Happy New Year!

I will be knitting and watching movies! (These are affectionately deemed "chick flicks" in our house.)

May your year start as pleasantly and continue with joy till next new year!

Joyous Everything!

We have a tradition of baking gingerbread cookies in our house this time of year.  My sister unknowingly encouraged it the year she gave me a gargoyle cookie cutter. Now, gingerbread gargoyles are a thing we do.  We made them again this year, though they had slightly more interesting company as I left my teenagers to finish the forming of the cookies while I rotated cookie sheets.

Darling Daughter kept it clean with a lollipop and a sea turtle (though she contemplated making far more vulgar).  Darling Son decided a sword was a great idea...along with what we keep calling "a ginger poo", to continuous giggles.   Older kids are entertaining in unexpected ways!
May the laughter that found our home find yours as well!  Blessings and joy to all!

Happy Winter Solstice!

Around here the solstice is the kick off to the winter feasting that lasts till January. I made eggnog cake again, not as pretty as last year, but still amazingly tasty!

I found adorable winter hedgehog ribbon while picking up last minute craft supplies:

There was also Hobbit themed beer at World Market while we were picking up stocking stuffers:

There are still more cookies to bake and truffles to make, plus a few projects that need to be finished and the boxes that I've determined will be mailed out after Christmas (as I will still want to give people presents without the deadline looming over-head).  Just need to clean my house for company and I will be all set!

I think he likes it.

The Boy's gift came in earlier than expected.  After Husband made sure all the bits were there, I gave the go ahead and Husband handed Boy the keyboard to his very own gaming computer.  I barely managed to get the photo, but am so incredibly glad I did!

Daughter and I applauded when Boy took a knee....then fell off the couch laughing.

I need to learn from my cat this time of year

She seems to have the right idea.   I've pushed too hard and worried incessantly about all the people and all the things.  Worries about what needs to be done and what I can't seem to get to even though I should.  So, blam! I woke up 4am on Friday morning with a headache that made me cry.  Today, feeling somewhat closer to a functioning human, I will not knit on gifts or fret over what is for Christmas dinner.  I will listen to CraftLit. I will work on sweaters and socks for myself for when the cold finally decided to stick around. Gifts given in January are no less appreciated, if people are angry about the lateness of the gifts, they probably aren't very worthy recipients.

I took my crazy shopping

I decided earlier this week that I needed to get nail polish to match the red gloves I was making, (can't have clashing reds when I take off the gloves!).  Since the plan was a wee bit of shopping, I also decided I should look for shirts to go with my skirts in progress.  As all the fabric is rather colorful, it would difficult to get an exact color match from memory.  Oh hi there strip on the edge of the fabric with all the colors used listed separately! ( I have no clue what the name for this bit is, but it's helpful!)

Along with one (mostly) finished glove, these strips were crammed into a pocket of my purse to use as reference at the store.
I think I did pretty well with the nail polish, it's not exact, just amazingly close:

I found a couple of rather plain shirts in wonderful colors.  I may have gotten funny looks in the store as I checked colors, but dang it, they match my fabrics!

There was also a slightly less practical outfit purchase.  The pieces were found on the clearance racks and once picked up, I couldn't seem to put them back on said racks.  I may also have a pair of black, lace up, Victorian style high heeled boots that beg to be worn with this!

It may be a bit much for my normally grocery shopping run.  I will likely wear it anyway!

So, Halloween was good

Children and adults alike were afraid to come up, even for candy.  One poor kid crossed the street to avoid our house.  The weather was clear and warm, so we had close to 200 trick or treaters. 
Then, the temperatures dropped 20 degrees and it rained for three days to announce Fall had finally arrived.  Now I am frantically trying to finish all the sweaters (and socks...and mitts and...) I cast on months ago knowing the weather would get cold again, eventually and that I would like handknits to keep me warm.  While trying to calmly plan for Thanksgiving at least a little bit in advance, without knowing how many people will actually be here for dinner (could be four, could be twice that).
It'll be fine. I just am going to have to figure out where to put the piles of knitting that are in the living room so people have someplace to sit.

Not knitting

I did make another attempt at spinning this week. My drafting skills are still quite awful but the single is evening out, while still managing to be horribly over spun.

The weather became lovely and all my plants came back!
The mint is over growing it's half barrel and even the gardenia that got scorched is making a come back!

I have tomatoes!

And beans with beautiful blossoms.

I haven't gotten pictures of all the plants, but there are snap peas, salad greens, cucumbers, various herbs, as well as coneflower(purple) and bachelor's buttons(black).
I was starting to think there was something wrong with me as all the plants were dying.  I really cannot describe how pleased I am to find out it truly was the scorching heat and not my gardening skill that was the cause.  Now I have to hope that the winds and cold don't show up too soon and kill everything off again. 

Red and leopard print

I decided that I needed short red gloves (Petit Riens by E.A. Kelley) for my holiday party outfit a couple of months ago.  I was three-quarters of the way through the first one when I tried it on. That was when I discovered it was too small.  The unfinished piece was ripped and re-cast in a larger size.

It's really a bright tomato red(in Naturally Dawn wool/silk) that matches my high heels and contrasts beautifully against the black and green of the chosen dress.  I also under estimated how long it would take to knit a glove on 2.5mm needles! Guess what I am doing this weekend?
I finally overcame my fear of working a three color hat ( I would love to tell you the yarn, but I lost the ball bands. I think it's Berroco Vintage DK)  In fact, I'm surprised at how much I am enjoying it!

And the inside:

The hat is Stray by Andi Satterlund   I have to hope at some point it will get cool enough to wear such a soft, squishy hat outside!

This time of year...

I should not be left  unattended for more than thirty seconds.  Even the grocery store is full of festive pitfalls, so many adorable themed things I must have.

I think I need more...

I am kind of in love with this yarn. It's a fingering weight, alpaca/silk blend that is slightly fuzzy, feels like you are petting a kitten and comes in semi-solid jewel tones that glow.  And...it looks like it's being discontinued.  They have new line, same base, different weight and in solid colors which I am not quite as enamored with.
This means that a couple of skeins of their red(ruby), another of the blue-green(azurite) and maybe one more of the gray(smoky quartz) in the fingering weight may end up on their way to my house in the near future. I must acquire more of the luscious decadence before it goes away!

A Summary of September

There was knitting:

With time to spare for the little one's birthday.

A whole sweater, in a bulky yarn and a repeat pattern.

And a little something I cobbled together and now hangs on my purse.

There was cake!

The request was for a white chocolate cake with marshmallow frosting.  I found some white nectarines, a favorite, and decided the cake needed those as well!

A little cross stitch:

It will hang in my bathroom once framed. :-D

And a little llama wine:

Yes, I bought it for the label.

Now, now is the panicked realization that there are holidays and festivities happening all too soon and I am not ready!

A few things courtesy of the yarn stash

So I finished the big bag using stash yarn.  Before felting:

And after felting:

I also made a medium bag, to hold sundries in the big bag and a small notions pouch:

I've got another minion almost done, it's for the young son of a friend:

I'm also to the sleeves on an eyelet sweater, made with a few minor alterations and started earlier in the week.  There are kits put together, strictly from stash yarn; for a hooded lace cape, a pair of slippers (they will be red), a Dirty Martini sweater,  plus a couple of pairs of fingerless mitts, and a sweater vest.
I will also admit to having at least two more sweaters worth that I am still deciding on patterns for.

I think I need to knit a lot more.  A lot faster.

I took a bit of a dip in the yarn stash

I went looking for yarn for one project.  I found partial skeins of two dozen lovely wool yarns, inspiring the brilliant idea for a couple of stash busting travel bags.  Bags that would use lots of yardage while being a bit more distinctive and really easy to wash.  I started a large rectangular bag yesterday afternoon:

I've added about 6 inches to the sides since this morning.  I keep changing yarns, making the project rather addicting. :-)
In between knitting more toys, which can be rough on my hands, I cast on a really lovely lace shawl from Rosemary Hill called Brandywine.  The yarn has lost it's ball band, but I'm pretty sure it's from Verdant Gryphon.

It's turning into a really gorgeous piece.  The combination of yarn and pattern is wonderful!

Tonight is my twenty year high school reunion....

Despite all the people I would love to see, circumstances did not enable me to attend.  So here is me saying, "Hello everyone!"

As consolation, I am spending the evening knitting, watching Grosse Pointe Blank, and contemplating an occasion I could wear a man-eating plant dress.  Maybe my dad's upcoming wedding?

We may eat a bit of watermelon...

Watermelon salad actually; cucumber, red onion and tomatoes tossed with a ton of fresh mint and...watermelon.  Topped with herbed feta, it's amazing!

I serve it alongside the watermelon that didn't fit in the mixing bowl.  I've served it with herbed bread and various meats, but really, it's a stand alone for us.
 It's kind of blissful on a warm summer evening to have a dinner that everyone loves and doesn't heat up the house.

Solace in the written word

This summer continues to be a bit of an emotional trial; some were unexpected, some ongoing.  So, I do what I have always done.  I read. 
I read the first six novels in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Thanks Mom!  The seventh was released only a couple days ago, it will likely be added to the library shortly.  I also started The Edge series by the same author. Again, thank you Mom!  They are fun reads, with the Kate Daniels series being a bit darker in tone.  All are rather addictive reads.
I also read the latest Dresden novel. To say I am a fan of the Dresden novels would probably be an understatement.  They have become some of my favorite books ever. Thank you Jim Butcher!
All of these, plus a re-read of the entire Parasol Protectorate series  , have been palate cleansers in between chapters of The Song of Ice and Fire.  I am about a third of the way through the third novel, A Storm of Swords.  Engrossing novels! They are graphic, in many ways, so if you don't like that sort of thing, they may not be for you.  I still think you should give them a go though!
It's a few books. I also have all of these as e-books, so where the tablet goes, so goes the library (at least quite a lot of it).  This means I read everywhere, including while knitting, whenever there is a spare moment.  As much as I adore my paperback novels (which I still prefer to read when at home), the e-books are easier to cart around on a daily basis.

There have also been Game Nights; hosted one, went to another. I got to teach someone how to knit and how to make pie crust. There may even be a trip to Austin at some point.  Not thrilling, I know, but nice.

Every knitting project has seemingly become black holes of endless knitting.  This may be another reason I am getting so much reading done.  I did finish a couple of hats.  I left off the braids it called for, it seemed kind of overkill.  The "rivets" were my first go at making bobbles.

The other one is black lace that still looks unfinished because it needs to be blocked, hence the lack of picture.   It is the Rosewater hat from Handmade in the UK.
I hope to have a couple new pattern books to squeal about by next week.  Squid hat!

Yarn really does make me feel better

The last week and a half or so had been a bit stressful.  So I cast on a sweater.  Big needles, worsted yarn, and a simple, lovely pattern made for a perfect project.  It took me six and a half days to finish, that includes the two days of almost no knitting due to stress headache. :-(

Yes, it fits me (I realized it looks a bit small).  I made elbow length sleeves and shortened the body a bit.  It hasn't been blocked yet, but after trying it on, I already have plans to make a second one in charcoal gray.  The pattern calls for a yarn that, while recently discontinued, I happened to have rolling around in my stash...in the called for amounts...in two different colors.

I've also been working on an Etherial in Curio in the Victorian colorway (an antique rose).  The project is being kept in my favorite new bag.  It's from Fat Squirrel Fibers.  Her stock changes regularly and once a bag is sold out, that's it.  I feel very privileged to have snagged this one.

The rest of the household thinks it a bit garish.  I love it! The fabric makes me think of a steampunk themed wallpaper done in 1960's colors.  It just makes me happy.

Suffering from a wee bit of lit-nerd upset

Let me state, I am a Tolkien fan. I have been a frequent visitor to Middle Earth since I found The Hobbit at the age of 10.  I even knit and hoard themed knitting patterns.
 I am a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings movies that were made.
I had heard some complaints about the current hobbit movies, but had yet to see them myself...till today.  I finished my latest re-read of the novel last week, so Husband suggested a viewing of the first installation of the Hobbit movies. 

I found myself complaining.

The rearrangement/ addition of situations made me twitch.  Did Thorin really need the extra angsty background?  I rather felt he had enough issues to deal with in the novel.  I disliked the way details were changed (there were lots), it shifted the tone of the story. Was it aimed to appeal to the populace at large?

The scenery was, of course, stunning.  The Eagles were amazing.  Rivendell, a joy as usual.  I loved the actors. I will put myself out there and say, I don't think the Dwarves were too attractive.  The attractive ones, in my opinion, were part of the royal line, shouldn't they be the slightly prettier ones?

All in all, I find myself rather lukewarm about An Unexpected Journey.  I love Middle Earth. I will see all the movies.  I am just a bit disappointed by their "improvements" to the story thus far.

With a color name like that, it was a need.

I don't buy yarn without a project in mind much anymore, but Bat Sh#t Crazy from Miss Babs had to be mine.
I used the Wayfarer pattern from Doomsday Knits.  The picture really doesn't do it justice.  The simple lace works wonderfully with the highly varigated yarn.  The colors in the yarn are my favorites with a predominance of green (of course). A corset laced shawl? Fantastic!
The only sad part about this shawl?  I finished it in time for summer in Texas. :-(

I had to dress up a wee bit....

Husband and I went with some friends to go see Maleficent this weekend.  How could I not wear a black dress and shoes with ravens on the toes?

I will admit, Maleficent is a personal favorite character of mine.  After seeing the new movie, I may actually adore the character more than I did before.  I announced to Husband when leaving the theater that I wanted to grow up to be Maleficent...luckily, he laughed. ;-)

Mojito cupcakes!

I decided these cupcakes would be a good way to celebrate Friday the 13th, the Honey Moon, and Father's Day all in one go.  They aren't very pretty, but they do taste good!

Lime-mint buttercream frosting on top of vanilla cupcakes flavored with yet more lime and mint...and a tiny bit of rum.

The good kind of silence

There was a lull just after dinner tonight.  That kind of comfortable silence between lovely food and having to clean up afterward?  Everyone in their space in the living room; Girl curled up with the latest Dresden novel, Boy with his nose in the latest Discworld novel,  Husband re-reading the Dresden series, the cat curled up in the shoes by my feet napping.....and me, clicking away.

It lasted ten or fifteen minutes.  The loudest sound was my metal needles scritching against each other as I churned out another row. 
And then, it was time to clean up, with much bashing of pots and pans and turning on of the dishwasher.  That's okay though, I wasn't the one having to do the dishes tonight. ;-)

These may require more research....

So, yesterday was apparently Doughnut Appreciation Day, which is how I managed to stumble across this.  I may have mentioned it...loudly, to all members of the household.  Today, we decided a trip to get doughnuts and ice cream was in order. :-D

Darling Daughter went with a cherry iced doughnut and green tea ice cream:

Boyo decided on chocolate doughnut and coffee ice cream (with plans for a maple doughnut and coffee ice cream later this evening):

Husband went with a favored combination, chocolate doughnut and mint chocolate ice cream:

I personally went with a plain doughnut and coffee ice cream:

All I can think of is all the different combinations you could make of these! Why not mint chocolate cherry? Maple green tea? It takes effort to not taste test all of them!  They are a decadent, delicious, five minute treat...just remember, pace yourself! ;-)