Make Me

Post N Run

Finished another hat!

Tahitian vanilla beans from my friend Jackie.  Ooo la la!

 

And the first entry in the MP2008.  This stuff has to be gone by the end of the year.

Good riddance!

I'm tired and it's time to go to bed. G'night!

Organization

We got my dining area tidied and organized on Sunday.  It was good.  Maybe not fun, but good.  Priscilla introduced me to the idea of having like items together.   And not just touching things, but doing something with them at that time. 

Sounds simple, I suppose, but it's hard for me.  Although I was really impressed with myself and how I do know where a lot of things are.  I'm not sure what area is next.  I highly recommend having a more organized friend help you to get organized. They don't have emotional attachments to your stuff and force you to see all your crap for what it really is: crap.  That's major for me since I tend to keep every possible thing anyone has ever given me.

The cool thing is I'm already feeling a lot less fettered.  I feel like creating; like writing.  It's a good thing.  And Pris was right - once you get started you just want to keep going.  Who knows, I might even start decorating the place after I'm all done instead of just having other people's cast of bits and bobs.

I found this cool blog by a professional organizer - I have yet to really explore it.

On the knitting front, last night I had a dream about knitting socks with Mary Kay's Red Rocks yarn.  I might have to run to the LYS to wind it tomorrow so I can fulfill that dream.  The socks are going to be toe-up and plain stockinette stitch or ribbed, I think.  Easy-peasy so to show of the fab colors of the yarn.

MK has to have foot surgery again, so pop on over there and give her some love.

Joie de Vivre

I've been enjoying Robert Arbor's Joie de Vivre this month.  It's loaded full of chatty goodness about French country living.  It desperately makes me want to move the French countryside and make jams from fresh fruit I've bought at the marche.  Sigh.

Alas, that is not possible at the moment, but I did make the fruit compote and Oh.My.Gosh!  It is soooo good that I've eaten about a half a jar on my bagel this morning.  And I had it for dinner last night on multi grain bread.  And I'm trying waaaay hard not to just eat the rest right out fo the jar.

I found the recipe online with an excerpt of the book here.  The recipe is on page 23.  It's very easy and your kitchen will smell divine while cooking.  Do splurge on the vanilla bean. I've never used one before but it definitely makes a difference.  I'm stopping at the store tonight for more pears and vanilla bean. 

This was also the first time using fresh Meyer lemon.  I'm not sure if that made much of a difference, but I'm making lemonade with the rest of the lemons tonight, so I'll let you know.

The book is not really a cookbook, more a mini-vacation with recipes. There are lovely photographs and  a picture of daily life that I've not really seen in other books of this type.   I'm taking a slow time reading it, one chapter a week or so and really savoring it.

Au revoir!

Where My Stitches Hat?

I've been busy since yesterday and didn't get the chance to post my Etsy eight.  I meant to spend time today finding out how to keep a set eight rather than have it change every time I add something new to my favorites.  Unlucky at that so far.

Speaking of Etsy, I made a new treasury of sock yarn. You can view it here until Tuesday.

But yesterday I got all excited about finishing my hat. I had an idea for a sampler hat - try out different stitches to see if how they work together for other projects. Meanwhile you get a perfectly wearable hat.  I'm calling it my Ravelry Where My Stitches Hat.

I think I might write up the pattern since this time I managed to take some notes as I was knitting.  I also managed to use up nearly three squiggly bits of leftover yarn.

Speaking of which, I think I need to join the MP:2008 challenge. Just found out about that since, when I first saw it, I thought it was one of those yarn diet things which I KNOW I wouldn't ever stick to in the first place.  So I was looking through the stache and trying to figure out what is going on the block and found the big bag of end bits.  I just can't throw anything away.

Which is why Priscilla is coming over tomorrow for Operation Organization.  I hope I don't cry.  I think I need to start in small doses - one area at a time.  Haven't quite figured out where we'll start yet, but I'm no one if not Queen of the Last Minute.

I Amuse Me

I love how, when I'm really tired, homophones give me trouble.  In the last post I meant heel, not heal!  *giggle* Gah! I'm funny.

I do knit...see?!  Lace cuff anklets socks from the Interweave Socks book. I changed out the toe and made a round toe instead of the whatever toe because I don't think I have the mental capacity to understand kitchener.  I meant to do a short row heal for kicks and giggles, but I forgot and just started working away on the ... whatever this heal is called.  Geez, it's too late for me to be writing.

Anyway, pardon my craptastic photoshopping.  I wanted to make the background the same as the blog background, but I think it would be in my best interest to get some sleep tonight.  I haven't used Photoshop in months and its one of those things you lose if you don't use.  So I'm trying to make myself use it more often.

I also finished this hat for my father's Christmas present. It's from Knitting the Easy Way.  I did it out of some Plymouth yarn I got in Arizona.  I'm sure there's a ball band here somewhere.  There must be cuz ball bands cover every flat surface here in Casa de Crazy.  I woke up one morning with one stuck to my face.  Better than a knitting needle I guess.  Also better than the time I woke up tangled in yarn.  Me, yarn and bedtime knitting are not a good combo. 

The hat was easy enough, although I sort of lost my focus on the last cable rows.  Dark yarn is my friend.

This is some of Mary Kay's lush-ous yarn.  I heart it with a mighty glee.  Can't wait to wind it up and knit some socks.  Was searching for patterns this weekend and haven't found just the one yet, but I'm sure I will.  This color is called Fall Back and I can't wait to have it on my tootsies. Nancy, I'm still blaming you for this insidious sock addiction.

This Sunday marks the first day of the Big Clear Out.  My friend Priscilla is coming over to help me make sense of all the crap in the Casa.  I swear, I live in a Michael's outlet.

I was feeling kind of down and bound lately, not really able to do any of the projects I want to do because everything is in such disarray.  You know how it is when you want to start working on jewelry, but you don't want to get the stuff out because it's all too much and then you have a project you want to sew but you can't because the table is covered in crap and there's no where for it to go because you have 92 billion overflowing baskets of yarn all over and you just bought some really cool baskets to paint and golly, remember lanyards?  Weren't they fun?  Why did I ever stop making lanyards?

You get the picture.

Anyway, I was talking to my therapist a friend who suggested that perhaps I feel all ungh! because my home lacks order.  And that is totally true.  I'm used to carving out little niches here and there and then, when I'm distracted by something bright and shiny, I leave old project where it is (because I'll be right back) to work on new.  I'm a big ole project ho.  Which is better than being a projects ho, but still, nothing to write home about.

All this to say, thank God for Priscilla who will drag me kicking, screaming and crying big crocodile tears out of chaos and into order.  It can't be pretty.

Etsy Eight

I didn't do my Etsy Eight for Friday.  Here ya go!

Bye Wendy!

I knit in coffee shops most of today. It was good. Got a bit of sock done and got to visit with the SD Knit Gang (peeps, we need a handle!) It was also the last time to see Wendy before she becomes one of them. One of them high-falutin' northern Californians who feel superior over us southerners cuz they got their own water and all.  Yeah?! Well we got Fiesta Island, baby!  And it only smells like sewage on the really hot days now!  Fresh bit o' summertime that is! 

Anyway, I will miss Wendy cuz a) she's smarter than piss. b) she makes me laugh, laugh, laugh. c) she has the hugest heart of anyone I know - she SO the opposite of the Grinch.  Not to say that her heart is enlarged and she has health issues... d) she knows everything about knitting and spinning and is so very generous with that knowledge. e) she's got spunk.

Well, Wendy...I wish you and Nick and the pups of love the best of times up there in Y-reka.  I'm so happy you're going to be living the life you wanted and I know you'll do amazing things cuz that's just the kinda person you are.  If them Y-rekan knitters don't appreciate you, I give you permission to whack 'em on the heads with one of them spindle things.

Etsy Eight for Today!

Sadly I've just found out (from Stacey) that the mini only keeps the current favorites.  So those of you who just love archives, I hope you love repetition just at much.

Those of you on Ravelry - I just noticed this little gem I have to tell you about!  When you look at a pattern, you know how is shows you how much it is at Amazon?  Well I just noticed another little link.  A library link that tells you where the nearest library is that has that book.  OMG! I am so in love with Ravelry just for that. Ravelry is my new boyfriend.

Sock Me

I've wanted to make these sock ever since I found the Crystal Palace Maizy yarn.  I love knitting with it and can't wait to start another pair!  Its a very light and spongy yarn.  Its the first sock I've made that fits like a glove.  Its got a wee bit of elastic in it to make it bounce back.  I still have to put the crochet edging on before I start the next sock.

Also got my first skein of Tofutsies. I can't wait to have antibacterial-ized feets. Then I can tiptoe through the salad bar at Souplantation.  Now, to find the perfect pattern....