tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27242659842029160672024-03-13T11:02:21.290-07:00Scrambled Eggs and WhiskeyScrambled Eggs and Whiskey...a little of this, a little of thatSewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-44265696567053950672016-03-07T11:57:00.001-08:002016-03-07T11:57:35.552-08:00Getting the band back togetherYep, getting the band back together. By which I mean I'm trying to organize my life (again) and write this blog (again) and keep a planner (again). Etc., etc..<br />
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It has come to my attention that I want to Pay More Attention. I'm somehow missing things that are going on, and both saddens and frustrates me. I love reading other people's blogs, which are really mini-essays on their life, and often think about what I could write about. But then I don't do it. I'm not even talking writing for other people, but writing for me. I used to journal as a child and teen, but then I stopped. I started again in my twenties, but then stopped again. Journaling was one of the reasons I wanted to start a blog. I think I got wrapped up in what it means to be a Blogger. Who is the audience? What is my style? What type of blog do I want--craft? Lifestyle? Mommy? Because I like all of those, and I like so much more.<br />
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So here is my experiment again. Let's see if I can get it to fly this time. My audience? Me. Because this is for me, as a way to show who I was at this particular point in time. So no how-tos, no step-by-steps. (Linking is fine, because I can't do anything without the internet.) Probably a lot of lists. I love lists. I mean LOVE lists.<br />
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And some photos, which I have to get better about getting off the camera and onto the computer so I can use them here. That was one of the things I wasn't good at the last time I worked on this blog. Moving and editing photos. So I am giving myself permission to use un-edited photos, at least for now. That might change, and then again, it might not. We'll see.<br />
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I just tried to find a photo to put here, one from my phone that shows that I can do it. Apparently I can't. My photos on my phone are associated with a different email than this one, so no photo this post. Hopefully I can figure this out and have photo loaded soon.<br />
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Well, that's it for my first post in almost two years. Just get 'er done, I say. The first one is always the hardest. Just a throw away post, like the first pancake.<br />
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<br />SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-35796148514015105012014-07-28T10:58:00.001-07:002014-07-28T10:58:59.265-07:00Staying inOh, goodness. There is a warning on my phone about the heat index. Heat index near 110 degrees this afternoon. Black flag conditions. There will be no running outside for me today. This is the hardest part of being a northerner temporarily transplanted to the south. Summer up north means temperatures of around 80, and maybe a few days of 90s in August. Summer up north is so short and fleeting that you were supposed to be outside as much as possible, soaking it in and taking advantage of it all. The summer heat down here just flattens me. Although I am much more acclimated than I was a few years ago (a few months ago, I was wearing long pants at 80 degrees), nothing-- and I mean nothing-- will ever get me used to a heat index of 110. I don't think I'm the only one, though. The streets are relatively quiet in our neighborhood today, despite the fact that kids are home from school.<br />
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So what am I doing to keep myself busy inside? Aside from drinking buckets of iced tea (oh, Republic of Tea Blackberry Sage, you are delicious), I have finally started working on the <a href="http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2012/06/midsummer-morning.html" target="_blank">Midsummer Morning sampler</a> by Alicia Paulson. I prepped the floss for this back in May, but only got around to starting it this past week. It is lovely, but it is stitched on black linen. The going is rather slow. I don't think I'll be making anything else on black linen any time soon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This looks grey, but it is really black.</td></tr>
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I'm also working on two pair of socks, both of which were supposed to be gifts. One pair, I think, is going to stay with me. Not because I love it too much, but rather the opposite. Although it will end up being fine, it certainly will not be gift-worthy. The other pair will get to the recipient, rather later than I had hoped. I'm losing my sock knitting mojo, though, and am really itching to start a bigger project. But 110 degrees makes me feel like it will never be cool enough for wool, ever again. Ever. I guess I'll just work on some cotton pants for Camden.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything of Camden's has dogs on it, if at all possible.</td></tr>
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<br />SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-47579270823436837062014-06-16T10:15:00.001-07:002014-06-16T10:15:50.838-07:00Squam Part 1: Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was lovely.SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-44645304811369012812014-06-02T20:26:00.000-07:002014-06-02T20:26:24.244-07:00On my nightstandWoah. I really thought I would be able to post more in the past month. No school for me apparently meant not much computer for me. I think I just needed a break from my laptop. But I read a lot! I actually, for the first time, worked my way completely through my <a href="http://sewkarenm.blogspot.com/2014/05/on-my-nightstand.html" target="_blank">nightstand</a> from last month. Well, at least the front stack.<br />
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<br />What I read:<br />
The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion)<br />
Maine (J. Courtney Sullivan)<br />
Heads in Beds (Jacob Tomsky)<br />
Eighteen Acres (Nicolle Wallace)<br />
Ready Player One (Ernest Cline)<br />
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And I'm currently reading Going Clear. That's it. That's the stack! Yay for me!<br />
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This month, I'm hoping to finish Going Clear. Right now I'm stalled on it. I read another book about Scientology a couple of years ago, so I'm waiting for this one to hook me in with some new information. The new stack has <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Still-Missing-Chevy-Stevens/dp/1250049512/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401765309&sr=8-1&keywords=still+missing" target="_blank">Still Missing</a> by Chevy Stevens. This one was sent to me by my mother. I like a good mystery. We will see, since this one has a blurb by Gillian Flynn, who wrote Gone Girl, which I did not like <i>at all.</i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Wife-Novel-T%C3%A9a-Obreht/dp/0385343841/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401765476&sr=1-1&keywords=the+tiger%27s+wife" target="_blank">The Tiger's Wife</a> by Tea Obreht, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Glock-Americas-Paul-M-Barrett/dp/0307719952/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401765534&sr=1-1&keywords=Glock" target="_blank">Glock</a> by Paul M. Barrett, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eighty-Days-Elizabeth-Bislands-History-Making/dp/0345527275/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401765582&sr=1-1&keywords=eighty+days" target="_blank">Eighty Days</a> by Matthew Goodman. I've also moved Cloud Atlas from the back stack to the front stack. Although I've been meaning to read this for years, the reason it gets moved up this month is because Ready Player One was amazing.<br />
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Ready Player One had been sitting on my nightstand for months, and I cannot believe people were not shaking me for not reading it sooner! How can you be a movie geek raised in the 80s and not read this? It was so unique and engrossing. I stayed up way too late on several nights to finish it. It has been a long time since a book has made me stay up reading past 2 am. So, Cloud Atlas, there's a lot of pressure on you! Are you as good as Ready Player One? I've heard rumors...SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-78719262747281135702014-05-04T18:26:00.000-07:002014-05-04T18:26:31.674-07:00Happy Star Wars Day!I have finished what could possibly be the geekiest thing I have ever made. Star Wars cross stitch!<br />
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I finished them last night. Well, not quite finished. I need to add some French knots in a few places, but other than that, they are finished. A long time coming, too. I started them two years ago. To be fair, I didn't even work on them at all in this house until yesterday. They had been "lost" when we moved and I just found them. (This is a polite way of saying I'm still unpacking boxes nine months after moving. Eh, what can you do? We actually moved boxes from North Carolina to here that had never been unpacked from our last move.)<br />
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A closer look:<br />
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And the back (because I always like to see the back):<br />
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The patterns are from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/weelittlestitches?ref=shop_sugg" target="_blank">weelittlestitches</a> on Etsy. They have some really fun patterns. I would love to do the Ferris Bueller or Breakfast Club patterns. Now, off to watch a movie. Episode V, perhaps?<br />
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May the Fourth be with you!SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-42061945334328511612014-05-02T10:12:00.000-07:002014-05-02T10:12:36.236-07:00{this moment}Joining <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" target="_blank">Amanda</a> in celebrating a single moment of the week, a moment to remember.<br />
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<br />SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-6948105890729733562014-05-01T19:01:00.001-07:002014-05-01T19:01:49.404-07:00On my nightstandWhoo hoo! Finished with spring semester, 2014. That was a hard slog. Three classes, one of which was pathophysiology. Ugh.<br />
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So what are my educational plans for the summer? This:<br />
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Only recreational reading. That's right, I'm not taking classes at all this summer! Ohmygosh, I'm so very excited to not have to be on a deadline for the next four months.<br />
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Right now, I'm reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Rosie-Project-A-Novel-ebook/dp/B00BSBR9N6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398994886&sr=8-2&keywords=the+rosie+project" target="_blank">The Rosie Project</a> by Graeme Simsion on my Kindle. Not great, but good. On the stack are: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maine-Vintage-Contemporaries-Courtney-Sullivan/dp/0307742210/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398994985&sr=8-1&keywords=maine" target="_blank">Maine</a> by J. Courtney Sullivan (bought at a Barnes & Noble 3 for 2 table), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heads-Beds-Reckless-So-Called-Hospitality/dp/030794834X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398995034&sr=8-1&keywords=heads+on+beds" target="_blank">Heads in Beds</a> by Jacob Tomsky (insiders view of hotel service), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Going-Clear-Scientology-Hollywood-Vintage/dp/0307745309/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398995156&sr=8-1&keywords=going+clear" target="_blank">Going Clear</a> by Lawrence Wright (about Scientology), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-Novel/dp/0307887448/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398995206&sr=8-1&keywords=ready+player+one" target="_blank">Ready Player One</a> by Ernest Cline (this has been on my to-read list since it came out), and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eighteen-Acres-Novel-Nicolle-Wallace/dp/B004Q7E1US/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398995280&sr=8-1&keywords=eighteen+acres" target="_blank">Eighteen Acres</a> by Nicolle Wallace (given to me by my mother, and sounds kind of like the television program Scandal).<br />
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The books in the second stack have been hanging out quite a while. There are a couple of feeding babies and toddlers, one one parenting, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Atlas-Novel-David-Mitchell/dp/0375507256/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398995424&sr=8-1&keywords=cloud+atlas" target="_blank">Cloud Atlas</a> (which has been on the table for at least a year, and I refuse to watch the movie before reading the book, which means that I've been telling my DVR not to delete it for months now, too), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398995553&sr=8-1&keywords=zen+and+the+art+of+motorcycle+maintenance" target="_blank">Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance</a> (re-reading this one, so not in a hurry to finish), and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Winter-Palace-Novel-Catherine/dp/0553386891/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398995632&sr=8-1&keywords=winter+palace" target="_blank">The Winter Palace</a> (ordered in a fit of Russian interest during the Winter Olymics, about Catherine the Great).<br />
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I'm also planning some knitting, of course, but no pictures of yarn yet. And I'm starting a sampler. The floss is wound.<br />
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And, of course, hanging out with these two.<br />
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Please note the dog (Charlie) photo bombing the picture. Snouts everywhere, I tell you.SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-32923477194822293722014-04-05T20:10:00.001-07:002014-04-05T20:11:22.886-07:00Another check in the boxBirthday gift finished, washed, and sent--check! I suppose it doesn't really matter that said birthday was in October and the recipient has already seen the (mostly) completed item. It is a gift! Be glad! [I say this with tongue in cheek. The giftee loves these, loves me, and doesn't mind that they are late.]<br />
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These are the Hedgerow Mitts (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hedgerow-mitts" target="_blank">Rav link</a>). The pattern is really easy to figure out and memorize, and looks really complicated, but isn't.<br />
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From a distance it almost looks like a cable pattern, but there isn't any cabling involved. <br />
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It is really just moving the knit and purl stitches around. Which, if you think about it, is what most of knitting is about. Just figuring out a new or fun or interesting way to do two different stitches. Manipulating them until we like the effect.<br />
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I made them rather long. They come up about two-thirds of the way to my elbow. I'm from the UP, so I know from cold. Gloves were never long enough. Between your gloves and your coat there was always a little bit of skin exposed to the cold, especially when you reached for something. There are few things colder than wind on the inside of your wrist. However, I would probably wear them like this:<br />
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Gotta scrunch them down a bit. But, like I mentioned, these were a gift, and they have been sent away to their recipient. Down here, it was in the 80s today. Up there, they got about eight inches of snow. I think she'll wear these now, for a few weeks anyway.<br />
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It feels really good to get these off the Knitting To Do list. These have been finished for a while now, and have only been needing a bath. I kind of forgot about them for a bit, and then found them under a pile in my craft room. That can happen. I wish I wasn't like this--and trust me, I'm working on it-- but I am the type of knitter that starts off with my needles on fire with a new project, only to get to the final lap. Then I lose steam. My Tiny Tea Leaves sat for almost three months without sleeves. Sleeves! The easiest part of that pattern! Must. Finish. The. Knits.<br />
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Last weekend we went to the Savannah Quilt Show. I didn't take my camera, so all my pictures are on Mike's phone (which I think has a better camera [at least pixel-wise] than my point-and-shoot). As soon as I figure out how to make that transfer happen, I'll post a few here. Just gorgeous.<br />
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Of course, there was a Marketplace. I've been wanting those lovely Ghana bolga baskets for a long time, and there was a vendor at the quilt show.<br />
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Did you know there was a baby basket? I didn't! I almost didn't get it, and now I think I should have bought at least two more. I'm not sure if the big one is going to be yarn storage or the farmer's market basket (this thing is <i>huge!</i>), but the little one is perfect for a sock in progress.<br />
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How cute, right? Oh my gosh, I'm loving that cute little basket! <br />
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I still think I need more baby baskets. Right now I have four socks-in-progress. So at lease three more baskets, right? Can you imagine them all lined up on the table next to the davenport? I would love it!SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-4321507853878210672014-03-31T18:38:00.000-07:002014-03-31T18:38:59.072-07:00Tiny Tosh Tea LeavesI've graduated from the Baby Tea Leave and made it into the Tiny Tea Leaves. And oh, is it so sweet. The color is Molly Ringwald by MadelineTosh. I just love this yarn, and the color is so sweet and perfect for a darling five year old girl.<br />
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Of course, no photo shoot would be complete without a little assistance.<br />
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My fault, really, for trying to put something on the floor. If it is on the floor, it is fair game for a snouting. And while I was taking these pictures, something else was happening on the floor behind me.<br />
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Oh, Frosty. He's never very far from Camden. He's been very protective right from the beginning. Frosty is our first fluff, and he's getting old. He's a little guy, so he hopefully has a bunch more years left in him, but we notice him getting slower. He doesn't always go upstairs with us until he is pretty sure we are staying up there. He sleeps a lot more now. He's on some medicine (which we call "Frosty's Little Blue Pills"; no sense in not having a sense of humor about it). Our F-er. We love our sweet Doodlebug. He loves Camden. All is good.SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-76461661718013515072014-03-30T18:05:00.000-07:002014-03-30T18:05:36.133-07:00Unexpected Free MomentMike had to go back to work for something tonight, so I have an unexpected evening to myself. I'm watching Moonstruck on cable and knitting Terra. And stopping in here to say hello.<br />
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Things have been pretty hectic this spring. Without thinking too much about it, I enrolled in three classes. None of these classes alone are too bad, but together I'm a bit overwhelmed. If everything went nice and smooth, it would be no problem, but there are all these little hiccups that threaten my equilibrium. Every assignment finished is a check in the box, though, and I'm slowly getting to the end. There is a light at the end of this tunnel. <br />
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There has been knitting. When I was looking for a picture of the <a href="http://brooklyntweed.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1" target="_blank">Shelter</a> yarn I am using for my current project (Terra shawl, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/terra-4" target="_blank">Rav link</a>), I found this picture of new yarn:<br />
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A LYS in Savannah was going out of business this last month, so all this was purchased on sale. I have plans for some (the cadet blue Spud and Chloe Sweater is going to be a toddler sweater for Camden) and some was just too pretty to pass up (the burgundy Anzula in the bottom left). Even though I only visited the store about three times before they announced their closing, I'm really going to miss them. I had high hopes that they would become my favorite LYS. (The first time I was there, the manager was telling me about their knit night. "We have wine!" she said. How could I not love them?)<br />
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But that isn't really knitting. Some more non-knitting. This:<br />
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is now this:<br />
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That is the Garter Stitch Kimono (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garter-stitch-baby-kimono" target="_blank">Rav link</a>). I started this the day we got our pack-up at this house, in August. I raced through the body, but it became really clear that I wouldn't have enough yarn for two long sleeves. Since a cap sleeve baby kimono didn't interest me, it sat and sat. Now it's frogged and no longer an unfinished sweater. Now it is back to be potential. Now I can ponder it and figure out what it really wants to be. I'm thinking a little vest type thing, or possibly a striped cardigan. Both for Camden, obviously, since one skein with even the most generous yardage would not make a garment to cover <i>this </i>body. What color would stripe well with that blue-green? Cream? Orange?<br />
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But that is still not knitting to show. It seems that most of my knitting progress photos have been taken with my phone and are on my <a href="http://instagram.com/sewkarenm" target="_blank">Instagram</a> account.<br />
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So how about cute baby pictures instead?<br />
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Look at that hair! Yikes! I'm not cutting it, though. Not yet. Maybe after his first birthday. I'm sure that third picture down will be familiar to anyone with a pet (especially little fluffy dogs). As soon as I get on the floor, the dogs think it is playtime. There is a snout in the face, in the camera, in Camden's face. Good thing we all love dogs here! Camden laughs at them and has started to try and grab wagging tails. So far he's slow and the dogs are quick. They love him, and usually give him a few kisses to make up for it.SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-32034481422074891082014-01-22T18:37:00.003-08:002014-01-22T18:37:35.758-08:00A new skillOver the holidays, I decided I was going to learn how to crochet. I had known how to crochet once upon a time (third grade maybe?) but as far as doing it now, no. Well, I can crochet the little bit that is needed to knit--for a provisional cast on, to tighten up an edge--but not really Crochet with a capital C skill crochet. I really want to make granny square blankets. That is my only reason, honestly. I've loved Granny Square blankets since I was in first grade. My friend Andi had a Granny Square blanket in her living room. I loved that blanket, with the multi-color flowers surrounded by black fronds. I'm sure it was acrylic. Everything was in the 80s. I've wanted a Granny Square blanket ever since.<br />
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So I started with a booklet (possibly the one Andi's mom used--look at how dated that is!).<br />
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And I ended up with that little squiggle of blue yarn. Believe it or not, that is a foundation chain of thirty stitches. Clearly this booklet wasn't going to cut it for me, so I turned to the internet. How did I learn anything before YouTube?<br />
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I had a few problems. These weren't supposed to be bell-shaped, but for washcloths they will definitely work. I have a whole bin of Peaches and Cream cotton to work through, and I need a whole bunch of dish cloths. My sister has already put in a request for some, too. I've got a good start.<br />
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I understand why people prefer crochet to knitting. It is so much faster. When you're in a desperate need of a finished object, crochet to the rescue! I got a little addicted to making these cloths for a while. Seriously, my wrist was starting to hurt.<br />
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Of course, I've also been hanging out with this little one.<br />
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Oh my gosh, I love that little face! He's finally sitting up well enough to sit in one of those jumper toy things. But he is still such a little nugget that his little feet don't touch the ground at all, even on the lowest setting.<br />
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See those feet just dangling? A lot of times I've got a little pillow or blanket under there so he gets used to putting weight on his legs (it's something we are working on with him in PT), but sometimes I just let him stretch. Either way he's happy.<br />
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Oh yes, classes started again. I'm trying to figure out how to balance everything. I think I've got all the assignments written on three different calendars--desk, phone, and wall. I do love the act of checking things off a list!SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-52714498837106919122014-01-10T17:50:00.000-08:002014-01-10T17:50:06.323-08:00{this moment}<i>Joining <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/" target="_blank">Amanda</a> today in the Friday ritual. Sharing a moment from the week to pause, savor, and remember.</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-92049584800283763452014-01-07T20:58:00.000-08:002014-01-07T20:58:05.086-08:00Winter hits the southWell, it did get cold here. When I woke up this morning, it was about 10 degrees, which around these parts is Really Cold. I think the news said this is coldest it has been in about twenty years. After having a really hot and humid December (humidity in December. sigh. I will never get used to it.) I was ready for a break in the weather. I truly love the brisk air. It makes me miss where I'm from.<div>
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Cold weather is also a fashion opportunity! I got to pull this:</div>
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out of the closet! I haven't worn this in years. I love this sweater. I bought it almost twenty years ago. I was a waitress in a tourist town (skiing during the winter, boating in the summer) and this sweater was in a shop downtown. I have no idea why I went into that shop in the first place. It wasn't somewhere I would have normally shopped. I certainly couldn't afford anything in there. I actually visited this sweater several times before I bought it. When I finally did by it and wore it to the bar where I worked, we all did a toast to my sweater. </div>
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This sweater, more than anything else, is why I started knitting. The owner of the bar was a knitter, or rather, knew how to knit. She made two pair of slippers every year, one for her and one for her husband. Nothing else. The leftover (acrylic) yarn from that year's slippers and a pair of needles in a zipper top bag were taped to my locker one day with a note to "just start." Another waitress gave me an old how to knit pamphlet. It took me about two hours to knit the yarn equivalent of an eyebrow.</div>
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Of course, I can't put anything yarn-y out without Fred getting into it.</div>
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We call this "Fredding." He does it to new laundry, old laundry, stacks of blankets, piles of yarn, the baby. Anything that doesn't smell enough like Fred to suit him. </div>
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Otherwise, we spent the day hanging out and keeping out of the cold.</div>
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I was even inspired to dig out the Big Brown Blanket I started in 2010. That is about two inches of knitting there. As of this writing, I've doubled that amount, but there is no way that a 4' x 5' blanket belongs in a book called Last Minute Knitted Gifts. It took me a couple of hours to get four inches. Well, three years and a couple of hours. At this rate, Camden will take this college. For his Master's. Should I set a goal? Throw down the gauntlet? By the end of the month? Hmmmm.... Let's see where I get to by the end of this weekend.</div>
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Off to snuggle under a big quilt and flannel sheets! Ah, the coziness of flannel. Delicious. </div>
SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-39801126913011449392013-12-21T19:34:00.000-08:002013-12-21T19:34:32.447-08:00Happy Winter Solstice!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Winter Solstice. A celebration of the balance of the darkness and the light. I think we have both in all of us, both in all our lives. This month, we've been concentrating on the light. We have had such joy this season. I am loving our Little Duck, who brings us smiles and happiness.<br />
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There has been, simultaneously, so much and so little going on here. We are practicing sitting up and tummy time, and visiting some specialists that have me in a tizzy. I know just enough to be freaked out, and not enough to be pacified. Nothing is <i>wrong</i>, but some things are <i>not quite right.</i> In order to keep our sanity, we are doing what we can around the house. For me, that means knitting. For Mike, that means adding some light switches where there were none. And we are visiting going to holiday parties and visiting Santa. Because wishes do come true.SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-84479287869982107672013-11-10T19:12:00.001-08:002013-11-10T19:12:40.581-08:00Happy Birthday!Happy 238th Marine Corps Birthday!<br />
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The Marine Corps birthday is kind of a big deal in the Marines. All day long, Mike's phone has been buzzing with wishes of "happy birthday, Devil Dog!" Once a Marine, always a Marine, and Mike has been a Marine for 22 years now, so there were a lot of phone calls and texts.<br />
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And this year we celebrated with our little Devil Pup!<br />
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It's Sunday, so Mike isn't in cammies, but Camden is! Complete with a little Eagle, Globe, and Anchor embroidered on his onesie.<br />
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So, Happy Birthday Marines! No better friend, no worse enemy.SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-92206049734299141092013-11-07T19:57:00.001-08:002013-11-07T19:57:36.843-08:00Still here! And still knitting!Wow! Time does certainly get away, doesn't it? One minute I feel like I've just barely moved in, and the next I've been here for more two months but <i>still </i>have boxes to unpack. This house is a bit bigger than the one we left, and has a bit different layout, so I've yet to figure out how we "live" in it. We left a one story house with a FROG (Finished Room Over Garage--how cool is that name?!) and moved into a two story house. How do you organize that? Do you keep two sets of cleaning rags, one up and one down? Et cetera, et cetera. Terrible problems, right?<div>
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This is my season of learning. Learning how to be a mama, learning how to balance a master's student's reading list, learning how to not do everything, and learning how to not feel bad about it. Mike's position here is more time consuming, more that he realized it would be I think, and even he is learning how to let go a little. Everything isn't always put away anymore, and sometimes the dishwasher stays full for a couple of days. And some things we delegate more than we used to (pizza can be delivered, too, not always made at home). But we are all fed, all clean, all happy. Even the four-footed ones.</div>
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Despite the nursing theory reading load (and don't get me started on how I feel about nursing theory) I have managed to get some knitting done!</div>
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Five pair of socks. This is kind of cheating, because I had finished up the knitting on these in the spring but left the Kitchener on all of them to the end. Ten socks to Kitchener all at once. I don't think I will do that again, but I now have great muscle memory on the Kitchener stitch. </div>
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A pair of fingerless mitts. The entire pair is completely finished now, so there will be a post on what they are and what mods I made. Besides, you can't really tell what that pattern is because that yarn is LOUD. But the color is as per the recipient's request and she loves it.</div>
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I started some vintage crewel work. This is a kit I bought for about eight dollars from Etsy. It's from the early 80s, I believe. The pattern is cute, but man! The colors! Really atrocious! The sun is a strange raspberry pink color, and the flower is hot pink. If those two colors were toned down a bit it might be better. I've been thinking about raiding another (Etsy-purchased) crewel kit for more appropriate colors. </div>
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These vintage bark cloth kits are not the needlework to have during a great movie. The needle makes a loud "whoosh" noise when you pierce the bark cloth and drag the yarn through. "That's a loud craft" is how Mike put it.</div>
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Lest you think I have not been knitting little things, get a load of this.</div>
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That is a picture of the cutest baby in the world wearing a hand-knit, Mama-made hat. Could I love him more? Every day I think no, I could not possibly love him more and then I wake up the next day and he steals my heart again.</div>
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It was a great Halloween.</div>
SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-22687925728492154302013-09-20T11:32:00.001-07:002013-09-20T11:32:59.131-07:00I've also been knitting!In addition to hanging out with the little duck, moving, and studying, I have been knitting. I have a sweater started for Camden (and yarn for a couple more), but I had to put that on hold for a bit while I did some deadline knitting. The chick I drove back and forth with the school all of last year is pregnant and her shower was this past weekend. Since I couldn't be there, not only did I have to finish this, but finish it early since it needed to be mailed. Nothing like putting a little pressure on myself when I have 478 pieces of household goods to find a place for.<div>
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Of course, among those 478 pieces of household goods are probably 78 boxes of yarn. Maybe more, maybe less. Could I find what I wanted? No. So I had to order online from <a href="http://eatsleepknit.com/" target="_blank">Eat, Sleep, Knit</a>. And of course, I threw in a little extra. Since I was, you know, paying for shipping and all.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The yarn on the left, the purple, became a Baby Tea Leaves (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-tea-leaves" target="_blank">Rav link</a>). The other two are for Camden. I'm thinking that the red might be a charming little sweater vest, but I'm not sure. It is all Madelinetosh and it is all lovely.</div>
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I had to wind the yarn for the Baby Tea Leaves the old fashioned way, between two chairs.</div>
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Because my craft room looks like this, and I can't find my ball winder and swift:</div>
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It wound up nicely into a roly poly little ball.</div>
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Which eventually became this:</div>
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That is after a blocking. I made the smallest size, which I think is listed as "0-6 months." It is so wee and adorable. The next time I make it, though, I need to bind of the button band a bit more loosely. As you can see, I wasn't able to properly straighten it out along the bottom edge.</div>
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But really, who is going to be looking at that when this is on an adorable little baby! And the mother, being a non-knitter, probably won't even know it shouldn't really be like that, if she even notices.</div>
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The color in the last picture is off. I wanted to take a final picture before I packaged it up and the day was overcast. The color is much more clear and vibrant, and the previous pictures are actually pretty true, color-wise. The pattern was great, too. Clear instructions, easy to follow. I'm already planning two more, one in the same size and another to fit a five year old. Partly I just love working with this yarn!</div>
SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-32271867445290973572013-09-14T18:39:00.000-07:002013-09-14T18:39:14.697-07:00Back from a "break"Yes, it has been some time since I have been here. I have some valid reasons, though. <div>
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First, I finished Phase I of the nursing program I was in, meaning that now I am active in Phase II (the Master's portion) while simultaneously studying for the NCLEX.</div>
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Second, we moved. Mike was transferred to MCAS Beaufort, so we are now living in South Carolina. Mike has been down here since mid-way through July. I got here in the middle of August. We received our pack-up about three weeks ago. I've only just today finished putting the books on the shelves in the living room. Don't even ask about the craft room!</div>
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And third, I've been spending a lot of time with this guy:</div>
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This is Camden, and he joined our family in June when he was a month old. He is the sweetest little boy ever and he has me wrapped around his tiny little finger. He is a tiny little guy--he is just over three months old and is barely out of newborn-sized clothing--but he brings us so much joy.</div>
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The dogs love him, too. Frosty is never very far from him.</div>
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My days are finally starting to fall into a pattern, so I am hoping to get here more often. I have a lot to share! I've been knitting a LOT and have some really fun and interesting things planned for the fall. So here's to being "here"!</div>
SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-74804522355663196522013-06-15T19:21:00.002-07:002013-06-15T19:24:53.102-07:00Finally, some time!Oh my goodness, have I been busy! Not that we all aren't, but man oh man, this last few weeks has just flattened me. We have almost finished Summer I session. Rumor had it that the summer sessions were easy, especially compared to the past two semesters. I don't know where this information came from, or who started those awful rumors, but they were completely untrue. We had a researched clinical encounter paper due, a reflection journal, three days of clincals, and one day of class every week. And wow! those clincal encounter papers were no joke. They were each over ten pages. I couldn't face the computer after writing those every week.<br />
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But enough complaining. I learned so much. This was our community health rotation, and I was at the health department, a uninsured clinic <a href="http://merciclinic.org/" target="_blank">(the MERCI Clinic)</a>, and the soup kitchen. It was truly amazing. I found it really inspiring and gratifying to working with underserved populations. I hope to work in a hospital after I'm licensed, but after being at the MERCI Clinic I know that I want to volunteer time with something like that.<br />
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So I haven't had much time to knit lately. I've worked on a few things, so hopefully I can get those on here soon. My Little Oak cardigan is about halfway through the yoke.<br />
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I'm loving the way the leaves are starting to pop off the yoke. The variations of brown in the yarn are just enough to give the sweater some interest without getting in the way of the detail on the yoke. I've decided to add some ribbon backing to the button band (once I knit it). I want something to give the buttons a little more stability, especially since I'm giving this to a non-knitter. I don't want it to seem "too delicate" for every day use.<br />
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The monkeys are a printed satin ribbon. Perfect for a little fun cardigan. I can't wait to finish this.<br />
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In other news, I've been trying to play in the yard a bit. I was turning the compost bin and sifting through the almost-dirt to see what I can pull out. (I throw a lot of stuff in the compost bin "just to see" what will happen. I don't use the compost on any flowers or vegetables, or I would be a bit more concerned about proper balance of nitrogen and green vs. brown compost. Mainly, I'm trying to keep organic, compostable things out of a landfill. I compost things like pizza boxes and movie popcorn bags. I tossed the hepa filter from the vacuum in there, just in case the filter was paper, but it wasn't and I pulled it out six months later--looking exactly the same.)<br />
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But my point here is that sometimes I find interesting things in the barrel. Like the plastic liners of to go cups and ice cream containers that some people don't even realize are there. And this:<br />
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This is a pile of hems and elastics from a bunch of clothing that I tossed in the compost barrel a few months ago. Clothing that was too worn out to go to a charity shop, or not really appropriate for a charity shop (boxer shorts, underwear), or clothing that I had cut up to use as dust towels around the house that had finally become too worn to use even as dust cloths. I love this. I really, truly get excited about seeing this. The pile of clothing this came from would probably have filled a small trash bin. Now it fits in two hands. That is, really, very very cool.<br />
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And, to end, a cute dog picture of Charlie.<br />
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<br />SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-75531771498655122862013-05-26T18:44:00.001-07:002013-05-26T18:44:04.805-07:00In my absence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, I've been away from here much longer than I thought I would be. I've composed many posts in my head but haven't had the time or energy to get them actually written. Since I've been here last, I've finished my second semester of nursing school and started the summer session. At this point, I am 61 days away from being eligible to take the nursing boards. This is both exciting and terrifying. <br />
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Of course, other things have happened.<br />
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Like finishing Baktus.<br />
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I'm happy with how this eventually turned out. I love the Noro against the navy yarn. I had really hoped to be able to just wear it, but it turned out that it needed a pretty severe blocking.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfKxi8wggi5a5kN1wXPXt3p8VDNp3vufh344cxUfSJ98bh4NU_6KK6e0EqdapR9ot2SB9IJNdklhOD2EPclEfILXVYrwEpohynbJbREDCgUMGRBLbvFj9o4NROZ45Os3ixxDEho4UviZi/s1600/Blocking+Baktus+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfKxi8wggi5a5kN1wXPXt3p8VDNp3vufh344cxUfSJ98bh4NU_6KK6e0EqdapR9ot2SB9IJNdklhOD2EPclEfILXVYrwEpohynbJbREDCgUMGRBLbvFj9o4NROZ45Os3ixxDEho4UviZi/s1600/Blocking+Baktus+1.jpg" height="169" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Baktus, folded in half. Note the "center" point is not in the center.<br />
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Baktus, folded on the the center point. See the crazy difference in length? Tension issues.<br />
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Baktus getting a severe stretching.<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I love it. The knitting, although boring, was great simply because it was boring. I'm thinking of making another one. I'm not sure if it will be a true Baktus, in the triangle shape, or simply a garter stitch scarf in two row stripes. I'm thinking of these colors:</span></td></tr>
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This picture is a bit washed out, but it gives the general idea. I love the grey with the pink and green. If you look close, you can also see a lovely lavender under the spring green. But Noro. Oh, Noro. </div>
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Within Noro there lies a dark heart. You see that rusty orange? Yeah, not so much. At least not with the grey. I'm on the fence here. Should I just go ahead with the grey and Noro as is? Should I cut out the offensive color? Or should I look for something other than the grey? Oh the humanity!<br />
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I know this is just a quick check in, and I've got more to say, so I'm hoping to get back here tomorrow. So until then, I will leave you with a gratuitous cute dog picture.<br />
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SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-88284238686406515682013-04-18T06:52:00.002-07:002013-04-18T06:52:50.839-07:00A Dog's LifeI've started a new little project. Little Oak (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/little-oak" target="_blank">Rav link</a>) by <a href="http://nevernotknitting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting</a>. I'm making it in a hand dyed chocolately brown color that looks amazing in person, but is really hard to photograph. I tried to get a good picture on the coffee table.<br />
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But the picture didn't show off the subtle variations of chocolate brown that really give the yarn some depth. (And really, make it the reason for knitting with a brown yarn. I can't think of any reason I would <i>want</i> to knit with plain, solid brown. Especially on something where stitches must be picked up. My eyes, while not poor, are not up to that particular challenge.) <br />
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So I moved to a table near a window with more sunlight.<br />
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Much better picture. At least here you can see the depth of color. But, as is wont to happen 'round these parts, a dog got a whiff of something new on the table.<br />
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So Fred popped up to investigate the yarn. This is a really bad picture of Fred, because he is all white and the sunlight was directly on him. But really, what he wanted wasn't the yarn.<br />
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Fred was really trying to get to the window. Things outside must be investigated at regular intervals. And of course, when one tires of looking out the window, the seat becomes a bed.<br />
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Yup, the dogs have a window seat. The dogs were constantly on the end table to look out the window, so rather than try to change the dogs' behavior, I developed an alternate solution. Take two little side tables, cover them with blankets--enough that the dog using the seat can still see out when said dog is lying down--and voila! no more dogs on the end table! Or rather, one dog on the window seat and one dog on the end table, looking over the head of the dog on the window seat.<br />
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I think it is noteworthy, too, that in order to take this picture I had to scoot back into the corner of the room--and onto a dog bed on the floor. These dogs are not in need of places to sleep. There is a dog bed in every room, including the kitchen. When Mike asked why we needed so many dog beds, I asked him if he had a place to sit in every room. It seemed very logical to me.<br />
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This is to say that out house is extremely dog friendly. We have baskets of dog toys, and hooks for dog things, half a closet devoted to dog stuff, and the dogs pretty much are allowed anywhere we go. They can be trying, and they bark at things and sometimes have accidents when we are gone too long, but it sure is nice to come home to all that fluffy love.<br />
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And in a related story, I've finished my Baktus.<br />
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Details and better pictures to come.<br />
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SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-41291465550476945702013-03-24T18:20:00.000-07:002013-03-24T18:20:07.772-07:00Green Grocery BagsMy sister has been organizing swaps through Facebook. Sometimes I've been able to join in, and sometimes I haven't. The swap she coordinated for March was The Green Swap. Because this swap fell during my spring break I was able to join.<br />
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I'm not sure what she had in mind when she picked green (I'm thinking she was probably influenced by St. Patrick's Day) but when I think of "green" I think of "eco." I wanted to come up with something that incorporated the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra that I live by. The project I decide on--t-shirt bags--is by no means original (Martha Stewart featured this in <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/266942/t-shirt-bag" target="_blank">2007</a>, and I'm sure they are all over Pintereset), but because I used my own t-shirts, it is unique.<br />
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You start by cutting the arms off a t-shirt.<br />
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Then you cut out the neck.<br />
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Most of my t-shirts had a higher neckline, so I used a plate to trace a half circle cutting line. You want the neck to be open enough to get stuff into the bag.<br />
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Then (and I don't have a picture of this part) you turn the shirt inside out and sew the bottom shut. I think we can all imagine what that looks like. You end up with a big cotton grocery bag.<br />
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I thought about zig-zagging the raw edge of the handles so they don't unravel like Lindsay Lohan on court day, but I didn't. For one, it seemed like a lot of work for the dozen bags I made. And two, I've never noticed a problem with t-shirt fabric unraveling before. Most guys have (unfortunately) made muscle t-shirts out of regular t-shirts, and those always (unfortunately) hold up well. <br />
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The best thing about these grocery bags is they are washable, unlike the bag that most grocery stores sell (the ones made out of recycled soda bottles). I also love that they take something that might have gone into a landfill and made it useful. I think using t-shirts like this actually extends their life longer than if I had dropped them off at a charity store, where they would get used for a bit and then thrown out. And I love having unique bags at the grocery.<br />
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And the whole whack of them, waiting to be packed up and sent along to the fabulous ladies in the swap.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18zkHvohpgFci5pswNU8wV_m08wju2AeMYJJAfrBbkrKQi579ehFN9-YbODcZuRVe1D71SxDSZ9esDUdzdbL3F-0K9whqHgOz-32SFPBn_w_uoUcdXKpDCCWXBrVKtbQaOOiw9MiM0EJe/s1600/Tshirt+bags+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18zkHvohpgFci5pswNU8wV_m08wju2AeMYJJAfrBbkrKQi579ehFN9-YbODcZuRVe1D71SxDSZ9esDUdzdbL3F-0K9whqHgOz-32SFPBn_w_uoUcdXKpDCCWXBrVKtbQaOOiw9MiM0EJe/s1600/Tshirt+bags+6.jpg" height="242" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would love to go shopping with these colorful bags!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-40403350496315238382013-03-22T18:56:00.000-07:002013-03-22T18:56:01.376-07:00Goodies in the MailDon't you love coming home to wonderful things in the mail! I know I do. I love getting the mail, even on the days when it is nothing exciting. I love letters and magazines and catalogs and Bed, Bath & Beyond flyers. But packages are especially wonderful--even when you know they are coming.<br />
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My MIL told Mike that she sent a package. She also told him to wait until I got home to open it.<br />
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And then she reminded him again, on the outside of the package. Good thing, too, because I actually got home first and found this on the porch. Without the warning I might have slipped and opened it without Mike around.<br />
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You see, I knew what was in there. The most delicious chocolate in the world.<br />
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A chocolate fudge Easter egg from <a href="http://saykllys.com/" target="_blank">Sayklly's</a> in Escanaba, Michigan. We grew up getting these eggs at Easter. If you buy them at the store they will write your name on them in yellow icing. Sayklly's is the only fudge I eat. It is soooooo good. Nothing else compares to it, so why even bother. It is a family owned business where the chocolate is still handmade. They also sell <a href="http://saykllys.com/chocolates/yooper-bars-box-of-12.html" target="_blank">Yooper Bars</a>, which are the best milk chocolate bars I've ever had. Every now and then my mother will send us a dozen. We keep a few and send the rest with Mike to work. Someone always asks where they can get more of them.<br />
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But that wasn't all! I also got a lovely new knitting bag, perfect for small projects.<br />
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Which is great, because I accidentally ordered some new sock yarn.<br />
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The yarn is <a href="http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/knitting/yarn/LornasLaces/ShepherdSock.asp?showLarge=true&specPCVID=42694" target="_blank">Lorna's Laces Limited Edition for Jimmy Beans Wool</a> in the color Winter is Coming. Oh yeah, the Game of Thrones color. The color I received is a bit paler than the color that shows on the website, but it is still very "winter-ish" (or maybe I should say "Snow-ish"). Dark grey, light grey, icy blue, and a little hint of mauve. I originally ordered the color for Mike, and he said that he is still happy with the color (even with the mauve-y pink) so this will be another pair for him. Perhaps I will cast on while watching the premiere of Season 3. (I won't. I don't knit while watching Game of Thrones. Too much going on.)<br />
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I also have some new reading material. <a href="http://www.3191milesapart.com/" target="_blank">3191 Miles Apart</a> (the bloggers) now publish a quarterly magazine. I say "now publish" but since that is issue 9 and issue 10, they have been publishing for at least two and a half years. But since this is the first I have heard of it, it is "now publish" to me. I used to read their blog quite a bit, but stopped for some reason or another. (This sometimes happens when I switch computers, since none of my bookmarks follow me. I'm told there are ways to make that happen; I just don't know any of them. But now I get to re-discover blogs that used to share my day. Kind of like happening across an old buddy at the pub. Lots to catch up on.)<br />
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Now off to work on those other socks, so my needles will soon be free for Winter is Coming! Ohmygoshjustonemoreweek! Game of Thrones! I just can't wait!SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-49153168475359120262013-03-21T18:16:00.001-07:002013-03-21T18:16:16.791-07:00The Dreaded Pantry Cupboard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQTAqwfcSIN5CfYp0F96swTkPwWwZgQZqBsKhyZaVojiQ_01g53Uhsl8FoKkhbm4dHdWgtuYFwv8VJJVu0TBHWcgYLMbObZ7xQQz76aNkOeAytj0zFBkZGe5CVWZzlDYyoVdDOhj_aOfQ/s1600/WM-pink-and-gray-Rev3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQTAqwfcSIN5CfYp0F96swTkPwWwZgQZqBsKhyZaVojiQ_01g53Uhsl8FoKkhbm4dHdWgtuYFwv8VJJVu0TBHWcgYLMbObZ7xQQz76aNkOeAytj0zFBkZGe5CVWZzlDYyoVdDOhj_aOfQ/s1600/WM-pink-and-gray-Rev3.jpg" height="130" width="320" /></a></div>
Linking up with Jules at <a href="http://pancakesandfrenchfries.com/" target="_blank">Pancakes and French Fries</a> as part of the William Morris Project. Check out her blog for lots of great links!<br />
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This house has one of those "pantry cupboards" in the kitchen. The cupboard is as big as a refrigerator, and has four roll-out type shelves. I know that people love these cupboards, but I really don't. All the hardware necessary to make the shelves roll takes up a lot of room, not to mention that the shelf is actually a shallow drawer, meaning that there is even less space for pantry items. And it is really hard to organize!<br />
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Case in point:<br />
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Things are just thrown in, with no real rhyme or reason. Except for the all the plasticware being on the bottom shelf. A closer look? Sure. Here we go, from top to bottom.<br />
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Ugh. What a dump! But after a little bit of time, some rearranging of foodstuffs, and some vacuuming (I shake my fist at you, onions and potatoes!), I now know what is in here.<br />
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The plasticware has all been sorted and nested. We are moving slowly to glass storage containers, which are kept in a different cupboard (where they won't roll around when I pull out the "shelf"), but I'm not willing to just throw away all the plastic.<br />
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This shelf probably had the most dramatic turn around. I put most of the dried beans into wide mouth quart mason jars and found a couple of baskets for potatoes, onions, garlic, and ginger. Hopefully the baskets mean that I won't have to drag my vacuum to the cupboard again. I like the mason jar idea, but eventually I would like something a bit bigger. A one pound bag of beans does not quite fit into a quart jar. I've labelled them with masking tape since I think I will want something else eventually, but these were here and they function so much better than the pile of bags that I had going on before.<br />
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Mainly jars on one side, mainly bags of stuff on the other. I suppose this would be the condiment/breakfast/dried fruit shelf.<br />
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And then the tea. More than half this shelf is tea. The mason jars on the left are the large tea bags I use for iced tea. (I had a lot of mason jars around.) After seeing this, I think I should probably hold off on buying tea for awhile. Especially since there is also this in the kitchen:<br />
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Yup. More tea. The pretty containers make it out of the cupboard. Fourteen (!) more tea varieties. Geez, I hope tea doesn't go bad. Habit or vice? At this point, I'm not sure.<br />
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Anyone else have any "healthy vices"?SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724265984202916067.post-48064762866961803622013-03-20T19:57:00.000-07:002013-03-20T19:57:24.605-07:00Working through the To Do ListIn an effort to plow through another item on my Spring Break To Do List (list item: start Hedgerow Mitts), I had to locate a pair of US 1 needles. Since I couldn't find any (which doesn't mean that I don't have any US 1s free; it just means I can't find them [see list item: organize the stash {which was supposed to encompass the stash closet, and thus the needles}]) (Really, Karen? <i>Three</i> different types of parantheticals?) I had to dig out the unfinished socks, which was actually a good thing, since another list item involved the UFOs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCk3D9L3Olz63z2vlXrWoK3E0syAeFjrECl9WcFKtp5VPrISTKiusAupY8KyUnp0_qYEyGMBrTRX-PUT9RaxuJ3TsjsYH4qR27Jo1r38zw3IB0wGEyeunxYuecJO2CJ0KC6T8b8OneHg0o/s1600/Socks+in+progress+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCk3D9L3Olz63z2vlXrWoK3E0syAeFjrECl9WcFKtp5VPrISTKiusAupY8KyUnp0_qYEyGMBrTRX-PUT9RaxuJ3TsjsYH4qR27Jo1r38zw3IB0wGEyeunxYuecJO2CJ0KC6T8b8OneHg0o/s1600/Socks+in+progress+1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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And I found my favorite US 1 needles on the green socks.</div>
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The needles are the really nice Blue Sky Alpaca wooden needles. I have a set of nine, because I broke one needle so I bought a complete new set. I like to knit socks with five needles, so four wouldn't cut it for me. And actually, I really like having the extra needles. It makes picking up gusset stitches really easy. I've started using the extra needles to pick up the stitches on both sides before I start knitting the round, since picking up stitches is almost my least favorite thing to do in knitting. As of tonight, the second sock here is actually knit up to the beginning of the heel flap. So progress. </div>
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But I have US 1 needles on another pair, too.</div>
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These needles are metal, and longer than the Blue Sky. I think the Blue Sky needles are five inches, and these are six. This morning I was working on these socks (morning light means good time to work on dark blue yarn) and the needles felt almost too long. The metal was really slippery, too, after using the nice grippy wood. I think these are Hiya Hiya stainless steel needles, and really slick. I got used to them right quick, but there was a momentary learning curve. This sock is almost down the the heel flap. </div>
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The purple and blue striped pair are on US 0 needles.</div>
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As you can see, there are two types of needles on this sock. I started this sock on the Lantern Moon US 0 bamboo needles and snapped one needle right in half. <a href="http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/" target="_blank">Jimmy Beans Wool</a> replaced the one needle (quickly, too, and without question; great customer service!) but I found some metal Susan Bates one needles in the stash. I still haven't worked on it since the new needle arrived, though.</div>
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The last pair is on US 1s, but on two circulars.</div>
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I'm through the heel flap on this one, which means that I am ready to turn the heel. After that, we all know, comes the picking up of the stitches. As much as I don't like picking up stitches, I <i>really</i> don't like picking up stitches for the gusset with a circular needle. It is really fiddly and involves a lot of moving about stitches, and I just don't like it. So these have been sitting at this point for over a year.</div>
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And yes, that is Deborah Norville yarn I'm using. Glad you noticed.</div>
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I honestly didn't notice this until I started to photograph these socks. But too funny. I guess <a href="http://www.lionbrand.com/yarns/vannaschoice.html" target="_blank">Vanna White</a> shouldn't have all the fun! (I bought this yarn from <a href="http://www.hancockfabrics.com/" target="_blank">Hancock Fabrics</a> about a year and a half ago, but I don't know anything else about this line. I've never seen it anywhere else that I know of.)</div>
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Despite not finding some free needles to start the Hedgerow Mitts, I did get something accomplished on them. I wound the yarn.</div>
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I consider that to be a start. So at least I get to check that item off my list! </div>
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It is so hard to capture the subtleties of hand painted yarn in a photo. This is MadelineTosh sock in Pop Rocks, and it is about sixteen different shades of pink. I can't wait to see this knit up. I need something bright and cheerful to work on, and I think this fits the bill. Hopefully the socks hogging my needles will be finished soon, and I get working on this happy color.</div>
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Now I'm off to watch <a href="http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/nashville" target="_blank">Nashville</a> and knit on my dark and stormy blue socks. (Sort of fits with <i>Nashville</i>, don't you think? Does anyone else watch this show? I <b>love</b> it. And I'm not a "country" music fan. I do love, though, singer/songwriters with an interesting, folk-type style. And I adore Scarlett on the show. I'm hooked.)</div>
SewKarenMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987784208051872291noreply@blogger.com0