Monday, July 27, 2009

New Socks

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I finished a pair of vanilla socks. The yarn is Kona superwash sock dyed by blogger KnitPastis. She had a blog contest a few years ago and I won! I long ago used up all the other goodies she sent. I actually started a pair of Child's First Socks with this yarn back in 2007. But I very soon after got pregnant and stopped knitting because it made me nauseous. Fast forward to 2009. These days I need lots of plain projects with easy knitting that I can pick up on the go and don't need to waste precious knitting time figuring out where I left off. So the plain socks are my project these days. Well, that is when I only have a few minutes here and there to knit. When I know that I have an hour or more, I'll pick up a more complicated project like the Morning Glory Wrap (which will get its own post later).

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I love this yarn! KnitPastis did a beautiful job dyeing it. The base is luscious. So happy to have another pair of hand-knit socks to wear this fall!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Secret Pal Goodies

Last week, I got my first package from my Secret Pal. Yeah for yarn goodies!

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There were two skeins of Knit Picks Gloss, which is 70% merino and 30% silk. And it feels so lovely and soft. I love the chocolate brown color, too.

Speaking of chocolate, there was also a candy bar that I am savoring. I had a few bites this weekend and a few more right now!

Also, to go with the socks, a pretty pattern called Country Girl Socks.

Finally, a cute keychain with crocheted sweater rounded out the package.

Thank you, Pal!

I have my first box ready to go out to my pal today. I guess I should take pictures of that, too.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Random Things

For those of you on Facebook, you may recall that the 25 random things note was going around a few months ago. I need to post more to my blog--and I have things to photograph!--but haven't gotten to them yet. I think I'll have time this weekend though.

Anyway, I did this random things list several months ago on Facebook, and just realized, duh!, I could share here too. I wrote this in February, so I've add parentheses in a few spots to bring it up to date.

Here's a bunch of random things, some about me, some not.

1. I went to Catholic school from grade 1-3 and 5-8. For some reason grade 4 was public and it was in a building right next to the Catholic school. We all went over to the Catholic school once a week (Dyersville friends: is that right? More often?) for religion class.

2. This was in Dyersville, Iowa, home to the movie Field of Dreams. It was filmed after my family had moved away.

3. I don’t like the expressions “babywearing” or “wear your baby.” But I do love the concept. I carried H around in a sling, moby wrap and imitation baby bjorn thing a lot when he was smaller (and weighed less!). He loved it. But talking about wearing a baby just … creeps me out.

4. I like pickles a lot. G doesn’t.

5. I used to eat sand when I was a baby. On our recent trip [in Jan. not really so recent anymore] H ate sand. I think it’s genetic.

6. I’ve taken lots of dance classes as an adult, including ballroom, ballet, flamenco and belly.

7. I don’t use the terminal comma in lists.

8. Speaking of grammar, I hate how the overuse of “myself” has become so common in the last five years or so. As in, “Gary invited Jane and myself to the party.” It should be “Jane and me.” You wouldn’t say “Gary invited myself to the party,” right?

9. I wear my hair in pigtails a lot.

10. Somehow the hospital where I gave birth had my age wrong. Some paperwork said I was 31, when I was actually 32. But I was so out of it that I thought maybe they’re right and I’m wrong! After all, they probably plugged my birth date into some software program that spit out my age. How could it be wrong? I had to do the math to double check. I was bummed to discover that, yes, I was actually 32 [now 33].

11. I don’t know what I want for my birthday yet. That’s OK though cause it’s not til the end of May. [I figured it out eventually. I asked for, and got, a craft area set up in the basement. Now I have my sewing machine set up, a table for cutting fabric, all my yarn and fabric neatly (well...) stored. It was the best gift!]

12. There is a mattress in my office.

13. There’s also a pot of calla lilies (G’s V-day gift to me) and a baby activity center that a bunch of my coworkers pitched in to buy. H loves it! (Thanks, guys!) [The calla lilies are no longer in my office--but they did last from Valentine's Day until May! The activity center is in the basement now too as H long outgrew it.]

14. I once hiked to the top of a mountain that Cezanne painted.

15. I am tired of winter fruit. I want nectarines, cherries, berries and watermelon. [I am thoroughly enjoying my summer fruits! And I never tire of them.]

16. I am terrible about remembering people’s birthdays.

17. In the latest episode of Top Chef, Fabio wore a pink pashmina scarf. I thought that was cool. [this one is outdated too. This was during the last season of Top Chef. Am really enjoying Top Chef Masters right now.]

18. I don’t think that G would wear a pink, pashmina scarf. But he does wear the blue, merino/cashmere/alpaca blend scarf that I made for him.

19. I would like to be a judge at a pie-making contest.

20. We call H “burrito” a lot. It’s not because he tastes like a burrito (although he did sort of LOOK like a burrito when we used to swaddle him). And it’s not just because he’s great and burritos are great. It’s because we call him Henrito and that sorta rhymes with burrito. So we just started calling him Henrito Burrito and then just Burrito.

21. G really likes to watch funny cat videos. Thus, when we first started dating we watched a lot of America’s Funniest Videos. A friend couldn’t believe that: I don’t think she would have dated a guy who watched AFV. But I say: You can’t go wrong with funny cat videos.

22. I love G’s laugh. Sometimes, I’ll be feeding H upstairs in our bedroom and hear G laughing downstairs in the office (he’s probably watching funny cat videos online). Just hearing him makes me laugh out loud, too, and I tell H he’s got a funny father.

23. I like it that G sometimes calls me by family nickname of Resa.

24. I wore flip flops (granted, they were elegant flip flops) at my wedding and my brothers set up a game of beer pong. The party was in my parents’ backyard. I thought it was beautiful: June in Wisconsin, tons of flowers, white tents, fairy lights, candles, good music, simple but good food. Five cakes (we got five small ones with different flavors instead of one big, fancy wedding cake). I’m not a beer pong player, but I think it’s cool that the guys played.

25. I have 88 unheard podcasts on my itunes. Most of them are knitting podcasts. [oddly enough, this one is still accurate!]

26. Every week, G reads the Savage Love column to me.

27. I call blankets, especially the extra cozy ones like my mom’s quilts, doeys. (sounds like doe eese). It’s a word I made up when I was a kid.

28. I watched Man on Wire last night. It was good. [well, I watched Man on Wire several months ago now. But I still think it was good.]

29. In the town of Westford, Wis., a goat broke into a home and ate a cake. http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/438982

30. This list is too long. But I’m not cutting anything out.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Happy Birthday, Burrito!

Today is my little burrito's first birthday.

We celebrated with G's family on Friday. I made an apple cake with maple frosting. It was so good. I will definitely be baking it again. And I will be doing more baking from scratch in the future.

As you can see he really enjoyed the cake!

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Other things he likes: dogs, melon, climbing up the stairs, balls, crawling away from me while he laughs, trashing my office and smiling at his mama and dada.

And here he is in a year of knits.

In his Yoda costume for Halloween:

Yoda smiling

And more recently "petting" Yoda:
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In his winter hat:
in hat

In the Duffle Coat Sweater. Picture was taken in December.
in Mommy's sweater

No recent pictures of him in knitting. But I leave you with this adorable one. Ah! My baby.
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Monday, July 06, 2009

Secret Pal 14 Questions

  1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely not like? I like soft yarns. I love wools and alpaca, the softer the better. Some yarns I love include: Dream in Color, Malabrigo, Blue Sky Alpacas. I like to try different yarns and dyers. I am not anti acrylic: I'll use it for baby items. But it doesn't get me very excited! I don't like scratchy wools for garments, but think they are great for felting.

  2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a couple of fabric needle holders. And the binder that came with my knitpicks options.

  3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting for about 6 years, I think. My mom taught me to knit in my 20s. I can't remember what year exactly. I'm an intermediate knitter, I'd say.

  4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? no

  5. What’s your favorite scent? I love grapefruit and bergamot.

  6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Yes! I don't think there is a candy I don't like. I love chocolate. I love fruity candy. I love licorice-y candy. Yum, candy.

  7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I sew. For mother's day and my birthday, my husband created a craft corner for me in the basement. Now I have a spot to sew again and I've been making small project bags. I don't spin. But ... there is this braid of roving at my LYS that I loving. So I am wondering how long I will resist. I don't really have time for spinning right now b/c I have a one-year-old. Some day I want to spin, but when he's older. At least that's what I tell myself. :)

  8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like folk, some rock and pop, oldies, opera, salsa, and some hip hop. Some of my favorite groups right now: HEM, Josh Ritter, Damien Rice, Kathleen Edwards, U2, Shakira. I can play MP3s.

  9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand? I love blue, green, pink, red, brown ... I don't love (or even like) fushia.

  10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? It's me, my husband and our baby boy (he's actually turning 1 this week! How did that happen so fast?) right now. No pets.

  11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes to all.

  12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I always a sock or two going. With the kid, I need an easy to pick up and put down project. A plain sock is perfect. But I also love to knit lace so I usually will have something more complicated to work on when I am alone, which doesn't happen a lot lately.

  13. What are you knitting right now? I have two socks in progress. A plain stockinette one and Outside In from the latest Knitty. I am also working on the Morning Glory Wrap by Anne Hanson. I've been working on that for exactly a year. I started in last year on the Sunday of 4th of July weekend while I waited to go into labor. I hoped that if I started a complicated shawl a few days before my due date, I would go into labor a few days early and I did! I have just a few rows left!

  14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Love to!

  15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer circulars. I love my Knitpicks Options. Haven't tried the Harmonys yet. Bamboo makes my hands hurt. But wood doesn't for some reason. I have a few pairs of Lantern Moon wood circulars and one set of DPNs that I love.

  16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes, both.

  17. How old is your oldest UFO? Hmmm, not too old really. But I am probably forgetting something. I do have a baby blanket from a few years that I never finished. But if I don't intend to finish it does it count? Probably, yes. OK, so about 3 years old. The next oldest is just a few months old. It's a vest I am knitting for baby H. It's almost done but he won't need it until Fall, so I stopped, just temporarily of course!

  18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe? I love Thanksgiving because my whole family gets together then. We celebrate Christmas in the winter.

  19. Is there anything that you collect? Just yarn and fabric. Well, I guess I also collect funky (ie big, bold or unusual) necklaces.

  20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I have a lot of knitting books. Many that I have never even used. Three that I don't have but need for my queu are: More Big Girl Knits, Knit 2 Together and Simple Style. I'd also like to own the Harmony Guide:Knit and Purl. And I'd like to try the Knit Picks Harmony wood needles, especially the DPNs. I subscribe to Interweave Knits.

  21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn? I'd like to learn to knit socks toe up. But I love my DPNs.

  22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes, I love to knit socks. My feet are 10.5 inches long. 8.5 inches around at the foot. And 10.5 inches around at the ankle.

  23. When is your birthday? May 28.

  24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what’s your ID? I am knitsinpublic.