Easter 101

So I was over reading the Yarn Harlot's Easter post and thought "hmmm, great minds."

Both of my daughters got purses instead of Easter baskets. One had been complaining that her’s was falling apart but she loves it because it has a super long strap, tons of pockets and the middle is the pit where she dumps everything. The other’s purse was a hideous thing that everytime I saw it, I cringed. They were both very excited. And, they got chocolate bunnies (and a baggy of chocolate eggs and mini-Reese’s cups . . . had to put them in the baggy so the new purses wouldn’t be messed up).

My son did get a traditional basket and an Itunes gift card. Seemed only fair since he wouldn’t have wanted a purse!

I am still working away on Eden's Prairie and the baby sweaters.  Obviously, I am not the knitting queen like Stephanie but I do so enjoy it.

Pics coming soon.  I am trying to decide on a new camera. 

Zachariah and Mary really enjoy spending time together. 

This summer, before we go to the Irish Festival, we are getting them shirts that say "No, we are not twins."

They both have ipods and the only person, besides their Moms that they are allowed to talk to is each other.  They were frustrated because their Spring breaks were at different times and since my sister and I follow the same rules, they each took turns having to say to other, "gotta go, I have school tomorrow."  Mary was really bummed when she found out that Zachariah didn't have school today and she does. 

Eden Prairie - not quite done

Eden Prairie is beautiful and it is something that I might want to do again in other colors, different yarn, bigger and smaller needles.  This is a very adjustable pattern.

Right now, I am through the third left stripe.  I have the matching light stripe to do on the right.  Then there is one small diamond at the bottom and edging.  This baby uses up about 1,400 yards of yarn.  But, it is truly easy to do and when you do the stripes, it is mindless knitting straight knitting.  Nancy did a great job of designing this. 

so much knitting . . . so little time . . . is this a repeat . . .

I am knitting Eden Prairie.  I am using knitpicks Knitpicks Stroll heather:

Knitpicks Stroll Heather . . . lovely stuff

Through the first diamond . . .

 

 

Through the second diamon . . .

 
Yesterday, I finished the third diamond . . . . no pic, yet. 

I am also attempting to finish two baby sweaters.   My nephew and his friend are expecting twin girls.  You know baby sweaters are so very small but they take so very long.

WIN Fiber Dreams' Picnic Perfect Shawl Kit

Good golly, miss molly . . . it has been a long time!  I have been knitting.  I finished some fingerless mitts that I have finished and am going to give a friend who likes to keep her home cold.  She sleeps with a knitted cap. 

My shawl from the previous post is done.  I haven't blocked it.  I am just using it to keep the chill off.  I am thinking about making some felted gloves for my son.  He hates knitted mittens that aren't felted because his hands get wet.  So I figure felting will do the job.

I did a sweater for my nephew's baby.  Dream in Color's rainbow thing.  I have pics somewhere that I will post.  I am also making me some worsted socks.  We have been having bitterly cold weather and there is something just heavenly about wearing hand-made socks.  Why or why are they warmer?  Could be the wool but I do them in acrylics too and they are still warmer.

I started a shawlette for my daughter but lost the pattern.  Duh. 

One of my most favorite patterns come from Fiber Dreams.  If you have seen Sandra's stuff, you know what I mean.  Well, you have an opportunity to win.  Follow this link.  Of course, to be honest, I hope I win.  Just sayin'.

once again, no presents to be knit

I am knitting a shawl.  For me.  It is an endless thing that I have been working on for a long time . . . seriously long time.   And now, I am not sure that I am going to have enough yarn to finish.  So, the question is do I buy another skein of the yarn and do the bind off that the pattern calls for or just do a simple bind off and hope I can get the whole thing done without haveing to ante up another $9.00?  It is this yarn (Knitpick's Chromo in Guppy). 

On the gift giving front, I haven't started anything for anybody for Christmas.  Lindsey guilts me into making things for her.  She has hats, scraves, gloves, socks (although I did take those out of her drawer because she doesn't wear them and has been known to just dump an entire drawer of stuff to "give away").  She wants a sweater.  I buy her sweaters.  You might ask why I buy her sweaters instead of knitting her sweaters?  It is simple.  She doesn't wear those that I buy so why oh why would I spend the time and effort to knit her one that she wouldn't wear anyway. 

Sarah is always hot, she rarely even wears gloves.  Hat?  Scarf?  are you kidding me . . . the kid (a relative term since she is 28) is always hot. 

Zachariah would wear a hat.  But not to school and only if he is outside playing and he has been known to occasionally wrap a scarf around his head/neck while working on the computer. 

A group of people at work wanted to learn how to knit and make mittens for our Christmas project at work.  I bought the yarn.  They all lost interest.  So I do have a box of various green yarns and need to knit mittens or maybe hats.  I could do mittens and hats, which would satisfy my need to knit something for someone for Christmas, serve a good cause and also get the box of yarn from under my desk.

See, I do knit and even finish things

The pattern is called Rocketry from Dreams in Color.  It is an easy pattern with the biggest issue being changing all the colors.  I though the body was too short so I added extra rows at the bottom of skinny stripes.

Really Good Summer Chicken . . . or what to do when you thawed too much chicken

Dave does the grocery shopping.  It is a good thing.  He buys lots of things in bulk . . . toilet paper, facial tissues (we do have a passion for Puffs, especially since you can now get them fragrance free) and chicken.  We do eat a lot of chicken and we generally grill all year round, even in the snow.  So when the store has boneless, skinless chicken breast on sale, Dave buys lots and lots.  We separate, trim excess fat and rewrap the chicken into meal-sized packages.  At one point, we were freezing into individual servings but, eh, we got lazy and it is a lot easier to put several pieces (or meal-sized) pieces into one package.

This worked for quite awhile when we had control of our children and their evenings.  But Sarah and Lindsey work and socialize and aren't often home, so what used to be meal-sized packages is sometimes too much and sometimes just right.  If it is too much then we have excess breast . . . sorry, but I couldn't help but say that . . .

Dave's favorite way of preparing chicken is grilled and grilled only after marinating.  His favorite marinade is a combo of Italian Dressing and wine.

So what do we do when we have breast overload and there isn't enough for another meal:

• sandwiches 
• salad topping
• soup
• chicken pot pie (although I do like a lot of chicken in my pot pie so I might end up adding more . . . it becomes a viscious circle)

And what do we do when we have enough for an entire meal:

• chicken pot pie (see above)
• pasta and chicken 
• chicken salad
• open faced chicken caprese sandwich

open faced chicken caprese sandwich

Since the chicken is already cooked, this is a simple and tasty recipe which is perfect for a summer dinner or lunch.

Sliced bread (your favorite)

Ranch dressing

Chicken breast cut into slices (bite size works best)

Fresh Mozzarella, sliced into thinish slices

Fresh spinach, stems trimmed

Roasted red peppers OR sliced fresh tomatoes

Take your favorite bread . . . one slice (mine is rye)

Open Faced Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Spread a bit of ranch dressing on the bread (brushing it with Italian dressing would be good too or whatever your favorite is or another good one is to combine a bit of Ranch dressing with some pesto!)

Top with sliced chicken breast

Top chicken with fresh spinach

Top with sliced fresh mozzarella 

Top with roasted red peppers or sliced fresh tomatoes

Serve with a dill pickle, carrot sticks or chips.  Using a fork and knife enjoy.

knitting stuff . . .

In late February/early March, a friend asked if I would be able to knit her a scarf.  She wanted something light and lacy but warm.  I sent her off to Knitpicks.  She picked Winter Flame as the pattern and Chromo Fingering in Atlantis as the color.


This is the unblocked but completed scarf.





and this is the blocked scarf.  It is a great pattern and I love Chromo.  The cool thing with this pattern is that it is a 24 row repeat with every right side row is different and the wrong side row are purls.  The pattern uses approximately 350 yards; Chromo is approximately 396.  I just knit until I ran out of yarn.

I have made a couple of things out of Chromo and am planning on making the O/C Knitot Designs Summer KAL called Sunny Side Up.  If you want to join that KAL, you can by signing up on Ravelry or Facebook.  I am doing Sunny Side Up in Chromo.  I ordered the yarn in Guppy:

I also have a baby sweater on my needles for a great niece or nephew scheduled to arrive sometime in late summer.  I am making a striped sweater with hood and a zipper up the back.  

And, I am adding a new cuff to a Christmas stocking for a friend.  She had a stocking made for her and her husband when they married in 1978.  Her husband died five years ago and his service dog is now her constant companion.  She needs a cuff for "Edith's" Christmas stocking to match the other ones.

New Beginnings Shawl - Done!

and, ah hah, I knit.  This is the New Beginnings Shawl, a Facebook KAL.  I title this one yarn vomit.  It is unblocked but finished shawl.  It has beads, etc.  The pattern was free to those of us who participated in the KAL.  Four clues distributed over four weeks.  Great fun!

This is Zachariah helping me block the shawl.  He loves to help block the yarn vomit until it turns into a loverly piece of knitting.  I love having him help me block my knitting.  In fact, as soon as I rolled out the foam, he actually put down his Ipod and jumped down to help me.

and this is the final blocked piece of work.  I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed doing this.  It was with Caron Simply Soft Light yarn in Hawaiian Sky  (a better pic of the color is below).   It isn't really green but more of an aqua/blue, like, oh, a Hawaiian Sky!  

I don't remember what the variegated yarn was but I had in my stash.

I used a multitude of a variety of different color beads.  The beads go up the "Y" and various other places, including a beaded bind off (a new technique learned).  

 There is a new KAL being started in March.  I already have my fingering weight yarn, in black (gasp) for that KAL.  If you want to join in the fun, go to the link above for this KAL on Facebook.

Top Ten Things Knitting Has Taught Me

the December that got away

Where or where to begin.

Lots of work.  Usually December is my slow time.  It is when I can catch up, breath easier, meet friends (who I have been unable to spend time with) for lunch, read, knit and generally, enjoy the upcoming holidays, etc.

This year, though, was, to say the least, different.

First of all Zachariah is on a swim team.  If you don't have kids that are involved in sports, you don't know what it is like.  If you don't have kids who have been on a swim team, you really don't know what it is like.  Swim teams are much like hockey, except that it is cheaper (and wetter) to swim than it is to play hockey.  However, in comparing notes with a friend whose son plays hockey, not that much cheaper.  First of all, the kids go through lots of swim suits.  They don't wear the skimpy things that the Olympians wear.  They do wear what is called jammers (think lycra shorts).  Zachariah is 4'8" and weighs 62 pounds.  His jammers are these wee little things that cost anywhere from $20 (if you are lucky) to $60 each.  And during one season, they will go through at least 3 pairs.  So when you see these babies on sale, you snatch them up.  Then they need goggles (at least two pairs although three are better) and the replacement bands.  At least two caps.  Note: caps are not designed to keep the kids hair dry . . . nope . . . these are designed to make them sleeker.  In fact that kids dunk the caps in the water before they snap the caps on their heads and literally, they do snap them on their heads . . . girls . . . boys . . . doesn't matter . . . although the girls often need help if their has any length.

This is at one of the meets and was taken with my phone.  Not the best pic.

Then there is the swimming.  Four nights a week in the pool for 90 minutes, one night a week for dryland (think: pushups, etc.) and a meet every other weekend starting in October and running through the end of January, plus occasional invitationals.  This weekend, there are two meets one on Saturday starting at 1:00 (for warm-ups; 2:00 when the meet starts).  The other is on Sunday with warm-ups starting at 9:00 a.m.   For the home meets, I am a timer.  Dave officiates.

Anyway, he actually started swim team this past summer and has continued into the Fall/Winter.  The Sectionals are the first weekend in February.  If they progress (he won't), he would be swimming at the championships in March and the whole thing starts over again with "conditioning" in April.

Then, Lindsey got her temps and we did lots of driving, usually in the evenings while Zachariah was at swimming, we went driving.  It was frightening at first . . . very.  I had her practice manuerverability in the parking lot at the Rec Center . . . away from the other cars.  Pulling in backing up pulling forward backing up the other way, etc.  She actually nailed her test the first time trying.  She also purchased a car from a former teacher.  It works.  Having decided to change her major from engineering to education, she did not return to the University of Dayton but is instead attending classes at the local community college.  This summer she will transfer to Cleveland State University (CSU).  CSU has a very good educational program.  Dave went there for his social work degree and his education degree and his masters in education.  It is also where I got my MBA.

Sarah attended one of the summer swimming invitationals with me.  The same day, Dave and Kyle moved Sarah and Kyle's stuff into a new home (rented) in New London.  We barely have seen her (or Kyle) over the last year.  Talked to her a lot but she had returned to school full time and was working.  She finished her program the end of November.  She left her husband the week before Christmas.  They had been together for almost five years and married for 2-1/2.  It was an awful time for all but best for her in the long run.  She is still dealing with the grief of the whole thing.  It was a very tough decision but she needed to do what is best for her and getting lots of support from her friends and family.  

And work has been crazy nuts.  A new office opened.  Budget planning time.  Two summers ago, I spent weeks and weeks working on the three intranet pages for our department, which then got shelved.  Of course, the middle of November, the powers that be decided that it would be good to dust them off and get them up and running.  Sooner than later.

And, of course, there were the holidays.  Fun.  Hectic.  Different.

So we are already in January.  I have joined a facebook KAL which is great fun.  I did one with the same group after Labor Day and this one is called New Beginnings.  We are only through the first clue and if you go to facebook and look at everyone's pics, they carefully opened up their lace and took wonderful pics.  Being me, I called my yarn vomit:

Just as I was starting the Labor Day shawl, my sister-in-law's mom started her chemo for breast cancer.  As I thought and prayed for Helen quite a bit while knitting this, I thought it only appropriate to give it to her.  She loves it.  It isn't a "traditional" prayer shawl but frankly, it is totally cool!

I did complete Wingspan for me and I get tons of compliments on it whenever I wear it.  

I also did an entrelac scarf that I gave to my friend Wendy for her birthday.  It was done in Knitpics Chroma and I loved it and so did she!

I have to admit, the upside to swim practices and meets (as long as you aren't timing) is the amount of knitting time that you get in.  I just have to have patterns that are mindless or easy.

I've also volunteered to teach knitting to some people in my department.  We want to make mittens to donate next winter.  We shall see.

Thanksgiving recap . . . a little late.

a little late for Thanksgiving but there were only eight of us for dinner.  My sister and her husband and youngest daughter plus Lindsey's boyfriend.  Sarah, Kyle and the girls came over later for dessert and to visit.

Real basic stuff for Thanksgiving dinner, but my hubby (32 years and counting) said it was the best turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes he has ever had.

I didn't stuff the bird, but roasted it breast side down after rinsing it off and sprinkling with poultry seasoning inside and out.  That baby fell apart.  The stuffing is how my Dad always made it:  3 loaves of bread (one each: white, wheat and rye) - cubed and tossed with poultry seasoning, a whole thing of celery chopped but not fine; one large onion pulverized so that my brother-in-law doesn't know that there is onion in the stuffing, one quart of mushrooms sliced and two sticks of butter (not oleo, not olive oil, not unsalted butter . . . just the real stuff), dumped in a huge casserole (or two) with the water from giblets poured over; then we also had corn casserole (my kids request):  corn muffin mix, 1 can each: regular corn (drained) and cream corn (not drained), butter, sour cream and bake.  And the best roasted sweet potatoes (3 slices bacon, cut up and fried crisp), toss with cubed sweet potatoes (2 pounds minimum) and 1 Tbs each of nutmeg and cinnamon and 1/4 tsp each of fresh ground pepper and sea salt.  Roast.

Since I put the turkey in the roaster, everything else goes in the oven (I have six burner stove so I have an awesomely sized oven).  I make my kids help.  We always had to help.  so my 11 year old was grossed out about pulling the giblet bag and neck out of the turkey.  I should have taken a video of his pulling the neck out.  He also had great fun tucking bits of butter under the skin of the bird and doing some of the basting.   The 18 year old was tasked with the corn casserole (her request, she gets to do it).  She also made brownies with a pretzel crust bottom.

Thanks for letting me share.  It reminded me of the fun and laughter we had on Thanksgiving.

For Christmas, we are doing appetizers at noon.  Everyone can then go off and visit with their other families and we put our feet up, pop in a movie or two and doze off.

and again, its been awhile . . .

but it isn't because I've been sitting around doing nothing . . .

I made this:

It is the Oktoberfest shawl.  It is from a facebook KAL.  O/C Knitiot Designs ~ KAL Mystery Shawlette

It used mill ends of yarn . . . I'll have to look it up.

The next one starts in January and is called "New Beginnings" and will be a beaded shawl.

the beads will be added in my most favorite way . . . instead of stringing them, you use a crochet hook.  Great fun.

I gave the Oktoberfest shawl to my sister-in-law's Mom.  She was diagnosed with cancer just as I was starting it, had surgery and is going through chemo.  Since she was on my mind so much of the time while I was working on it, I thought it would be right to give it to her.

Gosh I am barely functional

So, what do you do when you are sick?  Stay home?  Curl up in bed?   Drink plenty of fluids and spend quality time in the bathroom?  Sounds like a plan, doesn't it.

So for the last couple of weeks, my asthma has not been behaving.  I've been miserable with itchy eyes and runny nose and wheezing.  So last week, my wheezing turned into this snuffling icky feeling.

But every weekend in September, we have plans.  This past weekend was a doozy.  The company I have worked at for 40 years, celebrated a major remodeling project and the fact that we have been in this building for 25 years.  The remodeling is part of the reason that my asthma hasn't been very good.

As part of the celebration, the company had a Family Day with tours and face painting and sketches and magicians, etc., and lots and lots of food.

Bubbles the Clown did the facepainting.  She is awesome and this took about 4 minutes for her to do both.  Yes, both!

Zachariah really liked it.  But washed it off before bed because he was concerned about the colors getting all over his hair.

Most of the remodeling was the reception area and conference center.  Here are pics of the reception area:

And then on Sunday, we went to the Wayne County Fair.  I am exhausted.  We walked and walked and walked.  And I forgot my pedometer.  And we walked some more.  By the time we got home, I had a bit of a fever.  We ate dinner and I went to bed.   When I woke this a.m., I felt fine with a bit of a cough.  I now feel terrible.  The cough is back with a vengence and I am so sleepy I could cry.

I think I'm going to lock my door and take a nap.  

I lied

I HAVE finished Wingspan . . . I have to block it.  This weekend.

I want to make matching mitts . . . either fingerless or regular.  Just trying to find the right pattern that would make use of the red/black combo.

I am still working on the entrelac scarf.   It is in Knitpicks Chroma (fingering).  It is very nice and the people on the bus (where I do most of the knitting) are fascinated with its progress.  I've used one full skein and part of another skein.  I haven't decided how much further I am going with it.  I think I need to rewind from the other end of the skein to figure out how much yarn I have left.  Of course, I still have the unfinished Advent Scarf in the same yarn that I could undue.

I will make matching mitts/gloves/gauntlets.  I believe that there is a gauntlet pattern in this Entrelac book.  Here is a pic of some of the scarf.

More pics to follow.

Addictions

Summer Olympics

Pinterest  (http://pinterest.com/mlj1954/ . . . I would like to thank the people that hooked me on Pinterest)

Words with Friends

. . . well that explains why no knitting is being done . . . nuff said!

Wingspan

I am never going to finish wingspan.  It defies me to finish anything that I am keeping for myself.

Simple Woman's Daybook - August 1

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... The sun is shining, the sky is blue.

I am thinking... I should be getting some work done.

I am thankful...for my husband . . . 32 years and counting.

In the kitchen...too hot to cook.  We've been eating lots of salad but that is good since the garden is coming in gangbusters.

I am wearing...floral shirt, dusty rose short sleeve sweater, black pants and the jewelry from Sarah's wedding

I am creating...last row of Wingspan.  

I am going...to do a minimal amount of personal stuff today.

I am wondering...why the little fairies don't come into my office and clean up the mess.

I am reading...State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

I am hoping...that Zachariah is having a great time at camp

I am looking forward to...seeing Zachariah on Saturday

I am learning... that I should go to bed when I am sleepy

Around the house...going to clean the bathrooms . . . really

I am pondering...why people take advantage of me (or am just imagining that?)

A favorite quote for today...you can't fix stupid

One of my favorite things...my Nook tablet

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . meetings today (yes, I get to say "no" to another vendor), quiet time Thursday and Friday evenings while Dave scores softball, Zachariah on Saturday and nothing (Amen) on Sunday.

A peek into my day...work, meeting, work, lunch, work, bus ride home, dinner, play with Bella, watch the Olympics, news, bed.

Pic for today (I am planning on making some of these.  I have several partial balls of random yarn.  These are preemie caps.

for August, well . . .

For August, I have decided to layoff Pinterest and Facebook.  I spend way too much time on both and I need to start exercising but both of them suck up tons of my time.  So, for August, I am giving them up.  For me.  It will be interesting and a challenge, which is why it is so incredibly wrong that I spend so much time on both.

Besides exercising, I do have a couple of other projects that I should be working on.  For years and years, I have been planning on doing a family cookbook.  Now, keep in mind that I am one of seven.  I have 22 nieces/nephews ranging in age from 46 to 10.  I have 29 great nieces/nephews ranging in age from 22 to 7 months and this doesn't count the great step children, of which there are, I believe six, maybe seven.  And that only includes those who are married and not those who are in long-term loving relationships.  I cannot even imagine.   I have three children and my oldest daughter is married and has three step-daughters.

So I am doing a cookbook.  It is going to be a compilation of family recipes, family stories, family pictures.  One of my co-workers suggested that rather than printing it out, which could be very expensive, that I create it as an e-book.  Not a bad idea.  I may even consider it as an add-on.  While I still like the idea of having a printed copy the cost will be formidable.

I was going to include a family tree but, trust me when I say, our family is so messed up that it would be impossible.  For example, my two younger sisters are married to brothers.  Then to really muddy it up, each of their oldest son's married sisters (in case, you think that this is incest, which is what my 18 year old keeps coming up with, it isn't . . . Tommy (one of the boy cousins) met and fell in love with and married Michelle.  Michelle has a loverly, sister, Kari.  Tommy and Michael (the other boy cousin) have always been close and refer to each other as "my brother of another mother."  Tommy and Michelle introduced Michael to Kari.  They too fell in love and got married.   Kari and Michelle both have children from previous relationships.

Really, including a family tree would be almost impossible, and while a good thing, I am sure that I would miss someone plus my oldest sister hasn't been in touch so I am not sure about what her kids have been doing (marrying, bearing children, etc.).  Although I do communicate with her oldest daughter.  Actually, I would have to print out a couple of copies for those random people whom we don't see.

As to my knitting.  I am almost done with Wingspan.  I have finished all the "spans" and am now knitting the top (neck edge).  I am doing a row (or maybe two) in the black wool/silk and then finishing it off with the reddish alpaca.  I am planning on using all of the black and red for the neck.  Once it is blocked, I will post pics.

Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival and Seamus

I have not been knitting.  It has been too hot.  Yesterday morning, I left the house at 5:20 a.m. and it was 83 degrees.  Too too hot to knit . . . even with cotton.  We have been playing pinochle in the evenings and since we have a new kitten, we spend time with her too.  

My sisters and I (and a variety of kids and husbands) went to the Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival on Saturday, July 21.  It was hot but fun.  Lots of great music.  

I purchased an aran sweater.  It met all my criteria.  It is wool (not fun to try on when it is 90 degrees).  It is a cardigan.  It has pockets.  And yes, I could have made it.  But, I couldn't have bought the yarn for the $92.00 that it cost me to buy the sweater.  

The highlight for Zachariah was not the music or the food or the tin whistle I purchased him, nor even the private lesson on the bodhran that he and Mary (mostly Mary) received.  It was Seamus.  Seamus is two.  Seamus weighs 195 lbs.  Seamus eats only 3 cups of food a day.  Seamus is an Irish Wolfhound.  Zachariah could have saddled Seamus up and rode him home.

After we got home from the Festival.  We went in the pool.  Jacquie and I had wine.  Zachariah and Mary swam and we kept them from splashing us with the admonishment that if they got water in our wine glasses, they were going to be in serious trouble.

This weekend is Zachariah's championship swim meet and then he leaves for camp on Sunday.  I'm going to miss him.  He starts back to school on August 23.  This summer is flying by!