A blue sweater

It's been ages since I posted anything I've made despite the fact that I'm always working on something. This one has such a cute model I thought I'd share.


Big I wanted me to make him a sweater and he said he wanted it to be blue. He didn't say only blue. I made a basic v-neck raglan and let the yarn do the work. The colorway is called 'Glacier Bay'.


Had to redo the sleeve and body length twice to make it slightly over-sized; I think he had a growth spurt while it was on the needles. Maybe it'll last the winter now.

Beer, Pizza and Pretzels

You would think by the title we were entertaining a bunch of frat boys at the house, but it was actually just dinner tonight. I made some pizza using this recipe for beer dough from Penzey's.

Note, when the recipe says it makes a big batch, they are not kidding.


I made up two pizzas, which hardly made a dent in the dough supply. They were pretty good, but one was overbaked and Craig commented that it was more like a pretzel on the edges than pizza crust.

'Pretzels' you say?? Coming right up!


We used this recipe for the boiling/baking parameters.


15 minutes later, they turned out very nicely!


It should be noted, I still have enough of that dough in the freezer for at least three more pizzas.

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I finished a hat for Big I for this winter. Of course, I didn't think to try on last year's hat to see how it fit until after I finished the new one. Yes, the old one still fits fine. (Fortunately so does his coat.)


Anyway, doesn't he look like his cousin B-man in this picture?

Results are in!

Far fewer entrants this time, so your chances were good. Without further ado, the winner of the Himalaya Tote is....


Stacy!


She was lucky to have a last-minute entry. I'll shuttle this off to you just as soon as I get a chance. Hope it works for ya!

A thing completed

Just finished up the Himalya Tote by Jill Vosburg last night.

I love this pattern. The first one I made from sari silk in a mini version. I loved that one too. My sister got it; I hope she uses it. This version is a big size (14" wide x 17" tall x 5" deep) and made from Paton's SWS (wool and soy silk) I felted it ever so slightly for a little extra durability. The colors worked up so nicely with the mitered corners.


The really exciting part is the lining. I used a cotton batik and was oh-so-careful (sewing is still not my strong point). There are four pockets, the largest of which has a velcro closure.

I double-stitched the pockets as well for added durability. I gave it a test-drive at the store this morning and it worked great. Below you can see what I brought. From top right going clock-wise:

Big pocket with dirty-dipe bag, small first-aid kit, toddler clothes change and other miscellany. Side pocket with water bottle and umbrella. Next pocket with wallet, sunglasses, shopping list and coupon folder. Small pocket with keys and cell phone. In the middle, I put a cloth diaper and my sock knitting project. I still had a ton of room left.

The only thing I didn't do was give it a top closure. Quite honestly, I just couldn't find the magnet closures I bought a while back. I don't typically use them so I didn't think it a big deal.

Why am I telling you all of these details? It's up for grabs. I like this one so much and have so much of this yarn that I'll make myself another and you can have this one.

I can't think of a good way to make y'all earn this one, so if you want it, just leave a comment saying so. I'll pick the winner on Monday!

rANDOm sTufF

Random item #1:

HOLY COW! Run for your lives! It's the Godfather of all slugs!

It took me 3 handfulls of salt to get the slime off my fingers. First the giant grasshopper, now this. And this:

Random item #2:

I guess all the rain is pushing things out of their usual hidey-holes. This little guy is most welcome...just not on the baby gate.

Random item #3:

I made a pumpkin pie from scratch-ola today, minus the crust. Doesn't taste any better than from a can I don't think. But maybe that's because I'm just used to the canned stuff.

Roasted up the seeds too.


Random item #4:

Finished a pair of socks for Craig. I still don't know why I made these (yes I do, I cast on too many stitches for my foot but the perfect number for Craig and was too lazy to take it out again) as he doesn't wear any of the other pairs I've made for him.

Yarn stuff

This is a fiber-intensive post, so for those of you who have no interest in such stuff you might want to just move along today.

I finished a new scarf. Pink Lady Scarf from Interweave Crochet, Fall 2009. It's in KnitPicks Gloss sock yarn. Color is burgundy. It should be nice and warm without being too bulky and it's just a little feminine without being frilly.


Next on the list, I finished two big 'junk' batts. They were made up of left-overs of all sorts of stuff. They were fun to spin just 'however'...very slubby and thick and thin. There's even a little sparkle in them.


Last but definitely not least, I worked on some bulky spinning which is very difficult for me to do anymore. Spinning finer is far easier after the initial spinning learning-curve. But I had some super soft, sproingy Cormo waiting to be made into some extra-huggable yarn. The yarn's not perfect, but it is so, so, so very soft. I need to figure out if I'll dye it or not.

What color would you dye a cloud?

Drum roll please....

Thanks to everyone who was interested in taking part in my little give-way. It was fun having some action on the blog and something to get a little excited about.

So, without further ado, our winner - chosen at random from the self-same hat being given away - is:

LISA CURCIO!

Congrats, Lisa. This should be something practical, yet fun for a busy mama. Shoot me an email with your address at ihiker AT aol DOT com and I'll send your prize out ASAP. I hope you enjoy it.

We'll have to do another of these soon!

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And hopefully coming in the next post...something exciting here for once. It involves concrete.

A contest

Our life here is not especially exciting and therefore, neither is this blog. So to shake things up a bit, I'm holding a little contest. (I'm also aware of more than a few lurkers out there who never post comments. Perhaps this will flush some of you out.)

Below, I give you a hand-knit scarf and cap.

This is a very special hat and scarf and not just because I made them with my own two hands. The multi-colored yarn is a discontinued line from here. It's so special because it was the very last hank on the whole universe. It's also one of my very favorite colorways - a color called 'Tamarak and Spruce' that is hand dyed. Those two facts together are enough to make me wonder why I am giving it away...I prefer to share the fibery goodness, I suppose.

The scarf is on the narrow side so that it's not over-warm when wrapped around your neck. It's yet another moebius - they're so simple, yet so complex. The nice thing about the moebius is that it won't slide off your neck when it's hanging loose. The hat is super snuggly with the welts alternating between brown and the Tamarak and Spruce - it has a perfect blend of green, browns, rust, a hint of gold and all sorts of gradations in between. It fit both Craig and myself equally well. Big I not so much.


The hand-dyed yarn is made from corriedale which is one of my favorite breeds with which to spin (though I did not spin this particular yarn). The brown in the hat is an unknown wool with about 25% alpaca mixed in. Corriedale is about in the middle on the itchiness scale. Craig and I both find it very comfortable on our necks, but if you're super sensitive to the woolies, you may not care for it. It's all about the micron count.

So, how do you go about winning this lovely little bit of custom-made warmness? Check out some of the info on sheep here. Then post something you learned in the comments. That's it. It can be anything: something about a sheep breed (some of my favorites are Border Leicester, Jacob, and Australian Merinos, just to name a few), or perhaps tell us what the most common sheep breed in the U.S. is, or what was used in the old days to mark every 100 sheep in the herd thereby making them easier to count.

I'll randomly pick a name and post the winner this Friday, September 25. You'll have your prize sent to you just in time for the cold weather or to perhaps pass on as a Christmas present.

A fiber update

I've had a few things on the needles and on the bobbin recently. All are for folks who don't know they're getting something, so I here are a few hints only.


P.S. - Big I has been walking today. From a cruising position and from getting himself up off his bottom in the middle of the floor. Then he gets so excited while he's moving that he kinda crash-lands. Poor Foz got squashed this morning. Video to come I'm sure.

Hey, we made it.

Last Friday Craig was out of town, so the little man and I took ourselves to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the Yarn Harlot at a booksigning. Big I was as good as gold (finding a corner in the back where he could crawl around helped) and Stephanie was highly amusing and a pleasure to meet. We even made her blog. You have to scroll down and "click to embiggen".

The entire time she was talking, though, I had to laugh at the guy from the bookstore. He's the one on the very far right in the picture there. Obviously does not understand the knitting thing. I don't think he laughed once. And she really is funny.

To wrap up the weekend with just the two of us, Big I took me to dinner on Saturday. Shortest date I've ever had... in both duration and height!

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I have not yet been able to get pictorial or video proof, but Big I definitely likes the swimming pool. The first couple of times we went, I would sit him on the side of the pool and tell him to scoot off so I could catch him. He would get a sly little smile, look around to see what everyone else was doing and then wiggle his shoulders, working up to a plop! into the water. Well, when we went the other day, he's gotten so good at it that I hardly had time to let go before he'd launch himself back in. He even got so cocky he'd look off into the distance while pitching forward. Very trusting boy!

He also has a special message for Grandma:



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A few garden shots from this morning:

My mini sunflower with friend on tow. (Actually, I need to look that bug up. I think it might be a cucumber beetle.)


Some yummy strawberries.


The monster mystery cucurbits. They're doing better than anything I planted on purpose.


Blooms on my hosta. Remember what those look like, Mom? No deer here to eat them.

Pinky!

Knitting and spinning update today.

I finished spinning the Chocolate-Covered Cherries colorway that I really am not too fond of. I still don't care for it much now that it's plied; just too much pink. I decided to just go with a basic 2-ply since I was so uninspired by it. It'll probably be stashed away for now until I find a good project for it.


Speaking of pink, I also finished a baby sweater for our friend's Sarah and JR who are expecting in July. I actually made this sweater a long time ago, so I'm glad it will finally have a recipient. It's a very simple and very adaptable top-down raglan. Lots of fun to knit. I especially like that the raglan 'seams' are purled so the make a sort of ribbing that expands as the baby moves around.


I added a little "A" for some extra interest as there is reportedly a 95% chance that her name will start with that letter.


And as a bonus, it's completely reversible. A little too much spit-up to hide? No problem, just turn it inside out. The other side has a nice texture from the purl bumps. And just look at how nice and neat I wrapped the colors. Am I good or what?


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The Ham was being cute lounging away while awaiting his wardrobe change this morning.


What a goof.

Presents for baby, Lenten recipes and Big I's in the Box

I finished a couple of little projects to give to my friends Dorie and James who are expecting next month.

First a Socktopus, which has been road tested by Big I:



Also, a little nursing bracelet for Dorie to use. It helps keep track of which side to start on each time you sit down to feed the little one.





















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I've made a couple of good vegetarian recipes lately, just in time for the second half of Lent.

Check out how pretty the Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup is.

I chopped the spinach into smaller pieces than called for (Craig didn't like long ribbons) and I added a can of vegetable broth as part of the water. Sometimes Real Simple's recipes are too simple and there's not enough flavor, so the broth helps. For those in veggie-adverse households, there's just no way to slide this one in unnoticed.

(And why yes, those are yet more Sweet Potato Biscuits. I like them, okay?!)

Also, I made some excellent Fish Tacos last night. I bought the tomatillo salsa to save on time. I'd like to make the salsa myself next time, though.

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We got two big convertable car seats for Big I the other day. (Thank you Woot!) I think he was more interested in the box.


Wonder where he gets it from? This is me circa March 1981 (just about the same or a bit older than his age now).

Notice the box in the background?