SHNOODLE!

Finished Object: Twisted Socks

2012-01-11T17:25:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Twisted by Jodie Gordon Lucas

Source: Knitty, Spring & Summer 2010

Yarn: Socks That Rock Lightweight in Sock Hoppin'

Needles: US 2

I cannot say enough about this yarn. So squishy and vibrant, I will definitely be making a beeline for the Blue Moon Fiberarts booth at Madrona this year. I was sorely tempted to take the dive into the Rockin' Sock Club. If you're looking for some knitting inspiration, that is a great link. I should note that my fingers were gradually stained purple with the dye, and a small amount came out during the post-knit wash, but the color is just as beautiful as it started out.

OK, so the pattern. Wonderful! I knit the entire leg inside out, so as to minimize the amount of purling I had to do. This was also the first time I'd done an eye of partridge heel (about halfway down that page); if I have to choose my own heel in the future, I'll definitely be thinking about that one. I especially love the gradual ankle decrease after you pick up the heel - by the time you're done decreasing, you're almost done with the foot!

I did have a bit of difficulty, though. These socks are supposed to be mirror images of each other, with the stitch pattern wrapping across the outside of the sock and across the foot. Call it a design opportunity, call it didn't-read-the-pattern-carefully-enough; I have two left socks here. But they fit great, and I love them!

A-11, Pebble's Protest

2011-12-30T13:36:00.000-08:00

A-11, Pebble's Protest (37 pieces). I used Anina's wonderful tutorial and freezer paper piecing method inorder to do this one. I think it turned out great, and I am thrilled to say that this completes my entire row A!

Here's the DJ Tally:

67 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,298 pieces!

I hope you all have a very Happy New Year!

Finished Object: Leah's Christmas Stocking

2011-12-27T10:50:00.000-08:00

A couple days late, but it's finished. I am almost as proud of this as I am of its recipient, who I also made.Some details:The design is original, but the motifs are from Alice Starmore's Fair Isle KnittingDone on US3's in Knit Picks Palette:

The colors I used:
Garnet Heather
Serrano
Lipstick
Forest Heather
Clover
Edamame
Navy
Celestial
Bluebell
Turmeric
Almond
Oyster Heather
Cream
White

F-7, Star Struck & H-7, Bennington Star

2011-12-01T04:48:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I did not rush to get anywhere. I did not multitask. I did not have to bluff anyone that I knew what I was doing. There were people that were happy to see me, not because they needed anything from me, but because they enjoy my company.My Dear Jane quilting group meets in the evening on the last Wednesday of every month (I am never able to make these evening meetings since the baby was born). When that last Wednesday falls on the 5th Wednesday of the month instead of the 4th, we meet all day long. Yesterday I took the whole day off work, had many enjoyable cups of coffee, had my hair done, and spent the day sewing with some really wonderful ladies.And I managed to get two blocks done!

F-7, Starstruck (21 pieces). This block was paper-pieced. You can see a few marks from the Best Press, but the points (mostly) look good, and (say it with me) FINISHED IS BETTER THAN PERFECT!

H-7, Bennington Star (25 pieces). This block was also paper-pieced; you can see the marks from the Best Press on this one too, but this is one of the handful of new red fabrics I bought while I was there and I just love it.

Here's the DJ Tally:

66 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,261 pieces!

I had so much fun yesterday. Our next all-day meeting is in February. I'm going to try not to leave my Dear Jane languishing until then!

Finished Object: Cannon Beach Sweater

2011-09-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Mountain View Cardigan
Source: Connie Chang Chinchio
Yarn: Fancy Image Hand Dyed
Needle: US 4 for the body, US 3 for the turned hem

I made very few mods to this pattern. I worked the body as one piece instead of 3, and I added an extra set of increases and an additional buttonhole at the top. It's a little wonky with a stripey yarn, and if I had to do it over again, I'd probably use a more tonal yarn. Overall, I think this is a better fit than I've ever gotten with a hand knit, and I'm thrilled with it.

Gratuitous baby picture!

Finished Monkeys and WIPs

2011-08-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

The Monkeys, as I promised earlier, are finished! And thanks for the tips about photographing knitwear; I think this shot shows off the pattern a lot better. The photo was taken after they were worn a day, so they look a bit saggy. They are just a little loose. If I had them to do over again, I might needle down to a US 1.

Pattern: Monkey

Source: Cookie A, Knitty (Winter 2006)
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Hand Painted in Tea Party (colorway discontinued)
Needle: US 2

Now, in the wake of Sock Summit, it became clear to me that I needed to get some work done on existing sock-weight projects so I could play with all my new yarn. I don't believe I've ever posted about the project below, the Cannon Beach Sweater.

The pattern is actually the Mountain View Cardigan by Connie Chang Chinchio, but it has been called the Cannon Beach Sweater in my house because of the colors of the yarn - beachy, but with a lot of basalt. I had quite a bit more finished than is shown in the picture above, but was miserable with the pooling (GIANT grey spot) of the colorway in the center of the back. So I ripped it all back to nothing and started fresh. I also re-drafted the pattern so I could work the body in the round instead of as 5 pieces.

So now I have a sleeve. Or part of one. The lace cuff is the first part, then it's bound off and the sleeve is picked up across the long edge and worked perpendicularly. This looks a little odd with the stripey yarn, but I think it's working so far.

Also in progress, the Top Gear socks (Rick by Cookie A). This picture is a little blurry, but it gives you an idea of the length I'm at. I'm working these on my Blackthorn Needles, which I mostly love. I wish they were just a bit pointier, but I suppose there are other needles I could use if that was my goal. Their carbon fiber construction contributes to the overall Top Gear nature of the socks.

I must finish one of these projects before I can start another sock or sock-weight sweater. That was the deal I struck with Patrick when I came home from Sock Summit laden with all that sock booty! Hopefully the occasional progress post on the blog will help keep me accountable...

Sock Summit 2011 or How I Totally Lost My Mind On Yarn Fumes

2011-07-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

So Connie and I went shopping yesterday. At a little place called Sock Summit 2011!

We took the day to drive down to Portland and visit the marketplace. We've been planning this trip since they held the last Sock Summit. In 2009. And it totally lived up to - nay, exceeded expectations.

I bought yarn for four sock-weight cardigans and 7 pairs of socks. I also got a book signed by the Yarn Harlot herself, and picked up a nifty little project bag (top left).

This Marion Foale, picked up at the Knit Purl booth, will become a Plum Frost Cardigan.

This Sincere Sheep Treble will become a Castlegar Cardigan.

This Knitter's Brewing Sock-aholic will become a Paulie (I am really excited about this one).

This madelinetosh tosh sock will become a Ruby Red.

And, left to right, Miss Babs Windsor in Tourmaline, Socks That Rock Lightweight in Sock Hoppin'*, MacKintosh Celtic Sock in Evergreen, Sanguine Gryphon Bugga! in Golden Orb Weaver, Lorna's Laces Solemate in The Bean, Fiber Optic Foot Notes in Labyrinth, Kitchen Sink Dyeworks in Niblets* - these will all become totally kickass socks.

* colorway not on their site

It was an incredible day, one that I will not soon forget. Other surreal moments include resisting the urge to tackle Stephanie Pearl-McPhee as she walked towards the bathroom, then telling her about resisting that urge while she signed my book; telling Janel Laidman about my Obscenity Sock, and how she taught me to read charts (while we were both in line at Burgerville); watching Cookie A sort her lunch refuse into compost and landfill bins.

In other news, the Monkey socks are finished, pictures coming soon. The deal I have made with Patrick is that there can only be one sock and one sweater on the needles at a time, so I have a pair of socks and two sweaters to finish before I can tap into the Sock Summit loot.

WIP: Monkey Socks

2011-07-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

Slowly, but surely, the Monkey sock progresses. Man, I need to learn how to photograph knits better; you can't see the stitch pattern in these at all!

Finished Object: Hey Teach!

2011-06-15T05:04:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Hey Teach!
Source: Helene Rush, Knitty (Summer 2008)
Yarn: Valley Yarns Goshen, Navy
Needle: US 9

Well, it's done. I'm not thrilled with it, but I think it's fixable. Let's start with the things I like about it:

the pattern was so fast to make - a whole cardigan in only 5 weeks!
the yarn is incredibly soft, but has beautiful stitch definition
the lace is perfect - not too frippy, but still feminine
the color; yum!

So here are the things I don't like about it:

it is way too big. I used a US 9 instead of the US 8 in the pattern, so I probably should have gone down a size. I have lost all my baby weight, but you can't tell when I'm wearing this sweater!
the buttons I used are too heavy for the yarn, so the button band side sags down. I wore it to work yesterday and was tugging and adjusting all day.

I think that if I sew some matching twill tape into the button band, that should fix the sag. As for it being too big, I'm considering taking it in. I found this article, and might try to take it in at the side seams. I don't have a serger, so I'm a little scared.

Thoughts?

R is for Rhinoceros

2011-04-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Another knitting finish! This rhinoceros is the latest in a string of knitted animals for Leah's nursery:

A is for Alligator
B is for Bear
F is for Flamingo
O is for Octopus
S is for Snail
T is for Turtle

Pattern: Rhinoceros (rav link)
Source: Kath Dalmeny, World of Knitted Toys
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Silver (held double)
Needle: US 3

And a gratuitous Leah picture! She's 14 weeks now, and more wonderful every day.

Another Finished Object - Purple Socks

2011-03-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

These aren't the fanciest socks ever. There's no hifalutin stitch pattern or lacework. It's just Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's "A Good, Plain Sock Recipe" (rav link).

The yarn is Pagewood Farms Yukon in Plum.

They're just a little big, but I made the first one when I was 6 months pregnant, so it stands to reason that my ankles are a slightly different size now.

So there it is. Nothing earth-shattering, just a pair of socks, but I'm happy they're finished!

A-13, Starlight - Starbright

2011-03-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

A-13, Starlight - Starbright (21 pieces). I used Anina's tutorial again, which included learning how to do freezer paper foundation piecing. It was complicated, but I'm really happy with the outcome. The only way I differed in making this block was to machine applique the outer frame down to the center piece. This meant that I had to applique the white sections first, then change thread and do the small black triangles. (You can see the needle holes from the basting, but I think those will go away over time.)

How did I find time to do all this? My in-laws were visiting, and Leah's grandma just couldn't get enough of her! I got to do lots of pre-baby activities, including seeing a movie with my husband, knitting on the sock that's been languishing, and going out to a fancy dinner for our 6th wedding anniversary. Many thanks to a patient grandma for this relaxing weekend!

Here's the DJ Tally:

64 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,215 pieces!

Garter Yoke Baby Cardigan

2011-02-26T19:48:00.000-08:00

I started this little baby sweater while I was still pregnant with Leah, but just finished it today. I was in a bit of a rush to finish it because she is growing by leaps and bounds. She's only 6 weeks old, but she's already wearing 3-6 month clothing! This sweater was sized for 6-12 months, but it barely fits her.

The pattern is Garter Yoke Baby Cardigan (Rav link) by Jennifer Hoel. The yarn is Jo Ann's Cuddle knit up on US 4's. It's a very simple pattern, and I'd love to try it again with a heavier yarn to get a larger size.

In Leah news, she's just starting to smile this week. You can see a little bit of her dimples in the picture above, but then she pulls her all-out grin and your heart just explodes with happiness...

Baby Leaves Hat

2011-02-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

God, isn't she adorable? She's wearing the Baby Leaves Hat (rav link) designed by Paula Dean Nevison. It's knit in Sublime Yarns Organic Cotton DK in colorway #145 - Yogurt on US 4's.

It was great fun to knit this while I was pregnant - baby knits are so fun and quick, and the lace pattern in this made it all the more interesting. It's a free pattern on Ravelry; I highly recommend it.

I-5, Maria's Majesty

2011-02-05T08:36:00.000-08:00

Holy crap, it's a Dear Jane block!

I-5, Maria's Majesty (6 pieces). I haven't made one of these since August! I took some nap time yesterday to go through Anina's excellent instructions on this block, and managed to finish it in a day. I only differed from the instructions in two ways - I did the outside frame as a freezer paper template (the same as the melon shapes) instead of reverse applique, and I did that so I could machine applique the whole thing.

I'm thrilled with how this block turned out - the points met up perfectly. I'm equally happy with getting something accomplished on this project (or any project at all, really).

Here's the DJ Tally:

63 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,194 pieces!

Baby Steps, So To Speak

2011-02-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

So, 3 weeks after Leah was born, I've made my first attempt at craftiness.

I've had the instructions for this origami Christmas ornament kicking around for 3 years. I've made a few tries to fold it over that time, but they all ended in frustrated crumples of paper.

This one was 90% done in December, but has been waiting for the last few steps (the ones that always fail me, incidentally) since then.

Today I managed to take it to completion, which involved taping the two halves together, making a hanger, and gluing the gathered ends up. I'm really pleased with the outcome, and simply thrilled that I was able to do something crafty again!

This craftiness brought to you by the heretofore undiscovered combination of Boppy and swivel chair. No babies were neglected in the creation of this craftiness...

Leah Colleen

2011-01-15T10:05:00.000-08:00

This is Leah Colleen. She was born Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 1:54 pm, weighing in at 8 lb 6 oz and 20" long. We're home now, but I'll probably be gone from this space for a while. Nice to know I have such a cute excuse, huh?

What Have You Been Up To Lately?

2011-01-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

I've been desperately trying to keep myself busy lately. Here's a couple pictures of what I've been up to:

I finished a baby hat and Maggie modeled it for me.

She got me back by sleeping on my face. A couple of times.

I'm working on a new sampler quilt out of the 2008 Block-A-Day orphans. This is the general layout...

And this is my first mock-up. What do you think? I need feedback people!

I also tried another recipe out of Martha Stewart's Cookies - Chocolate Pretzels. Not as chewy as I would have liked them to be, but shaping them was fun.

This desperate plea to the child has been on the fridge for the last week or so. My due date is the 11th...here's hoping!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T17:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, all! Thought I'd stop in quickly to say hi and update you - yes, I am still pregnant. We had been kind of hoping for an early arrival, but I'm not due until the 11th, so Little Miss still has plenty of time to make her arrival.

I've been working on lots of little baby knits, including two hats and (currently) a sweater. I'll have pictures of those FOs (finished objects) eventually, and hopefully with a baby inside them!

This is what I worked on today - Lemon Tassies from Martha Stewart's Cookies. My in-laws bought me this wonderful cookbook for Christmas and Patrick and I hemmed and hawed about what our first recipe should be. We kind of OD'd on chocolate over Christmas and decided a lighter cookie was in order. These have a crumbly shortbread crust and a lemon cream cheese filling.

Between these and some non-alcoholic bubbly, it should be a festive evening (with no chance whatsoever of staying up until midnight). Hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!

There Are No Bad Days That Include Gingerbread Cookies

2010-12-15T16:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Crappy Day,

You tried the constant rainfall and miserable traffic.

You tried the lack of sleep and discomfort of a huge, 9-month belly.

You tried crazy coworkers and a busy, busy workday.

Crappy Day, I'm here to tell you:

You can have my Christmas spirit when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

(I got this North Pole pattern from PaperToys.com.)

Art for the Nursery - Finished!

2010-12-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

All done! I could tinker and fuss with these for another month, but thankfully I have Patrick to prevent me from doing just that. They are framed and on the walls in the nursery.

For Jane - who asked if I was spelling out the baby's name with my letters - no, these letters were chosen for how fun the animals would be to build out of fabric. We will be naming our little girl Leah.

Art for the Nursery - L is for Lion

2010-12-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

This is the second of our animals for the nursery. There are a few things I'd change about it if I had to do it over again, but I really love the plaid border and the way the print for the mane worked out.

Art for the Nursery - E is for Elephant

2010-12-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

Right now we have empty frames on the walls, waiting for the artwork project that has been brewing in my imagination for the last few months. This is one of 6 that I have planned.

This is fabric fused to heavy watercolor paper, with Pigma Micron pen and watercolor touches to finish it off. I'm really happy with how it turned out, and I'm looking forward to tackling the other 5.

Christmas Stockings - Reveal!

2010-11-28T06:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a tricky time for the crafty blogger. When do you reveal the gifts you've been working on so the surprise isn't spoiled for the recipient? At the beginning of this year, my sister-in-law asked if I would make her family Christmas stockings. I'm glad she asked early, because these took me all year. Now that they have received them I am very proud to show you all this labor of love:

My in-laws are a family of four: Andi, her husband Brian, and their twins Ethan and Logan. All the name plates are reverse fusible applique. The font is Minya Nouvelle.

Both Andi and her mother are wonderfully talented gardeners, so I knew I wanted to do something floral for her stocking. And floral + Christmas = poinsettias! After some lengthy Google image searches for inspiration, I decided a stained glass poinsettia would be the most fun.

The colors are all fused to a piece of muslin. The black is done all as one piece - traced on to heavy-duty fusible, carefully cut (it looks like a giant spiderweb or a big lace doily at that stage), then carefully arranged over the background and fused and sewn in place.

I really floundered with a design for Brian's stocking. I had lots of ideas, and eventually decided that another stained glass design would look best as part of a pair with Andi's. It doesn't show in the picture, but some of the blues in the night sky have silver sparkles in them. All of the blues came from stash, so I dug through my scraps for a very long time, carefully arranging my palette in a color gradient.

If I floundered with Brian's design, I was downright flummoxed when it came to the twins. They will turn 6 this month; how to make something that would appeal to a 6-year-old boy that would still be treasured by the young man he would eventually become? Also, when creating something for twins, it's important not to make things too matchy.

I settled on a design of fair-isle applique. The 3-D effect would make it fun enough for a kid, and the simple, classic design would make it timeless enough for an heirloom. The snowflake design (which I showed my swatch of back in August) is out of Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting. The general mitten pattern came from Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns. The i-cord is sewn down in those loops.

The structure of this hat was based on the Andean Chullo (which I don't think is available anymore) at Knit Picks, minus the ear flaps. I dug up some free Christmas-y stitch patterns on the internet, did a little pattern in Excel, and voila! - stocking. The i-cord is sewn down, but the tassels are free to wiggle in the wind. Both the knitted pieces have been blocked, soaked in starch, and pressed to ensure maximum flatness. It would be horrible to get to appliqueing these down and then have the stretchiness of the knitted item distort the stocking.

So there you go, my year-long Christmas project, which I have been DYING to show this whole time, finally revealed. I'm so proud, and thrilled that the family likes their early Christmas gift.

T is for Turtle

2010-11-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Piecrust the Tortoise
Source: Debi Birkin
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Forest Heather and Edamame, Knit Picks Stroll Multi in Lilypad (each held double)
Needle: US 3

If you follow that link to the pattern, you can see she did a whole ton of embroidery on the shell. I left that out. I was happy with him the way he was.

And he seems pretty happy too.

Nursery Developments

2010-11-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

Last night I finished the bumper for the crib, and today we had some great sunshine in the nursery, so I thought it was high time to take some pictures!

I used this tutorial to sew the bumper, and all in all it turned out pretty well.

And since the light was so good, I also took photos of the baby quilt. I am so happy with how this turned out. This is just the top; I'm making curtains before I worry about backing it.

For Sale - Quilt Frame

2010-10-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

It is with a heavy heart that I post today. I am selling my beloved B-Line Quilt Machine. It's super snazzy (seriously, check out that link), and I love how easy and fast it was to use, but we need to get rid of it to make room in the nursery. I am asking $1,200/OBO for the birch frame and the Juki TL-98Q combined. Purchaser must pick up from my house near Olympia, WA.

I've posted on Craigslist and eBay. Please forward to anyone you think might be interested...

A Bunch of Finished Objects

2010-09-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

First up, we have a whole slew of finished animals for the nursery. Why the sudden rush? Well, I had a few that were just waiting for their finishing touches, and finally found my safety eyes today (there's been a big move as we clear the sewing room out of the nursery and move it to it's new location in the ex-guest room).

O is for Octopus

Pattern: Aristotle the Octopus
Source: Nicola Coffield
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Multi in Princess Multi (held double for head, single for legs)
Needle: US 2

F is for Flamingo

Pattern: Flamingo
Source: Spud & Chloe
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Cotton Candy, Cosmopolitan, White and Black (all held double)
Needle: US 3

B is for Bear

Pattern: Grizzly Bear
Source: World of Knitted Toys by Kath Dalmeny
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Bison (held double)
Needle: US 3

And this is an old project that I said was finished earlier, but only just reached its intended owner (in truth, I hadn't woven in the ends until Sunday). This is Mauer, and the general consensus is that he looks quite dapper in his sweater:

Pattern: Shawl Collar Sweater (blogged earlier as modeled by Maggie)
Source: Essential Baby by Debbie Bliss
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran
Needle: US 7 & 8

Happy Belated Birthday Cake!

2010-09-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

On September 20th I turned 30. At the time, I was in gorgeous, sunny Kauai. But I'm back now and wanted a birthday cake. My mother gave me, among other wonderful gifts, Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. Patrick laughed as I looked through it the first time; I got very excited over a recipe, turned the page, then got all excited over the next recipe. It is full of incredible cupcakes, and this is my first attempt at one of them: Chocolate Salted-Caramel Mini Cupcakes.

I made the cupcakes themselves last night before bed, and got up early this morning to tackle the salted-caramel filling and dark chocolate frosting. I've never made caramel from scratch, and it was a fun (if warm) experiment.

The dark chocolate cupcakes get little divots cut into the tops of them, then filled with warm caramel. A little sea salt is sprinkled over the top of this. Then you pipe dark chocolate frosting over that, and add a teensy bit more sea salt for garnish.

What do you think? Worth turning 30 for, I'd say!

A is for Alligator, S is for Snail

2010-09-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

I (finally) have two stuffed animals to show you! The first is my Alligator. Here's some technical specs:

Pattern: Plush Alligator by Kristi Benedict

Source: Ravelry

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Forest Heather (top) and Edamame (belly)

Needle: US 1

Alligator from top side - you can see his little toes very well from this angle.

Alligator Side View - the pieces are just whip-stitched together, but I like the effect. You can see at this angle that his eyes (actually bobbles) stand out from the top of his head a little.

Alligator Belly View - I love that the designer included a garter-ridged belly! For the non-knitters, this means that he has little ridges all the way down his belly - like a real alligator.

Next up is my finished Snail. Now you may be thinking, "An alligator and a snail? For a girl's nursery?" Well, these are going to be joined by many other animals, some of which will not be creepy crawly scaly things.

Pattern: Garden Snail by Hansi Singh

Source: Amigurumi Knits

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Suede (held double for top) and Malabrigo Silky in Indiecita (shell)

Needle: US 3, US 1 for eye stalks

Snail from Side - the body was knit all as one piece, first the top, then picked up stitches around the bottom edge and knit in, then grafted and stuffed as you went. As such, there was no opportunity for pre-stuffed blocking and my snail has a bit of torque. I pinned him down and soaked him for a while, but that has only eliminated some of the twist - that's why his butt is twisting up and towards the camera...

OK, I know what you're thinking. You used Malabrigo Silky for a kid's toy?! But it was the perfect colorway and I had a leftover skein that didn't go with anything. And, because these toys don't use a lot of yarn, I still have most of that skein left. I'm really happy with how the shell looks.

I knit the eye stalks on smaller needles so they'd be nice and tight and stand up firmly from the head. I love how they turned out. Adding the embroidery for his expression was a little tricky because the black embroidery floss had to travel all the way up the eye stalk (from where I anchored it in the head), make the two stitches that form his eyes, then all the way back down the eye stalk without showing.

Maggie seems to think that C is for Cat, hence the group shot. This picture gives you an idea of the scale, though. Both animals are roughly the same size (about 8-9" long), but that was more luck than plan.

So Behind!

2010-09-07T04:55:00.000-07:00

I have now finished two knit animals for the nursery, but my pictures are upstairs and I'm just dropping this note before work. I'm so behind in posts! This lovely long weekend I:

sewed eyes on A is for Alligator
finished construction on S is for Snail
had a great visit with Connie where she

gave me a beautiful Baby Surprise Jacket and matching booties for Little Miss (pictures coming)
helped me work through my massive list of knit animals (P for Penguin, Pig, or Panda? Pig!), and pick out yarn to go with each project
ate the bagels I brought like a little bird after her gall bladder surgery (poor Frank)

went to Ikea and got frames for the Little Missery (term for the nursery coined by Patrick) and end tables (finally!) for the living room
"helped" Patrick paint the new sewing room (I'm not a terrific amount of help, really)
visited the Inimitable Michelle and saw her nursery. She's 5 weeks ahead of me and oodles more prepared. I am a wee bit jealous! Still, getting there...

So it was a very busy weekend. You can hardly blame me for not posting. What? You say you still blame me for not posting? You say you know how much time I spent reading other people's blogs and watching Top Gear and there's no reason I couldn't have uploaded those photos by now?

Well I'll just have to try and do better this week. Pictures coming soon!

Some Thoughts On The Noble Cookie

2010-08-29T06:54:00.000-07:00

I love cookies. I always have. There are many talented bakers in my family, and they all have specialties and lessons to impart over the years:

My father is the king of the Toll House chocolate chip, especially in double batches. While chocolate chip was his go-to recipe, his Snickerdoodles are absolutely incredible. Dad taught me a ton about baking, including: stop the mixer before adding eggs, always scrape the bowl between ingredients, and leave the cookies on the pan for a minute or two before moving to the cooling rack.
My mother used to make the most decadent Whoopie Pies. If you're not familiar with the Whoopie Pie, first of all, I pity you, and secondly, here's a link. With the advent of healthy eating, you can see why these fell out of the common way. Mom taught me, in cooking and in all the countless things I've learned from her, to read the directions!
My stepmother is a cookie artiste. A devoted student of Martha Stewart, Carol used to make a gross of cookies every Christmas. I've seen her do sugar cookies with water color paintings in the frosting. Carol taught me to try new recipes (she's got hundreds), and how to freeze half the dough for baking later.

Now my own baking journey started in my teen years. I made the requisite Toll House in droves, but didn't really branch out too far until I was living on my own. My husband is a devoted fan of the chocolate chip cookie. This week he said, "Well, if you only had one cookie to eat for the rest of your life, wouldn't it be chocolate chip?" Definitely not! And I realized that in the many years of our friendship and marriage, I had never made my favorite cookie for him. (Not even the year I made 15 dozen cookies as holiday presents and then hosted his whole family for Christmas!)

I present to you the noble Pinwheel Cookie:

(picture cribbed from the Hershey's website, because I have no photography skills or beautiful plates)

I love these cookies. They're simple and buttery, flavorful and beautiful all at once. If I only had one cookie to eat forever, these are the cookies for me! I hope you try the recipe linked above. They're great with coffee or a giant glass of milk!

A-12, Framed Fancy

2010-08-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

A-12, Framed Fancy (41 pieces). Last night was the meeting of my Dear Jane group, so even though I haven't touched this project since the beginning of July, I thought I ought to make a decent showing. This block is entirely paper pieced, and would have been easy, if a little on the detailed side, if I hadn't sewn one of the sides of the center 9-patch going in the wrong direction. Mis-directional flying geese! A head-on collision! What's worse: black thread, black fabric, and a 1.0 stitch length...there was much cursing and gnashing of the teeth. But all's well that ends well, and here's the new DJ Tally:

62 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,188 pieces!

Two more blocks and I'll have completed Row A!

It's A Girl!

2010-08-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

So we found out Tuesday that we're having a girl! This is very exciting news, and finally enabled me to buy my fabric for the nursery:

I went with Hoffman Fabrics' "A is for Alligator" line. I ordered enough (I hope) for curtains, the bumper, and a baby quilt. Right now I'm racing the clock to get some Christmas presents finished before it gets here, but I'm also thinking about a series of knit animals for the nursery - or is that biting off more than I can chew? Softies are usually fast and fun projects, so it might be the perfect project.

Let It Snow...Pretty Please?!

2010-08-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

Today is our second day with 90+ temperatures, hence the title of the post. This is not great weather in which to be 4+ months pregnant, I can tell you.

Here's an eensie preview of what I've been working on in my secret Christmas workshop. It's a swatch for a larger project, but the swatch turned out so well I may turn it into a Christmas ornament of some sort. The snowflake design is from Alice Starmore's "Fair Isle Knitting" and is worked in Knit Picks Palette (Cream and Blue Note Heather) on US 1s. The reason for the very tiny gauge: I was looking for a tight fabric with almost no stretch. After blocking and starching and pressing this swatch, I can tell you that goal was achieved! This sucker's not going anywhere.

You'll definitely be hearing from me again on Tuesday, when I have the gender-revealing ultrasound. I'M SO EXCITED!

Absentee Blogger

2010-08-09T05:58:00.000-07:00

OK, so I've been gone a while. Bit over a month actually, and posts were pretty sparse in the 2 months preceding that. My first trimester "I'm so tired all the time" excuse is no longer holding water, so I'm switching to the brand new shiny excuse that I've been working almost exclusively on Christmas presents for people who regularly read this blog.

Everything is going really well with the pregnancy, and we find out the gender August 17th. There are lots of changes to the house coming (we are nesting, hardcore), some of which include my sewing room. I'm bound to have share-worthy pictures there.

More is coming, at some point. Don't abandon me (like I've abandoned you, of late)!

A-3 & A-10

2010-07-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

The roll continues with A-3, Hunter's Moon (5 pieces). Another very simple block. I haven't decided whether I'm going to cut the background fabric out from behind the melons. What do you think?

A-10, Which Points West? (14 pieces). This one was far from simple. I actually followed the excellent step-by-step instructions on Anina's blog. She is just incredible, and her tutorials are fantastic! This is one I'll be very excited to show off at next month's DJ meeting.

The new DJ Tally:
61 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,147 pieces

H-9, Snowflake Melt

2010-07-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

H-9, Snowflake Melt (20 pieces). The piecing on this one kind of got away from me. After the center pinwheel, I felt like I just kept adding to each side until it got big enough! The diamonds are machine-appliqued, and I kind of just eyeballed the placement. Still, who's on a roll? (I think it's me.)

The DJ Tally:
59 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,128 pieces

I-2, Kaye's Courtyard

2010-07-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

I-2, Kaye's Courtyard (13 pieces). Not much to say about this one, except that I picked a nice simple block because that is the level of brainpower I'm functioning at this evening.

I had always read that pregnancy messed with your mind, but I was definitely not prepared for it. I've gotten to my car only to realize that my keys were several floors up in the building I'd just left. I've left my ID, then thought it was lost, had it replaced, then found the old one. What did pregnancy brain do to you? I need stories...

The DJ Tally:
58 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,108 pieces

I-1, B-4, and Baby

2010-06-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't touched the Dear Jane project (or anything else, really) in about a month, but my DJ group met today and I was able to get a block done. Also, I have the one from last month's meeting, before all progress screeched to a halt. (That first trimester really takes it out of you, huh?)

B-4, Chris's Soccer Field (21 pieces). I finished this one at the end of May, and never got around to posting it here!

I-1, Ralph & Nelda's Wedding (20 pieces). This one I started and finished today. It was nice to do something this afternoon besides nap, but it was especially nice to see all the ladies from my group and talk about techniques and progress on our projects. One of our members is doing her DJ entirely in batiks. Every block turns out so dazzling and crisp-looking.

So the DJ Tally is:
57 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,095 pieces!

And, because I really like you guys, here's a picture of the project I actually HAVE been working on. Thor, God of Thunder (11 weeks).

A brief explanation to head off the questions - no, we don't know gender yet. We call him "him" because I find the term "it" repugnant and saying "he/she" is too cumbersome. So we picked a fetal name, "Thor", and that is his name for now. Cute, isn't he?

H-3, Berry Baskets

2010-05-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today's block is H-3, "Berry Baskets" (24 pieces). I was inspired by Karen's version of this block. She does such a fantastic job setting up her blocks for photos - you should go see! My favorite is B-5, Hot Cross Buns!

My DJ Total:
55 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,054 pieces

C-11, Soldiers and Sailors Monument

2010-05-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today's block is C-11, "Soldiers and Sailors Monument" (6 pieces). I kind of simplified this one, because the center section is supposed to be done in 4 parts. Frankly, that didn't make sense to me.

Anywho, I know my posts have dropped way off, but this growing a baby thing is tiring business. I took a 4-hour nap today! I woke up in the middle, chastised myself for wasting the whole day, knit a row, then lay back down for another 2 hours!

Which brings us to the DJ Tally:
54 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,030 pieces

A-4, Courtney's Stethoscope

2010-05-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

So today's block is A-4, "Courtney's Stethoscope" (23 pieces). I got all the way to the end before I realized my mistake. Below is the correct fabric placement:

Only the outer border is reversed, but it really makes a big difference in the look of it. I would normally tear this out and fix it, but I'm taking it as a learning opportunity. The lesson I'll learn here is, "Is there ever a better time to start weaning off your control issues and perfectionism than when you're 6 weeks pregnant?" I say no, this is a pretty dandy time.

The DJ Tally:
53 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,024 pieces

B-7, World Series

2010-05-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

Today's block is B-7, "World Series" (10 pieces). Frankly, this pattern makes me think less of baseball and more of pie, but that might just be me. I followed Anina's guidance on this block, and am thrilled with the results (mostly). As you can see, the top right has been patched to complete the block. Since there's applique over it, so it's not very obvious, but still - regrets.

This puts my number of pieces to 1,001!
52 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
1,001 pieces!!!

And, as a special treat for Patrick, a couple pictures of Maggie trying to build a blanket fort on the corner of my sewing desk.

J-3, Rick's Volleyball Net

2010-05-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

For commenter "Mum" - the kite is the corner unit in this quilt. The borders are made up of triangles, and the 4 corners are called kites.

Today's block is J-4, "Rick's Volleyball Net" (17 pieces). Of all the blocks I've done, this one had the stupidest name. To make it I appliqued the white quarter-circles on the black, paper-pieced the surrounding striped triangles, then put the whole she-bang together. Snazzy, huh?

The DJ Tally:
51 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
991 pieces (that means the next one will put me over 1,000!)

K-8, Springbrook Park

2010-05-14T04:22:00.000-07:00

Today's block is K-8, "Springbrook Park" (23 pieces). As you can probably see, I shorted the fabric a little in that upper right hand corner. I think the seam allowance will cover it, but I'm thinking about patching it just in case.

The DJ Tally:
50 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
974 pieces!

J-4, Adelaine's Apron Strings

2010-05-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

Today's block is J-4, "Adelaine's Apron Strings" (7 pieces). This red doesn't really conform to the rest, but it's such a pretty batik, I couldn't resist including it. I would have liked those stripes to be a little straighter and less angled on the piece in the foreground, but that's just me...

The DJ Tally:
49 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
951 pieces!

C-3, Rayelle's Fence

2010-05-12T04:30:00.000-07:00

Today's block is C-3, "Rayelle's Fence" (25 pieces). Not perfect, but certainly finished!

Um, also, last week I found out that I'm having a baby! So if my production rate flags, it's because I am just a wee bit sleepy these days...

The DJ Tally:
48 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
944 pieces

M-10, Simple Simon

2010-05-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

M-10, "Simple Simon", has 9 pieces. It is aptly named; so simple, in fact, that I made it between coffee and my shower this morning. Time to get to work!

The DJ Tally:
47 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
919 pieces

D-10, Battlefield

2010-05-10T05:07:00.000-07:00

This block is D-10, called "Battlefield", and has 42 pieces. It's kind of a boring red fabric, but I'm still happy with how it turned out. This brings the DJ Tally to:

46 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
910 pieces

I hope everybody had a great Mother's Day! Here are some of my ranunculus - see, I got you flowers! I hope your families took good care of you yesterday.

K-1, Crooked Creek

2010-05-09T04:27:00.000-07:00

Today's block is K-1, "Crooked Creek" (27 pieces). This one is drafted funny.

Pictured above is Brenda Papadakis' draft of this block. See that top stripe? The focus fabric is made up of one piece, but in the bottom corresponding stripe it is made up of two. In the original Jane Stickle quilt, both of the horizontal focus pieces are done as two. I didn't see any reason not to have them unbroken, so I did them both as one.

Or maybe I'm getting too nitpicky...

The DJ Tally:
45 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
868 pieces total!

TR-2: Australian Pines

2010-05-08T05:07:00.000-07:00

Oh, just when you think you know what to expect, Shnoodle busts out a triangle! What a twist!

This is TR-2 (top row, second from the left), "Australian Pines;" it has 20 pieces. Now if I can manage to finish a left side triangle, I'll have one on each side!

The DJ Tally:
44 blocks
3 triangles
0 kites
841 pieces total!

K-2: Grandpa's Chickens

2010-05-07T04:48:00.000-07:00

Today we have block K-5, "Grandpa's Chickens." This one boasts the all-time high at 40 pieces! I think this showcases the best thing about paper piecing - precision. Each of these little pieces is about 5/8" square, and if this block hadn't been paper pieced there's no way I would have gotten this close with those corners. There are one or two wonky bits, but let's not focus on those!

I took a chance with this ladybug fabric, because it's more white than red, but hopefully it will work out in the grander scheme.

The DJ Tally:
44 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
821 pieces total!

H-5: Michael's Motorcycle

2010-05-06T04:44:00.000-07:00

H-5, "Michael's Motorcycle," has 22 pieces. I used a fun fabric for this one:

Pretty Skulls! (Part of Studio E's Essential III collection.)

The DJ Tally:
43 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites

781 pieces total!

G-4: Shutterbug

2010-05-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

My paper piecing streak continues with G-4, "Shutterbug." This one is pretty straightforward, because there are no sub-sections in the piecing, just one round after another.

DJ Block Tally:
42 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
759 pieces total!

L-5: Chatanooga Charlie & The Full Chart

2010-05-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

L-5, called "Chatanooga Charlie," has 22 pieces. I found this scissor fabric at Ruby Street Quiltworks during the last meeting of my quilting bee. I tried to kind of center the scissor pattern, but that can be tricky when you're paper piecing if it's not the first piece of fabric you put in. All in all I'm pleased, and the paper piecing mania continues!

I am proud to show you all the blocks I've completed so far:

After figuring out on Saturday that I had at least one block on every row, I decided it was time for an overview.

The DJ Tally:
40 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
715 pieces total!

B-5: Hot Cross Buns

2010-05-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

B-5, Hot Cross Buns, has 15 pieces. I'm mostly happy with it, and I think the fabric is perfect, but I wish I'd done the applique by hand. This is a by-product of momentum, I think. I get so invested in completion that quality takes a backseat. *sigh* Oh well. Tomorrow is another day/quilt block!

41 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
730 pieces total!

A-2: One - Two Buckle My Shoe

2010-05-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

Next month I'm running a tutorial on paper piecing at my quilting bee next month, so I'm using the next couple blocks to brush up on my technique! This is A-2, which is horribly entitled "One-Two Buckle My Shoe." It has a whopping 36 pieces, but it should actually have more - Brenda drafted the pattern with two extra pieces at the top and bottom center, but they didn't feel necessary to me.

Another one bites the dust!

The DJ Tally:
39 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
693 pieces total!

F-9: Autumn Aster - SUCCESS!

2010-05-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

Alright, so for those of you that missed last week's disaster this my second attempt at this block, the first having ended in tragedy and water soluble thread.

I made these pieces like I do most, using freezer paper templates adhesive side down and turning the seam allowances ahead of time - there's a tutorial by the LizzieB Cre8ive people here. I was sure to use real white thread this time! I took another shot at fussy cutting my pieces like Flibbertigibbet Bunny - how cool is that?

So my totals are:
38 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
657 pieces total!

**Edited to add: This is my first block for the F row, making it official - I have at least one block on every row (triangles not included)! Huzzah for tiny milestones!**

The Return of Percival

2010-04-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

A few years ago we opened our curtains to a surprising sight: there was a raccoon on our porch! Patrick named him Percival, and we were interested to note that he was missing the majority of his tail. Yesterday he came back.

I could tell it was the same raccoon because of the tail. There has been a lot of speculation as to how a raccoon loses most of its tail and survives.

The cats were much slower to react than I expected. Sure, they crowded to the window, but the inflated tails (see above) were slow to appear and they never made any noise at all.

When we have birds or other cats outside this window, the cats chatter and growl. Maybe they didn't dare try that with Percival because he's kind of an unknown quantity.

I opened the window a little to make some noise and scare him away, but all I achieved was to peeve him enough that he turned over my watering can. Does anyone have tips on how to keep raccoons away? We don't keep our trash outside, so that's not the issue.

Tomorrow - crafty update.

Dear Jane: Success & Failure

2010-04-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

Today I finished up a Dear Jane block that I started almost a month ago.

This is M-7, Junko's Rose Garden (10 pieces). It's not my best work - the pieces are a little off-center and wonky, but finished is better than perfect!
The DJ Tally:
37 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
647 pieces total!

There was almost a 2nd block to show you today. I started and finished F-9, Autumn Aster.

Yep, I got all the way through to the end, dunked it in water to wash off the chalk marks, and was ironing it when I realized that the spool of what I thought was white silk thread was actually WATER SOLUBLE THREAD.

Back to square one on this one, I'm afraid.

Finished Objects! - Booties, Shawl Collar Sweater, Electric Oreo Hat

2010-04-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

Why did no one tell me how fast and easy baby knits are? My friends Erin & Todd became parents in January, and the projects are so speedy!

These are some booties I tried, as modeled by the tiny man himself. They're a first attempt, but didn't end up working out because of my issues with stretchy bind-off. I'm going to try again, but there are other projects calling me first. This pattern was from a knitting desk calendar, whose publisher escapes me now.

(Um, ignore the cat model.) This is Debbie Bliss' Shawl Collar Sweater. I got it out of Essential Baby, but it's been published a bunch of other places. The sleeves roll up and the collar folds down. It is not technically "finished" because I still have a ton of ends to weave in. (Seriously, just ignore the cat.)

And this is my hat! I say "my hat" because I concocted it myself! I borrowed the cast on from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns and the crown decrease from my beloved Andean Chullo. I dubbed this combination of colors "Electric Oreo."

The yarn is Knit Picks Palette in Bittersweet Heather and Noro Silk Garden Sock. I continue to be deeply enamored of the Palette, but the Noro was a gift and I don't think it's quite for me. I had multiple breakages and lots of places where the fiber wasn't twisted at all. Still, it's a striking colorway, and I know lots of knitters just love it. It was good that I got to try it and make up my own mind.

You guys, you knew there was going to be a tassel, so why act surprised?

Cake Mix Quilt - Blue

2010-03-25T19:25:00.001-07:00

For a long time I have admired sampler quilts, especially the type made up of all different size blocks. When I made all those blocks in 2008, the goal was to make a quilt each month in 2009. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I am now revisiting that goal.

The advantage to having all those blocks (and believe me, there's still a huge stack of them) just sitting there ready is that making a quilt is not unlike making a cake from a mix instead of from scratch. I had never designed a sampler quilt like this before, so it took a little bit of planning. Here's what I did:

I pulled the blocks out my giant stack o' blocks that seemed to work with the blue/yellow/orange colorway, then traced out their dimensions on graph paper. It's easier to do it this way, versus arranging them on the floor, because you don't have to try and figure out seam allowances. I knew I didn't want to exceed a 45" x 60" quilt size, so I maneuvered my little graph paper blocks around until things looked about right. (Incidentally, for any readers wondering how I became so overly organized and "control-oriented", this is the exact way my father used to have me prepare to re-arrange the furniture in my bedroom. I come by it honestly, that's all I'm saying.)

Then I started filling in the blanks - there are always gaps in a quilt like this, and I filled mine in with strips of coordinating fabric.

I'm still pretty surprised with how flat it turned out. A lot of those seams are set-in, which I am far from expert at. Overall, I'd say that it's a little busy and not as cohesive as most quilts, but for a cobbled together blanket, I'd say it's not too bad at all.

As for the recipient of this baby blanket; I'm undecided. I have a friend out here who just had a boy, but she is a very stylish lady, and this might not be a welcome addition to her nursery. Maybe it will just get added to the stack of finished blankets...

Cathedral Window - First Attempt

2010-03-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long silence, but I have lots of secret projects going on right now (Christmas crafting starts early).

I am struggling to remember when I received Cathedral Window Quilts by Lynne Edwards as a gift. It may have been last year, or even the year before. At any rate, it was far too long ago for me to just start playing with it now.

This is my first attempt. My attraction to the Cathedral Window style, besides how striking it is, is that it would be a good way to use up small scraps. I had no idea how much fabric went into the background though. This little sample measures 4" by 8", but started out as two 12 1/2" squares. I think a table runner would be a good project for this style...

Who wants one?

My Blue Heaven

2010-02-20T17:39:00.000-08:00

For the next sweater in my queue, I picked "Basic Black" by Glenna C, and while I may make it in black someday, I thought I'd try it with my massive stash of Malabrigo Silky Worsted in Indiecita (all the way at the bottom of that page).

Malabrigo varies greatly in color from skein to skein, as you can see from the photo above. I have 11 skeins and these are the 10 that match best, arranged in a way that the transitions between each are not too jarring. The 11th, pictured at the bottom of this post, was so far off it could not be included.

As it is, I swapped out between skeins every row during the 4" of ribbing at the bottom. Now that I'm into the stockinette, I have started swapping out every 2 rows.

I tried my hand at felted joins, but because this yarn is 50% silk, it didn't felt well. I am trying Russian joins now, and it's working a lot better. Unfortunately, I have some stitches in the ribbing that are less than perfect. Still, I think the overall look of the fabric is very pretty.

This is my crazy skein, more green and yellow than all the others put together!

I was looking for a better name for this sweater, since it's certainly not "Basic Black." I was thinking of all the songs that had "blue" in the title, and ended up with "My Blue Heaven" after the Frank Sinatra classic.

Finished! - The Andean Chullo

2010-02-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

Shortly after finishing Patrick's Black Diamonds Hat, I became interested in making a hat for myself. I looked at hats made from sock yarn for a while, but then I stumbled across a picture of a chullo and rapidly became obsessed.

(silly facial expression due to a mouthful of bread and simultaneous hysterical laughter)
There are a lot of different chullo patterns out there, but many were too Americanized for my taste. I wanted something colorful and with a Peruvian flair. Eventually I found Kerin Dimeler-Laurence's pattern on KnitPicks, where they also let you build your own kit! It was just right for me, and I cast on as soon as I got the yarn.

This pattern is written so you make the earflaps first, then cast on the brim of the hat and knit them in. As such, I had two little llama earflaps before I had any of the rest of the hat, and the three of us bonded. I named them Eddie (left flap) and Freddy (right flap). Then the whole project jumped the shark and I wrote a song about them. The lyrics are below, and if you're very good (and I'm very drunk), maybe someday I will sing them for you.

Eddie was a lonely llama
Far from home, he missed his mama
Roaming in a field of heather
That's when he found Freddy - they were birds of a feather

Llama, llama, llama, llama
Llama, llama, llama, llama

Now Eddie's got Freddy to watch his back
One keeps watch while the other has a snack
Even when the farmer steals his hair
Eddie never feels alone, because he finally found his perfect pair.

Llama, llama, llama, llama
Llama, llama, llama, llama

In closing - TASSELS!

Bandelier Sock Heartbreak

2010-02-01T04:49:00.000-08:00

Many months ago, I started a Fair Isle sock out of the Fall issue of Interweave: The Bandelier Socks. I had never done Fair Isle before, and my progress was very slow.

For instance, this took me over two weeks. When it came down to it, I discovered I wasn't very happy with it - my tension was no good and the needle changes were very obvious. I joined the Bandelier Sock KAL (that's Knit-Along, for the uninitiated) on Ravelry and started over. I tore this whole thing out.

I started again, armed with some new tricks from the KAL, and was 100% happier with it. I sped through inches upon inches of the pattern (it's over an 8" leg), and yesterday I got to the heel. I decided to be responsible and weave in my ends before I went any further. Then I tried it on.

The damn thing won't fit. It slips snugly over my foot, reaches my ankle/heel, and says "um, no."

I was so brokenhearted. I called my knitting guru for advice, and she commisserated with my tale of woe, but had no magic fix for me. What to do with it then?

Meet the world's fanciest bottle sweater.

FINISHED! Central Park Hoodie

2010-01-29T20:17:00.000-08:00

Dude! I made a sweater!

The Central Park Hoodie has been through its second blocking since Wednesday night, but today I sewed the buttons on.

Which means it's actually done! All the way! Ready to wear! Exclamation points! It's very warm and suits me to a T. If I were to reverse time and make it again, I'd make it about an inch longer. Otherwise, I'm thrilled.

Pattern: Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky
Yarn: Cascade 220 in Doeskin Heather (color 8012)
Needles: US 8 for the body, US 6 in the ribbing

Been Busy Knitting

2010-01-12T16:47:00.000-08:00

Right now I am in the end stages of my Central Park Hoodie.

I have the Bandelier Sock (left) & Cat Bordhi's Discovery Sock (right) on the needles.

I have an unfinished Loch Ness Monster.

I have plans for a hat out of this Noro...

...and plans for another hat (a chullo, actually) out of this Palette.

...aaaaand, I already have some unbelievably gorgeous Malabrigo waiting for the next sweater.

Seriously, who has time to work?

Black Diamonds Hat

2010-01-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

My first finish of the year was a hat for Patrick. We picked up some yarn at Renaissance Yarns on Saturday and I was finished by Sunday night!

Pattern: Black Diamonds Hat by Robyn Devine
Yarn: Cascade Dolce in colors #968 and #928
Needles: US 6 for ribbing and US 8 for the rest

The only tricky part was getting the tension right on the colorwork. I had to undo my first attempt after it proved to be much too snug.

Patrick loves his new hat and has dubbed it his "Thinking Cap."

February Lindsay Sweater - Modelled

2009-12-20T15:16:00.000-08:00

Here's my finished sweater - with buttons - modelled as requested.

The details:
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy
Color: Black Parade
Skeins: 4
Needles: Started with Knitpicks US 9, but changed to Addi Turbo US 8 when I got to the lace for a little less swing.

Here's a detail shot of the gull lace pattern. I'd love to make Elizabeth Zimmerman's famous baby version of this. The pattern was very easy to learn and just complicated enough that it didn't get boring.

February Lindsay Sweater - Finished!

2009-12-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, bloggy peeps, I have been gone for a while and sporadic and uninformative after I returned. But now I give unto thee, The February Lindsay Sweater - FINISHED!

I put the final stitches in the left sleeve today at lunch. I had already woven in most of my ends, so there was very little left but to block it.

I wet-blocked this sweater to get some extra length out of it. In the picture above it is not quite 17".

After a quick bath in some lukewarm water and baby shampoo, however, it is more than 20"! The sleeves will also be a little bit longer. I bought deer antler buttons in New Zealand that I'll be using on this sweater, so I still have those to add.

I know these aren't great pictures, especially of the lace pattern, but I'll have better photos after it's dry and I can wear it. For now, have a gratuitous "cat at Christmas" photo.

The Pickle is king of the sparkly forest.

Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

2009-12-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

NZ Pics still coming, but this is what I've been doing today. Next up, gingerbread cookies!

The Triumphant Return of Shnoodle

2009-12-10T20:49:00.000-08:00

I got back from New Zealand on Wednesday afternoon, and have been trying to gather my wits since then. I'll have lots of pictures soon, but for now:

You guys, this is just the side of a highway. Seriously. You can imagine what the rest of the country looks like! I'll try and get more photos up tomorrow, but in the meantime, I am guest-posting at Sweet Sweet Connie's!

Tuesday DJ, L-11, Caitlin's Rose

2009-12-08T05:33:00.000-08:00

This post was made ahead of time while I'm on vacation...enjoy!

Caitlin's Rose has 21 pieces. The red in this block is a bandana print with flames and skulls that my sister and I used to back the quilt for her first baby. You can see only really see the skull in the print in the upper right.

The DJ Tally:
36 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
637 pieces total!

Tuesday DJ: L-8, Box Kite

2009-12-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

This post was made ahead of time while I'm on vacation...enjoy!

Box Kite has 15 pieces. The red I used was a black and red batik, and I fussy-cut the reddest parts out so it wouldn't read too dark. I'm pretty happy with it!

The DJ Tally:
35 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
616 pieces total!

Tuesday DJ: L-7, Town Square

2009-11-24T17:26:00.000-08:00

I am leaving! I am off to take a long and well-deserved vacation, and my ride to the airport is going to be here in about half an hour. But I wanted to keep up with my weekly Dear Jane blocks, so I made a few ahead of time. L-7 is the first:

Town Square has 17 pieces. The red in this block is so sparse I was able to use a 5" charm square - and I had some left over!

The DJ Tally:
34 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
601 pieces total!

Tune in next week for another installment...

Ever Have One Of Those Days?

2009-11-21T23:12:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of those days when you just can't drag yourself out of bed?

You peak your head out hoping that fresh air and daylight will imbue you with the energy that a few fitful hours of so-called rest have not, but to no avail.

You slap the crap out of your alarm clock for its audacity and unmitigated gall. No one is going to tell YOU to get up when you are so clearly unready.

But you get up anyway and try to go about your day, because you're grown now and there are no time-outs in the adult world, even if you really need one.

Still, as you hike up your big-girl panties and chin up to the day, a murky pall hangs over you; the remembrance that yesterday started just the same way, and isn't that proof enough that you really ought to have stayed in bed in the first place?

The moral of our story: Vacation cannot come soon enough.
(Photos by Patrick, Whiny Crackpotting by Lindsay)

Knitting Thursday: Bandelier Sock Progress

2009-11-19T19:10:00.000-08:00

There hasn't been a lot of progress on the February Lady sweater, because most of my time has been spent at work. I've been doing between 50 and 60 hours a week, and that doesn't leave a lot of time for knitting. Or anything, really.

What knitting time I have had has been captured by the Bandelier Socks! Holy crap, Fair Isle is fun. I am having a really good time working this pattern. I did consider tearing out these few inches and starting over once I switched from double-pointed needles to Magic Loop, but I think it will be fine.

Tuesday DJ: K-13, Brandon's Star

2009-11-17T04:42:00.000-08:00

Brandon's Star has 25 pieces. I was a little concerned with how dark that rose fabric would read, so I tried to use the reddest bits and leave the black background out of it. Still - it takes a lot of fabrics to make 225 blocks!

Here's how far I am now:
33 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
584 pieces

Knitting Thursday: February Lady Progress

2009-11-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

Holy crap! I just looked at my knitting post from last week and this sweater has really grown! It is serving as my lunchtime and other mindless knitting, so it's getting a lot of attention.

This is the alternative, and the pattern takes a lot of focus. As a reward for finally finishing ALL MY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS (just the homemade ones, there's still shopping to do), I started my Bandelier sock yesterday. This is my first time knitting Fair Isle (when you knit with multiple colors), and I feel like I'm doing pretty well. There's one float a row or so down that is a little baggy, and I'll probably tear out and fix it, but otherwise I think it's been a great first attempt. Plus - pretty!

Tuesday DJ: L-1, Widow's Pane

2009-11-10T04:41:00.000-08:00

Widows's Pane (22 pieces) was a very speedy block to paper-piece, and I think the geometric red print works well with all those rectangles. One more for the tally!

32 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
559 pieces

Tomorrow is my first full day off since, um...November 1st. I am wicked psyched to be a Veteran (and a Federal employee).

Looking Forward

2009-11-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

OK, I'm not going to lie to you. Right now is kind of spooty, so instead of focusing on it, I'm going to concentrate on the good stuff. Or at least whine in between photos of happy things.

Have you seen the Fall '09 issue of Interweave Knits? I am totally making these Bandelier Socks in shades of green and brown.

Maggie, sweetest cat in the world, has been fitting herself onto my lap wherever she can. My lap has been hard to come by, considering I've worked 13 extra hours this week (with more to come tomorrow). I am lucky to have such a lovable feline to come home to. Look at that little snuggle-face!

And what about these guys? Honestly, you just can't beat them. (I've tried*, the little one is fast and the big one is...well, bigger than me.) I will be focusing on having these cuddly characters at home while I work another extra 8 tomorrow.

All the extra hours are earning me comp. time for my upcoming trip to New Zealand, so I can't really complain. It does serve to make me a wee bit cranky at the moment, though.

* Of course I'm joking! I would never beat a cat.

Knitting Thursday: Finished Purple Socks!

2009-11-05T18:17:00.000-08:00

First up, an update on my February Lady sweater:

This is the front, or rather, what is left of the front. Last Thursday, I had to tear out about 4" of lace due to various mistakes. The heartbreak! I've had to take a short break from working on it - we were not on speaking terms. The yarn came out darker in this picture.

This is a more accurate representation of the yarn color.

This is the project I've been working on while the February Lady sweater and I were fighting. And as of tonight it's done! The first endless purple sock finally has a brother. These just need to be blocked and they'll be ready to wear.

Tuesday DJ: G-7, Indianapolis

2009-11-03T04:40:00.001-08:00

Since abandoning the project in May, I have not made a single block on my Dear Jane. I'm going to try for one a week, because at least that's forward motion. So to launch back into it, I picked the one smack in the middle! This is G-7, Indianapolis.

There are 21 pieces in this block. I can't really do hand-applique anymore because of my tendonitis, so I turned the edges over on these quarter-circles and machine-appliqued them to the four white squares. I paper pieced the strips running through the middle, then squared up the whole she-bang and I was done! I'm thrilled to be back in the game.

For the perfectionists and Dear Jane purists among you, this block is not true to pattern. The small red rectangles outside the circle should have a curved edge, and I just straight pieced it. Why? Because that piece is about a 1/2" wide, and a wise woman named Brenda Papadakis said that FINISHED IS BETTER THAN PERFECT. So there.

Here's the tally:
31 blocks
2 triangles
0 kites
537 pieces

A Walk In The Woods

2009-11-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

Today started out very foggy, but ended up a gorgeous day in the Great Northwest. Mid-50's, sunny, and crisp. I took a break from chores and craftiness to walk down to the water this afternoon. These pictures are not the greatest quality, but I took them with my phone.

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and remembered to "fall back!"

Wicked Frickin' Martha: Halloween Edition

2009-10-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! I'd wish you a Happy Halloween, but I wouldn't mean it, so let's not make a farce of this. The thing is, I really hate Halloween.

I'm too old to party like I did in my youth, I don't have kids to take trick-or-treating, and I live in a neighborhood populated entirely with scantily-clad, apparently motherless teenagers who have the audacity to try and score free candy from me. Between the fact that they are old enough to get jobs and BUY their own candy, and that they are so inappropriately dressed for both their age and the weather, the idea of rewarding these behaviors with candy makes me feel like my head will explode!

OK, tirade over. This post is supposed to be about the little in Halloween that I can appreciate - food & decorations!

My friends, Michelle & Erin, took me out for a belated birthday brunch last weekend, and we went to our local pottery painting place, The Painted Plate in Olympia, WA. They generously treated me to the cakestand I painted. If you can't tell, they're supposed to be Autumn leaves.

I had these miniature gourds arranged differently before, but I was excited to start using my cakestand as a centerpiece and transferred them. I love the dots at the base.

I also made some pumpkin-y goodies (to cheer me up while I'm hiding in the back bedroom with all the lights off so kids don't ring my doorbell). On the left are Pumpkin Spice muffins - just a small can of pumpkin and a spice cake mix. I got the wrong mix, so these are 4 points (Weight Watchers), but made correctly, this recipe is only 1 point each! On the right, mini pumpkin tarts! I couldn't find a small can of pumpkin, so I had to decide what to do with the rest of the giant one I bought, and these mini graham cracker crusts were just staring at me. I made some substitutions in the filling recipe and these only come out to 3 points! I can't wait to try one - I like my pie cold, so it'll be a little while.

And of course, I couldn't make a Halloween post without my resident spooky cat, The Pickle. He has been a snuggly one all week, but that's par for the course when Patrick is away.

This post has been very cheering to write. Maybe Halloween isn't that bad. So, I guess (if I must) Happy Halloween!

{Hiatus}

2009-10-22T04:46:00.000-07:00

Between the new job and the fact that most of what's in my sewing room right now are Christmas presents for people who read this blog, I've been quiet for a little bit. That may or may not continue for a while.

The Endless Purple Sock

2009-10-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

This sock took so long to knit that it's actually not done yet. I'm still knitting it in the present, but future me came back to show me pictures of encouragement.

Not that the slow progress is due to my feline helpers at all...

After all, they're yarn lovers themselves. They love the way it tastes.

Oh, this darn sock. I started it for a bit of no-brainer knitting in front of the television. And then there was laddering. And then there were dropped stitches. And then there was Magic Loop (which is a kind of knitting where you only use one big circular needle).

I'm told that my snail's pace at Magic Loop can be solved with practice. Which is good news, because I have another whole sock to make!

In other news, I started my new job last week and it rocks! Also, I finally, finally made it back to a quilt guild meeting tonight. I think it's been since around March or April! Tonight was show & tell, and I showed my finished Miniature Baltimore Album and my (laughably named) March Quilt. Now to get some more UFOs finished for next month!

KnitPicks Options Needles - Now With The Power To Heal The Lame

2009-09-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today I got another birthday package in the mail, sent by my Mom. She got me Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac (yeah!), The Knitter's Book of Yarn (double yeah!), and KnitPicks Options needles (holy mother of gawd!)! When the package came, I had been reading on the couch while wearing my wrist brace.

And I am not kidding you in the slightest to say that this picture was taken 6 hours later. The discarded paper can be seen in the upper left corner; the discarded wrist brace in the lower right corner. I have not moved from the couch - my elation over these needles was such that I could not be parted from their company.

I put the 5's to work on this Loch Ness pattern out of the Amigurumi Knits book.

It doesn't look like much at this stage, but this is almost the entire top half!

Nessie! Exclamation Points!

P.S. For you worrywarts, my wrist no longer hurts, it is (like the rest of me) too filled with excitement!

Finished Skirt, An Aging Shnoodle, and Cats at Peace

2009-09-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I turned 29. Patrick took me out to a lovely dinner in Olympia, where we had some killer Thai food.

Also, this is the skirt I made! I wore it out to dinner - excuse my goofy squint-eye. It fits well and I'm looking forward to making more. Patrick also made me a delicious birthday cake and sat through the worst pirate movie ever made - Cutthroat Island - just to humor me on Talk Like A Pirate Day. What a guy!

It was quite the respectable haul this year! I got two knitting books I'd been hankering after, some excellent DVDs (if you haven't heard of The IT Crowd, I highly recommend it!), and some other exciting gifts. My in-laws sent me a plethora of gift cards, and I'm looking forward to doing some shopping.

In other news, the cats are starting to get along better. This was taken Sunday, and since then Maggie's collar has come off. Her leg is looking much less disgusting, and no one has chased anyone else through the house making devil noises. Peace at last!

This Post Brought To You By The Dulcet Tones of Aimee Mann

2009-09-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

No sleep. One cat yowling from his (perceived unjust) confinement. One cat clumsily scraping into everything, robbed of her depth perception and frantic for contact. Long night.

No sleep for me that is. After a long night and eight hours of her own confinement, Maggie could be found in blissful repose on my March quilt. Poor thing is having a very hard time getting comfortable with that foolish thing on her head, so I didn't have the heart to move her. The Pickle might be taking a field trip this weekend. A couple of days without anyone locked up should help our collective peace of mind immensely.

Oh, and quilts. I finished the remaining leaves and strew them about the vine border (strew is SO a word, I looked it up). A little applique glue, and Bob's your uncle, this baby's ready to go through the machine. I won't be doing any of this by hand because of my thumb issues. Still, that is a ton of sewing to do, even by machine.

Hey - I have one leaf left - where should I put it?

The Winter of Maggie's Discontent

2009-09-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today was a bad day.

It started last night, when I noticed that in the last 24 hours, Maggie had licked a hole the size of a quarter through the fur in her right front leg. This morning I called the vet, who later injected her with antibiotics and gave her this stylish lampshade to wear for the next week.

In addition, she has surmised that this obsessive over-grooming is stress-related, most likely due to the fact that Maggie has been getting the snot kicked out of her by one over-rowdy The Pickle. As a result, he has been confined to a bedroom without the company of his favorite punching bag.

So for those of you who were wondering, this is what my stress-related obsessions look like. Patrick is still gone, and it is no picnic wrangling one cat into a bedroom against his will and wrangling another cat into a "buster collar" that needs to be tied in a knot to close. Tough to do with one hand. Cranky Lindsay ensues. Nancy Pearl had to come and show you the lovely pile of leaves I've been working on. She says, "Shhh." Thank you, Ms. Pearl, I find that very soothing.

I don't know if you noticed, but the knot I tied in Maggie's collar ends in a bow, which gravity and wiggly feline have maneuvered to the front. She looks like a prairie settler! There's my silver lining...

My Flowers Are A-Bloomin'!

2009-09-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

So let me just remark on how disturbingly fast two days worth of work gets distributed over the border of a quilt!

Also, I need way more leaves. I'm also thinking of at least one more set of circles - down at the bottom by the orange tulip. I am in need of suggestions - hit me in the comments, Invisible Quilters!

Applique Progress, Et Cetera

2009-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've been working more on my Charm Star applique today.

Here is a sum total of additions - some of the four-petal blossoms, all the circles, the white flowers, and that teetering stack of leaves.

Yes, it's been slow-going, but I'm amassing a large stack of leaves. These aren't even all of them; I've still got more waiting to be turned under on the ironing board. So - today yielded a bunch of prepared applique and...some shopping.

I have been looking for a clock for my sewing room for a while. I had a piddly alarm clock in there, but it takes up an outlet and has an ugly red display. I wanted something that would work well with the colors of the room, but still reflect a certain me-ness.

And oh my god, is this ever it. My BS in Computer Science was riddled with math, and I was very surprised to learn that I'm good at it! I failed geometry in high school, for heaven's sake. Sharon of Indigo Threads posted about the Geek Gear Etsy store, and I snapped this Math Equation Clock up, although I would have considered the Binary Number Clock if it weren't red.

**Edited to add: Sweet dancing Jehovah, I almost forgot that next Saturday is International Talk Like A Pirate Day! It is the day before my birthday every year, and the lust for presents frequently blots it from my mind. But oh, how I love to talk like a pirate. Plans to celebrate appropriately are now unfolding...**

Moral of the story: I love Etsy! And Pirates! And leaves!

Applique Prep - Charm Star

2009-09-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Today I started in on my next UFO - the Charm Star quilt - last touched in December of last year! The center is a Lone Star pattern with no fabric repeated; hence it is a Charm Star.

I put a vine around the border with the intent of adding applique, and that's what I started work on today.

These patterns are traced from Quilts in Bloom, an inspiring book given to me by my mother-in-law. I'll trace out more eventually, but this was a good first batch to work with.

Next I sorted scraps to use as leaves and flowers. This adds to the scrappy aesthetic of the quilt and busts some of my massive scrap stash to boot. The Pickle came to investigate, naturally. He can smell productivity anywhere in the house, and immediately rushes to participate. Unfortunately, he is usually more of a hindrance. I can't tell you how many times Patrick or I have been doing homework and had The Pickle lay down across our books. In this photo it is important to note that the remaining half of the seat is what has been left for my use; he didn't get up once I'd sat down.

And this is the sum total of my efforts for the day. The four-petal blossoms and the thistle-like flowers eventually became fusible applique instead of freezer paper applique because of the narrow void between their petals. Still, everything else is turned, starched and prepped for addition to the quilt. More tomorrow, I hope.

One More UFO - Count It!

2009-09-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

I set out this Labor Day Weekend with the ardent goal of getting a few more projects socked away.

Well, we had such gorgeous weather that it was pretty difficult to keep my focus!

Luckily, I had a little help from my fourt-footed friends. I was kept under constant furry surveillance, monitored for signs of wavering from my goal (and they weren't always this subtle).

But it's done! Six months after the fact, the March quilt has crossed the finish line. It's quilted and bound, but no label as of yet.

From the back you can clearly see my the quilting. Unfortunately also evident in this photo is the bearding problem I'm having with the batting. It's Kyoto Bamboo, and while it was very easy to baste and quilt, it's pilling through the fabric more than I'd like.

In other news, I took advantage of JoAnn's holiday sale to pick up a couple skirt patterns and some fabric. Above is the silk paisley stripe I'm working with at the moment, on View B of Simplicity's New Look 6300 pattern. I also bought 4881 with the intent to sew View C.

This Long Weekend Is Shaping Up Nicely...

2009-09-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

What a perfect day.

I slept in, had two eggs fried to perfection and an extra cup of coffee, and looked forward to a whole day to quilt and knit and cook. The weather was ideal September - overcast with occasional rain squalls.

I've been working on my March quilt. I started this back in it's eponymous month with the goal of having it done by the show & tell in April, but I was struck down with De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. It took me months to get out of that wrist brace, and I'm still using the therapeutic putty to strengthen my hand. Anywho, this was the next UFO on my list.

I'm doing echo and in the ditch quilting for the blocks, and a simple motif in the sashing. I puttered through the quilting all day, watching Mrs. Henderson Presents, Yes Man, and of course the ever-present Venture Bros., and taking occasional breaks to knit.

My knitting project requires a little bit of defense. I'm claiming it as an exception in the goal to not start any new project, only finish UFOs. Technically, it's an addendum project - a cabled hat to go with my Irish Hiking Scarf. I had quite a bit of the leftover yarn - it's just Red Heart, but I hate to waste it. I'm using a free pattern off Head Huggers, and I'm thinking about incorporating some colorwork. No pictures yet, but this lovely long weekend is young!

Another Finish!

2009-09-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

And the crowd goes wiiiiiiiild!

I have finished my Irish Hiking Scarf! A day and a half of bedrest was all it took, and it's done just in time to participate in my Autumn wardrobe.

My back is also much better. On my mother's suggestion, I switched from Ibuprofen to Aleve. I also went and got that massage I had needed so badly, so here's hoping I'm truly on the mend.

Will You Be My Online Guild Meeting?

2009-09-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! I was supposed to go to my quilt guild meeting tonight and show off my recent UFO finish, but yesterday I tweaked a muscle in my lower back, so I'm doing tonight's Show & Tell from home:

For those of you following along, I started this bad boy back in '04, which it makes it much older than my house, and even predates my marriage. I'm still not thrilled with it, but I'm really glad it's finished.

This is what I'm working on whilst flat on my back - I started this scarf in April 2008 as a way to learn cables. After a brief oversight, it's being added to my UFO list on the right. But the Baltimore Album is gone!