Sunny Florida

Wow. Just wow.

Because someone

....will inevitably say that they are jealous of my travel for work. It's not all hotel room knitting and fancy dinners.( last night was a so/so burrito, today's lunch is boxed )

This was this morning at 6 a.m. Protein shake and my laptop....woohoo. room service is too much here and the breakfast options in the resort are very heavy on the pastries. Whole Foods whether protein powder, vanilla, and two skim milks from the gift shop make a tummy start to my day!

In the land of the giant mouse

I've landed in Orlando for a conference this week. Despite current thought, there is more than just Disney down here, but really? That mouse is everywhere: airport, resort, cab, coffee shop tonight. 

And unlike most of my work travel, this conference is not one I'm working, I'm attending! I still have all my real work to do, networking... but tonight, I knit.

Yup, another travelling woman, for a friend turning 40. Blue silk blend.from the.Woolen Rabbit (Kim, do you know the color?)

Sick Sunday

PC's been sick for the past few days (a virus that needs to.run its course).  Today was Pumpkin's turn...hip, the cat has a cold. She's lethargic, sneezy, and snoring up a storm.

Me? I'm enjoying the napping family as nice knitting time.

Welcome back Mojo!

My mini mojo went missing for awhile...all of it. Knitting. Blogging. Living. I have NOT been in a good place. But, the mojo is back. All thanks to a skein of sock yarn and a travelling woman. On, and a new smartphone for better mobile Blogging.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I had to knit some baby gifts, but it was torture...I had to force myself to sit down and really work on it. But this shawlette has renewed my mojo and every stitch is a treat. It is for a friend at work who has been giving me some good karma. This will make her smile and she deserves to smile.

Knit night

It went from teaching one co-worker to knit to a bonafide knit night! 

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Friday Rundow

• i've been at work more times past 7pm than i care to count this week
• i may have to stay late again tonight
• next week, i travel San Francisco
• some people love NY, I love SF.
• PC's joining me at the end of my trip.
• PC's never been to California
• don't worry: Pumpkin's going to her grandparents for a few days. (she loves it there: they have stairs!)
• i'm exhausted with my breakfast options lately. Since I'm on South Beach (or was until that pizza at 8pm last night- ugh) and am tired of eggs or greek yogurt. Give me some ideas!
• i get to "borrow" an assistant at work next week and i have no idea what to have her do.
• i'm a bit of a control freak.
• i'm ahead on 2 projects, way behind on 1.
• i'm having work nightmares this week that I forgot to put someone on the programs.

*sigh*

the winner is....

ZUZU!! 

email me at kskaare (at) gmail (dot) com w/ your addy so I can send your prize!

On a side note: my guild is hosting the one, the only: LUCY NEATBY in April and we have some spaces left in some of the classes. We have now opened it to non-guild members, so click here to get more info and to sign up!

If you haven't taken one of Lucy's classes, this will be eye-opening! And if you have, you know what a good time they can be!

10 on Tuesday: no-knit version

Top 10 non-knitting blogs.

1. The Pioneer Woman. Who doesn't read Ree Drummond at this point? Hell, she's even on the morning shows every now and again. I love, love, love her "cowgirl" food.

2. The Lettered Cottage. Layla & Kevin... what a great couple. Working hard to keep it real (I can't imagine that their two professions make a LOT of money, but they trust in God and a budget).

3. The Nester. I giggle every time I see something else she's drilling to the wall or painting. Mostly b/c she's in a rental and wow: "if only I could...." is my dream sentence around this rental.

4. Young House Love. I'm not sure what's going to happen when they finish this house, but I'm thinking these two have a future at HGTV. Or writing a parenting book on how to not let your kid fall into a paint bucket.

5. Apartment Therapy. I think my favorite piece might be the scavenger. I don't know what they are typing into craigslist, but I always end up with dirty couches offered up for too much money from bed-ridden student meccas (like Brighton) or Ikea bookcases. From 5th floor walk-ups.

6. Well-Heeled Finance Blog. I like her. She's funny and practical and has made me think about my money in a whole new way.

7. Fabulously Broke. Also, another personal finance blogger who makes me think.

8. Boston Gal's Open Wallet. This used to be better. I don't know if she just got more comfortable with her finances or she's just not into it like she was before (i'm hoping there's some love keeping her too busy), but she's good. A downside? Her net wealth (that she publishes) makes me feel insecure.

9. Robin Abrahams. Miss Manners, from the Boston Globe. She's funny and smart-mouthed and I adore her. and she takes pics of her outfits. Who, in Boston, does that? I love that!

10. Kalyn's Kitchen. My go-to source of South Beach diet recipes. Kalyn's personable, and very nice--- she and I had an email conversation that involved me breaking down b/c I thought it was just.all.too.much and she said "we all fail sometimes, but you need to keep trying." I thought: she writes this food blog. She can't fail. But, she does. And she makes it work. And that makes me want to make it work.

What have you learned about me?

• I like to look into people's houses. Even when i'm out driving, i like peeking at windows. :)
• I'm concerned about and taking charge of my personal finance.
• I'm slightly obsessed with etiquette ( I am. There are some things you should NOT do in public).
• I'm on South Beach. *sigh*

Happy Valentine's Day Contest

photo/graphic credit: xkcd:http://xkcd.com/223/

Happy Valentine's Day! Yup, the day of love, amour, smooches, roses, winks, nudges and chocolate filled I-love-yous.

PC and I celebrated all weekend, starting off Friday night with dinner with my nephew, my "other" Valentine. He's 2 and he's awesome. Saturday morning, a trip to Dunkin' (a tradition in our house and how awesome is it that we can WALK to a Dunks?) means someone has to walk past our favorite florist. They were happy to see him. So was the shop dog, Benny. These two ladies at Busy Bee love PC... y'see, he's always buying me flowers. He likes how happy they make me and he likes the smell of fresh flowers in the house. Win-Win. Saturday, I went shopping and ran some errands while he watched soccer and kept an eye on the couch. Saturday night was dinner for two at Atasca.

Let's start with a few things about Atasca. 1) it's always gotten good reviews, until recently. and 2) it was on my Boston/Cambridge to-dine list. Well, Saturday night was a flop. The food was so-so, the service was okay (once she realized we wanted a full meal experience: start with a drink, appetizer...she was more friendly) but s-l-o-w. The owner had friends in the restaurant (seated next to us) and instead of perhaps, hustling along the service or checking on customers (I overheard a few complaints that were going unnoticed), he was too busy sitting and chatting.

In addition, I have determined that people do not know how to behave in public anymore. I must be getting old... a woman (about my age) was there with her husband and friends: she was getting drunk and we pretty much heard the entire conversation. And, then there were the people with the cameras. I do not come from a generation that photo-documents everything from their morning pee to the application of night cream.

On the way to the car, we decided we might need a do-over.

Sunday was a trip to the Fiber Loft (first time!) to see the Berroco trunk show and meeting Andra Asras, a designer hosting a tea. I walked out $120 poorer, but with 7 buttons, 2 skeins of coordinating yarn for a project you'll see on Wednesday, and some baby yarns for baby shower gifts, as well as sock yarn for my PC.... who'd like the "next pair to be a bit higher." Funny, a few years ago, he was anti-handknit socks. Oh, and one of those Cha-Cha scarves. Yup. I said it. I'm going to knit with a novelty yarn. I haven't done it since the fun fur hat project. It's wool (mostly) and it'll look cute on my mom. Enough said.

Sunday night was dinner at "our place" : Legal Seafoods. We love the Chestnut Hill location and they didn't disappoint last night: clam chowder & caesar salad for me, seafood casserole & butternut squash for him. A few things to know about Legal: there are secrets, items not on the menu that you can get, if you know to ask. It's fun, like a secret club. If you can name 1 thing that you can get at Legal that is not on the menu (or a secret item at any other restaurant, to be fair), post it in the comments. Wednesday, i'll hand out prizes.

a whale of a good time

(photo credit: hannah haworth: http://hannahhaworth.com/blog/)

I will never complain about how big & heavy a sweater project is again. Ever.

damn.
wow.

buzzzzz

that's the buzz of a crazy-busy worker bee (me!) who's been swamped at the office. A trip to the Left Coast (San Francisco) is coming up and I've got more deadlines than I can count. So, I'm leaving you until later this week for a knitting update. (sorry!)

Instead, my favorite commercial ever.

10 on Tuesday: the sleepy edition

10 things on my beside table. Nope that's not mine up there. I wish...it's Pottery Barn and it's my ideal beside table.

1. glasses. I'm blind and they are the last thing off at night and the first thing on in the morning.

2. Watch and promise ring. Same as glasses.

3. Perfume. This is where I keep my collection of 3 perfumes: Donna Karan Cashmere Mist, L'Eau D'Issey by Issey Miyake, and Happy by Clinique.

4. Jewelry box. (my beside table is small dresser)

5. cell phone (it's my alarm)

6. lamp.

7. moisturizer (see last week's ten on tuesday for brand info)

8. wooden tulips that my grampy made for me.

and b/c mine is a dresser (and I'm desperate for 9-10)... inside, top drawer....

9. knitting stuff

10. sheep heating pad (it's shaped like a sheep, it's not for warming up sheep....)

racing...

...to finish my January socks before my lunch w/ Tracey tomorrow. Think I can knit a heel and an entire foot tonight? Cooking & cleaning might suffer, but the knit will go on!

And in lieu of knitting photos... how about an LOL cat to make you smile? This is for all the Boston knitters.... I love my wool socks, but this Wednesday snowstorm stuff is gettin' old...

Looking for a man in a yellow hat....

Next weekend, we'll celebrate my nephew's 2nd birthday (which was 1/24). It's hard to believe he's been on the planet this long, but I have to say, he's a pretty awesome little kid. He plays h-a-r-d and is so curious. No wonder his favorite thing in the whole wide world is:

And my sister-in-law has established Curious George as the theme for his party! How cool is that for a room full of 2 year olds?! Being the wonderful Auntie that I am (insert applause here), I decided that he needs to "look the part" at his party. Behold the Curious George sweater:

It's a basic boys' sweater from Ann Budd's handy book of sweaters (drop sleeve), knit at the smallest size.

Details:
Size: 26 inch chest (2-4 year old size)

Yarns: Cascade 220 Superwash (blue), Berroco Vintage (browns, whites)

Needles: US 7

method: Intarsia (*shudder*)--- my skills improved on this project, but I chose to embroider the eyes and mouth.

And this past week, the birthday boy was visiting his maternal grandparents in Florida and was arriving home sans mittens. My sis-in-law has been having quite the time getting 1) mittens that fit, 2) mittens that stay on, 3) mittens that he doesn't immediately rip off, and 4) mittens that don't interrupt Very Important Toddler Play (this kid takes his snow play seriously!). Entire Auntie again:

Some leftovers in the stash from his dino hat resulted in a quick little mitten set (w/ string to eliminate LMS (lost mitten syndrome)). I chose a twisted rib (extra long- 2 inches!) to keep the cuff snug and a two-color pattern to make them doubly warm and add interest. The final product is 5 inches in circumference. and... direct from a facebook post: "Mittens were a success. He don't love having them on but at least he kept them. The size is perfect. Thanks again."

10 on Tuesday: girlie edition

Top Ten Beauty Products? Oh, this is one for me... I'm a beauty product grrl.

1. Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle, Anti-Blemish face cleanser. A must have. Wash with it twice a day and you get clear, firmer skin and who doesn't want that?

2. Neutrogena Fast Absorbing Hand Cream. This is a must for New England winters... quick, fast drying, non-oily hand cream that you can rub in and immediately knit after. Yeah. It's that good. I'm on my 1st tube of 2011; it's always in my purse, in my travel "go" bag, and one on my desk.

3. Neutrogena Body Wrap Treatment. Yes, there is some brand loyalty here, but the bigger issue? Brand loyalty due to two things: a) good for sensitive skin & noses, b) well-priced.

4. Burt's Bees lip balm. I wear every day, under lipstick, over lipstick, instead of lipstick.

5. Oil of Olay moisturizer. Yup, the sensitive skin version of the pink lotion my mom & my nana both put on every morning and every night after washing their faces. In my family, it's a family "secret" that most of us use it and we all have fabulously soft skin. I used to steal my mom's when I was little because I thought it was make-up. *giggle*

6. Essie nail polish. I get a mani every two weeks (silk wrapped because I have messed up nail beds that lift instead of curve) and a pedi once a month. I am loathe to leave the house is my nails are a wreck (yes, I'm the same girl who camps in the woods for weeks on end, but guess what I do the day before we leave? Yup- mani/pedi).

7. Secret Clinical Strength Deoderant. This has saved my life and my shirts. 'Nuff said.

8. Aveda foot cream. Pricey, but totally worth it. PC says it smells horrible, but it goes on my heels every night because if not? I could shred the sheets with my dry cracked feet.

9. Almay Smart Shade foundation: fights wrinkles and no more guessing about if you are a "light buff 02" or a "medium buff 02?" while in CVS? I'm all about this. I wear very little make-up and this helps me feel "done" without making me feel like I'm wearing grease paint.

10. Vitamins! I take a multi-vitamin (prenatal for the folic acid & extra calcium), Vitamin D (3000mg), a Viactiv chew, and "fish sticks" (omega 3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil) every day. No one product will do as much for your skin as eating right and vitamins!

tale of wee mittens

Yesterday, like every other Sunday during football season, I met my friend Dora for some knitting (first we had lunch: yummy open faced prime rib sandwich for her, pastrami for me: yum!).

(That's Dora, seaming together her adorable butter-yellow bolero 3/4 sleeve jacket). Also seen, my mitten... sans thumb.

Close up of mitten detail: simple twisted rib cuff (2 inches long to keep the snow out!), followed by a two color vertical stripe pattern.

Finished and ready to be mailed! I crocheted the mitten string this morning, and packed them up and headed in the bitter cold to the post office.

Last weekend, I went on my annual retreat for my guild and while gabbing, gossiping, learning about vacuums, eating, drinking, laughing, gambling and refilling my heart with the power of knitters, I made this hat. It's Clotilde from Alison Green Will. and it's too big. It's destined to be re-knit, but since there is nothing wrong with it besides my gauge (it's off my a miniscule amount, like 1/8, it's going to be a gift. I loved the pattern though, so I'm stalking my stash for the right wee bit of dk yarn...

Now this item was also finished that weekend: my quiviot cowl. With beads. I love it. 1 ounce, 218 yards and 4 pattern repeats... on Size 3 needles... it's decadent, it's amazing, it's warm and I love it! Thanks again for the yarn PC! (he gave it to me Christmas 2009!)

Sock club and more..

As you can see; my sock club has begun. I'm 70% through the 1st one: basic sock, 72 stitch leg, 66 stitch foot, slip stitch heel, triangle toe....on US 1 dpns. The yarn is Lisa Souza's Yarn! In gendarme colorway.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

10 on Tuesday: game night

10 favorite games from childhood:

1. Sorry! There were 3 siblings, all within about a year or two of each other: this was the perfect board game from age 5-10.

2. Chutes and Ladders. Simple, easy to play, didn't take more than an hour.

3. Gin Rummy. We camped (alot!) and card games were the ultimate in entertainment for us.

4. Cribbage. Yup, we learned addition quickly when learning this game.

5. Gin. I still remember the first time I beat my dad in a game of gin.

6. Scrabble. As kids, we were all big readers, so this was a fun one... showing off your spelling words via the Scrabble board. (PC and I still play this, alot... if you ever want to play scrabble, come to our house: we have 4 versions!)

7. Trivial Pursuit. I loved this game! I am the queen of useless knowledge, so it came in handy, but oh, what fun.

8. Plinko: it involved not dropping a marble while removing sticks from a tube.

9. Boggle. (see Scrabble)

10. yahtzee!

Knit night deluxe

So, I'm home from San Francisco and I'm in Maine!!! At the York Harbor Inn, on my guild's annual knitting retreat. Tonight was a 3 course gourmet dinner (see the smiley faces of my tablemates?? Hi Jen, Jen, and Mari!!) followed by some wine (thanks Sharon...yum) & knitting. The yarn above is kathmandu dk and the pattern is Alison Green Will's Clotilde...and it's a lovely knit. Hopefully a finished knit tomorrow :)

Oh, and if anyone wants to pop in and check on PC, tell him 1 night of pizza is enough and to stop making my pillows hot. 

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

10 on Tuesday

10 ways to get more organized. 

I'm still in San Francisco (about to stretch my legs and wander to Artfibers. yes, you should be jealous, but I was on a conference call at 5am Pacific time this morning, so it's time for me to stretch)... i'm hoping to get home Thursday morning via the redeye, but let's see what happens in Boston tonight & tomorrow, right?

1. calendars. day planners. outlook calendars.... write it down. I stay organized by keeping a daily journal (a day planner) and keeping an online calendar (bonus: my online work calendar syncs to my google calendar, which is my personal one). 

2. make lists. I make a lot of lists, but usually deviate from them. For 2011, I said I'm starting to shop with a list and some cash: and no more. it's an effort to be more organized, waste less and save more($$). 

3. Donate. Donate clothes, odd household items (those college kids need kitsch for their apartments, it might as well be yours), and anything else in good usable condition to local organizations. Oh, and shoes.. donate shoes. i hate doing it, but I need to 'cull the herd' of shoes when I get home.

. 

4. Use any system that works for YOU. The Container Store (*heart*) will tell you that this way or that is the best, but honestly, if you buy stuff to stay organized and it's just not the way you function, it's really just more clutter.... right? 

5. Post its, scrap paper & pens should be handy to you at any given time. In your purse, your kitchen, the bedroom... perhaps the loo, but that's not how i roll, but then again: see #4.

6. Sort mail. Mail is a huge headache in chez Mini y PC; i deal with it by ignoring it, but it just stacks up. PC assumes that if it doesn't have his name on it, it's not his... but I do argue that he is, as a rent paying household member, a "resident" and should deal with the ads once in a while. 

7. Recycle. Yup: it's organizing at its easiest. Newton has single-stream recycling now and having the "one bin" saves a lot of headaches.

8. Purge. Yarn. Clothes. Shoes. Accessories. Purses. Books. CDs.... one day when you have some down time, look at a stack/pile/group of whatever and say 'I'll go through the one stack/pile/group" and nothing else. Move into "want, need, donate, trash" (yes, I added a new category: PC says I don't "need" shoes or yarn or purses or accessories, but I want them). Spend an hour. Be brutal. Be honest.  

9. Buy.Less.Stuff. Easy, right? Not really,but it's an effort we're making at our house b/c we'd like to own a home. And we don't want to move a lot of crap. 

10.  make it a daily thing: don't wait until it's too much to do, do a little everyday. 

Rice 'A Roni...

Greetings from San Francisco! Yes, that's a laptop, work stuff and knitting..all on my hotel room desk. All work, a little play on this trip. :) Actually, I'm covering for a colleague who had her 1st baby last week. Mini's karma points are adding up. Unfortunately, not for my United flight: 2 scream-y babies and no bathrooms. Yup: all 3 potties were "out of order" within 15 minutes of reaching cruising altitude. That's a LOT of people running for the restrooms at the San Fran airport. 

The sock you see is a little 2011 experiment I am trying with my friend, Tracey. We are taking a clue from the Yarn Harlot herself and attacking our sock yarn stashes: 2011 Kate & Tracey Sock Yarn Club. :) Every month, we'll knit a pair of socks from stash. Every OTHER month, we knit from each other's stash :) Cool right? Feel free to join in: grab a friend and swap sock stash yarn in Feb, April, June, August, October, & December. By New Year's Eve 2011, you'll have 12 pair of socks and a nice dent in two sets of stash!

I've also cast on for a hat, but I need to email the designer, I think I'm reading the pattern wrong. :(

10 on Tuesday

So, this week's 10 on Tuesday is for things we can't live without. Oh, and they can't be people. They must be things. Believe it or not, this was tough for me... I have lived without a lot and I've lived with a lot... this requires some really deep thinking.

*deeply thinking...*

*navel gazing...*

Got it!

1. My car. I love my Subaru, I do... but I absolutely 100% require a car to live. Stressed out? Long drive. Need some quality time w/ a friend; hop in the car. Camping vacation? Get.in.the.car and let's roll out. I am unnaturally attached to my car, and PC knows I am obnoxious when other people drive it.

2. My Coach purses. (wow... #2 and I'm starting to feel *slightly* superficial) Coach bags are comfy, stylish and rugged. Oh, and timeless. I'm currently rocking a nice hobo style from PC,which he so nicely purchased for my birthday. My goal is to carry it every day until my next birthday. :) This is tough b/c I have a LOT of bags. 

3. cell phone. Ugh. I love & hate this device all at the same time. It has email (work & home), phone, GPS, facebook, twitter, games.... all in one little black case. I'm a cell phone whore, too... i've been eyeing the new Android phones but haven 't pulled the trigger b/c I am pretending to have self control.

4. my knitting bag. It's Lexie Barnes (Lady B) and I love it. I can carry up to 5 small projects or 2 really big ones and it's perfect and did I mention that I love it?

5. My new Bartlett Yarns wool blanket. Srsly? House on fire, that puppy's coming with me. It's warm, it's made from sheep from my brother's girlfriend's mom's farm... I love it.

6. my kitchen island. This is the hub of our house. PC sits there and talks to me while I make dinner. Sometimes he's the sous chef, sometimes he's the peanut gallery. Friends sit here to chat and it's my fave place for a  cup of tea and a magazine. I do need to cushion the stools though.

7. My bed. PC & I have a super comfy bed...even though last night we realized it might be dipping in the middle (note to self; lose weight). It's where we laugh, love, and lay our heads to sleep each night.

8. my "Queen of Fucking Everything" mug from Christmas 2009. 'Nuff said.

9. my coffee warmer thing on my desk at work. Sylvie gave it to me b/c she knows I can keep a cup of coffee going all day long. This keeps it hot. 

10. .... I know we can't list people, so I'll say the tv... it's a source of entertainment and information. And we watch a LOT of it.

11.... PC. I can't imagine my life without you. *smooch*

ten on Tuesday

This week's topic is 10 Intentions for the New Year....

Very timely, isn't it? I'm all about resolutions, making lists, organizing my world...and then promptly forgetting where I put the list, creating excuses for not being resolute and finding myself searching through the piles of stuff around the house and screaming at PC that I can't find anything. So, resolutions have not worked out so much for me. Intentions, on the other hand, I can get behind. 

(these are in no particular order)

1. get fit. PC brought me a Wii Fit Plus and I have a YMCA membership, so I should be the most fit individual in my suburb, but I am not. In fact, my BMI (a la the Wii) last night frightened me so badly that I woke up this morning, decidedly not hungry. Being fit will let me play tennis longer, swim farther and finally be able to get a bicycle. I want a bicycle for Christmas one of these years (a cruiser, with a basket),so that's my goal. I also want to roller skate. PC & I live near the Charles River (oh, about 6 houses away) and there's this great path that goes from our house to the Hatch Shell.... I want to bike it or roll it.
2. eat & cook healthier. I have every healthy cookbook known to man and I cook the same things over & over. With PC doing a Weight Watchers diet and me following South Beach, it's not easy to make yummy dinners that satisfy us both (PC loves his carbs too). But, I have to do it. No more chinese take out each week. No more pizza.  My insides are revolting against me and I feel better when I'm eating lower-carb.  
3. Focus more at work. I lose focus at work sometimes and I'm working on getting more aligned with my work. It's a long term goal, but one I can get behind.
4. Manage finances better. This one's hard, but I'm going to do it. I need to sit down and budget my money. I need to take some risks and some safer options for my money and head out into the world. I will not turn 34 in 2011 without having some of my money work for me. A house will not buy itself. Some necessary steps will be taken this week.
5. be a more considerate partner. Sometimes I forget how good PC is to me and how lucky I am. I need to be more considerate of his feelings. 
6. work on my relationships: I need to reconnect with an old friend, badly, and I need to re-establish a friendship with someone I lost touch with. 
7. get involved in more community outreach. I find myself with too much time on my hands sometimes and I used to channel that energy & time into helping others. Now I sit & eat ice cream. (see #1 and #2)
8. blog 3 times a week: Monday, Wednesday, Fridays.
9. publish 1 pattern per month on my blog (and get Trek to teach me how to upload them on the sidebar,etc).
10. knit from my self-appointed sock club each month. I'm taking a page from the yarnharlot's book and running with it: I have a LOT of sock yarn and I'm going to knit 1 pair per month. With my travel schedule, this should be easy :) 

How about you? 

...the day after...

So many toys, I just needed a nap! Mom & Dad are recovering from hosting dinner for all my grandparents ( and a surprise visit from my aunt in England! She has a dog, but I like her anyway), so I thought I'd blog. 

Hope Santa brought you lots of toys ... I got a new climby thing! I love it. It has a hidey hole. I keep my toys in it...they are safe there. I stole mom's ack talking thing and took a photo for you. Don't I look great? 

Well, gotta go knock ornaments off the tree...

Pumpkin.  (meow)

P.s. Wait til you see what mom knit this weekend...

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Ten on Tuesday list....

10 things on my to do list:
1. Buy a Christmas tree. We are supposed to do this tonight, but PC's still under the weather (and he's the one who hauls it in, let's be honest, so I'm at his mercy).
















2. Decorate said tree. (and thanks to lovely Kim, my Christmas tradition is not ruined...more on that later!)
3. Finish brother's slipper socks.... I need to finish sewing the soles on, but I'm at an impasse... PC tried them on and didn't love how they feel. I might need to rip and reknit this weekend.
4. Create & plan a holiday dinner for 10, including 1 vegetarian who has crossed the "pond" for the holidays (PC's sister), and I don't want to feed her just side dishes. (I've been told by other vegetarians it's rude to just assume they'll just eat extra veggies)
5. address & send holiday cards... all 30 of them. This might be a job for tonight. I have to make up the sheet of address labels for our return address (makes my life easier!).
6. wrap gifts... somethings are getting out of control and I need to start wrapping so I know what I have!
7. go to the Container store to get small boxes and large boxes for kids gifts... I love what we bought, but I don't love that they didn't come with boxes. and kids need to rip wrapping paper, not open a bag.
8. make sure Santa is feeling okay--- we may need a 2nd run to CVS for cough drops, etc.
9. make fudge... I need to do this tonight too. It needs to set for 2 days and I have some co-workers who have been discussing this fudge since September. Including one boss who is reminding me that she's leaving for Ireland this weekend and fudge needs to be consumed pre-take off. :)
10. Finish knitting my quiviot cowl: PC and I have a deal: I'll finish my cowl by Christmas eve, he'll start his beer.

laugh out loud funny

'Cause Fridays need a little "sumpthin" to get you to 5 o'clock... :) 

Busy weekend, Busy Mini

Do you remember these mittens? Yep, the ones for my SIL.... well, she mentioned to me recently that she's buying a new coat. This coat is going to be black, from Lands' End and well, it certainly didn't come with a hat. Now, this SIL is the one who LOVES a handknit. Loves them. And has received many: cabled mittens, a scarf, a bag, a sweater. In return, she has provided me with a great nephew. I think it's a fair trade :)

Well, the Fiddlehead mittens are for her Christmas gift. But her head is cold NOW. So, what to do? Make her a fiddlehead hat, of course. And, now the mittens will be a BIG surprise because she's totally not expecting the matching mittens, right?

Don't stress out trying to work out this pattern. i'm going to do it for you this weekend. You'll need to buy the Fiddlehead mitten pattern to get the chart, but you can download the pdf instructions from me for free.

And since when I was making the hat, I was flipping out about running out of yarn for the hat, I bought two more skeins... 1 gray, 1 purple. And never used them.

My mom 's jacket is purple.... so, she's getting post-holiday mittens & matching hat. I'm reversing the colors from my SIL's... mom's will be purple background, gray accent.

And, I have a mitten fail. I have a coworker who would be a great mitten recipient, but only really sticks to basic colors; I thought a gray mitten with a pop of color would be nice. The "fail" is that the mitten is much to small. I cast on 38 stitches at 4spi, but looks like I need to rip back to the ribbing and increase the stitch count with an increase round. (I prefer the ribbing to be 1) tighter gauge and 2) smaller # of stitches: keeps the wind out). This will be a pdf download here on the site as well. And, I'll need some mitten testers after Christmas: let me know if you are interested.

Info: 200yds (100yds of each color) chunky weight wool and US7 & US8 needles, stitch markers.

Oh, and did you see my bag? That's a Stitched by JessaLu original BIG BOX BAG.(Psst.... i heard a rumor that there will be Rudolph bags being made.) Yup, she makes them. You have to be "in the know" and well,... you are now. :) I got two: owls and gnomes. The gnomes will make their debut soon; they are holding the Kathmandu Aran sweater I am working on for PC. It's a top down raglan using the Incredible, Custom Fit Top-Down Raglan Sweater Design

You, too, can knit a scarf!

Flipping through the Macy's circular yesterday, while eating my late lunch, I stopped dead in my tracks.

I know the world is alive with handknits & chunky cables (go to Pottery Barn and witness the poorly constructed over-priced acrylic (ick!) throw blankets & pillows on every.single.surface).

Didn't see what stopped me dead? Here's a close up.

And, what threw me for more of a loop? The price:

$20 for about 240 yds of acrylic blend with plastic needles. And do you see a cable needle in there? Hmm... unless Martha's planning on teaching you how to cable without a needle on the back of that 3 inch X 3 inch wrapper, you're going to need some new tools.

I'm happy to see mainstream companies embracing the knitting, I am, but this made me giggle a little.

Happy Cyber Monday!

Pfffttt at Dear Prudence

So, this question to Dear Prudence is odd, yes, but Prudie's reply is something else. (on the record, I think it's a bit nuts to knit socks for every member of a pre-school class... finger puppets: yes, small toys: yes... but socks?)

Everyone who has a relative who begs for handknit socks, raise your hand.

Yup. I thought so. I just felt a huge draft of wind as all your hands shot up.  

I'm guessing Prudie is 1) not a good knitter, if one at all and 2) not getting another handknit anything from any knitting friends anytime soon...

Q. Help! Advice on Gift-Giving: I am a knitter who is knitting socks for my son's preschool class. I intend to give these socks as Christmas gifts this year. I am keeping them a secret as I would like them to be surprises. The only one who knows is the teacher as I needed her help getting the kids' feet sizes. My question revolves around the note I am going to include with the socks. Of course it will include washing and drying instructions (cold water and low heat); however, I am stumped about how to ask for the socks back if the kids don't like them, so they can be redistributed. Now, I don't really want the socks back for my own son; I would like the socks to go to someone who'd actually wear them. What would you do in this instance?

A: In this instance, I would stop with the socks and knit a sweater for my own child. While many people enjoy handmade scarves, there's a reason people stopped wearing lumpy, itchy, droopy handmade socks as soon as industrial looms were invented. It's sweet of you to want to make gifts for the entire class, but you're investing way too much time in a gift that won't be appreciated. If you want to do something handmade, maybe you should bake some treats. Or you could offer to come in and do a knitting lesson for the kids. Unless you're making socks they can hang by the fireplace for Christmas, no one wants handmade socks in their Christmas stocking.

10 on Tuesday: Turkey Style. :)

10 things to Love about Thanksgiving:

1. I don't have to cook. I love cooking, I do, but I cook (and PC) for Christmas and that's quite enough holiday cooking for me.  PC's aunts cook. 

2. High School football. Yeah, i know? Weird, I don't particularly enjoy football but the high school games on Thanksgiving remind me of my cheerleading days (grades 3-12) and it's always fun.

3. Gravy. I love gravy on mashed potatoes, my turkey... pretty much everywhere.

4. PC's aunt Paula's cranberry relish... it's delish. She makes it just for me now. :P

5. Family... we go to PC's family for the "bird" and try to catch up with my family for the "pie." This year that gets trickier b/c my family will be in NH while PC's is in Massachusetts.  I miss my family on Thanksgiving when we don't get to see them; and I hate racing around trying to get there in time for dessert.  Growing up, it was always a crazy day in our family: we'd have grandparents, god parents, cousins, 2nd cousins...everyone stopping in for some turkey, a slice of pie, a cup of coffee.... and the wood stove burning after the table was cleared.

6. Traditions: new & old. PC's family doesn't have too many Thanksgiving traditions that I can see except his dad carves the bird and they (used to) rotate houses for this holiday, but now this is my tradition too... so new to me, but old to him! 

7. saying grace. Growing up, we said grace at the table every night. Nowadays, the holidays is the only time we say grace (or with our friends) are the holidays. I think of it as a time to slow down and remind ourselves to be thankful for the people in our lives and the blessing of having food to put on the table. Once you had your 1st Communion, you could say grace at the holidays. Ours was fairly basic, but it stands the test of time. 

8. Thanksgiving dishes.  I know... I should hate it right? But, it always was the "girl" time in my house... and I learned a lot about being a (future) wife, (future) mom & woman in that kitchen. In PC's family, this chore appears to be detested,but I enjoy it. 

9. my mom's paper turkey. it's from my brother Rob's 1st Thanksgiving (the other 2 of us didn't have 1st Thanksgivings, I guess) and it was put on our table every year. And every year, Jon & I tried to  knock it over with a roll. 

10. Piantadosi rolls. If you grew up in the Melrose/Malden/Everett/Medford area.. you know these rolls. And if you had a ma like mine, you got them from the factory on the outlet days, when you could grab them off the racks as they came off the production line... still hot. :) 

11. Chocolate pudding pie. My grandfather & my dad wouldn't sit down unless they knew it was already in the house. And, I have to admit, it's my favorite too!

So, from my family to yours: a moment of grace:

Bless us, O' Lord, for these gifts which we are about to receive through your bounty. And bless us, always, with family and friends. Through Christ's name we pray, Amen. 

Holiday Greetings... or not?

I have a "thing" about holiday cards. I love sending them. It's my tradition to sit down the weekend after Thanksgiving, with  my red & green pens, my list of addresses and the stack of cards. But, in the digital age, it's great to see all the new photo cards, etc that come our way. PC & I don't have kids (unless you count Pumpkin, and we do) so it's fun to see all the kids in their Christmas clothes and such. I'm always amazed at how many people have managed to get their trees up in time for the photo, processing, printing and re-sending. 

But, I have a gripe. I do. And I feel bad about it. The lack of handwritten anything on some of the cards. I know, I'm terrible, right? Last year I received a bunch of (beautiful) computer printed cards (shutterfly, kodak...etc) in envelopes with the "to" and "from" printed off of computer labels. Now. I DO print out our return address labels from the computer. And I see the advantage of downloading the address book into an Avery file and printing them out. I get it... I really do. But, when everything is done on the computer... where's the connection? Where's the "happy holidays!" or other seasonal wish from you to the ones you love? Am I just being a curmudgeon? Am I begrudging those who have small people underfoot and are struggling to just get the.damn.cards.mailed.!!!?? 

I'm a bit old fashioned, I know... I like real trees, strung popcorn (Pumpkin eats it, so we can't do that), hand signed cards and a home cooked meal at the holidays. PC knows I'm hokey like that, my family knows and my friends know. 

So, am I just too far behind on the times  with this one? 

I'm happy in my hokeyness. So, after Thanksgiving has passed and we're well on our way to thinking about snowflakes... bring on the Christmas cards. And, truly, I'm happy to have them no matter what.  Because if you are on my Christmas card list, it's because I truly want to wish you & yours a very special holiday season. 

Thankful Thursdays

Only 1 thing I am thankful for today:

Sick days. 

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Monday: meh

Yeah, it's Monday. It's a COLD Monday. Well, not really... it's actually a seasonal one, but I'm feeling very cold today. I woke up cold, I got out of the shower cold, and I'm at work: cold.  And, there's a very slim chance of sunshine today.  

Today is also the 1st day of Phase 1 of South Beach for me. Yes, before you ask, I'm going to Phase 1 right through Thanksgiving? Yup. If there were ever a holiday to do this, it's turkey day: low fat turkey & tons of side dishes that are veggies. :) And, on Thanksgiving, I'll allow myself a little treat: like gluten free, low carb stuffing and a little cranberry sauce (PC's aunt makes the best).  So, as I've done in the past, I'm going to tell you what I'm eating and what I'm cooking. All of the dishes are good for the non-South Beach community as well. 

Breakfast: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (nonfat, plain) + 2tbsp sugar free maple syrup

Snack: celery sticks + hummus

Lunch: Romaine lettuce + pine nuts w/ sherry vinegarette; pulled pork (6ounces) + green beans

Snack: lentil + black bean salad (see below)

Dinner: Balsamic roast w/ onions & mushrooms; asparagus with provolone; 16 ounces milk

Veggies: 9 servings 
Lean protein: 2 servings
Dairy: 3 servings

Lentil & Black bean salad:

Ingredients: lentils (cooked), 

black beans 1 can (rinsed), 

2 small cucumbers, 

3 pieces of roasted red pepper, 

1 small onion diced & cooked, 

1 tbsp olive oil, 

1 tsp crushed garlic, 

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped.

Directions:
Cook lentils in equal parts water. Cook onions in small amount of olive oil and garlic until softened. Dice pepper & cucumbers. Toss everything in a bowl and season w/ salt & pepper. 
1 serving: 1/2 cup. 

Beauty is...

A pile of hand knit mittens :)

Pattern: herringbone mittens (pdf) by Elliphantom

Yarn: Cascade 220 (blues)

Needles: US 6 dpns

Modifications: none.

Recipient: brother's girlfriend.

Pattern: Fiddlehead Mittens (Rav link) by Hello Yarn

Yarn: Cascade 220, purple & gray

Needles: US 2, 40 inch circulars (a la Magic Loop)

Modifications: I knit this at a very tight gauge b/c I like my colorwork mittens to be "windproof" and these are most definitely! They are not lined.

Recipient: sister in law.

Thankful Thursdays

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Modern medicine and the Mass General Hospital. We had a scary moment over the weekend with my dad. The doctors at MGH were AMAZING to my dad: he was zipped in, taken care of... my mom was also taken care of and treated well. The doctors, nurses and staff there don't "talk down" to the patients and family. And, Nurse Kristie from the 10th floor of the White Building, took time out of her shift to talk to my mom while my dad was getting tests, had O2 delivered for my mom (to supplement her travel tank) and made sure she was 100% up-to-date on my dad's condition. Dad's home this week and we all know he wouldn't even be alive if the MGH wasn't there 4 years ago.

2. Veterans. My grampy was a vet and he was so proud to have served his country. While it did make him a strict, distant father, he was a wonderful grampy with great stories and a love for strong coffee & peanut butter. I guess if you were in the Navy in the 40s, you ate a lot of peanut butter. Grampy was a cook and thought there was absolutely NO reason for the men (enlisted or officers) to eat bland, boring food, so he often spiced things up, trying new "secret ingredients" to recipes. One of them involves ketchup on a ham: salt was rationed, but ketchup was not... :)

3. My car. This sounds silly but this morning, my car started. My neighbor's did not. I'm thankful that PC & I have the funds to own 2 cars (PC has my old Kia and I have a new Subaru) that start in the morning, every morning.

Ten On Tuesday: this week is all about dream vacations. I've got so many places on my to-see list that I may never see them all, but that doesn't mean I can't try.

1. The moon. PC insisted I add this one. We love the moon and we'd really like to go there. Not for long, just to see what it's like. PC and I are like that: we say "hmm... I wonder what it's like there" and then we go. This is how we went to Niagara Falls.

2. Norway. I want to go above the Arctic Circle (again) and visit the people. These are my people. Yup: I'm 1/2 Norwegian and I would love to wander around.

3. Annecy, France (again): this time I'd take PC. The Alps are GORGEOUS and I loved Geneva, but this sleepy little resort town, 2 hours south of Geneva, in the Savoie region of France blew.my.mind. I saw wild swans on a lake, a small village with canals and a church in the woods.

4. Rome. I know, it's loud, it's dirty, but it's filled with amazing art & architecture that spans so many different eras... and of course, there's the Vatican. As a Catholic who is more fatithful than "church-y", I don't feel the pilgrimage pull to the Vatican, but I would like to stop in Saint Peter's Square, stand in the middle and tell my godmother "I am here." She stood there just before my 1st birthday and prayed for me to become a strong, independent woman.

5. Israel. This one place has caused so much conflict in the world. I'd love to see Jerusalem and visit Nazareth. My godfather once told me that he never felt as close to God as he did in Nazareth on Christmas day.

6. South Africa. A land of duality: ocean & mountains; peace & constant change; old & new. And, the sharks. I want to see the sharks.

7. Kenya. African safari as only the Kenyans can do it... sleeping in camps, riding into the savannah in a jeep, armed with a DSLR and a LOT of memory cards. PC and I will be there one day.

8. Alaska. I loved Alaska... the first day there, I told my parents I found home. I still feel the pull to go and explore.

9. Quebec City. I've never been. I can drive there, but I've never been.

10. Stockholm. A cosmopolitan city so clean you can simply jump in the ocean. Imagine doing that in Boston?

Christmas knitting....

I'm not normally a night owl. Well, not a past-midnight one, at least. Last night found me up at 1 a.m., just dying to finish this mitten. I love this mitten. I hope the intended gift recipient will too.























One down, one to go. :)


























No great adventures in color dominance here... but I did use the Magic Loop method and it greatly affected my gauge. I was surprised. I like that I didn't get that weird ladder-ish type mark in the middle of the pattern (it's always easily remedied by a good soak and blocking), but the "around the corner" stranding was a bit tough. I'll use the same method on mitten #2, but I have one more pair of mittens to make this holiday season and I don't think this will be my ideal method. The only way to know is to try, right?

And: knitters... help me. I'm trying to find instructions to make a February Lady/Baby sweater for a 5 year old size. I'm sure it's just a matter of adjusting the cast on stitches, but I'd like more guidance than that. Anyone have a link for me?

Thankful Thursdays

Thankful Thursdays are Back! 

Last year, you'll remember that I wanted to remind people to be thankful. For their health, family, friends, ability to knit, intelligence, freedom... whatever you need to be thankful about: this is the month.

So, join me in being thankful today: leave a comment on this post and tell me what you are thankful for (links to blogs accepted as well).

I'm thankful for:

1. my job. I know I did this one last year too, but I've been here 14 months and it feels like "home" and I'm eternally grateful every other Friday, when they deposit my check. Not only does my job provide PC and I with the ability to pay our bills, splurge on some yarn/cds/books, but we have been able to re-start the 401k and savings account addition cycle (as opposed to the subtraction cycle...).

2. my health. 2010 was a scary year for my health: new diagnosis, new medicines, new diet... i'm doing well, and while I could be doing better (and yes, PC, I know: going to the gym), I'm not doing bad. And, PC and I have learned that we are enablers to each other, so we are trying to be VERY aware of not only our own activities, but also each other's. 

3. personal time off (PTO). I'm taking a day tomorrow b/c I need it. I just need a day off. I'm not running errands or cleaning the house. I'm not doing anything but recharging my batteries and drinking tea, while knitting. :) 

Holiday Gift Knitting

As knitters, we've all been there: you have a friend at work or a relative that you really like. And you want to make them something for the holidays. Do you? Don't you?

Well... I think there is a lot to this decision. PC and I discussed it last night: you knit for those who appreciate it:

• My mom is always on that list.
• My dad: not so much. He would love a sweater, but that's a lot to get done before Christmas. So, he'll get a February sweater and he'll love it. \
• My brother R: nope.
• My brother J: yup. Even though he the afghan I made him over his head as a shawl. I might be rethinking him.
• My sis-in-law... even when we weren't getting along, she was always a yes. No one goes crazy for a handknit quite like my sis in law. :)
• PCs' parents: mom (yes), dad (no), sister... maybe. She's a tough one. She lives FAR away (think different continent) and I think she likes her handknits, but who knows, right?
• My nani: yes. she loves them. LOVES them.

So, while I'm making a lot of gifts for the holidays, not all of them will be handknit. In fact, I have a kind of cool project I'm going to try this Sunday for "couple friends"... it involves ceramic tile and scrapbooking. Yeah-- -it's that cool. :)

On my to-knit-for-holidays-2010 list:

10 on Tuesday

10 ways to simplify your life....

1. buy a crock pot and use it. Year round, I use this handy kitchen tool before I leave for work to create delicious and nutritious meals for me & PC. I cook chicken, beef and soups in it. 20 minutes in the morning keeps me from stressing over what to have for dinner when I get home. And, best of all, when curling season starts (2 weeks ago), I use it so I don't have to rush home to cook dinner on an early draw night. :)

tonight; beef curry w/ lentils and baby carrots. It took 12 minutes to put together, 7 hours on low and it'll be yummy central when I get home!

2. stock your pantry. Mine is stocked pretty well. I have found a new love in my pantry though: Penzey's stock in a jar. It's concentrated bouillon, basically, for beef, chicken and veggies. I love that the little jar is like 10 cans of stock, but takes up less space. We have lentils, barley, rice, couscous, and quinoa in the house at all times; add chicken with some spice rub and you have dinner.

3. keep the house tidy. It really does matter. For example, on Sunday, I spent a good part of the day tidying the house and I have to say: it's easier for me to currently find and put things away. I'm invested in keeping the house clean (PC is too and if not, after reading this, he will be) and organized b/c I'm not exhausted just looking at the mess around the house.

4. I *love* my to-do lists. I make them at work, I make them at home... they are my "thing."

5. Grocery shop together. PC and I have been grocery shopping together since we moved in together 5 years ago. It's something that we both do to 1) keep ourselves on track (no 4 boxes of ice cream sandwiches) and 2) it engages both of us in the process of selecting our meals.

6. Buy in bulk. Not everything and certainly not all the time. I buy poultry in bulk. I go once a month to my chicken guy in Cambridge and spend $30 and get my chicken for the month. I get thighs, legs, breasts, whole chickens and quarters. And, when I get home, I freeze them in "meal" sizes, in ziplock bags, with the item indicated on the front in sharpie marker.

7. Keep things where you need them. All my spices are the right of my stove b/c that's where I need them. It's not where you need them, it's where *I* need them.

8. try it before you buy it. This is in terms of crafts for me, as I tend to hop into a new hobby all willy nilly and with a $200 investment. No more. I like to sew/quilt and knit. I'm not really into paper crafts, beading, etc.

9. Shop the stash first. I have a lot of stash yarn. I'm slowly working my way through it. When I want to run to the LYS to get new yarn, I head to the back room first in my house. And I shop the stash.

10. Give and get hugs. This simplifies my life b/c it reminds me of what is most important: family & friends. This morning, I hugged PC twice just b/c I needed to be close to him and he gives great hugs. And, luckily for him, I do too!