Another knitting obstacle

The sleeves are done!  Sleeves are done!  Sleeves are done!!  Gotta do a happy dance:

Doing both sleeves at the same time is *fiddly* - yes, I know a VERY technical term that is - but I love the fact that I didn't have to keep notes to make an identical sleeve that now must be knit; it is already done.  I think this is they way to knit sleeves FOREVER and always, Amen.

Here they are - the color's pretty accurate too.

I'm happy with corrected cuff pattern, and I like how the "dots" break up all that stockinette.  This is the unblocked version; I will block them today.  I'll block all the components before the final seaming together, then steam block the finished cardigan.

I have now cast on for the back and am several rows into the pattern - enough so I can see the motifs and keep my place on the chart fairly easily.

Can you tell I'm happy to get the sleeves done?

( I wrote most of this last week... there have been problems, frogging, re-casting on and progress; hopefully another NaKniSweMo post to follow soon!)

Learn all about NaKniSweMo

Basically, you knit a 50,000 stitch sweater in the month of November.  I decided to do it this year because:

• I need goals/deadlines to accomplish things
• I've never made a sweater for myself
• I've never made a cardigan
• I've only done a tiny bit of Austrian Twisted Stitch before
• yarn is from NH; so am I

I've had this yarn marinating in the stash for at least 2 years.  In a couple of other stashed wool yarns, I've noticed moth damage lately, so it's definitely time.  I've been looking for the right pattern for this yarn for a long time, then I ran across a gorgeous pattern by Candace Eisner Strick (who is a genius & a favorite knit designer of mine).  It tuens out, she wrote this pattern FOR this yarn. SQUEE!

Because of the moth damage, winding the 9 hanks into yarn cakes took darn near  forever.  I will say this yarn spit-splices beautifully and that has mitigated the moth damage.

I knit the swatch on the suggested needles and came really close to gauge but didn't like the fabric.

Mods:

• adding 1 extra garter stitch to "valleys" plus I need it bigger, more wearing ease

• instead of stockinette only past the cuffs on the sleeves, decided to do a subtle seed stitch - every 6 rows every 5 stitches a purl make it more interesting.  I saw it on another sweater someplace on Ravelry

So far I'm really liking the fabric I'm making on the bigger needles and it's not so hard on the hands to stitch.  The yarn is such a lovely color - the pictures I've given you so far are just not right!  The yarn does have cashmere in it but so far I really cannot feel it - I'm hoping it softens up a lot during blocking.  Lots of  vegetative matter/little burr bits in the yarn;  I'm deciding to treat them as a sign of the sheep from whence the yarn came and the artesans who spun it and so on.

Wish me well!

::::drum roll please::::

THE DUKE OF CURL!

Charity is the winner. Yay! I actually met Charity in person before I knew her online - that's fairly rare for me. You should DEFINITELY check out her Etsy shop,  and her blog and the other site... (she's way talented y'all). I'll be sending off yer gift card soon.

Many thanks to everyone who entered! This was really fun; I think I'll do contests oftener.

Just so's ya know, I did ask The Duke of Curl to help choose his new blog name, and he chose that one.

I hope tomorrow to wrangle the Force of Nature back into her robot costume for the promised picture - I haven't been able to get to it the last 2 days.

NaKniSweMo post tomorrow I hope.

A little mood music?

Here!

Ok, so the Force of Nature got it into her head that she was gonna make herself a robot costume out of cardboard (her favorite medium to work in)....and that was 2 months ago.  She has been staying up very late night after night painting, taping, fixing...I don't know what all.  She was gonna be something else for Halloween, but she's been so obsessed there's really not been time for her to work on anything else....

Last night, at nearly the last minute, she got to attend a Halloween party at the local science museum.  They had a costume contest...and she WON!  I promise a real picture with her in it tomorrow (she's in bed now) but here's a poorly lit  cell phone pic to whet yer appetite.

We had some friends over for dinner and the kids went out trick or treating.  We watching a bunch of silly things on YouTube, including this - which gets my vote as the CUTEST THING EVER FILMED.

First off, I did finally make the Shepherd's Pie a la Cracker and so here's the recipe:

Shepherd's Pie a la Cracker

• 3/4 lb. to 2 lbs. of ground beef *
• 2 cans of corn
• instant mashed potatoes (I like 'Idaho Spuds')
• Worchestershire sauce
• Ketchup
• salt and pepper
• paprika

In a pretty large skillet, brown the ground beef.  Once browned, you may drain the fat if you're all siditty like that.  :o) Swizzle Worchestershire sauce all over the meat, give it a rather healthy sprinkle of salt and pepper, then drain the 'juice' of one of the cans of corn into the meat mixture (you can add the juice from both cans but it just increases the cooking time, so I don't usually).  Drain and discard the juice from the other can. Then add at least 1/4 cup of ketchup to the meat and stir; more ketchup is better. Bring this all to a medium/hard simmer over medium to high heat.  You want to reduce the liquid by about 2/3.  Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally.

While meat stuff is simmering, make yer mashed potatoes.  I usually make an "8 servings" amount, which usually occasions some math on my part because the box usually lists 6 servings then jumps up to 12 servings.  NOTE:  measure out yer potato flakes first, so you'll know if'n you've got enough to make 8 servings.  If you don't, adjust accordingly.

Once yer potatoes are done, the meat mix is usually done too.  Sprinkle both cans of (drained) corn over the meat, then spread mashed potatoes over the whole thing (like icing).  Add a few jaunty dashes of paprika on top.  Reduce heat a bit and let the whole thing warm through (about 2 1/2 mins).

Serve hot....with a bottle of ketchup on the table to0.

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* Use a fattier blend for real flavor and authenticity or better yet: get the ground beef in the plastic tube.  Also, the amount is variable - it depends on what you've got on hand.

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I can almost hear somebody out there saying, "Big deal.  So what makes it 'a la Cracker'?"  No, it's not the addition of okra or anything like that.  For me it's 2 minor things and 1 major thing:

• the use of instant mashed potatoes
• using the 'juice' from the canned corn
• the liberal use of ketchup as an ingredient (this is major)

I think anytime that ketchup is a serious ingredient in a recipe, then that dish has wandered into the "Cracker/White Trash Zone".  It's a little like the Twilight Zone except there's some Lynyrd Skynyrd or Led Zeppelin playing in the background and  large quantities of alcohol are involved.  Oh yeah, less shaving and fewer suits too.  That doesn't mean the food isn't GOOD, 'cos it IS.  If yer not too snooty or watching yer cholesterol, give it a try.  It's yummy.

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Sarah said that she needed pictures and how can I deny her?  I haven't done my hair today so that'll have to wait, but here's the Lizard Ridge Blanket so far:

12 skeins of Noro Kureyon are here at Chez Oney and yes that is enough to start work on it.  However, I have a BUNCH of stuff on the needles right now, and several more things to make ASAP, so it'll have to wait (and I'm planning on making and completing a whole sweater during November - NaNoSweMo for you jargonheads).  And I'll keep on acquiring Kureyon at my beloved Yarn Expressions at the rate of approx. 1 skein per week.

• The Force of Nature's soccer team won a game!
• ate some wonderful food at Mezzaluna (try the Eggplant Parmesan appetizer; fantastic!)
• saw the movie "Good Hair" with some friends (I enjoyed it)
• Got some more Kureyon for the Lizard Ridge blanket (I'm halfway there)
• made zero progress on the Tapestry Cowl
• got "The Individual formerly known as Homeschool Kid"'s hair cut. Yay!
• since my hairstyle was making me feel OLD, I even got my hair cut (I now now own a flatiron to style it with....)
• no band rehearsal because the bandleader had a heart attack (please say healing prayers for Sylvester!)
• spent what seemed like endless hours tryna fix the Force of Nature's cobbled-together iPod (I should post a picture - it's held together with rubber bands for REAL)  and to remove some rather nasty spyware from my 'puter
• Studmuffin left for Cali on a business trip
• I didn't remember to call my brother for his birthday til like 2 am. I still haven't called :o(
• Natasha's limp has gone away as mysteriously as it came.
• posted one of my cutest ever posts (I think) about Domo-kun with cute pictures AND NOBODY COMMENTED      :::sad trombone:::  I guess everyone is too busy?  Or do you just hate Domo-kun?  Or is it me?

Today, I:

• forgot to put out the trash
• felt like crap all day
• spoke to 2 wonderful friends on the phone (I love you guys!!!)
• finished knitting No.1 Son's birthday prezzie and am felting it (and felting and felting....)
• took a nap and was
• late making dinner and so
• burnt the spaghetti with meatballs........

Life is good but I still feel yucky. It will pass.....  WHERE is the goshdurn heating pad?!

Meal plan Monday:
Mon- spags & meatballs
Tues- Shepherd's Pie a la Cracker (this didn't get made last week; I WILL share the recipe)
Wed- leftovers
Thurs- Mac & cheese & salad
Fri- Romano Beans & rice
Sat- Soup & sandwiches/Corn Chowder
Sun- Chinese take out

CONTEST Reminder

Contest ends on October 31st, 2009 at midnight Alabama time, and the winner will be announced when I get around to it (probably during the following week).  My choice will be completely arbitrary and humor is encouraged.  :o)
Please submit prospective names in the comments - the name I choose for him will win a $14 gift card to Starbucks. If you live someplace without Starbucks, I'll contact you directly and we'll work it out.
See all the other names submitted in the comments here

Toodles

Warning:  silliness to follow

For a number of years, I have been enamored of the mascot of Japan's main tv network.  His name is .....

Domo-kun!

OK, ok so it’s kind of lazy to just post videos instead of writing….well, at least I think so.  However, I think the video below applies to what’s happening with me right now.

I’ve been kinda consumed with fear about this new band venture I’m involved in.  Yep, I’m playing keys for an R&B/funk band.  We had our first rehearsal on Sunday night and they are good, and I am NOT.  So I’m practicing and practicing and trying not to panic.

See, this may seem strange to many, but I know that this fear is a good thing and it’s a big reason why I decided to do this.  Since my brain went wonky four years ago, even the way I learn music is different than before…and it’s much harder.  I really enjoy playing piano/keyboards but I m not very good at it, and I know I don’t practice nearly enough to reach competency.  And of course I’ve got every excuse as to why I can’t/won’t/shouldn’t/don’t feel like practicing at any given moment.  So I really needed an opportunity just like this, where other people are depending on my skill and God provided it for me.

Don’t get me wrong, the possibility of failing at this big time & in public is VERY real and at the moment, it seems just about certain! But this is why it’s so good for me because there’s also the chance that I will rise to the occasion, and this is a very different kind of gig for me:  I’m NOT in charge, I’m not singing any leads, I’m not running the rehearsals or doing booking, and not only am I the newest member of the band (some of these folks have known each other for many years), but I’ve got the fattest(not phattest. oh no….), geekiest look happening, I’m the lone white person AND I’m the weakest musician.  How’s that as a recipe for success?  I’m way out of my comfort zone…and that’s GOOD.

So here’s a motivational little clip for ya.  Wish me luck y’all and I’ll let you know when our next gig is.

If you enjoy British silliness and/or wit about current events et al, you might enjoy listening to the BBC's "Friday Night Comedy Show".  It varies from season to season; right now it's the News Quiz with Sandi Toksvig. She and 4 comedians go over the news from the last week and make humorous comments.  It's become regular listening here.

It's available by podcast at iTunes or you can listen directly at this web page:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006r9yq

....and this week is fall break from school...so I may have some time to write! 

>>>>>>Scroll way down past the pix for the contest<<<<<<

Today I got a used book in the mail:

Kaffe Fassett's Glorious Knitting (from 1985, not the 1999 one).  Everything is SO gorgeous!  His stuff is always an inspiration to me. This book was very inexpensive...which leads me to believe the seller did not know what they had!  I'm not complaining......

Just DELICIOUS!!!!  Most of these pictures are not from the book - I ganked them from a bunch of web sources, and they were knitted by regular, normal people.  This gives me MUCH hope!

And I got the remaining yarn that I need to start this:

The Austrian Stitch Cardigan

With this yarn:

I can't start on it until I get a few more things done, but I WILL be making this this winter for me.  The yarn has marinated in the stash LONG enough!  I also think this will be a fun knit and I will get a lot of wear out of a cardigan like this which is VERY important to me.

Works in Progress (stuff I'm currently knitting):

1. Baby Blanket for Anne & Dennis's baby girl

Yarn: Miss Babs in Aubergine

2. Norwegian Slippers for the Force of Nature, myself and for No. 1 Son

Yarns:  various  feltable 100% wools  YOU SHOULD MAKE YERSELF SOME OF THESE! Easy & fun!

3. Toe Up Socks for Homeschool Kid. Simple mistake rib pattern

Yarn : Happy Choices

4. Adamas Shawl for Dilsey

Yarn:  Malabrigo Sock in Rayon Vert  This stuff is HEAVEN to knit!  I'ma HAVE TO make a sweater out of this stuff someday.

5. Babette Blanket fer Mum

Yarn:  various machine washable worsted acrylics in shades of yellow, gold, brown and various accent colors.

I may cast on a hat or scarf or two this week as quick gift for friends I'm going to see this weekend.

CONTEST /  A NOTE ABOUT HOMESCHOOL KID:

He's not homeschooled anymore!  As of August 10th, he started regular high school so he needs a name change. For the blog.   Time for a contest!

Please submit prospective names in the comments - the name I choose for him will win a $14 gift card to Starbucks. If you live someplace without Starbucks, I'll contact you directly and we'll work it out.  Please feel free to spread the news about this little contest far and wide; Contest ends on October 31st, 2009 at midnight Alabama time, and the winner will be announced when I get around to it (probably during the following week).  My choice will be completely arbitrary and humor is encouraged.  :o)

A few things to know:

• he's a boy
• he's 14 years old
• he's got a fabulous sense of humor - very funny
• he adores video & computer games
• he's a bit dorky (like his parents) and wears glasses
• he's not good at sports, but great at dancing
• he's a little shy
• names of the other family members in the blog are:  Studmuffin (husband), No. 1 son (oldest boy), The Force of Nature (youngest child and daughter)
• He's on the chubby side, 6 ft tall and growing
• he has a big head of curly hair  (not only is his hair big, so is his head.  It's REALLY big)

Have at it, y'all!
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I do have a mirror blog on Wordpress, so please realize you might not see all the comments/entries.  If the winning name is submitted more than once, whomever submitted it first will win, though I might be nice and send the other submitter something too - I haven't decided.  You can submit more than one name, and you can show yer support for names that others submit.  No profanity please!

My parents used to say this ALL the time about us kids...did yours?  I try not to say it about my kids (at least within their hearing) because it always made me feel somewhat belittled, even though I know that was not my parents' intention when they would say it about me or my brothers.

I notice that I go through project phases in my knitting. A couple of years ago, it was hats; I think I made 36 or so hats from September to March.  Most were from quite different from each other and used different patterns - I'm not overfond of making the same thing again and again, which is why I don't think I could craft for profit in a happy way.  I was obsessed with hats.....

Then came mittens and not just ordinary mittens - OH no!  Really gorgeous stranded knitting Latvian kind of things.  I didn't make quite so many of those - maybe 7 or 8 pairs - mainly because I got into creating my own designs.  What fun!  And I was obsessed - eating, sleeping, dreaming about mittens for months.

I made a small foray into shawls but it wasn't exactly obsessive like the other 2 phases.

Now it's blankets and afghans; I'm crazy about them.  I think about them all the time.....

There's gonna be a Lizard Ridge Blanket happening and a Babette Blanket fer Mum, probably another one for me as well as finishing the Kilim Throw I started a while back.  Oh yes and all the baby blankets I've been making. 

I like this phase; I hope it lasts til I finish all these blankets.  I hope the next phase I go through has something to do with sewing myself some clothes........

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Ravelry pattern links:

Lizard Ridge

Babette

Kilim Throw

Cabled Baby blankets

my projects Ravelry links:

Babette

Kilim Throw

Baby blanket 1

Baby blanket 2

Baby blanket 3

Practice blanket

DO YOU SEE THIS?

AND THIS?

AND THIS?

THIS IS EVIDENCE OF FRIENDSHIP OVER AND ABOVE THE CALL OF DUTY!!!!!!!!!!

This is NOT the first time - she's a repeat offender, y'all.

Sarah, I love you.  REALLY I do.  It's all I can do not to stalk you...and that was before you spun this for ME!  I wanna have you (and yer darlin' hubby) over to my house for dinner on a weekly basis....and that was even before you spun this FOR ME!!!  I haven't told you this before because I'm afraid  1) I'll scare you and 2)  I'll stick my foot in my mouth and mess everything up big time, but I wanna be yer BFF. Would a tattoo be going too far? OK, maybe it's only a girlcrush.

BUT SARAH SPUN THIS....FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S MINE. Mine mine mine mine mine mine. tee hee!

::::doing a happy dance:::::::: MINE!! Made for me!

BIG gratitude.  MAJOR gratitude!

Just LOOK at those colors!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

This doesn't even begin to cover it; there are no words for how I really feel.

XXXXXXXOOOOOOO

Y'all, go visit her blog here;

she's a delightful person, an exsquisite knitter and she spins like an angel from heaven!