SHNOODLE!

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!