Well, gotta say: this whole thing has felt like a school assignment, LOL! More proof that I only want to do what I want to do, when I want to do it :-) Anyway, here are the answers to the two questions I left unanswered yesterday.
My friend Cyndi asked this: "I'd like to know why you don't put recipes on your blog. I know you have some great ones to share."
Here's some background. Cyndi and her husband and son are friends of ours from St. Louis, although none of us live there now - we moved here and they moved to Portland, OR. But when we all lived in St. Louis, we spent quite a lot of time together, and it often revolved around food :-) Dinner at our house, cookouts at their house. And my favorite: picnics at some of the local wineries. It may surprise you to know that there's a hilly, wine-growing region just west of St. Louis, and lots of the wineries have outdoor patios where you can bring your own picnic and buy some wine, then have a nice meal looking out at the beautiful hills. So much fun, and such great memories.
Stef (who I had the pleasure of meeting the spring before last) asked: "Do you cook any recipes passed down from your mum or a close relative? If so, what?" Stef's on a blog break at the moment, but if you scroll back through her pages, you'll see lots of mouth-watering photos of food. But she's still pinning great recipes on Pinterest, and I've found plenty of good ones through her.
Here's the thing, Stef: my mom has never liked to cook. She still doesn't. And my dad was a pretty picky eater. So we grew up on a mostly meat & potatoes, hot dogs and hamburgers type of diet. And casseroles of course - it was the '70s, after all :-) So I don't have a lot of family recipes. But there is one.
My mom makes the BEST potato salad in the WORLD!! And here is her recipe.
Billie's Potato Salad
5 lb. potatoes
2 lb. bacon
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
dill pickles, chopped, and some of the juice from the jar
salt
pepper
garlic powder
paprika
Boil the potatoes in their jackets until done, about 45 minutes - 1 hour. Drain then allow to cool. Peel off the skins and slice the potatoes into a large bowl.
Chop all the bacon coarsely and brown in a frying pan. Add the chopped onion when bacon is almost cooked, and continue cooking until caramelized.
Pour the bacon and onion mixture, along with a bit of the bacon grease, over the potatoes.
Add in mayonnaise or Miracle Whip and pickles to taste, along with some of the juice from the pickles. Add in seasonings to taste and mix well to combine.
__________________________________________________
Now, I should probably admit that I myself have never made this recipe. But Mom made it for many family gatherings, and I always stuffed myself with as much as I could! If any of you try it, let me know!
And I'll go back to Cyndi's question to wrap it up: I'm not really sure why I don't post recipes! I never really thought about it, I guess!
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Agenda Answers the Hard Questions
And some of them were hard, because like I said, I'm not at all introspective.
I was surprised I received so many questions, and that so many of you were willing to play along. Sam has already posted a response to my question with a tour of the beautiful town in which she lives. Check it out if you haven't seen it already!
Let's dive right in. There are probably too many to handle in one post, so we'll see how far we get before it becomes a yawn-fest. Please feel free to skip this if you're only here for the crafts!
Susan asked: "What's your favorite story from your childhood?"
I have two brothers who are 6 and 7 years younger than me. My next younger brother is quite the outdoorsman, and even from a young age used to love to go fishing. We grew up 2 blocks from a lake, so when he was little (maybe 5 or 6) I'd walk down to the lake with him so we could go fishing. Thing is, he wouldn't actually touch a fish! And I wouldn't touch a worm! (Still won't!) So we made a pretty good team - him baiting the hooks, and me taking the few fish we caught off the line. I think I got the better end of the deal!
From Sam: "I'd love to know what your perfect day would be."
Wow, Sam - this one was fodder for quite a few daydreams! But in the end I decided to plan a perfect day that is actually within my grasp.
It would start, as all my days do, with a delicious cup of coffee made for me by my wonderful Hubby. Then we'd head off for a nice long hike - preferably in a pine forest. (OK, that part is not easily within my grasp, but a girl can dream! Here's a selfie I took in Austria last month, enjoying the wonderful aroma of a pine forest.)
Then, by some sort of magic, we'd be transported to some wonderful outdoor lunch spot, our hiking clothes having been replaced with something more chic (and preferable hand-sewn!). We'd enjoy a delicious meal and a glass of wine or two while gazing upon some spectacular scenery. After lunch we'd pop into a museum or gallery for a look around, then head home for a quiet evening watching some sort of comedy on Netflix.
Hmm, not super original, but I think it points to the fact that I have a darned good life! I do a lot of these things pretty often, and feel blessed to be able to do so!
Tracey asked: "I would love to know if you have always been so creative or is this something that has evolved over the years?"
Well, I can't remember a time when I wasn't making something. I was lucky to be born into an extended family of crafters, artists and musicians, so I pretty much grew up with it. My dad especially loved to experiment with different kinds of crafts and he and I used to enjoy exploring new hobbies together. Just like Dad, I have one enduring craft love (knitting and sewing; Dad's was woodworking) but have tried a whole slew of other things. I'm definitely my father's daughter! But of course it was Mom who taught me to knit and sew in the first place.
Here's a Barbie dress I crocheted when I was probably about 7. Don't ask me how it's supposed to go on!
Andrea and Lisa are both curious to know how many pairs of shoes I own. Well, I have to admit this is kind of embarrassing for me. My love of shoes borders on obsession - it always has. I own far, FAR more than I need; shoes are my biggest extravagance. I had to count the other day and I'm in the neighborhood of 150. I do feel compelled to note that among the group of friends I used to hang out with in St. Louis, this was not a huge number! We did a fair bit of going out and going to events back then. And this is a collection that goes back close to 20 years. I also do need to do a good weed-out. But it's kind of silly: there are some things I've been saving, in case my nieces want them in the future! I remember being thrilled at receiving some "retro" pieces from my aunt when I was in my teens and early '20s, so I keep some of the cooler stuff around for that reason even if I'm not using it.
Lisa also asked what was the latest book (or books) I read. Here are the last few:
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson - a small book, but it took me ages to read because it was kind of melancholy, so I wasn't always in the mood.
Quiet by Susan Cain - devoured it in a of couple days. All about introverts, of which I am one.
And because I love reading for hours and hours when I'm on vacation, I read a bunch of Edith Wharton novels when we were in Turkey and really enjoyed them. I was a French (literature) major in college, so I missed out on all the American and English literature that most people read while I was busy reading the French. Now I'm going back and fixing that!
Sonja had this question: "Who would you be in an alternate universe? Is there something totally different from what you do now that you always wonder what would have happened if you'd explored it?"
I would be a mom :-) We wanted to have children but I was not able to. We were able to move past that disappointment and are quite content with our lives as they turned out, but I do sometimes wonder how things would be now if we had been able to have kids.
Shar asked what is my favorite time of day and why. Definitely morning. I'm such a morning person that I go to bed early (seriously early, like 8:30) so I can get up early in the morning. I like the quiet, solitude and peacefulness of early morning.
There were two more questions which both related to food, so I'm going to answer those in the next post. Thanks to all who played along!
I was surprised I received so many questions, and that so many of you were willing to play along. Sam has already posted a response to my question with a tour of the beautiful town in which she lives. Check it out if you haven't seen it already!
Let's dive right in. There are probably too many to handle in one post, so we'll see how far we get before it becomes a yawn-fest. Please feel free to skip this if you're only here for the crafts!
Susan asked: "What's your favorite story from your childhood?"
I have two brothers who are 6 and 7 years younger than me. My next younger brother is quite the outdoorsman, and even from a young age used to love to go fishing. We grew up 2 blocks from a lake, so when he was little (maybe 5 or 6) I'd walk down to the lake with him so we could go fishing. Thing is, he wouldn't actually touch a fish! And I wouldn't touch a worm! (Still won't!) So we made a pretty good team - him baiting the hooks, and me taking the few fish we caught off the line. I think I got the better end of the deal!
 |
| He's way bigger than me now, LOL! |
From Sam: "I'd love to know what your perfect day would be."
Wow, Sam - this one was fodder for quite a few daydreams! But in the end I decided to plan a perfect day that is actually within my grasp.
It would start, as all my days do, with a delicious cup of coffee made for me by my wonderful Hubby. Then we'd head off for a nice long hike - preferably in a pine forest. (OK, that part is not easily within my grasp, but a girl can dream! Here's a selfie I took in Austria last month, enjoying the wonderful aroma of a pine forest.)
 |
| Big inhale! |
Then, by some sort of magic, we'd be transported to some wonderful outdoor lunch spot, our hiking clothes having been replaced with something more chic (and preferable hand-sewn!). We'd enjoy a delicious meal and a glass of wine or two while gazing upon some spectacular scenery. After lunch we'd pop into a museum or gallery for a look around, then head home for a quiet evening watching some sort of comedy on Netflix.
Hmm, not super original, but I think it points to the fact that I have a darned good life! I do a lot of these things pretty often, and feel blessed to be able to do so!
Tracey asked: "I would love to know if you have always been so creative or is this something that has evolved over the years?"
Well, I can't remember a time when I wasn't making something. I was lucky to be born into an extended family of crafters, artists and musicians, so I pretty much grew up with it. My dad especially loved to experiment with different kinds of crafts and he and I used to enjoy exploring new hobbies together. Just like Dad, I have one enduring craft love (knitting and sewing; Dad's was woodworking) but have tried a whole slew of other things. I'm definitely my father's daughter! But of course it was Mom who taught me to knit and sew in the first place.
Here's a Barbie dress I crocheted when I was probably about 7. Don't ask me how it's supposed to go on!
Andrea and Lisa are both curious to know how many pairs of shoes I own. Well, I have to admit this is kind of embarrassing for me. My love of shoes borders on obsession - it always has. I own far, FAR more than I need; shoes are my biggest extravagance. I had to count the other day and I'm in the neighborhood of 150. I do feel compelled to note that among the group of friends I used to hang out with in St. Louis, this was not a huge number! We did a fair bit of going out and going to events back then. And this is a collection that goes back close to 20 years. I also do need to do a good weed-out. But it's kind of silly: there are some things I've been saving, in case my nieces want them in the future! I remember being thrilled at receiving some "retro" pieces from my aunt when I was in my teens and early '20s, so I keep some of the cooler stuff around for that reason even if I'm not using it.
 |
| Me and Sal, having Fancy Shoe Knitting night. |
Lisa also asked what was the latest book (or books) I read. Here are the last few:
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson - a small book, but it took me ages to read because it was kind of melancholy, so I wasn't always in the mood.
Quiet by Susan Cain - devoured it in a of couple days. All about introverts, of which I am one.
And because I love reading for hours and hours when I'm on vacation, I read a bunch of Edith Wharton novels when we were in Turkey and really enjoyed them. I was a French (literature) major in college, so I missed out on all the American and English literature that most people read while I was busy reading the French. Now I'm going back and fixing that!
Sonja had this question: "Who would you be in an alternate universe? Is there something totally different from what you do now that you always wonder what would have happened if you'd explored it?"
I would be a mom :-) We wanted to have children but I was not able to. We were able to move past that disappointment and are quite content with our lives as they turned out, but I do sometimes wonder how things would be now if we had been able to have kids.
Shar asked what is my favorite time of day and why. Definitely morning. I'm such a morning person that I go to bed early (seriously early, like 8:30) so I can get up early in the morning. I like the quiet, solitude and peacefulness of early morning.
 |
| early morning park bench in winter |
There were two more questions which both related to food, so I'm going to answer those in the next post. Thanks to all who played along!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Some new pages.
Over the last couple weeks, I've added two new pages up there under the header.
One is a list with links - in order - to all the posts and supplemental information from the Miette Knitalong last year. Believe it or not, over a year later, I'm still getting questions about this pattern! I thought it would be easier for everyone to access the information if I grouped it all together in a neat and tidy way. Sorry it took me so long!
I also created a "Craftsy Class List of Shame" in the hopes of encouraging myself to make better use of all those classes I enrolled in. I'll let you know if/when that works. It hasn't yet, LOL! I tend to be great at starting, but not as great at finishing!
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
SF wrapup: Mostly Melizza
We've been home for more than a week now, and my memories are starting to get fuzzy. Time to wrap it up!
The weekend was spent with family: eating yet another French dinner and walking part of the route of the Bay to Breakers in reverse to get to the Ferry Building. When we went out for dinner, I wore my newest Cambie dress with a navy jacket and orange sandals, but of course I forgot to have Hubby take a picture of the outfit! It traveled surprizingly well - I only had to do a tiny bit of touch-up ironing.
On the Monday, I had my final meet-up with Melizza of Pincushion Treats. I honestly can't remember how I "met" Melizza. I have a feeling I first became aware of her through the Colette Patterns group on Flickr: she's made some darned cute stuff from those patterns! At any rate, I started reading and enjoying both her blogs - at the time she was living in London and had her sewing/baking blog and another blog about her adventures as an expat. And then some time later, I was lucky enough to win a giveaway she held for one of her handmade pincushions and a beautiful fabric-covered buckle from Liberty!
Melizza is stateside again, and lives a little south of SF. So I hopped back on the CalTrain to go down to meet her and her gorgeous baby boy, Ollie. It was a warm beautiful day, so we spent a few hours together walking around the town. We started out with a nice brunch, followed a little later by The Most Delicious Gelato I have ever had. And then of course we needed some coffee to perk us back up :-)
Here's the bad news: neither of us remembered to take a single picture of us together!! From the moment I got off the train, we were talking non-stop until it was time for me to head back to the city. I didn't realize until I was already on the train that we'd forgotten to take pictures! But I will tell you this: Melizza is beautiful, inside and out! And she was amazingly relaxed for a new mom - little Ollie is only 2 months old!
So instead I'll show you a picture of the little gift I brought for each of the ladies I visited. They are all knitters, and they are also all into cooking and food. So I made them each a project bag with this cooking-themed print:
With polka dots inside:
Now here's a little secret: I've been shy my whole life, and am often hesitant to meet new people because of it. But meeting these three ladies was such a joy, and not at all scary in part because I already felt like I knew them from reading their blogs, but also because they are all warm, wonderful people. I didn't feel the least bit awkward or tongue-tied with any of them. Melizza said it best in an email later, and echoed my thoughts about all three meet-ups: "It truly felt like I was catching up with an old friend."
So thanks again to all three of you for rearranging your schedules so that I could come visit. My three meet-ups were truly the highlight of my trip!
The weekend was spent with family: eating yet another French dinner and walking part of the route of the Bay to Breakers in reverse to get to the Ferry Building. When we went out for dinner, I wore my newest Cambie dress with a navy jacket and orange sandals, but of course I forgot to have Hubby take a picture of the outfit! It traveled surprizingly well - I only had to do a tiny bit of touch-up ironing.
 |
| Coit Tower, some boats and the Ferry Building. |
 |
| I have no idea what these guys are supposed to be! |
 |
| Lovely mosaics on the walls inside the Ferry Building. |
On the Monday, I had my final meet-up with Melizza of Pincushion Treats. I honestly can't remember how I "met" Melizza. I have a feeling I first became aware of her through the Colette Patterns group on Flickr: she's made some darned cute stuff from those patterns! At any rate, I started reading and enjoying both her blogs - at the time she was living in London and had her sewing/baking blog and another blog about her adventures as an expat. And then some time later, I was lucky enough to win a giveaway she held for one of her handmade pincushions and a beautiful fabric-covered buckle from Liberty!
Melizza is stateside again, and lives a little south of SF. So I hopped back on the CalTrain to go down to meet her and her gorgeous baby boy, Ollie. It was a warm beautiful day, so we spent a few hours together walking around the town. We started out with a nice brunch, followed a little later by The Most Delicious Gelato I have ever had. And then of course we needed some coffee to perk us back up :-)
Here's the bad news: neither of us remembered to take a single picture of us together!! From the moment I got off the train, we were talking non-stop until it was time for me to head back to the city. I didn't realize until I was already on the train that we'd forgotten to take pictures! But I will tell you this: Melizza is beautiful, inside and out! And she was amazingly relaxed for a new mom - little Ollie is only 2 months old!
So instead I'll show you a picture of the little gift I brought for each of the ladies I visited. They are all knitters, and they are also all into cooking and food. So I made them each a project bag with this cooking-themed print:
 |
| fabric is Michael Miller Atomic Kitchen |
With polka dots inside:
Now here's a little secret: I've been shy my whole life, and am often hesitant to meet new people because of it. But meeting these three ladies was such a joy, and not at all scary in part because I already felt like I knew them from reading their blogs, but also because they are all warm, wonderful people. I didn't feel the least bit awkward or tongue-tied with any of them. Melizza said it best in an email later, and echoed my thoughts about all three meet-ups: "It truly felt like I was catching up with an old friend."
So thanks again to all three of you for rearranging your schedules so that I could come visit. My three meet-ups were truly the highlight of my trip!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
SF Day 2: CalTrain and Kristen
On Friday, I got up bright and early and made my way to the CalTrain station to head south for my meetup with Kristen of Knitionary.
Kristen was among my earliest Ravelry friends. I probably discovered her through either the Rowan group or the Kim Hargreaves group on Ravelry - we both love Rowan and Kim, and have pretty similar taste in sweater designs. I was following her work on Ravelry and being inspired by her beautiful knits long before I started reading blogs. But once I did start reading blogs, I followed her on Knitionary as well, where I got even more inspired by her gorgeous garden.
I love trains, and was super-excited to be able to take the CalTrain down to see her. I know - it's a commuter train, but a train is a train! I got to see some very pretty scenery along the way. So many of the stations were really cute, and I loved how so many of them are convenient to the centers of the little towns they service. I swear I'm going to ride the Metra train here in Chicago one of these days - as soon as I can figure out where I want to go!
When I got off the train at the stop Kristen had designated, she was there waiting for me. One of the great things about already "knowing" your blogging buddies is that you know what they look like, and you don't have to say, "I'll be wearing a coral coat" (which I totally was)! She offered me several suggestions of things to do, but in the end I opted to wander around her little town and visit her LYS. I love wandering around new places and just looking at things.
Along the way to the LYS, we stopped in a few cute little boutiques, a couple of shoe stores, and even a beauty supply shop - Kristen was out of her favorite color of nail polish. She told me she'd already gone through 3 bottles of that color. I was astounded - I don't think I've ever completely used up a bottle of nail polish! Of course, when you have 300+ bottles to choose from, it takes a while to use them up.
I didn't think I needed anything, but I was wrong. I ended up getting 2 of the new OPI Liquid Sand Bond Girls polishes:
When these first came out, I didn't think I'd get any because I'm one of those freaks that continually feels the polish on my fingers, and I like it to be smooth. But I was intrigued by the swatches at the beauty supply store and decided to try it out. I ended up liking them so much that later I went to another shop and got Solitaire:
And here's how Honey Ryder looked on the nail:
I'm really kind of fascinated by this stuff!
OK - back to my visit with Kristen. Sorry for the nail polish detour, although it wasn't totally off-topic!
We finally ended up at Kristen's LYS, Uncommon Threads. She loves this place because they stock a lot of Rowan yarn, and I loved it for the very same reason! Here we are: two happy, yarn-loving ladies, in our element:
Kristen was wearing her gorgeous Lily sweater. And I was wearing my dying Danskos - you can see that my feet are turning outwards here! And also my Floral Stripe Dress, which you can't see beneath the Coral Coat. Oddly, I ended up not buying any Rowan yarn. But I did end up with a nice skein of sock yarn:
After some lunch and a little more walking around, we headed over to Kristen's beautiful house, where she gave the the grand tour. Then we got into her sweater storage and looked through lots of her hand knits, talking about different patterns and yarns. She also showed me a bunch of the quilts she has made over the years.
Finally, I got the garden tour I'd been hoping I would get. If you're a reader of Kristen's blog, then you know that she is a serious gardener - her posts are often full of gorgeous pictures of whatever is currently in bloom. Back in the day when I had a yard, I loved to garden too; I've always loved flowers, plants and trees. So it was a real treat to get to actually be in the beautiful garden I've been seeing all these years on her blog. I was so entranced I didn't take a single picture, but there are plenty over on her blog for you to peruse!
By that time it was late afternoon, and time for Kristen to pick up her granddaughter and for me to head back to SF. I had such a great time with Kristen: she's just as warm, friendly and generous as you'd imagine from reading her blog.
And it ended up being a good thing that I had a low-key, relaxing day with her, because as soon as I got back to the city, I ended up going out for the rest of the evening with Hubby and a group of friends to Cafe Claude again!
Kristen was among my earliest Ravelry friends. I probably discovered her through either the Rowan group or the Kim Hargreaves group on Ravelry - we both love Rowan and Kim, and have pretty similar taste in sweater designs. I was following her work on Ravelry and being inspired by her beautiful knits long before I started reading blogs. But once I did start reading blogs, I followed her on Knitionary as well, where I got even more inspired by her gorgeous garden.
I love trains, and was super-excited to be able to take the CalTrain down to see her. I know - it's a commuter train, but a train is a train! I got to see some very pretty scenery along the way. So many of the stations were really cute, and I loved how so many of them are convenient to the centers of the little towns they service. I swear I'm going to ride the Metra train here in Chicago one of these days - as soon as I can figure out where I want to go!
 |
| Kristen doesn't live in Palo Alto - I just thought the station was really cute! |
When I got off the train at the stop Kristen had designated, she was there waiting for me. One of the great things about already "knowing" your blogging buddies is that you know what they look like, and you don't have to say, "I'll be wearing a coral coat" (which I totally was)! She offered me several suggestions of things to do, but in the end I opted to wander around her little town and visit her LYS. I love wandering around new places and just looking at things.
Along the way to the LYS, we stopped in a few cute little boutiques, a couple of shoe stores, and even a beauty supply shop - Kristen was out of her favorite color of nail polish. She told me she'd already gone through 3 bottles of that color. I was astounded - I don't think I've ever completely used up a bottle of nail polish! Of course, when you have 300+ bottles to choose from, it takes a while to use them up.
I didn't think I needed anything, but I was wrong. I ended up getting 2 of the new OPI Liquid Sand Bond Girls polishes:
 |
| Honey Ryder and Jinx |
When these first came out, I didn't think I'd get any because I'm one of those freaks that continually feels the polish on my fingers, and I like it to be smooth. But I was intrigued by the swatches at the beauty supply store and decided to try it out. I ended up liking them so much that later I went to another shop and got Solitaire:
 |
| Solitaire, Honey Ryder and Jinx |
And here's how Honey Ryder looked on the nail:
I'm really kind of fascinated by this stuff!
OK - back to my visit with Kristen. Sorry for the nail polish detour, although it wasn't totally off-topic!
We finally ended up at Kristen's LYS, Uncommon Threads. She loves this place because they stock a lot of Rowan yarn, and I loved it for the very same reason! Here we are: two happy, yarn-loving ladies, in our element:
Kristen was wearing her gorgeous Lily sweater. And I was wearing my dying Danskos - you can see that my feet are turning outwards here! And also my Floral Stripe Dress, which you can't see beneath the Coral Coat. Oddly, I ended up not buying any Rowan yarn. But I did end up with a nice skein of sock yarn:
 |
| bright pink and a few shades of green . . . mmmmmm |
After some lunch and a little more walking around, we headed over to Kristen's beautiful house, where she gave the the grand tour. Then we got into her sweater storage and looked through lots of her hand knits, talking about different patterns and yarns. She also showed me a bunch of the quilts she has made over the years.
Finally, I got the garden tour I'd been hoping I would get. If you're a reader of Kristen's blog, then you know that she is a serious gardener - her posts are often full of gorgeous pictures of whatever is currently in bloom. Back in the day when I had a yard, I loved to garden too; I've always loved flowers, plants and trees. So it was a real treat to get to actually be in the beautiful garden I've been seeing all these years on her blog. I was so entranced I didn't take a single picture, but there are plenty over on her blog for you to peruse!
By that time it was late afternoon, and time for Kristen to pick up her granddaughter and for me to head back to SF. I had such a great time with Kristen: she's just as warm, friendly and generous as you'd imagine from reading her blog.
And it ended up being a good thing that I had a low-key, relaxing day with her, because as soon as I got back to the city, I ended up going out for the rest of the evening with Hubby and a group of friends to Cafe Claude again!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Administrative Question
I've been feeling like I'm a little tired of my layout. Specifically, I feel like my blog roll is getting out of hand, and it's something that's hard for me to keep updated. I follow around 150 blogs, but I do so in my reader, so I never really look at other people's blog rolls. Last night I decided to remove it from the sidebar, and I do feel like it helped clean things up a bit. What do you guys think? Is it something you refer to, or am I OK without it?
Here's a picture for you to look at while you think about it.
Here's a picture for you to look at while you think about it.
 |
| {downtown} |
Thursday, September 27, 2012
BFF Cowl, part 2
I finished the first part of my BFF Cowl project with Evelyn last night, and have already sent it off to her. This morning I couldn't wait to start the second part, so I grabbed another ball of yarn and got going.
Now, I woke up with a huge sinus headache, and when I get like that, I often have a hard time thinking straight. BUT, I think this pattern is trickier than it needs to be.
I'm used to knitting from a chart, if there is one, so I started knitting away, assuming that the first row was the right side. But when I got to row 8 - uh oh! I realized all might not be well. I went back and looked at the written instructions, and discovered that there's a little problem.
There are three separate sets of directions you need to follow when knitting this pattern: the chart, the line-by-line instructions for each stitch pattern, and the "set up" instructions for each cowl. I didn't have any problems with the "Stepanie's Link," but for this piece - "Ysolda's Link" - the instructions don't correlate! The "set-up" instructions say that row 1 is a right side row, while the stitch pattern instructions say it's a wrong side row. The chart doesn't give any hint at all.
After reading all the instructions closely (something I rarely do), I decided that I would be better off working from the chart and starting with row 1 as a wrong side row. Once I got that sorted, I was able to knit happily away, and finished the first repeat of the pattern.
I'm very happy with how it's coming along. The Cascade Cloud knits up with fantastic stitch definition, and I love the ruffled quality of the seed pods.
And how do you like that background? That's my new knitting chair! I spent all day Tuesday driving out to Ikea, getting the chairs, driving back and then putting them together, but it was worth it. The POÄNG makes a great knitting chair.
Now, I woke up with a huge sinus headache, and when I get like that, I often have a hard time thinking straight. BUT, I think this pattern is trickier than it needs to be.
I'm used to knitting from a chart, if there is one, so I started knitting away, assuming that the first row was the right side. But when I got to row 8 - uh oh! I realized all might not be well. I went back and looked at the written instructions, and discovered that there's a little problem.
There are three separate sets of directions you need to follow when knitting this pattern: the chart, the line-by-line instructions for each stitch pattern, and the "set up" instructions for each cowl. I didn't have any problems with the "Stepanie's Link," but for this piece - "Ysolda's Link" - the instructions don't correlate! The "set-up" instructions say that row 1 is a right side row, while the stitch pattern instructions say it's a wrong side row. The chart doesn't give any hint at all.
After reading all the instructions closely (something I rarely do), I decided that I would be better off working from the chart and starting with row 1 as a wrong side row. Once I got that sorted, I was able to knit happily away, and finished the first repeat of the pattern.
I'm very happy with how it's coming along. The Cascade Cloud knits up with fantastic stitch definition, and I love the ruffled quality of the seed pods.
And how do you like that background? That's my new knitting chair! I spent all day Tuesday driving out to Ikea, getting the chairs, driving back and then putting them together, but it was worth it. The POÄNG makes a great knitting chair.
Monday, September 24, 2012
My Friend Evelyn
Still on the subject of friends made via the internet . . . Last week my friend Evelyn emailed me asking if I'd do a little knitting project together with her. She sent me the link for the newly-released BFF Cowl, designed by Ysolda and Tiny Owl Knits. What a cute idea! Interlocking cowls, knit in pairs and exchanged with a friend - a knitterly take on the friendship necklaces I'm sure we all had as kids.
Well, how could I refuse? We tossed some color ideas back and forth, and then I took myself off to the LYS in search of some yarn to use. I ended up finding a yarn Evelyn had recently used and loved - perfect! Even more perfect was that it was in the sale bin! I took it as a sign.
We agreed to cast on Sunday and each do a blog post today. As I was just finishing my cast-on yesterday, a message from Evelyn popped up - she had just started her cowl too! So funny! And it turned out that she chose to start with Ysolda's cowl, while I had chosen to start with Stephanie's cowl! So we've got two different yet coordinating WIPs to show you today. Here's mine:
This is Cascade Yarns' Cloud, in the colorway Lupin. Cloud is a very apt name for this yarn - it's a soft, squishy chainette. Now that I've got it in my hands, I can see why Evelyn raved about it so much! You can see Evelyn's cowl on her blog post today - the seedpod stitch is so beautiful.
If you'd like to join the fun with a friend, Evelyn has started a BFF Cowl KAL page in her Project Stash KAL Group. I really love the idea of having a little piece of a friend's knitting to help keep warm over the winter!
Well, how could I refuse? We tossed some color ideas back and forth, and then I took myself off to the LYS in search of some yarn to use. I ended up finding a yarn Evelyn had recently used and loved - perfect! Even more perfect was that it was in the sale bin! I took it as a sign.
We agreed to cast on Sunday and each do a blog post today. As I was just finishing my cast-on yesterday, a message from Evelyn popped up - she had just started her cowl too! So funny! And it turned out that she chose to start with Ysolda's cowl, while I had chosen to start with Stephanie's cowl! So we've got two different yet coordinating WIPs to show you today. Here's mine:
If you'd like to join the fun with a friend, Evelyn has started a BFF Cowl KAL page in her Project Stash KAL Group. I really love the idea of having a little piece of a friend's knitting to help keep warm over the winter!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
I met Eileen!
I had my third blogger meet-up yesterday! I got to meet the lovely Eileen of Eileen's Basement. She was in town for a work seminar, but forced herself to stay an extra day to do a little fabric shopping, tee hee hee!
I've been reading Eileen's blog for quite a while, and she and I have corresponded a bit as well over the last several months, so she wasn't completely unknown to me before yesterday. So it was great to finally meet her in the flesh. She is a truly lovely and very interesting person, and I had a great time spending the day with her. The fact that we were indulging our inner fabric geeks was icing on the cake!
She came over to my house early and we headed off to Starbuck's first, to fortify ourselves with coffee. (Also, the fabric store wasn't open yet!) Our first stop was Fishman's Fabrics.
Now, Fishman's is my LFS* - it's so near my house that I could walk there if I wished. But I don't often shop there! I went several times when I first moved here, and while they had some lovely fabrics, it wasn't very well organized and the prices were somewhat higher than I'd hoped for. About a year later, they started a massive re-organization and things were even harder to find. So Vogue became my default fabric shop, and I really only ever went into Fishman's for buttons to put on sweaters.
Oh. My. Word. I did not know what I was missing! The shop is so well-organized and well-lit now, and they have a vast array of gorgeous fabrics - the sort I've been reading about but have never actually put my hands on. Yes, the prices are higher than Vogue, often by quite a bit. But these fabrics are something special, truly quality materials. I had expected to pop in and maybe spend a half hour before moving on, but we spent at least an hour and a half drooling and exclaiming and pawing at fabric. I also remembered to ask one of the employees to take our picture:
Of course, for the rest of the day I got so involved in chatting away with Eileen that I forgot to take any more pictures!
After we left Fishman's, we took the scenic route north to Evanston along Lake Shore Drive. Our first order of business was lunch, although we got slightly distracted by a thrift shop along the way! And as we were heading to the "big Vogue" after lunch, we found another antique shop, this one with loads of antique buttons. Eileen knows a lot more about antiques than I do, so it was fun to see what she was drawn to.
Of course, we spent a couple more hours in Vogue, and Eileen was able to find a lot of the fabrics on her list, as well as a few extras. It will be great to watch her sew these up over the next several months; Eileen is a more advanced seamstress than I am, and I learned a lot just by talking with her and watching her shop for fabric and notions. She's got several vintage patterns she's planning on working up, so if you're into vintage sewing, do check out her blog.
My one purchase for the day was a pair of applique scissors. I had just read about them in Gertie's new book, so when I saw them at Vogue for ten dollars, I snapped them up!
However, I also got a present. Look at this gorgeous hank of sock yarn Eileen brought me from the wool festival she'd been to the weekend before:
I think this is going to have to become come cable-y socks.
So, all in all a lovely day spent with a new friend. Isn't the internet grand?
*Local Fabric Shop
I've been reading Eileen's blog for quite a while, and she and I have corresponded a bit as well over the last several months, so she wasn't completely unknown to me before yesterday. So it was great to finally meet her in the flesh. She is a truly lovely and very interesting person, and I had a great time spending the day with her. The fact that we were indulging our inner fabric geeks was icing on the cake!
She came over to my house early and we headed off to Starbuck's first, to fortify ourselves with coffee. (Also, the fabric store wasn't open yet!) Our first stop was Fishman's Fabrics.
Now, Fishman's is my LFS* - it's so near my house that I could walk there if I wished. But I don't often shop there! I went several times when I first moved here, and while they had some lovely fabrics, it wasn't very well organized and the prices were somewhat higher than I'd hoped for. About a year later, they started a massive re-organization and things were even harder to find. So Vogue became my default fabric shop, and I really only ever went into Fishman's for buttons to put on sweaters.
Oh. My. Word. I did not know what I was missing! The shop is so well-organized and well-lit now, and they have a vast array of gorgeous fabrics - the sort I've been reading about but have never actually put my hands on. Yes, the prices are higher than Vogue, often by quite a bit. But these fabrics are something special, truly quality materials. I had expected to pop in and maybe spend a half hour before moving on, but we spent at least an hour and a half drooling and exclaiming and pawing at fabric. I also remembered to ask one of the employees to take our picture:
 |
| Notice how we can't take our hands off the fabric. |
Of course, for the rest of the day I got so involved in chatting away with Eileen that I forgot to take any more pictures!
After we left Fishman's, we took the scenic route north to Evanston along Lake Shore Drive. Our first order of business was lunch, although we got slightly distracted by a thrift shop along the way! And as we were heading to the "big Vogue" after lunch, we found another antique shop, this one with loads of antique buttons. Eileen knows a lot more about antiques than I do, so it was fun to see what she was drawn to.
Of course, we spent a couple more hours in Vogue, and Eileen was able to find a lot of the fabrics on her list, as well as a few extras. It will be great to watch her sew these up over the next several months; Eileen is a more advanced seamstress than I am, and I learned a lot just by talking with her and watching her shop for fabric and notions. She's got several vintage patterns she's planning on working up, so if you're into vintage sewing, do check out her blog.
My one purchase for the day was a pair of applique scissors. I had just read about them in Gertie's new book, so when I saw them at Vogue for ten dollars, I snapped them up!
However, I also got a present. Look at this gorgeous hank of sock yarn Eileen brought me from the wool festival she'd been to the weekend before:
I think this is going to have to become come cable-y socks.
So, all in all a lovely day spent with a new friend. Isn't the internet grand?
*Local Fabric Shop
Friday, June 22, 2012
Birds of a feather
Yep, here we are, Alicia and me, in the remnant room at Vogue Fabrics in Evanston last Friday:
I swear she bought more fabric than I did! I don't know how I ended up with so many bags!
A funny thing happened while we were there. I ended up getting there earlier than the time we'd agreed to meet, so I spent a little time looking through the remnants while I waited. There was one fabric I kept coming back to . . . Later, when we were checking out the remnants together, Alicia went for the same fabric I'd been looking at!
There were two 1.5 yard pieces, so we decided to each get one and do a co-blog project. Our mental wheels were turning as we ate lunch later, thinking of different ways we could use this lovely double-border print:
I finally decided a few days later that I'd like to make a loose top, and settled on the Portfolio pattern by Lisette. I was hoping to be able to fit the tunic length into the print, but sadly it's too long, so I'll be going with the blouse length. I'm hoping I can lengthen it a smidge, but I'm really set on having the navy and aqua flowers at the bottom, transitioning into the red flowers at the shoulder, so I'm not sure I'll be able to.
Alicia plans on writing a post today too, about her plans for her piece of fabric. So hop on over there to see! Hers is going to be much different!
I swear she bought more fabric than I did! I don't know how I ended up with so many bags!
A funny thing happened while we were there. I ended up getting there earlier than the time we'd agreed to meet, so I spent a little time looking through the remnants while I waited. There was one fabric I kept coming back to . . . Later, when we were checking out the remnants together, Alicia went for the same fabric I'd been looking at!
There were two 1.5 yard pieces, so we decided to each get one and do a co-blog project. Our mental wheels were turning as we ate lunch later, thinking of different ways we could use this lovely double-border print:
I finally decided a few days later that I'd like to make a loose top, and settled on the Portfolio pattern by Lisette. I was hoping to be able to fit the tunic length into the print, but sadly it's too long, so I'll be going with the blouse length. I'm hoping I can lengthen it a smidge, but I'm really set on having the navy and aqua flowers at the bottom, transitioning into the red flowers at the shoulder, so I'm not sure I'll be able to.
Alicia plans on writing a post today too, about her plans for her piece of fabric. So hop on over there to see! Hers is going to be much different!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Busy, Busier, Busiest!
We had a jam-packed weekend with two events on Saturday and three on Sunday. But yesterday was the best day of all!
Yesterday I finally got to meet my friend, Andrea, in person! Here we are at the tip of Navy Pier:
Andrea and I have been "pen pals" for about a year. We have a lot in common besides our love of sewing and knitting. So I was pleased as punch when she and her husband decided to take a mini-vacation in Chicago before their big move out west.
We had a great time yesterday walking down the Pier, going up to the top of the Hancock building (OK, that was scary) and even getting in a little fabric shopping. Her husband was quite a trooper, waiting for us while we pawed through the silks at Vogue.
Today I'm catching up on some laundry while they take in a couple museums, then this evening the four of us will be getting together for dinner.
Have you ever finally met a person you've been corresponding with? I was so happy to finally meet Andrea in the flesh, but because we've been writing regularly for the last year, it feels like I've known her forever!
Yesterday I finally got to meet my friend, Andrea, in person! Here we are at the tip of Navy Pier:
Andrea and I have been "pen pals" for about a year. We have a lot in common besides our love of sewing and knitting. So I was pleased as punch when she and her husband decided to take a mini-vacation in Chicago before their big move out west.
We had a great time yesterday walking down the Pier, going up to the top of the Hancock building (OK, that was scary) and even getting in a little fabric shopping. Her husband was quite a trooper, waiting for us while we pawed through the silks at Vogue.
Today I'm catching up on some laundry while they take in a couple museums, then this evening the four of us will be getting together for dinner.
Have you ever finally met a person you've been corresponding with? I was so happy to finally meet Andrea in the flesh, but because we've been writing regularly for the last year, it feels like I've known her forever!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Moar yellow, pleez
Yesterday afternoon I wore my new Miette sweater for a very special occasion: I had my first blogger buddy meet-up! It was so fun! I met new knitter, blogger, MMMer and Miette KALer Alicia from Iron-On Maiden - seriously, isn't that one of the best blog names ever? Alicia is sweet, funny and articulate - all my favorite things - and she's practically Sewing Royalty because she has met and been fabric shopping with the one and only Peter of Male Pattern Boldness!
I had meant to take a couple pictures, but we tore through almost 2 hours talking and comparing notes about knitting and sewing and I completely forgot! Oh well - next time!
So instead you get some pictures of the new sweater I started the other day. This one is actually from my list too! Meet the beginnings of my Antibes:
Have I mentioned I love yellow? This is some 4-Ply Cotton I stashed a couple years ago when it was discontinued. Since that time I've been working my way through all I bought, and have so far made six sweaters. This is number seven, and I've got enough for one more after this. I do love this yarn and wish it hadn't been discontinued. The new version, Siena, isn't quite the same.
Anyway, this is a short-sleeved polo shirt, and the stripes are somewhat textured:
Which is nice, because it keeps the work from being too boring, but it's got enough stockinette to keep it from being too "thinky" also.
This evening's knitting, however, will be some swatches to use in taking macro photos to show you all a couple things about picking up stitches for the button bands. I thought it would be easier to show on plain stockinette - and also, I was just dying to finish my sweater!
The Miette post I do on buttonbands will probably be the last of the KAL, unless someone has a topic they need help with that they'd like a separate post on. I'm also considering moving questions to the flickr group discussion board after the last post. I think it will be a little easier for me to keep track of that way. Anybody have any ideas or requests regarding this?
I had meant to take a couple pictures, but we tore through almost 2 hours talking and comparing notes about knitting and sewing and I completely forgot! Oh well - next time!
So instead you get some pictures of the new sweater I started the other day. This one is actually from my list too! Meet the beginnings of my Antibes:
Have I mentioned I love yellow? This is some 4-Ply Cotton I stashed a couple years ago when it was discontinued. Since that time I've been working my way through all I bought, and have so far made six sweaters. This is number seven, and I've got enough for one more after this. I do love this yarn and wish it hadn't been discontinued. The new version, Siena, isn't quite the same.
Anyway, this is a short-sleeved polo shirt, and the stripes are somewhat textured:
Which is nice, because it keeps the work from being too boring, but it's got enough stockinette to keep it from being too "thinky" also.
This evening's knitting, however, will be some swatches to use in taking macro photos to show you all a couple things about picking up stitches for the button bands. I thought it would be easier to show on plain stockinette - and also, I was just dying to finish my sweater!
The Miette post I do on buttonbands will probably be the last of the KAL, unless someone has a topic they need help with that they'd like a separate post on. I'm also considering moving questions to the flickr group discussion board after the last post. I think it will be a little easier for me to keep track of that way. Anybody have any ideas or requests regarding this?
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Conquering a mountain . . .
. . . of laundry! You know how that goes, when you've been away for a week!
I wanted to thank everyone for the comments left while I was away. While the washer and dryer are running, I'm slowly going through the last week of comments here and catching up on everyone else's blogs too.
And a couple other thoughts about comments. First off, Karen suggested that I turn off word verification, and I do agree that it's a nuisance, although it generally doesn't stop me from leaving comments on other blogs. But not knowing a whole lot about these matters, I'm a little worried about getting too much spam. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
The second thought about comments: this is just a silly little confession, but it's been bugging me! As you may know, I was an elementary school teacher for many years. And if you've ever dealt with elementary-school-aged children, you know that they have a well-developed sense of justice: everything has to be FAIR. So, I always feel like if I reply to one comment, I have to reply to ALL the comments! Isn't that silly?! And sometimes I can't think of anything to say, or the comment doesn't really warrant a reply - but I feel bad nonetheless if I "skip" someone! So I just want you all to know that I read all the comments, and love getting them. But I'm going to try to let myself off the hook a little in terms of replying. I generally do like to reply when I've got something to say, but I also feel like replying when I really don't have anything to say is a little . . . dorky.
New posts after I've caught up a little!
I wanted to thank everyone for the comments left while I was away. While the washer and dryer are running, I'm slowly going through the last week of comments here and catching up on everyone else's blogs too.
And a couple other thoughts about comments. First off, Karen suggested that I turn off word verification, and I do agree that it's a nuisance, although it generally doesn't stop me from leaving comments on other blogs. But not knowing a whole lot about these matters, I'm a little worried about getting too much spam. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
The second thought about comments: this is just a silly little confession, but it's been bugging me! As you may know, I was an elementary school teacher for many years. And if you've ever dealt with elementary-school-aged children, you know that they have a well-developed sense of justice: everything has to be FAIR. So, I always feel like if I reply to one comment, I have to reply to ALL the comments! Isn't that silly?! And sometimes I can't think of anything to say, or the comment doesn't really warrant a reply - but I feel bad nonetheless if I "skip" someone! So I just want you all to know that I read all the comments, and love getting them. But I'm going to try to let myself off the hook a little in terms of replying. I generally do like to reply when I've got something to say, but I also feel like replying when I really don't have anything to say is a little . . . dorky.
New posts after I've caught up a little!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
An Anniversary Story
I can hardly believe it, but today is the one year anniversary of when I started this blog! That went quickly! Since I'm still away on my mini-vacation, I thought I'd share the silly story of how I started it in the first place. It was kind of accidental!
Waaaaayy many years ago, when blogs were first coming into existence, I thought they were pretty stupid. To be fair, at that time it was mostly people spouting off about one political situation or another. Not my cup of tea at all. But then Crafty People started blogs dealing with Creative Matters - blogs with pictures! - and that was a whole different cup of tea! Who wouldn't want to read blogs about knitting and crocheting and sewing and home decoration and baking and nail polish? I can't think of anyone, really.
So read them I did. And I would frequently send links for cool things I'd found to my BFF, who (poor girl) didn't have as much time as I did for reading blogs (since she had a Real Job).
One day we were talking and she asked me how hard it would be to start a blog of our own. "Not too hard, I think," I replied. And I jumped on the interwebs and tried it out just to see. And sure enough, it was easy, even for a Luddite! I created a little blog so she could see how it's done. And then it just sat there, unused and unloved.
Up to and a little beyond that time, although I was reading a good many blogs, I was really only lurking. I never left any comments, partly because of my innate shyness, and partly because I wasn't really sure how to do it. But gradually I discovered that I had Things To Say, and started to leave a comment or two.
But that produced an embarrassing situation. My comments were linked to the "blog" I had created! It bothered me that if anyone wanted to follow my signature and see my blog, they would find a blog with nothing there. So I tried to delete it. But I couldn't figure out how to do it properly - it just kept coming back!
This went on for a couple months, until finally I thought, "OK - geez! I'll just write the darn blog!"
And that, as they say, is that!
Thank you so much to all of you who take the time to read (and in some cases, comment) on the silly things I write. While I write mostly because I enjoy the process of writing, it means a lot to me that some folks care to read my meanderings.
I feel so fortunate to have met so many wonderful people through this blog and also those I follow. I probably don't say it often enough, but I truly appreciate your friendship.
Hope you are all having a fantastic week! Thanks again for a fun year!
 |
| This is where I am at the moment! |
Waaaaayy many years ago, when blogs were first coming into existence, I thought they were pretty stupid. To be fair, at that time it was mostly people spouting off about one political situation or another. Not my cup of tea at all. But then Crafty People started blogs dealing with Creative Matters - blogs with pictures! - and that was a whole different cup of tea! Who wouldn't want to read blogs about knitting and crocheting and sewing and home decoration and baking and nail polish? I can't think of anyone, really.
So read them I did. And I would frequently send links for cool things I'd found to my BFF, who (poor girl) didn't have as much time as I did for reading blogs (since she had a Real Job).
One day we were talking and she asked me how hard it would be to start a blog of our own. "Not too hard, I think," I replied. And I jumped on the interwebs and tried it out just to see. And sure enough, it was easy, even for a Luddite! I created a little blog so she could see how it's done. And then it just sat there, unused and unloved.
 |
| My first header. |
Up to and a little beyond that time, although I was reading a good many blogs, I was really only lurking. I never left any comments, partly because of my innate shyness, and partly because I wasn't really sure how to do it. But gradually I discovered that I had Things To Say, and started to leave a comment or two.
But that produced an embarrassing situation. My comments were linked to the "blog" I had created! It bothered me that if anyone wanted to follow my signature and see my blog, they would find a blog with nothing there. So I tried to delete it. But I couldn't figure out how to do it properly - it just kept coming back!
This went on for a couple months, until finally I thought, "OK - geez! I'll just write the darn blog!"
And that, as they say, is that!
 |
| A header made using Picnik. |
Thank you so much to all of you who take the time to read (and in some cases, comment) on the silly things I write. While I write mostly because I enjoy the process of writing, it means a lot to me that some folks care to read my meanderings.
I feel so fortunate to have met so many wonderful people through this blog and also those I follow. I probably don't say it often enough, but I truly appreciate your friendship.
Hope you are all having a fantastic week! Thanks again for a fun year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)