Sunday Year of Projects Update: Planning

Posted on Posted in holidays, knitting, yarn, Year of ProjectsTagged 15 Comments

I didn’t add too many finished objects this week. Just my Barley Light Hat. But I did add a few things to my list.

I received my copy of Shetland Wool Week 2020 and fell in love with the Strom Cardigan pattern. I started looking at yarn online and realized that SURELY I had enough Milarrochy Tweed in my stash for this. And I was right! The main color will be Tarbet Blue, top. The other blue may be a little close, but I’ve got a lighter and a darker one if needed. The pink on the sweater will be orange. 🧡

I got my yarn for the Water Shawl Knitalong.

I ordered this Blacker Lyonesse with the intention of making a suit. I don’t this is quite right for that. Instead I think I will knit one of Wolf and Faun’s shawl patterns. I’m not sure which one yet. Maybe Madda.

I’m adding to my holiday makes! This Ramen Needles DK yarn is called Christmas Village. I was thinking of knitting a Rikke Hat (Rav link) which has been in my library for a while, but geez how many hats can a person make and wear? So then I thought maybe some mittens?

And while we’re lining up holiday makes, here is my December sock yarn.

That’s four holiday makes planned for December: two sparkly cowls, one pair of mittens, and one pair of socks. That’s realistic, right?

PS: Blogville Knitters Virtual Knit today. DM me on Ravelry (alissahead) or Instagram (headknits) if you want to join in via Skype.

Sunday Sewing and Year of Projects Update

Posted on Posted in holidays, knitting, sewing, Uncategorized, Year of ProjectsTagged 20 Comments

I did a curtain! I learned a lot while making these curtains, and I hope all subsequent curtains will look a little more polished. But I love this fabric. I think we made a good choice.

After finishing the curtains for one window I decided to treat myself by whipping up some new PJ pants. Inspired by Sarah, I went for these knitting sheep. Her fabric is way more cool, but this flannel is super soft. I think it’s meant for babies, like me.

Year of Projects Update

I don’t have much else to share, other than I updated my list. I posted a knitting update on Wednesday.

I may be adding the Aurora Borealis Cowl to my list in Euclid Sparkle Sock from Superfine Yarn Co. It’s got a subtle silver sparkle.

And I may be adding the Less Is More Cowl to my list in this sparkly yarn Karen sent me. It’s got a subtle gold sparkle. I’m really wanting a sparkly cowl to knit and wear for the holidays. I wish my photos showed more of the sparkle.

What about you? Are you planning your holiday makes? Are you making for you or someone else? Is anything going to be sparkly? I’m planning to be selfish with my sparkly makes in December.

Thankful Thursday Quiz: FOOD

Posted on Posted in what makes me tickTagged , 6 Comments
A lobster roll from our trip to Nova Scotia last year.

In the spirit of thankfulness for this wonderful online knitting community, and in the context of Thanksgiving — the season of food — I am going to respond to Karen’s last two quizzes about food in one post!

Questions:

  • What is your favorite food?
  • Do you have a favorite dessert that you can’t pass up?
  • If you were on a deserted island and could have only one food besides the fish and coconuts on the island what would it be?
  • What is the best meal you’ve ever eaten?
  • Is there a food you wish you could make?
  • If you could go out to eat today, what restaurant would you go to? What would you order?
  • We already talked about the best meal we’ve ever eaten? What is the worst?
  • Do you have fond memories of a bygone restaurant? Did you have a favorite meal you miss?
  • When I was a kid it was a huge deal to go out to eat. What childhood restaurant memory do you have?
  • Fast food and casual dining restaurants are all the rage in the US. Do you have a favorite? How about one you avoid?

Answers:

  • My favorite food used to be pizza, but now that I can no longer eat gluten or mozzarella, it’s tacos.
  • My favorite dessert is creme brûlée.
  • If I were stranded on a deserted island, I would require chocolate.
  • I think I’m going to have to agree with Kathy B and say Cattleman’s Steakhouse in Oklahoma City: filet mignon, wedge salad with bleu cheese dressing, loaded baked potato, and coconut cream pie.
  • I wish I could make crepes. I would make chicken and mushroom crepes for dinner and strawberry crepes for dessert.
  • If I could go out to eat today I would go to Addi’s Ethiopian Restaurant and order a Veggie Lovers Platter. But we would have to call 24 hours ahead so they can make gluten-free Injera for us.
  • The worst meal I have ever eaten happened on the way home from Wisconsin in January this year. My colleague and I stopped off in a small town and went to an Asian restaurant. It was not only the worst Asian food I’ve ever eaten, it was the worst food I’ve ever eaten. It was a greasy pile of barely recognizable ingredients loaded with MSG. And we found out Dave may be allergic to shellfish. And the cashier was surly.
  • I miss Rubio’s Fish Tacos from when I lived in Southern California. I also miss seaside lobster dinners from Villa Ortega’s in Puerto Nuevo, Baja California, Mexico. Apparently I like lobster. Maybe I should make lobster crepes.
  • I took French when I was in junior high and high school, and we would sometimes have an “expérience culturelle” field trip, and the class would go to La Madeleine or The Magic Pan. This is why I want to make crepes.
  • I don’t eat fast food, mainly because I can’t eat most fast food. I did have a meal from Outback Steakhouse when I was traveling in August, and it wasn’t bad. I had it delivered to my hotel room. I’m not sure what qualifies as casual dining, but I get take out weekly from our local Mexican place Day Y Noche.
Addi’s Veggie Lovers Platter. Injera is kind of like a crepe.

Let us know if you will be joining in on the food quiz!

Wednesday WIPs

Posted on Posted in gardening, knitting, Works in Progress (WIPs)26 Comments

Today is a bank holiday and Bob is off, so I took a day off too. We worked in our garden.

It may not look like much, but it’s ours. I don’t have a before shot, but it looked something like this:

This is the other side of the garden we haven’t gotten to yet. Basically we cleaned up trash, dug up weeds, and moved gravel. I also moved the mint, blackberry, and lemon balm from the front of the house.

Our garden architecture is a mishmash of breeze blocks, concrete, and ancient limestone pillars, like these two that have been made into steps. We don’t think they are tombstones, but they may have been gate posts. We have two more hanging out at the top of the garden looking for a new purpose. You can see them in the first pic if you look closely.

My Christmas cactus is blooming. I thought this made a good segue into knitting content.

My Shetland tweed throw is almost done. I need to finish the last repeat and then icord an edge all the way around. I would like to try to squeeze one more repeat in as I still have two full and two partial balls left. That may be cutting it close, though.

I’m enjoying the colors on my Barley Light hat.

Trans Rights Are Human Rights sock is coming along. One more blue stripe and I will start the heel flap.

Top down increasing on Franca. Round and round we go!

And here’s another pic of Barley Light. I couldn’t decide which one to use.

How are your WIPs coming along?

Saturday Schooled

Posted on Posted in hats, knitting, sweaters, Works in Progress (WIPs)10 Comments

I’m struggling with this CocoKnits shoulder construction method. It’s driving me cocoknits. She has a YouTube channel with some great videos and I thought I had it figured out. But (commence knitspeak) I had the right shoulder turned around and the neck edging was on the seam side after I joined it to the collar. I thought, no big deal, I’ll just rip back and knit it forward again. But that makes the knitting go in the wrong direction, which ordinarily wouldn’t matter, except when you have a S1K1 edging that you cannot match in that direction. So I’ve frogged all of the shoulder piece and will reknit. At least I know what I’m doing now. I’m going to eat some breakfast and try again.

So here’s a pic of my easy knitting. Isn’t it pretty?