Yarn Crawl

In Process Knitting Projects

In some sort of record (at least for a while) I am blogging two days in a row. In some other kind of record, I'm finally showing some in-process knitting projects. I must be getting back to normal. For so long, I just had no motivation to do anything because my energy was just completely sapped. I even have started up a new urban incarnation of the KIB later this month!!! I'm really excited about that, and about talking to everyone again.

So enough blablabla yadayadayada. Let's get to the knitting.

First up, Mary Jane (a Zephyr Style design that I started back in November with some Madelinetosh DK.) I actually finished this some time last month and didn't like the puffy sleeves on me, so I am reknitting them. I have the 1st one in process of reknitting and have not unwound the second one yet.

Whole sweater view:

close up of the neckline and subtle variegation of the yarn

First sleeve in process, that I am reknitting

As originally knit (cute, but not suited to me)

and my new knitting project, Eyelet Cardigan, a knit along of sorts that I started with my friend Carrie before I left for Cancun. The pattern is another one from Custom Knits 2 from my BFF Wendy B, and I'm making it in Cascade Pima Tencel.

It feels good to be blogging again, and I really like using my iPad to do it! I was able to upload my pictures quickly via the adapter thing I bought, type the whole post using the wireless keyboard and quickly copy and paste code from Flickr into the post. All while listening to my music collection on iCloud on my Apple TV. I've been assimilated.

Two Finished Projects

I got my tripod set up in my living room now, and I also am using my little USB converter thingie for my iPad to upload pics. AND - I don't leave my house til just before 8 in the morning now, so I have a.m. sunlight for picture taking. So I am moving slowly toward regular blogging again.

I was pretty much all about "distraction" and "diversion" over the past two months since I've been on my own, and contrary to some people's opinions that it has been all "fun and games" it really has also been a lot of not so fun stuff that goes along with the ending of a sixteen year relationship. It's overall the right thing for me (and I would assert, for both of us), but it still is not all hearts and flowers all the time. Especially when you're not going right into another relationship, which is new to me as I've always jumped from one relationship to the next.

But anyway, enough about my life drama. Suffice it to say that I am feeling good and enjoying my own company, and trying to get back to/figure out what is (my) "normal". As my dad put it, figuring out "What does Robin want?", as opposed to what everyone else wants. I woke up yesterday with a realization that even if I'm never seriously with anyone again (doubtful) I still am happier to be on my own, and that realization helped me see that I am moving on and healing. Even if it's your decision, you still have to heal.

And we're back...

New hat I decided to knit from Wendy B's Custom Knits 2 book, from some leftover Miss Babs yarn in "Roasted Pumpkin":

Pattern: Lemon Drop, by Wendy Bernard
Size: Medium
Yarn: Miss Babs Yowza in "Roasted Pumpkin"

I also sewed two dresses using a new New Look pattern I got recently (yet another benefit of living in the city is that there's no JoAnn's or Hancock's nearby, so I do not add to my pattern stash that frequently anymore.) I do still buy New Look and Kwik Sew patterns online though.

Here's the pattern - New Look 6098

and one of the two dresses I made with it this weekend.

(goofy look on my face, but you can ignore that part)

(noticed that my hair is getting crazy long in back)

Modifications - cut the smallest size at the shoulders and still had to take out 5/8" off the top shoulder seam on each of the front and back pattern pieces on this version. I did this through serging off another 5/8" on the shoulder/sleeve seams on the first version (which is wearable but doesn't fit quite as well) and then adjusting the pattern tissue. I also shortened the skirt pieces by 4".

So aside from a super fun tamale-making class with my friends Tina, Carrie and Kevin, that was my weekend! How was yours?

Another (Long!) Overdue Update

Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know that I just got back from Cancun yesterday, but I need to catch the rest of you up. I went back to the Hyatt Regency Cancun (by myself! this was different and empowering) for my 40th birthday and had a great couple of days lounging in the sun by the pool. I also did some knitting, reading and texting.

I started out by flying First Class on American (frequent flyer miles) - yummy breakfast!

It was a very nice room this time, 11th floor oceanview

Where I had breakfast

the deli where I would take out lunch or snacks, if I wasn't sitting by the pool eating ceviche

beach view

and some knitting (Custom Knits 2, Eyelet Cardigan in some Pima Tencel) - I'm actually almost ready to separate the sleeves from the yoke now, but need to take a new pic.

Hilarious story - when I walked into my apartment door from my trip, a really cute, affectionate kitty appeared out of nowhere in my hallway. He didn't come in from the elevator with me, and when I walked down the hallway looking for an open door that he might have come from, he walked in front of me and jumped up to be petted the way Gilda used to do. It warmed my heart. So finally I said, well, someone will be looking for him, and I closed my door, leaving him in the hallway so I could take a shower. I take a shower, come back, and hear plaintive meowing from outside the door. So of course, I open the door and let him in then. I couldn't resist.

He immediately proceeds to take over my apartment.

I really wanted to keep him (kitty? what kitty?) but I went down to the concierge to report my "find" and see if anyone was looking for him. Unfortunately, his early 20- something owners reported him missing, and he was reunited with them. The girl who lives there (down the hall from me) told me that he keeps escaping and running right directly to my door. So funny, as I haven't had cats in this apt. He also is out of central casting as far as a perfect looking and acting (well maybe a little naughty) cat :-) So I willed him to me. Yes, he will be mine (LOL). Maybe I'll tell them that if they get tired of chasing him I'll take him. He didn't want to leave my apartment. I didn't think I wanted a cat again, but that attitude may be changing now.

New Place

I just moved to the city last month and love it. It's part of an overall change in my life which is all about letting go things that no longer work and embracing what I want in my life. I feel so energized! Sometimes I say I should have done this years ago, but I believe things happen at the right time, when you're ready. In many ways, the past five years have all gotten me ready to be open to this time.

And now that's enough philosophy. Here are some of my great new views, which make me happy every day. I feel like I have a little bit of vacation in every day, in getting to see the lake every day from my windows. I cannot wait for summer! I have some more furniture coming today, after which I should have all of it and can take more complete pictures of every room. I still have a sewing and knitting room (that was a requirement) -the plus is now it has a lake view!

Here are my views from the living room:

Back, with Knitting!

I am back to blogging! I have been working on a top-down sweater called Mary Jane, that was published originally in Twist Collective but was designed by the ladies at Zephyr Style (always known for their fun, top-down knitting candy!) Here are pics I was able to take before work. The yarn is Madelinetosh Tosh DK. More later, I'm starting slow :)

Knitting Update

Long time no post - I finished Rocky Coast, but the sleeves came out freakishly small, even after blocking, so I have to reknit those or find someone with very skinny arms to give it to!

Here is my latest project - Mary Jane, designed by the Zephyr Style gals.

I'm using Madelinetosh Tosh TK in "Oxblood" for this and making the 32" size. Usually I'm not a big fan of puffy sleeves but they aren't too extreme, and I think they will be cute on this.

close-up of the "snakeskin" stitch pattern

I started this the day before Thanksgiving (a few days before we went to Cancun) and separated the sleeves off on the plane trip home last Wednesday. So it's moving fairly fast, considering that I haven't been seriously knitting on it. I gave up on finishing the Sampler Afghan before Christmas, but I have all of it knit and about 75% of it sewn together. There's a huge border that has to be done around the entire blanket, though, and it's become a very un-portable project, so I can't really work on it much.

Another Simplicity 3775

Here's another finished Simplicity 3775 dress - I modified the crew neck version of the pattern the same way as the V-neck one, and eliminated the neckband piece, just coverstitching all of the hems.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Thanks and Moving On

Thanks to everyone for their comforting words about Gilda. She hadn't been herself for probably the last six months, so I feel good about the decision. At first they thought she was just dehydrated Friday night, so then they put her on IV fluids overnight in the hospital. Then she perked up and tried to eat and immediately vomited. After some debate about how safe it was to put a cat of this age under general anesthesia, we decided to have them do so and use a scope to see if she had a blockage. Then they found a massive tumor in her esophagus which had recently grown (as she was eating before - they say these types of cancers in cats are very aggressive and can grow in a matter of hours.) We decided it was kindest just to give her the injection while she was still sleeping and not wake her up to see her awake again just for our sakes. We are having her cremated (alone - that was another slightly macabre option, to have her cremated with other pets) and will be getting a paw print sculpture along with the ashes sometime in a week.

So now I'm done. After crying for two days, I am ready to move on.

Yesterday I made something new in the pressure cooker - bratwurst. First we (now Jim is getting into this wonder machine!) browned the bratwurst in the pressure cooker in a little bit of olive oil and a bunch of chopped celery and onions. Next we put in two bottles of beer and some "boiler onions" cut into fourths, plus some petite Yukon Gold potatoes (about five) and set the cooker for high pressure for six minutes, but then we let the pressure release naturally to lock in the flavors more. Everything was SO.GOOD. The only thing I would do differently is to put bigger onion pieces in there because they mostly dissolved while cooking. Jim mashed up the potatoes for himself, and I made a sandwich with my bratwurst with a few onions and some horseradish mustard. Quick, easy, and cheap. Not to mention delicious! Jim is loving all this stuff.

Goodbye to a Dear Friend: Gilda 10/31/93-10/15/11

The sad day I knew would eventually come has arrived today. We had to say goodbye to our sweet kitty Gilda this afternoon. After almost eighteen happy and healthy years, her journey is now over. She took a turn for the worse quickly yesterday and today it was time to let her end her suffering. I'll never forget her and how much she added to our lives. I will always love our special kitty and no one can replace her.

There are so many pictures I have of her that I've collected during our time together, but here are just a few of the happier times:

My sweet love.

Sleep well, my darling.

Another Successful Pressure Cooker Experiment

Last night I got home and was STARVING plus had a headache all day. I wanted some comfort food and neither Jim nor I felt like going out. It was dreary and raining out on top of everything, and Jim wasn't really hungry as he had a late lunch. So I decided to experiment with the pressure cooker, without a recipe. I figured, if it doesn't work, I can always just eat cereal for dinner (something I do when Jim's not really hungry, especially when I'm in the mood for comfort food - that and pasta with lots of parmesan cheese are my two faves for that kind of mood.)

So here's what I did. I got two frozen skinless boneless chicken breasts out of the freezer, thawed them out in the microwave on the "turbo defrost" setting, and then fired up the pressure cooker. Mine has a "browning" feature, so I put that setting on and put a tiny bit of olive oil in the (nonstick) pot. Jim buys minced garlic by the 55 gallon drum (well, not really, but it's a decent sized container) and so I put about a teaspoon or so of that in there. We always use that instead of chopping garlic and it's actually a bit stronger than using fresh garlic for the same measurement, so you use less. I lightly browned the two thawed chicken breasts in the garlic and olive oil for a few minutes on each side.

After browning the chicken breasts, I added a can of cream of potato soup* and a can of milk, two cans of water, and some uncooked small shell pasta (about half a small rectangular box.) I immediately put the lid on and set it for high pressure for six minutes. It took maybe three or four minutes to get up to high pressure, then it cooked the six minutes. I released the pressure with the quick method (just pull the valve up and the steam comes out) and opened the pot. The chicken was cooked but the pasta was still al dente and the sauce/soup was too liquid and I wanted to thicken it up. So I decided to put it back on high pressure for three more minutes and that did the trick perfectly.

It was delicious! Jim even had some and we had lots left over as I made too much pasta. The chicken came out really moist and tender that way, and the garlic flavor really made it all come together. With a nice glass of Duckhorn cabernet, it was just what the doctor ordered. I will definitely be making it again some weeknight!

*When going through the cabinet to find an appropriate cream soup for this adventure, I kept coming up with cans that were expired. Like WAY EXPIRED. Like 2002 expired. I obviously haven't cooked with cream soup in a while. We ended up tossing out eight or nine cans before finding the one that we had bought more recently that we used.