Gnome Knits

{this moment}

2012-01-27T10:22:00.000-06:00

Problem? Who has a problem?

2012-01-21T14:30:00.003-06:00

I signed up for Janel Laidmen's club doing the pattern only option. You see not getting more yarn just patterns....because I need more of that....or something. And well you know I'm a suck for a KAL. With this club you get a sock pattern and then the second pattern is a mystery. I do love a mystery and this is being so cleverly done. Story, intrigue, humor just wonderful.
Doing the pattern only means the yarn has to come from somewhere. So instead of being smart and space frugal I'm dying the yarn to go with the pattern. Or in this case the story in the mystery. The mystery talks about the yarn being the color of stone and all colors but none. Well I'm working with Kool Aid so....I did some research and found a someone's gray on Ravelry that is kind of a blue/gray. One package grape, then one package lemon-lime, then I waited for that to be mostly absorbed, this took no time at all really, then two packages of Berry Blue. And viola above is what I got.
And this is it knit up into the first clue.
This may get me knitting different things as I don't know what I'm knitting to begin with and lets be honest I have enough socks. And it gets me dyeing again, and I've missed doing that.

{this moment}

2012-01-20T10:48:00.002-06:00

Two More

2012-01-19T15:45:00.003-06:00

The Dragon Crystal socks are complete. Lovely lovely things despite all of the mistakes I made on them. For starts on one the ribbing doesn't line up; the one on the right in the picture. Then I missed how the foot should be done so mine isn't like it was designed. I do however love the bumps coming off the sock. So funky.
And finally the Wandering Around socks. Gosh these things have been going on for over a year! As you may or may not recall I knit them in the car; with Mr. Gnome driving. When he'd take a left I'd do a left cable, when he'd take a right I'd do a right cable. Quite fun and I do love random anythings!

Finished!....again.....

2012-01-17T16:50:00.004-06:00

Oh happy day. Jaali is done and finished and fits!
The sleeves are now the perfect length.
Oh the cables. I do love cables. I love the fit of this sweater. Hits me just right on the waist. Hugs in just the right places. And being blue I love the color. Rowan Felted Tweed is really nice to knit with; especially when you bought it on sale! I'm really pleased with how it shows the cables. Happy me; I have a new sweater!
The Twist Collective Ravelry group is talking about doing a 12 Twists in 2012....tempting. This counts as one and the newest sweater on the needles is a Twist as well....tempting very tempting.

Just in Time

2012-01-12T16:59:00.003-06:00

Last night I finished the mittens for The Bug.
Turned out to be perfect timing!
The yarn is Cascade 220 Painted. Left over from her Tiny Tea Leaves Sweater. Those little things went nice and fast!

Bulking Up

2012-01-11T16:53:00.001-06:00

I've been working on my spinning muscles.

The Traveling Mitt in St. Louis

2012-01-10T12:34:00.004-06:00

During the last week of December the Traveling Mitt was in Town. What you don't know about TTM? She and her sister are touring the world via the Fingerless Glove Fanatics Group on Ravelry. It's quite fun showing this little mitt around town.
She posed on the Chuck Berry statue in the Loop. People were surprised to find out he's still alive much less playing.
Had some Pi. I just couldn't bring her to imo's..
Lit the Chanukah Candles and
made Latkes with us. They turned out just right this year!
Mr. Gnome shared some Schlafley beer with her.
We took her down town to The Arch,
Busch Stadium, and
The Bug showed her around City Garden.
We also went to Forest Park.
She got to meet the knitting group and in general had a fun time here in St. Louis. She is now nearly in New Hampshire. While I was showing this mitt around the city her sister was in the woods in Norway. Lovely wintery pictures. It's fun to watch the group and see everywhere people live and all the neat stuff about different places. I had fun showing the mitt around.

Knits at Sunset

2012-01-09T16:56:00.003-06:00

These aren't technically all on the needles. The sweater in the back is so nearly done it's ridiculous. Done again..... On the left is the yarn I'm going to cast on with tonight to make some mittens for The Bug. Next is the shawl I'm making for the January shawl knit a long the knit group is doing. And last is the second sock from the December Cookie A. Shipment. Not too bad totally within reason bit of pile there.

This first week of this year

2012-01-07T08:46:00.002-06:00

This first week has been wonderful. And I rarely say anything is wonderful. Pessimist? Me? Yes, well, it's good to know yourself. With the last two weeks of December being non stop crazy go go go with all sorts of different flavors of crazy thrown in this week has been blissfully simple. This week Mr. Gnome was back at work giving The Bug and I space and time to be quiet. The Bug has spent so much time in her room listening to music and stories, looking at books and playing. This has given me space to do house stuff I wanted to do, needed to do, heck I mopped! I put down on paper a quilt design that has been rattling around in my head for years. At least it's on paper....baby steps. I cooked and baked and cleaned the kitchen after. It hasn't all gone perfectly apparently when a recipe says quick it takes me three days to make. But we've rolled with it.
I made two of the three recipes in the December Cookie Sock Club. The third one is quite special and will have to wait.
The first one was Chocolate and Peppermint Swirl Cookies. Swirl cookies never look as pretty when I make them. But boy were the tasty!
Then we made some Oatmeal Cookies. This recipe was brought to the group by Ann Hansen another knitting designer. You make the cookie dough, then split it up and add different add ins to each. Really why has no one thought of this before? I split the recipe in half and put chocolate chips in one half and dried apples in the other half.
A co-worker of Mr. Gnome's is leaving for better things so I stuck six in an ex-salsa jar and made it pretty as a good by gift. I'm putting more into a tin to give to a friend who helped me out last month too. Who doesn't like getting cookies?

This year

2012-01-03T14:29:00.002-06:00

I hope to sew more. Ok so I probably say that every year. Maybe if I say it enough it will happen. Or maybe it is more each year and eventually it will get to where I envision it.
I did finally make The Bug's pajamas that I've been thinking about since the fall. I found the fabric at the Upcycle exchange. Nearly three yards of pink with sheep! It had a good number of holes, like someone had dragged it around or something, perhaps that's why they sent it to the upcycle. Then Someone cut a big chunk off to staple together a dress for herself. ahem.... But despite these breaks in the fabric I was able to work around get her a top and bottom. All matchy matchy!
Initially I thought I'd do elastic in the head hole but I didn't feel like dealing so I just did box pleats at the shoulders. Puffy sleeves. What little girl doesn't want puffy sleeves?
My mother got rid of a bunch of her craft stuff by giving it to me. In all of that was some narrow pink ribbon. So I put a little bow on the front. Again what little girl doesn't want a little bow? It's all in the details you see.

oh this sweater

2012-01-02T17:10:00.003-06:00

When I ran out the door to go to my mom's house I grabbed the sweater which was more than half sewn up at the time. I finished sewing it up while I was there. Turned out to be a very good thing since I'd only packed two shirts. I did wear it the day I finished it. I also came to the conclusion that the sleeves were just too short. I was pulling on them the entire day. Sigh. One sleeve off and lengthened. Now just to do the cap and saddle. Then on to the other sleeve. I will hopefully finish this thing before the winter is over.

Off with the old sock and on with the new

2012-01-01T15:27:00.002-06:00

I did not finish my socks before the new year. Sad. And scary because the car is now acting possessed.
I finished the hexagon socks this morning. There they are all hexagoney.
It is constructed in such a way that the heal is even turned using the hexagons and how you attach them together. So only the cuff and toe are not hexagons.
I also finished Boysenberry Yo. They are almost where they belong. This is a horrible picture. The previous picture shows the color way better.
Then at knit group I cast on for the New Year's sock. The latest and last pattern in the Cookie A. Sock Club of 2011. It's Sanguin Gryphon's Bugga. Getting this package resulted in a lot of Oh!'s. It's when I found out that Sanguin Gryphon is splitting up, there was a card from Cookie, and that adorable project bag you see in the picture. I have loved this club. The excitement, the patterns, the yarn, the cookies! And because I won't be going to a yarney thing this coming year; no Sock Summit, can't make it to Maryland Sheep and Wool, I renewed my membership! So this is not the end!

{this moment}

2011-12-30T12:29:00.001-06:00

More Sewn Holiday

2011-12-29T18:08:00.002-06:00

I have been toying with the idea of sewn gift bags for years. We ship all but our immediate gifts and I was afraid of it becoming something I'd feel obligated to do. I also didn't want others to feel obligated to ship them back before the next holiday.
Alternately I was a little afraid people wouldn't use them at all and who knows what would happen to them.
I rather like the idea that they'd get used and given to some unknown to me person then given on and on and thus this little bag could travel all over and be in many people's lives.
But really I know myself and if I did it one year I'd feel I had to do it the next and the next and the next and I just would stop enjoying it really fast. So fast that I just never did it.
And as far as our little family goes there has always been something about a little kid tearing up wrapping paper.
But this year; this year I asked The Bug what she thought about reusable bags that she would open year after year and she liked the idea. She really is a sucker for tradition and homemade. Kid after my own heart really.
So I made four bags for her and the family gifts. All scraps. The orange tall one in the back is from the upcycle exchange. I had also planned on maker her some pajamas and then use those to wrap a book or two. But well that didn't happen. But the bags did and now they are sitting in a pile waiting to be put away with the holiday decorations. Happy little bags.

Socks and Snow

2011-12-27T14:22:00.002-06:00

It snowed last night. Barely an inch and mostly gone now. But enough that the bug got to run around in it this morning. Oh her squeal of delight as she first ran out into the white; what joy.
I have two socks finished. And two more to make before it really matters. The one of the left is Hexagon, a sock I've been wanting to make for some time and the biggest reason why I bought Think Outside the Sox. Lots of little hexagons or as someone pointed out; like finishing a hat lots and lots of times. I finished this sock while visiting my mother thus leaving me without knitting. *gasp* ~~I stole a skein~~ My mother gave me a skein from her stash to keep off the twitching. It's good to have relations who understand. Thus the one on the right which is Boysenberry Yo from Cookie A's sock club back in April.
Now as you may recall I like to have socks finished by the end of the year so I can cast on for a new pair on New Year's Day. I have 1.5 socks to go before that can occur. And four days to do it.....

How To Survive

2011-12-24T14:51:00.002-06:00

Late Friday my Grandmother passed away. My mother called early Saturday morning to break the news. I threw our stuff in a suit case, some books in a bag, and the knitting in a bag. Yes, books, not movies. We don't have a portable DVD player nor do I think of them as necessities.
So how does one survive a 13hr drive with a six year old?
Honestly there was very little of this. Just late late at night and this brief time on the way home yesterday. She has never been one for sleeping in the car and really just doesn't like it.
Like I said a lot of books.
And a note book and a bag of colored pencils.
Lots of coloring and drawing. Just a notebook no coloring books. A friend gave her an activity book for the ride home and she enjoyed that change.
Also being that Mr. Gnome couldn't join us meant that we could have epic sing-a-longs at the top of our lunges.
Start gazing once the sun went down. Living as close to a city as we do the stars are never bright enough for her. She found Orion and Pegasus. I had to look up Pegasus since I wouldn't know it from bob but apparently it's in the sky this time of year. Bug does love her space books.
We did have a brief scare where the radio refused to read the Ipod for the first three hours of our trip home. We attempted some unaccompanied sing-a-longs; be glad you weren't there for that. I started talking to myself on a boarder line psychotic level. Thankfully I got the radio to behave in a West Virginia rest area parking lot. Resulting in me scaring the family getting into their car next to us as I screamed out my thanksgiving.
It was therapeutic to drive in December to see Grandma away. We used to drive up to her and Grandpa's house for Christmas every year. It was also wonderful to have the entire family together for the first night of Chanukah.

Sewn Gifts

2011-12-16T16:04:00.002-06:00

This year I made my nephew and a friend's daughter apron/bags.
They are a bag.
That unfolds into an apron. Pretty cool!
From the One-Yard Wonders book. With bits of art supplies in the bag.
Most of my holiday makings are done!

ACK!!!!

2011-12-14T08:57:00.003-06:00

Every year the question arises: What should we get my dad for Chanukah? Really every year. This year we thought we had it. At the Best of Missouri there are always lots of hot sauce vendors. Dad likes his spicy. But instead of hot sauce we thought we'd have more fun and get him a Bloody Mary Mix. So we did. Then I went to wrap it and happened to look at the ingredients list.
Really? Chicken AND Beef fat AND Roast Beef. Are there chunks of it in there? I don't want to know. Now dad does eat fish so the Worcestershire sauce wasn't too big a deal. Really why does this even need to be in here? ACK!
And more to the real question: Do I have time to knit him a pair of socks?

Holiday Knitting

2011-12-13T11:12:00.002-06:00

The only bit of Holiday Knitting is complete! A bitty scarf for my brother's girlfriend. I started it at the Alpaca Farm Day. A simple lace stitch with some garter.
I do have a bit of sewing still to do. And I got some Holiday Knitting work!

weekending

2011-12-10T17:31:00.005-06:00

Mr. Gnome works late and most nights. And most days. Today he had the day off; he didn't have to go to work until 5:30pm. He slept in a bit. Then we went for a walk. Watched a movie. Made cookies. Decorated the cookies.
Gingerbread Men and Babies to be precise.

To be more precise some are women. Some are breastfeeding and wearing their babies. I called these my propaganda gingerbread. There are Jewish Gingerbreads, Super hero Gingerbreads, a zombie.
And a ninja, and a broken mommy. All sorts of gingerbread beings; we do not discriminate in our gingerbread world.
After all this festivities we read Harry Potter. The latest family read aloud. Mr. Gnome got to chill and play a video game then sit down to a home-cooked meal. And ate a gingerbread; there may not be discrimination but that doesn't make it a safe place for those tasty little beings! All before he went off to work.
That is how we weekend.

{this moment}

2011-12-09T09:28:00.001-06:00

The Growth in a Sweater

2011-12-07T09:21:00.003-06:00

I started Jaali back in April. Now why I would start a sweater then is beyond me. Oh I can say I'll just knit it over the summer, it's light weight yarn, and then I'll have a done sweater when I want one. Yeah right. The thing about being a product knitter is that one looks forward to using the product. If that is crazy unlikely it's just not going to get knit.
I finished the back and started the front before it got buried in the bottom of the knitting basket. The fun thing is, when I started I was using a cable needle for each cable. Now I don't even know where my cable needles are as I happily cable without a needle. This means cabling without having to look for the blasted thing even though I Just Used It on the last row. Freeing.
I have now finished the front adding it to the back as well as finished one sleeve. This above is the second sleeve. The kid was asleep, the husband was at work, I was happily knitting away listening to a book on CD. When I stopped to admire the cable. I do love cables. But then. There IT was. A miss Crossed Cable. The usual things went through my head. Could I just drop down? Oh that is really far. And I know it will get messy. Do I want to deal with that mess or.....? Will I notice it? Hold up to arm it's right in the middle of my forearm. It would stare me in the face every time I wore it. I had to. There was no getting around with it. I ripped....and ripped and ripped back to that wretched cable.
You see this is why you always need something else on the needle. I really wanted to put the sleeve in time out if only for the night. But....I only have a pair of short socks on the needles and I'm a bit sick of them. Lesson learned I'll be casting on today.

Sundays

2011-12-04T16:52:00.002-06:00

Sunday is Knit Group Day. Now I don't get to go every week. Sometimes I don't get to go for a month or more at a time. But when I do go. I pack my super geeky bag.
Lovely gnomes and knit geek pins. Time with knitters is so nice. And boy are these knitters something. Always laughs. I can't really say more; what happens at Knit Group stays at Knit Group.
It is full of knitting and the book I'm reading. For when I'm lucky and have been very good I ~~escape~~ leave early for Starbucks and reading time. Oh Sundays you make me happy.

Oh Sweet Cables

2011-12-02T17:12:00.001-06:00

How I Love Thee So.

Snapdragon Tam by Ysolda Teague. I love her stuff it is all so adorable.

Spinning

2011-11-28T09:16:00.003-06:00

A month or so ago I started spinning again. I really just couldn't all summer long. Sweaty palms.
I was a little concerned that I would have trouble matching what I had already spun. But it came right back. Then it just flew by. I've even finished plying the stuff. With the long color repeats in this yarn I decided to try out Chain plying or Navajo Plying. It was really easy and I liked it a lot. It kept the colors all happily together. And I wasn't faced with trying to fit two or three times more yarn on my spindle. 2oz. fits on the thing wonderfully and this is all well and good when it's 2 oz of spun singles. But when I ply two or three singles together it becomes 4oz or 6oz and I just haven't figured out how to make all of that fit. I'm thinking I want a bottom whorl spindle. From what I've read they seem to be good for plying and they look like they have longer shafts.
Anyway; I made yarn! Pretty pretty yarn. Total of 262 yds around fingering weight. Maybe sport in a few places.
Hee pretty.

Tree

2011-11-27T11:42:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we put up the tree. I love our tree.
I love all the ornaments tied to a memory.
I'm glad we have it up for a month. It's pretty and happy.
Last night I found a surprise in the tree. Do you see her? I told her to get down after I took the picture. She shimmied backward and down the back of the tree avoiding all of the ornaments. She likes the tree too.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T16:50:00.003-06:00

We had our usual quiet just the three of us Thanksgiving. It's been a nice day. We watched the parade on TV. Well most of it. The multiple Spidermen kind of freaked us out. Then I cooked. Mr. Gnome made a fire and kept up with my dirty dishes. We listened to Alice's Restaurant, Adam Sandler then a nice live Carbon Leaf album. Good times.
This year for dinner (have I said how much I love being free to make something new every year?) I made Vegan Dad's Harvest Pies and Pumpkin-Pull-Apart Rolls. There was leftover pie fillings so I made a quick stuffing like thing with it, some left over mashed pumpkin, and some pieces of bread. A bit of salad with apples, pecans and blue cheese. And of course Cranberry Sauce.
Festive. The Bug always gets so excited for Thanksgiving. I don't know why she won't eat most of it. She lives for the Cranberry sauce.
Followed by our Post-Thanksgiving Dinner walk/bike ride around the block.
Later we will try the Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake from Vegan Pie in the Sky.
Hope everyone had a relaxing and Thankful day!

Our Library

2011-11-22T13:06:00.004-06:00

Oh how I treasure our weekly walk to the library. It's constants, it's changes. Really a highlight to my week.
It's just over a mile and takes us about half an hour. We got a rolling backpack because caring all our books on my back was killing me! We take turns rolling it. It caries all our books, my knitting and the water bottle wonderfully.
We walk, she climbs and runs.
We both love the crunching sound of the leaves this time of year. Crunch crunch crunch
And really how can you not love a library that puts together a sci-fi display with this? You just know some geeks work there!
I've never tested how long she would stay. It's usually about an hour. I know she could stay longer but I don't know if our bag could hold that many books.
Then there is the weekly discussion over the safety of reading while walking down and across a busy street.

pisqued in the rain

2011-11-20T16:44:00.003-06:00

The thing about rainy weather is I tend to get more time and mojo to knit. Sitting all snug in the house loving and some wool. Nothing like it.
Unfortunately the other thing about rainy weather is that my pictures look like this. That white is actually real white and the blue is, well a better blue than that. But the knitting. Oooh color work. Oh these babies tested me. Concentrate concentrate. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out though.
As you can see the foot is a tad too long. Or a tad too pointy for my foot. But it looks cool.
Birdies and wavey and starts and whatever that thing is between the birds. Lovely lovely. And now I've have completed all of Sock Madness 5.
Is it March yet?

Daphne

2011-11-18T16:56:00.003-06:00

OH these were a fast knit! Daphne, the other sock in the August Cookie A. Sock Club. I could knit Cookie socks forever. I love how it looks in the variegated yarn. Uses the lines created in the yarn and doesn't loose the pattern. Fabulous! The yarn is Hand Maiden Casbah in the color of Pansy. And Oh was it wonderful to knit. So soft so simple so pretty. But I don't know where or when I got it! UGH that is frustrating!

Announcing!

2011-11-16T11:26:00.003-06:00

The opening of my etsy shop! ReGnomed
As in Reused, Recycled, Redone.
We may also call it: How I pay for yarn. I have the bits for one quilt.

Short Socks

2011-11-14T16:59:00.003-06:00

It's always a bit sad what a little frost can do. No more pretty flowers. But I do have a new pair of Short Socks for Summer use. Pair number 5. Of course they aren't being used now. Kramer Yarns Sterling Silver into Fibranatura Yummy into String Theory.

Knits at Sunset

2011-11-12T08:01:00.002-06:00

This time change thing is putting a bit of a damper on the Knits at Sunset. The sun had gone behind a house which doesn't really look like sunset. So here we are. The second glove in a pair of commissioned fingerless gloves, a second sock, the Holiday gift scarf that I haven't touched since the Alpaca Farm Day, the second color work sock (almost done), and my sweater which amazingly I have knit on a bit. It's a smaller pile; isn't that nice.

Staying on

2011-11-06T10:40:00.004-06:00

This year choosing a hat for The Bug was quite a challenge. She had these grand plans of roses being knit then sewn onto a hat. I had plans of super gluing it to her head so she wouldn't loose it. After much looking and lots of "Oh Mother!". We found Shapeshifter. The yarn is Drafonfly Fiber Sea Sock, a wool/seacell blend that I happened to have and is the perfect Bug color.
She can wear it as shawl with a hood.
As a scarf with a hood.
When she pulls it off it hangs there without getting lost and still looks quite cute.

It's all held together with buttons. The Bug loves the button jar. Really who doesn't enjoy exploring a button jar? She got six buttons holding the hood. Then there are two more on the neck bit to button into any of the many button holes. She has had a lot of fun playing with the different ways to button it. Making it a fun dress up, practical, and cozy bit of winter wear. Have we found the perfect hat for this kid? Ask me again at the end of winter when we asses whether she's lost it or not.
Morning glories acted as our backdrop in today's photos. These suckers grew all summer covering this bit of the rail on our porch. There are so many blooms! Today was so far the best day for them. Lovely bit of color for fall.

{this moment}

2011-11-04T10:01:00.001-05:00

Fronkenshteeeeeeeeeeek

2011-11-01T14:39:00.002-05:00

Just in time for Halloween the four exchanging pieces of Fronkenshteek are finished and in the mail. Really horrible picture. This yarn is photo cursed....

This is Halloween

2011-10-31T10:01:00.003-05:00

Well really all of this was yesterday. Today we'll go trick or treating but really you can't take pictures then.
And today being a Monday means no time for scary faced pumpkin pancakes. The mouths are apple, the noses are cranberry and the eyes are chocolate chips. Scary and yummy!
After a spooktacular breakfast Mr. Gnome and The Bug went outside (in their pajamas hmmm) to carve the pumpkin.
It's pretty spooky, complete with strands of hair all around.
Now if that wasn't enough fun we then went to Ghouls in the Garden at the Botanical Garden. This year The Bug is Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. She's had a hard month explaining this to too many people who have no idea. Sad and discouraging for a six year old. At the Garden though things changed. Many people knew who she was on sight; the Bug was thrilled!
Fantastic! This year was a bit of challenge for me. I like a challenge and it's become my favorite part of Halloween; creating her costume. The dress is all scrap fabric and I didn't even use a pattern. I'm a bit proud of that. I drew on the swirls, dots and stripes. Then did big stitches with embroidery floss. Her arms and legs are a shirt and leggings we found at consignment shops. We then drew on the stitches. I did the big lines then The Bug did the little stitches.
This year Mr. Gnome is going to be joining us for Trick or Treats! This is a first. To commemorate I finally made him a gnome hat. Can you believe it's taken me this long?
The garden was fun as always. They decorate various stations throughout the garden and it's always so creatively done. This weekend is also the last weekend this kids area is open for the season so they had the kids planting bulbs for the spring.

Hexed

2011-10-29T17:00:00.003-05:00

It is the year of the sock. Accept and move on. Finished are Mr. Gnome's Hex Socks. Lovely, manly, and not at all boring. I finished them yesterday and he wore them today. That my friends is gratitude. Nice to see it somewhere.

In Season

2011-10-27T11:56:00.002-05:00

You know how I'm a sucker for a good Knit along. This isn't just a good knit along it's a Mad Knit along. A small and crazy group of us in the Sock Madness group have taken on the Fronkensteek sock. There are five of us and five main pieces of the sock. We each will get someone elses pieces and knit our own lower tube for best foot fitting.
Here are my pieces a week or so ago, cuff, upper tube and most of the ace bandage.
Here is where I stand now from left to right. The Cuff which is knit as one piece with that red in the middle being taken out later leaving making two cuffs. The Upper tube, or leg which is both legs knit all around. It will be steeked in two places making two pieces of knitting which will be sewn together. Then the ace bandage which fits around the ankle like, well, an ace bandage. That will also be steeked to make two. Then last and still on the needles is the toes and heels which will be steeked in many places to make two toes and two heels. Then the hole mess gets sewn together to make a sock. This is my first steeking; meaning to CUT THE KNITTING. I am somewhat comforted that I will be cutting someone elses knitting. Or at least I think that makes me feel better.
Scared yet?

Harlot at the Church

2011-10-23T08:36:00.002-05:00

The Yarn Harlot was in St. Louis yesterday! It was explained to the bookstore that we would overfill the library so they stuck us in a church.
We got there a weeee bit early. *ahem 2 1/4 hrs ahem*. This got us parking and front row seats. And lots of knitting time. Though it should be noted that knitting while sitting on a cold stone step may not be best for one's health.
The Yarn Harlot was very entertaining. Hilarious really. I had a great time. Got my book signed. Then got coffee. Upon walking back from coffee I was told I'd lost my knitting needle and realized that I had a giant hole in the front of my shirt which may or may not have been there all day. Nice. Classy. I did get my needle back. And I do have the Yarn Harlot's newest book signed by her. So not all is lost.

{this moment}

2011-10-21T08:32:00.000-05:00

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

Lap Time

2011-10-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

Most mornings this is the view of my lap. Sleeping Kitty and a Sock. She does love her morning loving time. The quiet time while the kid is eating and waking up and I'm just sitting enjoying my coffee and knitting. Shortly after this she'll choose to embark on Morning Crazy Time. This involves running to each window and crying all the way. And when I say running I mean more flying. She can be quite crazy.
The sock at the moment is Hex, one of the sock patterns in the latest Cookie A. Club installment.
The yarn is Fleece Artist's Sea Wool, a merino seacell blend. This is the first sock and just needs to be kitchenered.

New Madness

2011-10-15T12:32:00.002-05:00

I finally cast on the final Sock Madness Pattern; Pisqu. I was way out by this time of course but I wanted to do the complete set. (I can stop anytime.) This is a lovely color work pattern. Lovely and the most challenging sock pattern I've ever done. Lots of all over oh wow color work. It starts with the Kihnu-Troi Cast on, the lovely braided cast on you see at the top; that's the front and back of the sock you get a braid on the inside and outside with this cast on. Lovely but wow fiddly! Then a bit later the Two-Color Vikkel Braid you see there in the middle. This was actually a bit fun if not really slow. Both very new to me and both I feel proud of the results. Now I'm just past the gusset and getting my first twinges of second sock syndrome. I will do this all again. I will have a pair of socks. I can fight this thing.

Psychedelic Tiny Tea Leaves

2011-10-14T08:05:00.002-05:00

This sweater has been finished for a week and a half. Right after I finished it the temperature went back into the 80's.
It's a tiny bit big, which means it'll fit next year and that is always a happy thing.
We found the buttons at the Best of Missouri Market. Love that thing every year. She had wanted roses on her sweater. The main yarn is Knit Picks and the contrasting yarn is Cascade. Pattern is Tiny Tea Leaves.
I do believe that it is fun, flirty, and funky. Just like The Bug.

Pumpkins!

2011-10-11T09:19:00.002-05:00

No, we didn't go pumpkin picking. But for the first time in a few years there have been pumpkins at the farmer's market before November. The last two years I haven't seen a pumpkin until the November winter market and only then. It's been sad. I love pumpkin! These three were chosen over the past two weeks. Yesterday I roasted and pureed them. The Bug called them a family of pumpkins. Now they are frozen in half cup portions equaling 7 cups total. Oh the wonderful small of roasting pumpkin, the anticipation of pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins, creamy pumpkin pasta, and I really want to try these pumpkin pull-apart rolls.

Knits at Sunset

2011-10-08T17:19:00.002-05:00

This Knits at Sunset thing is working for me. Last time I forgot an on the needles and included it this time. So....it's not as bad as it looks. Just a little bad.
How bad? Well you don't see The Bug's sweater. That is done. More on that next time. My sweater hasn't been touched. The brown bit there is the alpaca piece I worked on at the Alpaca Farm Day and forgot to include last time. It hasn't been touched since the Farm Day. It's will be a lacey scarf and Holiday gift. Someday. Before the Holidays. The Short Socks for Summer Use have theirs heels almost turned. And then....Those lovelies in the front. Yes, I've cast on for three more socks! THREE! I can stop any time. Really I can......

The Joy or Yarn

2011-10-03T17:27:00.002-05:00

I'd forgotten today was the day. Really I'd forgotten what day it was.I will forever have a fondness for orange tissue paper.

So lovely. Tomorrow we get the patterns; and the cookie recipes!

Knits at Sunset

2011-09-30T18:11:00.002-05:00

This is everything that is on the needles. A sweater for me, a sweater for The Bug, Short for Summer Socks, and commissioned baby socks. The baby socks will be cast off tonight. Technically The Bug's sweater isn't on the needles. One sleeve is on stitch holders.
I suppose I shouldn't tell you about the KAL I signed up to join next week and that the next installment of the Cookie A Club will be coming next week. And if you know me you know that next week is also crazy in other ways. If you don't know me you don't and if you do know me and don't know this; shame!

Apples!

2011-09-27T16:43:00.002-05:00

Almost a week and a half ago, because why would I want to blog in chronological order, baby alpacas will have that affect on you, we went apple picking.
Oh fabulous apples!
I also got some apple cider while we were there. Partial because Mr. Gnome and The Bug both likes the stuff, partially because I've been dying to make these donuts. Apple Cider Donuts. Oh so wonderful, appley, spicey, cakey, not at all too sweet. Really good. Thankfully the recipe only made 6.
Apple Butter was made. I love the swirling of the apples and sugar. Pay on attention to my dirty oven, just look at the lovely swirleys. I did a double batch again this year. Though this year I cooked it as two separate batches. I tried the double batch in one dish last year and it just never got mixed and baked enough. The smell of this stuff baking in the oven fills the house and lingers for days. Oh it was wonderful!
Mmmmm apple butter. There is also four jars of apple sauce in the freezer and some dehydrated. A bit of eating happened but no other baking. I do plan on getting some apples from the farmers market for a pie soon.

Actually Weekending

2011-09-26T08:08:00.003-05:00

Sometimes it does happen. Though maybe it's best that it doesn't happen to often this is a picture heavy post.
Saturday we went to the Strange Folk Festival. Love that every year. Always find great holiday gifts, the kid does some crafts and in general a grand time is had by all. This year The Bug also tried out hula hooping.
So did Mr. Gnome. You can see him modeling the bag I got for doing the yarn bombing. Now you are expecting a picture of my bomb. Yes, well, so was I, but it was lost in the transporting or some such. No bomb from me. Very sad.
Little Gnome coming out of a mushroom house.
Then Sunday I demonstrated knitting at an Alpaca Farm Day. This of course meant I got to meet some adorable alpaca. This is mom and baby.
I just love the face markings on this lovely lady.
This young alpaca thinks it's a dog. You see the big guard dogs checking out the puppy on the other side of the fence. Well the alpaca thought she should check out the puppy too. Then when the puppy ran along the fence the big dogs playfully ran with it. And so did the little alpaca. So funny!
Had to get a shot of the nursing alpaca!
There was a big surprise to start the day. Well little adorable surprise really. A new baby boy! Early and totally unexpected and found just before the farm was going to open for the day's festivities. I didn't get a picture before they put the blanket on him but he's all legs and neck. Cutest little guy. Mom and baby had a rough start with all the commotion and were closed off so they could have a better bonding experience. mmmm maybe humans should do that sometimes too.

{this moment}

2011-09-23T17:55:00.000-05:00

And So She Grows

2011-09-20T18:14:00.002-05:00

The thing about having a small kid is she usually grows in small bits. But this year.....This year I had to actively seek out clothes for her. And shoes. The shoes are the most surprising. Usually it's a year or even two before her feet grow. This year she skipped an entire shoe size. Meaning I had to scramble to find her ballet shoes days before her class. I like to be more prepared than that. I like to get her used ballet shoes. Luckily I did find used ballet shoes in a consignment shop I had to visit anyway. The kid is growing. A few of her sweaters aren't going to fit her this fall and winter either. And well you know what that means. The above is Tiny Tea Leaves. SouleMama made it popular last year; making one for herself and then one for her daughter. Generally I'm not a big fan of yoke collars but I think it will work well for The Bug. I did change it slightly, Bugified it if you will. As you can see I changed to a variegated yarn in the bumpy tea leaves part. Other than that I might make it a tad bigger; The Bug likes things long. Or maybe she's just used to things being long......

Knit Socks?

2011-09-16T16:30:00.003-05:00

Me? Knit Socks? Really?
Velma, one of the patterns in the August Cookie A. Club. The yarn is Verb for Keeping Warm. Beautiful yarn lovely pattern. Great socks. So happy!
And another short pair for summer wear. This one is Noro into some hand dye into some sparkly something. Nothing exciting. Just two and half more balls of left over sock yarn gone. I'm up to 4 pairs of short socks. I'm think something like ten would be good. Maybe....
Mmmmmm socks.....

Long Time Coming In the Kitchen

2011-09-14T14:24:00.003-05:00

After living in this house for four years I have finally replaced the ugly brown curtain in the kitchen. Fabric from the Upcycle Exchange. Gosh I love that place! The color really brightens it up the room and even on a gray day like today when the lights are out the light purple flowers seem to glow. Lovely!
And for the first time in my life I had okra. Really I'd never had the stuff before. I was raised by one of the anti-0kra persuasion. In her defense I think she'd only ever had the things stewed, or fried, or something tasteless like that. This is Okra Gumbo From Post Punk Kitchen. Really quite good and very filling and hardy. Naturally when having a southern dish I was obligated to make biscuits as well; thus the dirty rolling pin.

The not-so-quiet quiet day

2011-09-13T14:50:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was one of those wonderful quiet, busy, relaxing, productive and fun days at home.
We started it with pendulum painting.
Inspired by this place. The Bug's Orange bottle was nearly empty so I cut holes in the top and thread some yarn through the holes. Attached the yarn to the top of her climbing structure. Then we had fun. This could turn into a crazy fun and messy tether ball game. Or could be a fun (and again messy) alternative to a birthday pinata.
We then followed the day with reading, sock laundering, Salad making, and of course, some crafting.A new set of place mats for fall. The fabric for these is mostly upholstery samples we got at the Teacher's Recycle Store. The one fabric that isn't is the blue with greenish diamonds. This was a dress of sorts that I found at the Upcycle Exchange. The backs are black t-shirts leftover from this quilt.
Isn't that fabric in the corner funky! I can't imagine how it would work on any upholstery. It's bits of plastic that kind of look like straw.
We finished off the day with our first successful batch of homemade vegan ice cream; Chocolate Peanut Butter. Oh it was creamy and wonderful!

The Hundredth Shawl

2011-09-12T16:39:00.003-05:00

No it really isn't. I was just asked if I had a hundred of these when I asked for help with the photo.
A very washed out photo. The bloody camera likes the setting that washes stuff out and automatically goes to it no matter what I do. Grrrrrr
This is kind of close to the color. It's beautiful. Really it is.....sigh. The yarn is Sanguine Griffin Bugga, Golden Orb Weaver is the name. It's one of those times when the name of the yarn decided me. Well really it was The Bug who was helping me decide. She ooohed when I told her the name. It's brighter and well looks like something. I'd take another picture but this shawl has been done for weeks now waiting to be photographed. I really prefer shawl photos on people.....sigh....

Ten Feet

2011-09-11T07:59:00.003-05:00

I signed up to be a part of the Yarn Bombing of the Strange Folk Festival this year. When I signed up I didn't pay any attention to how big of a tree I had selected. Apparently it is ten feet around. That up there is ten feet long. Ten feet! I'm only just over five feet tall, so you see that's big.
The tree is called the Disco tree so I was going for a black and white sort of disco floor. I'm also making a few disco balls to hang from the piece. It's curling like no one's business and I need to decide how I feel about that or what to do. With all of those angles and it's size I'm wary about picking up. It needs to stretch a bit so maybe that will help a bit and this also means I don't want to really do a crocheted edge or an i-cord border. oh the decisions! Who'd have thought yarn bombing could be so involved. It's going to be cool though. There are bunch of trees that are being bombed by a goodly bunch of knitters and crocheters. I think there are four other people bombing the disco tree. Oh I can't wait to see it all!

Pasta!

2011-09-08T10:30:00.002-05:00

I've been wanting a pasta maker for some time. I never could get pasta quite thin enough or right just using a rolling pin.
Finally last week one came up for a decent price on Craigslist!
Lots of fun!
And oh so tasty! I used Vegan Dad's simple recipe. He has a whole wheat and a pumpkin version that I want to play with too. Mmmmm. pasta!

Sock Season!

2011-09-05T15:37:00.003-05:00

I pulled out the socks today.

Lovely. Mr. Gnome and my socks before you start thinking I have a lot of socks...ok I have a lot of socks. And this isn't even all I've ever made, no, some have been given away and some have been lost to time.

{this moment}

2011-09-02T17:00:00.002-05:00

In Which You Ask; What Has Happened?

2011-08-30T15:36:00.004-05:00

For yesterday I set up an organized craft for The Bug. Not only that it came from Disney's Family Magazine. Shocking all really. Generally The Bug doesn't even respond to organized crafts and I much prefer her to explore these things on her own. Supplying her with supplies and images but that's about it.
But this looked like fun.... She dipped a spiky ball in paint and threw it at paper. Yes, outside, Mr. Gnome actually had to ask. Simple enough. After the first reluctant throw she was hooked. The funky marks the ball made were just too fun.
Be advised to stay well away from the firing range, getting splatted with paint is gooey. Then when they were dry she drew monster faces all over the paper.
Monster faces must have sharp teeth. Or this is what I was told.
Hooray for the occasional organized craft. fun fun.

And More Socks!

2011-08-29T12:41:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I did finish Mr. Gnome's BFF socks. He hasn't said anything about the different colors.....rather surprised by that. I did reverse the cables on the second sock. This is usually something I think to do while knitting the first sock then totally forget about when it comes time to knit the second sock. The yarn is Unique Sheep Luxe, a merino/silk blend.
This finish meant I could cast on for the Cookie A. August Shipment. Almost done with the first sock!

{this moment}

2011-08-26T08:46:00.001-05:00

Oh yeah the 80's

2011-08-24T08:45:00.003-05:00

Somehow with all of the excitement I never really got to show you my '80's Sock Hops Socks. You can kind of see them in my '80's outfit, I had on orange tights under the socks. Fun bit of orange peeking out of the holes. Here they are in all their glory.
The pattern is Fun & Fancy from Think Outside the Sox. The green is Lobster Sox that I got in Vermont last year. It is dyed in a lobster pot. Cracks me up. The yellow is leftover from Sock Madness Round 5 socks.
It was a neat knit. Different and a bit tedious at times what with the tangling and all. But good practice for the wrapping needed in intarsia.

Peaches!

2011-08-21T15:15:00.002-05:00

One week ago The Bug and I went Peach picking! Finally....We've been so busy..ugh.

So here we go peaches. I don't think I got as many as I sometimes do but we've been getting them in smaller quantities at the farmer's market just to eat so maybe it all adds up.

I made Peach preserves, plain this year. Last year I made a spiced one. It was quite good but I thought I'd keep with the keeping it simple preserves I've been making. 5 and a half jars of summer peachey goodness.
I've tried out canning peach pie filling. Oh this stuff smells fantastic. I doubled this recipe thinking that would give me two jars but it gave me four. Not sure if it will be four pies or two rather full pies. Or just toppings for pancakes or ice cream. In the past I've frozen peaches to make into cobblers and while they are fine coming out of the oven they are always too runny the next day. So this year the only peaches I froze are for eating. There was also a batch of drying. Just the one this year last year's peaches tasted funny after six months.
I also made a peach cobbler for right now. Then to make it more exciting I made Ice Cream, Rose Water Ice Cream, Vegan Rose Water Ice Cream. I used a recipe from The Vegan Scoop. It tasted great. All rosey and not too sweet. I have an ice cream machine but I had forgotten that the bowl wasn't in the freezer. So that did happen. It wasn't a good consistency and I blame the lack of churning for that. Will have to make another flavour soon so I can test that theory. I have hopes for this cookbook. My other vegan ice cream cookbook uses a lot of coconut and maple syrup, things I don't really like the taste of. Also a lot of labour intensive grinding of cashews, which I do like the taste of but not so much the price.

And then on top of all of this fun....

2011-08-20T15:44:00.003-05:00

We've been doing crazy things to the basement! And by we I mean people we hired.A bathroom where there was just an empty room. It's Mr. Gnome's baby. He's been dreaming about this bathroom since we bought the house.
And new floors throughout the rest of the basement. Resulting in me rearranging the craft room.
Brighter and happier. And Done!

Buttons!

2011-08-19T15:52:00.003-05:00

At the very end of last year, the last day in fact, Mr. Gnome, The Bug and I went antiquing. This is not something we do as a family often or really at all. And even when the bug and I go wandering through the old things we don't generally venture too far. But this was a deliberate outing out into the wilderness that is Illinois. Previously the computer had been living on the dinning room table. Making me regularly nervous about spills and in general annoying me. I decided I wanted an older desk that closed to put it in. Something small just big enough for the lap top. I'd looked a wee bit myself but hadn't found the right thing. To my surprise Mr. Gnome liked the idea and wanted to go out looking with me. Saying something about wanting to have a say in the furnishing of our home. Can you imagine?
Amazingly we found this beauty in the first place we looked and we both really liked it. It wasn't too big, you'd be surprised at how large desks can be. It's a nice color. And I am always excited about drawers. Mr. Gnome drilled a hole in the back for the electric cord in goes the computer. Perfect.
Recently I acquired a bunch of funky buttons and have wanted to something funky with them. Something where they are sewn on something for some reason. I've never had a use for a table runner but why should a table runner have to be on a table? Thus the Bug and I made this. I found the fabric at the Upcycle Exchange, cut it out and hemmed the four sides.
We both took a side. This is a detail of my side. Listened to an audio book and had fun picking out and sewing on buttons.
This is The Bug's side.
Up close of The Bug's side.

The Knitting

2011-08-15T07:11:00.003-05:00

I really have been knitting too. Not just talking about knitting and collecting yarn. I started two new projects before I left for Portland.

Socks for Mr. Gnome. I cast on for these the day I left and finished the first sock on the way home. It's Cookie A.'s BFF socks using four mini skeins of Unique Sheep I got last year at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival. Each skein is a slightly different shad of green. You can see where each one starts. I'm being ok with that....or at least trying to be ok....
This is Batik. I cast on for this the night before I left. Made the mistake of knitting on it between sleeping fits in LAX thus totally screwing it up. But not in an obvious sort of way, in a sort of way that I didn't notice, despite knitting on it in Portland, until I was waiting to get on the plane to come home. It's a shawl knit from the top up, meaning you cast on nearly 400 stitches and I had to rip all of that out. Here it is restarted and further than I'd gotten before.

And then!!!!!!

2011-08-13T17:09:00.002-05:00

Within days of getting back from Sock Summit I got the August shipment for the Cookie A. Sock Club. Wow. Yarn and socks from all directions!

Kitty appreciates the yarn and orange tissue paper. The yarn is from a Verb for Keeping Warm, the owner and dyer, Kristine Vejar, did the class I took at Sock Summit on natural dyeing. I did get three mini skeins from them at Sock Summit but nothing like this color. Pink; another shipment another of the Bug's favorite colors.
And of course this means Cookies! These are a Chocolate Chocolate chip cookie. They are a bit different and Oh so good! This recipe was brought to us by the Kristine Vejar. It all comes around. Oh sweet knitting.

{this moment}

2011-08-12T08:38:00.002-05:00

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

As inspired by SouleMama.Ok I'm cheating this week I just want you to look for Mr. Gnome and The Bug. Can you find them?

Weekdaying....

2011-08-11T16:18:00.003-05:00

Families of those in the entertainment world don't weekend. At best we can weekday.
This past week we went away for a few nights in a southern part of the state. We hiked

and played miniature golf. And tried to ignore where we were..... all was grand.

{this moment}

2011-08-05T10:56:00.003-05:00

Sock Summit-The Adventure

2011-08-04T12:31:00.002-05:00

Oh gosh I know I'm STILL writing about Sock Summit. Though maybe I was just posting pictures before. It was really cool and I want to share. I also want to sleep for the rest of the week. What me crash after excitement and people? Crazy. This will Probably be the last Sock Summit post then on to our regularly unscheduled blogging.
First on the adventure was getting there. After a cancelled flight, then a late flight, this is where I slept Wednesday night because I missed my flight out of LAX. Why? Don't get me started just never ever change planes out of that airport. ugh.......

But then I was there. Wooo. I traded out all of my stitch markers. Most at the lunch time meet up some in the market and even a couple out on the street. They are all so fab and unique. Some come with stories some are just pretty. They are all awesome.
Because of the flying adventure from you know exactly where I missed one class. My other three were fantastic. Natural dying was inspiring and enabling. Fleece on Your Feet was even more inspiring and enabling and very educational. Then the final class, and my longest, was a color work class with Janel Laidman. Above is the mini sock we knit in class. Well I got to the heel turn in class. Great info on knitting and designing a color work sock.
And finally the lovely stash enhancement. A bit of yarny goodness, a pattern, a book, and some natural dye and mordant to play with. Also not pictured I got a Sock Summit pin and a I Sniff Yarn pin. I like pins.
OH all the pretties to knit and here I am with some commissioned work to do. Ah well, have to pay for the yarn somehow.

Sock Summit-Portland Food

2011-08-03T09:07:00.002-05:00

Oh my the food. Everywhere you go there are signs proclaiming Vegetarian or Vegan food here. Portland made Vegan cheese in the farmer's market. Lovely, amazing.
Mom's Portobello Ballotine from Portobello. Gorgeous I got a taste and wow. I had an eggplant stuffed ravioli with chili oil and cilantro pesto, less photogenic but oh so good.
Mom's Peanut Butter and Bacon Burger from Off the Griddle. Tempeh Bacon, peanut sauce, cheeze sauce, with a nice rice burger and tart apples. What a crazy and amazing combination of flavors!
After dinner I had the Chocolate Torte at Portobello. Oh wow Most Creamy Vegan thing EVER.

This is the vegan donut I had at VooDoo Donuts. It is a cream filled donut. If you see something else that's on you.
I believe I may have gained a few pounds out there. So much real food, edible food, food where the preparer thought about what should go together and how it would taste best.

Next time I promise to flash my stash enhancements. It's not too bad......

Sock Summit....Wow.....

2011-08-02T09:28:00.004-05:00

Oh my goodness, where to begin....how much...this will have to be a multi post thing... first we will talk about Sock Summit itself.
The Cookie A. and Janel Laidmen sock club meet up. Ummm yes...I'm in a stargate with Cookie and Janel.....I'm pretty sure I peed.....Really just too many level of geekery. It was cool I got to meet people in the group and put faces to Ravelry names. We had lunch before this and I was sitting next to Janel; she is a super neato person.
The Fleece to Feet competition. The sheered three sheep right there in the convention center then six teems starts carding, spinning and knitting like the wind. Oooh and I accidentally kineard the Yarn Harlot. Only proper really.
The Sock Hop. Crazy times.
More dancing at the flash mob. It was hilarious. Go watch if you want a laugh.
Crazy knitters standing in line for the market to open. Are you getting an idea of how many people really were there?
And only just a wee bit of Yarn Bombing.

Next time I'll do the fabulous food of Portland. Oh wow.

How to Prepare for Sock Summit

2011-07-26T13:25:00.002-05:00

Oh the things one does for socks.
Packing was done socks first. Then what will go with socks.....or sort of go....
Made a shawl to commemorate meeting the designer, a lovely lady, who because of her loyalty to her family will sadly be missing Sock Summit. I shall wear the shawl and keep her in my thoughts.
There are special socks for the '80's themed Sock Hop. Almost to the toe on that second one. No worries it shall be done tonight. Leaving me a wee bit of time to cast on for the traveling knitting. Of course a great deal of thought has gone into what the traveling knitting will be; socks, of course, and a shawl. Both of which need to be cast on still.
Made just over 60 stitch markers for the stitch marker swap and stuck tags on them with my Rav name and blog address. Sad that it is only 60 not the planned 75 since some charms never showed up in the mail. This will make me talk to people and maybe even get to know people. Things I don't do well.
Made a new knitting bag. Gnomes! It's big and can hold multiple projects, and has a big inside pocket for spare needles and the knit kit.
Nest time: Post Sock Summit Sum Up

Is here....barely

2011-07-24T08:32:00.003-05:00

And I am crafting.....barely.
There are the socks for the 80's themed Sock Hop at Sock Summit. OH there will be pictures. This is the second one; got a bit better about controlling the tangle...just a bit.
And really do you think I could resist this fabric? Really.

I leave in three days. Oh I am so excited. Really I've been squeeeeing daily since I registered. Usually just in my head; Usually not in public....usually.
But now....now that I am getting closer I'm getting a bit nervous. Oh I'm still squeeing up and down all over the place. But....I have done very little on my own most of my life. Not in a co-dependent way but in a we got married to share our lives way. And...this is twice as long as I've ever been away from The Bug. Not that I'm at all concerned about how she'll do without me. She is so excited to spend time with just daddy and so happy for me.
Yes, this little kid is happy because she sees how excited I am.
No, they are not totally self absorbed.
It's probably the first or biggest evidence of the rewards of this hard work that is parenting our child like she is a person and not a pet who needs training. She is not scared I won't come back, she is not jealous or concerned in anyway about my excitement to leave or have fun without her. She has confidence in our relationship. I just want to say to new moms at large. Don't give up it does get better. You will see the fruit of your labor if you just stick with your gut.

The garden?

2011-07-20T17:57:00.005-05:00

Since there really hasn't been any crafting going on. Well there has...just in little bits and pieces and not amounting to much. Can I say how frustrating I find that. But on the plus side the garden is probably the best it has ever been.

First off there is the Grill Table made by Mr. Gnome. An old rusted almost fallen apart grill put back together with a wooden table top. This sits between where the grill and the seating area. It's great and works perfectly. Isn't he clever?

The bean pole is more covered than it ever has in years past. The thyme is overgrowing the bed.

We are getting lots of beans on those lovely vines.

A few tomatoes have escaped the squirrels grasp.

There may even be corn.

The peppers are looking lovely. Both Hot and

Sweet.

The garden is doing the best ever this year. The garlic is curing. There have been carrots and onions and there will be leeks and kale. There were raspberries and there would have been strawberries but I never guessed squirrels would eat green strawberries.

Tangled

2011-07-15T10:26:00.002-05:00

This will be socks.....really I mean it.

Oh-Jah

2011-07-12T13:18:00.004-05:00

Oh-jah being how The Bug first pronounced Orange. Thus how we often still will say the word. Isn't funny how we silly parents do that?
Now that it is her favorite color she has no problem saying it normally. And actually gets a bit frustrated with her silly parents. Anyhoo.
Socks.
Orange Jubilee to be precise. One of the patterns in June Cookie A. Sock Club. Looking lovely with the orange Zinnias.I rather think they can be called O.J., for orange juice not the supposedly not killer, The knit pearl being the ribs on a hand juicer, the cables being the juice running down.....or maybe I just over think these things.
The yarn is Hazel Knits, quite nice, this pictures is the best for color representation, those bright colors can be hard to capture. Cookie A. and Anne Hanson got to help die some of these skeins. How cool is that? August will be the next installment, just after I get back from Sock Summit. So to answer your question, no, we are no where near done with all of the socks. mwah ha ha!!!!!

Flambe

2011-07-10T18:17:00.003-05:00

Because when the heat index is 113 we all want to think about fire....fire so hot that it's blue.
Oh but it is so pretty. The pattern is Flambe, I did two extra rows of Chart B, mostly just because I could and also because I like to wrap my shawl around me a bit. The yarn is Davidson Domy Heather, this was at a mill end booth at Maryland Sheep and Wool. Sweet.
Remember how I had said I was in the mood for lace. Oh sweet lacey lace.

{this moment}

2011-07-08T16:18:00.002-05:00

Happy 4th

2011-07-04T18:00:00.003-05:00

Mr. Gnome works on the 4th of July.
Thus we do fireworks a few days late.
Today bug and I did our own thing.
A wee bit of sparkler action
A simple dinner outside. Patty Pan Chips, cucumber and cheese crackers for The Bug. Quinoa with sauteed veggies for me.
And Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies, with real mint leaves. mmmmmm.

{this moment}

2011-07-01T11:45:00.002-05:00

Peak-A-Boo

2011-06-29T17:56:00.002-05:00

Two baby hats delivered to the lovely person who ordered them for some lovely babies, one just is one to be.
Then the third pair of short-summer-socks. Nothing special to say about them....the first ball of dark noro into the second ball of colorful nor then a wee bit of the second ball of dark nor. Thrilling I know.

{this moment}

2011-06-24T16:34:00.001-05:00

Blueberries!!!!!!

2011-06-23T17:24:00.003-05:00

It is so exciting to write Blueberries! Last year we didn't get to pick a single blueberry. Even after going to the farm twice we'd get there and be turned away saying they were picked out.
So this year. We got up with the sun and drove the hour to the farm and here they are blueberries in all of their glory!Naturally one must make blueberry muffins. Blueberry Oatmeal muffins to be exact.
Three and a half jars of blueberry preserves. I don't seal the half jars and one of the full jars didn't seal so only two jars are getting put up. They thickened up amazingly! I don't use pectin, really I'm just down to the fruit and lemon juice. So usually my preserves are very runny. Raspberries slightly less but blueberry wow perfection!
And the special treat; blueberry cheesecake bars. This recipe calls for 12 oz of cream cheese. I happened to have one brick and some goat cheese. Just a touch more goaty tangy deliciousness!
Of course I also froze a bit and we ate quite a bit. They are now all gone. Surprisingly Mr. Gnome couldn't stop eating them either. He's not much of a fruit snacker but something about these blueberries......

Oh The Things To Do.

2011-06-21T16:04:00.002-05:00

And this is just one corner of the things we are doing. I could make a list....but I think that would stress me out. Starting next week Mr. Gnome is off contract for two weeks. Usually this means lots of doing stuff and little blogging. HOPEFULLY lots of pictures....maybe. So.....we'll see what happens.

{this moment}

2011-06-17T15:12:00.003-05:00

In the Garden

2011-06-16T16:21:00.004-05:00

In the garden in a Garden Party Dress. I saw this pattern and thought how perfect it was for The Bug; except for the color. As much as she loves dresses and flowers she just wouldn't wear a blue dress.
So I Bugged the colors. Orange; her usual favorite, a brighter green to go with the orange and kept the stems the same color as the grass just to make things easier. And since I was making an orange dress I figured it would be nice to make yellow flowers; her second favorite color.
Naturally yellow flowers are Black Eyed Susan's.
Also some pictures of this years garden.
Do you see some gnomes?
I happened to have this frog bead left over from a project. He's hoping along the bottom shaded nicely by those lovely big flowers.
There is also a cute little inch worm made from some scrap sock yarn.

Raspberries!

2011-06-15T12:37:00.003-05:00

We went raspberry picking this morning. Yum!
So far there are 4 jars of raspberry jam, like the strawberries I didn't add sugar this year. I had thought I wanted to make a raspberry pie but that thing takes 5 cups of raspberries! So I made Raspberry Crumb Top Muffins instead. So yum! There are some in the freezer and there will be raspberry pancakes; probably tomorrow. And lots and lots in a certain little Bug's belly.

The Experiment: Part two

2011-06-13T15:39:00.002-05:00

In science one must be able to duplicate one's findings. The first pair of short socks for summer use have gone well. Last week the weather was in the upper 90s and we walked over half an hour both ways to bring The Bug to camp each day. Most days I wore my old cotton blend short socks and on one day I wore my wooly blend socks. Being that I only had one pair and all. On this wooly day I wasn't any hotter in the feet nor were my feet anymore funky. I know wool is supposed to wick away the moisture so in theory my feet should have been less funky; I didn't really notice a difference. Now enough about my less than funky feet.Yesterday I finished the second pair of short socks for summer use. Starting with the hand dye originally used in Mythos then used to finish the first pair of short socks. I then went to the colorful noro from the Noro stripey knee socks followed by the dark Noro from the same socks. I still have another color ball and another darker ball.
There shall be a third pair at some point. Right now Orange seems to be taking over my knitting world.

{this moment}

2011-06-10T08:18:00.002-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week (or last week because that's how together I am). A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
As inspired by SouleMama.

Hey look a sock!

2011-06-08T08:20:00.003-05:00

It's shocking I know. Socks. Really who would have guessed.
So these are Argus Panoptes, the sixth round socks of Sock Madness. The yarn is Mackintosh Yarns, the rest of the ball that was barely started to finish Damson.
They the eyes of the peacock feather. A fun stitch pattern; doing the long stitches was fun in its differentness and a wee bit difficult in its fidilyness.
I am knitting something other than a sock now....Really I promise.......

Sammich

2011-06-07T08:04:00.003-05:00

Finally I am done with April's Cookie A. Sock Club pattern, or at least the pattern I chose to do right now. There is another that I really like too...so many socks so little time.
These socks are everything I love about Cookie A. socks.
The twisted stitches, the traveling itty bitty cables, the 20 some page instructions with half a dozen charts. Seriously A-E charts for each sock. That's more than half a dozen. Love it!
It even cables down to the tippy tip of the toe. The yarn is Lorna's Laces new line that has some NASA fiber that is supposed to keep you cool when you are warm and warm when you are cool. So far me feet are hot. So......not sure about that. I'm not the biggest fan of Lorna's Laces anyway, I prefer and more saturated color, but that's just me. Some people commented that the Outlast (the funky regulating fiber) wasn't at all stretchy making this kind of pattern super hard. And that is mostly true, it is only 55% wool so not as stretchy as some might prefer especially when doing itty bitty twisted stitch cables.
I got June's yarn yesterday and the June patterns come out Wednesday! Oh the excitement!!!!

Orange you glad they're Cookies!

2011-06-05T17:50:00.002-05:00

As opposed to socks or salad. I've been thinking I need to get out of this sock and salad rut or I'll have to change the blog's name.
Luckily it's June, which means June's Cookie A. Sock Club! First off we've gotten the cookie recipes. Despite 90+ degree weather I made these bad boys. Orange cookies with vanilla cream cheese frosting. Oh yeay! The other cookies is Orange Madeleines not having a pan I will probably skip those.
Now next time....socks!

Because that's what I had.....

2011-06-03T10:11:00.003-05:00

Last night's dinner was Bulgur, Arugula, and Cannellini Salad from Veganomicon, one of my favorite recipes for arugula. Except I used fava beans instead of cannellini beans; because that's what I had, and the first orange tomatoes from the farmer's market instead of mushrooms; because that's what I had.Then for an after dinner and Bug Bed Time Tread Mr. Gnome made this lovely concoction: coffee leftover from the morning, soy yogurt, chocolate sauce made for the waffle sundays, a fresh banana, a frozen banana, and a bit of peanut butter; because that's what we had.

Expectations

2011-06-01T07:47:00.002-05:00

I got this shiny stiff paper at the St Louis Teacher's Recycle Center (still reaping the crafty goodies). I thought The Bug would cut out shapes and use it in collages or something. I never thought to paint right on it. She used some foam stamps for the squares and circles. She also mixed the red and the yellow to make orange and some sparkly paint in with the yellow for added sparkle. There can never be too much sparkle if you are a six-year old girl. Now I haven't gone out and taught any color theory. I want her to feel more free from all that. When she asks what happens when one mixes two colors together I tell her to do it. She is currently out of orange paint; it is her favorite color.
I think it is pretty darn cool and more importantly so does she.

This morning.....

2011-05-29T18:13:00.004-05:00

I had to do this.....So I made Waffle Sundays for Breakfast which I could have sworn I'd taken a picture of. Grrrr. I did get a big hug from The Bug when she saw breakfast. A waffle Sunday is simply waffle, with strawberry preserves (need to finish the last jar from last year!), bananas and chocolate drizzle. The waffle and chocolate recipes are in Vegan Brunch.