the other hand are beer fanatics. I have a feeling I will be the one driving home........

Tandoori Chicken

2008-05-14T17:46:00.006-04:00

Last night I made tandoori chicken and it was great! My version goes like this:
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (not these ones)
2 cups plain yogurt
curry powder
turmeric
cumin
cinnamon

Mix yogurt and spices, marinate chicken in the mixture for 4-6 hours. Grill chicken until done.
I served it with an Asian-type slaw; I used broccoli slaw, green onions, diced cucumber and peanuts tossed together with a bottled Asian dressing and I made potatoes with garlic and dill.

I have gone semi-vegetarian, that chicken was the first meat I have had in almost a week. I am not missing meat that much. I had a veggie Whopper today (although it probably is just as bad for you with all the mayo on it!). I think I just need to eat more "whole" foods and stay away from processed things. The chicken club chalupa from Taco Bell is really calling my name.....

There is a new girl in the house and her name is Sake! Lucy does not like her at all, but they are slowly becoming friends. Sake has taken to chasing Lucy, and I think they are playing in their own way until they can figure out who belongs where in the household. Sake was adopted from a shelter at the pet fair and she is sweet and loving. Her favorite thing is to steal drinking straws from a cup.

It's Friday!!

2008-05-02T18:15:00.005-04:00

Finally! I thought this week would never end!! I am almost done with the log cabin blanket for my boss' soon-to-be-born daughter. I hope he and she like it!! I also casted on for Coachella and am using Patons Brilliant in a green/gold colorway. It was on clearance for $3.00 a ball!

I forgot to tell everyone, my brother's band he is in has an awesome video! It is Brett Mitchell and the video is Born Too Late.
I was really impressed with the video! My brother is the one playing bass.
Not much else has happened lately. I am going to the Pet Expo tomorrow. I may get another kitten. I have been thinking about it for a while, but I am not sure how Lucy would be with another cat. She is very much a "mama's cat" and is a loner. She does not sit on laps, does not eat any people food, and pretty much is just a decoration. She plays and likes to be petted and purrs, but overall she is a diva. She will lay with me in bed at night, but usually does not stay the whole night. And she NEVER comes up on the bed when Bob is in bed with me. I think she thinks Bob took her mommy away. I pay her a lot of attention, but I think she wants me all to herself. We will see if I get another kitty.

What the F*#k

2008-04-21T19:27:00.004-04:00

So I have been having some chest pain off and on for about a week. It is right in the center of my chest, where the breast plate is. I thought maybe I coughed too hard and strained something, and it was not too painful and I could deal with it. Yesterday the pain was so intense and bad that I went to the hospital at 6:00 p.m. (I do not have insurance, so it has to be bad for me to go to the hospital!) They did all the usual tests, gave me nitro, davrocet, morphine and xanax. Nothing helped. The doctor said he wanted me to stay overnight for observation, and I turned into a royal bitch. First, they could not find anything wrong with me. Second, I cannot afford to stay. Third, I was still in a lot of pain. I was being wheeled to my room and said I wanted a cigarette. The nurse said "OK, and I will have one with you." She wheeled me outside, with me still in my bed, onto a loading dock to smoke.
Needless to say, I had a stress test this morning and it did not show anything. Neither did the x-ray. My heart is fine, my blood pressure is great, cholesterol is 139, I am perfectly healthy. I am still in a lot of pain, it feels like someone punched me in the middle of my chest. So what the f*#k is wrong with me? I cannot function like this. The pain comes and goes, but only goes away for about 30-40 minutes. I have been relaxing, I am not stressed out (that I know of) and the pain is still here.

It's Legal Crack

2008-04-19T18:11:00.006-04:00

A local sandwich shop has the BEST sandwiches in the world. My friend's sister-in-law owns the restaurant, and I have been there three times this week alone. You can see their menu at Click City Menus. My favorite is #20, #12 and #4. All sandwiches are served with kettle chips and a huge pickle spear. The salads are ginormous!!!

In other news, the boyfriend and my brother-in-law and myself went to see Carols Santana in concert last night. It was a great concert and we went to eat at Joe's Crab Shack afterwards. At Joe's, we ordered these HUGE drinks. Mine was called Shark Attack (blue in color, then you pour red grenadine into it so it looks like bloody water) and the only reason I ordered it was because it comes with a plastic shark that you get to keep. I was very excited for my drink to arrive and wanted to take a picture of the red grenadine being poured into it. The waiter brought the drinks, and started pouring the grenadine in, and I yelled "Wait, don't put it in yet!" and everyone started laughing, including the waiter. I guess I did not realize what I was saying! Above is a picture of the drink, it was huge!!

Felting Class

2008-04-10T17:29:00.004-04:00

The felting class on Sunday was great! I made a Lucy Cat, but she still needs some work and I will post pictures soon. The real Lucy Cat is on catnip overload right now--I bought some organic catnip for her on my lunch and she is going crazy!! Sometimes she could care less about catnip, but she is loving this stuff!
I am currently knitting a log cabin baby blanket for my boss and his wife. Two baby bibs are already completed and I purchased Mason Dixon knitting to get the baby kimono pattern so I can make one of those as well. I will have pictures up soon of all current projects!

In other news....my Ravelry invite has arrived!!!!!!!!!!!! Who hoo!!!!!!!!!!!

Sushi Night!!!

2008-04-04T17:42:00.002-04:00

It's Friday...time to indulge after a hectic week and that means sushi and sake! Almost every Friday Bob and I try to go out for sushi. There is a Japanese steakhouse in town where we go.

Sunday I am taking a 3D needle felting class at Twisted Warp and Skein in Merrill, MI. Last week I saw some cute cats they made and I am going to make a Lucy Cat to put on my desk at work.

Great Find!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-03T05:46:00.001-04:00

I ran across a blog that shows you how to put knitting patterns on your ipod. Great idea!!! I have an ipod Nano and love it. This will be great!!! Now I can take small projects that require a pattern anywhere!!!
Go to http://pixiepurls.com (sorry, blogger would not take the link info) and look under the Hot Links on the sidebar.

Picture of the Day

2008-04-02T17:40:00.003-04:00

Not that I am going to have a picture to put on my blog every day, but the drink of the day is raspberry vodka and pink lemonade. Yummy! Next to it is my latest yarn purchase, Cotton Classic from Tahki/Stacy Charles. Not sure what I am going to do with it yet.

Another pic of me drinking a purple haze martini on Easter at my mom's house (that is her in the background.)

Felting

2008-04-01T18:26:00.006-04:00

This is a felted purse I made last summer. The pattern is from a diagonal scarf pattern that my mom gave me. It uses short rows to form triangles. I just knitted it according to the pattern and didn't finish it off square like that pattern indicated. The strap was a bitch to do!!! I did it the same way as the purse but next time I will just make a normal strap. I can't remember what the pattern is called, but I have seen it on the internet and will post a link when I find it. I used some beads attached to the flap to help keep the flap closed.
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted and Paton's Wool

Newest FO

2008-04-01T05:51:00.006-04:00

What is it? A mitten gone wrong?
No! It's a hand warmer for when you are surfing the web. My boyfriend always complained that his hand was cold when he was on the computer, so I was going to make him some fingerless mittens, but his fingers would still be cold. So I came up with a "hand blanket" of sorts. It has a ribbed cuff and then rows of garter stitch to form a blanket that goes over your hand to keep it warm while you are using a mouse. I know it's a strange idea, but he tried it out and likes it!!

The picture on the right is me using it.

If you would like to make one, here is what I did:
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted-your choice of color
Needles: size 9 dpns

CO 36 stitches, divide onto 4 needles evenly (9 stitches per needle). Join in the round being careful not to twist.
Knit the first row.
Work k2, p2 rib for about 4 inches.
BO 17 stitches. You can switch to regular needles if you want (I kept mine on the dpns, just be careful your stitches do not slip off the end.)
Knit back and forth all remaining stitches in garter stitch until the length of the "blanket" is to the top of your hand. BO.

I could have made it a little wider, maybe only binding off 12 stitches or increasing a little and then decreasing to give it some shape. Next I will make Bob one in black with a skull and crossbones on it for when he is online gaming!

WIPs

2008-03-31T06:00:00.004-04:00

This is a basket weave scarf that I started to work on for my boyfriend, but I have no idea when it will be finished. Although I already made him a hat (just in time for the cold weather!) so he can't complain about me not finishing anything. He is NOT getting a sweater (not yet anyways!).

Next is a Candle Flame Shawl. I am using larger needles and cannot remember the yarn (something from Paton's I think, like Lacette or Divine, I lost the label!). The larger needles do not show off the pattern as well, but I wanted something light for summer.

New Blogger

2008-03-30T10:24:00.003-04:00

I have decided to do a blog, even though I doubt many people will see it. I can show my knitting, share recipes, and rant about life in general. My current WIPs are: candle flame shawl, baby blanket and bonnet for my boss & his wife who are expecting in June, and several other UFOs (blankets, scarves, hats, etc.). I knit more in the winter than in the summer, and always suffer from second sock syndrome.